The Road Not Taken - Part 21
Full story.
End of Days, Beginning of Knights
Buffy left Willow's room as Xander was leaving Buffy's, where they were letting Faith rest.
"She looks hurt pretty bad." Buffy commented quietly, so as not to scare any Potentials lurking about.
"She's not hurt good." Xander noted. "I see you got your thing from Caleb. Or, you had it." He suddenly noticed the conspicuous absence of the Scythe.
"Willow's witching it up, see if she and Giles can I.D. it." Buffy jerked her thumb back at the room she'd just emerged from.
Suddenly, the both of them turned shy in the morning after their lovemaking. "Buf..."
"Xander..." They ended up having a word collision, talking at the same time. Foolish grins erupted on both their faces.
Xander decided to take the gentlemanly route. "You first."
Biting her lower lip, Buffy reached out and took one of Xander's hands. She studied her feet for a second before looking up at him with large eyes. "Not a mistake?" She asked hesitantly.
Xander blinked. Or possibly winked. She couldn't tell anymore. "Never. I figured we'd take a while longer to get there, but no. Not a mistake."
Buffy let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Good," she murmured bashfully. "Was it-?"
"Everything I could have dreamed of and then some." He replied, anticipating her question.
She blushed faintly. It was a little odd, sleeping with your best friend, but it was a little liberating as well. You didn't have to get to know all their quirks and habits - you already knew them all, intimately. With a few exceptions. "Just, for future reference? Don't ever do that thing you did with your fingers, unless you want everyone else in the house to know what we're up to."
Xander chuckled. He'd already kind of figured that one out. "Hey, Buffy. About that note.."
Buffy's breath caught. Had she said it too soon? Was he not there yet? Oh god, she knew that she'd made a mistake, saying it so soon in the relationsh- wait, Xander had just said something.
"Wh-what?"
"I said, 'I love you too'."
Another breath that she'd been holding gusted out of Buffy. "Don't build up the suspense like that, next time! You had me all worried."
"I didn't mean to! It just kinda came out that way." Xander chuckled, feigning defensiveness.
Buffy gave him a soft smile and sighed. It was good to hear him say it in return. Which is why the next conversation they needed to have was going to be so much more difficult. Buffy glanced around downstairs, spotting Dawn hard at work bandaging up a wounded Potential. Caridad, Buffy thought her name was.
"Come to the kitchen with me? Even though I don't want to, I have a really huge favor to ask..." Buffy led him off, closing the door behind them so that she could ask her best friend, her strength and her lover to please kidnap her sister and keep her safe.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Spike paused a moment to admire Buffy's shiny new toy. After he'd delivered his opinion on it, he nodded shortly. "Well, good job, then. Glad I could help." Spike turned to leave her to herself.
"Spike?"
At Buffy's voice, he turned, standing between the stairs and the front door. "Yeah pet?"
"Thank you. For what you did for me and for Xander." Buffy let the Scythe dangle in her hand as she stepped closer for private conversation. The Potentials were all still asleep, but some of them were light sleepers.
Spike shrugged. "Didn't think you had it in you to quit. But I figured a little push-start couldn't hurt. As for Xander," He smirked. "Maybe he's not as big a wanker as he used to be."
"Still." Buffy persisted, reaching out to touch his arm. "I really appreciate it. And so did he. I know things were wierd between us after you got back. And I know that you'd rather things were a little different, but..."
"But what, pet?" Spike cocked his head curiously.
"After everything you've done, pre and post chip removal, if anyone says that you can't be a good man, they're going to have to answer to me." Buffy declared firmly.
"So long as you're happy, I don't care what they say, luv." He nodded his head at the Scythe. "Best you run along now. Go find what you need to find."
After Buffy left, Spike skulked after her. Not for nefarious purposes of course. He'd also noted the conspicuous absence of Xander, Xander's car, and Dawn. Might as well do the boy the same courtesy that he'd done for Buffy. Keep an eye out for her.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Xander came to in the passenger seat of his car, Dawn now at the wheel with a furious expression on her face and a steady stream of quiet ranting coming from her mouth.
"..stupid Buffy thinks she can just have her friends knock me out and take me away from the fight, I oughta use the stun gun on her, see how she likes it, when I get my hands on.."
Xander groaned and sat up from the extremely awkward position that Dawn had packaged him in, after she'd knocked him out. "She just wanted-"
Dawn cut him off. "And you!" Xander winced at the shrill tone in Dawn's voice. "What on earth made you think that I'd wake up after being chloroformed, and just go along with Buffy's idiotic idea of keeping me safe?!"
"Half-blind optimism?" Xander hazarded with a weak grin.
"You're lucky she loves you, or I'd zap you again." She growled.
"I'll be good." Xander replied meekly, not exactly in good enough shape to fend off another tazering.
Dawn resumed her angry mutterings all the way back to the house. Once there, she left him behind and simply instructed the first couple of people she found there to, "Go fish that dumbass out of the car." And she parked herself right in front of the door, so she could wait for the return of the head dumbass.
End of Days, Beginning of Knights
Buffy left Willow's room as Xander was leaving Buffy's, where they were letting Faith rest.
"She looks hurt pretty bad." Buffy commented quietly, so as not to scare any Potentials lurking about.
"She's not hurt good." Xander noted. "I see you got your thing from Caleb. Or, you had it." He suddenly noticed the conspicuous absence of the Scythe.
"Willow's witching it up, see if she and Giles can I.D. it." Buffy jerked her thumb back at the room she'd just emerged from.
Suddenly, the both of them turned shy in the morning after their lovemaking. "Buf..."
"Xander..." They ended up having a word collision, talking at the same time. Foolish grins erupted on both their faces.
Xander decided to take the gentlemanly route. "You first."
Biting her lower lip, Buffy reached out and took one of Xander's hands. She studied her feet for a second before looking up at him with large eyes. "Not a mistake?" She asked hesitantly.
Xander blinked. Or possibly winked. She couldn't tell anymore. "Never. I figured we'd take a while longer to get there, but no. Not a mistake."
Buffy let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Good," she murmured bashfully. "Was it-?"
"Everything I could have dreamed of and then some." He replied, anticipating her question.
She blushed faintly. It was a little odd, sleeping with your best friend, but it was a little liberating as well. You didn't have to get to know all their quirks and habits - you already knew them all, intimately. With a few exceptions. "Just, for future reference? Don't ever do that thing you did with your fingers, unless you want everyone else in the house to know what we're up to."
Xander chuckled. He'd already kind of figured that one out. "Hey, Buffy. About that note.."
Buffy's breath caught. Had she said it too soon? Was he not there yet? Oh god, she knew that she'd made a mistake, saying it so soon in the relationsh- wait, Xander had just said something.
"Wh-what?"
"I said, 'I love you too'."
Another breath that she'd been holding gusted out of Buffy. "Don't build up the suspense like that, next time! You had me all worried."
"I didn't mean to! It just kinda came out that way." Xander chuckled, feigning defensiveness.
Buffy gave him a soft smile and sighed. It was good to hear him say it in return. Which is why the next conversation they needed to have was going to be so much more difficult. Buffy glanced around downstairs, spotting Dawn hard at work bandaging up a wounded Potential. Caridad, Buffy thought her name was.
"Come to the kitchen with me? Even though I don't want to, I have a really huge favor to ask..." Buffy led him off, closing the door behind them so that she could ask her best friend, her strength and her lover to please kidnap her sister and keep her safe.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Spike paused a moment to admire Buffy's shiny new toy. After he'd delivered his opinion on it, he nodded shortly. "Well, good job, then. Glad I could help." Spike turned to leave her to herself.
"Spike?"
At Buffy's voice, he turned, standing between the stairs and the front door. "Yeah pet?"
"Thank you. For what you did for me and for Xander." Buffy let the Scythe dangle in her hand as she stepped closer for private conversation. The Potentials were all still asleep, but some of them were light sleepers.
Spike shrugged. "Didn't think you had it in you to quit. But I figured a little push-start couldn't hurt. As for Xander," He smirked. "Maybe he's not as big a wanker as he used to be."
"Still." Buffy persisted, reaching out to touch his arm. "I really appreciate it. And so did he. I know things were wierd between us after you got back. And I know that you'd rather things were a little different, but..."
"But what, pet?" Spike cocked his head curiously.
"After everything you've done, pre and post chip removal, if anyone says that you can't be a good man, they're going to have to answer to me." Buffy declared firmly.
"So long as you're happy, I don't care what they say, luv." He nodded his head at the Scythe. "Best you run along now. Go find what you need to find."
After Buffy left, Spike skulked after her. Not for nefarious purposes of course. He'd also noted the conspicuous absence of Xander, Xander's car, and Dawn. Might as well do the boy the same courtesy that he'd done for Buffy. Keep an eye out for her.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Xander came to in the passenger seat of his car, Dawn now at the wheel with a furious expression on her face and a steady stream of quiet ranting coming from her mouth.
"..stupid Buffy thinks she can just have her friends knock me out and take me away from the fight, I oughta use the stun gun on her, see how she likes it, when I get my hands on.."
Xander groaned and sat up from the extremely awkward position that Dawn had packaged him in, after she'd knocked him out. "She just wanted-"
Dawn cut him off. "And you!" Xander winced at the shrill tone in Dawn's voice. "What on earth made you think that I'd wake up after being chloroformed, and just go along with Buffy's idiotic idea of keeping me safe?!"
"Half-blind optimism?" Xander hazarded with a weak grin.
"You're lucky she loves you, or I'd zap you again." She growled.
"I'll be good." Xander replied meekly, not exactly in good enough shape to fend off another tazering.
Dawn resumed her angry mutterings all the way back to the house. Once there, she left him behind and simply instructed the first couple of people she found there to, "Go fish that dumbass out of the car." And she parked herself right in front of the door, so she could wait for the return of the head dumbass.