Fic Update: Gone in 60 Threads

[Mamorien]

Speaking of Xander, Wednesday at Sunnydale.

The room was still dim, and Xander sprawled on the couch, pale but breathing. Wednesday sat beside him, hands folded, eyes darker than the night outside.

Buffy closed the door softly. She settled into a nearby chair. "How is he?"

Wednesday's voice was nearly a whisper. "Tired."

Silence hung heavy and uncertain. Wednesday finally spoke, her voice cracking like ice on a frozen lake.

"I've never had romantic entanglements before Xander," she confessed.

Buffy's mouth hung open. "Wait. So you're saying Xander Harris is your first... everything?" she asked, astonished.

"First love… first kiss," Wednesday nodded, gaze never leaving Xander's sleeping face. "He is… unique. And infuriating. And… I find I do not wish to lose him."

Buffy's heart twisted, painful sympathy flaring at the sight of Wednesday—their usual unflinching anchor, her Spock—broken for Xander. Witnessing such raw vulnerability felt like witnessing an eclipse. Total darkness punctuated by sudden blinding light: simply mesmerizing.

There may be a way to save him.

Wednesday's voice emerged like a blade in darkness. "There may be a way to save him," she said, her eyes never leaving Xander's face.

Buffy leaned forward, desperation edging into her voice. "How?"

Wednesday fell silent, her dark eyes fixed on Xander's pale face. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely audible. "His affection for me is... undeniable. And I must cease resisting what I feel in return. Then we might be bound to each other, and our strength will be transferred to him. The Addams bloodline carries certain... resistances. Poisons that would fell a dozen ordinary men would barely give us a headache."

"You are speaking about some form of transformation?" Buffy's brow furrowed as she slid from the chair to kneel beside Wednesday, looking up. "Did you tell Xander about this?"

Wednesday's gaze shifted to Buffy, her expression unchanged yet somehow softer around the edges. "I explained the consequences. He accepted them without hesitation." A ghost of something—perhaps tenderness—flickered across her face. "Only a fool in love would make such a reckless choice."

Buffy's words faded to a hushed plea. "If you do this… but will he still be the Xander we know and love?" Fear trembled behind every word.

Wednesday's eyes never wavered. "He will… with a taste for dark things like me."

Buffy's touched Wednesday's arm, her voice cracked. "Then do it."

https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/...-118654316