TWENTY-EIGHT (EPILOGUE)

"I think that's the last box," said Buffy, as she watched Xander struggle
to haul it into the room. "Are you sure you don't want me to help you with
that?"

"No, no … I'm sure," said Xander, panting as he chucked the box to the
floor. "You're absolutely positive that's the last one, right?"

"Quite sure."

"Good, because I felt like I just moved the whole of North America into my
house," said Xander. "Ooh, plus Canada."

"You love me, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"And you want me to be happy, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, I can't be happy without all of my stuff," said Buffy. She stepped
forward and gazed around the bedroom, which was cluttered with brown
cardboard boxes with words like 'Make-Up' , 'Personal' and 'Misc.' written
in thick black ink on them. "This is great."

"So I finally have my very own live-in girlfriend, eh?" said Xander. "I
thought it would classier than this."

"It will be, once you help me unpack," said Buffy with a smile. She hugged
him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Xander smiled at her and then went to
sit on the bed.

"You know, I hear that it's tradition to officiate the moving-in with the
testing of the bed," Xander said, bouncing up and down on the bed lightly,
his eyebrows arched suggestively.

Buffy giggled and walked up to him slowly, sitting beside him. She wrapped
her arms around him and kissed him on the lips. Xander reciprocated, and
they kissed passionately for several minutes before Buffy ran her fingers
down to his chest and began unbuttoning his shirt. She pushed him back unto
the bed and climbed on top of him, kissing him non stop. Xander stroked her
hair and traced the arch of her back with his fingers, before suddenly
rolling her over on her back. He pushed the hair away from her face and
kissed her, their lips locked together tight.

"Oooh, mirrored ceiling," said Buffy suddenly, interrupting Xander.
"Naughty boy."

Xander looked up as she spoke. "Yeah, got that installed the very day you
told me you would move in with me."

"Fulfilling your long-time fantasy, there, Agent Harris?"

"Eh?"

"I was there, remember?" said Buffy. "With the disco globe and everything."

"I was sixteen," explained Xander. "Very childish and immature back then."

"Don't see much of a difference, now, sweetie."

"Ow," said Xander. "Not a very nice girlfriend, I see."

"Sorry," said Buffy with a mischievous smile. "I'll make it up to you."

She pulled him back on top of her and began sucking on his neck gently.
Xander took short, deep breaths as he closed his eyes, thoroughly enjoying
what Buffy was doing to him. As her hands slowly snaked down to his pants
buckle, the bedroom door swung open and the two lovebirds sat up suddenly in
alarm.

"Have you seen the bloody TV Guide?" came a familiar British-accented
voice.

"No," said Xander in irritation, "And would you please knock before you…"

"Yeah, blah blah blah, who cares," said Spike, not even bothering to look
at them as he pushed around Buffy's boxes looking for what he wanted. "This
place is a freaking pig's sty."

"Careful with that!" said Buffy as Spike pushed aside a box marked
'Make-Up'.

Spike kicked it purposely and then tossed Buffy a rude look. He examined
the two of them on the bed. "Oooh… somebody's been naughty. Can I watch?"

"No!" they both answered in unison.

"Come on, come on," said Spike as he walked over to them and sat on the
edge of the bed. "This is much better than the lousy tele. I can't even find
the guide anyways."

"Go away, Spike," said Xander. "And get off my bed."

"For Christ's sake, I'm not asking for a bloody threesome," said Spike.
"You won't even know I'm here."

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" asked Buffy.

"Maybe," said Spike, "Or maybe *somebody* didn't pay for this month's porno
channel subscription and I'm very, very lonely."

"I don't… subscribe to that…" whispered Xander meekly to Buffy. "He must
have been mistaken."

"Okay," said Buffy, not really buying it. "Spike, get out."

"Oooh, first day living here and suddenly somebody's all bossy," mocked
Spike. "You're like a very, very, cheap rip-off version of a stepmother.
Only fatter. And with bad make-up."

"Counting to three…"

"Fine, fine, fine," said Spike, getting up. "You'll never replace my real
mother! Bitch!" He stormed off and slammed the door.

"This is going to happen every day , isn't it," groaned Buffy.

"Yeah," said Xander.

"I can't believe you asked him to move in before me," said Buffy. "I'm sort
of insulted."

"He doesn't like to think of it as moving-in," explained Xander. "It's just
that with all his waiting-for-the-moment-to-kill-me-while-I-sleep , I
figured he could use a place to rest in between murderous thoughts, and his
crypt's pretty far away."

"That's sweet of you, you know," said Buffy. "Even though he *is* a crazy
undead killer."

"He's not so bad once you get to know him."

"I can imagine," said Buffy not so enthusiastically. "Now, as much fun as
talking about Spike is, I really want to get back to business…"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" said Xander gleefully. "Where were we?"

"I think somewhere along… here," said Buffy as she pulled him towards her
and gave him another long, fiery kiss. They wrapped their arms around each
other and fell unto the bed.