Chapter 13: The Walk Home



Scene: The library about an hour later


Giles had just arrived, followed by a worried Willow and Oz after Buffy had called them. They were all around the table discussing what had happened. Willow and Oz were seated at the table across from Xander, who at the moment seemed to be elsewhere.

Buffy sat at the edge of the stairs leading towards the stacks as Giles paced around the room.

"Xander." Giles said in a low voice as if he were afraid Xander were glass and was about to break. When he got no answer he placed his hand on Xander's shoulder. Xander looked up at Giles with a emotionless face, as if waiting for Giles to repeat whatever he had said.

"Giles what are we going to do?" Willow asked.

Giles was out of answers as he turned towards Willow, "I think we all need some time to digest this...(then he looked off into his office as if the answers may be in there) before continuing, "We'll meet back here in the morning and figure out what we'll do then."

This seemed to jolt Xander out of his trance, "What do you mean, what we will do?" he asked in stern voice as he stood from his chair.

Giles wasn't expecting Xander's question as he struggled for a response, "X-Xander, I...(but he was saved by Willow) "Xander, I don't think right now is the time for this." she said with pleading eyes.

Buffy, who felt like she was on the outside of this conversation, just sat there staring at Xander .

After seeing Willow on the verge of breakdown, Xander nodded his head at Giles as if to say I'm sorry. Then he just sat back down in his seat staring off into the stacks until he made eye contact with Buffy, which didn't seem to help as he slightly turned his head away from her.

Buffy thought she knew pain when Angel had turned, but what was happening here in this reality seemed much more painful as she saw Xander quickly avert his eyes from her.

After a minute or two Oz got up with Willow as they left in silence.

Xander started getting up to leave only to have Giles protest, "X-Xander you don't need to walk home alone." Giles knew what he was about to ask probably would be harder than tomorrow morning's
discussion, but he had to ask it for Xander's safety and {besides, he thought, Buffy's staying at his house anyway}.

He looked over at Buffy, who hadn't said a word since he'd arrived, and without a word she got up and started towards the door behind an already leaving Xander.
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Scene: The factory


"Where is she? You think she's dead?" Ted, a recently turned vampire, asked one the other vampires in the factory with a little hope, but his only response was a stake to the back as V-Buffy came forward through his cloud of dust.

"Where's Ivan!" she screamed at the other three vampires in the lair.

"H-He was killed by the slayer." one of the vampires answered with his head down, too afraid to look at her.

V-Buffy started pacing around the room as she tried to get control of her emotions.

"That *Bitch* thinks she can take him from me." she said outloud, but to noone inparticular.
After calming down she took a step towards one of the vampires, "I want you to follow her, but don't let her know your following her and don't attack her. Have I made myself clear?" she
said looking into the undead eyes of the vampire. When he nodded she continued, "I want to know when she's alone." V-Buffy said as she turned to walk away.

"And then what?" the vampire asked.

"Then, I kill her." she said as she continued walking, disappering into the darkness of the factory.
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Buffy was walking home with Xander, but a few feet behind. She didn't know what to say or do, so she kept walking behind him in silence. That is, until he spoke up, "You know, the silence is the same up here." he said as she caught up with him, slightly smiling to herself, glad for the
silence to end.

"Besides, It's not good to be followed in this town...even if it is the slayer." he said trying to lighten the mood.

"I just thought...you know because of...(she trailed off when Xander stopped and looked directly at her) For a minute he looked like he was about to say something, but he shrugged it off and
continued walking until Buffy lightly grabbed ahold of him, turning him around.

"Xander, you can talk to me." she said.

When he just kept his head down in silence she was about to plead again until Xander's voice stopped her.

"Do you love m-him?" when he looked up at her expression he elaborated, "The Xander in your reality...do you love him?"

Buffy turned slightly away from his words, which didn't go unnoticed by Xander.

"Yeah." he said in a tone which made him seem like he knew the answer before he even asked the question as he looked down.

Buffy could hear the hurt in Xander's voice, but for some reason she was upset as she turned back around, "Why, do think that if I loved him I could love you?" she asked, then hearing what she had said, she felt like staking herself.

Buffy expected Xander to look hurt at her words or maybe explode at her, but she didn't expect to hear what he said next.

"I-I just thought that if you loved him, then maybe somewhere...I would still have you."


Buffy was speechless as she looked into Xander's eyes, then she slowly went up to him as he continued looking down. She stood within arms reach of him as if not knowing how to comfort him or herself. Then, as if it came naturally, she cupped her hand under his chin, making him look into her eyes as she leaned her lips towards his.

So there they were, Buffy and Xander with their lips meeting, as the three eyed demon watched from across the street.
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