Part 13--Devastation
"Xander!" Buffy yelled, and ran outside after him. She saw him
running across the street, and ran after him. "Xander, stop!" she
yelled, a sob catching in her throat. *THis is so not
happening.* "Please!" She tripped over a fallen tree branch and fell
to her knees. "Dammit!" she muttered, and looked up again. She got up
and followed Xander, finally seeing him enter his house slamming the
door behind him.
********
Xander entered the house, and his mom smiled over at him from her
spot at the kitchen stove.
"Hi, Hon--"
"I'm not here," Xander interrupted.
"Wha..." Mary gave him a puzzled look.
"Please," Xander begged, and the tormented expression in his eyes
broke her heart.
"Fine," she nodded. "You're not here, I don't know where you are, and
I don't know when you're going to be back."
"Thanks Mom," Xander breathed a sigh of relief. "I love you."
"I know you do, Xander," Mary smiled at him. "I love you too."
Xander walked down to his basement room, feeling numb. He heard
banging on the front door, and then Buffy and his mom talking at the
door. He sat on the bed, looking at the wall but only seeing the
scene which had played out before his eyes at the Mansion. He'd seen
it all, the screaming, the crying, and then ... the inevitable.
*I can't face her right now. I don't know what to say. This is the
way it ends, the only thing that could ever tear us apart.* He put
his face in his hands, and nobody saw the tears which slipped down
his face.
**********
Buffy knocked on the door, and Mary answered it. By the closed-off
look in the woman's face, Buffy knew that she would have difficulty
getting in to see Xander.
"Hi, Mary, I need to see Xander," Buffy said, trying to step inside.
Mary closed the door, leaving just enough space to block the entrance
with her body. "I'm sorry, Buffy, but he's not here."
*This isn't happening. I need to talk to him. I can't lose him.* "I
know he's here," Buffy argued. "I saw him come in."
"I'm sorry, Buffy, but he's not here," Mary repeated.
"I need to see him," Buffy insisted. "There's been an awful
misunderstanding, but that's all it is. Mary, I'm begging you," she
added, brushing away the tears which started to fall. "Help me out
here."
"I can't," Mary shook her head sadly. "I _am_ sorry, Buffy, because I
_do_ really like you. But there aren't many ways I can protect my
son. And if situations come up in which I can, I'll take them. I hope
you two can work it out, but I have to respect what he wants." And
with that, Mary shut the door in Buffy's face.
Buffy sat down on the top step of the porch, not sure what her next
move would be. *How can I explain if he won't even see me?* She put
her face in her hands, as the tears fell silently.
"Xander!" Buffy yelled, and ran outside after him. She saw him
running across the street, and ran after him. "Xander, stop!" she
yelled, a sob catching in her throat. *THis is so not
happening.* "Please!" She tripped over a fallen tree branch and fell
to her knees. "Dammit!" she muttered, and looked up again. She got up
and followed Xander, finally seeing him enter his house slamming the
door behind him.
********
Xander entered the house, and his mom smiled over at him from her
spot at the kitchen stove.
"Hi, Hon--"
"I'm not here," Xander interrupted.
"Wha..." Mary gave him a puzzled look.
"Please," Xander begged, and the tormented expression in his eyes
broke her heart.
"Fine," she nodded. "You're not here, I don't know where you are, and
I don't know when you're going to be back."
"Thanks Mom," Xander breathed a sigh of relief. "I love you."
"I know you do, Xander," Mary smiled at him. "I love you too."
Xander walked down to his basement room, feeling numb. He heard
banging on the front door, and then Buffy and his mom talking at the
door. He sat on the bed, looking at the wall but only seeing the
scene which had played out before his eyes at the Mansion. He'd seen
it all, the screaming, the crying, and then ... the inevitable.
*I can't face her right now. I don't know what to say. This is the
way it ends, the only thing that could ever tear us apart.* He put
his face in his hands, and nobody saw the tears which slipped down
his face.
**********
Buffy knocked on the door, and Mary answered it. By the closed-off
look in the woman's face, Buffy knew that she would have difficulty
getting in to see Xander.
"Hi, Mary, I need to see Xander," Buffy said, trying to step inside.
Mary closed the door, leaving just enough space to block the entrance
with her body. "I'm sorry, Buffy, but he's not here."
*This isn't happening. I need to talk to him. I can't lose him.* "I
know he's here," Buffy argued. "I saw him come in."
"I'm sorry, Buffy, but he's not here," Mary repeated.
"I need to see him," Buffy insisted. "There's been an awful
misunderstanding, but that's all it is. Mary, I'm begging you," she
added, brushing away the tears which started to fall. "Help me out
here."
"I can't," Mary shook her head sadly. "I _am_ sorry, Buffy, because I
_do_ really like you. But there aren't many ways I can protect my
son. And if situations come up in which I can, I'll take them. I hope
you two can work it out, but I have to respect what he wants." And
with that, Mary shut the door in Buffy's face.
Buffy sat down on the top step of the porch, not sure what her next
move would be. *How can I explain if he won't even see me?* She put
her face in her hands, as the tears fell silently.
