TITLE: THE ENVOY
AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE
E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au
FEEDBACK: Sure.
DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything! Set in season 6.Xander is unable to commit to Anya and she has put the blame on his love for Buffy. Buffy's back and all confused, wishing she was still on the other side. Buffy has a moment with Spike that is observed by Xander , who is in turn being watched by Anya. Hell ensues! THE BEGINING. Xander was kicking the can along the road as he walked towards the Magic Box. His shoulder's slumped against his inner turmoil as Anya's words echoed through his mind." So Xander have you thought why you can't tell the others of our engagement?" Xander looked up at her from across his meager dinner and sighed." Ahn , Honey can we let this rest till I've shook off the days work load?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest, never a good sign in Xander's mind, and huffed at him." Yeah but I bet if I was a certain blond slayer you would have had the words** She said Yes*** written in letters ten feet tall across the sky two seconds after she agreed!" Xander let his fork hit the plate and shook his head." Anya... How many times do I have to tell you she feels nothing for me?" Anya grins evilly." Oh it's not her loving you I have to fear anymore! Not since she came back all hot and bothered for the former big bad!" She sniggers as she sees the dagger bite home." Oh didn't you know that? " She pretends to do her nails as she tells him." Yeah Dawn caught them kissing on the back steps last night, so I suppose that means she'll go with anyone... Anyone that isn't you that is!" She jumps when the sound of the plate striking the floor reverberates through the flat." She what?" He jumps to his feet and runs a hand through his hair." I don't believe it! How could she make the same mistake twice?" Anya snuggles up to him." Why fight it honey? Just give in and forget about her.. She's never even thought of you other than as a second class back up." She holds his head up to hers." Just face up to it Xander and then we can continue on with our lives. We can get married and leave all this trouble behind us." She feels him tense up in her arms." Don't you remember how it was before she came to you? We can move to Chicago.. I have a few friends there that I can call on for favors..." Xander sighs." Yeah I suppose if you want to leave this town I guess there's nothing really keeping me here anymore.." He stands up and slips his jacket on as he heads for the door." I just want to break it Willow and Dawn then we can leave by the end of the week." Anya has a grin the size of New York's skyline on her face as she rushes around the room trying to remember a thousand things she has to do before tomorrow's dawn. She takes the ring from its box and places it on her finger then holds it up to the light." As soon as the others know we're engaged I want Xander as far away from this town as possible!" She picks up their photo from the table and hugs it." For the first time in over a thousand years I am in love again and nothing this side of heaven can stop our happiness!" The smile freezes on her face as she realizes there is one person that could shatter her life with just three words. She places the photo back on the table then grabs her jacket as she says a name as if it were a curse." BUFFY!" THE MAGIC BOX. Xander suddenly feels more frightened than ever before in his life as he moves to open the back door to the training room.* What if Dawn was wrong? What if he confronts Buffy and she throws herself at him? * " Yeah and monkeys will fly outa my butt!" He eases the door closed behind him and turns in time to see Buffy and Spike break from a hug. Xander doesn't fail to see the smirk on Spike's face as the neutered vampire turns to kiss Buffy on the cheek.." See yah on patrol tonight sweet cheeks." He grins at Xander's tortured glare." See ya latter Droopy." He shrugs by Xander and shuts the door behind him. Xander turns his glare to Buffy." She told me but I still didn't believe it till now!" He shook his head." How could you? What the whole love angst thing with Angel got you hooked on heart break?" Buffy begins to work out on the punching bag and tells him." What I do with my life is no concern of yours Xander." She hit the bag over and over again." If I choose to love Spike, or anyone else, you have nothing to do but deal with it!" Xander is red with rage." Yeah and he will love you till he bangs you then he'll just move on to his next victim.. Dawn maybe. He was sniffing around her while you were gone, playing at being Mr. Protecto guy!" Buffy punches the bag hard enough to rip it open." Shut up Harris! He's the only one that knows what it's like to comeback from the dead! He's been my rock in troubled times." Xander shrugs." Well hey then we'll just forget about all those people he's killed and all the times he's tried to kill us, just as long as he hits your g spot!" Xander grabs her." You deserve better!" " Like you for instance?" She snorts at him. " You never know Slayer... You might like Vanilla!" He begins to move away from her." But then I guess we'll never know 'cuz maybe you don't have what it takes to handle me!" Buffy laughs." Why you big headed idiot! In case you forget I already 'handled you back in high school when you were all 'Hyena Boy'!" Xander grins at her." Yeah but it took a school desk for you to stop me before I got cooking' Buffy!" She reddens." You remember?... YOU REMEMBER! You told me you didn't..." She stops and turns away from him." Besides it wasn't you it was the Hyena spirit that did it!" Xander lent against a wall grinning." Actually the kiss was all me the trying to force the whole 'Alpha male thing on you was Hyena spirit. It just gave me the guts to kiss you. " Buffy's mind raced back all those years and her lips, and body, remembered the fires it had built up in her until the Hyena Spirit pushed beyond what she was willing to do." You're insane Xander. Besides that was years ago and we've both been through a lot since then." Xander shrugged." Oh well . I guess if you're too scared then we'll never know." I just came by to tell you I'll be leaving by the end of the week. " he glances over his shoulder at her." I don't think I can stomach another round of ' watch the Slayer freak out over another dead boy' so I'm going to cut my losses and book the hell out of this berg!" " What? You can't have me so you're going to abandon your friends?" " Friends?" Xander held up his arms." In case you've had a mental block Buffy Willow and Tara are into their own thing while you are side tracked by big ,blond and baffling. Hell the only people that have ever given me the time of day is Dawn and.." Buffy cuts in." Anya! I could have bet good money she was involved in this!" " Yeah! Well she's more than just involved in this Buffy. We're engaged and as soon as we're far enough away from here we're getting married!" Xander walked closer to Buffy as she struggled to get her emotions in check. Anya's heart was as high as a kite when she overheard Xander." Now I know nothing can stand in our way!" She held the ring up to the street light and almost broke into song until she remembered she couldn't carry a note in a bucket. She edged the door open so she could gloat when the sight that befell her eyes shattered her world. Buffy had grabbed Xander and they were kissing as if their lives depended on it. Both failed to hear Anya's sob as she ran from the store, stopping only to wrench the ring from her finger and throw it at the slightly ajar door." Damn you Harris! Damn you to hell!" She cried out at the pair. Xander broke the kiss as he thought he heard Anya's cry and turned towards the door. While Buffy almost moaned at the separation , she felt as if her soul was ripped in two as they moved apart. Buffy sucked her bottom lip as if her body needed to feel his taste to the last." WOW!" She exclaimed." That was ... Amazing!" Xander grinned." And that's just my mouth!" He was about to rejoin her when his eyes spotted the ring; he walked over to the open door and bent down to pick it up. His eyes widened and he cried out." ANYA!" He turned to Buffy." I can't let it end like this!" " She'll be fine once she's calmed down Xander, give me a minute and I'll help you." " No I have to find her before she does something stupid... God how could I have been so stupid." " What? How can you say that? I thought you loved me!" " I do! But she deserved better than what she got Buffy!" He left the shop telling her." I'm cursed! I must be! Just when I thought I had everything I wanted you finally take notice of me and I dump her for you!" END OF 1