Bunnysitting

[poison_lipstick]

Saffron had never owned a pet. She remembered wanting one when she'd been younger, a pretty little cat in a shop window that had practically begged to come home with her - or at least that's what it had seemed like to Saffron, back when she was young and innocent and her real name was still what she answered to. But her parents had said no, and

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[scoobys_heart]

Playboy wasn't the only rabbit on the island. And one of the others had insisted on following his owner all the way to the compound.

Xander too had been in class all day and the first thing he'd done when he'd gotten home was let Jesse out of his hutch so he could run around the hut while Xander was home. A while later, he'd decided he was hungry and left for the compound, forgetting the rabbit was out since Jesse had been in Clark's room, playing with one of the farmboy's sneakers. It wasn't until Xander was almost to the compound that he spotted the cat sized white creature following him.

And so it was an exasperated, and mad at himself, Xander that entered the compound, rabbit draped happily over his shoulders. "You had to be stubborn", he was saying to the rabbit as he passed by the door to the recroom. "I named you too well."

[poison_lipstick]

Playboy was nibbling on a piece of carrot, and Saffron looked up as she heard a familiar voice at the door. "I didn't know you had a rabbit, Xander," she said with a smile, noting that Xander's rabbit was quite a bit bigger than little Playboy.

[scoobys_heart]

Xander paused and backed up to stick his head into the rec room when he heard Helen's voice. "I found him in January. Scared the crap out of me. And I didn't know you did either." he said with a friend smile as he walked into the room. Jesse wiggled and with a roll of his eyes, Xander put the rabbit on the floor so he could do over and investigate his smaller cousin. "Oh hey..isn't that Lloyd's?"

[poison_lipstick]

"It is," Saffron confirmed with a nod. "His name's Playboy." She reached out and ran her hand along the soft furry back of Xander's bunny. "What's this one's name? He's a big guy."

[scoobys_heart]

"His name is Jesse." Xander's smile still flickered with sadness for a moment every time he said it. Buffy was a great friend and all...but sometimes, Xander really missed his childhood best friend. "And yeah, I didn't know rabbits grew so big! That I was was ever the pet having type at home. Never even had a hamster."

He moved to stand by Helen and the rabbits, hands in his pockets. "Are you pet sitting?"

[poison_lipstick]

"No, I never had a pet either," Saffron said, keeping an eye on Playboy to see what he would do, but the two rabbits seemed friendly enough with each other. "I am, while Lloyd's in class. I definitely don't mind doing it with this cute little guy." It also helped that she was particularly fond of Lloyd.

[scoobys_heart]

Jesse just sniffed at Playboy then hopped over to nibble on a piece of lettuce all his own. Xander just shook his head. Like owner, like rabbit, food first. "He's lucky. Poor Jesse gets stuck in his hutch all day until Clark or I get home to let him out. Giles wants nothing to do with him since h left him presents in one of his books, but I warned him not to leave them were the rabbit could get to them!"

[poison_lipstick]

"Awww, poor guy," Saffron said sympathetically. She wasn't exactly sure what Lloyd did with Playboy all day, since she only petsat on occasion. "He must get lonely."

[scoobys_heart]

Xander nodded sadly. "I tried to get Spike to watch him but he won't have anything to do with him." He couldn't help his embarrassed blush. "Not that I blame him since if you add a trench coat, Jesse looks exactly like what he spent that weekend with all the magic as."

[poison_lipstick]

Saffron's eyes widened and she burst out laughing at the mental image of Spike as a bunny in a trench coat. "Really? Oh, I would have loved to see that," she managed through her laughter.

[scoobys_heart]

"It was an accident I swear!" Xander added quickly. Spike always got all growly when he mentioned it so panic was his automatic reaction. "I thought the wand I found was broken, but nest thing I knew, I was chasing a bunny vamp all over the island."

[poison_lipstick]

"A wand?" Saffron repeated, confused at first, then realization dawned on her face as she remembered and it started her laughing again. "Oh, I remember that. Bill told me afterward how he and Remus and the other folks used to using wands were having to go around and fix things."

[scoobys_heart]

"Oh man, don't tell Spike that, he'll kill me! We didn't know people were fixing things, so he stayed a rabbit the whole time!" Xander groaned slightly as he moved to sit on the floor next to Helen and pulled Jesse into his lap. The rabbit looked up for a moment before settling happily in his owner's lap.

[poison_lipstick]

"I won't say a word, I promise," Saffron assured Xander, the last of her laughter fading away. When he sat, she leaned over and kissed his cheek as Playboy hopped into her lap. "I wouldn't want him inflicting any bodily harm on you."

[scoobys_heart]

He was unable to help his blush and bashful grin at the kiss. "Thanks. But I don't think its bodily harm I have to worry about from Spike." He paused thinking about it...but he really needed to talk to somebody about this that wasn't Clark, since his roommate was kinda biased. "He's been stalking me.Or at least Clark thinks so."

[poison_lipstick]

"Really?" She looked at Xander with a puzzled expression, her head tilting slightly to the side. "Why would he be stalking you?"