Pt. 12: Date Me?
Abruptly Buffy found herself shuffling through the crowded halls of Sunnydale high, hauled along by Xander's strong grip upon her arm. "Over here." he stated agitatedly as he waved towards the benches across the lawn. With his calm insistence, the students occupying them soon left, grumbling to themselves. She could barely control her urge to stare at him, to lose herself forever in those warm but incredibly sexy chocolate eyes.
Suddenly everything made sense, she saw him with brand new eyes, and Buffy definitely liked what she saw. He was simply, perfectly beautiful, inside and out. Her newfound propensity to ogle him was clearly surprising and embarrassing him. He was blushing deeply, and stuttering, struggling through his sweet but obviously rehearsed speech. She liked the fact that this scared him a little, yet he was doing it anyway. It showed a strength of spirit and character that the rest of the Slayerettes (with the possible exception of Willow) had been oblivious to for far too long. So she took a deep steadying breath and listened to his big finish.
"Um...Buff, the Spring fling is a...time for students to gather together...Oh God!
Buffy," he took a deep steadying breath as she flashed that incredible smile, his heart was doing flip-flops in his chest and he was afraid he would soon hyperventilate. "Buffy, I want to go to the dance with you, ok? Me and you on a date, together, with each other, not separately but together, on a date, you know?"
Now Buffy was grinning openly, while Xander just looked sick. "I just want to dance with you, just once. It doesn't have to mean anything to you, no big romance or anything, please just give me one night to hold you, and It'll be enough to last for the rest of my life, then I won't ask again." His eyes were pleading with her, begging for a chance.
She didn't want to put this off any longer, so she moved forward in her seat, closer to him. "But what if it does?" She whispered.
Xander started "What if what does? What are you talking about?" he asked sadly and with complete confusion.
"Mean something to me." Buffy answered back. "What if I want a big romance, what if I want you?" Her voice was hushed but he heard every word she said, and felt the words imprint themselves upon his brain like fireworks rumbling across a dark summer night.
"Buffy, don't play with me, I don't think I could take it. Don't play games, just say no and leave it at that, alright?" Xander murmured quietly as he raised his chin to look her in the eyes.
The look in her eyes was the last thing he had ever expected to see, they were glistening with unshed tears, and a longing he had seen only once before on her face and at the time it hadn't been directed at him. It took his breath away as she leaned even closer to him so that her lips were a mere inch or two away from his own. He breathed deeply and inhaled her scent, a whisper of vanilla, flowers, a clean spring day. She was everything good in this world...Everything pure despite what her eyes had seen and her hands had done, to him she was more precious than gold, more desirable than any other woman on God's green earth, what he wouldn't do to win her love could fill a book. She was the earth, the moon and the sun, the stars above, to save her he would go to the ends of the earth, or sacrifice his very soul, just to have her love.
Their eyes met and held speaking volumes, with whispers and screams, and Buffy let her tears flow free as she finally released the answer to his question that would set them both free, "Yes, Xander. I would love to go to the Spring Fling with you, as your date. I want us to go together, as a couple." Buffy announced with a smile.
His immediate reaction was not what she was expecting...he laughed bitterly. "Mmmm…you're just pulling my leg, having a little fun at the Xandman's expense right?" He cut her explanation off before she could begin to explain her change of heart, so she decided to switch gears a little and go on the offensive. So as he continued to rattle on in the same vein she grabbed him and pulled him into the kiss she had been hungering for ever since she had watched their doubles kissing in her visions. It was an incredible kiss infused with all the hunger, yearning, love and devotion she now felt towards him.
If no words could get through to him she knew this would, because kisses never lie, she would never have kissed him like this for a joke and they both knew it. They pulled apart panting and out of breath, with probably the entire schoolyard staring in shock but neither cared. As soon as their eyes met they smiled in unison, grinning like fools, knowing this was only the beginning.
Surprisingly Xander was the first to turn serious again. "Buffy, are you sure about this? Is this what you want? What about you and Angel... I don't want you to settle for me just because you and Angel have some issues to overcome. I think you're the best Buffy and you deserve more than that..."
But now Buffy took her turn to interrupt, "Has anyone ever told you that you talk too damn much?" She asked tenderly and moved closer to her knight in shining armor. "I'm not giving up anything by choosing you Xander, if I end up without you, that's settling, that's giving up the finest thing I've ever had the privilege of discovering. You know the best and the worst of me but you love me anyway, I just can't believe I've been so blind for so long. So please Xander Harris give me this chance- Date me?"
Xander smiled sweetly, "You mean it, Buff?"
"Absolutely, you know me better than that Xand, I never say what I don't mean." Buffy felt real trepidation at his almost blatant refusal to accept her admission of affection. She was afraid that maybe it was already too late for them. The idea that she had possibly destroyed the best thing ever to touch her life, before it even began terrified her, but she had to keep her faith, or go mad.
But the minute their eyes met she knew it was ok. His warm brown eyes caressed her lovingly, and she knew that somehow whatever came their way they could handle it, their love was stronger than death, fate and all the horrors of the Hellmouth.
"That was really smooth Buff- date me? You smooth talker you, how long did it take you to come up with that one?" Xander grinned as he moved closer to her.
Buffy smiled back; "Well I had some help..." she answered vaguely and was rewarded by his telltale blush. Then minutes later he was rewarded by her blushing furiously as he stared at her, taking in every detail as if to permanently brand her visage into his mind and heart.
"What?" she whispered smiling tenderly.
"I just want to remember how you look at this moment, in case this is all a dream and I wake up tomorrow and you're still in love with him. But I don't think even a dream could do you justice, to see that look on your face directed towards me is amazing, and frankly I never thought I'd see it. Whoever said dreams don't come true, huh?" Xander murmured, his voice tinged with happiness and awe.
"Not me." Buffy whispered softly as she moved in to kiss him again. Then it was just the two of them; everyone and everything else ceased to exist. As even the Hellmouth itself, stopped and gazed in wonder as the slayer and her white knight finally found each other, and placed the first brick in the foundation of a love that would last for all eternity, and put all others to shame.
Whistler really had been right; this was just the beginning.
Pt. 13 : Epilogue: Uh-oh: or Never Piss Off A Goddess
(Unless You Have Another Way Home.)
The figure stood at the edge of the forest overlooking the meadow with it's colorfu wildflowers, the cliff face about thirty paces away and the calm azure waters of the fiord below it all. He had been standing here for hours meditating on the slayer and her love, and envying the happiness that awaited them. It began to move closer to the edge of the cliff and as it did so the facade it had kept so meticulously began to fade away. He was not Whistler, in point of fact 'he' was not a he at all.
Where the short, pudgy demon dressed like a pimp from the seventies had been moments earlier there now stood a very tall, elegantly dressed beauty. She had to be over seven feet tall, with long luxurious, flaxen hair. She was dressed in flowing white robes, which clung to her every curve and swayed, in the gusting breeze. Her feet were bare, and pale pink roses clung worshipfully to her lush golden head. This woman radiated with a sense of power and purpose and everything in this world seemed to revolve around her…to belong to her. As she contemplated the vista in silence, peace reigned and the gathering darkness wrapped itself around her like a cloak. The waiting had begun.
*************************
Later, when the voice rang out behind her she felt no fear. "I still say you didn't need to trick her, 'Dhite. That slayer is one sharp girl. If anyone could have reasoned with her it would have been you." Whistler announced with aplomb.
"No. She was too headstrong!" The woman answered shortly. "She needed to be approached by someone she knew and trusted and your cryptic schtick had her enthralled. She would have treated me and all I had to say with doubt, and we didn't have enough time for that." The moment her voice echoed off the granite of the crags it was easy to tell that this woman was not human. She was Aphrodite, also known as Venus among a host of other names. She was known in all languages as the goddess of love and the epitome of beauty and romantic love.
"Besides, despite all she's seen- I highly doubt this girl would have believed me had I told her who I really was. No one believes in the old gods anymore, we have been cast aside like dirty dishwater. We have outgrown our usefulness, now religion is bought and sold, broken down into pieces small enough for public consumption. Nobody really believes in anything anymore, that faith is gone...Maybe forever. And as faith dies so too does our power, eroding beneath our feet like sand into the sea."
Whistler didn't know how to respond to that- she seemed preoccupied, so he changed the subject. "So this whole 'it's a wonderful life' crap was meant to show her how important she was in the scheme of things...?" Whistler questioned curiously.
"Umm, not really. It was to show her how important he was. She had to feel it, she had to lose herself and him to find the truth. To realize it was real. She'd lost all her faith in love and fate. And I couldn't have that- even if it was her own fault that she and that vampire messed it up so royally." The deity grated a little angrily.
"Oh, did it work, your plan I mean? Did she finally see the kid for all he was worth?" Whistler questioned eagerly.
"Yes. I showed her the truth. All that could and would have happened in her life had she only seen the truth in the first place." Her smile was sad as she turned to Whistler, "I showed her the truth and that was all she really needed. You were right she is a very smart girl."
Whistler stared into the sea as evening gave way to the darkness of the dead of night.
"Can I ask you something, 'Dhite?"
"Go ahead..." she answered meeting his gave levelly.
"Why did you bother with it. Why expend so much energy, I mean restoring her life, and creating these realities to essentially mess with their lovelife. What does it matter in the scope of things, really?" Whistler pressed with confusion. "I mean she is a slayer. Their lifelines aren't terribly long to begin with, in the end isn't this just a lost cause- a lot of effort for nothing?"
"I guess I'm just a sucker for true love." The woman answered silkily. "Besides I think you underestimate her ability and tenacity." Whistler looked at her with surprise as the woman grinned.
"What answer did you expect, Whistler? After all I am the goddess of love! I just couldn't stand by watching the mess she made out of it, besides no one else could or would do anything about it. They were made for each other, meant to be together forever, and I hate when something (or someone) interferes with the destined course of love. They commit a crime against both fate and myself. People may not know I exist but I'll be damned if I'll let them walk all over me. Which reminds me Whistler, you're partly to blame for all this, if it hadn't been for your pupil; tall, dark and sulky, none of this would have ever happened."
"Hey, I had nothing to do with the slayer and Angel hooking up! They did that all on their own so leave me out of it, ok?" Whistler stated decidedly
The deity smiled coldly, and grinned. "Oh, I think not handsome. You and your vampire owe me, a debt of restitution. And I never forget what's owed to me! We'll meet again someday when I deem your debt is due. Then and only then will we speak again of these matters. And it is a very, very big debt!" As Aphrodite spoke her brilliant blue eyes flashed gold, and flickered in the dark night. Around her the night wind and the darkness began to swirl, and flashed with fiery light.
"Don't forget the score you and your vampire owe me Whistler, and warn the fiend to stay with his own kind as nature intended. Higher forces than even I protect the boy and the slayer and they will brook no interference from anyone. Oh, and Whistler if you call me 'Dhite' again, I'll turn you into wormfood, alright?"
Then in a flash she was gone. Leaving Whistler alone with his thoughts. "SHIT!" Whistler cried into the night. "Now, how the hell do I get home!" He shouted distractedly, and this day had started out so well. Angel was definitely going to get his ass kicked for this, the demon decided as he wandered into the cool night air beyond, definitely!
***The End***
Abruptly Buffy found herself shuffling through the crowded halls of Sunnydale high, hauled along by Xander's strong grip upon her arm. "Over here." he stated agitatedly as he waved towards the benches across the lawn. With his calm insistence, the students occupying them soon left, grumbling to themselves. She could barely control her urge to stare at him, to lose herself forever in those warm but incredibly sexy chocolate eyes.
Suddenly everything made sense, she saw him with brand new eyes, and Buffy definitely liked what she saw. He was simply, perfectly beautiful, inside and out. Her newfound propensity to ogle him was clearly surprising and embarrassing him. He was blushing deeply, and stuttering, struggling through his sweet but obviously rehearsed speech. She liked the fact that this scared him a little, yet he was doing it anyway. It showed a strength of spirit and character that the rest of the Slayerettes (with the possible exception of Willow) had been oblivious to for far too long. So she took a deep steadying breath and listened to his big finish.
"Um...Buff, the Spring fling is a...time for students to gather together...Oh God!
Buffy," he took a deep steadying breath as she flashed that incredible smile, his heart was doing flip-flops in his chest and he was afraid he would soon hyperventilate. "Buffy, I want to go to the dance with you, ok? Me and you on a date, together, with each other, not separately but together, on a date, you know?"
Now Buffy was grinning openly, while Xander just looked sick. "I just want to dance with you, just once. It doesn't have to mean anything to you, no big romance or anything, please just give me one night to hold you, and It'll be enough to last for the rest of my life, then I won't ask again." His eyes were pleading with her, begging for a chance.
She didn't want to put this off any longer, so she moved forward in her seat, closer to him. "But what if it does?" She whispered.
Xander started "What if what does? What are you talking about?" he asked sadly and with complete confusion.
"Mean something to me." Buffy answered back. "What if I want a big romance, what if I want you?" Her voice was hushed but he heard every word she said, and felt the words imprint themselves upon his brain like fireworks rumbling across a dark summer night.
"Buffy, don't play with me, I don't think I could take it. Don't play games, just say no and leave it at that, alright?" Xander murmured quietly as he raised his chin to look her in the eyes.
The look in her eyes was the last thing he had ever expected to see, they were glistening with unshed tears, and a longing he had seen only once before on her face and at the time it hadn't been directed at him. It took his breath away as she leaned even closer to him so that her lips were a mere inch or two away from his own. He breathed deeply and inhaled her scent, a whisper of vanilla, flowers, a clean spring day. She was everything good in this world...Everything pure despite what her eyes had seen and her hands had done, to him she was more precious than gold, more desirable than any other woman on God's green earth, what he wouldn't do to win her love could fill a book. She was the earth, the moon and the sun, the stars above, to save her he would go to the ends of the earth, or sacrifice his very soul, just to have her love.
Their eyes met and held speaking volumes, with whispers and screams, and Buffy let her tears flow free as she finally released the answer to his question that would set them both free, "Yes, Xander. I would love to go to the Spring Fling with you, as your date. I want us to go together, as a couple." Buffy announced with a smile.
His immediate reaction was not what she was expecting...he laughed bitterly. "Mmmm…you're just pulling my leg, having a little fun at the Xandman's expense right?" He cut her explanation off before she could begin to explain her change of heart, so she decided to switch gears a little and go on the offensive. So as he continued to rattle on in the same vein she grabbed him and pulled him into the kiss she had been hungering for ever since she had watched their doubles kissing in her visions. It was an incredible kiss infused with all the hunger, yearning, love and devotion she now felt towards him.
If no words could get through to him she knew this would, because kisses never lie, she would never have kissed him like this for a joke and they both knew it. They pulled apart panting and out of breath, with probably the entire schoolyard staring in shock but neither cared. As soon as their eyes met they smiled in unison, grinning like fools, knowing this was only the beginning.
Surprisingly Xander was the first to turn serious again. "Buffy, are you sure about this? Is this what you want? What about you and Angel... I don't want you to settle for me just because you and Angel have some issues to overcome. I think you're the best Buffy and you deserve more than that..."
But now Buffy took her turn to interrupt, "Has anyone ever told you that you talk too damn much?" She asked tenderly and moved closer to her knight in shining armor. "I'm not giving up anything by choosing you Xander, if I end up without you, that's settling, that's giving up the finest thing I've ever had the privilege of discovering. You know the best and the worst of me but you love me anyway, I just can't believe I've been so blind for so long. So please Xander Harris give me this chance- Date me?"
Xander smiled sweetly, "You mean it, Buff?"
"Absolutely, you know me better than that Xand, I never say what I don't mean." Buffy felt real trepidation at his almost blatant refusal to accept her admission of affection. She was afraid that maybe it was already too late for them. The idea that she had possibly destroyed the best thing ever to touch her life, before it even began terrified her, but she had to keep her faith, or go mad.
But the minute their eyes met she knew it was ok. His warm brown eyes caressed her lovingly, and she knew that somehow whatever came their way they could handle it, their love was stronger than death, fate and all the horrors of the Hellmouth.
"That was really smooth Buff- date me? You smooth talker you, how long did it take you to come up with that one?" Xander grinned as he moved closer to her.
Buffy smiled back; "Well I had some help..." she answered vaguely and was rewarded by his telltale blush. Then minutes later he was rewarded by her blushing furiously as he stared at her, taking in every detail as if to permanently brand her visage into his mind and heart.
"What?" she whispered smiling tenderly.
"I just want to remember how you look at this moment, in case this is all a dream and I wake up tomorrow and you're still in love with him. But I don't think even a dream could do you justice, to see that look on your face directed towards me is amazing, and frankly I never thought I'd see it. Whoever said dreams don't come true, huh?" Xander murmured, his voice tinged with happiness and awe.
"Not me." Buffy whispered softly as she moved in to kiss him again. Then it was just the two of them; everyone and everything else ceased to exist. As even the Hellmouth itself, stopped and gazed in wonder as the slayer and her white knight finally found each other, and placed the first brick in the foundation of a love that would last for all eternity, and put all others to shame.
Whistler really had been right; this was just the beginning.
Pt. 13 : Epilogue: Uh-oh: or Never Piss Off A Goddess
(Unless You Have Another Way Home.)
The figure stood at the edge of the forest overlooking the meadow with it's colorfu wildflowers, the cliff face about thirty paces away and the calm azure waters of the fiord below it all. He had been standing here for hours meditating on the slayer and her love, and envying the happiness that awaited them. It began to move closer to the edge of the cliff and as it did so the facade it had kept so meticulously began to fade away. He was not Whistler, in point of fact 'he' was not a he at all.
Where the short, pudgy demon dressed like a pimp from the seventies had been moments earlier there now stood a very tall, elegantly dressed beauty. She had to be over seven feet tall, with long luxurious, flaxen hair. She was dressed in flowing white robes, which clung to her every curve and swayed, in the gusting breeze. Her feet were bare, and pale pink roses clung worshipfully to her lush golden head. This woman radiated with a sense of power and purpose and everything in this world seemed to revolve around her…to belong to her. As she contemplated the vista in silence, peace reigned and the gathering darkness wrapped itself around her like a cloak. The waiting had begun.
*************************
Later, when the voice rang out behind her she felt no fear. "I still say you didn't need to trick her, 'Dhite. That slayer is one sharp girl. If anyone could have reasoned with her it would have been you." Whistler announced with aplomb.
"No. She was too headstrong!" The woman answered shortly. "She needed to be approached by someone she knew and trusted and your cryptic schtick had her enthralled. She would have treated me and all I had to say with doubt, and we didn't have enough time for that." The moment her voice echoed off the granite of the crags it was easy to tell that this woman was not human. She was Aphrodite, also known as Venus among a host of other names. She was known in all languages as the goddess of love and the epitome of beauty and romantic love.
"Besides, despite all she's seen- I highly doubt this girl would have believed me had I told her who I really was. No one believes in the old gods anymore, we have been cast aside like dirty dishwater. We have outgrown our usefulness, now religion is bought and sold, broken down into pieces small enough for public consumption. Nobody really believes in anything anymore, that faith is gone...Maybe forever. And as faith dies so too does our power, eroding beneath our feet like sand into the sea."
Whistler didn't know how to respond to that- she seemed preoccupied, so he changed the subject. "So this whole 'it's a wonderful life' crap was meant to show her how important she was in the scheme of things...?" Whistler questioned curiously.
"Umm, not really. It was to show her how important he was. She had to feel it, she had to lose herself and him to find the truth. To realize it was real. She'd lost all her faith in love and fate. And I couldn't have that- even if it was her own fault that she and that vampire messed it up so royally." The deity grated a little angrily.
"Oh, did it work, your plan I mean? Did she finally see the kid for all he was worth?" Whistler questioned eagerly.
"Yes. I showed her the truth. All that could and would have happened in her life had she only seen the truth in the first place." Her smile was sad as she turned to Whistler, "I showed her the truth and that was all she really needed. You were right she is a very smart girl."
Whistler stared into the sea as evening gave way to the darkness of the dead of night.
"Can I ask you something, 'Dhite?"
"Go ahead..." she answered meeting his gave levelly.
"Why did you bother with it. Why expend so much energy, I mean restoring her life, and creating these realities to essentially mess with their lovelife. What does it matter in the scope of things, really?" Whistler pressed with confusion. "I mean she is a slayer. Their lifelines aren't terribly long to begin with, in the end isn't this just a lost cause- a lot of effort for nothing?"
"I guess I'm just a sucker for true love." The woman answered silkily. "Besides I think you underestimate her ability and tenacity." Whistler looked at her with surprise as the woman grinned.
"What answer did you expect, Whistler? After all I am the goddess of love! I just couldn't stand by watching the mess she made out of it, besides no one else could or would do anything about it. They were made for each other, meant to be together forever, and I hate when something (or someone) interferes with the destined course of love. They commit a crime against both fate and myself. People may not know I exist but I'll be damned if I'll let them walk all over me. Which reminds me Whistler, you're partly to blame for all this, if it hadn't been for your pupil; tall, dark and sulky, none of this would have ever happened."
"Hey, I had nothing to do with the slayer and Angel hooking up! They did that all on their own so leave me out of it, ok?" Whistler stated decidedly
The deity smiled coldly, and grinned. "Oh, I think not handsome. You and your vampire owe me, a debt of restitution. And I never forget what's owed to me! We'll meet again someday when I deem your debt is due. Then and only then will we speak again of these matters. And it is a very, very big debt!" As Aphrodite spoke her brilliant blue eyes flashed gold, and flickered in the dark night. Around her the night wind and the darkness began to swirl, and flashed with fiery light.
"Don't forget the score you and your vampire owe me Whistler, and warn the fiend to stay with his own kind as nature intended. Higher forces than even I protect the boy and the slayer and they will brook no interference from anyone. Oh, and Whistler if you call me 'Dhite' again, I'll turn you into wormfood, alright?"
Then in a flash she was gone. Leaving Whistler alone with his thoughts. "SHIT!" Whistler cried into the night. "Now, how the hell do I get home!" He shouted distractedly, and this day had started out so well. Angel was definitely going to get his ass kicked for this, the demon decided as he wandered into the cool night air beyond, definitely!
***The End***