By Dave.Mycock Instincts
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or any of the other characters. They belong to Joss Weadon.
Paring: Xander/Tara, Xander/Faith (friendship maybe romance)
Summary: Faith didn't turn evil in season three and helped defeat the mayor; she joins Xander on his road trip however neither returns in season 4 but decide to stay in L.A. While there, Xander begins to undergo a change. His senses become acute and he becomes much stronger than ever before, he also begins to act more on his instincts than anything else. Back in Sunnydale Willow meets Tara and gets her involved in the slaying and soon they both fall in love with each other; however, she seems to be hiding something from her friends.
I'd like to thank my beta, Grossclout, for all his help
*****
Xander sat looking out over the former hidden demon's camp as the sun rose; he had freed the survivors of his race. They would no longer be hunted by the demons, however now they had to decide what they should do. The hard part was they were all looking to him to make the decision; they all seemed to treat him now as the leader of the renewed tribe.
"You ok Xan?" he heard Faith's voice behind him.
"I don't know what to do now Faith, they all want me to make a huge decision for them as if I'm a leader," Xander replied.
"To them you are," she replied as she sat next to him.
"I had two objectives here Faith; rescue my sister and Tara, and destroy the demons, that was all," Xander told her as he faced her.
"Maybe Xan, but in their eyes, your victory proved you are the strongest of them all, which gives you the right to lead them, or that's how Sara explained it to me," Faith shot back.
"Great, I didn't come here to become a leader; we came looking for answers to what was happening to me remember?" he sighed.
"And we found them and a whole lot more," Faith said with a smile.
****
Sara looked up to where Xander and Faith sat talking; she guessed he wasn't too sure of his new role. She turned as Eric walked up with Jenny close behind.
"What do you think he'll do?" Eric wondered.
"He'll stay, I'm sure of it. However I don't think Tara will. Her feelings are very mixed up between Xander and Willow," Sara said with a shake of her head.
"Guess we'll just have to wait and see," Jenny said as she noticed Tara and Willow at the edge of the camp
****
Tara couldn't help but feel the confusion radiating off Xander as he tried to make a decision not just for himself, but for the survivors of their entire race. Her own feelings were too mixed up as well to be any real help to him; she didn't know what to do now that everything had been sorted. She loved Xander she was sure of it, but she also loved Willow still and she knew Willow still loved her no matter what had transpired. If she left Xander and her people to return to Sunnydale and stay with Willow, she wondered how Xander would react. She knew Faith would never leave his side; she loved him no matter how much she tried to hide it. She could sense it. Xander loved her too, but his feelings were buried deep inside.
"Tara?" she heard Willow ask hesitantly.
She turned to face her girlfriend, noting the lines of worry on her face. Willow didn't know what was running through her head. Would she stay with Xander or leave? She still didn't know herself.
"Give me a minute Will," she replied before turning away and looking at the rising sun.
****
Xander looked down from his position and noticed the outlines and Tara and Willow, he could feel how mixed up she felt. He shook his head, he had a feeling Tara would be going back with the gang.
"What's up?" he heard Faith ask.
"She'll go with them, it'll just be me and you again," he said.
"You don't know that, after everything that's happened do you really think she'll just leave you?" Faith asked.
"She still loves Willow, in fact she loves her more than she does me Faith, I can sense it clearly," he replied "It's over, she'll leave and I'll stay," he added standing up.
"I'll be staying as well, I'm not leaving you," Faith said standing up as well and grabbing his hand.
"Thanks, I don't know what I'd do without you," Xander said with a small smile.
****
Tara finally came to a decision, she would go back with the others for now, no matter how she felt about Xander and no matter that it had been arranged since they were three; she still loved Willow more.
"Willow," she said hesitantly.
Willow quickly looked up with fearful eyes. Tara hated to have put her through all this but it had been out of her hands.
"I'm going back with you," she told her quickly.
"What about Xander and your people?" Willow asked shocked but pleased that Tara still loved her.
"I loved you more I can't help it. As for my people, they have a leader now. Xander and Faith will be staying here," Tara answered looking up to where she could see Xander and Faith hands clasped. She smiled knowing they would meet again but for now they had to go their separate ways.
******
An hour later the two groups were standing at the gates to the former demon camp. Xander couldn't bring himself to smile as he came to the moment of truth to see if Tara would stay or go.
"Xander, are you sure about this?" Giles asked
"They need me, Giles; I'm sure," he replied shaking the older mans hand.
"We've already put the spell that hid this camp back up, you'll be safe," Wesley added.
"And for that we thank you, all of you for helping us put an end to this nightmare," Eric said stepping forward.
"You're welcome," Buffy said with a smile.
"Tara?" Sara asked fearing she and her daughter would be parting ways so soon after finding each other again.
"I'm sorry I can't stay, not at this moment," Tara said looking at both her mother and Xander.
"I didn't think you would," Xander said sadly. "You'll be welcome here anytime, all of you," he added as he stepped forward and hugged her before stepping back and kissing briefly he then turned and walked back into the camp.
Tara watched him go sensing his sadness radiate off him but she couldn't stay, no matter how much she might want to. She belonged with Willow right now. She faced Faith who stood watching her.
"Take care of him for me?" she asked quietly.
"No problem," she answered before turning and walking after Xander.
"He'll be ok, you just watch yourself out there," Sara said hugging her daughter.
"I will," Tara assured her before getting in the car with Willow and leaving the camp and her pre-mate behind, hoping she was doing the right thing.
****
Xander sat on the small hill near the camp as he sensed Tara leave his sensing range. He lowered his head and hoped he would one day see her again. Faith quickly joined him and brought him into a hug. Without saying anything, she kissed him slowly and allowed him to fall asleep. She would always be here for him, no matter what.
The End
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or any of the other characters. They belong to Joss Weadon.
Paring: Xander/Tara, Xander/Faith (friendship maybe romance)
Summary: Faith didn't turn evil in season three and helped defeat the mayor; she joins Xander on his road trip however neither returns in season 4 but decide to stay in L.A. While there, Xander begins to undergo a change. His senses become acute and he becomes much stronger than ever before, he also begins to act more on his instincts than anything else. Back in Sunnydale Willow meets Tara and gets her involved in the slaying and soon they both fall in love with each other; however, she seems to be hiding something from her friends.
I'd like to thank my beta, Grossclout, for all his help
*****
Xander sat looking out over the former hidden demon's camp as the sun rose; he had freed the survivors of his race. They would no longer be hunted by the demons, however now they had to decide what they should do. The hard part was they were all looking to him to make the decision; they all seemed to treat him now as the leader of the renewed tribe.
"You ok Xan?" he heard Faith's voice behind him.
"I don't know what to do now Faith, they all want me to make a huge decision for them as if I'm a leader," Xander replied.
"To them you are," she replied as she sat next to him.
"I had two objectives here Faith; rescue my sister and Tara, and destroy the demons, that was all," Xander told her as he faced her.
"Maybe Xan, but in their eyes, your victory proved you are the strongest of them all, which gives you the right to lead them, or that's how Sara explained it to me," Faith shot back.
"Great, I didn't come here to become a leader; we came looking for answers to what was happening to me remember?" he sighed.
"And we found them and a whole lot more," Faith said with a smile.
****
Sara looked up to where Xander and Faith sat talking; she guessed he wasn't too sure of his new role. She turned as Eric walked up with Jenny close behind.
"What do you think he'll do?" Eric wondered.
"He'll stay, I'm sure of it. However I don't think Tara will. Her feelings are very mixed up between Xander and Willow," Sara said with a shake of her head.
"Guess we'll just have to wait and see," Jenny said as she noticed Tara and Willow at the edge of the camp
****
Tara couldn't help but feel the confusion radiating off Xander as he tried to make a decision not just for himself, but for the survivors of their entire race. Her own feelings were too mixed up as well to be any real help to him; she didn't know what to do now that everything had been sorted. She loved Xander she was sure of it, but she also loved Willow still and she knew Willow still loved her no matter what had transpired. If she left Xander and her people to return to Sunnydale and stay with Willow, she wondered how Xander would react. She knew Faith would never leave his side; she loved him no matter how much she tried to hide it. She could sense it. Xander loved her too, but his feelings were buried deep inside.
"Tara?" she heard Willow ask hesitantly.
She turned to face her girlfriend, noting the lines of worry on her face. Willow didn't know what was running through her head. Would she stay with Xander or leave? She still didn't know herself.
"Give me a minute Will," she replied before turning away and looking at the rising sun.
****
Xander looked down from his position and noticed the outlines and Tara and Willow, he could feel how mixed up she felt. He shook his head, he had a feeling Tara would be going back with the gang.
"What's up?" he heard Faith ask.
"She'll go with them, it'll just be me and you again," he said.
"You don't know that, after everything that's happened do you really think she'll just leave you?" Faith asked.
"She still loves Willow, in fact she loves her more than she does me Faith, I can sense it clearly," he replied "It's over, she'll leave and I'll stay," he added standing up.
"I'll be staying as well, I'm not leaving you," Faith said standing up as well and grabbing his hand.
"Thanks, I don't know what I'd do without you," Xander said with a small smile.
****
Tara finally came to a decision, she would go back with the others for now, no matter how she felt about Xander and no matter that it had been arranged since they were three; she still loved Willow more.
"Willow," she said hesitantly.
Willow quickly looked up with fearful eyes. Tara hated to have put her through all this but it had been out of her hands.
"I'm going back with you," she told her quickly.
"What about Xander and your people?" Willow asked shocked but pleased that Tara still loved her.
"I loved you more I can't help it. As for my people, they have a leader now. Xander and Faith will be staying here," Tara answered looking up to where she could see Xander and Faith hands clasped. She smiled knowing they would meet again but for now they had to go their separate ways.
******
An hour later the two groups were standing at the gates to the former demon camp. Xander couldn't bring himself to smile as he came to the moment of truth to see if Tara would stay or go.
"Xander, are you sure about this?" Giles asked
"They need me, Giles; I'm sure," he replied shaking the older mans hand.
"We've already put the spell that hid this camp back up, you'll be safe," Wesley added.
"And for that we thank you, all of you for helping us put an end to this nightmare," Eric said stepping forward.
"You're welcome," Buffy said with a smile.
"Tara?" Sara asked fearing she and her daughter would be parting ways so soon after finding each other again.
"I'm sorry I can't stay, not at this moment," Tara said looking at both her mother and Xander.
"I didn't think you would," Xander said sadly. "You'll be welcome here anytime, all of you," he added as he stepped forward and hugged her before stepping back and kissing briefly he then turned and walked back into the camp.
Tara watched him go sensing his sadness radiate off him but she couldn't stay, no matter how much she might want to. She belonged with Willow right now. She faced Faith who stood watching her.
"Take care of him for me?" she asked quietly.
"No problem," she answered before turning and walking after Xander.
"He'll be ok, you just watch yourself out there," Sara said hugging her daughter.
"I will," Tara assured her before getting in the car with Willow and leaving the camp and her pre-mate behind, hoping she was doing the right thing.
****
Xander sat on the small hill near the camp as he sensed Tara leave his sensing range. He lowered his head and hoped he would one day see her again. Faith quickly joined him and brought him into a hug. Without saying anything, she kissed him slowly and allowed him to fall asleep. She would always be here for him, no matter what.
The End