Part 9:
A/N: As promised, Xander will be featured in this section. I feel like he was kind of shafted last season, so I'm fixing it. Keep r/r, I love getting feedback!
Disclaimer: They're not mine. I wish they were, but since they're not, I will continue to bow at the feet of the masters, Joss Whedon and Martha Williamson...
"Do you think Giles will be ok, Xander?" Willow looked at the young man sitting beside her on the couch. 'He's grown up so much since high school. I just wish he knew how much he means to all of us.'
"Of course he will. He's Watcher-man." Xander looked sadly towards the door where the paramedics had come through and taken Giles to the ambulance. He hadn't missed the look the EMT guys gave each other, 'this doesn't look good'. More softly, and less confident than before, Xander turned back to Willow and said, "He has to be ok. We need him."
The petite redhead beside him rested her head on his shoulder, sniffling softly. "I don't know what I would do if something ever happened to Giles," she told Xander. "He's been more of a father to me than my father ever was. Heck, he's been more of a mother than my mother was."
Xander chuckled slightly at this statement. It was true; Willow's parents never seemed interested in what was going on in their only daughter's life. "I know what you mean, Wills. Until I met Giles, I couldn't look up to any older male figure. The end of our sophomore year, when we had been helping them for a while, I wanted to ask Giles to adopt me. It would have been a lot better than being at home." Xander said this last part somewhat regretfully, as though longing for what might have been.
"Xander?"
"Hmm?"
"What went on in your house these last few years? You're my best friend, and I felt like you were pushing me away when it came to your family." Willow turned to look at the boy she had known since childhood, the concern showing in those large doe-eyes.
'She wants to know what went on in my house. Of all the things she could have asked, that was it? I kept it from her because I didn't want her to get hurt. She's seen so many horrors, and I'm about to add to them.' Xander shook his head, trying to clear it. "Oh, Wills. Did you have to ask me that? My life at home was...well, lets put it this way: you know those made for TV movies they show about the kid being abused by his father? Well, they base those movies on my life."
"Oh, Xander. Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"Because you would have reacted the same way you just did. I handled it, didn't I?"
"Oh yeah, you handled all right!" Willow spat at him angrily. "We're your friends, for goodness sake, Xander! You should have said something to us. We could have helped!"
"There was nothing anyone could do," he hissed back at her. "He only did it when he was drunk."
"Which, if I recall, is constantly," Willow said sadly. "No wonder you've been more and more withdrawn this year. You didn't want us to know, and the only way to keep a secret is to stay away. Am I right?"
"I stayed away? Oh, I'm sorry, All-Knowing One. Ever since you and Buffy went to college, I have been trying to keep us together, but you both pushed me away. 'Xander's not important anymore'", he mocked. " 'I don't see why we should hang out with him. He just gets in the way.' Maybe Cordy was right last year when she told me I was the Zeppo."
Willow crouched down in front of Xander and took his hands. (Think the scene in the Bronze in the episode "The Freshman) "Alexander LaVelle Harris. Look at me. You are not the Zeppo. You keep the Scooby Gang together." Willow spoke slowly and deliberately, making sure he was hearing everything she was saying. "Buffy would have been dead if it wasn't for you. We would all be dead inside if it weren't for your corny jokes. If we've been pushing you away, I am truly sorry. It wasn't done intentionally. You are a vital part of this team. We couldn't do half the things we do without you. I mean, who came up with the idea to use the rocket launcher to defeat the Judge?"
"Me." He said softly, looking into her eyes.
"And who was 'key guy' at Graduation last year?"
"Me."
"Who kept those guys from blowing up the school while we were trying to close the Hellmouth?"
"Me." He paused for a moment. "Wait. How did you know about that?"
"Faith thought she caught a glimpse of something, or someone, and told us about it later. It took us a while, but we put together what happened. And Oz remembered seeing a bomb down in boiler room after he woke up."
"That was one crazy night."
Willow nodded emphatically. "Yeah it was. Thank you, Xander."
"Thank you? For what?"
"For being who you are. No matter what's happened to us, or what will happen to us, we'll always be friends. I promise."
"I promise too, Wills."
Just then, Buffy came slowly down the stairs, Monica trailing slowly behind her. Seeing the touching scene before her, Buffy asked softly, "Hey guys. What's going on?"
Willow and Xander turned to look at the blond slayer. 'She's so beautiful,' Xander thought. 'She's really grown up this year. I guess having a vampire with a soul for a boyfriend would age a person. But she seems more complete, even since she went upstairs.'
"Nothin, Buff. We were just talking. They came and took Giles to the hospital a little while ago. We thought we would wait for you and we could all go together."
Buffy strode over to the couch and picked up Giles' sweater. "He might want this when he wakes up. We all know how chilly it can get in those hospital gowns." Buffy looked down at the floor, eyes filling with tears, but she didn't want them to see. After what she had just witnessed in his bedroom, Buffy felt more confident, yet more frightened than she ever had. "Come on, let's go see Giles."
Buffy opened the door, and to her surprise, someone was standing there, about to knock. Actually, two someone's. "Pike? Merrick?"
A/N: I know, a cliffhanger. And yes, I am well aware that Merrick is dead. But if Joss can bring people back from the dead, than I can too. I've always wondered how Merrick and Giles would get along…I mean, they are both British. So, maybe next time we'll have a tea party in the hospital! Until then, keep r/r!
A/N: As promised, Xander will be featured in this section. I feel like he was kind of shafted last season, so I'm fixing it. Keep r/r, I love getting feedback!
Disclaimer: They're not mine. I wish they were, but since they're not, I will continue to bow at the feet of the masters, Joss Whedon and Martha Williamson...
"Do you think Giles will be ok, Xander?" Willow looked at the young man sitting beside her on the couch. 'He's grown up so much since high school. I just wish he knew how much he means to all of us.'
"Of course he will. He's Watcher-man." Xander looked sadly towards the door where the paramedics had come through and taken Giles to the ambulance. He hadn't missed the look the EMT guys gave each other, 'this doesn't look good'. More softly, and less confident than before, Xander turned back to Willow and said, "He has to be ok. We need him."
The petite redhead beside him rested her head on his shoulder, sniffling softly. "I don't know what I would do if something ever happened to Giles," she told Xander. "He's been more of a father to me than my father ever was. Heck, he's been more of a mother than my mother was."
Xander chuckled slightly at this statement. It was true; Willow's parents never seemed interested in what was going on in their only daughter's life. "I know what you mean, Wills. Until I met Giles, I couldn't look up to any older male figure. The end of our sophomore year, when we had been helping them for a while, I wanted to ask Giles to adopt me. It would have been a lot better than being at home." Xander said this last part somewhat regretfully, as though longing for what might have been.
"Xander?"
"Hmm?"
"What went on in your house these last few years? You're my best friend, and I felt like you were pushing me away when it came to your family." Willow turned to look at the boy she had known since childhood, the concern showing in those large doe-eyes.
'She wants to know what went on in my house. Of all the things she could have asked, that was it? I kept it from her because I didn't want her to get hurt. She's seen so many horrors, and I'm about to add to them.' Xander shook his head, trying to clear it. "Oh, Wills. Did you have to ask me that? My life at home was...well, lets put it this way: you know those made for TV movies they show about the kid being abused by his father? Well, they base those movies on my life."
"Oh, Xander. Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"Because you would have reacted the same way you just did. I handled it, didn't I?"
"Oh yeah, you handled all right!" Willow spat at him angrily. "We're your friends, for goodness sake, Xander! You should have said something to us. We could have helped!"
"There was nothing anyone could do," he hissed back at her. "He only did it when he was drunk."
"Which, if I recall, is constantly," Willow said sadly. "No wonder you've been more and more withdrawn this year. You didn't want us to know, and the only way to keep a secret is to stay away. Am I right?"
"I stayed away? Oh, I'm sorry, All-Knowing One. Ever since you and Buffy went to college, I have been trying to keep us together, but you both pushed me away. 'Xander's not important anymore'", he mocked. " 'I don't see why we should hang out with him. He just gets in the way.' Maybe Cordy was right last year when she told me I was the Zeppo."
Willow crouched down in front of Xander and took his hands. (Think the scene in the Bronze in the episode "The Freshman) "Alexander LaVelle Harris. Look at me. You are not the Zeppo. You keep the Scooby Gang together." Willow spoke slowly and deliberately, making sure he was hearing everything she was saying. "Buffy would have been dead if it wasn't for you. We would all be dead inside if it weren't for your corny jokes. If we've been pushing you away, I am truly sorry. It wasn't done intentionally. You are a vital part of this team. We couldn't do half the things we do without you. I mean, who came up with the idea to use the rocket launcher to defeat the Judge?"
"Me." He said softly, looking into her eyes.
"And who was 'key guy' at Graduation last year?"
"Me."
"Who kept those guys from blowing up the school while we were trying to close the Hellmouth?"
"Me." He paused for a moment. "Wait. How did you know about that?"
"Faith thought she caught a glimpse of something, or someone, and told us about it later. It took us a while, but we put together what happened. And Oz remembered seeing a bomb down in boiler room after he woke up."
"That was one crazy night."
Willow nodded emphatically. "Yeah it was. Thank you, Xander."
"Thank you? For what?"
"For being who you are. No matter what's happened to us, or what will happen to us, we'll always be friends. I promise."
"I promise too, Wills."
Just then, Buffy came slowly down the stairs, Monica trailing slowly behind her. Seeing the touching scene before her, Buffy asked softly, "Hey guys. What's going on?"
Willow and Xander turned to look at the blond slayer. 'She's so beautiful,' Xander thought. 'She's really grown up this year. I guess having a vampire with a soul for a boyfriend would age a person. But she seems more complete, even since she went upstairs.'
"Nothin, Buff. We were just talking. They came and took Giles to the hospital a little while ago. We thought we would wait for you and we could all go together."
Buffy strode over to the couch and picked up Giles' sweater. "He might want this when he wakes up. We all know how chilly it can get in those hospital gowns." Buffy looked down at the floor, eyes filling with tears, but she didn't want them to see. After what she had just witnessed in his bedroom, Buffy felt more confident, yet more frightened than she ever had. "Come on, let's go see Giles."
Buffy opened the door, and to her surprise, someone was standing there, about to knock. Actually, two someone's. "Pike? Merrick?"
A/N: I know, a cliffhanger. And yes, I am well aware that Merrick is dead. But if Joss can bring people back from the dead, than I can too. I've always wondered how Merrick and Giles would get along…I mean, they are both British. So, maybe next time we'll have a tea party in the hospital! Until then, keep r/r!