Epilogue Part I.

Ever since the night that Xander and the Slayers shared a kiss by the moonlit windowsill, their lives had taken on an extraordinary direction. A three-way bond was a relationship that defied the social norm. It was common for a boy and a girl to be in a relationship, for a boy to cheat on his girlfriend, or for a girl to date a good-looking guy with his life together. What wasn’t common was a three-way relationship in which the girls dating the boy were fully aware of each other and consented to share him. Additionally, Xander, Buffy, and Faith went to school together, trained together, ate dinner together, and, if possible, patrolled together. Their relationship was so unique, and so much was on the line, that they couldn’t help being cautious.

The first time the three discussed how to navigate this relationship, Buffy asked, “We’re not telling people, right? Not to be a Debbie-Downer or anything, but I mean, we’re talking about the one place in America that thrives on ruthlessly judging others for any little thing and slut-shaming them to the end of their days—high school.”

“First, it’s none of their business, so they don’t need to know,” Faith asserted unapologetically. “If they’re itching to run their mouths about shit that ain’t got nothing to do with them, I’d be happy to wipe the floor with them and their shitty opinions.”

“As sexy as I find assault and battery charges,” Xander interjected. “Let’s try for options that avoid getting you suspended in your first month here. We still have janitor’s closets to defile.”

“Oh, right, the closets,” Faith recalled, nodding.

Aghast by their insinuation, Buffy asked, “Wait, you guys… In school?!”

“I love doing it outside,” Faith answered with a grin.

Buffy appeared lost in her thoughts—almost anxious—and Xander could see she was measuring or comparing herself to Faith. Xander recognized the dangerous path her mind was treading, the comparison only serving to fuel doubts about her worth and the depth of Xander’s feelings for her. With a knowing smile, he couldn’t help but find amusement in the situation. After all, he had shared just as many intimate moments with Buffy in the confines of their bedroom as he had with Faith. The irony of Buffy feeling left out when they had indulged in many nights of passion together was not lost on him.

“Buffy, I love you both in different ways,” Xander gently shared. “There are things that you like doing that Faith doesn’t.”

“Like holding hands in public or walking around school with a huge bouquet of flowers,” Faith offered.

Playfully hesitant, Xander replied, “Call me crazy, but I’m getting the subtle impression that you’d rather I not buy you roses for Valentine’s Day.”

“You’re so smart,” the brunette teased, pinching his cheek.

Xander snorted before continuing, “Buffster, I, for one, love holding hands and sending flowers. Because if there’s anything I can do to show you two how much I love you, I’m doing it.”

Tentatively, Buffy asked, “So… you’d be okay with, like… I mean, you wouldn’t wonder why I wasn’t, for example, reserving the cleaning closet on the second floor by math class?”

“Oof!” Faith groaned, wrinkling her nose in disgust. “That one doesn’t get interruptions, but the smell is a serious buzz-kill.”

“You’ve done it there already?” Buffy exclaimed, her eyes wide as she goggled at them.

With a noncommittal shrug, Faith replied, “So many rooms, so little time.”

“To answer your question, of course, we don’t need to pick out a room or do any public play you’re not up for,” Xander answered his blonde girlfriend. “Whether we do hardcore or vanilla stuff, trust me when I say I want to do it all with you. I can’t even begin to explain to you how much every second with both of you means to me. So, if you want to hold hands or anything, I’m more than down.” Turning to Faith, he added, “And if you want to be a saucy minx and get the toy chest out, you know I’m down.” Taking both of their hands, he concluded, “Neither of you ever have to worry about not being enough, or doing enough, because I love you both for who you are—the very essence of you—not simply for what we do or don’t do.”

Buffy couldn’t help leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. Though Xander appreciated the affection, he was taken aback, so Buffy sweetly told him, “I don’t trust myself to do any more than that.”

“I don’t mind watching,” Faith purred, winking at a blushing Buffy.

Xander chuckled before stating, “As far as what we tell others, the only people I think deserve to know the truth are the ones who actually care about us: Giles and your mom.”

“Telling Mom I’m the Slayer is a cakewalk by comparison,” Buffy said, her voice shaky with fear.

“Come on,” Faith dismissed, flicking her hand with an air of casual certainty. “I know she’s been secretly rooting for you and Xander to get together. She’ll be thrilled.”

“Somehow, I highly doubt that,” Buffy remarked.

“What we’re doing isn’t typical, so I get if they’re not jumping for joy right away,” Xander interjected. “But as long as they see how committed we are to each other—how happy I want to make the both of you—I think they’ll come around.”

“And school?” Buffy asked.

Smiling, Xander asked, “How about we do a little role-playing?” At Faith’s saucy smile, he added, “Not that kind of role-playing.” Focusing on Buffy, he continued, “Pretend to be any student asking about the rumors of us or if they happen to see us kissing you in the hallway—which will happen.”

Turning to Faith, Buffy asked, “Are you sure you’re not going to mind if people see me and Xander holding hands or kissing? Everyone knows you’re his girlfriend.”

Faith snorted, waving her concern away. “Please. I’d only care that I missed it… or if you weren’t using tongue.”

Wide-eyed, Buffy inhaled sharply at Faith’s odd kink. Nodding in acceptance, Buffy turned to Xander and acted as a bubbly valley girl when she asked, “‘Oh, Buffy! Hi! That’s a cute top! So, like, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but curious minds are dying to know… Is it true that you kissed Xander Harris even though he’s dating Faith?’”

With a straight face, Xander answered, “‘You know what? I heard the same rumor—weird.’ And then you literally walk away.”

“And if they actually saw us?” Buffy asked.

Xander replied, “Then tell them, ‘I’m so glad you’re here, Harmony. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.’”

With a weary sigh, Buffy dropped her gaze and murmured, “Xander…”

“What?” he demanded, a protective edge creeping into his voice. “I just don’t see why we need to confirm or deny what isn’t even their business to begin with.”

Slumping her shoulders, Buffy responded, “You might be able to just block it out, but…”

“But… But what?” Leaning closer, curiosity softening his voice, Xander asked his next question. His voice was low and sincere, each word filled with an earnest eagerness to understand. “Tell me. I genuinely want to know if I’m missing something.”

“It’s in the eyes,” Faith informed him, her voice barely above a whisper. Buffy faced her sister Slayer and there was a clear understanding shared between them. The brunette continued, “Girls… and some guys, but mostly girls… they’ll look at you and it’ll be different. You can just feel their judgment on you, like grime on your skin. They won’t even need to say a damn thing, but you’ll still know you’ve automatically been excluded by your own gender. They’ll look and treat you differently for no other reason than they don’t understand you. And they sure as shit won’t approve of you. It’s isolating in a hallway full of people; and not just once, but every day.”

Her voice carried the weight of her own troubled past, revealing glimpses of the dark experiences she had endured. When Buffy and Xander reached out to comfort her, Faith pulled her hands away and simply smiled in gratitude, shaking her head, as if saying she appreciated their attempt to comfort her, but it wasn’t necessary. Buffy and Xander both nodded, not the least bit offended.

After a moment of silence, Xander stated, his voice filled with empathy, “I believe you. Cordelia went through the same thing, when everyone heard she was dating the school’s biggest geek. She didn’t have it easy—she lost a lot. Hell, she broke up with me. So, I can imagine you guys won’t have it any better.”

“What about you?” Buffy asked him. “Won’t this bother you? How guys will look…” At Xander’s raised eyebrows, Buffy suddenly recalled how different men and women are. “Nevermind,” she said. “I’m guessing your only problem will be swollen hands from all the high-fives you’ll be getting.”

“Even without the high-fives, I can’t even tell you how little I care about their opinion,” he easily claimed. “Our friends, Giles, and Joyce. That’s about it for me. But if school gets too hard—for either of you—you’ll always have me. Or you can talk to Cordy. I’m sure she can help… though, it’s generally unintentional help, but help nonetheless.”

Buffy smiled at his jest before nodding. “Guess we’re talking to my mom tonight?”

Suddenly panicked, Xander quickly informed them, “I forgot to mention that the shop needs me all night. So, I won’t be able to make it to dinner.”

Faith hastened to add, “I have a lot of homework to catch up on. I think I’m going to be stuck at the library ‘til super late.”

Buffy eyed both of them with contempt—though without seriously meaning it—and stated, “Cowards.”

——

The following night, nervous anticipation hung in the air as Xander opened his door to find Joyce standing there. He couldn’t deny the slight tremor that ran down his spine. Of all the people in Sunnydale, Joyce was the only one with the power to halt their unconventional relationship. Xander invited her inside, his heart pounding in his chest. After brewing a comforting cup of tea, they settled down in the kitchen. Joyce wore a sharp, scrutinizing gaze, and Xander knew he had to tread carefully. He respected her enough to give her the time she needed to express her thoughts.

Eventually, she asked, “Do you love my daughter?”

Xander didn't hesitate in his response, his voice filled with unwavering sincerity. “With my whole heart.”

“And Faith?”

“I love her, too.”

“How?” she quickly asked. “How’s it possible you can feel equal love for both of them?”

Xander didn’t hesitate to answer, “If I had to sum it up, I’d say perspective.” Joyce paid close attention as Xander elaborated, “You already know I’ve got a lifetime of my memories because of magic. It’s because of those that I have a good understanding of myself—my strengths, my weaknesses, and, specifically, my faults. So, ever since Halloween, all that time ago, I’ve been trying to be better—do better—because I know that if I don’t, people get hurt. That means I now expect more from myself than I ever did before Halloween. And I think that’s had an effect on those around me.”

Joyce listened intently, her eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and understanding. She took a long, deep sip of her tea, gathering her thoughts, before asking, “Are you trying to say that this thing—you, Buffy, and Faith—somehow manifested this ‘relationship’ because you made the decision to take more accountability in your own life?”

Half-nodding, Xander answered, “Yes, but also because I’ve loved Buffy since the moment I laid eyes on her. Sadly, she only saw me as a friend, which I respected. Then I met Faith, and we hit it off. She also happens to be a sharer, for whatever that’s worth. Now that I think about it, Mrs. S… I have to be honest with you and confess… Faith is the mastermind behind this entire thing. So, if you need to lay down some heavy-duty Mom law, she’s your actual target.”

A soft snort escaped Joyce’s lips, a mix of amusement and exasperation, and she shook her head at his playful remark. But beneath it, she realized a deeper understanding, and to Xander’s surprise, asked a question that held no judgment. “So… Faith… She’s a little more… open with whom she loves?”

Nodding, Xander answered, “She, uh, doesn’t discriminate. ‘Love’ is ‘love’ for her. An adventurous notion for an adventurous gal.”

Joyce nodded in understanding and Xander got the impression she didn’t care in the slightest that Faith was bisexual. She sighed with some level of defeat before saying, “I can try and forbid Buffy from being in a relationship like this.” She rubbed her forehead hard enough to cause lines as she added, “She’d hate me, of course, and still do it, anyway. I don’t suppose I can implore you to end this with her?”

“Sorry, Mrs. S,” he said, shaking his head. “As much as I don’t want to disappoint you, I don’t have it in me to do that.”

“I just don’t understand why one can’t be enough, Xander?”

“One would definitely be more than enough,” he assured her. “The three of us are just… better together. Whether right or wrong, we fight better, we work better, we love better. The gaps we fill in each other make us more whole than any one person could. We can take on anything together, now and for the long haul.”

“I… don’t support this. I’m not sure that I can,” she admitted. “But… I won’t get in the way. I love you—the three of you, I should say—and Buffy’s old enough to make her own decisions; not that she’d listen to me.”

“She’ll always listen to you, Mrs. S… then promptly figure out a loophole.”

“It should go without saying, but if you hurt her—either of them—I’ll talk with Mr. Giles, and you better believe we’ll devise the most heinous punishment imaginable. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” Xander replied. “Do you want to talk about her car?”

With a curt nod, Joyce was informed more about the car Xander was purchasing, along with all the parts that may be needed to fully restore it. Outside, the gentle patter of rain against the window added a soothing rhythm to their conversation. As Xander spoke, his enthusiasm for the vehicle he’d be working on filled the air. Joyce took in the details, her mind forming vivid images of what he was planning, and their conversation delved into the intricacies of the car’s restoration.

——

As Valentine’s Day neared, a sense of excitement filled the air. Though Xander had two girlfriends, he wasn’t worried. He simply knew them too well—their likes, dislikes, how much to push, pull, and play with them—and planned the day to perfection. For the special day, Xander had a large bouquet of long-stemmed red roses sent to Buffy and Faith during their first period, which he knew would delight Buffy, and both annoy and secretly charm Faith.

Flowers weren’t Faith’s style—as she had repeatedly warned him—but Xander felt that the gesture was fine every once in a while. He also enjoyed watching his girlfriends walk through the crowded halls with such an eye-catching bouquet of red roses in their arms. Many asked Buffy who sent her bouquet and if she had a boyfriend. She declined to answer, smiling all the while. Faith glared at anyone complimenting her bouquet, but Xander felt that was mostly for her image, since she never threw them away.

Not limiting his gestures to his romantic partners, Xander also extended his thoughtfulness to Willow, Cordelia, Joyce, and Jenny. Each of them received a bouquet, distinct from the vibrant red roses, consisting of elegant white blooms. It was a subtle acknowledgment of the unique bonds he shared with these important individuals in his life.

After school, Xander began his Valentine’s date with Faith by taking her to the theater to watch a horror movie—specifically, “The Blair Witch Project”—which made her laugh. Xander had always wanted to see it, and he was so engrossed in the film, he was actually terrified. They had to switch seats when he accidentally crushed the armrest of his chair, and rushed out at the end of the movie.

Faith teased Xander as they exited the theater and when they arrived at the biker bar that Pete had told him about. The rough-looking bar had a row of hogs lined up outside, with country rock blaring inside. When Xander and Faith walked in, Xander was the only one not wearing black leather, but the place had an indoor axe-throwing range he knew Faith would love.

Within minutes, the teenage couple got into three separate fights with three large men. Since Faith’s leather-clad sexiness attracted quite a bit of hyper-masculine attention, Xander was forced to demonstrate that he was her boyfriend for a reason. When Xander and Faith effortlessly knocked out the young—but muscular—men with hard counter shots to the chin, they earned the bar’s respect, especially for their bikes. Xander answered a lot of questions about his and Faith’s bikes as they dominated the axe-throwing. The couple handily won several hundred dollars from the bets placed.

After a long kiss, Faith left for the first shift of patrol while Xander quickly got ready and met Buffy for their dinner at the most expensive and elegant restaurant in town. She wore a red satin halter-neck cocktail dress that perfectly showed off her sexy figure and toned legs. To her surprise, they walked past the line of couples waiting to get in and were seated right away. Unbeknownst to the beauty, Xander had broken into the fine-dining restaurant the night before, erased the only name he didn’t care about—Principal Snyder—and had written his name on the reservation list. It was an extra thrill to witness Snyder argue with the maître’d about his missing reservation. Every bite of their three-course meal—including the special Valentine’s dessert: heart-shaped Turkish Delight—was sublime. The pair went to the Bronze afterward and danced for over an hour before heading back to his house for ice cream and a movie.

Being teenagers, alone in a house, snuggled together on the comfortable couch, the pair stopped paying attention to the movie within the first five minutes. Her scent was right under his nose, her warmth against his front. Xander couldn’t keep his wandering hands to himself, and very soon, they were making out on the couch. What was intended to be gentle and tender lovemaking quickly devolved into desperate desire.

Her cocktail dress quickly came off before Buffy laid back down on the couch, Xander on top of her, their lips locked. As his tongue danced in her mouth, Buffy ripped off his dress shirt, sending buttons everywhere. Their tongues intertwined in a storm of passion through their yawning lips as Xander quickened to release his raging erection. The aroused teens were thoughtless, consumed by a pure desire to be one, to have his cock stuffed to the furthest depth of her essence and ride the high of ecstasy. Thus, Buffy simply slid her lace panties to the side just before Xander finally buried his pulsing member into her soaking sex.

“HHHHMMMMMMMMNNNNNNN,” they both moaned as the supreme feeling of pleasure mounted. Goosebumps broke out up and down Xander’s arms and Buffy’s legs trembled slightly, as if having miniature orgasms.

“Oh! Fuck, you’re tight!” Xander moaned as he happily waited for her to become accustomed to his girth.

Xander cupped Buffy’s pert breasts and massaged them intensely, rubbing her pink erect nipple between his fingers. He leaned down and kissed the gorgeous blonde as her pussy slowly acclimated to his long shaft. Xander squeezed and kneaded her soft tits in a way that made her toes curl, and Buffy moaned into his mouth when he sheathed his full length into her tightly yawning twat.

Buffy was so wet and hot as she rolled her hips, relishing in the fullness of his cock inside her. Her golden hair lay spread on the couch as Xander pulled out and pushed back inside of her tight pussy, making her moan with her eyes shut.

“OHH! GOdd, yesss!” she blurted.

Xander groaned, milking her tits as he pulled in and out of her with more force and urgency, building a steady rhythm. Buffy bucked up and down, her pretty nipples swaying as he stuffed her repeatedly. Clenching her thighs around Xander’s lean waist, Buffy worked her dripping snatch along the length of his ramming rod. Her swollen labia enfolded his veiny member as her hot hole swallowed every pounding inch of his thick dick.

The couch was shuffling with Xander’s every thrust. Buffy held onto it to stay put as her legs wrapped around his waist. Their glistening bodies, formidable structures holding immense power, were buckling under the tremendous pleasure building within them. With his every thrust, waves of pleasure shot through them, ever close to blissful collapse. His hands gripped her firm ass as he fucked her closer to climax. Her trembling cunnie and her loud moaning urged him to keep impaling himself deep into soaking sex, hitting her G-spot every time.

“X-Xander! Hahh! MMNnn! I’mmm almost! MMnn! AHHHH! You’re almost there! Oh my God!”

Sensing her slippery walls trembling against him, her panting quickening, her moans silenced, Xander began vibrating his pistoning dick, and her eyes snapped open. Buffy’s spine arched, her legs wrapped around his ass tightening as Xander buried his penetrating pole to the hilt. Buffy’s pleasure coil snapped, giving way to a colossal rush of bliss bursting through every nerve in her entire body. She embraced him—his whole weight pinned her to the couch—as wave after wave of pure, mind-altering ecstasy ruptured from the tip of her golden head to her curling toes.

Xander kneaded Buffy’s shivering asscheeks as he shot load after load into the Slayer’s shuddering stomach. For minutes, the amorous teens quivered as waves of ecstasy rushed through them until they finally collapsed on the couch. When Xander felt his energy return, he raised himself a bit, though his cock was still sheathed inside her. The sweaty Slayer only had a few minutes before she needed to leave for her patrol, but her sex wouldn’t let go of his member, so they went for another round. Fortunately, Xander knew all her buttons and had her quaking through another orgasm in a few minutes.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he whispered in her ear, and a large, weak smile graced her lips.

Xander drove Buffy to begin her patrol, and when he returned home, he found Faith’s bike in his driveway. He found her in his bedroom, wearing lingerie and holding handcuffs. Her playfully lecherous eyes—as she swayed seductively from side to side—made Xander grin from ear to ear.

“You know I’ve never been big on these shitty Hallmark holidays, and Valentine’s has got to be the cringiest,” Faith commented.

“It’s not all that bad,” Xander replied. “We get to break out the special lube.”

Faith snorted, saying, “As if I need a holiday to break out the special lube.”

Walking forward, Xander slowly removed his shirt. The way his toned muscles rippled and dark hair rustled from the garment made Faith grin in anticipation. Her eyes grew seductive and aroused as he removed his pants. Wearing nothing but boxer briefs, Xander maintained eye contact as he positioned her in the center of the king-sized bed and handcuffed her to the bed frame.

Xander went into the closet and brought out the Treasure Chest. In it, he housed his collection of sex toys. When he’d dated Cordelia, the box had been smaller. Dating Faith had increased his wares—nipple, vaginal, and anal vibrators, beads, plugs, rope, oils, lube, chokers, and a bondage set. Faith eyed him hungrily as he patiently laid out the vibrating anal beads, lube, paddle, and blindfold on the nightstand.

“Before we get to the meat and potatoes,” Xander began to say as he grabbed the blindfold, “I don’t think the mood has been properly set.”

“What d’you have in mind, Sweet Spot?” Faith purred in her deep husky voice, oozing sex appeal.

Ignoring the bulge growing in his boxer briefs, Xander replied, “Well, I just feel like the room’s Feng Shui is lacking that ‘let’s fuck like dirty animals’ feel to it.”

He gently placed the blindfold over her eyes and fastened it to make certain she couldn’t see as she answered, “I can set the damn mood in the middle of Sunday Mass if I wanted. Let’s just get it on already. I want to be walking funny for a week.”

Rather than answer, Xander leaned in and kissed the girl. She opened her mouth for him and he eagerly acquiesced, diving his tongue in and massaging hers as he kissed her with every ounce of love he felt for the girl. Through the sounds of heavy inhaling, an aggressive Faith must’ve felt the immensity of his love. Slowing down, she pulled away, which he expected. Except for their heavy breathing, she stilled, understanding just how emotion would be included in their lovemaking.

Faith’s breathing quickened as Xander spread her legs and tied each ankle to the footboard bedposts bottom corners of the large bed. He thoroughly lubed up the anal beads, and as he began kissing her neck, breasts, and nipples, his practiced hands were lubing up Faith’s brown ring. His slick fingers were stuffing as much lubricant into her anal passage as possible. Though they’d already had anal sex, Xander still fingered her rear fuck hole with half the tube for safety. Faith moaned and twisted her sexy body every time he packed more in.

“MMMN!” she moaned when Xander stuffed the first of the five beads in her.

Her back arched and her swollen red lips parted. Her nipples hardened, and she bit her lower lip as he inserted the larger second bead, followed by the even larger third bead. Her sexy toned legs jerked, the straps around her ankles straining, as he inserted the fourth.

“Relax,” Xander whispered in her ear.

He kissed her deeply for several moments, giving her ample time to loosen enough for him to insert the final bead. “There’s my baby girl,” he whispered before turning on the vibrating function of the beads.

“MMN! Fuck me!” she moaned, twisting at the waist as she felt the deep tissue vibration shoot a delicious mix of pain and pleasure up her brain. Her pelvis flexed and rolled instinctively, and her toes curled. Though she could’ve easily wrecked the bed frame by ripping off her restraints, she didn’t. Faith enjoyed allowing Xander to control the state of play.

As the minutes passed, Xander lit dozens of scented candles around the room, happy to hear the sound of the wood of his bed frame creaking and Faith grunting. It told him she’d climaxed, and she was ready for more. He turned off the lights and set up sparkling apple cider, chocolate-covered strawberries, and two cigars on the other nightstand.

Fully nude, Xander hopped onto the spacious bed and sighed happily as his fingers felt how wet her puffy cunt was. Faith was dripping, allowing him to easily slip in two fingers and coaxing a deep moan from the sweaty brunette. His other hand deftly massaged her breasts as sucked and kissed her neck. Her labia caressed his drenched digits as he fingered her deeper, pressing her twitching tissue against the vibration of the beads.

“OOOOhhhhhhhhfffffffuck!” Faith moaned as her body stretched and contorted as much as her restraints would allow.

After her second orgasm, the vibrating anal beads was its own intense force of pleasure to suffer under. However, Xander’s hands and mouth played with all of her pleasure spots like a symphony. His tongue licked her nipple as his mouth sucked her brown areola. For several minutes, their sweat built a sheen over their skin as she moaned and trembled under his deliberate care.

“Mnn! Yeah, I’m…. MNnn! I’m going to- Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! MMMNNnnnn!”

The sexy girl pulled at the handcuffs as her heels dug into the mattress. Her back arched and her pussy clamped down on his fingers as another orgasm ripped through her body. The bed frame creaked, as if nearly breaking, while the sexy girl quivered from head to toe, coating his fingers in her sticky essence. After several moments, the panting beauty finally settled down from her intense orgasm.

Xander grabbed a chocolate-covered strawberry and fed it to the blindfolded girl, enjoying the sight of the juice traveling down her chin. She moaned before he said, “Now, you said something about walking funny for a week, right?”

As he positioned himself between her spread legs, Faith touted, “W-Wait! I need- Xander! I need another minute! FFFFFUUUCKKKK! MMMNNnnn!” she moaned as Xander finally drove his cock into her tight pussy.

“FFuuuuuuck, yeah!” Xander groaned, relishing in her hot, wet love tunnel.

Between her legs, Xander’s hands freely caressed her breasts, stomach, and hips. Her eyes shut, Faith’s breathy moan was loud as Xander rolled his pelvis back and forth, burying himself in her tight wetness inch by inch until he was fully sheathed in her sex. Very soon, he pulled out, garnering another groan before filling her to the brim once again.

Xander was pumping between her spread eagle legs, his thick meat sliding deeply into her as his balls slapped against her vibrating ass. He leaned down and sucked on her pert nipple, relishing every thrust into the brunette’s dripping sex as she squeezed him for all he was worth. Faith’s sexy body bounced with his every thrust. Her moans only grew in volume as he pounded her over and over, the juices from her vagina lathering his thick length.

“Uhg! AH! AH!! MM! W-Wait! Xa-Xander! MMN!”

She moaned sharply when he began vibrating his cock. After her second orgasm and the anal bead vibrating in her ass, Faith’s mind melted. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as her entire body felt like one strong, pulsating, erogenous zone. She quickly reached her peak once again and clamped down on his thick cock as she climaxed. Her whole body quivered under him, and he gave into the sublime pleasure shooting from his balls up his spine. Faith felt his cock swell within her, and when he began shooting wad after wad of his thick man milk into her shuddering core, another explosive wave of bliss spread up and down her body.

Given the fact that Faith was a Slayer, she didn’t need long to recover. After ten minutes, he freed her legs, flipped her over, and fucked her ass. Faith bucked under Xander as he fucked her furiously against the bed’s headboard. Her tits bounced with his every thrust, plowing his long, veined pole in her lubed-up anus until they both orgasmed together once again.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he whispered in her ear before they went to sleep.

By morning Faith had already left, likely to avoid getting in trouble with Joyce, and he said a little prayer in gratitude for an amazing day. With the holiday of love having ended, Xander soon had a junkyard car in his mansion’s large garage, ready to be worked on.

Discussions on what it would be varied. Buffy had argued in favor of a cute, red & black sports car. Xander thought laboring on a truck would be fun, and Joyce wanted to pay for a very practical minivan. In the end, it was agreed upon by everyone that a Jeep would be the best for a teenage girl who also happens to fight demons in graveyards at night.

With the help of his uncle Rory, Xander found a salvage ‘97 Jeep Wrangler that had been in an atypical accident, judging by the damage to the undercarriage. It also had a bad engine and tranny, but the body and frame were perfectly intact. Xander had only paid six hundred dollars for the wrecked vehicle and the tow to his mansion, which had much more room to work. At the sight of the damaged and dust-covered jeep, Buffy, Joyce, and Faith were doubtful it would ever be as impressive as a new car, but Xander reassured them it would be even better than anything a dealership could offer.

Despite having two girlfriends, not much changed for Xander in the months that followed. There was plenty to keep them all busy. They still had the last half of school to get through while slaying at night. Anya became a nightmarish problem they solved when Giles destroyed her amulet, making her human. With vague direction from Xander’s Old Man memories, Giles and Angel implemented a plan that embedded Spike into the mayor’s operation as a mole. That was how the Scoobies eventually uncovered Wilkins’ ascension.

For months before their graduation, an undercover Spike assaulted the Scooby Gang on a weekly basis to fool the Mayor into thinking he was a loyal servant, while at the same time the blond vampire would leak intelligence to either Giles or Angel. The Watcher and vampire learned everything they needed to and relayed that information to the gang as needed.

——

After fighting two white, mouthless demons, Buffy was afflicted with the ability to read minds. Through this ability, she learned that Cordelia spoke her mind without any filter, Wesley had romantic thoughts about Cordelia, Willow had been feeling left out of the group, and that Oz was quite a philosophical thinker. Buffy was shocked to find out that Giles had slept with her mother, and was concerned to learn how much Xander worried about loving his girlfriends equally—how he might hurt Faith if he wasn’t careful. However, nothing could compare to when she discovered how often Faith fantasized about having hot sex with Buffy.

Buffy was absolutely flabbergasted. Though soon, they learned that the mind-reading ability would kill her if they didn’t cure her. After Angel figured out how to cure her of the migraine-inducing power, she had awakened in her room to a tapping sound at her window. Looking over, she saw Angel. The sluggish girl opened her window to have a very awkward, yet short, conversation with her ex.

“It’s good to see you,” he said. “Up and about, I mean,” he quickly added.

“Thanks,” she said, smiling with appreciation. “For saving my life,” she added, mildly teasing him.

They shared a wistful smile, recalling past happiness, and Buffy took a step back.

Angel seemed to feel hurt all over again, and begrudgingly asked, “So, you and Xander.”

“Uh, yeah,” was all Buffy could think to say.

“I’ve seen him with Faith,” Angel pointed out, trying to remain as composed as possible.

“Yeah, uh, they’re still together,” Buffy slowly admitted. She cocked her head as she added, “We’re sorta both dating him.”

Angel shook his head, as if English was suddenly incomprehensible. It took a moment to sink in, after which he asked, “And you’re happy with that?”

Buffy took a deep breath, looking around her room for a moment before admitting, “The Faith stuff still throws me off.” She then smiled happily as she added, “But he makes me happy… and I love him.”

Angel nodded. He couldn’t say more—or hold it in any longer—and left.

Buffy thought about him and her relationship for the entire night.

——

The following night, Buffy met Xander at his mansion. He wouldn’t allow her to see the state of the Jeep, so they had hot cocoa in the kitchen. Despite how caked in grease he was, she didn’t seem to care. He had noticed how quiet and reserved she’d been at school, and even now, she continued to be deep in thought.

“If you’re angling for a sneak peek at your sweet ride, you better think again,” Xander teased. “I won’t break… unless you do nearly anything sexy.” Shaking his head with a broad grin, he joked, “What did I say about doing anything sexy?!”

Buffy lightly laughed before stating, “It’s fine. I’ll wait for the grand unveiling.”

“Cool,” he replied. “So, what’s up?”

Her facial expression returned to one of deep consternation. To Xander’s surprise, Buffy blushed and swallowed nervously before hesitating to ask, “Did I really… You had mentioned that I… experimented in the future?”

Quirking his brow in confusion, he slowly responded, “…Yeah.”

Buffy brought her mug of hot cocoa to her lips and avoided eye contact as she asked, “Did I… enjoy it?”

Still confused, he leisurely replied, “I… guess.”

“…Like, a lot?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Ummmm, a good amount, I imagine.”

Seemingly fed up with the trickle of information, Buffy told him, “Xander, I’m fishing for info here, so let’s skip to the part where you tell me more.”

“Right,” he said with a stiff nod. “Uh, it’s not like you were a full-on lesbian or anything. Um, if the girl was special to you in some way, and you were attracted to her, then you went for it.”

“Really? Me?” Buffy asked in complete surprise. Xander nodded, and she looked off into the distance as she confessed, “I just… that still doesn’t feel real, you know? That I can lean that way.”

“Well, of course it doesn’t, Buff,” he readily agreed. “Your love life now is completely different from the one Old Me remembers. You seriously went through the wringer by the time you started experimenting. If the girl was special and made you feel special, you went for it. End of story.”

Half nodding, she asked, “How many girls?”

“Two that I know of,” he answered. “We don’t exactly keep track of the flings.” Buffy remained silent, deep in thought, and Xander couldn’t help but ask, “Mind telling me what this is about?”

“Right…” she coughed. She held her breath for a long pause before quickly asking, “You remember how I was reading minds?”

“I remember how you said you didn’t read our minds,” Xander returned, gathering where she was going.

“Yeah, well… th-the truth is a funny thing-”

“You read our minds,” he finished, eying her with a mildly exhausted expression.

“Yeah, just a little,” she quickly stated, raising her index and thumb to show a small amount. “I know, bad Buffy! Bad. I’m sorry.”

“I take it you heard Faith’s thoughts?”

“Yeah,” she said, nodding. “Wait, how do you know I’m asking because of Faith?” He tilted his head with a deadpan stare and she realized with fright, “You know! You know how she feels about me! How long?”

“Oh, jeez! A while!” he bluntly boasted. “One of our favorite games is called, ‘The Hot Thing Buffy Did Today.’ Way better than, ‘I Spy With My Little Eye.’”

Taken aback to hear about how closely observed she was, Buffy gasped, “Ooohh, wooow, words… words fail me.”

Chuckling, Xander assured her, “She’s not going to force you or even bring it up, you know. She doesn’t want to scare you away.”

Buffy paused for a moment to hear that, thinking about Faith. She said, “I know. I’m just thinking.”

He nodded before cautiously asking, “Just out of curiosity, how did you feel when you heard her thoughts about you?”

“Shocked, more than anything,” she wailed. “I mean, she’s always been affectionate with me, but I always thought it was because we’re Slayers.”

“I’m sure that’s part of it,” Xander affirmed. “Did you feel anything else?”

“...I guess, flattered,” Buffy slowly admitted. “She was thinking about the stuff she wanted to… do to me, with me. It was like a very detailed audio smut book.”

“Did it excite you?”

“...I guess,” she tried, then clarified, “I mean, I wasn’t repulsed or anything. I’m very middle ground about this. But I’ve never thought about being with a girl. Even after you told me about the stuff I do in that future, I thought, ‘whaaa? Me? Like, how?’ and just totally repressed it.”

“Well, we can always try,” he cautiously pointed out. She looked at him with knowing eyes and he tried to hide his grin as he explained, “I mean, it’s called experimenting for a reason.”

Buffy looked away, taking a moment to think. After a minute of silence, Buffy asked, “Not to say we will, but what if we do… experiment and I don’t like it? I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”

Xander walked over to Buffy and sat next to her. He took the mug out of her hands and had her face him so that she could feel how sincere he was when he said, “This thing we’ve been doing? I think it’s working because we’re going slow and being honest. No one’s asking anything more than the other is willing to give, and we just seem to fit. We can do this slowly, too.”

Buffy took a deep breath and asked, “Panic mode notwithstanding, how?”

——

Of the precious few moments when the throuple could be alone together, sparring in the library while Giles was either studying or with Jenny was one such time. It was late in the afternoon, and after Faith handily dominated each of them on the mat, it was clear that Buffy and Xander weren’t focused.

After slamming Xander on his back, Faith demanded to know, “Alright! What’s going on? You guys are way too distracted.”

Panting and sweating, Xander sat up and eyed Buffy. She immediately blushed but nodded, so he patted the floor and asked Faith, “Um, would ya mind sitting for a sec? I wanted to run something by you.”

Though she was confused, Faith sat in front of him, and Buffy sat close to both of them. The way Buffy’s cheeks blushed made Faith increasingly curious. She stared at him with cautious eyes before slowly voicing, “Okaaaay.”

With a quick exhale, Xander asked, “Would you be open to letting Buffy watch us having sex?”

Faith looked at the blushing Buffy and back to Xander before asking, “Is that it?” Cautiously, Xander nodded, then Faith laughed. “Hell yeah, I would! Shit, we can go right now! Hell yeah!”

Xander only snorted, as he wasn’t surprised at all by her response, and Buffy gasped and blushed simultaneously. Sadly, the three couldn’t engage that night in debauchery. Spike had alerted the Scoobies to a box the Mayor was expecting called the Box of Gavrok. That night, they had to contend with fighting Spike for the box at an airfield. Though they were successful in stealing the artifact, Mr. Trick managed to kidnap Oz and demand a trade—Oz for the box. Wesley was the only one willing to let Oz die, so the group ignored him. They traded Oz for the box of Gavrok. However, Oz managed to steal pages from the Mayor’s Book of Ascension. Wesley was incensed with the cost their actions had incurred, but the Scoobies didn’t care. All that mattered was that Oz was safe.

“Now we have no way of stopping the Ascension!” Wesley yelled at them.

“Of course we do,” Xander told him. The Scoobies eyed him as he casually explained, “Big lizard still goes boom.”

Thus, the group made plans to prepare for a big boom. Since they knew Mayor Wilkins would be turning into an enormous snake, they soon found out it would be an Olvikan demon. Until his ascension, he would be impervious to any and all physical attacks, forcing the Scoobies to wait until he ascended to launch their attack. Fortunately, they also knew it would be during their graduation ceremony. Not long after they settled on a plan of attack, the throuple had some time to themselves.

The three were in the master bedroom of Xander’s house. Buffy was seated in an armchair at the foot of the king-sized bed, watching Xander fuck the ever-living shit out of Faith—blushing profusely throughout. Knowing that Buffy was watching her made Faith extremely sensitive, but Xander wouldn’t stop whispering in her ear how much Buffy loved looking at her gushing sex and purposely fucked her in the most vulnerable positions. Buffy herself was masturbating to the intense sight, and by the end, Buffy came when Faith orgasmed. Afterward, Xander made Buffy suck his cock clean and she was turned on by it in a way she never believed she could have been.

The experience left her wanting more; however, Tucker Wells and his vendetta against Prom became the next issue they had to contend with. Faith took it upon herself to deal with the Hellhounds so that Buffy, Willow, Oz, Xander, and Cordelia could have their prom night.

“I still get to have prom next year,” she assured her friends. “Let me do this for you.” Buffy hugged Faith in gratitude, but at the recollection of her romp with Xander, Buffy held on a little longer, alarmed by how hot and curious for more she felt.

Giles, Wesley, Angel, and Faith dealt with Tucker and the Hellhounds while the rest of the Scoobies attended prom. Buffy was awarded the Class Protector award while Xander and Cordelia were crowned Prom King and Queen. Xander danced with Cordelia first, then Buffy, and then Willow. Though they remained alert for anything unusual, they had a lot of fun that night.

That night, Buffy watched Xander pound Faith’s innards to repeated orgasms before a horny Xander asked the blonde to kiss him as Faith sucked him off. Buffy asked if Faith could show her how to blow their boyfriend off, and the sight of Buffy and Faith licking, sucking, and massaging his cock and balls was the most magical visual he’d ever experienced in the world. He had his ring make as much baby batter to drench them with as possible. Faith swallowed as much as she could, but several globules of cum stained their faces. Buffy had to remove her shirt and not long after that, in the throes of pleasure, the three progressed to their first threesome.

Buffy wasn’t comfortable doing everything together, but in the haze of mind-numbing bliss, she did kiss Faith while Xander was fucking the brunette. And Faith returned the favor when Xander was fucking her, massaging her breasts as she did. Afterward, the Slayers talked while Xander slept soundly between them. Faith respected Buffy’s reluctance to go too far too fast.

“I want you to be happy, Faith,” Buffy whispered. “Maybe in the future, I’ll be comfortable doing more, but this is all I can do right now.”

“It’s cool, B,” Faith returned. “This was already a million times better than I expected.”

“I wasn’t sure I’d like it,” Buffy sheepishly admitted. “But it felt really good. To be totally transparent: it felt good because it was you. I want so many good things to happen to you, and if I can help with that, I will.”

“Wicked,” Faith exulted. “We may have to give Sweet Spot some time between, though,” she said, looking at the passed-out boy. “Thick, long, and strong he may be, but two Slayers at the same time might be pushing it.”

“I think you’re right,” she agreed with a broad grin. “Night, Faith.”

“Night, B.”

“I love you,” Buffy confessed with a hopeful grin.

Faith’s breath hitched, and she hesitated to reply, “...l-love you too.”

——

Throughout the months of February, March, April, and May—around all the battles and drama—Xander embarked on rebuilding the Jeep Wrangler for Buffy. Though a Jeep’s construction was easier to navigate than many cars, Xander was still unaccustomed to this field of engineering, and it took him months of trial, inquiries, and errors to finish. Xander wanted to give Buffy’s car more power, so his uncle helped him find a Chevy 350 HO with 333 hp and 400 pounds of torque to replace the damaged engine. To replace the damaged transmission, he ordered a high-performance 5-speed tranny that could handle the engine’s power output. Only then did he proceed to strip the entire car.

He used body filler for dents, then sprayed the interior with a black bed-liner material before getting the body professionally painted. Xander understood Buffy was a fan of cute aesthetics and went with a blood-orange and black theme throughout the interior and exterior. Xander liked some of the custom builds that would eventually come out in a few decades and wanted Buffy’s Jeep to look just as impactful. He customized it with meaner fenders, a snarling hood scoop, and intimidating bumpers, with a winch & blood-orange d-ring.

He sent out the axles and had them stuff a set of 456 gears to handle the larger, all-terrain tires without losing too much power. He ordered a big brake kit for more stopping force, upgraded suspension & shocks for a smoother ride on and off the road, and welded-on brackets for the lift kit. After all that work, Xander moved on to the exhaust and muffler system, then ran all new brake lines, installed a slip yoke eliminator, and a new rear drive shaft. After the weeks it took to complete that, Xander moved on to the wiring, which was a lot, since he wanted extra lighting on the roof, as well as newer head & tail lights.

For the interior, Xander re-carpeted the floor in black, purchased comfortable seats with vinyl, blood-orange and black leather, put in barricaded floor mats for mud, guts, or blood, added power windows and locks to the doors, installed an improved sound system, a CB radio for communication when Slaying, and a rack system for easy storage and access to her weapons. After test-driving it multiple times for any final calibrations, the blood-orange, mean-looking Jeep Wrangler was ready to go. Considering Buffy still didn’t know how to drive a manual transmission, he kept it in the mansion for after graduation.

——

Days before the graduation ceremony—on orders of the Mayor—Spike hit Angel with what was supposed to be a poisoned arrow, but since they were so near to graduation, it was enough if Angel pretended to be critically ill. Once the graduation ceremony began, Wilkins spoke to the graduating class with some semblance of optimism for a bright future. However, it quickly morphed into an optimistic future for himself, because he would be devouring all of them.

After Wilkins transformed into a sixty-foot tall green snake with large, sharp teeth, Xander whipped out an M14 rifle he prepared—hidden under his robes—and unloaded volley after volley on the thick-skinned demon serpent while everyone else fought the Mayor’s minions. Xander and Buffy annoyed the giant serpent enough to lead it to the library, which was rigged to blow as soon as it slithered into the kill box. The explosion was massive and demolished the library and the connecting classrooms.

Once the battle was over, Giles presented Buffy with her singed high school diploma and Xander presented her with her very first car. Gathered at Buffy’s house, everyone was awestruck by how incredible the customized Jeep Wrangler looked. It was so unique compared to anything Joyce could’ve found at any car dealership, and the beautiful mother was even more astonished when he told her how little it all cost.

It wasn’t nearly as expensive as the car looked. The beast of a Jeep cost less than ten thousand dollars, and Xander made certain she knew he didn’t need her to pay him since he was a millionaire. His reward for the long hours of labor and effort was in just how thrilled they were with the outcome and how much fun they would have driving it. How much they loved it made it all worth it. Joyce wanted to pay him five thousand for all the labor he put into it, but Xander wouldn’t accept it. However, he gratefully accepted dinners at their house.

——

Summer at the Summers household was great, other than the few heartfelt farewells. Sadly for Xander, Cordelia moved to LA, and just as sadly for Buffy, Angel left as well. It was hard for Xander to let Cordelia leave. He’d grown accustomed to always having her by his side. After all, no other person had been so constant in helping him, loving him, pushing him, motivating him. More than anyone, Cordelia had saved his life, and he was going to miss her more than words could possibly convey. Still, he thanked her, even if she couldn’t comprehend the full scope of his gratitude.

When Xander saw Buffy after their exes had left, he could see in her eyes she felt the same way he did. The pair spent a quiet night together—cooking, watching a movie, and sleeping together—without speaking much. It was enough just being together. Even Faith understood that they needed some time to console each other.

During the slow-slaying summer, the Scooby Gang spent some much-needed time together. They went to the beach, amusement parks, movies, dance clubs, learned how to drive a motorcycle or a manual transmission car, and anything else that sounded like fun. They still slayed at night, but thankfully, the summers were slow. For the most part, Xander dated Buffy and Faith separately. However, at least twice a month, the three would do everything together, including nighttime fun.

In a strange twist of fate, Xander found himself helping Spike that summer as well. The blond vampire wanted a motorcycle, but when Xander brought up the possibility of being stuck out with the sun rising, Spike bought a mini school bus that they could customize to not allow any sunlight in and to carry his motorcycle in. When Xander asked how he planned on paying for it all—including labor—he’d not expected Spike to bring him a diamond.

“We rarely care about shiny trinkets like that,” the bleached blond explained. “If anything, it’s how we catch our lunch for the month or so. Lots of poor, desperate people out there looking for a quick buck.”

Fortunately, the short school bus didn’t require a lot of repair work, saving them a loads of time. They purchased everything they needed, and with the extra space in the back of the bus, Spike managed to find a Triumph 1200 that they also customized into a scrambler. Xander found hanging out with Spike—as he had in his Old Man Xander memories—incredibly strange, because when he focused on the work, he actually found Spike’s company enjoyable.

——

Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Oz were accepted into UC Sunnydale, while Faith still had her senior year of high school to attend. Of the four, Willow earned a full scholarship. After Buffy learned how expensive her schooling would be, she couldn’t stop herself from asking Xander if it would help her future. Additionally, since Willow was becoming more engrossed in learning magic, she was also curious about how necessary a degree would be in her future. Xander had a frank conversation with them.

He explained, with as little detail as possible, “Going to school would be a good idea for ‘slaying’ purposes, not ‘bettering yourself through education’ purposes. So, I recommend a bachelor’s degree in whatever already comes naturally to you.”

His friends took his advice and, somehow, Willow picked anthropology, Oz chose philosophy, and Buffy landed on health sciences with an emphasis on physical training. Xander selected their engineering program.

In the first few days of campus life, Buffy’s beauty and bubbly personality attracted a lot of attention, and oddly enough, she still met Riley Finn in Intro to Psychology. Buffy took a liking to the charming man, which didn’t bother Xander, because she introduced Xander to Riley as her boyfriend. As long as Riley knew Buffy was his girlfriend, Xander hoped they could be friends once again.

Riley joined the Scoobies a few times during lunches, parties, or events. However, when Riley discovered what Buffy could do as the Slayer, he actively tried to gain her trust to recruit her into the Initiative. Riley explained to Buffy and her friends that she wouldn’t be required to join the rank and file, but could be an asset, or specialist, that aided the Initiative when they needed it. After conferring with the Scoobies, Buffy expressed to the undercover soldier that she didn’t mind sharing missions and information. When Riley learned that Faith was also a Slayer, he offered her the same option; however, the brunette quickly turned it down.

Faith didn’t care for the military unit or Riley, and when Xander asked her why, the Bostonian explained that she didn’t trust how nice Riley was toward Buffy. Xander assured her that he was a stand-up kind of guy—the way he treated everyone with respect and defended anyone who needed it, regardless of their background. He explained how Riley was someone who wanted to do good in the world. However, that straight-laced image was only until Riley discovered Faith was also Xander’s girlfriend. Riley looked between Xander, Buffy, and Faith like he didn’t understand English.

“What do you…” Riley laughed, as if he assumed they were joking. When the throuple didn’t laugh with him, he asked, “Are you serious?”

The three nodded in unison, and Riley left the party. After that night, the patriotic soldier clearly did not agree with their lifestyle and actively tried to force Buffy to see reason. When Buffy told him she loved Xander and didn’t have to explain herself to him, he momentarily conceded on trying to convince her. Riley then moved on to proving Xander unworthy of Buffy’s love.

As Riley was the leader of the Initiative’s strike unit, his brothers-in-arms also helped him denigrate Xander in an effort to fold Buffy into their ranks. For weeks, Xander was forced to deal with a lot of unnecessary harassment because of Riley and the Initiative.

They first tried intimidating him. Six of their largest soldiers stopped him on the way out of class and sugar-coated their ultimatum for him. In essence, they told him to either break up with Buffy or experience unimaginable pain for the rest of the school year. Xander eyed each of them before breaking out into gut-busting laughter. The idea that they were going to intimidate him—as if he hadn’t fought a five-headed dragon by himself—was the funniest predicament he’d experienced in a long time.

Laughing at them angered them to the point of nearly pummeling him; however, Xander put his hand up as he tried to calm down. After several moments, he suggested they do it in the matted area in the Athletics Department so none of them would get into trouble with the faculty.

On the way there, Xander called Faith and asked if she wanted to see something funny. She rode her motorbike right over—skipping her last period—and within the ten minutes that they waited, Buffy—as well as several other students—showed up to watch. The soldiers pretending to be students explained to the crowd—Buffy, Faith, Willow, and Oz among them—that this was simply an initiation of a new freshman, so most of the students thought the boxing match was nothing more than typical hazing.

To the soldiers’ confusion, Faith laughed as hard as Xander had, and Buffy asked him not to hurt them too badly. With the first of the seniors, Xander quickly learned that these men were physically enhanced. They were tougher, stronger, and faster than a normal human, but they weren’t as well trained as him. Xander didn’t even need Odin’s ring to enhance his strength and speed when fighting the juiced boys. His confidence, footwork, distancing, and creativity gave him all the edge he needed to knock all five of them out cold with perfectly timed counterpunches to the jaw, liver, or kidney. He barely broke a sweat before kissing Buffy and Faith in victory.

The Initiative tried again and again to expose Xander, nearly getting him expelled on one occasion, and nearly killing him on another. It was frustrating, to say the least, but it also showed Riley how corrupt the Initiative truly was. By the end of the year, Riley left the organization in favor of joining the Scooby Gang.

Xander sold his house for a very nice profit and lived in the mansion along with Spike and Anya. And, due to Dawn’s appearance, Faith moved in with him as well. The implanted memories were a little different considering Faith’s place in the Summers household; however, she was still the same lovable Dawnie. Not willing to share a room with the youngest Summers child, Xander offered Faith a room in his mansion. Since Faith graduated high school, Joyce only agreed to her moving out under the condition that she came by no less than once a week for dinner, laundry, or support of any kind.

Living at the mansion was more than nice for a time. The enormous and well-furnished home was a hub of fun, drama, and unexpected activity. Anya and Spike casually hooking up was a strange reality for Xander. His thoughts on Anya were a little turbulent at first. Old Man Xander remembered loving her very much in that timeline. However, it wasn’t the same in this altered reality. In this reality, it was more like Xander felt the potential to be bothered by Anya and Spike, but his heart was far enough removed that he didn’t feel any jealousy. In the end, Xander didn’t feel as much for the quirky girl, but was happy for another friend.

Buffy spent nearly as much time in Xander’s mansion as Faith. Buffy would spend the nights in Xander’s master bedroom, and Faith would often join them.

Willow, Oz, Tara, and Riley would come by during the days and they would all do many activities together, from studying in the library to training in the large dojo Xander and Spike built. Between Xander, Buffy, Faith, Riley, Spike, and the girls that fought with magic—Tara and Willow—they started pocket tournaments to see who was the best strategist, strongest fighter, fastest fighter, or the best of the best. Giles would referee and Dawn would cheer from the side, along with Jenny.

The top spot was often a tough battle between Buffy and Faith, but there were times when Xander would come in first. More often than not, Xander’s main opponent was Spike, and they would usually fight for second or third place. Willow did well with her magic, as did Tara. With a personal stake in the mystical practice, Jenny specifically took them under her wing and helped them research a lot of offensive magic. Willow would even be the strongest if she ever got serious. Though Xander could tell Riley didn’t like coming in second or third to last, the tournaments were still relatively light. Everyone had great fun during those days.

Somehow, someway, despite regular doctor appointments, all the right medication, regular exercise, and the proper nutrition—all at Buffy’s insistence—the lovely and beautiful Joyce Summers, sadly, still passed away. It wasn’t as abrupt as before. The mother had more time with her three daughters, but somehow, her end still felt far too soon. Xander found it terribly unfair. Despite knowing about her condition years in advance, she still passed away.

In the hospital, Buffy promised her mother that she would watch out for Faith and Dawn, and Xander promised he’d watch out for all three. All her loved ones were in the private room at the moment of her passing; Buffy, Dawn, Faith, Willow, Tara, Oz, Giles, Jenny, Anya, and Xander. However, the only one to see what happened next was Xander.