The Road Not Taken - Part 19
Full story.
Abandoned Places
As Buffy began to walk away from the house, the house they kicked her out of, the door opened.
"Jesus, Xander." Faith reached out to steady him as he stumbled out of the front door, pushing it closed behind him.
"Buffy, wait." He reached a hand out to her, marshaling his coordination to try and walk to her, with or without Faith's help.
Buffy stopped in her tracks, unable to deny him the request, however briefly. She turned and Faith somehow managed to pass Xander off to her without actually forcing Buffy to make eye contact with her.
She peered up at Xander, heartbroken. "Come on, there's got to be a better way than this." Xander began.
"You heard them. They don't want another way. They want it this way." Buffy forced her voice to steadiness.
"But that doesn't mean that you should-"
"Yes it does." She reached up to cup his face her hands. "And you should stay with them."
"I didn't mean the thing about my left side like it sounded."
"I know. But that's not why you should stay. Faith's going to need your help. The girls know you, they trust you still." She couldn't help but sound a little bitter about that, but it wasn't directed at him. "They need you to keep them alive."
"I need you." He whispered, self-conscious and aware that Faith was right behind him.
"And I need you too. But not as much as they do, right now. And I don't know where I'm going, but you can't handle the trip. Not yet." Shakily, she leaned up to kiss his cheek and receive one from him in turn before she began to back away.
Faith caught her cue and stepped forward to keep him upright, carefully pretending that she'd heard none of this. Buffy reached out to touch Xander's chest with her fingertips, lingering for one long moment to still be here, not away from everyone she loved, but here.
Where a room full of girls didn't want her to be. Where most of her friends didn't want her to be.
Where Dawn didn't want her to be.
Buffy tore herself away from Xander and began to walk down the street, her entire body shouting her misery.
Xander watched her walk until he couldn't see her anymore. He was going to find her. When he was able, he was going to find her.
Faith gently guided him back up the porch steps. His little excursion had taken a visible toll and Faith figured he could use a few minutes before he ventured back inside. Plus, he was still loopy from pain meds.
"That couldn't have gone worse if they'd planned it." Xander murmured after a time spent in silence.
"They're frustrated." Faith shook her head. "And they don't know. Not like we do."
"Most of them don't." Xander corrected harshly. "Some of them know better. Yeah, the plan was a little lacking in, y'know, planning. But it didn't need to turn into a palace coup."
Faith moodily lit a cigarette. "And that whole riff about me leading. I'm no leader."
"Didn't you kind of take charge in L.A?"
She looked sharply at Xander. "How'd you hear about- oh, never mind. Willow. I forgot you two are joined at the brain."
"For more years than we care to admit to." He nodded agreeably.
"We're gonna get her back. You know that, right?"
"Already planned on it." He nodded again. As firmly as one could when their head was weaving around slightly in a drug-induced haze.
"Just wait until you're up to more regular action before you do anything. I let anything happen to you, and exile or no, B's gonna kick my ass up between my shoulder blades." Faith blew out a plume of smoke and flicked her cigarette onto the front walkway, sparks producing a brief light show for the both of them.
She stood and stretched. "C'mon, you've already had a rough bunch of days. You oughta be resting."
Xander looked as if he wanted to protest, but it was simply too much work. She helped him up and into the house. Faith caught Dawn's eye and gave a complex facial expression that somehow communicated what she wanted it to, because Dawn immediately hopped up and took Xander's reins to help him up the stairs.
Xander was on autopilot, uncertain of what to think, what to say, or how to feel. Dawn empathized. She took Xander and put him in her room, letting the others discuss how they were going to discuss everything for now. She had done something awful, kicking her own sister out of the house. But at least she could keep Xander safe and comfortable, so that he could heal.
It was really all she could do. For now.
Abandoned Places
As Buffy began to walk away from the house, the house they kicked her out of, the door opened.
"Jesus, Xander." Faith reached out to steady him as he stumbled out of the front door, pushing it closed behind him.
"Buffy, wait." He reached a hand out to her, marshaling his coordination to try and walk to her, with or without Faith's help.
Buffy stopped in her tracks, unable to deny him the request, however briefly. She turned and Faith somehow managed to pass Xander off to her without actually forcing Buffy to make eye contact with her.
She peered up at Xander, heartbroken. "Come on, there's got to be a better way than this." Xander began.
"You heard them. They don't want another way. They want it this way." Buffy forced her voice to steadiness.
"But that doesn't mean that you should-"
"Yes it does." She reached up to cup his face her hands. "And you should stay with them."
"I didn't mean the thing about my left side like it sounded."
"I know. But that's not why you should stay. Faith's going to need your help. The girls know you, they trust you still." She couldn't help but sound a little bitter about that, but it wasn't directed at him. "They need you to keep them alive."
"I need you." He whispered, self-conscious and aware that Faith was right behind him.
"And I need you too. But not as much as they do, right now. And I don't know where I'm going, but you can't handle the trip. Not yet." Shakily, she leaned up to kiss his cheek and receive one from him in turn before she began to back away.
Faith caught her cue and stepped forward to keep him upright, carefully pretending that she'd heard none of this. Buffy reached out to touch Xander's chest with her fingertips, lingering for one long moment to still be here, not away from everyone she loved, but here.
Where a room full of girls didn't want her to be. Where most of her friends didn't want her to be.
Where Dawn didn't want her to be.
Buffy tore herself away from Xander and began to walk down the street, her entire body shouting her misery.
Xander watched her walk until he couldn't see her anymore. He was going to find her. When he was able, he was going to find her.
Faith gently guided him back up the porch steps. His little excursion had taken a visible toll and Faith figured he could use a few minutes before he ventured back inside. Plus, he was still loopy from pain meds.
"That couldn't have gone worse if they'd planned it." Xander murmured after a time spent in silence.
"They're frustrated." Faith shook her head. "And they don't know. Not like we do."
"Most of them don't." Xander corrected harshly. "Some of them know better. Yeah, the plan was a little lacking in, y'know, planning. But it didn't need to turn into a palace coup."
Faith moodily lit a cigarette. "And that whole riff about me leading. I'm no leader."
"Didn't you kind of take charge in L.A?"
She looked sharply at Xander. "How'd you hear about- oh, never mind. Willow. I forgot you two are joined at the brain."
"For more years than we care to admit to." He nodded agreeably.
"We're gonna get her back. You know that, right?"
"Already planned on it." He nodded again. As firmly as one could when their head was weaving around slightly in a drug-induced haze.
"Just wait until you're up to more regular action before you do anything. I let anything happen to you, and exile or no, B's gonna kick my ass up between my shoulder blades." Faith blew out a plume of smoke and flicked her cigarette onto the front walkway, sparks producing a brief light show for the both of them.
She stood and stretched. "C'mon, you've already had a rough bunch of days. You oughta be resting."
Xander looked as if he wanted to protest, but it was simply too much work. She helped him up and into the house. Faith caught Dawn's eye and gave a complex facial expression that somehow communicated what she wanted it to, because Dawn immediately hopped up and took Xander's reins to help him up the stairs.
Xander was on autopilot, uncertain of what to think, what to say, or how to feel. Dawn empathized. She took Xander and put him in her room, letting the others discuss how they were going to discuss everything for now. She had done something awful, kicking her own sister out of the house. But at least she could keep Xander safe and comfortable, so that he could heal.
It was really all she could do. For now.