Sister, Sister (Book Five, BTVS)

chapter 1 - Dracula

It had been the end of the college freshmen year and the next summer after later.

The Scoobies now involved Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Anya Jenkins, Tara Maclay, Riley Finn, and Rupert Giles.

And casual acquaintance William the Bloody AKA Spike, now that he had a chip in his brain.

The Scoobies, except for Giles, were out on the beach.

Buffy and Riley were playing football.

Buffy ran along the sand, catching the football, laughing. "Touchdown! Oh, yeah. Go team me."

Buffy did a victory dance.

Riley smiled.

Buffy threw the ball toward Riley.

Riley caught it, frowning. "Anybody ever tell team you the quarterback throws like a girl?"

Riley threw the ball back.

Buffy caught it, frowning. "I do?" Riley gave a 'Well, yeah' shrug. Buffy frowned, taking a better grip on the ball, throwing it, hitting Riley in the face, making him fall to the ground. She winced in surprise, concerned. "Oh, sorry!" I stepped out of the water, wrapping a towel around me, feeling better after a dip in the ocean. Willow, Tara and Anya were lounging on beach blankets on the sand. Xander was sitting by the fire pit, trying to light it. Riley stood, running toward Buffy. "No, don't you--No, no, no."

Riley picked Buffy up, spinning her around.

I smirked, walking toward the others.

"I'm exhausted just watching you three," Xander told me. "All the splashing and jumping and running. Shouldn't relaxing involve less exertion?"

"Absolutely," Anya told us. "Exertion can lead to sweatiness."

"Which can cause the pain and heartbreak of stinkiness," Tara told us. "Better to just stay put."

"I think we've just put our finger on why we're the sidekicks," Willow told us.

I sat down on the other side of Willow. "You are not the sidekicks."

Willow smiled. "Aw. Thanks, Zoey."

I smiled.

Buffy and Riley walked closer.

"Game over?" I asked.

"Uh, Buffy slayed the football," Riley explained.

"Where's my burger?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, man, I'm starving," Riley told us."Cow me."

Buffy and Riley sat on the other beach towel.

"The fire's not cooperating," Xander told us. "It's comforting to know that I lack the culinary finesse of a caveman."

Willow held a hand toward the fire pit. "Ignis incende!"

The fire pit burst on fire.

Xander fell out of his chair.

I smiled. "Willow, check you out. Witch-fu."

Willow shrugged. "It's no big. You just have to balance the elements, so when you affect one, you don't wind up causing..." A sudden thunderstorm hit us from overhead, clouds gathering, rain pouring, putting out the fire, thunder crackling, lightning flashing. We all screamed and squealed at the cold, pelting rain and wind. "I didn't do it! I didn't do it!"

We gathered our stuff, running away.

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