Giles slammed the apartment door. "That damn ratfink of a landlord! Sorry. He said he saw Xander bring boxes to his car and finally leave. He didn't try to stop him, or ... or..."
"He's his landlord, not his babysitter." Willow told Giles simply.
"Its all your fault." Dawn looked over to Buffy.
"Dawn! You can't possibly blame Buffy for any of this..." Willow was shocked at what came out of the teen's mouth.
"I can, and I am." Dawn grabbed her coat and walked out of Xander's former apartment.
("It's killing me being here. Slow and painful. Its no one's fault, not even my own." It is someone's fault... hers. Why couldn't she see you the way I do?)
When she was sure no one was following her she got to the nearest pay phone and called Xander with her phone card.
\"Hey Dawnie."\
"How did you know it was me?"
\"I've only given this number to you. Do they know yet?"\
"Yeah."
\"How are they taking it?"\
"Good, considering. How are you? You feel any better?"
\"Did you think that once I got away from the hell mouth it would like a weight was lifted off my shoulders?"\
"Isn't it?"
\"That's not how this works Dawn. I'm never gonna feel any better."\
"I gotta go now, someone will probably be following me."
\"Demon?"\
"Worse, watcher."
They exchanged their goodbyes and Dawn saw the watcher coming from the corner of her eye.
"Who were you calling Dawn?"
"I tried Xander's cell, no one answered so I called the operator. They said it was disconnected."
The watcher gave her a forced smile and put his arm around her guiding her home.
"Its good that you tried. I have a feeling Xander doesn't want to be found. I can't help but feel it was a progressive... I knew he had been more depressed as of late, I was hoping my news would help him snap out if it."
"Its not your fault."
"But it's Buffy's?" He looked over to the girl, trying to figure out what she was thinking.
"Its gotta hurt. Loving someone as much as he loves Buffy. And then she doesn't even notice, or maybe she doesn't care." Giles was a smart man; she was sure he saw what she did.
"She loves him."
"Just not the way he needs her to." She completed for him.
"No. I don't think so."
*******************
She sat alone in Xander's empty apartment. She made her way to the bedroom and sat down looking around the room solemnly.
She laid her head down on the pillow that still smelled of Xander.
(Why did you leave me here?)
She turned on her side and put her nose to the pillow.
(What did I do so wrong? What did I do to make you go away? Why do I feel so empty? I don't remember feeling like this when willow went away...Why couldn't you just stay where people need you, where I need you....)
*******************
*3000 miles away*
Xander loosened his tie as he walked into his building elevator. (leave it up to men to tie a noose on our necks each day. I wonder what Buffy is doing? I wonder if they are all right, or if evil is afoot. Naw, it seems to cool down in the summer. Why is that?) He walked down the hall of the high scale apartments and went inside his very own very nice, very cold apartment. He looked up at the wall where the couch was... (I could put a Dingo's poster there... that would help make this place look less sterile.) He already had pictures covering coffee tables and counters. (Who knew I would finally learn how to use a picture frame.) That's when the knock came. Oh God, they couldn't have found me, could they? He opened the door to see a woman and her little poodle dog.
"Hello, I am your neighbor! We just wanted to come over and say Hello."
"We?"
"Me and Mr. McFluffy here." She raised the dog a little. (Oh... right, we.)
"Hi. I'm Xander Harris."
"I'm Joan Wright. Xander is an unusual name."
"Its short for Alexander. Why don't you come in." He stepped aside letting the woman spy in on his privacy. He knew the other people in the building put her up to this; to check him out, make sure he wasn't a wacko.
(Lady you're outta luck. I don't only believe in vampires, but I have a friend who slays them.)
"These pictures of your family?"
(Oh, you mean did I leave my wife and kids and skip over state lines to try to weasel out of child support?)
"Nope, those are my friends." She picked up a picture of Giles and showed it to him.
"This your father?"
Without hesitating Xander said, "Yes." He even surprised himself with that.
************
Xander laid on his bed after the interrogators left (That poodle was brutal.) He looked over to see Mr. Gordo peeking out one of the boxes. Buffy left him there one time... He didn't remember why he took him.... (Gordo's been pignapped by the geeky boy.)
"God Buff, I'm so sorry." He moved to his side and picked up the pig. Gordo smelled like Buffy, well he was bound to since she slept with him... He sighed and stared at the ceiling.
(Where is a good rain of toads when you need one?)
"He's his landlord, not his babysitter." Willow told Giles simply.
"Its all your fault." Dawn looked over to Buffy.
"Dawn! You can't possibly blame Buffy for any of this..." Willow was shocked at what came out of the teen's mouth.
"I can, and I am." Dawn grabbed her coat and walked out of Xander's former apartment.
("It's killing me being here. Slow and painful. Its no one's fault, not even my own." It is someone's fault... hers. Why couldn't she see you the way I do?)
When she was sure no one was following her she got to the nearest pay phone and called Xander with her phone card.
\"Hey Dawnie."\
"How did you know it was me?"
\"I've only given this number to you. Do they know yet?"\
"Yeah."
\"How are they taking it?"\
"Good, considering. How are you? You feel any better?"
\"Did you think that once I got away from the hell mouth it would like a weight was lifted off my shoulders?"\
"Isn't it?"
\"That's not how this works Dawn. I'm never gonna feel any better."\
"I gotta go now, someone will probably be following me."
\"Demon?"\
"Worse, watcher."
They exchanged their goodbyes and Dawn saw the watcher coming from the corner of her eye.
"Who were you calling Dawn?"
"I tried Xander's cell, no one answered so I called the operator. They said it was disconnected."
The watcher gave her a forced smile and put his arm around her guiding her home.
"Its good that you tried. I have a feeling Xander doesn't want to be found. I can't help but feel it was a progressive... I knew he had been more depressed as of late, I was hoping my news would help him snap out if it."
"Its not your fault."
"But it's Buffy's?" He looked over to the girl, trying to figure out what she was thinking.
"Its gotta hurt. Loving someone as much as he loves Buffy. And then she doesn't even notice, or maybe she doesn't care." Giles was a smart man; she was sure he saw what she did.
"She loves him."
"Just not the way he needs her to." She completed for him.
"No. I don't think so."
*******************
She sat alone in Xander's empty apartment. She made her way to the bedroom and sat down looking around the room solemnly.
She laid her head down on the pillow that still smelled of Xander.
(Why did you leave me here?)
She turned on her side and put her nose to the pillow.
(What did I do so wrong? What did I do to make you go away? Why do I feel so empty? I don't remember feeling like this when willow went away...Why couldn't you just stay where people need you, where I need you....)
*******************
*3000 miles away*
Xander loosened his tie as he walked into his building elevator. (leave it up to men to tie a noose on our necks each day. I wonder what Buffy is doing? I wonder if they are all right, or if evil is afoot. Naw, it seems to cool down in the summer. Why is that?) He walked down the hall of the high scale apartments and went inside his very own very nice, very cold apartment. He looked up at the wall where the couch was... (I could put a Dingo's poster there... that would help make this place look less sterile.) He already had pictures covering coffee tables and counters. (Who knew I would finally learn how to use a picture frame.) That's when the knock came. Oh God, they couldn't have found me, could they? He opened the door to see a woman and her little poodle dog.
"Hello, I am your neighbor! We just wanted to come over and say Hello."
"We?"
"Me and Mr. McFluffy here." She raised the dog a little. (Oh... right, we.)
"Hi. I'm Xander Harris."
"I'm Joan Wright. Xander is an unusual name."
"Its short for Alexander. Why don't you come in." He stepped aside letting the woman spy in on his privacy. He knew the other people in the building put her up to this; to check him out, make sure he wasn't a wacko.
(Lady you're outta luck. I don't only believe in vampires, but I have a friend who slays them.)
"These pictures of your family?"
(Oh, you mean did I leave my wife and kids and skip over state lines to try to weasel out of child support?)
"Nope, those are my friends." She picked up a picture of Giles and showed it to him.
"This your father?"
Without hesitating Xander said, "Yes." He even surprised himself with that.
************
Xander laid on his bed after the interrogators left (That poodle was brutal.) He looked over to see Mr. Gordo peeking out one of the boxes. Buffy left him there one time... He didn't remember why he took him.... (Gordo's been pignapped by the geeky boy.)
"God Buff, I'm so sorry." He moved to his side and picked up the pig. Gordo smelled like Buffy, well he was bound to since she slept with him... He sighed and stared at the ceiling.
(Where is a good rain of toads when you need one?)