Once More, With Squealing: A Buffy Fanfic

The Morning After The Night Before

It was the next day and Xander Harris was firmly ensconced in The Magic Box, sitting at the table, brooding about the magic box he'd failed to become firmly ensconced in the night before. He felt so bad; he almost didn't feel like singing today. At least his mood was buoyed somewhat by the fashion choices of those around him; maybe today was some annual fancy dress day and he'd missed the memo.

Anya looked hot in her Charlie's Angels costume from Halloween as she went over the ledgers with Giles (who had gone to the rather-extraordinary fashion lengths of discarding his glasses). Meanwhile, Willow and Tara, clearly having been too tired this morning to change out of their nightwear, giggled in the corner and made goo-goo eyes at each other as they stocked jars with magical ingredients.

That was when another magical ingredient arrived. The bell above The Magic Box door rang, and in walked Buffy, dressed in what appeared to be the same schoolgirl outfit she'd been wearing when he'd first met her all those years ago; not surprisingly and not displeasingly, it was rather tight on her now. He continued to stare at her, as she chatted to Willow and Tara, and then, when he realized Anya was staring at him staring at Buffy, he turned his attention to a bunch of pastries that were in front of him. He grabbed a couple, hoping food might take his mind off last night.

Buffy crossed over to him, dropping her bag on the table. He only vaguely noticed her, since he was now busy playing with his food, holding a long glazed cruller and a powdered donut, attempting to push forward the boundaries of pastry comedy. Sadly, the cruller crumbled in his hand.

"Don't worry, sweetie," said Anya, roller-skating by. "Happens all the time. Really it does."

He frowned, unable to look Anya in the face, so turned his attention to Buffy, who was still standing by the table. She was chattering away, but like himself she seemed to be avoiding the issue, reluctant to talk about something. Finally, she got to the point:

"So, did anybody, um... last night, did anybody, oh... burst into song?"

Xander exchanged looks with Anya. He'd already figured that it had to be more than just coincidence that the music had arrived the same time his mojo had departed, but it now looked like it hadn't just happened to them. He didn't have to blame this all on the Chumash tribe after all.

"Merciful Zeus," he exclaimed, as he suddenly realized that it might explain everyone else's bizarre fashion choices as well. He loosened his tool belt, and put his construction hat on the table, as Willow and Giles also simultaneously confirmed they'd been lost in music last night (although not with each other).

As Willow finished talking, Tara added, "We were talking, and then... it was like..."

"Like you were in a musical?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, of course," said Giles, "that would explain the huge backing orchestra and the librarian chorus line."

Xander smirked, but then the smile left his face as Anya suddenly revealed way too much information. "Xander and I were fighting about Monkey Trouble."

"There's a lot of that about," said Buffy.

"It's a film!" protested Xander.

"Of course it is, sweetie," said Anya, giving an exaggerated wink at Buffy. "And we were arguing and then everything rhymed, and there were harmonies and a dance with 'coconuts'." First 'monkey trouble' and now 'coconuts', Anya sure was shooting out the euphemisms today.

"It was very disturbing," said Xander. "I really don't want to talk about it."

Giles turned to Buffy. "What did you sing about?"