Redefining Unlife

~ Part 5 ~

"Ok, Spike... Leigh... whoever you are these days. Tell me that you didn't have some sort of strange vamp crush on me." Stroking hands didn't pause throughout the panic attack, but large fingers kept getting caught in blond curls. "Please? I mean, honestly, I don't know if I could handle the trauma there."

'S cute. Forgot how cute he could be in full babble mode. Wish I'd let myself look a little harder back when. Coulda had all sorts of fun. Might've even prevented the thing with Buffy.

"Woah, hold that thought. I don't mind the psycho-babble. Gods know I've got enough practice at my own, plus years of interpretting for Wills. But herein lies madness for the Xanman. C'mon Leigh, pull it together, will ya?"

Mmm, what's that the demon bint used ta say? Interlocking parts. Fittin together just fine, luv. Lemme show ya how much fun madness can be, yeh?

Saved from having to react to the mention of his dead ex-fiance, ex-girlfriend, a knock at the door saw a steward bringing in a fully loaded cart of food and drink. Leigh's eyes opened slowly after the first whiff of tomato sauce reached her nostrils.

"Oh lovely, nice selection! But... what are you going to eat?" She reached for a can of soda, hiding her grin behind a sip of the bubbly beverage.

Blink. Blink blink. "You've gotta be shittin me." Blink. "Nevermind, I was around for Dawn and her friends' slumber parties. Maybe you're not. Either way, we can always order more, right?"

Seeing his lapful had returned to a somewhat more rational state, Xander quickly deposited Leigh on the couch of her suite, pushing the cart toward her before finding a place at her side. Not touching, but close enough to... do something, should she daze out again.

Leigh couldn't answer with a mouth full of stuffed pastry. Or she could, but the training of manners had come back shortly after setting foot in her home country. She swallowed and took another drink before attempting to answer. "I wasn't kidding about how much I eat now, Xander. Still, this should do for a start. We can still hit a pizza place later if you like."

"Uh, not a teenager anymore, blondie." Watching the quick inhilation of appetizers, he marvelled at how neat and precise her movements were. Especially since this body held his former roommate, a being renowned for his disgusting habits. "Tell ya what, you go ahead and chow down. I'll catch the second act if we make it outa here for some pies, k?"

She shook her head around another bite. "Go ahead, luv. Either way, I'll have to find more soon. Won't hurt anything, and I promise not to try nibbling at your fingers." Glancing out the corner of her eye at the brunet, Leigh had to grin again. "Unless you want, of course."

Xander had just popped the top of his own soda, and nearly dropped it. "Ok, this just went beyond the Twilight Zone. My former chipped-undead, then souled-unchipped-undead roomie, who burned like a bottle rocket, comes back from a non-existant afterlife and *plop* into a blond bombshell body, and now he's a she and she's hitting on me. Jerry Springer, here I come. Although... there's no way to prove the 'former' part, is there."

Leigh grinned, Xander frowned, the food supply lowered rapidly. She let him babble his way through the pertinent facts.

"And how weird is it that none of this mess triggers my hellmouth radar. I mean, turning into a chick is a pretty major thing. Especially a woman with *those* assets. How'd you rate getting that body anyways? The Spike I remember was skinny and underfed and never looked half as good in plain jeans. Guess that only proves what I've been saying all these years and guys can *never* top girls in the ass department. Could be why Wills didn't take my 'gay me up' speach seriously. Hey, don't hog all the fried cheese sticks!"

"Oh, you came up for breath?" Tossing him a smirk, Leigh nibbled her gooy treat, offering the last one to her friend. "Want more, we go out for it. I'm not that impressed with the hotel's version of them."

"Mmhmm," Xander mumbled around half the stick. "Yeah, had better. Not many places to go in England that have decent cheese sticks though. And I still haven't found a good bloomin onion thing."

Some things never change - the way to Xander's heart and brain was through his stomach. At least he'd stopped the panic attack. "Point. But we can have fun poking fun at their attempts, right?"

Less than ten minutes later, the cart was cleared of everything edible. Including a few sprigs of parsley, which caused Leigh to brush and floss before they went for pizza.

"Hey, you aren't gonna do that hyperventilating, fainting thing again, are you? Cus I can catchya, but it might make people nervous, y'know?" Xander helped her into a light jacket, taking her arm and closing the door behind them.

"Probably not, thanks pet. I just forgot to have a snack after you called earlier." The unconscious courtesy warmed Leigh's heart more than the jacket, and she snuggled into his side once again. "Told ya, this body needs alot more food. It's like a diabetic or somethin, see? Has to have a certain amount of calories or it starts wanting to shut down."

That made as much sense as anything, and Xander nodded at her as he pushed the button for the lift. "So, are we going to have a fun night on the town, or are we gonna find your pies and talk deep shit?"

Ah, the $25,000 question. "Suppose we should get it over with. Can make it easy or tough. How's this: I'm sorry, for all the crap I did to you and yours. And I really appreciate the care you gave me after the soul." She paused, trying not to get wrapped up in memories. "And... you're part of my family, Xander. Can't explain that one very well, but both demon and soul feel the same. I just want a chance to be... friends or something. Can we try it?"

Luck was with them - the lift held no other people. It gave them a semblence of privacy, which the brunet was grateful for. "Shit Sp.Leigh, you were my friend long before the soul. An annoying, snarky, tempermental one, sure. But... you didn't need to go through all this just to apologize."

A heavy weight lifted from her shoulders, her body sagging against his sturdy frame. "Thought that myself, but wasn't sure what my reception would be. Said and did so many nasty things to you and the Scooby gang..."

"Hey, shh! Past and buried, ok?" Placing a rough finger against her lips, Xander tilted her face up. He wanted to meet her eyes for this. "It's the nature of the vamp to cause trouble and draw blood, the whole murder and mayhem bit. I understood it, even if it bugged me alot. Can't swear what the girls'll say, but you and me, we're good."

Leigh found herself tearing up again, and quickly ducked into her purse for a hankie. "Damned female hormones! Never had this many mood swings in my unlife."

Intellectually, Xander knew that this person at his side was William the Bloody, the youngest of the Scourge of Europe. The vampire known as Spike who spent so much time tied up in his basement. The undead menace that turned everyone against each other during that ADAM fiasco. The crazy, souled, ragged pile of bones he'd harbored, listening and crooning at him through so many nightmares. His mind understood that. His heart saw a lonely woman forced to her knees from the weight of her troubles, in tears of misery, and demanded that he comfort her.

Well, what else could he do? A hug was a hug, regardless of whom the recipient was. He shoved the niggling part of his brain that insisted 'we do NOT cuddle vampires' as far down as he could bury it, drawing the weapy blond into his arms. "S'ok, everyone deserves a good cry once in awhile. Just remember, you'll smudge your mascara if you don't watch it, right?"

Leigh blew her nose with as much decorum as she could dreg up, trying to smother a giggle. She and the boy had often laughed at the girls for their 'racoon eyes' after a sob-story or sappy movie. "Yeh ok, Turning off the water works now." He didn't push her away, and she wasn't about to argue with the unspoken offer. "When'd you grow up, Xan? A year ago, you'd have-"

"Done about the same. Think I grew up about the same time you did." That comment drew them both up short. "I propose that, for the remainer of tonight, we agree not to discuss the events of our mutually horrific past in Sunnydale. It can't be good for the digestion, and as much as you eat, I'd hate to see ya with a tummy ache."

She whacked him on the butt. Well, she would have aimed for his arm or shoulder, but those were currently occupied. Besides, he'd gotten a free grope at her posterior already. Fair's fair!

If she had expected him to object, her plans were foiled. He wiggled beneath her hand, smirked into her hair, and pinched a cheek of his own.

The lift opened and they were forced to separate, but Xander held out his hand and Leigh immediately placed one of hers into his custody. A pleasant evening with no painful memories, in the company of an attractive potential partner. Neither found their situation objectionable.

~ * ~

"And then Wesley had the gall to say I should tell Angel. I blew up, teared up, and raced from the room." Leigh finished her anecdote of that scene, fairly glowing with the full-throated laughs from her companion.

"I'll bet he'll never try that again. Wesley never was comfortable around 'those emotional episodes'." He had to fight his chuckles to be understood, but eventually Xander caught his breath. "And chocolate came next, right?"

Nodding enthusiastically, she bounced in her seat. "Fred's a wonder! Had all sorts of treats waiting for me. But first she had to pry me outa the loo."

Xander's howl of laughter startled a passing waiter, who almost dumped his tray of empty glasses and plates on their table. "Remember when Dawn did that, cus some boy she had a crush on asked her best friend to the dance instead of her? It took gallons of hot chocolate and three Hugh Grant movies to make her smile again."

"Yeah, I can understand the Niblet better now. These hormones are rough to handle." Leigh took a sip of her soda. "Bleh, colored water. And it looks like the kitchen's closed." She didn't want the evening to end, but neither did she want to assume...

Looking around the restaurant, he found that all the other tables had been cleared. "Huh, we're the only ones left. Uh... what's next? I'm sorta at a loss here."

"And I'm not? Luv, the last 'date' I went out on was... centuries ago." Blushing at what her words implied. "Yeh, uh..."

"Does seem like it, huh? And strange as it sounds, tonight's the most fun I've had in years." Xander looked down at their clasped hands. He stroked his thumb across the top of hers, trying to figure out what to say. "Not ready for it to end, how bout you?"

The shake of her head held more energy than her chair could handle, and Leigh almost fell onto the floor. One of those arms she'd come to enjoy hooked around her midsection, dragging her across Xander's lap. "This is getting to be a habit. Think I like it though."

Leigh could only mumble her agreement, as warm lips cut off any reply she might've made.

It wasn't planned, this first tentative kiss. Xander could swear on a stack of religious texts that he hadn't intentionally connected their mouths. He just wanted to test a theory - did Leigh's lips taste half as good as her uncomplicated company made him feel? After sipping gently at her slightly parted mouth, he had to say 'hell yes!'

Warm, strong, quietly commanding. All the things she hadn't known she needed, bound in this one man, this human who'd seen her at the lowest points of her unlife. Xander made her feel alive and precious and... and this was what Fred had warned her would happen. Spontaneous combustion from the simple meeting of lips. They hadn't exchanged tongues yet, and she was ready to burst into flames.

Fortunately for the lady's lungs, Xander wasn't unfamiliar with new human-type people. He broke away long enough to mutter, "You've gotta breathe, remember? Try breathing through your nose if you don't wanna stop." He waited to see if she'd put a halt to their contact, and was pleasantly surprised when she latched back onto his mouth.

I remember how to do this, just add the breathing trick. Tongues are made to map your lover's mouth. And gods, he's so tender. No one's ever kissed me like this, like I'm the center of their attention. The center of their universe. Want that, never gonna give it up. Unless he runs when he remembers who I used to be.

Xander lost himself in sensation. Full, lush lips and a snake-like tongue, slowly exploring his mouth... he'd never had anyone read him by oral-braile before, but that's what it felt like Leigh was doing. Learning his soul by way of this kiss. He tried to memorize every move, storing the scene for future fantasies, when he felt her begin to tense up.

"Hey," light nibble, "what's wrong, hun?" line of open-mouthed kisses up her jawline, "this too soon for you?" teeth gnawing her earlobe, "I do know what 'no' means, ok? Just tell me when to stop."

Sparkles of light flickered behind Leigh's closed eyes. She vaguely recalled Fred saying something about going too far without preparation, but everything Xander said or did was melting her will to stop. She couldn't think clearly, didn't really want to, even if that's the only way she'd remember her friend's careful instructions.

"Lovely Leigh, I want nothing more than to carry you to a bed and spend the next week lavishing you with all the attention you deserve," his words soft against her ear, Xander licked along the outer shell before voicing the 'but' she heard coming, "but this is moving faster than you're probably ready for. And honestly, all my previous relationships started out with the gropey stuff." His fingers carded through her hair, cupping her scalp so gently. "Would... would you hate me if I asked to..."

Spike had always been the one to pursue his lovers. This treatment left Leigh's emotions stripped bare. She couldn't focus on anything beyond Xander's mouth, Xander's hands, the solid strength of his body that held her like a priceless work of art. Her power of speech had taken a holiday. "Hmm?" was the best she could offer to the conversation.

"May I court you, Miss Wilkes?" If his teeth kept nibbling the tendons of her neck, he could have anything he wanted. "Or is that too old-fashioned... It's just... There's something between us, and I don't wanna mess it up *and* screw with our friendship by taking you to bed before we're ready, y'know?"

Disappointment flared in Leigh's stomach, but still she was touched by the consideration. And really, how could she blame Xander for forgetting that she was no blushing virgin. Rubbing her cheek against the top of his ruffled hair, she tried to think of some way to explain her predicament.

He pulled away from her damp throat, saw the conflicting emotions on her face, and quickly leaned forward for a soft, chaste kiss. "You've had this body for three weeks, if I remember right. And I'll bet you haven't taken it out for a test drive yet. There's plenty of time for that, and fuck yeah I want it too, but... We only get one shot at 'first times', and I'd like to do this one differently."

Leigh's arousal screamed that it was being rejected, but her damned feminine emotions wanted to sob and sniffle and make 'awwww' noises. She did understand though. She just didn't really want to wait.

"Xan, we've known each other for years already. Sure, we're just now interested in getting physical, but doesn't it count for something?" Try fluttering the eyelashes at him, make him forget why he's slowing down.

In response, she got a peck on the nose, a smack on the bottom, and a snicker. "Nice try, goldilocks, but you forget how much time I've spent with only girls for friends. Not much you can do that'd change my mind." He stroked her hair out of her eyes, tracing patterns across her forehead and cheeks. "I'm all for instant attraction, but... Hell, you remember where that got me the last time."

Something in the comment demanded a response. If Leigh could rub two brain cells together. "Been gone for awhile, luv. Can't say I know what's happened to ya since you moved here."

"Ha, no. Last so-called date I went out on was helping that lady from the hardware store, back in Sunnydale. She turned out to be a demon who wanted to use me in a ritual, remember?"

The goldfish face isn't attractive, or so Fred repeatedly said. Close mouth or use it! "You haven't dated in a year? Harris, you've never been celebate that long!"

And the expected blush makes its appearance. "Actually I have. Wasn't getting it when we were roommates last time, cept that once with Anya just before... Anyways, no, I haven't dated since then. It's just..."

Seeing one of the babble twins speechless was never a good sigh. "Xan, if you want to do the whole getting-to-know-you bit, that's fine. I can't promise to keep my hands in appropriate places, cus I don't have a handle on these hormones yet." She grabbed as much of his cheeks as possible, with the chair in her way, grinning when he squeaked at her. "But there's no reason we can't add a bit of snoggin to our dates, yeh?"

Xander's eye tracked her lips, following every word that spilled from them. He barely allowed time to say 'sure' before his mouth took hers again. This time the kiss was filled with a growing passion. He had voiced his concerns, she'd offered her own rebuttal, and they had a sketchy plan. Enough talk, playtime now.

How far their attraction might have taken the pair must remain a mystery - the manager coughed politely, asking that they relocate so that he might lock up for the night.

Sheepishly, Xander paid the bill, Leigh's hand clasped firmly in his own.

~ Part 6 ~

They walked back toward Leigh's hotel, holding hands and talking quietly. With the mood lightened, she saw the wisdom of taking things slowly. Even if her body screamed and begged for *more* of the heat and warmth of her friend. The fact that Xander Harris - the one from which she'd least expected a pleasant reception - was the object of her cravings threw her thoughts into a scattered jumble of contradictions.

Mr Perception noticed her confusion, smiling at her even as his arm pulled her close to his side. "Hey, there's this band I've been following, Ground Zero, and they're playing tomorrow night at a club not too far away. Wanna go with me? They're pretty good, and no, not country either."

Leigh focused in on a topic that would divert her from thoughts of how his body would fit against hers. "Yeh, why not. I reserve the right to heckle them if they're anything like those losers who used to play at the Bronze."

"Nah, they've got a pretty heavy sound. Think you'll like'em." As the tiny blond snuggled closer, Xander purred, "Public places are safer at first. Otherwise I'd invite you back to my flat for dinner and a movie."

Throwing an arm around his waist, she grabbed his belt for good measure. "No fair, teasing the new hormone factory." One slim hand wiggled inside the back of his pants, fingers tickling along the softly-furred skin she found there. "If you wanna take this so bloody slow, don't make comments like that, k? I might not have my old strength, but I'm pretty sure I can throw you down and climb onboard before you have a chance to blink."

Images of the blond doing just that occupied Xander's brain (both of them), which might explain how he missed the curb. In a tangle of limbs, the couple went down, Leigh's body cradled by the brunet's larger mass. "Heh, guess I should thank you for the soft landing." She licked the tip of his nose and wiggled against him.

What could he do, with a double armful of attractive female twisting against his hyped body? Xander moaned, pushed his hips up, and growled out, "Not all that soft, and you aren't helping!"

She'd known, of course she did. So many times Spike had found himself in the same position. But being on the other side of it? Her mind wanted to shut down, melting at the sensation of a thick hard-on rubbing against her lower stomach. If she ever returned to being a man, she swore never to taunt her lovers (in this way) again.

"Luv, middle of the street, middle of the night. If you're gonna use that, at least get us back to my room first, yeh?" Leigh's face was almost level with his throat, an easy reach for her to nibble along his collar bone. His moan of approval sent a fresh wave of tingles straight between her legs.

"Gods! I gotta meet this Fred woman, if she's the one that taught you to-"

"Nah, this is all me, Xan. Fred-girl's a sweetheart, but she's too shy to grab what she wants, see?" Demonstrating her point, Leigh let her fingers walk down his stomach, heading toward his fly. "And y'can't say I've ever been shy."

Grabbing frantically at the tormenting hand, Xander pulled her into a deep kiss. Every ounce of his need came through loud and clear, making her insides turn to mush. "No, you've never been shy. But you've also never been a woman before." He licked a line across her lower lip. "Let me show you how a woman deserves to be treated."

Leigh fervently hoped he meant in bed, but that didn't look like a promising prospect. "That's gotta be one of the corniest lines I've ever heard, Harris." She tilted her face, rubbing against his exploring mouth. "How often does it work?"

"Hmm, 5 for 5 so far." He grinned against her temple, flicking his tongue out at her earlobe. "I'm still not going to stay the night, but... we really should move this back to your place."

Snickering, Leigh decided that their tumble to the ground looked every bit as funny in reverse. And even through the frustrated arousal, she felt surprisingly good. Something else to be grateful for - the White Knight's ingrained morals for how to treat a lady.

~ * ~

Sunlight flickered through her curtains, sending conflicting signals to her sleep-befuddled brain. She had to remind herself that she would *not* catch on fire, soothing the demon that snarled at its natural death. On the other hand, it felt damned good, the sliver of sunlight that fell across her bare back. And what was wrong with that scenario? Leigh didn't remember getting naked. Of course, she also didn't remember going to bed, but that wasn't quite as worrisome.

Snogging and snuggling all the way, Xander had walked her back to the hotel. Check, remember that. The lift had taken forever, and gotten stuck at the fifteenth floor - a fine excuse for more kisses. She smiled as phantom lips were invoked by the memory. They'd had a tickle fight for custody of her cardkey, where she had won by the simple expedient of sucking his fingers till he forgot what he was doing. Door opened, they came inside, door closed... some quality time on the couch, and more kisses in one evening than she could ever remember getting. After that, nothing.

Had she passed out again? She had definitely tried to breathe as needed, but there were times when Leigh found herself light-headed. She blamed it as much on the effect Xander's proximity had on her as oxygen deprivation. But would he have taken her clothes off to put her in bed? It just didn't sound like a Xan-ish thing to do.

Her bladder chose that moment to offer its opinion - toilet first, answers after coffee and another trip to the loo. She really hated that aspect of her non-vampiric body. After several attempts at untangling her legs from the twisted sheet, she finally fell out of bed and stumbled toward the bathroom. Business taken care of, she washed her face and grabbed a brush, only then taking a good look in the mirror. She still had on bra and panties from the previous night, and there were love bites and bruises scattered from neck to the satiny fabric of her bra. They gave off a tingle-ache, quite pleasant really, when she brushed her fingers over each one. Still, she was more than a little upset that she couldn't recall getting them.

Hair and teeth brushed, she placed a call to room service and threw on a short wrap. It was well after breakfast, closing fast on noon, so the kitchen staff could hardly complain about her request for extra rare steak with 'the works'. Her list of 'the works' far surpassed what was on the menu, but she was a growing girl, right?

She settled down on the couch to await her lunch, and noticed a note on the coffee table.

"My Lovely Leigh,
Last night was... so many adjectives. I had a great time, laughing and
swapping stories and everything else. With you. Hopefully, we can do
it again tonight - the concert, remember?
I hated leaving you, especially after you fell asleep in my arms. Yeah,
so I've always known how sentimental I can be. It takes alot of trust for
someone to let all their barriers down around another person. Thank
you for that.
You were pretty zoned by the time I started to leave, so I tried to make
sure you were comfortable. Don't hate me for taking off your shirt and
jeans - they just didn't look like good pyjamas. And damn girl! I love
your taste in underwear. Maybe you'll let me help you pick some out?
Lingerie shops... Mmmm!
I'll be by around seven tonight, and we can stop somewhere for dinner
before heading to the club, ok?
Counting the hours,
Xander"

Leigh stroked the page, rereading bits and pieces of it. Even as she read his version of things, images began coming back to her. A wave of moist heat flooded her panties, recalling how his hands had felt cupping her breasts, how his back muscles rippled beneath her fingers, the incredible suction of his mouth and how she had begged him to continue.

Had the steward not chosen that moment to show up with her meal, Leigh would have taken care of her... discomfort. The poor man couldn't understand why the lovely guest in Room 1748 was so cranky, but he had burning ears and a bruised shin to prove it.

~ * ~

"It's official. I do NOT handle frustration well. This is your fault, Xander Harris, and I expect you to rectify the situation immediately." Leigh tried to create a version of the famous Rosenberg Resolve Face, but it simply looked silly on her. "Damn, never gonna get shagged at this rate."

The mirror had nothing to say, silently mocking her attempts to look seriously intimidating.

The night before had seen her running in circles, changing clothes in a fury of nerves. Tonight, her nerves were on fire for entirely different reasons - and she hadn't had any luck in quenching the flames that licked along her erogenous zones every time she thought about That Damned Man.

Hold on, full reverse. Head cocked, Leigh doubled back and turned that thought over. She decided it sounded suspiciously like one of Harmony's rants, and made more of an effort to distract herself.

Right, the telly's out. Even with satelite, there was precious little on that she wanted to see. Without a partner. And again, no sense going there.

Three hours left, what to do? The only thing that seemed harmless enough was shopping, and without Fred that would be... No, maybe not. There were a few types of shops that the shy girl wouldn't consider going. Maybe she could kill two birds with one stone.

After a quick look through the phone book, Leigh grabbed her purse and headed out.

~ * ~

It just doesn't get better than this. Wall to wall porn, stacks of latex goodies, edibles up front, bondage toward the back, and those cutesy gag gifts at the register. I'd kill to see Wesley's face when he gets my credit card bill for this month.

Snickering at the thought, Leigh grabbed a shopping basket and began looking through isle after isle of adult novelties.

Sorta funny, how some of my old kinks don't do a thing for me anymore. But others... I've gotta have one of those dual-headed things! And some ticklers, and maybe a few clamps. Wonder if they do piercings here. Oh look! The leather display is being restocked. *purr* So many goodies, so little time. Maybe I can drag Xan back here after the concert. Mmm, that luscious bum in leather, cutaway to showcase his bits all for me. Might take some sweet talkin, but it's definitely worth the try.

Skipping the video collection (for now, she promised herself), Leigh selected several different toys. On the basis of size and function, although the variety of colors left her eyes crossed for a minute. She thanked the helpful salesclerk when he put a multipack of batteries in her basket, before quickly moving away from him. Something about the greasy hair and too-close eyes reminded her of Charles Manson.

Lube, lube, lube, lube, lube, lube. To the tune of Monty Python's Spam song. Her giggles drew the stares of several fellow shoppers. And yes, she realized that this body came with built-in lubrication, but after having suffered Angelus' attentions, she was of the opinion that a body can *never* have too much slick, thankyouverymuch. Besides, her lovely gentleman friend had a passion for chocolate, and what kind of lover would she be if she ignored her suitor's preferences?

Most of the lingerie was... cheap, coarse and sluttish. But there's a time and place for everything, and Leigh found two nightie sets that wouldn't last through their first use. Disposable bait, followed by edible panties. Sounded like a fun weekend for all.

By the time she turned toward the check-out, she was of the opinion that, even if this place offered it, she would *not* allow them to stick anything into her body that wasn't first sterilized and shrink-wrapped. Or at least the clerk. He kept giving her these looks...

Plain brown bags hid her 'brazen display of lecherousness' from polite society. Those who were blind or so self-absorbed that they couldn't see outside their personal bubble. Leigh could hardly care less - she had toys that might help soothe this ache that developed every time she thought of Xander's lips, fingers, hands... and dammit, there it went again! Just four more blocks, keep it together, girly.

~ * ~

6:45pm. Just fifteen minutes until Xander would be knocking on her door, and she still hadn't had the chance to experiment with any of her new gadgets. Screams of frustration rang throughout her suite, adding to the headache that simply refused to go away.

And why did she think she could have a peaceful afternoon to herself? After all, only four people of her acquaintence knew she was even in London, two of which would hardly bother to call unless an apocolypse hit. She wouldn't mind hearing from Fred, but it was pre-dawn in L.A. It was the last one on her short list that was causing so many difficulties.

Upon her return to the hotel, Leigh had been flagged down by the concierge, bearing a message from 'her gentleman'. He'd tried to call while she was out and left a message. Nothing worrisome about that, so Leigh went up to her room to return his call. Except that he wasn't home. So she left her own message, quickly stripped, matched batteries to pseudo-phallus, and bounced onto the bed.

And then the phone rang.

The hotel manager wanted to make sure that she was not sharing a room without paying for double occupancy. Apparently his kitchen staff had much to say about the quantity and frequency of her meals. She offered for him to come investigate the matter, assuring him that she had no one else staying with her (although she hoped to change that soon), and hung up.

Waiting was hardly one of her better talents, and Leigh found herself boucing off the walls in half an hour. She couldn't take the chance that the manager would use his skeleton key to enter while she was pleasuring herself. Exhibitionism didn't bother her, but this was far from an ideal circumstance. She spent the time reading the 'instructions' that went along with each of her new friends.

More than an hour after she'd first spoken to the man, he finally arrived. Leading a crew of bellboys and stewards. She stood back and watched as ten strangers fondled her undergarments, checked under the bed, and generally combed the suite for 'suspicious clues'. Of course, they found nothing that would lead anybody to believe that another person shared her quarters - unless she had a mysterious identical twin hidden somewhere. Leigh took great delight in flipflopping from amiable guest to bitch-on-wheels, and soon had a discounted rate for the duration of her stay.

With the expenditure of energy from her little tantrum, she called room service - with the red-cheeked manager by her side - and ordered a selection of sweets and finger foods. Hanging up, she turned to the blustering fool and smirked. "I have a high metabolism, and must eat more than the average person. Particularly on days when I've exercised, and I spent much of the morning at the gym. Now, if you have no further questions, I would appreciate the privacy guaranteed by your hotel." She offered a clearly faked smile and shut the door loudly behind him. Complete with deadbolt and chain.

For some reason, her food arrived sooner than usual, with a bottle of fine wine 'complements of the chef'.

After eating much more quickly than she should've, Leigh spent several minutes dealing with stomach cramps, and contemplating the myriad ways she could rid herself of them before her date. Simply thinking the words gave her a gooshy feeling that overrode discomfort, so she focused on picking out an appropriate outfit that might insight her White Knight to let down his guard.

It didn't relieve the sexual tension that had steadily increased over the course of the day, but ransacking her wardrobe did waste another hour. In the end, she chose a halter-style top of gold lame with her black leather skirt. Fred had squirmed watching her try on the skirt, saying how 'good girls don't dress like that', but it clung to every curve and was butter soft. She'd even found a short bolero jacket that matched, and would look perfect over her top.

A glance at the clock told Leigh that she could safely start getting ready soon. She knew that there were numerous methods for women to satisfy themselves - especially in the shower - but without practical knowledge, she decided to wait after all. Besides, she could always turn on one of her new toys if Xander decided to play difficult again.

Her apologies to both Giles and Xander had taken little effort. She suspected, having lived as a woman for almost a month, that she owed a great deal more to Willow and Buffy. Even Dawn, who had struggled through adolescence during far more dire circumstances but with more grace.

Showered, shaved, and dried, Leigh took her time pinning her hair into place. One of the women from the salon had showed her how to create intricate patterns of braids and curls. Her first official date seemed an appropriate time to test her skills. The end result was looser than she'd expected, but each tendril stayed in place even when she shook her head to the memory of Sid Viscious' greatest hits. As she didn't really have time to start over, it would have to do.

Leather in place, top tied together with a prayer (she felt as if her tits would burst through the slinky material), and comfortably flat shoes, her make-up a touch darker than normal, and she was ready. With a quarter hour to spare. Hell, she hoped Harris would be the punctual type.

Leigh was so wired on nervous energy that the expected knock made her jump. She wanted to race to the door and throw it open, but forced herself to breathe a few times and calmly walk to greet her beau.

The first thought that came to her, as she took in her club-ready date, was 'fuckin hell, he cleans up nice!' It proved to be her second, fourth and fifth thoughts as well. (Third being, 'wonder if he'll let me peel those off'im?')

Xander stepped two feet inside the suite, immediately took her in his arms, and planted a steamy kiss on willing lips. He came up for air at some point, whispering into her ear, "Could hardly wait to see you all day. It was hell leaving last night... don't count on me having the strength to be noble again."

"Oh thank the gods!"