Backstory & Episodes

Episode 1-Tantric Energy

Slayers Virtual Season 8
 
Episode 1 Tantric Energy
 
Introducing Matt Long as Alex Sanders and Lizzy Caplan as Eliza Sanders
 
Written by Kelley Hawkins
 
Disclaimer: The major characters in these episodes/stories are the creations of Joss Whedon and any and all entities who have a share in them such as Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, Warner Bros or Mutant Enemy Productions. The stories are written by fans and are not intended for profit or to infringe upon or undermine the established copyright of those mentioned above. The situations depicted in these stories (sexual or otherwise) are not intended to harm the reputations of those actors associated with the characters involved. The only things that are ©2004 are those characters that are the creation of the Slayers VS8 staff and the original plotlines of the stories.
 
Teaser
 
Flashback from Chosen to Buffy’s Living Room
 
“I hate this. I hate being here. I hate that you have to be here. I hate that there's evil, and that I was chosen to fight it. I wish, a whole lot of the time, that I hadn't been. I know a lot of you wish I hadn't been either.” Buffy said.
 
Kennedy and Rona look away.
 
“But this isn't about wishes. This is about choices. I believe we can beat this evil. Not when it comes, not when its army is ready, now. Tomorrow morning I'm opening the seal. I'm going down into the hellmouth, and I'm finishing this once and for all. Right now you're asking yourself, "what makes this different? What makes us anything more than a bunch of girls being picked off one by one?" It's true none of you have the power that Faith and I do. So here's the part where you make a choice.”
 
Flashback to Buffy’s Living Room
 
“What if you could have that power...now? In every generation, one slayer is born... because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men. This woman…” Buffy points to Willow. ... is more powerful than all of them combined.”
 
Willow whimpers.
 
“So I say we change the rule. I say my power...
 
Flashback to PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE AT SUNNYDALE HIGH - DAY

Kennedy sits up smiling and confident.
...should be our power. Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the scythe to change our destiny.”
Flashback to EXT. BASEBALL DIAMOND - DAY

A young woman stands at the plate staring at the pitcher, waiting to bat. She looks a little nervous.
“From now on, every girl in the world who might be a slayer...” Buffy pauses
INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY

A young woman breathes heavily as she leans on her locker for support.
“will be a slayer.”
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

A young woman is lying across the floor, having fallen out of her chair.
Buffy continues. “Every girl who could have the power…”
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY

In a Japanese-style dining room, a young woman stands up at family dinner.
“will have the power... can stand up,” Buffy said.
 
INT. BASEMENT - DAY

A young woman grabs the wrist of a man who's trying to slap her face, preventing him.
 
“will stand up.”
 
EXT. BASEBALL DIAMOND - DAY

The girl at the plate changes from nervous to confident, smiling as she waits for the pitch.
 
“Slayers... every one of us. Make your choice. Are you ready to be strong?” Buffy asks the room.
 
Flashback to PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE AT SUNNYDALE HIGH - DAY
Willow's hair is completely white, and she's still glowing with white light from the spell. Willow's facial expression is one of divine ecstasy as she looks heaven-ward. Willow pants as the power runs through her. When the scythe stops glowing, so does Willow. Willow's hair is back to normal, but she herself is still recovering from the incredible experience of that spell.
“You...are a goddess.” Kennedy says to Willow.
Willow smiles, weakly. “And you're a slayer. Get this to Buffy.”
Willow hands the scythe to Kennedy, who takes it and runs out of the office. Willow sits there, panting, then collapses to her side, still smiling.
“Ha! That was nifty.” Willows exclaims.
* * * * *
The young woman who avoided the hit from her father stopped his hand from slapping her face. She could feel the power surge through her body. She had been empowered. She knew what she must do. For so long when crying herself to sleep night after night she had longed for the strength to fight back. After she grabbed his hand, she flips him over her shoulder. He landed on the floor before her. He blinked up at her in surprise. She came up behind him and snapped his neck. She heard the crack reverberating in the small, dark room. She had been empowered. She smiled evilly down at her father’s body.
* * * * *
The young Japanese woman looked at her parents after feeling the power overtook her. “I must leave.” She told them with an urgent tone in her voice. They looked at her with a questioning look.
“Not in the middle of dinner, young lady.” Her father demanded.
“Yes, I must leave.”
The young woman, Shina Taji, looked over at her father. “There is something I must do.” Shina saw a vision before her. A woman in an alley was being attacked by a vampire. She was finally able to do something about her visions.
She walked away from the table and out the door. She continued to walk toward an alleyway. A woman was being attacked by a vampire. Shina runs with slayer speed and kicked the vampire in the chest. The vampire flew through the air landing on some crates. Shina instinctively picked up a piece of the broken wood from a crate and plunged into the vampire’s heart, the vampire poofed into ashes. The young woman who was being attacked was crying now. She looked over at Shina and ran away, grateful but confused. She could feel the power surging through her body. Shina smiled to herself.
* * * *
The young woman who leaned on her school locker for support looked around her. She felt the power surge through her body. Before that moment she was on her way home to kill herself. She had desperately wanted to end her life. She had been calm that day knowing that all this pain and depression would be over soon. She took the power she felt as a sign that she is meant to be here on earth. There are better plans for her. None of the problems seemed to matter. She felt empowered as she walked down the hallway. She grabbed the outer door with her hand as her newly found slayer strength took over and the handle fell off in her hands. She laughed and walked out of her school building toward a new life.
* * * * *
“I’m not coming to Cleveland with you.” Kennedy said finality in her voice.
Willow looked over at Kennedy. There were tears in her eyes. “Sweetie, why?”
“Because, you don’t love me the way I need to be loved. Tara is still in your heart and I can’t live in the shadow of her ghost.”
Willow nodded at Kennedy. Kennedy picked up her sports bag and walked out of the hospital waiting room, headed toward a new life.

Act One
 
Buffy and Dawn walked through the house. Bob the real estate agent looked over at Buffy. He gave her a leering grin. Buffy got the wiggins.
 
“I like how the house is practically new. I really like the view from the back window, too. Dawn, what do you think about the house?”
 
“A new house is a good thing…for our line of work.” After a beat Dawn said, “I get the biggest bedroom.”
 
Bob looked strangely at Dawn. “What line of work.” Bob wondered.
 
“You so do not.” Buffy said.
 
Bob laughed at the girls. He realized that Buffy was 22 years old but she still looked and acted like a teenager. How he would like to have some of that. As he looked at her, he licked his lips. Buffy looked away from him with a grossed-out look on her face.
 
Willow and Xander came down the stairs.
 
“I like it Buffy.” Willow said. “It is perfect for you and Dawnie.”
 
“Yeah, and if you and Xand need to stay over…two guest rooms!” Buffy smiled at them.
 
Xander looked at Buffy and noticed Bob looking at her with hungry eyes. His protective instinct took over and he walked over to Buffy and put his arm around her. “Yes, honey. The house is perfect for you and Dawn.”
 
Buffy looked over at him and then looked at his arm on her shoulder. She felt a tingly feeling rush through her. What was that all about? “Xand!” Buffy whispered “You can get your arm off me now. I can handle this guy.”
 
Bob looked over at them. He smiled at her. It was a greasy smile.
 
“So Bob, how’s $230,000 in cash sound. Is cash acceptable?”
 
Bob almost choked. “Cash?”
 
“Yes, we have cash. I hope that is okay.”
 
Dawn smiled at Willow and Xander. She loved it when Buffy flaunted their money around.
 
“Ca-Cash is fine.”
 
“Okay, let’s go sign those papers.” Buffy said.
 
* * * * *
 
Buffy carried the box that held a fancy chandelier into the dining room. Like a tea cozy, whatever that may be, Buffy had always wanted a chandelier in her dining room. Now, that there were more slayers in the world all hell won’t be breaking loose in her home all the time. She hoped anyway.
 
Giles walked into the dining room. “Buffy, we have some business to discuss?”
 
“Now?” Buffy asked, her lower lip sticking out in a pleading gesture. “I wanted to watch Xander hang the chandelier.”
 
“It will only take a moment. Buffy, now more than ever we need to concentrate on pressing matters first and foremost.”
 
“Yes, General Giles. I will be right there.” Buffy said.
 
Xander walked in the dining room. “You ready for me?” He asked and then quickly looked embarrassed. “I mean for me to hang…”
 
“Yes, I’ve got it right here.” Buffy tells him. She looked deeply into his one eye. “Are you okay, Xand?”
 
“Yes, I’m fine.”
 
“Good. Giles wants me in the other room.”
 
For some reason, Xander looked jealous. That was a strange emotion for him. He hasn’t been jealous since Angel.
 
“I will hang this chandelier mi lady and then whatever else you need the ole Xan Man will do for you.”
 
Buffy smiled. Suddenly, a very vivid picture of kissing Xander came to her mind. Where did that come from?
 
She remembered over the summer how she and Xander would stay up watching the late night monster movie fests. They would curl up on the couch together armed with plenty of cheesy munchies and chocolate. The rest of the gang would each go to their hotel suite to go to sleep. Willow would find them asleep in each other’s arms the next morning. Almost every morning during the summer stay at the Ritz in LA. One morning in particular Buffy recalled with embarrassment as a blush crept up her face. As she laid across Xander’s lap she could feel his hardness through his jeans. She remembered how that realization sent her pulse to racing and instant arousal in her nether regions. She giggled nervously.
 
Xander looked over at her with a curious smile on his face.
 
“Inside joke?” he asked.
 
She smiled back at him. Suddenly as she recalled Xander’s big surprise from that summer morning, Buffy blushed and looked away.
 
“Better see what Giles wants.” Buffy said as she walked away.
 

 
Willow felt fortunate to have found a condo only five miles from Buffy’s house. Buffy wanted them all to live in the same house but Willow insisted that she, as well as her and Dawnie, needs more space. Giles wouldn’t be in the way since he has the attic area. The room was perfect for him. Willow placed the picture of her and Tara on the end table beside her brand new sofa. She smiled as she thought how much Tara would have loved this place. It is best that she and Kennedy decided to go their separate ways. Kennedy could never accept Willow’s magic even though her magic is what made Kennedy a Slayer. And then there was Tara.
 
“Kennedy was simply ungrateful.” Willow thought bitterly. They only had one thing in common…sex. Rebound girl for sure.
 
Willow picked up a book on one of her bookshelves in her small study. The book was entitled “Healing Spells.” She opened the book and began to read a certain page. She smiled to herself. The only thing she had to do in order for Xander to get his eye back was to convince Buffy to have sex with him.
 
“That shouldn’t be too hard, right?” Willow asked the empty room. Willow whimpered aloud.
 

 
Buffy walked up the stairs to Giles’ office. She knocked lightly on the door. She heard Giles yell, “Come in.” She opened the door and walked into the room. The attic had proven a very efficient place for Giles to (for right now) work and live. Xander built him bookcases all around the room he used as his study. The place looked like a mini library. She smiled as she looked around the room.
 
“Buffy, we found another Slayer. She lives in a small town near Cincinnati. Faith is on her way there now.”
 
“So, have you talked to this girl yourself?”
 
“No, but I did talk with her mother briefly. I told her that we want to interview her for a prominent school here in Cleveland and our associate will explain later upon her visit.”
 
“Do you think this girl will come with us?” Buffy asked.
 
“It is a very good possibility. She is an exceptional student academically. That surprised me.”
 
“Surprises you how?” Buffy asked, sarcasm clear in her voice.
 
“W-Well, Buffy you know as well as I that Slayers even Potential Slayers never excelled in academia.”
 
Buffy glares at Giles. “Need I remind you of my SAT scores?”
 
“Well, you are an exceptional case as is our newly found Slayer, Joan.”
 
“Joan?”
 
“Y-Yes.”
 
Buffy laughed. Suddenly disappointment and jealousy invaded her thoughts. She was not the only chosen one anymore, the only superhero. She would have to learn to accept that. Could she learn though? That was the question.
 
 
Act Two
 
Dawn glared at the guy across from her at one of the tables outside Cleveland High School. “Give me that back, Alex.” She referred to her lavender notebook.
 
Alex Sanders laughed at her. “I just wanted to see if you have the Chem notes from yesterday. Man, aren’t we postal today.”
 
He pushed the notebook in Dawn’s direction. Dawn’s heart pounded as she thought about what she wrote in that notebook while staring at Alex in Chem class. She wrote Dawn Sanders and Dawn Summers-Sanders. She realized she had been temporary blinded by his pecs or she never would have written that. She vowed to throw that page away once she was home that afternoon.
 
Eliza, Dawn’s only female friend so far, laughed at their antics. Dawn met Eliza Sanders the first day at school. Dawn did not usually attract friends like Eliza but something just clicked between them. Eliza had purposely dyed her hair black and now wore it long and curly. She wore too much black eyeliner and too much black period. They looked like complete opposites but Dawn really liked Eliza and Eliza really liked Dawn.
 
“So, Dawn – How long did you live in California?”
 
“All my life, really.” Dawn said. She thought about that for a moment. Well, for about three years once those monks made me from that pesky green energy. Dawn thought.
 
“Cool! I bet you will hate winters in Cleveland.” Eliza said.

“Nothing like a winter in Sunnydale.” Dawn said, cheerily. Much too cheerily, she realized. Suddenly, Dawn thought of Andrew. She wished she could be where Andrew was right now. He was in Buenos Aires training his new Slayer. She realized that she missed him.
 
“Well, I better get home or my sister will send out a search party.” Dawn told the two siblings.
 
“Bye, Dawn.” Eliza said and looked over at her brother Alex and she punched him in the arm. He fell over the bench and grabbed his arm in pain.
 
“Damn, Liz! That hurt. Been working out?”
 
Eliza simply smiled to herself.
 
* * * * *
 
Willow walked up the cobblestone sidewalk to Buffy’s front door. Why did she feel so nervous? “Buffy cares about Xander a-and…” Willow muttered to herself. “She will have to agree to have sex with Xander. He needs his other eye back.”
 
Willow opened the door. Xander greeted her with a hug. Willow whimpered. Poor Xander she thought. No one wants to party in Xander’s eye socket. Willow thought, smiling to herself when she remembered how Xander invited everyone to do just that after Buffy killed Caleb. Xander was always making jokes even when circumstances were tense and all hope seemed lost.
 
“Do you know where Buffy is?”
 
“She is with the G-Man. He wanted to talk business with our girl.”
 
Willow smiled at him. She knew that Xander still had feelings for Buffy, more than just the friendly type feelings.
 
“I will catch her when she is finished. So, how are things with you and your new pad?”
 
“Great! I haven’t lived alone…without a bunch of girls…oh, hell, why I am complaining about that.” He laughed. “Hey, Will, I want to ask you something.”
 
“Yeah, sure!”
 
“How do you think Buffy feels about Spike…dying….and all that?”
 
“I think at first she was upset although she never showed it. B-but now I think she has come to terms with it.”
 
“Cool! She and I seem…”
 
At that moment Buffy walks in the room. “Hey, Will.” Buffy said.
 
“Hey, Buffy. Can I talk to you for a sec?”
 
“Yeah, sure.” She smiled from her to Xander.
 
“In private, please.” Willow said and glanced at Xander. He had a hurt look on his face.
 
“Sure.” Buffy was puzzled wondering what Willow could not discuss in front of Xander.
 
Willow and Buffy left Xander and went into the kitchen.
 
“Okay. I think Xander was a little hurt you couldn’t include him…”
 
“Buffy!” Willow interrupted. “This is kind of delicate.”
 
“Oh?”
 
Willow held her breath then let it out quickly. “I found a healing spell to give Xander his eye.”
 
“Oh, Willow that’s wonderful. I knew you would find something.”
 
“Yeah, but there’s a catch.”
 
“A catch?”
 
“Y-Yes.” Willow pauses. “The ritual healing must be performed using tantric sexual healing with a true and powerful energy, such as a Slayer.
 
Buffy stares a Willow, not really seeing her. “Does your book really specify Slayer because I…”
 
“Buffy, enough.” Willow shouts.
Buffy looked down. She has a hurt expression on her face. “Willow, I…”
“This is Xander, Buffy. I am gay and I would have sex with him so he can have his eye back if the spell called for it.” Willow glared at Buffy.
“Was there any kind of sub-clause to that statement in your book? I mean…oh, I don’t know what I mean.”
 
“According to my healing spell book the tantric sex between two people brings about a powerful energy that can re-grow organs in one of the sexual partners.”
 
Buffy sighed. She did not want this to happen. She was already very confused with the warm and fuzzy feelings she was having for Xander lately but sex even before a first date…
 
“I will talk to Xander.” Buffy told Willow a feeling of defeat washing over her. “And Will, what’s tantric sex?”
 
Willow chuckled. “Okay, you know, Buffy, I thought about asking Faith…”
 
“No!” Buffy suddenly said, much too loudly.
 
Willow looked shocked at Buffy’s strong reaction against Xander and Faith having sex.
 
“It is not like they haven’t before.”
 
“Yes, but I think Xander would…” Buffy trails off
 
“Prefer you?” Willow’s voice softened.
 
“I would definitely be safer than Faith.”
 
Suddenly, they heard Faith’s voice behind them. “Safer than me, B? Whatever do you mean?”
 
* * * * *
 
Faith stood in the kitchen doorway with a young girl standing beside her. Her eyes bored into Buffy’s.
 
“Faith!” Buffy said and smiled. “Now, is not a good time to talk about this.” Buffy said.
 
Faith shrugs. “It’s a good a time as any!”
 
“Well, we need to meet our latest addition first.” Willow chimed in. “You must be Joan.”
 
“Yes!” The brown-haired young woman smiled at Willow. Buffy glanced at Willow with a shocked expression on her face. How did Willow know that Faith was bringing Joan here? Did Giles confide in Willow before her? Buffy thought.
 
“Glad to meet you Joan. I’m Willow and this is our original chosen one, Buffy.”
 
The young girl nervously smiled at them both.
 
Faith stepped up and grabbed Buffy by the shirt. “Will you excuse us?” Faith asked.
 
Willow and Joan smiled at each other. “Sure.”
 
* * * * *
 
“So what were you and Red talking about in there? I heard my name.” Faith asked Buffy defensively.
 
Buffy knew she would find out anyway. “Willow found a spell to restore Xander’s eye.”
 
“Hey, B! That’s great.”
 
“There’s a catch.”
 
Faith laughs. “There’s always a catch.”
 
“Xander has to have tamper sex with a Slayer.”
 
Faith laughed. “You mean tantric sex.” Faith looked away. “So that is what you meant about you being safer than me?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“I can understand that, what, with me trying to choke him to death the last time.” Faith waved both arms in the air. Buffy thought she saw a hurt expression on the dark haired Slayer’s face. “It should be you, though, B. You oughta give it a try. I think your friendship will make it kinda special, you know?”
 
Buffy smiled at Faith. “I think it kinda would...” Buffy paused. “But there is usually a date first.”
 
Faith looked at Buffy with a knowing smile on her face. They both laughed aloud.
 
“Are we okay?” Buffy asked.
 
“Five by five, B.”
 
Buffy looked at Faith. “Good! But can you finally tell me what five by five means?”
 
“What, you dated military guy and haven’t figured it out yet?”
 
Buffy looked at Faith with a blank expression.
 
Faith laughed. “It means that everything is A-okay. It is a military radio signal.”
 
Buffy’s expression changed to one of understanding. “Cool!”
 
Act Three
 
Dawn opened the door and walked into the house. Her brain screamed “snack”. She made a beeline for the kitchen. Dawn grabbed a bag of chips off the counter and dived in. She ate a few chips and then reached for the bag of chocolate chip cookies. “Cookies, yummy.” She said aloud.
 
Xander walked into the kitchen. He smiled when he saw Dawn eating a cookie. “Can I have one of those, Dawnster?”
 
Dawn brightened when she saw Xander. “Sure!” She handed him the bag. “So, what do you know?”
 
“Know. I know nothing but I did hang the chandelier in the dining room and built more shelves in Giles’ apartment.” Xander said, grinning.
 
“Hey, yeah! That reminds me. You promised that you would help me hang some shelves in my room.”
 
“Tonight after dinner?” Xander asked and he tilted his head looking at her with his one eye.
 
“Sure! I better get to my homework before Major Buffy comes after me.”
 
Buffy walked in the kitchen. “Major Buffy, what?”
 
“Nothing! Going to do my homework, now!”
 
“Good!” Buffy watched Dawn walk away. She turned around and stared at Xander. “Can we talk?”
 
“Yeah, sure Buff, what’s on your mind?”
 
Buffy nervously fiddled with the hem of her shorts. “Well this is going to come as a shock to you as it did to me. First off, Willow has found a spell to restore your eye.”
 
Xander’s expression quickly changed from his once relaxed expression to one of uncertainty and then quickly a look of hope crossed his face.
 
“A spell, really?”
 
“Yes, but there is a catch.”
 
“Now why didn’t I know you were going to say that?”
 
Buffy whimpered.
 
Xander stepped closer to her and guided her to a chair. He sat down beside her.
 
“Just tell me, Buffy. I can take it. I will do anything to get my eye back.”
 
Buffy reached over and took his hand into hers. “Willow says that you must have sex with a Slayer. With me, Xander.” Buffy looked deeply into his eyes.
 
Xander does not look away from her studying gaze. He is speechless.
 
“Say something, Xander.”
 
His mind screamed in joy. Doubt. Hope. Fear. “Buffy…”
 
At that moment, Willow burst in the room. “Wait, I found another way to restore Xander’s eye.”
 
Buffy looked from Xander to Willow and back again. She saw a look of disappointment cross his face. The feeling was mutual.
 
* * * * *
 
“We need a pure green energy. It does not have to be Slayer energy. The book stated pure green energy such as a Slayer but we forgot about Dawn.”
 
“Oh, no! Dawn is not sleeping with…”
 
“NO!” Willow said. “Dawn will be a part of the spell but she will be the focusing energy in the center of the sacred circle. Dawn is very powerful according to this new book I bought.”
 
Buffy walked toward Willow. “What does it say about Dawn?”
 
“For one she is the key to this spell. Excuse the pun.”
 
“Does it say anything else about her?” Buffy asked.
 
“The green energy will not only open that one portal to Glory’s hell dimension but if Dawn can harness it…control it, she can be a very powerful Wicca. She could also be a Slayer.”
 
Buffy looked at Willow in amazement. “No one can just *be* a slayer. They have to be chosen.”
 
“Well, since the monks made her out of you she kinda is *chosen*.” Willow said. “Haven’t you noticed how powerful she can be in a fight? She may not have all the strength that you do…that the other Slayers does but she can if she wants it bad enough.”
 
Buffy did not know what to think about this new development. About Dawn’s new powers.
 
“When do we do the ritual?” Buffy asked Willow.
 
“We have to do it on a night of the new moon. It’s the perfect time for growing and new beginnings.”
 
“When is the next new moon?” Buffy asked.
 
“Tomorrow night. I will make preparations.”
 
Buffy looked around her. “I will go tell Giles.” As Buffy walked from the room Xander followed her with his eye. A feeling of disappointment washed over him once more.
 
* * * * *
 
“Extraordinary!” Giles exclaimed.
 
“According to Willow, Dawn is very powerful. She can actually choose what…who she wants to be. A powerful Wicca or a Slayer.”
 
“She could very well decide to be herself. She has already found an identity. Who’s to say she wants to be a witch o-or a Slayer.”
 
“I know my little sis, Giles. She has always wanted to be just like me.”
 
“Well, this is a decision that she must indeed make on her own.” Giles said.
 
“Yes, I know, Giles. I guess I can’t protect her forever.”
 
There was a knock at the door. “Come in.” Giles announced.
 
Willow walked in the room. “What do you think about what I found, Giles?”
 
“Just as I told Buffy this is extraordinary news, Willow. Good work.”
 
Willow beamed. “I know! I could not believe it when I found it in my book.” She held up the book in reference.
 
“May I?” Giles asked.
 
“Sure!” Willow handed him the book.
 
“Where did you find this book?”
 
“On eBay. Can you believe it? Technology rules!” Willow chuckled.
 
“But books smell better than technology.” Giles said sarcastically.
 
* * * * *
 
Willow walked into the kitchen. Xander still sat at the table. The cookies he got out to eat before totally forgotten. He looked up as Willow walked in the room.
 
“Xander.”
 
“Please, Willow. Don’t say anything.”
 
“I know how you must have felt when Buffy told you…”
 
“She was willing to sacrifice a piece of herself to heal me, Will.”
 
“Yes, I know Xander. I think we all would do anything for each other. Are you disappointed that I found a new way to cure you?”
 
“I would be lying if I said no.”
 
“My thoughts exactly.” Willow walked over to him and took him in her arms. “I shouldn’t have continued to read that stupid book.” Willow mumbled.
 
“No, this is the right thing, Willow.”
 
“You think?”
 
“Yes, if I ever have the luxury of having Buffy in my arms I want the feelings to be there, you know?”
 
“I know.”
 
“Do you think they ever will be there? The feelings I mean?”
 
“As Giles says, may wonders never cease?”
 
Xander smiled down at the redhead in his arms.
 
“And what a wonder it would be.” Xander whispered with a far away look in his eye.
 
Act Four
 
Willow lit the candles around the sacred circle. She decided to create the circle in Buffy’s backyard near the tall oak tree. She felt that being outdoors for this ritual would bring them all closer to the powerful healing of nature and the new moon. All the candles were lit at each of the four compass directions as well as the center point with the five elements of nature. She was ready to begin. Xander sat inside the circle near the north direction that represented the power of body and directly in front of Willow. He was nervous. Willow placed her hand on top of Xander’s.
 
“We will begin as soon as Dawn is ready.” Willow assured him.
 
At that moment, Dawn rushed out into the backyard. “I’m sorry, I had to finish my Alegbra…” Dawn trailed off when she saw Willow’s stern look. Dawn smiled at Willow and then at Xander and stood at her assigned point.
 
“We can begin.” Willow stated.

Willow raised her arms to the heavens toward the new moon. "Oh, great dark moon hear me on this night. Bring me to your loving guidance." Willow lit the black candle in her hand. Willow continued with the ritual. She reached out and took Xander’s hands in hers. Dawn stood at her point in the circle. As Willow looked up toward Dawn she cast some herbs upon the black candle. Suddenly, a bright glow surrounded Dawn. Dawn could feel the power rushing throughout her body. There was no pain only great warmth and understanding. Without Willow telling her, Dawn knew her power was very strong. She could sense the power inside her. She stood planted to the same spot of the sacred circle. Dawn smiled at Willow through the glowing light. Willow smiled back and then looked toward the sky and asked the planets and the goddesses to heal Xander’s eye. She pleaded that Xander fought to abolish evil from the blessed earth. Willow let Xander’s hands drop, released the circle with her athame down, and said, “So mote it be”.

Willow opened her eyes. Xander still sat on the North point and he opened his one eye, the other eye was still covered with the patch. “So how long do we wait?’

“Do you feel anything? A-a tingle, anything?” Willow asked, her voice pitch slightly rising.

“No, I felt warmth under my patch but no tingles. I think I was warm from the candles.” Xander nervously told her, a giggle rising in his throat.

Willow rose to remove his eye patch. Xander stopped her. “It’s no use, Willow. I don’t think it was meant to get my eye back.” He rose from his position and walked into the house. Willow looked at Dawn. “We will give it until morning and try again on the next new moon.” Willow’s face held a dejected expression.

Dawn frowned. “Willow, I felt something happen. I know it worked.”

Willow looked toward the house. “Xander is afraid to look to be sure. I think since he did not feel anything, well…he assumed I goofed again. I goofed at most of my spells in the early days and it always affected my friends.”

“Go to him!” Dawn told Willow. “I know it worked. I can feel it.”

Willow looked at Dawn and smiled. “I felt something, too, Dawnie.”

Willow rose and began to blow out all the candles when they heard Xander screaming in great agony.

They both ran toward the house. Buffy was holding Xander in her arms. “It hurts, it hurts.” Xander wailed.

Willow stared down at Xander. Tears came to her eyes. “Oh, Xander, I am so sorry…”

Dawn quickly moved to Xander’s side and placed her hand over his eye patch. She looked down at him as she held her hand there. She could feel the warmth wash out of her into Xander’s eye. She knew the pain was not
from a faulty spell of Willow’s but rather the healing of an organ. Dawn removed her hand. “Remove the patch Xander.” Dawn told him.

Xander sat up and suddenly felt no more pain. He quickly removed the eye patch. The three women surrounding him sighed deeply as they stared at Xander’s new eye. It was that familiar shade of brown.

Willow smiled.

Dawn giggled. “We just had to choose the eye color.”

Willow held Xander’s face in her hand and gazed upon the beautiful orb she saw there. “Xander, it’s perfect, but can you see me with your new eye?”

Xander leaned against Willow’s forehead and he inhaled her scent. He looked up and closed his other eye. “Yes, I can see you. All of you.” He turned his head and gazed into Buffy’s tear drenched eyes. “I can see.” He whispered for only Buffy to hear. She was the only one who understood what he meant. She saw him too, for the first time.

Giles rushed into the living room and stopped short. He stood staring at Xander. A broad grin took over his face. “Willow, you did it! It’s an amazing likeness.”

“No.” Willow quickly said. “We did it.” She grabbed Dawn’s hand and squeezed. “Dawnie has the healing touch.”

* * * * *

Willow stared at Dawn after she finished telling her about her green energy and what that could mean for her life. “You have the power that many Wiccans long to have. Your greatest gift is the power of healing, Dawnie. I could feel it when we were doing the ritual.”

Why couldn’t I feel that before?” Dawn looked down at her hands.

Willow immediately knew what she was thinking. “The others that we have lost…your Mom, Anya, Robin, Amanda…Buffy…”

Dawn held up her hand. “My power had not yet developed. I know that now.”

“Yes.” Willow smiled at Dawn and then reached out to gather the girl, the woman in her arms. “I can teach you so much, Dawn. Are you ready?”

“I know I want to be like you, Willow. I want to heal. I want to help like you have for so long.”

“You will.” Willow hugged her tighter.

* * * * *

Buffy and Xander sat on the floor in front of the TV. They were watching an old horror film on the SciFi channel. Xander found it hard to look over at her. But he could feel her eyes on him. For so long he wished for this moment. Now, he was petrified that he would do or say the wrong thing. His snide comments always got him in trouble in the past. Instead, Xander reached over, took Buffy’s hand in his, and squeezed it. Buffy did not utter a word of protest nor did she snatch her hand away. She let the warmth of his hand cradle in her own. She felt giddy almost like a teenager sharing her first handholding experience with that someone special. She looked over at Xander and smiled warmly into both his beautiful, brown eyes.

THE END!

Episode 8.2 Banish the Day COMING SOON…