"Dawnie, how much longer?" Buffy looked to her left.
"Yeah, my leg is starting to cramp." Andrew whined.
"I can't believe you two. This is really cool. I mean here we are.... each in a different state. Four states, four of us. Besides, we went to see the wax museum you wanted to, this is my turn."
"Hey, that wax was pretty cool." Buffy said in defense of her choice.
"Dawn patrol, its hot, I've officially got a manly smelly sweat. How about we go now?"
Dawn looked around a bit and sniffed in the air a little. "Alright." They headed back to the stolen van with the hot summer sun beating down on them.
"So, where are we headed to now? You guys wanna go north then east, or east, then north?"
"Ummm Driver's choice." She buckled up and watched as Xander took a highlighter to the new map they bought.
"How are you two doing back there?"
"I'm teaching Andrew why children of the corn is a classic horror movie."
"Yeah, I was doubtful at first, but she seems to be converting me." Andrew agreed.
"I'm CORNverting you." Dawn snorted, which got a laugh out of Andrew.
Buffy turned back to Xander who was trying to start the van, but was failing.
"Xander, did you forget to put gas in the stolen vehicle?"
"No, I filled up at the last gas stop. I..... I think its over heated."
"What?!" two voices from the back seat exclaimed.
"It must have been all this time sitting in the sun..... We're stuck here until dark...."
"Oh great. We're stuck... And Xand you are starting to smell...."
"Hey!!! I warned!! Can I help it?"
"Well maybe if you didn't wear a black shirt..."
"Hey!! Fighting won't solve anything right now.... Besides if you get Xander angry he is just going to sweat more." Andrew interjected.
"He has a point."
"Would the peanut gallery in the back seat please leave the arguing to the grown ups?" Buffy yelled.
"Ok, why don't we all just calm down? Its hot, we're trapped and aggravated. Lets just try and find a way to pass the time until sundown."
They all stayed silent for a moment. Dawn and Andrew walked out of the van over to a rock underneath a tree to try and cool off a bit. Xander turned to Buffy who smiled at him.
"Cards?"
"Strip poker?"
"As long as that shirt comes off I'm good."
"I was just about to say the same thing." Xander smiled as Buffy overly dramatically rolled her eyes.
"Come on Xander, take that off...." She tugged on the edge of the shirt.
"I'll take mine off if you take off yours." He smiled again. Buffy thought about it for a moment. She did have a light undershirt on... It would be funny just to see the look on Xander's face when she actually did it. She tried to suppress the smile that formed on her face. She took off her shirt and threw it over to Xander who was apparently doing his impression of Mr. Bill.
"Your turn." She finally let herself smile and was greeted by one of his. He took off his shirt and threw it over to her.
"Ewww Xander!!" She threw the moist shirt out of the van and slapped his arm playfully.
"That wasn't nice. Now give me back my shirt."
"No. You gave it to me; I should be able to keep it. Besides you don't want to put it back on, it's all sweaty."
"Hey!! Its not sweat! And even if it was there would be a bunch of guys who would pay good money for that shirt."
"I know."
"Do you?"
"Founder of the club sitting right here."
Buffy was silent for a moment.
"Hey, forget about it, there is a bridge somewhere with water going underneath it."
"You know how I'm trying to make all this stuff up to Dawn?"
Xander nodded.
"I... I need to do the same with you. Its just-"
"Buff, I'm here. I'll always be here."
"I know. When I grow old... I can see you being there, with Dawn and me."
"Because I will be. Nothing will ever change that."
"You mean no power trip I go through will change that?"
Xander smiled a knowing smile. "Something like that."
"You've put up with a lot. Especially in the past year." Buffy's words were thick with guilt.
"This, right here? This very moment..... Makes it all worth it. You make it worth it."
Buffy gave Xander's hand a squeeze. "I love you."
Xander smiled and watched as rain started to pour down on them. Two forms came running up to the van and got in the back.
"This means we can leave now?" Dawn wiped the water out of her eyes.
"Yeah, nothing like rain to cool an engine down."
********
The four entered the club and sat down at a table in the back. They found this place on accident, and thought a little dancing may help them all to unwind. Andrew quickly whisked Dawn off to the dance floor where he tangoed with her. He was actually a good dancer despite his geeky exterior.
"How you doin' Xand?" Buffy put her hand over his.
"Great, this was a good idea you had."
"No... I mean it was a good idea, I meant how are you doing... about Anya."
Xander mumbled, "I suddenly wish we could go back to the days you ignored me."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. I'm doing good. Why would you think I wasn't?"
"Because I can hear you at night. Xander... I lost my mom, if you want to talk about anything-"
"Thanks, but I think I just need some time."
"Yeah, I hear you. You wanna dance?"
"Only if it's with my favorite slayer."
"Hmmm she isn't in right now; but Buffy is."
"Even better."
"Yeah, my leg is starting to cramp." Andrew whined.
"I can't believe you two. This is really cool. I mean here we are.... each in a different state. Four states, four of us. Besides, we went to see the wax museum you wanted to, this is my turn."
"Hey, that wax was pretty cool." Buffy said in defense of her choice.
"Dawn patrol, its hot, I've officially got a manly smelly sweat. How about we go now?"
Dawn looked around a bit and sniffed in the air a little. "Alright." They headed back to the stolen van with the hot summer sun beating down on them.
"So, where are we headed to now? You guys wanna go north then east, or east, then north?"
"Ummm Driver's choice." She buckled up and watched as Xander took a highlighter to the new map they bought.
"How are you two doing back there?"
"I'm teaching Andrew why children of the corn is a classic horror movie."
"Yeah, I was doubtful at first, but she seems to be converting me." Andrew agreed.
"I'm CORNverting you." Dawn snorted, which got a laugh out of Andrew.
Buffy turned back to Xander who was trying to start the van, but was failing.
"Xander, did you forget to put gas in the stolen vehicle?"
"No, I filled up at the last gas stop. I..... I think its over heated."
"What?!" two voices from the back seat exclaimed.
"It must have been all this time sitting in the sun..... We're stuck here until dark...."
"Oh great. We're stuck... And Xand you are starting to smell...."
"Hey!!! I warned!! Can I help it?"
"Well maybe if you didn't wear a black shirt..."
"Hey!! Fighting won't solve anything right now.... Besides if you get Xander angry he is just going to sweat more." Andrew interjected.
"He has a point."
"Would the peanut gallery in the back seat please leave the arguing to the grown ups?" Buffy yelled.
"Ok, why don't we all just calm down? Its hot, we're trapped and aggravated. Lets just try and find a way to pass the time until sundown."
They all stayed silent for a moment. Dawn and Andrew walked out of the van over to a rock underneath a tree to try and cool off a bit. Xander turned to Buffy who smiled at him.
"Cards?"
"Strip poker?"
"As long as that shirt comes off I'm good."
"I was just about to say the same thing." Xander smiled as Buffy overly dramatically rolled her eyes.
"Come on Xander, take that off...." She tugged on the edge of the shirt.
"I'll take mine off if you take off yours." He smiled again. Buffy thought about it for a moment. She did have a light undershirt on... It would be funny just to see the look on Xander's face when she actually did it. She tried to suppress the smile that formed on her face. She took off her shirt and threw it over to Xander who was apparently doing his impression of Mr. Bill.
"Your turn." She finally let herself smile and was greeted by one of his. He took off his shirt and threw it over to her.
"Ewww Xander!!" She threw the moist shirt out of the van and slapped his arm playfully.
"That wasn't nice. Now give me back my shirt."
"No. You gave it to me; I should be able to keep it. Besides you don't want to put it back on, it's all sweaty."
"Hey!! Its not sweat! And even if it was there would be a bunch of guys who would pay good money for that shirt."
"I know."
"Do you?"
"Founder of the club sitting right here."
Buffy was silent for a moment.
"Hey, forget about it, there is a bridge somewhere with water going underneath it."
"You know how I'm trying to make all this stuff up to Dawn?"
Xander nodded.
"I... I need to do the same with you. Its just-"
"Buff, I'm here. I'll always be here."
"I know. When I grow old... I can see you being there, with Dawn and me."
"Because I will be. Nothing will ever change that."
"You mean no power trip I go through will change that?"
Xander smiled a knowing smile. "Something like that."
"You've put up with a lot. Especially in the past year." Buffy's words were thick with guilt.
"This, right here? This very moment..... Makes it all worth it. You make it worth it."
Buffy gave Xander's hand a squeeze. "I love you."
Xander smiled and watched as rain started to pour down on them. Two forms came running up to the van and got in the back.
"This means we can leave now?" Dawn wiped the water out of her eyes.
"Yeah, nothing like rain to cool an engine down."
********
The four entered the club and sat down at a table in the back. They found this place on accident, and thought a little dancing may help them all to unwind. Andrew quickly whisked Dawn off to the dance floor where he tangoed with her. He was actually a good dancer despite his geeky exterior.
"How you doin' Xand?" Buffy put her hand over his.
"Great, this was a good idea you had."
"No... I mean it was a good idea, I meant how are you doing... about Anya."
Xander mumbled, "I suddenly wish we could go back to the days you ignored me."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. I'm doing good. Why would you think I wasn't?"
"Because I can hear you at night. Xander... I lost my mom, if you want to talk about anything-"
"Thanks, but I think I just need some time."
"Yeah, I hear you. You wanna dance?"
"Only if it's with my favorite slayer."
"Hmmm she isn't in right now; but Buffy is."
"Even better."