Derek and Wes sat at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and tea, respectively, and talking. Wes took a sip of tea and looked over to Derek.
"How do you think Xander's handling all of this?"
Derek smiled. "He'll be alright. He's more resilient than people know. I trailed him down to the basement of the school that night, and I was right on the other side of the door to hear him talk down that Jack guy. Xander's got a bit of ice water in his veins, Wes. You should've heard him. 'I like the quiet.' Classic!"
Derek laughed as he went on. "I'll tell you, Wes, my biggest concern in this is the Scooby gang. Xander's going to be pulled in both directions when we get back. I spent a lot of time near the Scoobies, even though they don't know it, and I'm going to tell you the truth, Wes, there are some big time issues with that group."
Wes nodded. "I know. To call that group self absorbed might not seem fair, given the secretive nature of our work, but they cannot seem to get out of their own way. On one hand, they'll rely on each other in a physical fight to the death, while at the same time, not trusting one another with their feelings or concerns."
Wes took a sip of tea and continued. "They seem to be selective with their trust, so it's hard to pin their actions down to any pattern that might help us fit in, once that time comes. Perhaps if we reach out to Giles prior to our return, he might be able to bring us together in a healthy way. At least in a way that doesn't involve physical violence."
Derek nodded, considering their options. Even though it was early in the summer, it was always prudent to get the ball rolling on plans, to give everyone a chance to think about options, brainstorm, and communicate.
"Wes, what if we invited them out here? Maybe towards the end of summer, after we've all had some time to heal, train, and get our heads right?"
Wes was quiet for perhaps a minute. Derek knew Wes well enough not to bother him at times like this. After a while, Wes spoke.
"That might be the best way for us to connect. If we reach out to them, invite them to your home, and make it clear that we want to work together, perhaps we can send the message that we are not a threat to their group. We all tend to be possessive and protective, so perhaps that is one way to avoid conflict, or at least minimize it."
Derek finished his coffee. "I think it might be wise to put that on the back burner for a while. Faith and Xander need time to get their heads right, both as individuals and to the extent that they're a couple. That might be the top priority right now, just letting them relax, not putting any pressure on them to get things together by a fixed deadline."
Wes nodded. "Yes, you're quite right. We came out here to decompress, and we need to do that before we're of any use to anyone else. Now, we need to get ready for the onslaught of family, don't we?"
Derek smiled. "Yeah, it's going to be crazy. Last time, the party lasted well into the night. It won't matter if we run out of food, not that we actually will. Everyone knows why we were in Sunnydale, and why we came back home for a while. They'll make sure we're taken care of. I can't wait, to be honest with you. Those ladies know how to cook!"
The two men refilled their cups, relaxed, and chatted about what their schedules were going to be while they were in Idaho. As it turned out, both had pretty much the same thing in mind. Since the main reason for their trip was to let Faith, and Xander, now, relax without deadlines, schedules, or expectations, Wes and Derek were going to let them both set their own agendas for the next couple of days. The two older men would do their fair share of relaxing, but there were still things that needed doing.
Derek had a list of repairs for his house that he wanted to accomplish, plus there was wood to be split for the winter, not to mention the normal physical training that went with their mission. Xander and Faith would be excluded from all but the physical training, and that would be light for the first two weeks. Derek's property had lake access, so they would work some swimming into their exercise, as well as their tactical training.
He didn't really wonder about Xander's physical conditioning; he'd seen the boy fight and run. Derek's concern would be Xander's ability to process the massive amount of training he had in mind for the boy. Giles and the others had done Xander a disservice by ignoring him, and Derek had it in his mind to make sure the boy knew what he needed to survive, as soon as possible, and then to thrive in his choice to be in the fight. Derek knew he couldn't guarantee the young man a long, happy life, but he could do whatever he could to give Xander a chance for one.