Title: Rain Falls On The Just (16/?)
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: B/X
Description: The amazing adventure of Paul on the floor. Just kidding.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a box of Wheatabix and a half a slice of pizza. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB own Buffy and all related characters. It's their playground. I just ride the merry-go-round.
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"Who is it?" Xander asked cautiously, as Oz stepped behind him with a baseball bat. There had been a knock at the door that made them all nervous.
"It's Buffy," came the welcome reply. Xander had never moved so quickly in his life. Almost faster than Oz could see, he unbolted the door and threw his arms around the woman he loved. Oz glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Cordy turn and take the baby to the other room.
"Oh God," Buffy said between frantic kisses. "I thought I had lost you."
"How do you think I felt knowing what Angel was up to and not being able to get back to you? I was scared to death."
"Me too. Willow's on her way up. There's something I need to tell you."
"I know about Tara. Anya told me when she popped in. How is she?"
"Not good. We've all been trying to talk to her. Even Anya. Though she's been pretty distraught herself."
"We found her baby, by the way."
"That's what she said. I think she's..."
"Freaked. Wouldn't you be?"
Buffy just nodded and kissed him again.
"Excuse me," Giles said from behind them. "I think it would be better if Willow and I didn't stand in the hall."
"Sorry," Buffy said, moving out of the way.
Xander threw his arms around Willow and held her close. "God, Will. I-I'm so sorry."
Willow had been trying to hold it together, but hearing the pain in her friend's voice unleashed her own tears. Buffy quietly closed the door and cast a suspicious glance at the Host.
"Relax, sweet cheeks," the Host said. "I'm one of the white hats."
Buffy looked to Oz, who nodded. "Okay then," she said. "Faith is hiding the car. As soon as she gets up here, I'll explain the plan."
"The plan is simple," Lindsay explained. "They won't bring the baby to the battle. They'll leave it hidden with protection. It'll be your job to find him."
"And if I can't?" Angel asked, sitting on top of Lindsay's desk.
"We'll kill you," Lindsay said, "after we take out the Slayer, of course. All of our clients are through putting up with her. We removed you from the equation. Now it's her turn."
"If you would have left me a vampire, I could've turned her."
"Not advisable. Vampires are a disloyal lot. I learned that the hard way with Darla. You're much easier to control this way."
Angel grabbed Lindsay by the throat. "Don't push me, boy. I may be human, but I'm no less dangerous."
Lindsay smiled slyly. "Of course not. Now go. See if you can find them."
Buffy watched Xander pace. He was nervous about something, and it wasn't just the upcoming battle. His eyes kept darting back and forth between the one called the Host and Cordelia. Buffy walked over to him and grabbed his arm. "You know you're making me even more nervous."
"Sorry, I just... have pre-battle jitters, I guess." Xander pulled her close to him and kissed her gently. "Darn, I missed you."
"Darn?"
"There's a baby in the house."
"Ah. So what's the what here, Xan? It's not just the battle that has you so wound."
Xander looked at Cordelia who smiled at him kindly before breaking eye contact and leaving the room. "It's..."
"Cordelia," Buffy said flatly. "That part I got. What's wrong? Did... did something happen between you two?"
"No. And yes."
"I honestly don't think you can answer THIS question both ways," Buffy turned her head. "Tell me."
"When we were stranded..."
"On second thought, don't. I don't need this before I face Angel." She turned to walk away, but Xander grabbed her hand.
"Too bad, because I have to tell you."
Buffy noticed that the room was beginning to clear out. Though they were speaking quietly, their body language conveyed the fact that they needed to speak privately.
"Did you sleep with her?" Buffy asked bluntly.
"No. No I did not. I would never..."
"Then what?"
"I... She kissed me."
"She kissed you?"
"Yes."
"Did you?"
"Did I what?"
"Kiss her back?"
"No. I kissed her lips," he said, trying to make light of it, "which isn't funny at all."
"But I thought that... I mean, you don't just... Do you have feelings for her?"
"She's my friend."
"So's Willow, but you don't kiss her like that."
"Well, she IS a lesbian, so technically..."
"Stop it. Don't joke about this."
"I... It meant nothing. I was panicked. So was she. It happened. It was quick. I pushed her away and told her that I love you."
"And that makes it all better?"
"It should. Angel kissed you. Did I even ask you about it?"
"You left."
"To give you space. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you. Buffy, I love you. I can't even begin to explain to you why it happened. I don't know myself. But it was over before it started."
She stared into his eyes. She was searching for the truth. "How can I be sure?"
"Do you want to be sure?"
"Of course," she said, tears welling in her eyes. "But how can I be?"
"Well, I was hoping to avoid this, but... Host, find me some music! I feel a song coming on."
To Be Continued...
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: B/X
Description: The amazing adventure of Paul on the floor. Just kidding.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a box of Wheatabix and a half a slice of pizza. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB own Buffy and all related characters. It's their playground. I just ride the merry-go-round.
**********************************************************************************
"Who is it?" Xander asked cautiously, as Oz stepped behind him with a baseball bat. There had been a knock at the door that made them all nervous.
"It's Buffy," came the welcome reply. Xander had never moved so quickly in his life. Almost faster than Oz could see, he unbolted the door and threw his arms around the woman he loved. Oz glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Cordy turn and take the baby to the other room.
"Oh God," Buffy said between frantic kisses. "I thought I had lost you."
"How do you think I felt knowing what Angel was up to and not being able to get back to you? I was scared to death."
"Me too. Willow's on her way up. There's something I need to tell you."
"I know about Tara. Anya told me when she popped in. How is she?"
"Not good. We've all been trying to talk to her. Even Anya. Though she's been pretty distraught herself."
"We found her baby, by the way."
"That's what she said. I think she's..."
"Freaked. Wouldn't you be?"
Buffy just nodded and kissed him again.
"Excuse me," Giles said from behind them. "I think it would be better if Willow and I didn't stand in the hall."
"Sorry," Buffy said, moving out of the way.
Xander threw his arms around Willow and held her close. "God, Will. I-I'm so sorry."
Willow had been trying to hold it together, but hearing the pain in her friend's voice unleashed her own tears. Buffy quietly closed the door and cast a suspicious glance at the Host.
"Relax, sweet cheeks," the Host said. "I'm one of the white hats."
Buffy looked to Oz, who nodded. "Okay then," she said. "Faith is hiding the car. As soon as she gets up here, I'll explain the plan."
"The plan is simple," Lindsay explained. "They won't bring the baby to the battle. They'll leave it hidden with protection. It'll be your job to find him."
"And if I can't?" Angel asked, sitting on top of Lindsay's desk.
"We'll kill you," Lindsay said, "after we take out the Slayer, of course. All of our clients are through putting up with her. We removed you from the equation. Now it's her turn."
"If you would have left me a vampire, I could've turned her."
"Not advisable. Vampires are a disloyal lot. I learned that the hard way with Darla. You're much easier to control this way."
Angel grabbed Lindsay by the throat. "Don't push me, boy. I may be human, but I'm no less dangerous."
Lindsay smiled slyly. "Of course not. Now go. See if you can find them."
Buffy watched Xander pace. He was nervous about something, and it wasn't just the upcoming battle. His eyes kept darting back and forth between the one called the Host and Cordelia. Buffy walked over to him and grabbed his arm. "You know you're making me even more nervous."
"Sorry, I just... have pre-battle jitters, I guess." Xander pulled her close to him and kissed her gently. "Darn, I missed you."
"Darn?"
"There's a baby in the house."
"Ah. So what's the what here, Xan? It's not just the battle that has you so wound."
Xander looked at Cordelia who smiled at him kindly before breaking eye contact and leaving the room. "It's..."
"Cordelia," Buffy said flatly. "That part I got. What's wrong? Did... did something happen between you two?"
"No. And yes."
"I honestly don't think you can answer THIS question both ways," Buffy turned her head. "Tell me."
"When we were stranded..."
"On second thought, don't. I don't need this before I face Angel." She turned to walk away, but Xander grabbed her hand.
"Too bad, because I have to tell you."
Buffy noticed that the room was beginning to clear out. Though they were speaking quietly, their body language conveyed the fact that they needed to speak privately.
"Did you sleep with her?" Buffy asked bluntly.
"No. No I did not. I would never..."
"Then what?"
"I... She kissed me."
"She kissed you?"
"Yes."
"Did you?"
"Did I what?"
"Kiss her back?"
"No. I kissed her lips," he said, trying to make light of it, "which isn't funny at all."
"But I thought that... I mean, you don't just... Do you have feelings for her?"
"She's my friend."
"So's Willow, but you don't kiss her like that."
"Well, she IS a lesbian, so technically..."
"Stop it. Don't joke about this."
"I... It meant nothing. I was panicked. So was she. It happened. It was quick. I pushed her away and told her that I love you."
"And that makes it all better?"
"It should. Angel kissed you. Did I even ask you about it?"
"You left."
"To give you space. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you. Buffy, I love you. I can't even begin to explain to you why it happened. I don't know myself. But it was over before it started."
She stared into his eyes. She was searching for the truth. "How can I be sure?"
"Do you want to be sure?"
"Of course," she said, tears welling in her eyes. "But how can I be?"
"Well, I was hoping to avoid this, but... Host, find me some music! I feel a song coming on."
To Be Continued...