TITLE: BFFY'S TURN 23/23

AUTHOR: RICK

E-MAIL: amulet@my-dejanews.com

SUMMARY: Things could not be worse. Buffy thinks Xander kidnapped and hurt her mother. Xander thinks Buffy has joined with Angel and those who want he and Oz dead. Xander and Oz have decided to stop waiting for things to happen. They are going to do a little "happening" themselves.



The Last Chapter-Who Loves Who?

Giles has dinner with Joyce who makes sure Dawn is with a friend. She didn't have to worry about Buffy not being there. She wants nothing to do with her mom and her watcher getting all couply.

Giles proposes a toast. "To the young people, that they continue to use their youthful energies to keep the world save for us."

Joyce adds. "To Buffy that her womanly charms will melt the hard shell of her soul mate."

"Why Joyce, that is quite poetic."

"Well thank you, Rupert. I am glad I could impress you."

"Joyce, you impressed me the first time I saw you."

"I have a feeling this is going to be a very interesting night."

"Hear, hear, I wholeheartedly agree."

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Oz finds Tara sitting on a park bench. He approaches her. The Witch knows what he is going to say.

"You're leaving again aren't you Oz?"

"Yes, I will still be available for the gigs but I'm not going to live here."

"Can I ask you why?"

When Oz doesn't respond Tara asks. "Does it have anything to do with the way we were looking at each other in the van?"

"Maybe."

"Oz, I..."

Oz puts his hand to her mouth as if to ask her not to continue.

"It's better if I leave, Tara."

Oz's hand lingers on the witch's face. She gently kisses it. She then watches Oz disappear into the dusk. It will soon be time for patrol. She heads home to get ready.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy and Xander stroll along slowly amidst the graves new and old. Buffy is feeling very strange. She senses something and it is not good. Xander has been quite silent and that is very different even for the new and more serious Xander. Buffy can't take it.

"Okay, Xander, what's up?"

"What do you mean what's up?"

"Stop it Xander. Whether you like it or not I know you...very well in fact. There's something you have to say to me and you're trying to find a way to say it."

Busted!

"Stop trying to find ways to sugar coat the thing, whatever it is, and just tell me."

"I'm leaving Buffy."

"What?"

"You told me to just come out with it so I did."

"No...no Xander. Forget what I said. Forget what you said. Think about it, angst over it, pray over it. Do whatever it takes but don't tell me that."

Xander sighs. Buffy goes to him, grabbing him roughly. "Xander, go back to your thinking place or have a talk with your buddy Oz or go see a priest or something. You leaving is not an option."

"Buffy, stop it!"

"No you stop it. This isn't how the story is supposed to end. We got the bad guys for now. We're suppose to melt into each other's arms and comfort each other until the next bad guy comes."

"Are you going to make this harder than it already is?"

"You're damned right I am, Xander. I love you Xander. And, it's not just puppy love either. We're soul mates. We belong together."

Xander closes his eyes. This gets Buffy very pissed.

"Don't close your eyes to me, Xander! Open them and look at me!"

"What are you doing Buffy?"

"I'm trying to stop you from making the worst mistake of your life. You love me Xander, you always have and you always will. You can't help it anymore than I can help being in love with you!"

"Look, you know who you are. You're the slayer. You're good, you fight against evil. I have no idea who I am or what I'm doing. That guy, Buffy. The one who shot Spencer. Who the hell was he? What happens if somebody else hires him to kill me...and you're with me?"

"I knew that' what it was, Xander. I knew it was something like that."

Buffy starts to sob. Xander cannot help it. He has to comfort her.

"Buffy, I can't be with you. I can't put you in danger like that."

The slayer sobs as Xander has never seen her sob before. She is actually shaking. He looks into her eyes. He sees fear. Deep, intense fear deep within them. Something occurs to him. More like it hits him with a ton of bricks actually.

He is leaving Buffy because he doesn't want her to be hurt or harmed because of him. But right now what he is doing is hurting her as she's never been hurt before. As no bad guy could ever hurt her. She looks lost, like a little girl unsure of her surroundings. Xander can't do that to the woman he loves!

He breaks from her. "Oh my God, why didn't I see that?"

Xander starts to cry himself. Buffy doesn't know what just happened but she feels it is something major. She sniffs back her own tears and goes to Xander.

"Xander...what?"

"Buffy, I am so sorry."

Now it's the slayers turn to comfort Xander. "What, Xander?"

"Buffy I...I was going away because I thought...I thought that I was no good for you. That I was endangering you. But...but you looked like you were lost."

Buffy senses that Xander might have gotten the point. Her heart soars because he finally understands.

"Xander, the only thing that scares me now. The only thing I can't do right now is...go on without you. I can't Xander. I swear I can't. I don't care what kind of danger that us being together brings. But I can't lose you."

Buffy and Xander hold on tightly to each other. They are both now aware that they hold the key to each other's survival.

One thing is absolutely certain right now. When patrol is over neither one of our heroes are going to spend the rest of this night alone. Just maybe this is the last night ever either one of them will be without each other again.

Xander lovingly slides his hand across Buffy's ribs to her back. She visibly shivers from the sensation.

"Ooh, does the almighty Buffy have a small chink in her in her slayer armor?"

:I've already shown you way too many chinks."

"Well then maybe I should just kiss you and worry about that later."

Their kiss is deep and full of stored up passion. They have just enough control to drag each other to Xander's soon to be no more, bachelor's pad

The End.