Unknown Factors (Book One)

Ch.19: Rhythmic motion

   (A/N: Whoo! Season 5, finally there!)

  "Ha! Touchdown! Oh, yeah." Buffy was grinning as she caught the football Riley had tossed to her. "Go, Team Me!" And she did a little victory dance.

  "Anybody ever told 'Team You' the quarterback throws like a girl?" Riley said when Buffy tossed it back.

  "I do?" Buffy asked as she caught the football again. Riley grinned while nodding as he sort of shrugged. She then really threw the football at Riley, and he flew back when it hit him in the face.

  "Oh! Uh...."

  "Oh, sorry!" She cried, but the man was quickly back on his feet. "No! No, don't you- No, no, no!" Buffy backed away as Riley ran at her.

  "I'm exhausted just looking at those two." Xander said while working at the grill. We were at the beach on a sunny day, and it was nice to be here rather than in dreary and rainy England. "All the splashing and jumping and running- shouldn't relaxing involve less exertion?"

  "Absolutely. Exertion can lead to sweatiness." Anya looked up from whatever it was she was doing as she sat in a beach chair, wearing a pink, two-piece swimsuit.

  "Which can cause the pain and heartbreak of stinkiness. Better to just stay put." Tara smiled up at us from her tarot cards.

  "I think we've just put our finger on why we're the sidekicks." Willow said as she was reading a book.

  "Meh, I prefer the term 'backup' and 'hero support'." I said while sitting up. Yeah, I wanted to swim, too, but I didn't want to take off my hoodie to do it. But, then again, it was pretty hot underneath it.

  "Game over?" Willow asked as Buffy and Riley came walking up.

  "Uh, Buffy slayed the football." Riley held up a deflated football, then tossed it onto the ground near us.

  "Where's my burger?" Buffy pouted while seeing the grill void of food and fire.

  "Yeah man, I'm starving. Cow me." Riley said as he sat down.

  "The fire's not cooperating. It's comforting to know I lack the culinary finesse of a caveman." Xander sighed while still holding a box of matches. Grinning, I crawled over and bent down in front of the grill.

  "Watch this." I said before looking at the dried-up sticks and coal piled in the grill. Blowing, I felt my lips warm up as the heat left from underneath the hoodie. The grill burst into flames, and Xander flew back so he wouldn't burn off his eyebrows.

  "Wow, check you out, Aud. You got a bit of dragon in there?" Buffy asked while pulling down her sunglasses.

  "No, just some demon-y stuff. I can only do it if I'm hot enough, though. Kind of like how dogs pant- I can either sweat or breathe fire." I smiled while backing up from the grill. Suddenly, thunder clouds rolled in and it began to pour down rain.

  "Aah!" There were feminine screams as we all grabbed our stuff and ran for cover. What could have possibly happened to make such a fine day take such a sharp turn to a shit one?

~

  "There you go. All set." Willow smiled while typing on the laptop.

  "Thank you, Willow. Obstinate bloody machine simply refused to work for me." Pops said while looking over Willow's shoulder at the laptop.

  "Just call me the computer whisperer." She said while messing with the scanner as Pops stood up and walked away. "Let's get scannin'. I want to see this puppy go."