AUTHOR: Goddess Isa
MAIL: goddessisa@aol.com
SUMMARY: Xander, Buffy and Willow share their last Slayerette moments before Buffy leaves for Northwestern
SPOILER: Choices, sort of Graduation Day 1 & 2
DISTRIBUTION: Sure, just email me & lmk where it's going - I like seeing my name in print =)
FEEDBACK: Please, I'd hate to have to Slay for it. =P
RATING: TV-14| DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters, Joss Whedon does. If he ever decides to give them to me, that would be nice. =)
"Buffy, this is really you?" Willow asked, looking at an old Polaroid.
"Yep, I was about eight, at the Little Miss Starship School Pageant. I took first place but gave up my crown when I won Little Miss Carlton County. Then I quit pageants all together."
"Until ninth grade," Xander said mischievously, holding up another photo.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Looking back on these things, they don't seem so bad but I remember everyone gave my parents hell for letting me be in them and then when I won they were all appreciative of me."
"I never wanted to be in pageants." Willow said. "My parents brought me up to think they were horrible....so actually, I should've wanted to be in pageants. Maybe I should be in one now. Do you think I'm too old?"
"I hear the Brainiacs need a pretty spokes model." Xander joked. "I'll send them your picture."
"You know," Buffy said, adding a picture of herself in her skating attire to the collage. "We've got a huge blank spot on the far left, Xander."
"What?" he played innocent.
"Buffy and I have been embarrassing ourselves for an hour, now it's your turn."
"No, that's okay. Let's just make this a you and Will thing."
"We agreed. Three Musketeers." Willow said.
"Three Slayerettes," Buffy corrected.
"I like that better," Xander said.
"Then pull out the pictures." Willow said sweetly.
Xander groaned but pulled a pile of pictures out of his shirt pocket. "Don't look too hard at them," he said. "They're not very clear."
"That's 'cause you drew on them!" Willow held up one in which Xander had purple hair and yellow eyes.
"Oh my God, Xander you wore braces!" Buffy said, looking closely at a picture.
"Not something I brag about," he said, blushing a bit for some reason he couldn't explain.
"I think all the pain paid off." Willow said. "You've got a nice smile."
He blushed again, redder this time. "Th-thanks."
Buffy caught it and glanced at Willow, but it flew over her head so she took this opportunity to sigh. "I can't believe I'll be gone in a few days."
"I can't believe you're going at all." Xander said. "You're breaking up the group."
"Cordelia broke up the group." Willow stated. "Well, actually, Angel left first. Then Cordy."
"Then Oz," Xander said pointedly. Buffy shot him a Look but it flew over his head.
"You guys will be it," Buffy said sadly. "The last two Slayerettes of Sunnydale."
"And Giles," Willow said hopefully. "We'll still have Giles."
"And Nina," Xander made a face. "She sucks as a Slayer."
"That she does," Buffy agreed. "Of course, compared to Faith..."
The others looked at her.
"She sucks as a Slayer." Buffy finished. Faith may've been crazy, but she got the job done when it came to the Slaying. All Nina ever did was run.
"I'm really gonna miss this," Willow said.
"My room?" Buffy asked. "Don't worry, I'm sure my mom'll let you come over and visit it anytime you want to."
"I mean this. Us. Together."
"Me too," Xander said, touching each girls' hands.
"Me three," Buffy finished. "I never would've made it in Sunnydale without you guys."
"Neither would we." Willow said.
They formed a three way group hug right there on her bedroom floor, then finally broke apart.
"You know," Xander said. "All this reminiscing reminds me of what you and Jesse and I used to do back in junior high." he kept shooting Buffy little winks as he spoke. Finally she caught on and winked back.
Willow looked from Xander to Buffy to Xander again. "No. No."
"TICKLE ATTACK!" he shouted and he and the Slayer dove at Willow.
"Stop, I give, I give, I give!" she shouted while laughing hysterically. She sat back up and smoothed her hair. "I so did not deserve that."
"Everyone deserves a tickle attack now and then." Buffy said. She looked at Xander. "But don't get any ideas."
"When do you leave again?" Willow asked, bringing their mood back to the sadness level.
"Eight days," she said. She looked around her room. "You know, you guys are gonna have to help me pack."
"Aw man," Xander made a face. "I hate packing."
Buffy and Willow took their opportunity on his moment of weakness and pounced.
*****
"This is our last pizza," Xander proclaimed. "The last one in Sunnydale, anyway." the next day, Xander would drive Buffy and Willow and all Buffy's stuff to Chicago. They were making a weekend road trip of it, stopping at various important shopping locations along the way. They were having a sleepover of sorts on Buffy's living room floor since they were leaving so early the next morning. Joyce was away on business and would fly into Chicago later in the week to help get Buffy settled in before classes started.
"I can't believe it," Buffy said. "I saw Giles today for what may very well be the last time until Christmas."
"You're not coming back for Homecoming?"
She shrugged. "I guess. It's not like I'd go to the dance. At least not the one in Chicago. Maybe if I went here with you guys..."
"All for one and one for all?" Willow guessed.
"Definitely." Xander said. "Not everything has to change."
The girls smiled their agreement.
"You know," he mused. "Maybe we should all move to Chicago. Try the simple life. No Hellmouth, no vampires..."
"You're living in the past, Xander." Willow said.
"Isn't it fun to pretend?" he asked. "It's sort of like Anywhere But Here, only we're still here."
"We'll always be here," Buffy said. "In heart if not soul."
Her Slayerettes smiled, knowing she was right. Then they tackled her for another tickle attack.