Apology 5
by Colleen Hillerup
He'd forgotten to ask Dawn about Tara. Understandable, with what had happened. He'd been sure that Buffy wouldn't have told Dawn about the bathroom, but he'd never expected Xander to. Never expected Xander to have known. He'd thought the incident would remain between him, Buffy and his own self-loathing.
But he did want to know about the witch. Anya would know the details. Shop should still be open. Besides, he had a little unfinished business with her, too.
The shop wasn't open. One lone light shone though the cracked glass, and as he pushed through the unlocked door, a whistle forced itself though his lips. Everywhere was splintered wood, books half buried beneath the debris. The top level had fallen onto the bottom. The place was pretty well unrecognizable. At the sound he made a young man spun around.
"You." Xander glared at the vampire. "You're back. Living dangerously, I see. There's a lot of pointy wood around this place." He picked up a piece from the floor. "And I'm just the man to use it."
"It wouldn't surprise me if you did," Spike replied. "But if anyone stakes me, it'll be Buffy." He looked at the wreckage. "What happened here?"
"Willow happened. Sweet, shy Willow. You never know, do you?" Xander tossed the piece of wood on the pile. "I should just leave you to Buffy. She'll deal with you soon enough."
"Willow?"
"Yeah. She was hurting pretty bad." He turned his back on Spike and pulled out a measuring tape, running it across the floorboard.
"Tara?"
He turned around and looked at Spike. "You heard?"
"I saw. Her headstone. What happened?"
"You know, you'd think in Sunnydale, it would have been something apocalyptic. Something earth shattering. Not just a stray bullet." He ran the tape up the side of the wall. "Guess it shattered Willow's world."
"So, what are you doing here? You and Anya back together?"
Xander laughed, a bitter, resigned laugh. "Not likely. But, the money from the insurance just came through. Took awhile; no clause for 'act of witch', and the company I work for is rebuilding the store. Hence, I measure."
"So," Spike asked, "where's Anya?"
"Why? Want to finish what you started? Have sex with every woman in Sunnydale, whether they want it or not?"
"I have some things to say to her. My business. She's a good lady. There's nothing between us."
Xander threw some wood aside, picked up a book he'd uncovered, didn't know what to do with it, and tossed it back on the ground. "Her apartment. I think she's there. 22 Beach, Apartment 3A. Tell her I said hi."
Spike headed for the door, then paused. "What I did with Anya, that's our business. But I know you loved her. I'm sorry you got hurt."
"Why, aren't you the magnanimous one. Hey, I'm sorry I got hurt, too. Doesn't change things."
"Another thing. You treated me not too bad, back when you took me in, and I treated you like shit. I'm sorry." He looked Xander straight in the eye. "You have no idea how much I wanted to be one of you."
Before Xander could register his shock, Spike was gone.
by Colleen Hillerup
He'd forgotten to ask Dawn about Tara. Understandable, with what had happened. He'd been sure that Buffy wouldn't have told Dawn about the bathroom, but he'd never expected Xander to. Never expected Xander to have known. He'd thought the incident would remain between him, Buffy and his own self-loathing.
But he did want to know about the witch. Anya would know the details. Shop should still be open. Besides, he had a little unfinished business with her, too.
The shop wasn't open. One lone light shone though the cracked glass, and as he pushed through the unlocked door, a whistle forced itself though his lips. Everywhere was splintered wood, books half buried beneath the debris. The top level had fallen onto the bottom. The place was pretty well unrecognizable. At the sound he made a young man spun around.
"You." Xander glared at the vampire. "You're back. Living dangerously, I see. There's a lot of pointy wood around this place." He picked up a piece from the floor. "And I'm just the man to use it."
"It wouldn't surprise me if you did," Spike replied. "But if anyone stakes me, it'll be Buffy." He looked at the wreckage. "What happened here?"
"Willow happened. Sweet, shy Willow. You never know, do you?" Xander tossed the piece of wood on the pile. "I should just leave you to Buffy. She'll deal with you soon enough."
"Willow?"
"Yeah. She was hurting pretty bad." He turned his back on Spike and pulled out a measuring tape, running it across the floorboard.
"Tara?"
He turned around and looked at Spike. "You heard?"
"I saw. Her headstone. What happened?"
"You know, you'd think in Sunnydale, it would have been something apocalyptic. Something earth shattering. Not just a stray bullet." He ran the tape up the side of the wall. "Guess it shattered Willow's world."
"So, what are you doing here? You and Anya back together?"
Xander laughed, a bitter, resigned laugh. "Not likely. But, the money from the insurance just came through. Took awhile; no clause for 'act of witch', and the company I work for is rebuilding the store. Hence, I measure."
"So," Spike asked, "where's Anya?"
"Why? Want to finish what you started? Have sex with every woman in Sunnydale, whether they want it or not?"
"I have some things to say to her. My business. She's a good lady. There's nothing between us."
Xander threw some wood aside, picked up a book he'd uncovered, didn't know what to do with it, and tossed it back on the ground. "Her apartment. I think she's there. 22 Beach, Apartment 3A. Tell her I said hi."
Spike headed for the door, then paused. "What I did with Anya, that's our business. But I know you loved her. I'm sorry you got hurt."
"Why, aren't you the magnanimous one. Hey, I'm sorry I got hurt, too. Doesn't change things."
"Another thing. You treated me not too bad, back when you took me in, and I treated you like shit. I'm sorry." He looked Xander straight in the eye. "You have no idea how much I wanted to be one of you."
Before Xander could register his shock, Spike was gone.