FF: untitled (3/?)

[kimly <klinonis@xxxxxxxxx>]

TITLE: (3/?) 

AUTHORS: kimly (klinonis@xxxxxxxxx) & shyfox (shyfox30@xxxxxxxxxxx) 

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. The characters of Xena: Warrior Princess and all other associated with the television series of the same name are owned by MCA/ Universal Pictures. This is a work of fan fiction and no copyright infringement

is intended. No monetary profit is being made.

PAIRING (Buffy-verse): Hmmm, maybe, haven't made that decision yet

PAIRING (Xena-verse): X/G

RATING: ALT-PG (for the X/G relationship at this point) nothing graphic

SUBTEXT: (This is a Xena-verse thing?) They Xena & Gabrielle, in case you haven't been paying attention, are in love with each other.

SUMMARY: Xena ends up in Sunnydale - stuff ensues

SPOILERS: Everything is fair game in both verses

DISTRIBUTION: None, yet - this is VERY rough and incomplete. Please wait till it's finished

Kimly's NOTES: Well, I've tried writing in the present tense, writing without using proper names, writing from various characters' points of view, so next in line is writing a crossover and as an added bonus, it's a joint effort (hiya shyfox!). So mote it be. Here's our attempt at crossing Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Xena: Warrior Princess - not like that. Jeez?

Shyfox's NOTES: It has been great collaborating on the story. I've had a lot of fun scheming things up with kimly. And, thank her for the inspiration of the story. It's a good one. Enjoy.

"My name is Giles. Do you speak Greek?"



Xena was startled to hear her native language, as it were. His verbs were off, but she got the gist of it. She smiled. "Yes, I'm Greek. My name is Xena."



"Yes, I'm Greek. My name is Xena."



"Wonderful," he said to Buffy. "Wonderful," then to Xena.



"Wonderful."



"She speaks Greek, but I think our forms are a tad off. Hopefully she will forgive any missteps. Oh, where are my manners? This is Buffy," he explained, placing an arm around her shoulder.

"And this is Xena."



"This is Buffy."



"Xena? Ok, well, thank you, Xena, for helping me with Willow." Buffy stuck her hand out for a shake.



The warrior nodded at the sound of her name. "Buffy." After seeing the blonde defeat several men in battle, she grabbed her arm in a warrior's clasp.



Buffy was startled at the greeting, but returned it, smiled, and looked to Giles for an explanation.



"That is a traditional greeting for ancient warriors. It hasn't been used in centuries. Rest assured, it is a good sign. She seems to regard you as an equal, as it were. Ah, Xena, Buffy wishes to thank you for the aid you rendered to Willow, the girl on the couch."



"Xena, Buffy wanted to thank you for the aid you rendered to Willow, the girl on the couch."



"I was happy to help. But I have a few questions."



"I was happy to help. But I have a few questions."



"Very well? Buffy, she says 'You're welcome' and has some questions for us."



"I have a few of my own," the blonde stated. "Giles, can't you do something to make this language barrier go away?"



"Yes, I'm sure we all do? and, not at this point. I would need Willow's help for any type of spell and she just is not in any condition for casting. It is very late. Why don't we all get some sleep and pick this up in the morning?"



"Fine with me. I'll check on Will." Buffy squeezed between the two taller people into the living room.



"I doubt you have another place to stay. Please use my guest bedroom for the night. We can talk more in the morning. Try to sort this out."



"I doubt you have another place to stay. Please use my guest bedroom for the night. We can talk more in the morning. Try to sort this out."



"Thank you, but I prefer to sleep outside. But I'd like to talk more when you are rested."



"Thank you, but I prefer to sleep outside. But I'd like to talk more when you are rested."



"Xena, you are a stranger and although I have little doubt you are more than capable of defending yourself, there are issues of which you may not be aware. Please accept our hospitality. This place is not safe at night, even for warriors," Giles explained.



"Xena, you are a stranger and although I have little doubt you are more than capable of defending yourself, there are issues of which you may not be aware. Please accept our hospitality. This place is not safe at night, even for warriors."



Xena couldn't deny that she didn't understand much of this strange place. This house was clean and dry. It could have been worse. She nodded her agreement. "Okay. Does this have something to do with the disfigured men Buffy and Willow were battling?"



"Okay. Does this have anything to do with the disfigured men Buffy and Willow were battling?"



How much as she seen? "Ah? well? Yes, there are dark forces at work here. Please, I will explain as best I can come morning." As he spoke he led her to the spare room. They passed Buffy sitting on the floor having a quiet conversation with Willow.



"Yes, there are dark forces at work here. Please, I will explain as best I can come morning."



* * * * * * * *



Xena woke just before dawn despite the late hour she had retired. The bed Giles had given her had been very comfortable - so firm she thought she could have been sleeping on the ground but with a covering of just enough softness. Gabrielle would have loved it.



Not much was making sense. The people she had met seemed nice enough but held secrets she didn't understand, yet. Where in the name of Hades had Ares sent her. It wasn't Greece. At least not her Greece. And the dress was nothing like she had seen in all her travels; Rome, Chin, Egypt, Britannia.



Gods, Gabrielle. Are you and our daughter safe? I missed wactching one of my children grow up - I don't plan on making it two. What convoluted plan does Ares have up his sleeve this time? I am going to pull every hair outa his chin the next time I see him! You can help hold him still, my bard.



Gods, Gabrielle. Are you and our daughter safe? I missed watching one of my children grow up - I don't plan on making it two. What convoluted plan does Ares have up his sleeve for us this time? I am going to pull every hair outa his chin the next time I see him! You can help hold him still, my bard.



The warrior needed to burn off some excess energy. She found her way to the little back yard, noticing the blonde asleep on the floor beside the couch. There was no activity in the house. She figured she's be the only one up for awhile. That was one of the bright spots about having Eve in her life. The baby was up with Apollo. Must be a family trait.



Xena spent some time stretching and clearing her mind before pulling her sword from its sheath. She started slow and gradually added complexity and speed to her moves. She kept to the ground, the little yard wouldn't support her normally acrobatic moves and flips. As she worked her muscles, her thoughts continued to center on her bard and daughter. She emptied all the negative emotion about Ares and her present situation and focused on her family. She would find her way back to them. Gabrielle must be frantic. Glad I'm not you Ares... Have fun dealing with my irate bard. She'd have paid good dinars to see the Amazon Princess lay into the God of War.



Glad I'm not you Ares? Have fun dealing with my irate bard.



Xena ended her routine and sat cross legged in the dew covered grass. Her breathing returned to normal and she opened her eyes and started at the girl watching her. How had she gotten so close without her noticing? No one snuck up on the Warrior Princess.



Willow was sitting on a bench off to the side. Her head was cocked as she studied the stranger, trying to come up with a hypothesis to explain her sudden appearance in the cemetery and her strange manner of dress. She smiled when the warrior opened her eyes and caught her watching.



Xena rose in one fluid motion and returned her sword to her back before approaching Willow. The redhead just watched her move forward until the warrior was within arms' reach and stooped down. Xena slowly reached out and tilted Willow's chin so she could see into her eyes. The pupils were responding to the sun light and tracking her movement. The girl would be fine but she'd probably have a headache for most of the day.



Willow accepted the examination passively then made an equally as intense inspection of the yellow and purple mark on the woman's face. She heals like Buffy. The bruise should have still been an ugly blackish purple after so little time. Willow filed that observation away for later.



The quiet of the early morning was interrupted as Buffy found her way out to the yard. "There you are. How's the head?" the blonde asked of her friend. "Morning, Xena."



"No dizziness, clear thinking. I've lived to write code another day. And you've discovered our new friend's name?"



The warrior recognized her name but not the word before it. A little deductive reasoning had her assume it was a morning greeting. "Good morning, Buffy, Willow." The names came out with a thick accent, but were identifiable.



"Hey! She knows my name!"



"Giles was able to talk to her a little last night before we turned in. You were right, it was Greek. C'mon let's start breakfast, I'm starved." Buffy lead them into the house. She pointed Xena to a stool on the other side of the island while she and Willow stared the meal.



Xena unclipped the scabbard from her back and placed it on Giles's desk before taking the seat offered her. She knew these two couldn't speak her language and she couldn't speak theirs, so waiting for the man called Giles was the only option. She watched as the two moved easily out of each other's space in the tiny kitchen. It was evident that the two had done this before - many times most likely.



Before preparations were too far underway, the apartment door flew open and Xander strolled into the house. Or he tired to stroll in. He had barely gotten through the door, and didn't get to utter a word, as Xena was on him - grabbing him by the arm, spinning him around to meet the wall up close and personal. She held him with his arm wrenched behind his back and his cheek pressed against the plaster. A mixture of a grunt and a groan was his only sound.



The combination of the door opening and Xena startled movement got Buffy's attention. Outside of herself and the undead, she had never seen anyone move as fast as Xena just did. The Slayer was out of the kitchenette and to the door in record time. Xena was watching the door, preparing for more intruders, when Buffy placed her hand over hers and worked to loosen the warrior's grip. Xena looked at her for confirmation and Buffy nodded. Xander was release and handed off to Willow for an explanation.



Xena looked confused, sheepish and bothered. She rapped her knuckles against the door frame then shrugged. Buffy nodded again in pointed to the pair in the living room. Willow was taking very fast and doing a lot of pointing and gesturing.



This lack of communication sucks! "Giles! Get out of bed! Come translate!" the frustrated Slayer bellowed. She patted Xena on the shoulder in a no harm done manner and wandered back into the kitchen to finish breakfast and wait for her translator.



Xena retook her post on the stool and stewed. She wasn't used to being in a situation where she had no control over anything. She tended to think it was her intimidating size and strength that swayed things in her direction. This trip was showing her it was also her ability to communicate or at minimum threaten that got the results. And here she always thought it would be Gabrielle who would be lost without a voice. 



* * * * * * *



Breakfast was completed without a hitch. Giles came down freshly showered and starched. Xander was threatened with a muzzle if he didn't keep his smart-ass comments (Willow's phrase) to a minimum in deference to their guest. He complied by eating for a solid hour. Xena thought she had a problem keeping Gabrielle fed.



Giles was passing dishes and various assorted breakfast items to the girls who were cleaning up after the meal. And it was quite a good meal by Xena's estimation. Eggs, toast and a drink darker and stronger than tea. Very different flavor but not unpleasant once one got used to it.



Over the meal, Giles had explained, in both English and Greek, that he had found a spell that should clear up their language difficulties. Amulets would be used to hold the power. Those who possessed them could talk to each other and the powers that be would allow them to understand. 



Willow grabbed Xander, instructing him to make a list of supplies they would need so this time he would remember to get all the ingredients. A few new candles, some sage, "And don't forget the eye of newt," the wiccan gestured for further note talking.



"Powdered or whole?" 



"Get the whole. It'll be fresher."



Xander went to the magic shop and Willow began clearing the living room for preparations for the casting.



Meanwhile, Buffy and Giles were trying to explain the plan to a very reluctant warrior.



"That little thing is a God? Well, that exlains the fire balls from the finger tips last night," Xena was forcing herself to stay seated when all she really wanted to do was pace. Actually she wanted to break things but wasn't sure what that would accomplish and if the redhead was a God? she really wanted to get back to her family.



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