The four teens stumbled out of the surf and collapsed on the sand, the chains wrapped around them clanking loudly.

"You guys do this daily?" Oz muttered in disbelief.

"It's actually not that bad," Andrew said, gasping for breath.

Oz raised an eyebrow.

"No one is yelling at or making fun of us," Andrew explained.

"I've had some people on the beach call me crazy for doing it, but it was like... they were impressed," Jonathan added with a smile.

"And when I run in gym…." Andrew laughed.

"It gets results crazy fast," Xander said. "Though part of this is a technique I'm going to show you."

"The most awesome magic even," Andrew said. "It's like the Swiss army knife of spells."

"The Hellmouth leaks evil mojo that gives you bad luck," Xander explained, "but you can burn it off to power the simplest spell ever. It's not supposed to be all that powerful, but it's turned out to be a lot more useful then its described."

"Actually Andrew and I think we know why that is," Jonathan offered.

"Yeah?" Xander asked

"We think its a combination of several things," Jonathan said,"one, since we spend so much time in close proximity to the Hellmouth we have a lot more energy to burn off than someone who spends just a little time here."

"I think we can hold more of a charge because all the charging and discharging over the years would have expanded how much 'bad luck' we can hold making each discharge bigger," Andrew added.

"They makes sense and explains why things get worse as we grow older," Xander agreed.

"Two, the Hellmouth makes reality a lot more malleable, so you can get a greater effect for less effort than you can get off the Hellmouth," Jonathan continued.

"There may even be a synergistic effect from using the Hellmouth's energy on things it's already affecting," Andrew added.

"That makes a lot of sense," Xander said. "You guys have really thought this out. OK, what's number three?"

"You're you," Andrew said with a grin.

"What he means is," Jonathan quickly added, "that you don't approach magic normally. The normal approach is, you summon the power and then force your will on the world, but you look for the smallest change needed to get what you want and...talk the universe into it."

"You guys don't?" Xander asked surprised.

"Not until you explained it to us," Jonathan admitted.

"It makes it so much easier," Andrew said. "Of course now I'm doing the same thing, trying to figure out the easiest way to get the same effect."

"Can I get an example?" Oz asked curiously, wondering what this had to do with sex.

"Sure," Xander said as he turning to scan the beach. "OK, see that young couple right there?"

Everyone turned and saw a pair of young teens who kept leaning close to another and then pulling away at the last second, blushing brightly.

"How would you get them to kiss?" Xander asked.

"A burst of wind to push them together?" Jonathan suggested as the pair leaned close once more.

"A surge of hormones?" Andrew added.

"Even easier," Xander said. "Sensation...you send the sensation of lips touching when they get close enough and they'll get over their hesitation, watch."

Xander licked his thumb and waited until they came close together once more, gathering their courage, and whispered, "Kiss," before lightly brushing his thumb across his lips.

The pair pulled away blushing brightly then leaned and kissed 'once more'.

"That was awesome," Oz said, seeing a number of ways to use that spell.

"They look so happy," Andrew said with a wistful smile.

"OK, that's enough of a break for now," Xander said. "One more round to go and then you two get to explain the basics of magic to him before I outline how to turn fatigue poisons into growth hormones."

"Really?" Oz asked.

Xander shrugged. "Damned if I know, but tricking your own body into doing something it does naturally, just at a faster rate, is a lot easier than tricking someone else's and it seems to fit the effects."

"Sweat more now," Jonathan said, psyching himself up.

"Bleed less later," Andrew finished as they forced themselves to their feet.

"We've got this," Xander encouraged them, giving Oz a hand up before the four went back into the Ocean.

0o0o0o0o0

"How…...was it?" Willow asked as Oz joined them in the library.

"Exhausting," Oz replied sinking into the chair.

"And the techniques?" Cordelia demanded.

"Amazing," Oz said flatly.

"So Xander knows…..things?" Buffy asked lamely.

Oz nodded.

"Can we get a little less detail?" Cordelia said sarcastically.

"I have to study four chapters of human physiology tonight in preparation for learning my first technique tomorrow," Oz replied.

"Seriously?" Buffy asked in disbelief.

"Their stamina and recovery are unreal," Oz said, recalling how'd they had to cut their exercises short because he couldn't keep up, despite the slight boost the wolf gave him.

"Where did he learn all this?" Willow demanded. "I mean we've been best friends forever and I think I would remember him signing up for classes on how to become a gigolo in his spare time."

"He's self-taught," Oz said, recalling their discussions on possible ways to enhance their training and Andrew's complaints on no one making proper manuals like they did in Dungeons and Dragons.

"He's a natural?" Buffy asked, the very idea so foreign to her image of Xander she didn't know what to think.

Oz shrugged. "Apparently it has something to do with the way his mind works." He tilted his head and thought about their discussion. "The most bang for your buck', is the way he put it, meaning managing your energy usage to get the greatest effect for the least amount of effort. It was a very surreal conversation…. but it made sense."

"I still don't get he convinced girls to have sex with him for money," Buffy said. "Teenage guys don't usually get paid, they pay in gifts and dates...and favors."

Oz shrugged. "Maybe they like the fact that it puts them in charge?"

"I could see that," Buffy said thoughtfully. "I mean guys can't exactly be pushy or overbearing if you are hiring them to do what you want."

"And word gets around, especially around here," Willow said.

"Plus…" Cordelia blushed a little, "a man who saves you from certain death and kills the demon that was trying to eat you…"

"I never get guys that react that way," Buffy complained.

"Do you really want to?" Oz asked.

"Well…...no," Buffy admitted as she thought about it. "Though some kind of thanks would be nice every once in a while."

"Or a latte," Cordelia suggested.

"Yes," Buffy decided with a nod. "The next guy I save is going to owe me a latte."

"We'll see how that works out," Giles said dryly. "In the meantime, here is your patrol route for the night.

"Oh," Buffy said with a grin as she looked over the planned route.

"What?" Willow asked.

"My route goes right by the college coffee shop!"

0o0o0o0o0o0

"If they still used alcohol-based hairspray you could light a vampire as easy as a candle," Andrew said as Xander snapped his fingers, trying to use the sound of his fingers snapping in place of the vocal component to light the candle.

"Sadly, the gels they use today are pretty flame retardant," Xander said finally getting the candle to light. "I've checked."

"You could break down the gel into flammable byproducts and then light it," Jonathan suggested.

"You generally don't have enough time to shift focus and cast again when dealing with vamps," Xander said. "The Watcher's council report says that the standard fledge is several times as fast as a human before they're even fed once. The only reason we have time for a single action is because they are arrogant and like to play with their prey."

"What if one of us take it down and the other lit it?" Andrew asked. "Like a combination attack."

"It'd be hard to get the timing right," Xander said.

"Actually that parts easy," Andrew said. "We do it one after another and wait for the other's vocal component, like when we do that thing to motivate ourselves."

"I could see that working," Xander said thoughtfully. "Vamps are drama queens, they'd let you do your introduction just to make killing you more dramatic."

"Especially if we made it quick," Jonathan said. "One and a snap of the fingers."

"Game," Andrew said, snapping his fingers.

"On," Jonathan added, snapping his fingers.

"Nice, simple, and an air of foreboding," Xander said approvingly. "You might be able to bluff any other vamps in the area with that or at least stall them long enough to get a second shot."

"Really?" Andrew asked eagerly.

"Sound confident, look disdainful and set one of them on fire with no effort?" Xander asked with a grin. "That should make them pause."

"Can you do disdainful?" Jonathan asked Andrew.

Andrew tried and only managed to appear constipated.

"Nope," Xander said. "How about insanely gleeful?"

"Like what?" Andrew asked.

"Like the first time you got the candle to light," Jonathan suggested.

Andrew's eyes lit up and he grinned.

"That works," Xander said. "Manic pyro and pal who wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire."

"Kinda like good cop, bad cop?" Andrew asked.

"Sunnydale style," Xander agreed.

"I'll got get a chemistry book," Andrew said rushing off.

"Why do vamps spend so much time on their appearance?" Jonathan asked Xander.

"Makes it easier to lure out prey," Xander replied. "Most of the time they blend in and try to get you off by yourself so they can try and kill you in private and that's a whole lot easier when the prey cooperates."

"And that's probably why there are so few ugly vampires, they need to be able to attract prey or they starve," Jonathan said.

"Part of the turning process includes fixing their teeth and removing blemishes," Xander added. "Plus, vamps choose pretty people to turn."

"Better than turning intelligent people," Jonathan said.

Xander nodded. "I'd rather fight vamps chosen for their looks rather than their brains."

"Yeah," Jonathan agreed. "A vamp with a brain would be scary."

Andrew rushed back with several books in his hand. "I've got them!" he said excitedly.

0o0o0o0o0o0

The girls waited for Oz to get back from his third day of training.

"Has Xander shown you any of his tricks?" Buffy asked Cordelia.

Cordelia grinned. "Not the ones you're thinking of, but he's somehow became an expert on removing stains that even the dry cleaners can't touch and repairing rips."

"Seriously?" Buffy asked.

Cordelia beamed and gestured at her burgundy blouse. "My favorite blouse, that I thought I'd have to get rid of after that vamp knocked my coffee on me and tore when he grabbed me to use as a shield from you last week. Xander fixed it while I was in the restroom." She beamed. "He is so thoughtful and talented."

"So no… sex stuff?" Willow asked.

"Not unless you count that thing with his tongue," Cordelia replied with a shrug. "We've never really needed any help, so maybe he just doesn't feel the need to use them on me."

"Could be," Buffy agreed.

The library doors opened and Oz came in, looking exhausted but happy.

"How'd it go?" Willow asked eagerly.

"Did he teach you anything?" Buffy demanded.

Oz nodded. "The first trick, to help with the physical training, I'm still working on, but I have the second one down."

"Can you show it to us or is it… private?" Willow asked curiously.

"Can I borrow your earlobe?" Oz asked Willow.

"Um… S-sure," Willow agreed as Oz slipped into the seat next to her.

Oz put his arm around the shy redhead and whispered, "Relax," as he learned in close and sucked gently on her earlobe and stroked her back.

Willow squeaked, shuddered, and slumped against his side, breathing heavily.

Seeing the look on Willow's face, Cordelia and Buffy exchanged shocked glances.

"You owe me some dry p-panties Mr," Willow told Oz lazily, "just as soon as I can walk."

"Xander can do that?" Buffy asked in disbelief, as Willow's eyes drifted shut and she fell asleep.

"Usually it takes him a good ten minutes and some encouragement," Cordelia admitted. "Plus the tongue thing."

Typing by: Dangasaur

TN: Save me...I only have a few minutes before ouisbdfkasbfoiqbfjbdsfkabsdfabdfkabdflkajdf