SERIES TITLE  : Monterey ;
CHAPTER/TITLE : 2/9 One Good Man, part 3/3. Strand A.
AUTHOR        : Black Widow
EMAIL         : bw@l...
FEEDBACK      : Eeep?
SUMMARY       : Can Joyce and Xander *really* hit it off together?
SPOILERS      : None.
RATING        : R.
PAIRING       : Joyce/Xander
DISCLAIMER    : The characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant
                Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar, and Greenwolf Productions, 20th
                Century Fox, the WB Network, and whoever else may have a
                hold on them. The situation is wholly mine, and I do
                not mean to infringe upon any copyrights.
ARCHIVE/DIST  : List archives. Others send me an email to let me know.
NOTES         : The original story, henceforth known as 'Strand A'.
                The first chapter was entirely due to Janis. This
                chapter was written with Karya's excellent site as
                inspiration for some J/X action.
                Lyrics: 'One Good Man.', Janis Joplin.

*

    An' I don't want much outa life,
    I never wanted a mansion in the South.
    I just want to find someone sincere
    Who'd treat me like he talks,
    One good man.

***

Xander did what he always did when he didn't have anything to do:
bought himself some chocolate and went to the park to have a go on the
swings. He needed time to think and the two hours he had might just be
enough. No, he told himself, that was the old Xander. One hour. Tops.

He hadn't stopped thinking about Joyce since he'd left the house.
Yesterday he'd been carefree and today he was making out with one of
his best friend's mom. No, not making out, much more than making out.
Faith had used him, Cordy hardly let him get on the park before
dragging him to first base. Heh. With Joyce it was like he'd won the
World Series.

Twelve hours and his whole outlook had changed. He might even be nice
to Giles. As he nibbled on the chocolate the image of the banana
sprung to mind.

It couldn't just be the sex that he was interested in? They hadn't
really talked much about anything other than sex. Joyce had found an
excuse which he was more than happy to go along with. But he knew
there was more to it than that...

What would Buff say? What would Wills say? No point wondering what his
folks thought; as long as he continued to pay the rent and do the
laundry.

Kicking out with his legs, he set himself swinging.

Kick. Why had Joyce hit on him in the first place?

Kick. She was older than him, but she looked *so* good.

Kick. What had got her thinking yesterday?

Kick. Man, what we *didn't* do.

Kick. Buff would kill me.

Kick. The sex was *so* good.

Kick. What had upset her?

Kick. She'll still be wearing those stockings tonight.

Kick. What's making her do this?

Kick. It's only sex. Like, the best sex ever. Not that...

Kick. At least Willow has Oz now, but will she be happy for me?

Kick. Those breasts! I want to hold those breasts.

Kick. Buff will definitely kill me.

Kick. Well, at least I'll die happy.

He stopped swinging his legs and let himself slow to a stop. When he
woke up with her in his arms he really had been so happy. So what that
she was twice his age. So what that she's Buff's mom. They made each
other happy and, right now, nothing else mattered. Right now he had
nothing else. No, that was wrong. Right now he didn't want anything
else. Right now he wanted to be with Joyce again. And right now he
knew that Joyce wanted to be with him. For the first time in his life
he really felt wanted - not the way Willow or Faith or Cordelia had
wanted him - and he was enjoying the feeling.

Smiling happily he kicked out with his feet and started swinging
again.

Kick. Blackcurrent jelly...

***

Sipping at the hot spice tea she understood why Willow liked it.
Subtly sweet and spicy and really quite invigorating. Mid-morning and
still no one had come in. Today, though, she needed the quiet and was
slowly coming to terms with what she'd done. Crazy, foolish,
irresponsible - but she didn't care. For the first time in ages she
felt so alive. She felt like a teenager again, groaning inwardly at
the words her brain had conjured up.

The look on Xander's face when she woke up filled her mind. When had
someone - anyone - ever looked at her like that? He was still a
wonderful, innocent young man and that look... She closed her eyes and
held the image in her mind.

"Oh, Xander," she sighed, "you sweet young thing." That mop of dark
hair above those incredible brown eyes; the incredible peaceful,
contented look on his face.

He was so young and strong and caring. Just out of high school and
without a care in the world. He had his whole life ahead of him, how
could she presume to think that they might...

... have some of the best sex she could ever imagine. Well, one or two
of her fantasies. One or two things she would never have dreamt of
doing. Things she'd heard of but never...

... the memory of his body spread out on the bed... Oh, my! She'd been
so desperate to be in control, so intent on getting the most out of it
for herself. Tricking poor Xander had been so mean, yet...

... the look in his eyes. The whistle; the 'wow' when he saw her naked
for the first time; the way her held her.

His face was so honest, so open. His kiss; his touch. Oh, his touch!
How could he know?

Lifting the cup to her lips she found the tea had gone cold. Joyce
shook her head, realising just how long she'd been thinking about him.
Leaning back in the chair she stretched and felt a suspender dig into
her leg. As she adjusted it she felt a shiver of anticipation. Well,
she told herself, if that doesn't answer your questions...

***

Xander looked at the row of dictionaries. He double-checked. All in
order and, he hated to admit it, he felt good about that. Hearing
Giles returning he moved away quickly. Best to let Giles find out for
himself. He'd been so preoccupied he hadn't even thought about winding
him up. He hadn't complained or said anything he would regret. All
afternoon he'd just got on with the tasks Giles had given him and,
strangely, he was happy with that too.

Giles looked around the room and then at Xander. No books on the
floor. No chocolate wrappers anywhere to be seen. He raised an eyebrow
at Xander, who just shrugged back at him.

"Well, since everything," and he looked around the room again,
"*appears* to be in order..." waiting for a telltale sign to give
Xander away. Nothing. "Hmm." He handed Xander an envelope. "| suppose
you will be going to the Bronze tonight?" Another shrug. "Go on then.
You've," Giles thought about looking around the room again. He knew
something was amiss. "As you've finished there's nothing to keep you,
so have a good time."

"Thanks. You too Giles."

Giles watched him leave. Even when he seemed to be behaving like a
normal person, Xander was still an enigma. He took off his glasses and
massaged the bridge of his nose. If it took him all night, he told
himself, and is if he didn't already have enough to worry about, he'd
find out what little mischief the dratted boy had got up to this time. 

*

Xander looked at his watch. He still had plenty of time. Opening the
envelope he took the bills out, wondering at Giles. Strange that he
had to put the money in an envelope. He didn't need to, after all what
difference did it make?

Still, just for once he had a real use for the money. Taking a short
detour to avoid going past the the gallery he arrived at the shops. A
little nervous he hoped that he was doing the right thing.

***

Waiting anxiously Xander jumped when he heard the key in the lock. He
heard the door close and Joyce's footsteps heading towards him.

"Oh, Xander!" she exclaimed when she saw him and what he'd done.

"I hope you like Italian."

"I love Italian. But not as much," kissing him softly, "as much as,"
kissing him again, "as I love you."

*

Amazed that Xander had actually cooked dinner, she was even more
surprised at how good it actually was. When dessert came she was
completely taken aback. Despite all his protestations - that if it
wasn't for Willow he wouldn't be able to cook at all - and that what
she'd just sampled was his complete repertoire - although Xander
hadn't used that word - she was really impressed.

Relaxing on the sofa, sipping at a *really* good cup of coffee -
Willow's influence again - Joyce wondered at the enigma that was
Xander. The man she had her arm around wasn't the crazy, capering kid
that she'd known. All the kids had changed somewhat after graduation,
but Xander...

At least she hadn't scared him away. She'd been so surprised that
before she knew it she was kissing him and telling him that she loved
him. Yet he hadn't backed away at all. If anything he'd seemed
pleased. She felt a shiver of pleasure at the thought of his kiss.

"You okay?" he asked with concern, holding her closer.

"I'm fine. Just thinking."

She liked quiet times. Just sitting there in each others arms, just
being together. She was liking being with Xander a lot. A lot more
than she had expected. She hadn't thought beyond sex but being with
him now... lust, infatuation, love... just how much did she feel for
him? The Xander with her now was just so different to the Xander she'd
known before.

"You didn't ask," she stated.

"I've learnt not to," he smiled. Then after a while, "I've been
thinking too. All day I've been thinking. About you and me and us.
Mostly I've been thinking about us and how good it feels."

"Does it really? You know, I think I'm falling for you, Xander."

"I know. I mean, everything seems so... right. I mean, we've got the,
um, physical, but there's more to it than that."

"It doesn't scare you?"

"Is it supposed to? Right now I'm trying to figure out how I really
feel. No one's really loved me before. I mean, well, y'know."

Joyce wondered again if she was she really doing the right thing by
him. She'd hit on him out of frustration and his response made her
feel so good she didn't care how irrational she was being. It was one
thing for her to fall for him, but completely different for him to
fall for her. She had nothing left to lose, but Xander... he was so
young and she was old enough... But then they wouldn't be sitting here
like this. Xander wouldn't...

"Xander, doesn't it bother you how old I am? I know we talked before,
but I don't want to hurt you."

"It bothers me that Buffy will beat me to a pulp when she finds out.
No, I like the feelings in me right now. I like you; I like us like
this." Joyce saw him chew on his bottom lip. "I, um, don't know why
you, ah, but..." he chewed some more, "I think we both want someone to
be with and..." Xander's eyes wandered and his cheeks reddened.

"Oh, Xander!" Joyce squeezed his hand fondly. "I've been wondering
about that too. You being so quiet. We've been sitting here a while,
and you haven't... I mean, we've just talked and... I was, ah, well...
when I was getting dressed, the way you looked at me... I would have
thought..."

"You know how it is on Christmas Day? The mad rush to open all the
presents?" Joyce couldn't believe the sad look in his eyes. "For me
it's a mad rush not to get out of my sleeping bag. Not to hear the
arguments and the drunken shouting. Not to...

"Oh, Xander..."

"Oh, I'm as impatient as the next kid. But, y'know, today it's like
all my birthdays and Christmases rolled into one. I've got the most
perfect present to unwrap. Thing is," and he smiled, "I like the way
it's wrapped too."

Joyce looked into his eyes and kissed him. In his own innocent way he
was giving her more compliments than he probably realised. Taking his
cup she put it with hers on the table. "Well, then, we'll just have to
take our time with the unwrapping."

Sitting back comfortably, she watched his face as he looked at her. He
really was just a big kid sometimes, the indecision showing as he
tried to make up his mind where to start. She knew he knew where he
wanted his hands to be, where he wanted to start, and that was where
he couldn't start; and she knew he was trying to figure a way to make
it last as long as possible, denying himself as much as he could. And
she loved him for it.

Carefully he let his hand rest on her leg, drawing patterns with his
fingers. Sitting up he rested her arm around his shoulders so that his
other hand could stroke her hair and neck. Gently tilting her head he
kissed her neck ever so softly, complementing the motion of his
fingers with his tongue.

Slowly he let his fingers run over the unfamiliar fabric of her
stockinged leg. Joyce could feel his hot breath on her neck and his
heart beating rapidly against her side. Fighting the urge to grab hold
of him, to put his hand where she wanted it now, she breathed deeply
as her own heart raced as fast as his. His hand, sliding under her
skirt, reached the top of the stocking and she gasped as he began to
trace the line of the suspender.

She could feel the smile on his face as his fingers gently teased the
soft skin, as she opened her trembling legs. She so wanted Xander to
play fair, to stop teasing her, as "Oh, Xander!" his fingers found the
spot on her neck making her wriggle with delight.

As his fingers continued to tease, coming within an inch of where she
wanted them to be, Joyce got more and more frustrated. "Xander, this
isn't unwrapping your present." As much as she didn't want him to
stop, being continually brought to the edge was driving her to
distraction.

Xander didn't answer, instead he found the spot on her neck again and
again making her whole body shake as he toyed with her. Then as she
tried to move her head he let a finger stray inside her panties,
gently teasing her hair, laughing as Joyce's hips moved to him,
demanding his attention.

"Okay." He grinned at Joyce's disappointment as he quickly removed his
hand.

"Xander! You..." But she couldn't rail at the innocent look on his
face. "Oh, you..."

"Rule #1 of present unwrapping: always play with the present first to
guess what's inside."

"But..."

"Rule #2 : never let the present distract you from the process of
unwrapping."

The look on his face, she knew, would be the death of her. She
couldn't argue with it so she settled for a glare.

He looked straight into her eyes, "Gosh, you're so beautiful when you
glare."

Before she could react his hands were on her sides urging her to
stand; so she stood, hands on hips, still glaring down at him. 

Sitting up in front of her he took her hands in his, stroking her
palms, smiling up at her. "Y'know," he said, "I think it's worse not
being tied up?" She continued to glare, but said nothing. "How long do
you think you can last?" lifting her skirt, placing the hem in her
hands, guiding them to her hips. 

Joyce was thinking maybe 30 seconds, but she wasn't going to let him
know that as he sat back and looked at her. As his eyes wandered up
and down her legs and the silent 'wow' formed on his lips Joyce
wondered if she was being just a tad optimistic. The mere thought of
him touching her now was impossible for her as she felt the climax
start to build inside her. As she looked at him just looking at her
she began to shake, amazed that she could...

She stifled a cry as the climax held her; she tried to stand still as
her knees trembled and her body was shaking, her mind reeling at the
lack of release. And Xander was just sitting there, grinning like a
Cheshire Cat, making it worse. "Jesus, Xander!" She groaned at him.
He'd worked her up to... goodness knows what would happen when...

He leaned forward and started stroking her with his thumb through the
fabric. "Not fair," she managed to gasp as a finger slipped inside and
his other hand held her from behind. She saw the look on his face
again. "Don't you dare," she warned him, but he still removed his
hands. "Xander! Please!" struggling to stand still as he watched her. 

"Let's see," he said, "where were we?" trailing a finger up and down
her leg. "Playing or unwrapping?"

Joyce stared at him: playing meant the chance of release; unwrapping
meant delay.

"Or..."

"Or?" There was no 'or?'! His finger had found the soft point behind
her knee, and he was teasing her awfully. He stopped and wrapped his
arm around her leg, letting his fingers rest against the inside of her
thighs.

Then his other hand went to the bottom button of her blouse and undid
it. His fingers crawled to the next button while he kept his other
hand still.

"No, Xander!" He was unwrapping her and promising her the release at
the same time. As he popped the button her stroked her.

As she tried to move on his hand she was held still by his arm.
"Please!" His fingers crawled to the next button and popped it as he
stroked her again.

Xander waited for her to stand still before going to the next button.
As he undid it and stroked her he put his lips to her stomach and
caressed her navel with his tongue.

"Xander!" Joyce was determined to stand her ground, to keep her hands
by her sides, to let him unwrap her but this was too much. "Please,
Xander! Please!" 

His hand slipped inside her blouse and squeezed on her breast. "Don't
stop. Please! Don't stop!" As soon as she said it she knew that he
would. He was going to torment her until...

But his thumb pulled on her panties and his fingers went inside; his
tongue circled her navel and his hand squeezed her breasts; he let her
hips lean into his fingers. "God, Xander." Leaning against him for
support she rocked on his fingers, praying. "Please, Xander, let me
climax. Please let me climax. Please." Joyce gasped as a finger
started rubbing against her clit. "Please, Xander." Rocking back and
forth on one hand the other went to support her as she slowed and
started shaking. Closing her eyes she let the orgasm fill her as he
kept her steady until the climax finally took over and she cried out
at the release.

"Oh, Xander!" gripping his fingers, slowly regaining control, she
looked down and saw his smile.

"Now, where were we again?" he said to her disbelief.

"Xander?" Apart from a few buttons being undone she was still fully
dressed. She was still holding up her skirt, putting herself on
display for him, allowing him to tease her, to let her own
anticipation and desire... 

Holding her hips he hooked his fingers inside her panties. Cruelly he
looked into her eyes as he pulled, his knowing smile mocking her as
his fingers caressed every inch of her legs, making her suffer
wonderfully as he teased.

Joyce smiled back down at him, trying to keep the pleasure she was
feeling from showing on her face. Yet he stopped as her panties
reached her knees, as he pushed her legs open wider, his big toothy
grin on his face. 

Making sure she knew not to move her hands he stood up and moved
behind her. Joyce bit her lip as she waited. She wasn't going to give
him the satisfaction of looking round. The only problem was that he
would know that too. If she looked he'd win. If she didn't... Joyce
hated the anticipation. She could feel his eyes on her; she could
imagine him... "Oh God, Xander," gasping as his tongue licked between
her cheeks. She hated the anticipation because she knew that she'd be
begging him to... "Oh!" His fingers barely touched the soft flesh
between her thighs.

She felt him stand up then saw his shirt fly over her shoulder. She
nearly turned but managed to stop herself. "Alexander Harris! You
are... " She heard his belt unbuckle, his zip being undone and his
pants fall to the floor. "... *the* most incorrigible person..." She
heard him kick off his shoes and pull his socks off as he put his arms
around her, peeling the blouse off her body, pushing the skirt out of
her hands and letting them both pool on the floor "... on the
whole..." holding her close, his body hot against her back, "... sweet
Jesus," soft butterfly kisses on her neck as one hand held her breast
and the other... waited.

"Damn you, Xander!" Joyce grabbed his hand and pushed his fingers
inside. As he chuckled in her ear she turned her head and kissed him.
"You're rotten to the core, Xander." And he had a smile that she
couldn't resist, "and I love you."

Turning her around he gently cupped her face in his long fingers,
stroking her cheek and caressing her neck, and put his lips to hers.
With a hunger she never imagined possible his mouth covered hers and
his tongue pushed past her lips. She could see the fire in his eyes as
he crushed their lips together, as his tongue filled her, and she knew
she'd found what she was looking for. This wasn't a game; he wasn't
playing; he wasn't teasing. He had been testing himself... and her.
And now they were both sure.

***

    Oh honey don't you know that I've been looking.
    Oh, one good man
    Ain't much, honey it ain't much,
    Oh, it's only everything.

-- 
TBC