When she woke the next morning, Buffy felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The guilty feeling she'd woken up with, every morning since Acathla had been summoned, had gone and replacing it was a renewed sense of hope.
She got out of bed and went down to have breakfast with her mother.
"Mmmmm, something smells good."
"Waffles"
"great." Buffy said, hopping onto a stool.
"Well, aren't we in a happy mood this morning!"
"I had a great night's sleep"
"That's good...so, any plans today?"
"ummm, I thought I might see if the guys wanted to catch a movie or something. I have patrol tonight too."
"Ok, I might go to the gallery then."
After they finished breakfast, Buffy rang Xander. She felt ready to speak to him now. On the third ring he picked up.
"Hello"
"Hi, it's Buffy."
"Buffy?"
"Yeah....look I'm sorry about last night, I just got wigged, but I'm ok now. I'm actually ringing 'cause I thought you, Willow, Oz and I could catch a movie or something."
"Sure...sounds great. Do you want me to call Will?"
"Ah yeah, I guess and she can call Oz. We'll meet there at 12:00 and grab some lunch before the film."
"Ok, 12:00, see you then."
After she got off the phone she looked at the clock...10:00. *Great, heaps of time*, she thought as she began to get ready.
She took the time to wash her hair, do her nails and put on a knee-length skirt with a strappy top. She took extra care with her make-up and pulled her hair back, except for a few tendrils which escaped the clasp and softly framed her face. When she finished getting ready she stepped back and took a look at herself in the mirror.
*Maybe I shouldn't have got so dressed up*. She started to worry. *I mean, I don't have to impress anyone*. She thought about changing into something simpler, but she glanced at her watch...11:50. *Damn, I'm going to be late*
She ran out of her room. "Mom? Mom?"
There was no response. *Why can't things ever go my way*, she thought as she grabbed her purse adn ran out of the house towards the cinemas.
When she got to the meeting place it was 12:20. She spotted Xander and started towards him. "I know, I'm sorry I'm late. I think it's a new record for me. I had to run the whole way here." She put her hand up to smooth her hair. "I must look a mess."
"You look just fine, Buffy."
Buffy scanned the area. "So where are Willow and Oz?"
"They had other plans. You don't mind do you?"
"No, of course not."
"I mean, I thought of calling you to make sure it was ok..."
"Xander it's fine."
The two of them went to see a movie and then grabbed some lunch, before walking home. They chatted the whole way home and Buffy actually felt comfortable in his presence.
When they reached her home they sat on the front porch. After sitting in silence for about 5 minutes, Buffy started to speak.
"Xander, I just want to apologise for last night. It was really unfair of me to leave you there like that."
"Buffy, I understand. You don't have to explain."
"But I do. You see the past few months I've woken up each morning with this incredible feeling of guilt. I mean, I killed Angel..."
"Buffy really..."
"No, I need to finish. You see, I thought Angel was the love of my life, my great passion, you know. I didn't think I could live without him."
"Buffy, you and Angel did love each other..."
"But I can live without him, Xander. I may have loved him, but I realise he wasn't my one true love. We had things in common and that was special, but it wouldn't have worked out in the long run, I can see that now." She took a deep breath. "I went to the mansion..."
Xander looked at her surprised.
"...I went to say goodbye. You were right, Xander, I needed closure. I'm ready to move on. What happened with Angel is in the past."
"Buffy, I'm glad you've worked this out, but why are you telling me all this?"
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that, well...I've been thinking a lot lately and, if you want to, well, I'd kind of like to give you and me a chance."
"You WHAT?" Xander spluttered.
"Oh gosh, this is awkward...I mean of course you don't. You've had all this time...and the way I treated you before..."
"Buffy, are you kidding me...of courese I want to give it a chance. I always have."
Buffy smiled at him and took his hand in hers as they stood up. "So I guess I'll see you Monday?" she said.
"You're not going to change your mind between now and then are you?" Xander asked, warily.
"No...of course not...but right now I have to patrol."
"Ok...I'll see you on Monday". He let go of her hand, and started down the path.
"Xander", she called after him. He turned around and she lent up to kiss him. "Thanks for today", she said as they eventually parted. She watched as he headed towards his home. She went inside and felt happy for the first time in months.
She got out of bed and went down to have breakfast with her mother.
"Mmmmm, something smells good."
"Waffles"
"great." Buffy said, hopping onto a stool.
"Well, aren't we in a happy mood this morning!"
"I had a great night's sleep"
"That's good...so, any plans today?"
"ummm, I thought I might see if the guys wanted to catch a movie or something. I have patrol tonight too."
"Ok, I might go to the gallery then."
After they finished breakfast, Buffy rang Xander. She felt ready to speak to him now. On the third ring he picked up.
"Hello"
"Hi, it's Buffy."
"Buffy?"
"Yeah....look I'm sorry about last night, I just got wigged, but I'm ok now. I'm actually ringing 'cause I thought you, Willow, Oz and I could catch a movie or something."
"Sure...sounds great. Do you want me to call Will?"
"Ah yeah, I guess and she can call Oz. We'll meet there at 12:00 and grab some lunch before the film."
"Ok, 12:00, see you then."
After she got off the phone she looked at the clock...10:00. *Great, heaps of time*, she thought as she began to get ready.
She took the time to wash her hair, do her nails and put on a knee-length skirt with a strappy top. She took extra care with her make-up and pulled her hair back, except for a few tendrils which escaped the clasp and softly framed her face. When she finished getting ready she stepped back and took a look at herself in the mirror.
*Maybe I shouldn't have got so dressed up*. She started to worry. *I mean, I don't have to impress anyone*. She thought about changing into something simpler, but she glanced at her watch...11:50. *Damn, I'm going to be late*
She ran out of her room. "Mom? Mom?"
There was no response. *Why can't things ever go my way*, she thought as she grabbed her purse adn ran out of the house towards the cinemas.
When she got to the meeting place it was 12:20. She spotted Xander and started towards him. "I know, I'm sorry I'm late. I think it's a new record for me. I had to run the whole way here." She put her hand up to smooth her hair. "I must look a mess."
"You look just fine, Buffy."
Buffy scanned the area. "So where are Willow and Oz?"
"They had other plans. You don't mind do you?"
"No, of course not."
"I mean, I thought of calling you to make sure it was ok..."
"Xander it's fine."
The two of them went to see a movie and then grabbed some lunch, before walking home. They chatted the whole way home and Buffy actually felt comfortable in his presence.
When they reached her home they sat on the front porch. After sitting in silence for about 5 minutes, Buffy started to speak.
"Xander, I just want to apologise for last night. It was really unfair of me to leave you there like that."
"Buffy, I understand. You don't have to explain."
"But I do. You see the past few months I've woken up each morning with this incredible feeling of guilt. I mean, I killed Angel..."
"Buffy really..."
"No, I need to finish. You see, I thought Angel was the love of my life, my great passion, you know. I didn't think I could live without him."
"Buffy, you and Angel did love each other..."
"But I can live without him, Xander. I may have loved him, but I realise he wasn't my one true love. We had things in common and that was special, but it wouldn't have worked out in the long run, I can see that now." She took a deep breath. "I went to the mansion..."
Xander looked at her surprised.
"...I went to say goodbye. You were right, Xander, I needed closure. I'm ready to move on. What happened with Angel is in the past."
"Buffy, I'm glad you've worked this out, but why are you telling me all this?"
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that, well...I've been thinking a lot lately and, if you want to, well, I'd kind of like to give you and me a chance."
"You WHAT?" Xander spluttered.
"Oh gosh, this is awkward...I mean of course you don't. You've had all this time...and the way I treated you before..."
"Buffy, are you kidding me...of courese I want to give it a chance. I always have."
Buffy smiled at him and took his hand in hers as they stood up. "So I guess I'll see you Monday?" she said.
"You're not going to change your mind between now and then are you?" Xander asked, warily.
"No...of course not...but right now I have to patrol."
"Ok...I'll see you on Monday". He let go of her hand, and started down the path.
"Xander", she called after him. He turned around and she lent up to kiss him. "Thanks for today", she said as they eventually parted. She watched as he headed towards his home. She went inside and felt happy for the first time in months.
