Only the Mortal Ones
By Danii
Note: AU - Takes place DURING and AFTER "Chosen"
Summary: The final battle in Sunnydale.the way it SHOULD have happened if
logic prevailed in the Buffyverse.
Disclaimer: I own no one and nothing.except for my opinions, and they
aren't worth enough to sue over. So don't.please.I'm a student/otaku, the
one of the po'est of the po'.really, they're yours. I'm just playing with
them (and trying to fix the broken bits).
Distribution: XanderZone obviously.and anywhere else that wants it. Just
send me the URL so I can look at it and smile that people like me.
Dedication: To Leigh Ann, Tori, Liz, Kate, my sister, Jason, Natas, and
all those who have heard my many embittered rants about BTVS over the
years. Thank you for listening.and not committing me. Your job has been
thankless too long.
Rating: PG-13
And now for the fic:
PROLOGUE
"Tragic heroes always moan when the gods take an interest in them, but it's the people the gods ignore who get the really tough deals." --Mort, by Terry Pratchett
-----
"Only the crazy ones." Xander said with a smile as he affectionately tousled Anya's hair. He didn't get to touch her as much since.well, aside from the random sex they'd had a couple times, since the wedding fiasco, and he relished the feel of her hair through his fingers as she slept; it was something he'd missed a great deal.
"Makes me wonder why Buffy isn't asleep." muttered Andrew from beneath his red dungeon-master hood. When he didn't get any startled or angry looks, he sighed. "I was kinda hoping I was alone on that thought, but I guess not."
"Well." Amanda attempted to qualify, "It's not that her plan for tomorrow is crazy.I mean, it's great! The whole empowerment thing.it's just."
"Incomplete." finished Xander with a tired nod. The nod made its way down to the tabletop and all assembled heard the thump of the young man's head impacting rather roughly with the wood. This woke up Anya with a start.
"Xander?!" she squeaked upon waking, her head whipping back and forth, and finally coming to rest on Xander's lowered head. Then millennia-old eyes moved to Giles. "Did he pass out from his medication?"
"No, Ahn.just me expressing my frustration in a self-destructive manner as per usual." came Xander's voice from the tabletop. "We were discussing Buffy's plan."
"Which stinks." she said succinctly. The others looked around, then tiredly nodded.
"I mean," went on the former vengeance demon, "It's not a bad plan as plans go for the supernatural side of things, but Buffy is no tactician. She kinda goes for the throat, and plays by ear the rest of the way."
"Indeed she does," Giles interjected, massaging his nose with two fingers, "I must say, the idea is brilliant, but it lacks a certain amount of-"
"'Logic', Giles." Xander told him as his head rose, "the word you're searching for is 'logic'. Or if you want to go for the long version, it's "vague concern for our lives, not to mention total reliance upon a shiny dohicky that even Anya wouldn't wear.'"
"Hey!"
"Two humans at each entryway to fight untold numbers of uber-vamps and Bringers. Does she remember how many times just ONE of those suckers kicked her ass? It's one hell of an idea she has, but it ISN'T a plan."
"Right." Amanda said nervously, looking between the assembled critics, "Okay, I'm leaving.cause as much as I can see your points.I don't wanna see your points. Buffy's the leader, and-"
"And she's been wrong before." Anya pointed out.
"Again, d-don't wanna know." Amanda stammered as she scooted out of her seat and backed away from the table. "I'm.gonna go sleep now. Later."
Xander, Anya, Giles, and Andrew watched her go, then gave a collective shrug of indifference. Silence reigned around the table for a minute as each thought over what they had said moments before. Were they just complaining about it because they had valid points, or were they complaining because they were afraid? Was Buffy right?
"Well, so much for the 'Chosen'." came a familiar voice from the kitchen. All four turned to see Dawn, her arms crossed as she leaned against the frame of the opening, "So.about Buffy's plan?"
"What about it?"
"What are you going to do about it, guys?" the younger Summers challenged, "I mean, if her plan is so bad, and I agree that it has holes big enough to drive a bus through, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to complain.or are you going to do something?"
"Well." Xander started. He looked around the table to check the faces of those assembled, "I've kinda got an addendum to it that might be a whole hell of a lot more effective.if we can pull it off."
Dawn nodded. She wasn't surprised.
"So what's the plan?" Andrew asked, excited. He hoped he had something that he could add to things, as useless as he'd been so far in the grand scheme of the war, that would in some way maybe partially make up for some of who he'd been just a year ago. Dying was all well and good, but what Anya had said at the hospital yesterday had made him think that maybe, just maybe, he could do more with his life then with his death.
Xander sighed, and then hunched down on himself. He was so uncertain. Was his idea good? Was it right to do what he was planning to do? Was it fair? So many questions rumbled around in his brain. It was one thing to have the idea, it was quite another to follow through with it. The help he'd need, the possible cost.
"Indeed, Xander, do tell." Giles prodded. He could see it, could see that old self-esteem problem popping up again in the young man he'd come to call "friend" through so much. Back when he'd left, Giles had thought the young man had had the problem for the most part whipped, but it was moments like this which reminded him that Xander Harris was only just 22 years old, with far heavier issues to deal with then most his age. But the one thing that Giles also knew was that behind all the smiles, there lay a good mind for tactics, as well as a survival instinct unsurpassed. Because Xander didn't have any supernatural abilities to speak of, he tended to be more cunning then the others were, and sometimes surprisingly effective. Whatever Xander had up his sleeve would probably save more lives then not, and Giles liked that idea.
"Xander."
Finally, Xander straightened his back, looked around with a wise smile twisting his lips and pleased crinkles around his visible eye, and began. He might doubt himself, but he could never doubt where Giles placed his trust. Leaving them behind aside (and Xander knew that there was a great deal of thought put to that decision that could never be truly understood by anyone but Giles), the older man had never led them astray. Xander hoped the Watcher's luck held even for him.
"Well, it goes like this.
"We'll all have some work to do tonight.a lot of work in fact, but I think that in the end, it'll be worth it. So I was thinking."
And now for the fic:
PROLOGUE
"Tragic heroes always moan when the gods take an interest in them, but it's the people the gods ignore who get the really tough deals." --Mort, by Terry Pratchett
-----
"Only the crazy ones." Xander said with a smile as he affectionately tousled Anya's hair. He didn't get to touch her as much since.well, aside from the random sex they'd had a couple times, since the wedding fiasco, and he relished the feel of her hair through his fingers as she slept; it was something he'd missed a great deal.
"Makes me wonder why Buffy isn't asleep." muttered Andrew from beneath his red dungeon-master hood. When he didn't get any startled or angry looks, he sighed. "I was kinda hoping I was alone on that thought, but I guess not."
"Well." Amanda attempted to qualify, "It's not that her plan for tomorrow is crazy.I mean, it's great! The whole empowerment thing.it's just."
"Incomplete." finished Xander with a tired nod. The nod made its way down to the tabletop and all assembled heard the thump of the young man's head impacting rather roughly with the wood. This woke up Anya with a start.
"Xander?!" she squeaked upon waking, her head whipping back and forth, and finally coming to rest on Xander's lowered head. Then millennia-old eyes moved to Giles. "Did he pass out from his medication?"
"No, Ahn.just me expressing my frustration in a self-destructive manner as per usual." came Xander's voice from the tabletop. "We were discussing Buffy's plan."
"Which stinks." she said succinctly. The others looked around, then tiredly nodded.
"I mean," went on the former vengeance demon, "It's not a bad plan as plans go for the supernatural side of things, but Buffy is no tactician. She kinda goes for the throat, and plays by ear the rest of the way."
"Indeed she does," Giles interjected, massaging his nose with two fingers, "I must say, the idea is brilliant, but it lacks a certain amount of-"
"'Logic', Giles." Xander told him as his head rose, "the word you're searching for is 'logic'. Or if you want to go for the long version, it's "vague concern for our lives, not to mention total reliance upon a shiny dohicky that even Anya wouldn't wear.'"
"Hey!"
"Two humans at each entryway to fight untold numbers of uber-vamps and Bringers. Does she remember how many times just ONE of those suckers kicked her ass? It's one hell of an idea she has, but it ISN'T a plan."
"Right." Amanda said nervously, looking between the assembled critics, "Okay, I'm leaving.cause as much as I can see your points.I don't wanna see your points. Buffy's the leader, and-"
"And she's been wrong before." Anya pointed out.
"Again, d-don't wanna know." Amanda stammered as she scooted out of her seat and backed away from the table. "I'm.gonna go sleep now. Later."
Xander, Anya, Giles, and Andrew watched her go, then gave a collective shrug of indifference. Silence reigned around the table for a minute as each thought over what they had said moments before. Were they just complaining about it because they had valid points, or were they complaining because they were afraid? Was Buffy right?
"Well, so much for the 'Chosen'." came a familiar voice from the kitchen. All four turned to see Dawn, her arms crossed as she leaned against the frame of the opening, "So.about Buffy's plan?"
"What about it?"
"What are you going to do about it, guys?" the younger Summers challenged, "I mean, if her plan is so bad, and I agree that it has holes big enough to drive a bus through, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to complain.or are you going to do something?"
"Well." Xander started. He looked around the table to check the faces of those assembled, "I've kinda got an addendum to it that might be a whole hell of a lot more effective.if we can pull it off."
Dawn nodded. She wasn't surprised.
"So what's the plan?" Andrew asked, excited. He hoped he had something that he could add to things, as useless as he'd been so far in the grand scheme of the war, that would in some way maybe partially make up for some of who he'd been just a year ago. Dying was all well and good, but what Anya had said at the hospital yesterday had made him think that maybe, just maybe, he could do more with his life then with his death.
Xander sighed, and then hunched down on himself. He was so uncertain. Was his idea good? Was it right to do what he was planning to do? Was it fair? So many questions rumbled around in his brain. It was one thing to have the idea, it was quite another to follow through with it. The help he'd need, the possible cost.
"Indeed, Xander, do tell." Giles prodded. He could see it, could see that old self-esteem problem popping up again in the young man he'd come to call "friend" through so much. Back when he'd left, Giles had thought the young man had had the problem for the most part whipped, but it was moments like this which reminded him that Xander Harris was only just 22 years old, with far heavier issues to deal with then most his age. But the one thing that Giles also knew was that behind all the smiles, there lay a good mind for tactics, as well as a survival instinct unsurpassed. Because Xander didn't have any supernatural abilities to speak of, he tended to be more cunning then the others were, and sometimes surprisingly effective. Whatever Xander had up his sleeve would probably save more lives then not, and Giles liked that idea.
"Xander."
Finally, Xander straightened his back, looked around with a wise smile twisting his lips and pleased crinkles around his visible eye, and began. He might doubt himself, but he could never doubt where Giles placed his trust. Leaving them behind aside (and Xander knew that there was a great deal of thought put to that decision that could never be truly understood by anyone but Giles), the older man had never led them astray. Xander hoped the Watcher's luck held even for him.
"Well, it goes like this.
"We'll all have some work to do tonight.a lot of work in fact, but I think that in the end, it'll be worth it. So I was thinking."