TITLE: This Could Happen
AUTHOR: Rick
E-MAIL: rsieber20012002@yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER: All the Buffy characters belong to Josh Whedon and others.
SUMMARY: The title...B\X of course.
*** WARNING!!! SPOILER FOR THIS SEASON, FOLLOWS TIMELINE OF SHOW!!!!
Xander felt a little guilty. The First was ever present. Most of what he and his friends did revolved around that. But, this was an accident actually. They still had to pay normal bills so Xander did have to spend some time at work. He was the boss and mostly gave instructions over the phone but he had to show up on sight from time to time. The sister of his foreman showed up one day with some lunch for her brother. Xander had to entertain her because he sent the man on an errand during lunch time. Patrice was a very beautiful woman. Her blonde hair hung in waves from her head down past her shoulders. Her eyes invited you to share a pleasant moment in her company. Her friendliness was very appealing. Their was nothing foreboding or depressing about her gaze, no dark past or deadly future lingering in her touch. Yes, her touch. From that meeting a few weeks ago there have been a few lunches and quite a few late nights. Xander can't help it. Patrice is very loving and comforting. She knows how to make him feel very wanted and normal even. Buffy wasn't the only one who craved normalcy at times. Practically shut out from the group he took pleasure where ever he found it. Right now Patrice was the best thing in his life. And, from her words and actions he knew he was the best for her also. Okay, so she didn't know anything about the night, about Sunnydale at night. She never heard of the first, or Adam or the Key or anything else going on around her when the sun went down. But, damn it, they were good together. And, as Xander looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, it was time to let the others in on it. And to let Patrice in on some of what he was about. When he went downstairs he saw Dawn first.
"Hey, Dawnie, listen...I met somebody, I won't be home for dinner tonight."
"Oh, that's cool, Xander, but...you still love us right?" Xander has to laugh. He puts his arm around her affectionately.
"Dawn, you especially have nothing to worry about. Patrice is nice but she's not a Summer's girl."
Willow catches the last part of the conversation. "Who's not a Summer's girl?"
"Patrice, I met someone I'm going out with."
Before Willow can react Buffy gets into the conversation. "Did I hear you flirting with my baby sister again?"
Buffy looks at Willow who seems as if she's heard some real bad news. She looks back to Xander.
"What did you say to Willow to get her all...well, like that?"
"Nothing Buff...I just told her I met someone and I won't be home tonight."
"What do you mean you met someone?"
Xander lets out with a nervous laugh. "Buff...you know, met someone as in: someone of the opposite sex, or same sex, that I find attractive."
Buffy can't help herself. She looks at Xander hard for a minute. For some reason she feels hurt. She recovers but still doesn't like it.
"That's ridiculous, Xander!"
Willow is over her shock. Her attention is turned to Buffy now who seems very upset. Xander shakes his head.
"I don't understand?"
Buffy sees all eyes on her so she tries to make her objection less personal.
"Xander, that's totally irresponsible with everything that's going on around here. Don't you care about us anymore?" "Buff, my whole life is you...us...everybody here. If you want to get down to it you're the one who forgets the rest of us."
Ah oh...here we go.
"What is that suppose to mean, Xander?"
Xander tries to soften what he said. He approaches Buffy, trying to put his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't touch me Xander, just tell me what you mean?"
"Buff, I don't want to get into this here, in front of everyone."
"You said it in front of everyone, now finish it."
"All I said was I met a very nice woman. We like each other. I'm spending the night..."
Buffy interrupts him. "The night? You're already sleeping with her, Xander?"
"Come on Buff, since when are you interested in where I spend the night? I sleep at night, wrong species for you."
Willow has to comment on this. "That is very harsh, Xander!"
This inflames the Slayer. She goes toe to toe with him.
"You son of a bitch! What I do with my life is my business. At least I'm not playing house with a bimbo while my friends sweat over the end of the world!"
Now they're both in a zone.
"Oh no, all you're doing is playing rough house with a half souled, half chipped freak while we try to keep your pitiful life together for you!"
Buffy grabs Xander roughly by the shirt. He doesn't even flinch. Nobody can get her as upset as Xander.
"You're real close to going on your ass here Xander."
"Bullshit, Buffy, hit me...go ahead, you need me a lot more than I need you right now. Push us all away. You're alone remember? Want me to call Spike, or how about Angel? You and him can do the rumba together, hey then we can have Angelus again, wouldn't that be fun? Throw him into the mix."
That was it, Buffy took enough from him. She swings her fist and connects with the side of his face. Even before she is finished she realizes she made a big mistake. The blow sends Xander crashing into the phone table shattering it.
He gets up without even touching his bloody lip. He goes right back to a now stunned Buffy.
"Xander....I'm..."
He interrupts her.
"You're pathetic, do you know that?"
He starts to leave but comes back to her.
"You're not going to believe this but this is more for you than it is for me."
He proceeds to slap her in the face. Not hard but just enough to shock her. He then turns to Dawn.
"Like I said honey. I won't be home tonight. I'll call to check on things."
No one says a word as the door slams. Buffy is holding her face where Xander slapped her. Tears are falling down her cheeks. Finally Willow goes to her. She looks at the Witch.
"Xander slapped me. He...he slapped me in the face, Willow." Willow sighs before answering. "I know, Buffy, and you hit him, you hit Xander!"
"I know Willow, but he...he slapped me. I thought he...I thought he loved me."
Dawn goes over to her. "Ah sis, wake up! You used him to break the telephone table remember? He only slapped you so you wouldn't feel so guilty about hitting him. He thinks about you until the end, the fool!"
Buffy is still in shock. She goes to her bedroom to cry. She doesn't even know what just happened. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*** WARNING!!! SPOILER FOR THIS SEASON, FOLLOWS TIMELINE OF SHOW!!!!
Xander felt a little guilty. The First was ever present. Most of what he and his friends did revolved around that. But, this was an accident actually. They still had to pay normal bills so Xander did have to spend some time at work. He was the boss and mostly gave instructions over the phone but he had to show up on sight from time to time. The sister of his foreman showed up one day with some lunch for her brother. Xander had to entertain her because he sent the man on an errand during lunch time. Patrice was a very beautiful woman. Her blonde hair hung in waves from her head down past her shoulders. Her eyes invited you to share a pleasant moment in her company. Her friendliness was very appealing. Their was nothing foreboding or depressing about her gaze, no dark past or deadly future lingering in her touch. Yes, her touch. From that meeting a few weeks ago there have been a few lunches and quite a few late nights. Xander can't help it. Patrice is very loving and comforting. She knows how to make him feel very wanted and normal even. Buffy wasn't the only one who craved normalcy at times. Practically shut out from the group he took pleasure where ever he found it. Right now Patrice was the best thing in his life. And, from her words and actions he knew he was the best for her also. Okay, so she didn't know anything about the night, about Sunnydale at night. She never heard of the first, or Adam or the Key or anything else going on around her when the sun went down. But, damn it, they were good together. And, as Xander looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, it was time to let the others in on it. And to let Patrice in on some of what he was about. When he went downstairs he saw Dawn first.
"Hey, Dawnie, listen...I met somebody, I won't be home for dinner tonight."
"Oh, that's cool, Xander, but...you still love us right?" Xander has to laugh. He puts his arm around her affectionately.
"Dawn, you especially have nothing to worry about. Patrice is nice but she's not a Summer's girl."
Willow catches the last part of the conversation. "Who's not a Summer's girl?"
"Patrice, I met someone I'm going out with."
Before Willow can react Buffy gets into the conversation. "Did I hear you flirting with my baby sister again?"
Buffy looks at Willow who seems as if she's heard some real bad news. She looks back to Xander.
"What did you say to Willow to get her all...well, like that?"
"Nothing Buff...I just told her I met someone and I won't be home tonight."
"What do you mean you met someone?"
Xander lets out with a nervous laugh. "Buff...you know, met someone as in: someone of the opposite sex, or same sex, that I find attractive."
Buffy can't help herself. She looks at Xander hard for a minute. For some reason she feels hurt. She recovers but still doesn't like it.
"That's ridiculous, Xander!"
Willow is over her shock. Her attention is turned to Buffy now who seems very upset. Xander shakes his head.
"I don't understand?"
Buffy sees all eyes on her so she tries to make her objection less personal.
"Xander, that's totally irresponsible with everything that's going on around here. Don't you care about us anymore?" "Buff, my whole life is you...us...everybody here. If you want to get down to it you're the one who forgets the rest of us."
Ah oh...here we go.
"What is that suppose to mean, Xander?"
Xander tries to soften what he said. He approaches Buffy, trying to put his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't touch me Xander, just tell me what you mean?"
"Buff, I don't want to get into this here, in front of everyone."
"You said it in front of everyone, now finish it."
"All I said was I met a very nice woman. We like each other. I'm spending the night..."
Buffy interrupts him. "The night? You're already sleeping with her, Xander?"
"Come on Buff, since when are you interested in where I spend the night? I sleep at night, wrong species for you."
Willow has to comment on this. "That is very harsh, Xander!"
This inflames the Slayer. She goes toe to toe with him.
"You son of a bitch! What I do with my life is my business. At least I'm not playing house with a bimbo while my friends sweat over the end of the world!"
Now they're both in a zone.
"Oh no, all you're doing is playing rough house with a half souled, half chipped freak while we try to keep your pitiful life together for you!"
Buffy grabs Xander roughly by the shirt. He doesn't even flinch. Nobody can get her as upset as Xander.
"You're real close to going on your ass here Xander."
"Bullshit, Buffy, hit me...go ahead, you need me a lot more than I need you right now. Push us all away. You're alone remember? Want me to call Spike, or how about Angel? You and him can do the rumba together, hey then we can have Angelus again, wouldn't that be fun? Throw him into the mix."
That was it, Buffy took enough from him. She swings her fist and connects with the side of his face. Even before she is finished she realizes she made a big mistake. The blow sends Xander crashing into the phone table shattering it.
He gets up without even touching his bloody lip. He goes right back to a now stunned Buffy.
"Xander....I'm..."
He interrupts her.
"You're pathetic, do you know that?"
He starts to leave but comes back to her.
"You're not going to believe this but this is more for you than it is for me."
He proceeds to slap her in the face. Not hard but just enough to shock her. He then turns to Dawn.
"Like I said honey. I won't be home tonight. I'll call to check on things."
No one says a word as the door slams. Buffy is holding her face where Xander slapped her. Tears are falling down her cheeks. Finally Willow goes to her. She looks at the Witch.
"Xander slapped me. He...he slapped me in the face, Willow." Willow sighs before answering. "I know, Buffy, and you hit him, you hit Xander!"
"I know Willow, but he...he slapped me. I thought he...I thought he loved me."
Dawn goes over to her. "Ah sis, wake up! You used him to break the telephone table remember? He only slapped you so you wouldn't feel so guilty about hitting him. He thinks about you until the end, the fool!"
Buffy is still in shock. She goes to her bedroom to cry. She doesn't even know what just happened. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~