Title: Best Laid Plans.
Author: Charlie
Timeline: Post BtVS S7 (initially), later on Post AtS S5.
Summary: Xander begins a new chapter of his life.
Oxnard, California.
It wasn't supposed to be this way.
It was going to be the two of them, together, finally leaving the Hellmouth and everything behind. They were going to leave and start the rest of their lives elsewhere. But there was no 'they' only him, only one.
Xander Harris stared at the faded, dingy wallpaper in his hotel room. Through the window, he saw the sunseting, 'No happy endings on a Hellmouth, I guess. Not for me and Willow, Cordelia, Anya...'
He grabbed his coat and left his hotel room, intent on talking with someone, Buffy, Giles...
"And that's when I told him."
Xander stopped as the sound of Buffy's voice reached him.
"I told I love you and he sorta smiled and said no you don't but thanks for saying it anyway"
"Oh Buffy, I'm so sorry" Willow's voice sounded like she was crying.
"Yes, we are deeply sorry about your loss" Gile's voice was joined by others he couldn't make out.
Xander turned and looked into the glass window beside him. Through the light was fading he could still see his own reflection. A dirty, dishevled man with an eye-patch in need a shave, tattered clothes stared back at him.
Quietly, he turned around and walked in the other direction away from the voices.
A few hours later...
Oxnard isn't that big of a town, somewhat larger then Sunnydale in terms of both size and population. Facts that didn't to matter to Xander Harris at the moment. He had been intent on heading to a bar and then drinking himself into a stupor. Those plans changed as soon as he headed into an alleyway and came face to face with a vampire.
"Crap."
"I generally prefer screams of fear and terror, myself." The vampire smiled at him.
Xander grabbed the stake from under his coat.
"Oh no, we don't do that anymore."
"Huh?"
"We do this."
The gun in the vamp's hand barked twice, the sound being hidden by a sudden thunderclap. Xander felt the impact of the bullets ripping into his body. He dropped the stake and slumped backwards against the wall. Neither noticed that they were no longer alone in the alley.
The vampire bit into Xander's neck drinking deeply until forcibly removed. There were brief sounds of a struggle, followed by the sound of the vampire exploding into ash.
"Oh man."
A figure dressed in black knelt down next to Xander. Cautiously it examined him and then touched his neck and chest, it's hands coming in contact with the blood that was streaming not only from the bite but also from the bullet wounds.
"Weak, erratic heartbeat, shallow breathing, Christ. Even if I got you to a hospital, I don't think you'd make it... "
The figure paused as though thinking about something and then looked at the fallen man. "I hope to God this works for both our sakes."
Saying that, the figure placed it's hand over Xander's heart and there was a brilliant flash of blue light, then darkness.
The sensation of rain hitting his face woke Xander. He blinked slowly, looking around. He checked his neck, and looked at them. Then he looked down, he was dressed in the same tattered clothes he had been when he left. There was no trace of the vampire or of the bullet wounds. No blood anywhere, if not for the Sun's position he wouldn't have thought any time had passed or anything had happened.
Slowly he got to his feet and made his way back to the motel.
Author: Charlie
Timeline: Post BtVS S7 (initially), later on Post AtS S5.
Summary: Xander begins a new chapter of his life.
Oxnard, California.
It wasn't supposed to be this way.
It was going to be the two of them, together, finally leaving the Hellmouth and everything behind. They were going to leave and start the rest of their lives elsewhere. But there was no 'they' only him, only one.
Xander Harris stared at the faded, dingy wallpaper in his hotel room. Through the window, he saw the sunseting, 'No happy endings on a Hellmouth, I guess. Not for me and Willow, Cordelia, Anya...'
He grabbed his coat and left his hotel room, intent on talking with someone, Buffy, Giles...
"And that's when I told him."
Xander stopped as the sound of Buffy's voice reached him.
"I told I love you and he sorta smiled and said no you don't but thanks for saying it anyway"
"Oh Buffy, I'm so sorry" Willow's voice sounded like she was crying.
"Yes, we are deeply sorry about your loss" Gile's voice was joined by others he couldn't make out.
Xander turned and looked into the glass window beside him. Through the light was fading he could still see his own reflection. A dirty, dishevled man with an eye-patch in need a shave, tattered clothes stared back at him.
Quietly, he turned around and walked in the other direction away from the voices.
A few hours later...
Oxnard isn't that big of a town, somewhat larger then Sunnydale in terms of both size and population. Facts that didn't to matter to Xander Harris at the moment. He had been intent on heading to a bar and then drinking himself into a stupor. Those plans changed as soon as he headed into an alleyway and came face to face with a vampire.
"Crap."
"I generally prefer screams of fear and terror, myself." The vampire smiled at him.
Xander grabbed the stake from under his coat.
"Oh no, we don't do that anymore."
"Huh?"
"We do this."
The gun in the vamp's hand barked twice, the sound being hidden by a sudden thunderclap. Xander felt the impact of the bullets ripping into his body. He dropped the stake and slumped backwards against the wall. Neither noticed that they were no longer alone in the alley.
The vampire bit into Xander's neck drinking deeply until forcibly removed. There were brief sounds of a struggle, followed by the sound of the vampire exploding into ash.
"Oh man."
A figure dressed in black knelt down next to Xander. Cautiously it examined him and then touched his neck and chest, it's hands coming in contact with the blood that was streaming not only from the bite but also from the bullet wounds.
"Weak, erratic heartbeat, shallow breathing, Christ. Even if I got you to a hospital, I don't think you'd make it... "
The figure paused as though thinking about something and then looked at the fallen man. "I hope to God this works for both our sakes."
Saying that, the figure placed it's hand over Xander's heart and there was a brilliant flash of blue light, then darkness.
The sensation of rain hitting his face woke Xander. He blinked slowly, looking around. He checked his neck, and looked at them. Then he looked down, he was dressed in the same tattered clothes he had been when he left. There was no trace of the vampire or of the bullet wounds. No blood anywhere, if not for the Sun's position he wouldn't have thought any time had passed or anything had happened.
Slowly he got to his feet and made his way back to the motel.
