FIC: Scenes VII-IX, Scenes from the Rest of Their Lives

[bhv <bighotvirgo@xxxxxxxxx>]

Disclaimers: 
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and all characters therein
belong solely to Joss Whedon,UPN, Mutant Enemy, et al,
not this author. This story was created purely for
fandom purposes. No copyright infringement is
intended. 

Song lyrics by Yo La Tengo, from "Tears Are in Your
Eyes", from the album And Then Nothing Turned Itself
Inside Out (2000) and "The Summer", from the album
Fakebook (1990). Lyrics quoted for
entertainment/fandom purposes, no copyright
infringement intended. 

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and if permission is granted for reposting, reposts
must include complete credit and disclaimers for use
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Scene VII

"Please tell me how you know tomorrow, 
staring at your shoes"


Buffy felt her watcher?s eyes on her as she tucked
into a second batch of pancakes. She looked up to find
him smiling gently at her. 

Ironic. They had spent the last few months emotionally
out of sync with each other and now here he was
bestowing the patented ?dignified fond regard of
Giles? when he obviously had no clue of how little she
deserved it.

?Syrup.? He extended a napkin toward her. ?Your chin.?


?Thanks.? She dabbed at the stickiness. ?So you really
think I?m doing the right thing?? 

?Of course,? he answered instantly. ?That?s why I
already had these accounts set up for you and ready to
go. Obviously, Dawn?s choice will be a deciding
factor, but my guess is that she?ll be more than happy
to continue along with the rest of us, which leaves
you free to go as soon as you choose, do whatever you
choose, for as long as you choose. You?ve earned this,
Buffy. I couldn?t be happier.?

?If that?s what you thought, why didn?t you tell me
before?? she asked. 

?It was your choice. You needed to make it,? he said
simply. ?Though, had you decided to carry on with
setting up shop in Cleveland, building a new council,
and so on, I would?ve warned you about getting too
overextended too soon.? 

?Well, I?m not extended at all now, so not to worry. A
little ?distended? maybe?, she smiled, patting her
full stomach.

The watcher blinked a couple of times, his eyes
glistening suddenly.

?You OK?? she asked.

?Just allergies.? 

?You?re all glad I?m alive, right?? Buffy said with a
self-deprecating smirk.

He gave a slow nod and looked out the window. ?Very.?

?Been getting that a lot lately,? she answered,
pursing her lips as she followed his gaze. 

?You?re very well-loved,? he said softly, adding, ?No
matter how unworthy of it you seem to be feeling at
this moment.? 

They both sat and sipped their coffee in silence,
watching the sun try to break through a line of slate
gray clouds outside.

?Ahhh, our best and brightest, upon whose young
shoulders the future now rides,? Giles nodded toward
the entrance of the cafe. Lowering her cup, Buffy
turned to see Vi, Rona and Kennedy walk in. 

As the trio made their way to a booth on the other
side of the room, Vi waved nervously and Rona offered
Giles and Buffy a mock salute, which Giles returned
with a lifted coffee cup. Kennedy simply stared at
Buffy coolly, holding it for an extra beat before she
sat down and turned her back to the slayer and
watcher.

?Oh I?m well-loved all right.? Buffy muttered. 

Why was Kennedy here, not with Willow?

?Perhaps you should talk to Kennedy. Ease the tension,
assure her you?re not a threat,? Giles suggested. 

Buffy suddenly turned her attention back to cloud
watching. 

She was not going to tell him the truth and damn him,
he would know if she lied, so let him draw his own
conclusions. 

Predictably, Giles remained silent. Finishing her
coffee, she glanced over to find his eyebrows raised
slightly, gray eyes appraising her calmly.

?So.? Buffy switched gears. ?Xander?? 

?Yes, why don?t we move along then? He was still
asleep when I left.? Giles signed the bill and waited
for Buffy to slide out of the booth.

?Guess he?s resting up for the big male bonding
spree.? The two headed for the exit.

?I?d hardly call it a 'spree', Buffy,? Giles? voice
took on a comfortably familiar chiding tone. ?Nothing
nearly that athletic, I?m afraid. Just a friendly game
of poker among the men of our little wandering band.
Xander badly needs the distraction, Robin is better
able to be up and about now, Andrew was halfway to
donning his dungeon master cape, so I had no other
choice than to suggest a poker game.?

?Will there be wagering and swearing?? Buffy asked
with a grin, reaching for the door.

?Well, one can hope.? The watcher sighed as he
followed her out into the lightly falling rain.



Scene VIII

?So you think they?re finally going to get together
this time?? Andrew asked. Contemplatively nursing a
Slurpee, he leaned back on the couch and waited as
Dawn considered the question. They were watching
?Fashion Trance? and Dawn waited for the next
commercial before muting the television and turning to
answer. 

?Hard to say. I mean, on one hand, it?s a perfect set
up.? She paused to pick at the contents of several
single-portion cereal boxes on the coffee table. ?Big
dramatic transitions all round...Spike out of the
picture...they?re all bundled away in their own motel
room...and there?s the whole hurt/comfort thing.? 

?Always useful for taking the characters to a new
level.? Andrew nodded sagely. ?Very powerful mechanism
if wielded correctly.? 

?Yeah, but as usual, Buffy will probably just shut
down or push her away or do something to piss her
off.? Dawn munched on a piece of cereal. ?Then they
miss the window of opportunity, see? Along comes
another relationship, monster of the week, apocalypse,
blah blah blah.? 

?And we?re back to the ?years of unresolved longing?
piece,? Andrew summed up.

?You got it, Slurpee boy.? Dawn turned the sound back
up, then abruptly turned it back off. ?And! I forgot
to tell you the most interesting part!?

?OK?? Andrew motioned for her to continue.

?So, the really interesting part about the whole
Buffy/Willow ?thang??? Dawn paused for emphasis.

?Tell me already!? Andrew whined impatiently.

Dawn raised her eyebrows and with a conspiratorial
hush, declared, ?There was stuff about it in the
Dawnmeister Chronicles.? 

Andrew looked back at her blankly. ?I don?t get it.?

?My old diaries, from way back when I was a kid. There
were a couple of entries about me noticing they were
hot for each other way back then.? 

?So you were a smart kid, you picked up on stuff,?
Andrew shrugged. ?Kids notice things like that all the
time.?

?Andrew!? Dawn squealed, frustrated. ?I wasn?t even
around, remember? The Key, monks, created memories,
remember I told you the story??

The realization settled on him. ?So, Buffy and
Willow?s saga of unrequited love was in the memories
that were made up by the monks that created you?? 

?Bingo!? Dawn stated triumphantly and turned the
volume back up with a flourish. 

?Whoah...? Andrew?s eyes widened as he sank back into
the couch cushions and considered the implications. 

The door to the suite opened and Giles and Buffy
entered. 

?Hey,? chirped Dawn. ?She lives.? 

?She does,? said the slayer with a smile, crossing the
room. ?And she misses her sister,? Buffy bent over the
couch and managed to scoop Dawn five or six inches off
the couch in an awkward, tight hug. 

?Mmmmm,? Dawn purred into her sister?s shoulder, ?You
smell like Willow.? 

?MMMM huh,? Andrew murmured knowingly, moving out of
the way as Buffy let Dawn pull her down onto the
couch.

Throwing her feet onto the slayer?s lap, Dawn asked
protectively, ?Are you OK?? 

?Getting there,? Buffy answered with a small grin,
adding, ?You?re loving this whole big motel slumber
party thing aren?t you?? 

?Is Xander up?? Giles asked.

?He left right after you did.? Andrew answered. ?He
said he was going to see if Buffy and Willow wanted to
get some breakfast. I didn?t know Buffy was with you.?


?Guess I?ll go catch up,? Buffy disentangled herself
from Dawn. Looking back and forth between the three of
them, she pointedly queried, ?Please tell me my
innocent and unsullied young sister isn?t part of the
soon-to-unfold poker scenario?? 

?Hey, I?m gonna be the prize!? crowed Dawn. ?Better
hope Andrew wins!? 

Relenting under Buffy?s mock glare, she added,
?Actually, Faith and I are going to an outlet mall up
the highway. They?re having a Doc Martens sale and
Faith said it could be my early birthday present.
And...I was going to ask you if I could go. Really.?

?Well, that sounds marginally less sordid than
spending the afternoon in a dark motel room with a
bunch of men playing cards. And if Faith wants to
subsidize your shoe bill, far be it from me to stop
her. Can you guys pick up some lunch on your way back
and meet me and Will in our room? I need to talk to
you both about some stuff, OK??

?Oooh, big, life-altering kind of stuff?? Dawn
grinned. 

They were interrupted by Xander opening the door.
Ignoring the others, he looked purposefully at Buffy
and said, ?I need to talk to you.?



Scene IX

I see a simple time
I see the warning light
And the summer comes undone

No sorry closing guys
No cutting down to size
No other thoughts arise
And the summer comes undone


Buffy followed Xander down the walkway toward the back
of the motel, to the lot where the bus was parked.
Neither of them spoke till they reached the bus.
Xander unlocked the door and motioned Buffy inside
ahead of him.

?What?s with the top secret?? she asked, turning
around in the empty aisle to face him where he stood
by the front window. 

?What the fuck do you think you?re doing with Willow??
His voice was quiet but Buffy felt the intensity. He?d
stored this up for a while. She?d had a lot of
experience with people who wanted to hurt her and
that?s what he looked like right now. 

?You talked to her?? she asked, trying to keep her
voice calm. 

He was hurting. He was as lost as she was. He was her
Xander-shaped friend. 

?Yeah, I talked to her,? he spat out. ?Right after you
waltzed out and left her crying.? 

?After I...what?? Buffy spluttered. ?I did not waltz
out, Xander! She asked me to leave! It was what she
wanted!?

?It was the last thing on earth she wanted!? His voice
rose and cracked with emotion. ?And that?s my point,
Buffy. What do you think you are doing with Willow?
You don?t have any idea what she wants. You. Never.
Have.? He jabbed his finger toward her accusingly,
accentuating the last three words. 

Buffy abruptly sat down in one of the empty seats and
took a deep breath. 
?Is this really about Willow?? she asked softly. 

?No! Of course this couldn?t possibly be about Willow,
could it? No! This is about you!? he shouted. ?It?s
all about you, Buffy. Stupid me, I forgot for a few
minutes.? 

Breathe. 

He continued, sobbing, ?It?s all about you careening
around through your goddamned fucking destiny,
dragging the rest of us with you. The perfect killing
machine, the warrior of the people, the longest living
slayer, with the emotional maturity of a seventh
grader.? 

She would not get up. She would not move toward him.
She would not hurt him. She would not hurt him
anymore.

?Xander, I?m sorry.? 

?You?re not sorry, Buffy!? His voice rattled the
windows of the bus. 

?I am too!? she screamed at him. ?I love you. I love
Willow. I love all of you.?

"Yeah, you may love us, that's open to debate," he
snarled. "But if you were sorry, if you were truly
sorry, if you had the tiniest bit of comprehension of
the pain you?ve left in your wake the last seven
years, you would have let us drive off and leave you
in that hole.? 

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. 

He moved a few steps down the aisle toward her. She
didn?t want him to see her tears, she didn?t want to
look at him but she had to. She had to watch him
because her Xander-shaped friend looked very much like
he was going to hit her.

His voice was so cold. ?And now here we are, sitting
around on our asses while you have your pain. You
start getting lonely for your dearly departed dildo
with a soul and you look around and latch onto
Willow.? 

Another step closer. 

?Xander. Stop!? she demanded.

He ignored her. ?Willow, who?s been waiting for you
for years.? 

She never knew that. He took another step. She never
knew that. 

?You let her back into your heart and you tell her
what she?s been wanting to hear, waiting to hear, for
years.? He kept on. ?You tell her...? 

Did she know that?

?You tell her...?

Didn?t she know it? Isn?t that why she never said
anything about her own feelings? She did know it...

>From out of nowhere his hands grabbed the seat in
front of her, rattling it savagely, throwing himself
down into it, leaning across it toward her. 

And now she was going to have to let him hit her. 

Leaning into her face, he continued. ?You tell her you
want her. That you have feelings for her. And then...?
His eye patch was soaked through with tears. 

?Please stop this,? she begged. 

?And then, what, five minutes later?? He paid no
attention to her request. ?Five minutes later, Buffy,
you tell her it doesn?t mean anything. Your feelings,
her feelings. Nothing. No big deal.? 

He lurched violently out of the seat and stalked back
to the front of the bus. He crossed his arms over his
chest, staring at her. 

?You still haven't answered my question, ? he said
softly.

?Shut up and leave me alone,? she said hoarsely.

?I will but first you have to tell me. What the fuck
do you think you are doing with Willow, Buffy? What is
it you want from her??

He waited, watching her, his rage coiled back up
inside him somewhere. He waited for her like he had
all he time in the world. 

After several minutes, she finally looked up at him.
?I don?t know,? she said almost inaudibly.

?I don?t know.? She said it louder. ?I don?t know what
I?m doing. I don?t know what I want.? 

A few more minutes passed, then Xander silently opened
the bus door and stepped back out of the aisle. She
got up and walked past him, stepping down into the
stairwell.

?Buffy?? 

She turned and looked back up at him.

?Until you do know, unless you do know, unless you are
absolutely certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt...leave
her alone.? 

Without a word, with no words left at all, Buffy
turned and stepped down out of the bus.	

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