Monday
"Buffy!" Joyce called.
Buffy descended the stairs, rolling her eyes as she saw the box.
Again. "What is this, number seventeen?" she asked.
Joyce said. "I think that sounds about right. Look, Buffy, I
don't know what happened between you two, but I think it's
apparent he feels awful about it--" *At least she's not throwing
them in his face anymore, she only did that for three days. Now,
she's just throwing them away, and it's such a waste.* Joyce came
back to reality as her daughter took the box from her.
"Don't start nagging," Buffy warned. "This is between me and
Xander."
"Fine," Joyce sighed in resignation. "I just hate that something
came between you two. In the last two months, I've really gotten
to know him. I like what I see. He adores you, and he's done
everything he could to be a good friend to you. Not to mention
that he's been looking out for you, including the last two
weeks."
Buffy rolled her eyes again, regretting that she'd told her mom
about Xander showing up the previous night. She hadn't used the
phrase 'saved my life,' but her mom had figured it out anyway.
"I wish that whatever it is that happened, you could find it in
your heart to forgive him," Joyce said. "But you're right, it's
none of my business," she finished, and went upstairs. She turned
back at the top of the stairs, she couldn't help it, curious as
to her daughter's reaction.
Buffy opened the box, as she always did. "Persistent, aren't you,
Xander?" She took the roses out of the box, and without analyzing
her reasons for doing so, took the roses up to her room.
Joyce smiled as she saw her daughter take the roses upstairs, and
ducked into her room before her daughter saw her. She answered
the phone when it rang, knowing who it would be. "Yes, Xander,
she got the delivery. And this time, she took them up to her
room."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Maybe she's starting to get past her anger?"
"I hope you're right, Mrs. Summers," Xander replied. "Well,
thanks for telling me."
"You're welcome," Joyce said. "Just don't give up on her?"
"Not likely," Xander said. "Not likely at all."
********
Two hours later
"So he just showed up, and pulled a superhero act?" Willow asked.
"He killed a lot of vampires," Buffy conceded. "Maybe more than
me, it was hard to keep count."
"Well, he did have the crossbow," Willow said. "So it was a
little easier, but still..."
"I know," Buffy replied. "I would either be dead or vamped right
now if he hadn't shown up."
"And?" Willow asked.
"And, nothing," Buffy shrugged.
"Buffy, didn't you at least thank him?" Willow asked
incredulously.
"He didn't give me a chance," Buffy said. "He took off. Obviously
still thinks I don't want him around."
"Don't you know how sorry he is?" Willow asked. "He's still
trying to beg forgiveness," Willow said nodding to the latest
bouquet of roses.
"I know he is. How could I forget?," Buffy asked. "I don't
suppose you could get him to stop with those?"
"I think the chances of that are slim to none," Willow said.
"He'll keep it up until you forgive him, or until you kill him.
Whichever comes first."
Buffy didn't reply.
Willow looked at her friend in surprise. Earlier responses to
that statement had been, "Don't hold your breath." And
occasionally, Willow's favorite, "Don't tempt me."
Buffy caught Willow's look and shrugged. "Maybe," she said.
Willow was relieved to hear this answer, but didn't press the
issue. "Well, school starts next week"
"Great," Buffy said. "Just what I need. Principle Snyder on my
case again."
"Maybe he won't be so bad this year?" Willow suggested. At
Buffy's incredulous look, she added, "Okay, so pigs will probably
fly first. But this is Sunnydale, so it could happen."
"Which, the pigs or Snyder getting a personality transplant?"
Buffy asked.
"Well... both," Willow said, getting a laugh in reply from Buffy.
"The pigs thing, now _that_ I'd pay to see," Buffy said. "But as
for Snyder, it's not likely. At least we're seniors. That's got
to be worth some amount of excitement, right?"
"Right," Willow said. "Because now we can start thinking about
SAT's and college, and --"
"Slow down there," Buffy protested. "I was more thinking about
the 'being out of school' excitement. Not the 'Oh boy, more
school!' excitement."
"I've been told that not everyone is as excited by school as me,"
Willow said. "So I'll try to keep my excitement down." Willow
looked at her watch, and added, "Well, I've got wolf-sitting.
Giles took first watch, but I promised to take the night watch.
So I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"'Kay, Will. And thanks for stopping by," Buffy said.
"No problem," Willow said with a smile. "Bye!"
***********
"Buffy!" Joyce called.
Buffy descended the stairs, rolling her eyes as she saw the box.
Again. "What is this, number seventeen?" she asked.
Joyce said. "I think that sounds about right. Look, Buffy, I
don't know what happened between you two, but I think it's
apparent he feels awful about it--" *At least she's not throwing
them in his face anymore, she only did that for three days. Now,
she's just throwing them away, and it's such a waste.* Joyce came
back to reality as her daughter took the box from her.
"Don't start nagging," Buffy warned. "This is between me and
Xander."
"Fine," Joyce sighed in resignation. "I just hate that something
came between you two. In the last two months, I've really gotten
to know him. I like what I see. He adores you, and he's done
everything he could to be a good friend to you. Not to mention
that he's been looking out for you, including the last two
weeks."
Buffy rolled her eyes again, regretting that she'd told her mom
about Xander showing up the previous night. She hadn't used the
phrase 'saved my life,' but her mom had figured it out anyway.
"I wish that whatever it is that happened, you could find it in
your heart to forgive him," Joyce said. "But you're right, it's
none of my business," she finished, and went upstairs. She turned
back at the top of the stairs, she couldn't help it, curious as
to her daughter's reaction.
Buffy opened the box, as she always did. "Persistent, aren't you,
Xander?" She took the roses out of the box, and without analyzing
her reasons for doing so, took the roses up to her room.
Joyce smiled as she saw her daughter take the roses upstairs, and
ducked into her room before her daughter saw her. She answered
the phone when it rang, knowing who it would be. "Yes, Xander,
she got the delivery. And this time, she took them up to her
room."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Maybe she's starting to get past her anger?"
"I hope you're right, Mrs. Summers," Xander replied. "Well,
thanks for telling me."
"You're welcome," Joyce said. "Just don't give up on her?"
"Not likely," Xander said. "Not likely at all."
********
Two hours later
"So he just showed up, and pulled a superhero act?" Willow asked.
"He killed a lot of vampires," Buffy conceded. "Maybe more than
me, it was hard to keep count."
"Well, he did have the crossbow," Willow said. "So it was a
little easier, but still..."
"I know," Buffy replied. "I would either be dead or vamped right
now if he hadn't shown up."
"And?" Willow asked.
"And, nothing," Buffy shrugged.
"Buffy, didn't you at least thank him?" Willow asked
incredulously.
"He didn't give me a chance," Buffy said. "He took off. Obviously
still thinks I don't want him around."
"Don't you know how sorry he is?" Willow asked. "He's still
trying to beg forgiveness," Willow said nodding to the latest
bouquet of roses.
"I know he is. How could I forget?," Buffy asked. "I don't
suppose you could get him to stop with those?"
"I think the chances of that are slim to none," Willow said.
"He'll keep it up until you forgive him, or until you kill him.
Whichever comes first."
Buffy didn't reply.
Willow looked at her friend in surprise. Earlier responses to
that statement had been, "Don't hold your breath." And
occasionally, Willow's favorite, "Don't tempt me."
Buffy caught Willow's look and shrugged. "Maybe," she said.
Willow was relieved to hear this answer, but didn't press the
issue. "Well, school starts next week"
"Great," Buffy said. "Just what I need. Principle Snyder on my
case again."
"Maybe he won't be so bad this year?" Willow suggested. At
Buffy's incredulous look, she added, "Okay, so pigs will probably
fly first. But this is Sunnydale, so it could happen."
"Which, the pigs or Snyder getting a personality transplant?"
Buffy asked.
"Well... both," Willow said, getting a laugh in reply from Buffy.
"The pigs thing, now _that_ I'd pay to see," Buffy said. "But as
for Snyder, it's not likely. At least we're seniors. That's got
to be worth some amount of excitement, right?"
"Right," Willow said. "Because now we can start thinking about
SAT's and college, and --"
"Slow down there," Buffy protested. "I was more thinking about
the 'being out of school' excitement. Not the 'Oh boy, more
school!' excitement."
"I've been told that not everyone is as excited by school as me,"
Willow said. "So I'll try to keep my excitement down." Willow
looked at her watch, and added, "Well, I've got wolf-sitting.
Giles took first watch, but I promised to take the night watch.
So I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"'Kay, Will. And thanks for stopping by," Buffy said.
"No problem," Willow said with a smile. "Bye!"
***********