"Xander, you stole a van!"
"I did not steal it. Before Sunnydale turned into Sunny canyon I just happened to notice that none of the car dealers actually took the cars. Its as good as abandoned property."
"These are the times I really worry about you Xand. Besides you already have a car, why would you steal a van?"
"Well, I'm kinda glad you asked. You see this Van has a DVD player in it." He put his arm around Buffy for a moment, "To keep the little kiddies occupied."
Realization filled Buffy's eyes. "You got the van just so you wouldn't have to play 'I spy' with Andrew! Wait a second, we're bringing Andrew?"
"I feel sorry for the guy. He has no direction, no place to go, and definitely no place he belongs. And Giles said it would be a cold day in hell before he let him go along to Cleveland."
"He reminds you of yourself."
"Kinda, except I was way cooler."
"Of course." Buffy said with the most serious face she could manage.
"Dawn and him have been getting along lately."
"He's been following her around asking her to taste his quiche."
"Yeah, but she's not half as annoyed as she was at first."
"Fine. But I reserve the right to slay him at any time."
"I respect that. So, which way do you wanna go?"
"I think we should take a vote." Dawn interjected as she walked up to the pair with Andrew in tow.
"Well I vote for not Mexico, there are bad memories...." Andrew said.
"We could always move east, they have really good schools there." They all looked bewildered at Xander's remark.
"Since when have you cared about school?"
"Hey, its school for Dawn, not for me. Besides she can blow them all away by her Sumerian translating skills."
"That would be cool. But what about the malls?"
"Is that all you think abou- never mind."
"I vote for the east coast too. The renaissance fairs there are great." Andrew added.
"Well, as long as it's far away from Cleveland. Ohh and it snows, I've only been in the snow once." Buffy agreed.
"We should go get supplies, we have a long trip ahead of us." Andrew and Dawn took Xander's car and left for the store, as Buffy and Xander stayed standing at the crater that was once known as Sunnydale.
"I'm sorry."
"Huh?" Buffy looked over her shoulder to Xander.
"About Spike. The Slayers told me what happened."
"You're not. You hate him."
"Yeah, but you didn't. With what happened to Anya.... I'm sorry you had to loose someone you cared for."
"Wow, Xand. That's.... You never stop surprising me. I am really sorry about Anya."
Xander seemed to be contemplating something, "Well at least she doesn't have to put up with me anymore, so I... I think she's where you were."
Buffy could sense how uncomfortable Xander was.
"So, you wanna stay pirate man, or do you wanna Sammy Davis that thing?"
"Well, Sammy is appealing."
"You don't have to tell me..... Xander?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what? Geeze, I should be thanking you. You got rid of the hell mouth, one at least, you saved everybody."
"And you saved me. Its what you do." She smiled and hugged him.
"Now, while you were stealing this van, did you happen to stop by the mall and get me something purdy?"
"Now I see it! Before you were all against stealing, but now the truth comes out! You're only against it if it isn't something for you. I'm telling your watcher on you!" Xander wagged his finger at her playfully. She smiled brightly.
"I don't have one. I don't have a watcher. Oh, its like a weight has been lifted."
"The weight of the world. Your not alone anymore."
She took her hand in his for a moment, just as she had in the hallway of the school.
"I never was. Not absolutely anyway." She watched as Dawn and Andrew started to fill the van with supplies.
"This trip is going to be great. I'm going to be able to spend a lot of time with Dawn. And, bonus; we're in a moving vehicle, so no way for her to get out."
"Yeah, just make sure she isn't carrying any taser." Xander looked over his shoulder and looked back to Buffy.
"You ready to move on?"
Buffy gave one last look to the crater then back to the small group. "Definitely."
"I did not steal it. Before Sunnydale turned into Sunny canyon I just happened to notice that none of the car dealers actually took the cars. Its as good as abandoned property."
"These are the times I really worry about you Xand. Besides you already have a car, why would you steal a van?"
"Well, I'm kinda glad you asked. You see this Van has a DVD player in it." He put his arm around Buffy for a moment, "To keep the little kiddies occupied."
Realization filled Buffy's eyes. "You got the van just so you wouldn't have to play 'I spy' with Andrew! Wait a second, we're bringing Andrew?"
"I feel sorry for the guy. He has no direction, no place to go, and definitely no place he belongs. And Giles said it would be a cold day in hell before he let him go along to Cleveland."
"He reminds you of yourself."
"Kinda, except I was way cooler."
"Of course." Buffy said with the most serious face she could manage.
"Dawn and him have been getting along lately."
"He's been following her around asking her to taste his quiche."
"Yeah, but she's not half as annoyed as she was at first."
"Fine. But I reserve the right to slay him at any time."
"I respect that. So, which way do you wanna go?"
"I think we should take a vote." Dawn interjected as she walked up to the pair with Andrew in tow.
"Well I vote for not Mexico, there are bad memories...." Andrew said.
"We could always move east, they have really good schools there." They all looked bewildered at Xander's remark.
"Since when have you cared about school?"
"Hey, its school for Dawn, not for me. Besides she can blow them all away by her Sumerian translating skills."
"That would be cool. But what about the malls?"
"Is that all you think abou- never mind."
"I vote for the east coast too. The renaissance fairs there are great." Andrew added.
"Well, as long as it's far away from Cleveland. Ohh and it snows, I've only been in the snow once." Buffy agreed.
"We should go get supplies, we have a long trip ahead of us." Andrew and Dawn took Xander's car and left for the store, as Buffy and Xander stayed standing at the crater that was once known as Sunnydale.
"I'm sorry."
"Huh?" Buffy looked over her shoulder to Xander.
"About Spike. The Slayers told me what happened."
"You're not. You hate him."
"Yeah, but you didn't. With what happened to Anya.... I'm sorry you had to loose someone you cared for."
"Wow, Xand. That's.... You never stop surprising me. I am really sorry about Anya."
Xander seemed to be contemplating something, "Well at least she doesn't have to put up with me anymore, so I... I think she's where you were."
Buffy could sense how uncomfortable Xander was.
"So, you wanna stay pirate man, or do you wanna Sammy Davis that thing?"
"Well, Sammy is appealing."
"You don't have to tell me..... Xander?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what? Geeze, I should be thanking you. You got rid of the hell mouth, one at least, you saved everybody."
"And you saved me. Its what you do." She smiled and hugged him.
"Now, while you were stealing this van, did you happen to stop by the mall and get me something purdy?"
"Now I see it! Before you were all against stealing, but now the truth comes out! You're only against it if it isn't something for you. I'm telling your watcher on you!" Xander wagged his finger at her playfully. She smiled brightly.
"I don't have one. I don't have a watcher. Oh, its like a weight has been lifted."
"The weight of the world. Your not alone anymore."
She took her hand in his for a moment, just as she had in the hallway of the school.
"I never was. Not absolutely anyway." She watched as Dawn and Andrew started to fill the van with supplies.
"This trip is going to be great. I'm going to be able to spend a lot of time with Dawn. And, bonus; we're in a moving vehicle, so no way for her to get out."
"Yeah, just make sure she isn't carrying any taser." Xander looked over his shoulder and looked back to Buffy.
"You ready to move on?"
Buffy gave one last look to the crater then back to the small group. "Definitely."