TITLE:
THE QUESTING
AUTHOR:
STEPHEN HOWE
E-MAIL:
sh01@bigpond.com.au
FEEDBACK:
Sure.
DISTRIBUTION:
Ask and ye shall receive!
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created
everything! Set in season 6.Xander
cannot stop blaming himself for Buffy's death and has a death wish of his own. THE AFTERMATH. The
gang watches as Anyanka fades into the mist and then they turn to watch Buffy
as they hear her whimper." He's gone!" Dawn shakes her as she tells her
sister." No! That harpy just sent him into another dimension. You have the
means to bring him back Buffy." Buffy looks at her, then at the others." But
what if she's right and I don't deserve him? " She begins to wring her hands."
Just look at the past six years! First I used him to make Angel jealous then I
totally ignored thanking him for saving my life, several times I might add, and
then to top it off I tried my damndest to get him to leave! Oh he's not going
to want me around, of that I am positive!" Spike shouts at her from the back door." You self-centred little
bitch! Just who in hell do you think brought you back? And he knew what it
would involve; he's been trying to top himself ever since you died and you
think he won't want you?" He runs a hand through his bleach blond hair." Jesus
I don't know what I ever saw in you." He looks her up and down then grins. "
Yeah I do! The body. I just can't help myself, I always seem to pick girls with
great bodies and little do Lally tap up top!" He smashes his hand against the
unseen barrier." Just put the damned watch on and get going! The longer you
dawdle the harder it will be to find him!" Willow and
Tara nod and Willow tells her" And remember there may be a time difference on
these other realities so he could be any age but once you return him here he
should return to his rightful age." Tara holds her hand and stutters." Bring
him home Buffy, but make sure you come back if nothing else." Buffy places the watch on her wrist and prepares to tap it, she
stops and looks at each of them and they give her all the encouragement they
have as she taps the watch face three times. She feels like nothing has
happened but then she has a sense of vertigo and her stomach turns over until
she shuts her eyes. When she opens them it's broad daylight and she's standing
in her street. Everything looks normal until she spots three children playing
outside her house. They look as though they range in ages from six to three,
all of them have honey blonde hair and an attitude that just screams spoiled.
The eldest child leans over to the only male and tells him." I bet if you asked
daddy he'd get you the new pokiemon doll Jesse." The middle child
places her hands on her hips and scowls." Hope Harris you had better not let
Nana hear you say that or she will tell mommy then you won't get the Malibu
Stacey doll!" Buffy's hand grips her stomach." Hope Harris? Jesse? What the
heck is going on here?" Just then a familiar figure comes to the front door and
Buffy sucks in a breath then releases it in one word." MOM?" The
older woman waves the three children over and tells them." Your mom has picked
Xander up from the airport and is on her way home. Now Hope, I want you to take
your brother and sister inside and clean up then get changed into your good
things." Hope grins at her and Buffy can see Xander's smile reflected in hers."
Do you think Mom and Dad will want some quiet time tonight?" Joyce smiles at her granddaughter and
nods." After three years I think they'll need a week of quiet time honey."
Buffy's view is jolted as a familiar voice tells her." He's not in this world
Buffy." She turns ready to fight but then she remembers who the woman was."
Miss Calender?" She grins at her and holds up her hand." Before you go into
Slayer mode hear me out." She waves at the happy scene and the four females
wave back." They can't see you or hear you only the real Xander can, if and
when you find him. When I was killed in your reality I travelled through many
others before I chose this one." Buffy shrugs her shoulders." What's so cool
about this one?" Jenny grins and points to the surrounding area." Because in
this one all of the friends you know are content and happy. Xander went on to
Watchers school, from where he arrives today, after you gave birth to your
third child Sarah. Willow staid with Oz after that whole Verruca thing and Tara
found a spell to return Amy to human form before she found love with a certain
Teachers assistant named Riley Finn. Xander is now a fully fledged watcher with
a Slayer of his own." She points to the red convertible as it pulls into the
driveway and listens to the conversation as Faith runs over to the children and
Joyce. Buffy is shocked as she sees an older copy of herself slip her arm
between Xander's and rests her head on his shoulder. "Have I told you yet that
I missed you? Well I did. " She looks at his clothes again." So how long were
you there before they tried to make you wear tweed?" Xander grins." Oh about twenty minutes
but then I told them that my wife broke me of my fashion disaster ways and if
they had any complaints to direct them to you." Buffy guesses her alter self
and Xander are about ten years older in this life and she sees a cloud cross
her elder self's face." Oh, oh she's pissed at someone!" And sure enough she
turns to Xander." Uh.. You and Faith didn't get up to a trip down memory lane
did you?" He turns her and kisses her nose." I have room in my heart and soul
for only one Slayer Buff." Buffy
squints her nose at him." I don't think it's your heart she's after Xand I
think her aim is a little lower." They walk over to the house as the three
offspring run over to them and Xander picks up Hope." So who is this young lady
and what have you done with my little girl?" She laughs and the others giggle."
It's me Daddy! I'm Hope." Xander feigns disbelief." NO! You can't be, my little
girl was only as tall as my knee!" He lifts her T-shirt." Well there's only one
way to find out!" He blows raspberries on her stomach and her laughter echoes
down the street. Jenny walks her away from the happy
family." He is not here Buffy." She sees her un asked question in her eyes."
You married Xander before you began college, after three long years of being
together. You fell for him, as he did you, that first day as Sunnydale's Slayer
when he came to help despite being just a normal boy." She moved her hand to
Buffy's back." You had Hope in your first year then Jesse and finally Sarah
just before he left for Watchers College. Sarah is the being the monks sent for
you to protect. They figured you would fight hell itself before you gave up
Hope. It took Xander two full years to recover from the battle against Glory.
For a while you almost gave up then one day he just woke up from the coma and
returned to you all." Buffy
looks at her watch and prepares to tap it. Jenny grasps her hand." Just
remember to concentrate your heart on him and he will be there for you. But you
must be careful there is a world where night rules the land and evil lives in
everyone's hearts. If he went there he's already as good as dead." Buffy looked
at her and shook her head." No matter where he is I will find him and bring him
back to our time." Buffy thinks of her Xander and taps the watch." Remember
Buffy, trust not your eyes but look with thy heart!" Buffy has the sense of vertigo again and
soon she is looking down the same street again only this time it's as if no one
cared for outward appearances. The green grass had withered and died along with
the trees and plants and the houses appeared not to have been lived in for a
long, long time. She saw a pick up truck screech to a halt in front of a house
and several people decked out in black get out. One takes a large cross from
the back as the others hook something up to the winch at the front and hooks
the steel line up to a crossbow. The leader nods his head and asks." Everyone
ready?" The others nod and they move off into the house. Buffy hears a scuffle
then the unmistakable twang of a crossbow. The man standing at the front flips
a lever and the winch retracts at full speed. A woman can be seen struggling as
it's pulled from the house and into the light of day. As soon as the sunlight
touches her she bursts into flames before exploding in a cloud of dust. The man
that took the cross from the back of the truck walks out of the building and he
plants the cross in the ground. He raises his arms to the others and shouts
out." So dies another of the old ones! The time of our rising is near Angelus!
We know you are close by and with the cleansing of Tara Maclay, the last of
your breed, your time is almost UP!" Buffy looks over as the man takes off his
headgear and Buffy can see the fangs in his mouth grow larger. The shade of the
patio protects him from the rays of the sun as he turns shouting his words at
the house." For I am Alexander childe of Dracula and the first of the new
breed!" Buffy takes a big breath as she sees Xander." Oh BOY!" END
OF 2