– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Xander stepped into the gym alongside Buffy and Willow, his eyes immediately captivated by the flurry of activity across the room.

A specific type of activity, at least.

Cheerleader tryouts were in full swing, a sea of girls stretching, flipping, and tumbling with an energy that seemed to electrify the air. One girl, in particular, caught his eye as she executed a flawless roundoff followed by a back handspring. Wow, sometimes being in this hell of a high school does pay off, he mused, eyes lingering on the girls as they moved.

Willow's voice cut through his thoughts, pulling his attention away from the acrobatics slightly. "So, Giles didn't approve, huh?" she asked, crossing her arms as she walked alongside Buffy — Xander on the opposite side of the blond. Her green-eyed gaze scanned the gym with a slight frown, arms pressed tight to her chest. Dressed in her patterned long-sleeve shirt and purple velvet jeans, she was the most covered up example of the female species in the place, a stark contrast to the minimally clad cheerleaders doing their best to show their stuff.

Buffy, walking beside them, scoffed at the mention of her Watcher. "He totally lost his water. Blabbing on about 'common sense, Buffy'. Give me a break. We haven't even seen a vampire in over a week." She rolled her eyes, her ponytail swishing with the motion as she strutted towards the center of the gym.

Xander raised his eyebrows at Buffy's comment, a knowing hum escaping his lips. You're welcome, by the way, he thought, a small surge of pride rising in his chest. Wish I could brag about that out loud though. Truth be told, a week later and he still had yet to tell anyone about his... changes, least of all the two girls and their resident Brit. He had been a major part of the recent peace, though he would prefer to keep that knowledge away from any of his friends, simply out of self-preservation.

His gaze drifted back to the cheerleaders, biting his lip as he saw a particularly impressive flip. "Y'know, people scoff at things like school spirit, but look at these girls giving their all like this!" He pointed out a girl performing a perfect split between two chairs, his eyes widening appreciatively. "Oooooh, stretchy."

Buffy rolled her eyes at Xander's typical distraction, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth despite herself. "Maybe if you focused half as much on your studies as you do on cheerleaders, you wouldn't be failing trigonometry," she teased, her tone more playful than serious.

"Hey, I'm not failing," Xander protested, tearing his gaze away from the gymnastic display to shoot Buffy a mock-offended look. "I'm just... not excelling. There's a difference."

Willow, ever the supportive friend, smiled reassuringly at Buffy, choosing to ignore Xander's academic shortcomings as she usually did. "Well, we're behind you," she declared with a nod before her eyes shifted to Xander, her expression turning slightly exasperated. "Both of us. Right, Xander?"

Xander, still somewhat entranced by the flexibility on display, only half-listened to his friends. It was less of him being not sure how to explain it and more of the worry that they'd try to eliminate him, honestly. He could only thank the girls in the gym for being the perfect distraction for his worry about being the next monster Buffy mauled. Maybe an overexaggeration, but I'd still like to keep my head where it belongs, he thought to himself, shoving his hands into his light-washed jean shorts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, totally," he agreed absentmindedly, his gaze still firmly on the potential cheerleader limbering up. "One hundred percent behind the Buffster. Go team."

Buffy, noticing his distraction, nudged him lightly with her elbow, and rolled her eyes before striding off towards the bleachers. Xander snapped his fingers twice, and pointed his finger in Buffy's direction without looking, his gaze still firmly on the potential cheerleader limbering up, before turning to face Willow, the green-eyed girl shooting him a look.

"What?" he asked defensively, holding up his hands in a gesture of innocence. "I'm appreciating the... athleticism. It's very impressive."

Willow raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Uh-huh. I'm sure that's what you're appreciating," she said dryly, her tone making it clear she saw right through his flimsy excuse.

Xander grinned, unrepentant. "Hey, I'm a red-blooded American male. It's in my DNA to appreciate the female form in all its... bendy glory," he quipped, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Especially when they're smokin' hot."

Willow rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth despite herself. "You're incorrigible," she informed him, shaking her head as she started to follow Buffy towards the bleachers.

"I prefer 'charming'," Xander called after her, his grin widening as he watched her go. Okay, maybe 'incorrigible' is more accurate, he admitted to himself, his gaze drifting back to the cheerleaders once more. But can you blame me? I mean, look at them.

He allowed himself another moment of appreciation before shaking his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Focus, Harris. Maybe try to stay on the girl's good side so they're thinking good Xander things if they find out.

The thought sobered him, a frown pulling at his mouth. It had been a week since his transformation, a week of sneaking out at night to hunt fresh vampires, a week of lying to his friends about where he was going and what he was doing. He'd say family but neither of his parents cared all that much where he went, Tony especially. It was exhausting — more mentally than physically, seeing as he could run for a good hour now before needing to catch a breath, at least at night — and he knew he couldn't keep it up forever.

I'm gonna have to tell them eventually, he realized, his stomach twisting at the thought. But how the hell do I even begin to explain this?

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to push the thought aside for now. One problem at a time, Harris, he told himself, taking a deep breath as he started to follow his friends towards the bleachers. First, let's stare at the girls to relax. Then you can worry about the whole 'coming out as a devil' thing.

"Where was I?" he asked absentmindedly as he caught up to Willow and Buffy, trying to focus on the moment.

"Being a bit of a pig," Buffy chirped playfully.

Willow glanced at him, her expression a mix of fondness and exasperation. "Ogling the cheerleaders," she reminded him, tone dry as the Mojave but a smile on her face.

Xander grinned, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Ah, right. The important things in life."

Willow shook her head, but leaned into his side slightly, a small smile on her face. "You're hopeless," she informed him, but there was no real heat behind the words.

Cordelia marched over to where Xander, Willow, and Buffy stood, the popular mean girl in nothing more than a black sports bra with silver star patterns along with a matching pair of booty shorts. Stopping beside Willow, she tossed her brown hair back and scoffed, her expression full of disdain. "Just look at that Amber. Who does she think she is, a Laker Girl?"

Willow, who had been watching the cheerleader with awe on her face, responded without missing a beat. "I heard she turned them down." Xander smirked as her response did the intended job of getting under Cordelia's skin, judging by the quick flick of insecurity that crossed her face.

Score one for Willow, he thought, shooting his best friend a subtle thumbs up. Nothing like a little verbal sparrage to give Cordelia a taste of her own.

The cheerleading squad leader, a girl in a thin yellow sweater and a ponytail, stepped forward with a clipboard in hand. "Okay, listen up! Let's begin with," she glanced down at her clipboard, "Amber Grove. If you're not auditioning, move off the floor."

As the cheerleaders and spectators shuffled around, Willow spotted a familiar face in a yellow t-shirt. "Amy! Hi!" she called out, waving over the brown-haired girl who was tying her ponytail.

Amy approached with a nervous smile. "Hi!"

"I didn't know you wanted to be a cheerleader!" Willow commented, sounding both surprised and pleased.

"What about you?" Amy asked curiously, a focused look on her face for a moment.

Xander raised an eyebrow at the comment, his gaze flicking between the two girls. Willow, a cheerleader? he thought, trying to picture his shy, bookish best friend in the skimpy outfits and pom-poms. Now that's a mental image.

"Me?" Willow laughed nervously, her face reddening. "Noooo, I could never…" Coughing into her fist, she glanced back at Amy. "You lost a lot of weight, by the way," she continued, sounding both surprised and pleased.

"Had to," Amy replied shortly, her eyes flicking meaningfully towards the group of cheerleaders. Xander followed her gaze, taking in the slim, toned figures of the girls stretching and warming up. Yeesh, talk about pressure, he mused. No wonder she's looking so stressed.

"Do you know Buffy?" Willow turned to introduce her friend.

"Hi," Buffy said, extending a hand with a friendly smile.

"As much as I love cheerleading, I hate the competition," Amy muttered, her tone dry as she shook Buffy's hand.

Xander smirked at the comment. "Tell me about it," he said, leaning in as he butted in to the conversation. "I'd rather face a horde of hungry vampires than a pack of judgmental cheerleaders any day."

Amy shot him a curious look, her brow furrowing slightly. "Vampires?" she repeated, sounding both confused and intrigued.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Xander's eyes widened, realizing his slip-up. "Uh, just a joke," he covered quickly, forcing a laugh. "You know, because they're both bloodsuckers? Haha, get it?" He looked to Willow and Buffy for support, silently pleading with them to play along.

Buffy rolled her eyes, but gave a small nod. "Ignore him," she advised Amy, shooting Xander a pointed look. "He thinks he's funny."

"Hey, I am funny," Xander protested, clutching his chest in mock offense. "You just don't appreciate my genius."

Willow patted his arm consolingly, but he could see the amusement in her eyes. "Sure, Xander. Whatever you say."

Their banter was interrupted by the start of Amber's routine on the floor, the girl executing a series of impressive moves: a needle-split lift, a double spin, and then an aerial followed by a cartwheel. Jazz slides transitioned into a single spin, capturing everyone's attention.

Damn, Xander thought, his eyes widening appreciatively as he watched Amber move. Girl's got some serious skills.

Amy leaned closer to Buffy, her voice low. "She trained with Benson. He's one of the best coaches money can buy."

Buffy looked genuinely surprised as she turned to face Amy. "They have cheerleading coaches?"

"Oh, yeah! Don't you have? I train with my mom, three hours in the morning, three at night," Amy explained, her tone matter-of-fact.

Xander let out a low whistle, shaking his head in disbelief. "Man, and I thought Buffy's training schedule was intense," he muttered, earning a sharp elbow to the ribs from the Slayer in question.

"Ow!" he yelped, rubbing his side with a wounded expression. "What was that for?"

"For being a doofus," Buffy retorted, but there was no real heat behind her words. "And for the record, my training schedule is perfectly reasonable. Right, Will?"

Willow held up her hands, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "Hey, don't drag me into this," she protested, taking a step back.

Buffy sighed, turning back to Amy with a wry smile. "But honestly, that much quality time with my mom would probably lead to some quality matricide."

Amy chuckled, nodding in understanding. "Oh, I know it's hokey. But she's really great."

Cordelia, still standing by Willow, turned her back to the routine with a scoff, clearly trying to seem unimpressed. Xander rolled his eyes at her, wondering how someone could be so consistently shallow and self-absorbed.

As Amber's routine escalated in intensity, Xander noticed something odd—a smell in the air that was almost bitter. The hell is that? His gaze narrowed as he tried to identify the source, feeling a tension start to build in his gut.

Something's not right, he thought, his instincts screaming at him to be on guard. There's some weird mojo going on here.

Suddenly, Amber's hands began to smoke. Xander's eyes widened, and he pointed. "What the...?" he started to shout, just as Buffy said the same.

"That girl's on fire!" Willow exclaimed, her voice pitched high with panic.

Cordelia, oblivious and looking away, dismissed Willow with another scoff. "Enough of the hyperbole!" she snapped, clearly not paying attention to the unfolding chaos.

But it was no exaggeration. Amber's hands burst into flames, the smell of burning flesh filling the air. Dropping her pom poms, she screamed in terror, her voice echoing through the gym.

Buffy sprang into action, her Slayer instincts kicking in as she raced towards the burning girl. "Buff!" Xander called out, dashing to the bleachers and pulling down a large banner. He hurled it to Buffy, who caught it on the run and used it to tackle Amber to the ground, smothering the flames with the heavy fabric.

The gym fell silent, every eye fixed on the smoldering banner and the sobbing cheerleader beneath it. Buffy comforted Amber, her voice soft but strained. "It's okay, it's okay, you're gonna be... okay," she murmured, then added under her breath, "God!"

Xander winced as he approached, the pain from hearing the word 'God' spiking through his head. Maybe I shouldn't have called them smoking hot.

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

"What the hell just happened?" Xander slumped back in his chair at the study table in the library, clearly bewildered. Willow, sitting across from him, looked even more confused and a good bit alarmed by what just happened. "Since when do cheerleaders spontaneously combust?"

Willow shifted uncomfortably, her voice low and tinged with worry. "I don't know, but something tells me this wasn't just a freak accident." Her hands fiddled with the edge of her book, her eyes darting around the library.

Yeah, no kidding, Xander thought. I definitely felt something go down even before it happened. Gotta ask Sam if it's another weird devil thing.

Buffy paced back and forth, her steps quick and agitated as she turned to face her friends with a serious look. "I've been slaying vampires for more than a year now, and I have seen some pretty cringeworthy things, but... nobody's hands ever got toasted before."

Giles emerged from the library's cage, a dusty tome in hand. "I imagine not," he commented dryly, adjusting his glasses as he walked towards the group.

Oh, great, here comes the G-man with his usual dose of doom and gloom, Xander mused, bracing himself for how there was a secret race of firestarters no one ever heard about. Although, if they all look like Drew Barrymore, that wouldn't be the worst thing.

"So, this isn't a vampire problem," Buffy concluded, her tone indicating she was piecing together the puzzle.

Giles confirmed her suspicion with a nod. "No," he said simply.

Buffy spun around to face him as he passed by her. "But it is funky, right? Not of the norm?"

Xander couldn't help but snort at the question. "No, people 'flame on' all the time. Literally every day," he said with a roll of his eyes.

Giles, choosing to ignore Xander's comment, continued. "Quite. Spontaneous human combustion is, is rare, and, and scientifically unexplainable, but there have been cases for hundreds of years. Usually all that's left is a pile of ashes." He sat on the edge of the table near Willow, his expression sober.

Well, that's comforting, Xander thought sarcastically, trying to ignore the chill that ran down his spine at the thought of being 'dusted' like a vampire.

Willow piped up, "That's all that would have been left if it hadn't been for Buffy." Her voice carried a mix of gratitude and fear, her eyes wide as she looked at the Slayer.

Are we forgetting someone? Xander questioned silently, shooting Willow a confused look. "So, we have no idea what caused this. That's a comfort," he said aloud instead, throwing up his hands in mock celebration.

Giles smiled slightly, trying to offer a more optimistic perspective. "But that's the thrill of living on the Hellmouth! There's a veritable cornucopia of, of fiends and devils and, and ghouls to engage." He looked around at the young faces watching him. "Pardon me for finding the glass half full."

Xander raised his hands half-heartedly and cheered, "Devils, yaaaaay." Buffy shot him a look, her eyebrows raised in disapproval. "No yay?" he asked with a head tilt, trying to look innocent.

"Not quite worthy of a yay, Xander," Giles chided gently, his lips twitching with the hint of a smile.

Xander adopted a mock-sad expression, pouting with his arms crossed. "No yay," he repeated, his tone mournful.

Tough crowd, he thought, suppressing a grin.

Buffy, ever focused on the task at hand, turned back to Giles. "Any common denominators in cases of spontaneous combustion?"

Giles thought for a moment, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Uh, rage. In most cases, the person who combusted was terribly angry or upset."

"So maybe Amber's got this power to make herself be on fire. It's like the Human Torch, only it hurts," Xander pondered out loud, gesturing as he spoke.

Buffy nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I need to get the skinny on Amber. Find out if she's had any colorful episodes before." She started towards the stairs but paused as Willow stood up.

Willow beamed, excited to contribute. "That means hacking illegally into the school's computer system." She stood up with a pep in her step, almost bounding over to Buffy. "At last, something I can do!"

Go, Willow! Xander cheered silently, proud of his friend's enthusiasm and skills. That's our resident computer whiz.

He stood up, ready to play his part. "I'll ask around about her," he offered, eager to help in any way he could.

Buffy hesitated, her concern for her friends evident. "You guys don't have to get involved."

Xander grinned. "What d'ya mean? We're a team! Aren't we a team?"

Willow chimed in, her enthusiasm clear. "Yeah! You're the Slayer, and we're, like, the Slayerettes!"

…we'll workshop it, Will. Xander tilted his head to the side.

Buffy sighed, her voice soft but firm. "I just don't like putting you guys in danger."

Xander laughed lightly. "Oh, huh, I laugh in the face of danger. Then I kick it square in the nuts," he declared, striking a heroic pose.

"I'm sure." Buffy gave a small smile. "Okay, just walk softly, at least until we know a little more. I mean, what if Amber isn't causing these problems herself?"

Good point, Xander thought, sobering up slightly.

Giles added thoughtfully, "Well, then we have to determine who or what did, and, uh, deal with it accordingly."

Xander nodded. No problem.