1630 Revello Drive
Entering the house, Buffy and Tara headed towards the backyard to inspect the scene.
When they got out there, Buffy saw the pool of blood staining the green grass. "I wonder how he was able to escape." Buffy tilted her head slightly to the side, eying the bloodstained grass.
"H—he was pretty well versed in magic… so maybe…"
"Makes sense." Buffy lifted her eyes to Tara and asked, "Is there a way to bind a person from using magic?"
Tara thought for a moment then said, "There is. I have the ingredients in the bedroom. I just need something of his…" she held out her hand and the bullet appeared in her palm. "Willow and I can bind whatever power he has right now."
"Good. Thank you," Buffy held her arms around her body. She looked back at the house for a moment thinking of Xander. The entire car ride back from the hospital, Xander had her hand in a clutch, refusing to let go of her. But that wasn't what worried Buffy, it was his silence. She could feel the wheels ticking in his mind and it did not put her at ease. "I'm worried about Xander."
"He was really worried about you," Tara said. "I don't think I've ever seen him that scared before. We were all talking one minute and then… you were on the ground the next."
"There was a time—not too long ago, I would've welcomed… death." Buffy said and turned her eyes to Tara. "I would've gladly given myself just to feel that peace again. But," she looked away and at her hands, "now…" Buffy smiled to herself, "… I don't want to die." She admitted softly to Tara. "I want to see everyone happy again. I want to see Dawn grow up. The woman she'll become will be beautiful and powerful. I'm sure of it."
Tara smiled watching the Slayer's aura glow a magnificent shade of yellow.
"I want the visions," Buffy said with a serene smile. Tara frowned unsure what Buffy had meant but she did not interrupt. "For the first time in my life, I can honestly and truly see myself with… children and—and a husband... Living some semblance of a normal life."
"And you'll have that—"
"—Buffy!" Willow ran out onto the porch with fear in her blue eyes.
Buffy and Tara whirled around to face the redhead.
"Xander's gone."
Having a good idea of where Xander had disappeared to, Buffy felt herself panic knowing if he did something terribly drastic, he'll never be the same again.
Willie's Bar
Entering the dank rundown bar in a pair of shades he swiped from a vendor on the way to the bar and still wearing his county jail jumper, Warren walked into the demon bar feeling pretty good about himself, except none of the demons in the bar took notice of him.
There are demons sitting in booths, another at the pool table, a small group sat in the corner playing kitten poker. It was a typical late afternoon and all of the usual patrons sat around the bar.
Warren bellied up to the bar and slapped his hand down getting Willie's attention. "Whiskey, straight up."
Willie raised his brows and wiped his hands with a rag.
"And get around for the house. I'm feeling expansive."
"Are you, uh, sure you have the money, pal?" Willie asked eyeing the county jail uniform.
Warren took out the handgun from his pocket and placed it in front of him. He looked Willie straight in the eyes and said, "I have the money. Now," he waved his fingers, "get me the whiskey for me and my friends." Warren looked at the demon sitting beside him.
The demon growled and continued to watch the television.
Warren turned his head to the other side of him and took the remote from a vampire's hand.
"I'm watching my program." The vampire whined.
"Wouldn't want to interrupt your 'me' time. Not even to buy the guy who killed the Slayer a drink?" Warren turned in his stool facing the patrons with a triumphant grin on his face.
"What's that?" A demon from the booth asked with interest.
Warren smirked feeling his full bravado return. "Took her out myself." He tossed eyes around to the demons eyeing him sceptically. "I've been heading an organization—the Trio? I'm sure you've heard of us."
The demons glared at Warren impatiently.
"Not important," Warren waved his hand. "I cut them loose when I escaped from jail. I figure, now that Buffy's out of the picture—things are gonna change around here. I need a real gang, not a couple of wannabes."
A large demon sitting at the other end of the bar chuckled and said, "You killed the Slayer?"
"With these hands," Warren held up his hands with a dark smile.
"What are you—a warlock?" The demon asked.
Warren shook his head and laughed, "Funny you mention that. I've explored all the dark arts, witchcraft, demonology—magic is how I escaped from jail." He turned his eyes to Willie, "… You name it, I tried it against the Slayer. But you know what I found really works?" He turned eyes to the gun, set in front of him, "Gun."
Willie twitched and smiled with disbelief, "You mean to tell me—all of us, that you killed the Slayer with a gun?"
"In her own backyard. Don't underestimate science, my friend. Good old fashioned metal meets propulsion." Warren laughed proud of his achievement.
The demons sitting in the booths chuckled and muttered to each other, "This oughta be good."
"This town is ours!" Warren slapped his hands over the bar counter energized from his triumph.
The vampire eyed the human up and down shaking his head, "Ours, maybe. You are screwed."
"Metal meets propulsion, yeah." The demon at the end of bar laughed, "But you better be a good shot!"
Warren frowned as the demons in the bar laughed at him. "This… isn't the evil laugh of victory—is it?"
"Uh, it's, uh more like the, uh, evil laugh of 'you're a dead man'," Willie shook his head and continued to dry the freshly washed glasses.
"Okay," Warren tried to laugh along still not understanding the joke. "What's the joke?"
The demon at the end of the bar pointed to the television and said, "It was just on the news. A girl was shot in her backyard." The demon smiled, "She survived. She's at the hospital."
Warren's expression fell with realization.
"Slayers heal fast—real fast." The demon looked past Warren. "But I don't think the Slayer is gonna be your only worry…"
Warren suddenly felt someone standing behind him. He started to slowly turn around when a man's hand went to the back of his head and slammed his face onto the bar counter.
Falling off of the stool, Warren shook the pain and dizziness from his head but did not get a chance to fully recover. The man's boot stomped into his chest then into his stomach.
Coughing for breath, Warren lifted his eyes to see Xander hovering over him. Xander glared at the weak man in furry blazed in his dark eyes. He picked Warren up by the front of his shirt and slammed his fist repeatedly into Warren's face until his nose cracked.
"Hey, man, I don't allow fighting in my bar—It's, uh, bad for the ambience," Willie said looking over the bar to see Xander throw Warren back down onto the floor. Willie winced to see blood from Warren's nose and mouth stain his floor. "Awe, crap." He frowned and went to get the mop.
The demons in the bar stood. One of the demons went to the back door leading the fight towards the alleyway. The demon held open the heavy door. Xander swiped the handgun left on the countertop and stuck it between his belt and pants behind his back. He gripped his hand around Warren's throat then dragged him out into the alleyway.
Main Street
Buffy raced down the active street in search of Xander.
She paused standing in the centre and looked around. The sidewalks were filled with people going from shop to shop. Buffy faced the movie theatre, seeing a steady flow of people entering and leaving. Her eyes then went down another street catching the 'Willie's Bar' sign hanging over the door.
Buffy sprinted in that direction.
Willie's Bar
Storming into the bar, the demons sitting at the bar counter, booths, tables, and playing at the pool table looked up to the Vampire Slayer.
Buffy's chest heaved and looked around. She noticed blood on the floor and Willie coming out of the back supply room with a mop and bucket in hand.
"Outback, Slayer." Willie gestured towards the back door.
Walking across the bar in long strides her eyes were focused on one thing and one thing only. She didn't even notice the demon that opened the back door for her.
Alleyway
Buffy looked to her right then to left and felt her heart jump into her throat.
Xander stood in front of Warren, holding him up by the front his shirt with one hand and a gun pointed at Warren's head in the other.
Warren's head hung weak and bloody from the beating he just received from Xander. He could barely stand. He tried to use the few magic tricks he knew but they did not work. It seemed Xander only grew stronger as his fists nailed into his body.
He heard the hammer click and Warren knew, this would be it. He wasn't even killed by the Slayer. He would be killed by the Slayer's boyfriend. Pathetic. Warren felt disgraced.
"Xander," Buffy called out his name.
Xander's shoulders flinched but he did not budge the handgun aimed between Warren's eyes.
"Xander," Buffy cautiously approached him, knowing full well at this moment the man she loved was on a full rampage. He could only see red. "Xander," her voice became gentler.
She watched the muscles of his arm clench, his jaw tighten, and his nostrils flared as he hesitated to pull the trigger. He eyes were glued on Warren and his finger was stiff on the trigger.
"This isn't the way," Buffy told with a soft and soothing voice.
"He almost killed you." Xander swallowed.
Buffy stood closely beside him turning her eyes from the bloody mess Warren was then to her boyfriend, "But he didn't."
"He was so close." His chest heaved with fury. "He… he almost took you away from me."
"I'm right here. Xander, look at me," Buffy gently demanded patiently. "Look at me."
After a moment, Xander turned his chin to look down at her and swallowed. Buffy had never seen that look in his eyes. He was engulfed with mad rage and heartbreak of almost losing the woman he loved.
"I'm right here." She placed her hand on his shoulder and repeated herself, "I'm right here. I didn't go anywhere. No one took me away from you."
His chin quivered. He tried to desperately focus his eyes on Buffy standing beside him but the images of her laying on her back, soaked with blood on the edge of death flooded his mind. He turned his head back to Warren and tightened his grip.
"No—no, baby, look at me." She kept her voice even in fear of startling him into something he'd regret later.
"H—he's a murderer." Xander glared at Warren.
"No," Buffy shook her head. "He's not—And neither are you. But you will be if you pull that trigger." She looked at him and said, "I can't lose you, Xander. I need you. I need you to show me the life you saw for us." The hand that was gently on his shoulder slid down to his forearm. "Put the gun down." Her hand then settled on his wrist. "Put the gun down," she repeated.
Slowly, Xander lowered his arm holding the handgun and removed his tight grip holding the front of Warren's shirt.
Xander's arms hung at his sides. He watched as Warren swayed back and forth, trying to stay on his feet. The blood dripped from the wounds decorating Warren's face. In a flash, Xander's whacked the butt of the gun into the side of Warren's head knocking him out cold. Warren fell to the ground, unconscious.
He placed the handgun on the top of stacked crates and took a deep breath feeling himself calm down.
Buffy watched him carefully as he ran a hand through his dark hair as he faced her. He cupped her cheek and Buffy leaned into his touch. Xander took a small step and dipped his head down, resting his forehead against hers. His jaw clenched, feeling his throat close up with emotion. Her hands went to his biceps then gently slid around his shoulders then cupped the back of his neck.
They stood like that for a long time. Neither of them felt the need to move or speak. Just needing to feel the closeness and to listen to the breaths entering and leaving their bodies, which meant life.
Xander's Apartment
Somehow, without realizing it, Buffy and Xander arrived back to Xander's apartment after dropping Warren back off at the police station. Well, using her supernatural strength, Buffy more or less, tossed an unconscious Warren through the station's double doors at the police officers feet.
For just a little while, Buffy and Xander aimlessly walked around the town. He wasn't feeling talkative but he refused to let go of Buffy's hand. Xander held it tightly in his own. Buffy knew better than to try to force someone to talk when they were clearly not in the mood. She kept her thoughts to herself and did not try to push Xander into trying to talk about his emotions or thoughts.
They walk around the town in complete silence after dropping Warren off at the police station and somehow standing the centre of Xander's small apartment was all just one ginormous blur.
Standing in the dark apartment where the only light source was a bright street lamp outside. Buffy and Xander stared at each other in total silence.
Xander's eyes moved around her face for a moment until his hand cupped her cheek. Needing that reassurance that she was real and alive. He felt the life drain of out her today, it was stained on his hands. Almost losing Buffy today, shook him to his core. They were finally together, in love, envisioning a future together, and then suddenly, in an instant, all of that was almost taken away.
Buffy leaned into his touch and placed her hands on his chest.
His hand that cupped her cheek slid into her hair. Xander took a step closer to her and craned his neck low. Buffy tilted her chin upwards to meet his kiss.
Slowly, her hands came up from his chest and around his neck as she sunk into the kiss. Xander's tongue gently caressed her lips, tasting the residue of her lipgloss she had applied earlier that day. Her lips parted, granting him the access to deepen the kiss.
Her fingers tenderly ran through his hair. Xander lightly stroked her back as he leaned into her, overcome by his desire and his need to be with her. His hands firmly grabbed her at her sides and held her tightly against him.
Buffy's hands dropped from its entanglement in his dark hair and travelled down his shoulders, forearms, then his wrists. She broke the kiss much to his disappointment.
She looked at him taking his hand and led him to the bedroom.
Once through the threshold of the bedroom, Xander whirled her back around and into him. His mouth covered hers. His hands roamed her back. His kiss was wild and demanding.
"Slower," Buffy whispered against his mouth. She gently broke the kiss and looked at him, holding his face in her hands. "Slower," she told him again and gently brushed her lips over his mouth.
Xander clenched his aching need for her and did as was instructed.
They took their time, kissing and pulling at each other's clothing until they were both standing nude. Xander veered his mouth from hers and created his own path down her neck then over her collarbone.
Buffy ran her hands over Xander's well-muscled arms with appreciation. She had noticed him becoming leaner with a muscular build. The weights placed in the corner of the apartment was a strong indicator that Xander was beefing up in order to keep up with her, at least that's what Buffy figured. She never understood all of his insecurities that have suddenly come into light the last few weeks. She didn't fully understand why he felt the need to try to change parts of himself in order to be with her, for example, his wardrobe. But instead of confronting it head-on, like she tried before, Buffy decided to just let it be. She made no demands on him to change himself, but if it made him happy, then, who was she to stand in the way? But she often wondered if that decision was somehow going to come up and bite her in the future.
Pushing away her thoughts, Buffy decided to concentrate on what was in front of her, right now. Xander, naked and eager to be with her.
She took a step back, keeping him close. Buffy stepped back until the back of her ankles hit the side of the mattress.
Without missing a beat, Buffy and Xander found themselves over the mattress. Their limbs entangled, their mouths mated desperately, the aching of wanting to take their time quickly became overruled by the demand to be intimately joined.
Xander opened his eyes and his ears perked, hearing her breath hitch in her throat when he entered her. He lifted his chin to meet her gaze and felt her breath on his face. He moved inside of her in a primal way. Instead of working towards a release, they just moved, their bodies lazily slid against each other. Xander listened to her breathing and watched the light coming from outside the bedroom window reflect in her eyes.
He slowly thrusts in and out of her welcoming body. Xander rested his forehead against hers but kept his eyes open and focused on hers.
In the end, nature took its course and Xander's lazy thrusts sped up. He reached down between them and caressed her nubbin, wanting her to achieve her sweet release first. Never invincible to her powerful muscles surrounding him, Xander spilt his seed deep inside of her then collapsed over her.
Their breaths were heavy as they calmed down.
Xander's face buried in her neck, breathing in her lingering perfume. Buffy gently stroked her fingernails over his back, creating invisible patterns.
"I'm crushing you," Xander mumbled into her neck without moving from his position.
A small smile tugged at her lips, "I like it." Buffy whispered, enjoying his weight over her. "You're like my own, Xander-blanket."
"Fuzzy and warm?"
Buffy's smile widened, "More like muscle-bound and protective."
She closed her eyes feeling his lips kiss the side of her neck. Her fingers once again found themselves weaved into his dark hair, keeping his head at her neck.
Never had she ever experienced what she and Xander had just done. The closest passionate experience she's had that could be equivalent to this was with Angel. What had just been shared was raw, fundamental, erotic, and desperate. She needed Xander. She needed to feel secured by him and reminded of the love she felt for him. She needed that reassurance that he was still with her. After everything with Warren, she just needed Xander to be her Xander again.
After a while, Xander moved off of her and to her side. He sat up for a moment, pulling the bed sheet over their naked bodies then laid back down on his side. His arm snuck under her shoulders. Buffy adjusted herself to lay on the inside of his arm, facing him on her side.
Her eyes wandered over this face. His dark eyes were unblinking and focused on her. Buffy lifted her hand and caressed the backs of her fingers down his cheek, to his chin, and traced the long line of his bottom lip with the pad of her thumb. She leaned forward and touched her mouth to his.
She closed her eyes when his fingers toyed with her hair and smiled softly when she felt his lips against her forehead.
"Tell me about them."
Xander didn't have to ask about the 'them' she was referring to. With a tugging lopsided smirk, Xander broke his long silence and said, "Josh was always so curious. He's so smart. He likes to scour all around the beach to find unusual seashells. He'll later look up all the shells he found that day on the internet—learn everything there is to know about them and then give us a lesson or two about it." He watched her smile grow.
With this free hand, he took Buffy's hand let his fingers dance around hers.
"Sarah would get so annoyed because she also learned everything there is to about the seashells but Josh usually beat her to the punch on giving us the 'lesson'. But you were always so good with her. After Josh, you begged Sarah to tell you about the seashells. Everything she would tell us, Josh already did, but you always pretended it was the first time you ever heard it. It would make her smile, 'cause you made her so happy by playing dumb." He laughed.
"I'm really good at playing dumb," Buffy interjected looking down at their hands.
Xander chuckled pressing his mouth against her forehead, "Our little girl appreciates it." He muttered.
Drawing her head back to look at him, Buffy lifted her gaze from his softly smiling lips to his face. She leaned forward, delicately touching her lips to his before settling back down to comfortably lay on his arm. She dragged his free arm to drape across her mid-section as she buried herself under her very own, Xander-blanket. Xander kissed her blonde hair and happily held her close.
"Tell me more about them," Buffy muttered under her Xander-blanket.
Xander held up his head by his hand and smiled, "Josh has this joke about a goldfish without a tail…" Buffy happily listened to the deep sound of Xander's voice as he animatedly told her stories about their future children and the adventures they'd have. Whether the stories were true from his visions or made up on the spot, Buffy didn't care. She wanted this future. She wanted the stories he's told her to come true.