Chapter 3
"Buffy! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!" Xander reached for her and wrapped his arms around her. Buffy flinched, it wasn't often that anyone hugged her lovingly and when they did it was followed by, 'Do you want to get a room?' It was nice to be held by someone who didn't want to get in her pants.
Buffy pulled away and looked Xander up and down, "Xander, I've missed you too!" Her voice cracked and tears slid down her cheeks. Buffy had cried for sadness many times in her life, she had faced more pain and death than most people but there had been few times when she had shed tears because she was happy. This was one of those times.
"Don't cry Buffy, laugh, become violent, turn to alcohol just don't cry.." His voice trailed off and Buffy could see sadness in his eyes.
"One vodka on the rocks for the lady," the bartender nodded in Xander's direction.
"The usual thanks Leon."
"So come here often?" Buffy raised an eyebrow and her drink as she took one long sip.
"Just to, you know cool down after work before I go home to an empty house. Hey I've never seen Buffy Summers drink vodka before."
"Maybe I've grown up a lot since you last saw me Xander." Buffy murmured and took another sip of her drink.
"Maybe I have too," Xander tipped the barman and ordered Buffy another drink.
"So how was LA, City of Angel, find what you were looking for?" Xander looked up like a wounded puppy and Buffy realised that not everybody left her, everybody left Xander, he had lived in the same town his whole life and they'd all took off for greener pastures while he came to Willie's and drank.
"Look Xander, I never meant to leave you here in this godforsaken town, I'm sorry.."
"Buffy, you're the slayer you did what you had to do and I should be thanking you right now that I have a world to live in." Xander reached out and touched Buffy's hand; she pulled back to her drink. It was all too much too soon.
"Xander." she said softly but she had already hurt him and he looked away.
"So how's Anya?" Buffy continued, trying to lighten the mood.
"She left me right after Maddie was born, she took the kids and everything." He looked up at her with a tear in his eye then took his drink, finished it off and slammed it on the table so hard that Buffy jumped.
"She says I've got an alcohol problem and I don't understand her anymore, stupid bitch!" Buffy felt for Xander, he had obviously had a rough time with it and his friends hadn't even been there for him.
"You've got kids Xander? Tell me about them and why exactly I wasn't named godmother!" Buffy said delighted to hear some happy news.
"I've got two, a girl and a boy, Jake's five, he'll be starting school in September and Madeline, well she'll be four soon. I haven't seen them since she skipped town .." Xander smiled as he talked about his kids, he obviously loved them a lot.
"So maybe she'll come back, you have rights as a father but only if you stop drinking." Buffy said lightly to her friend completely surprised that she of all people was the voice of reason.
"I wouldn't give her the satisfaction!" he grumbled and turned from Buffy.
The two of them sat in silence, there was so much to be said but neither could bring themselves to speak about it. Buffy could remember a time when Xander loved Anya more than life itself but now the bitterness had risen in him and she saw in him something that he would throw a punch at her for even thinking. He had turned into his own father. The memories of Mr Harris at Anya and Xander's 'almost' wedding, were becoming clearer as she watched her friend slumped over his drink. It was then she had an epiphany: she was going to help Xander get his life back!
"Buffy! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!" Xander reached for her and wrapped his arms around her. Buffy flinched, it wasn't often that anyone hugged her lovingly and when they did it was followed by, 'Do you want to get a room?' It was nice to be held by someone who didn't want to get in her pants.
Buffy pulled away and looked Xander up and down, "Xander, I've missed you too!" Her voice cracked and tears slid down her cheeks. Buffy had cried for sadness many times in her life, she had faced more pain and death than most people but there had been few times when she had shed tears because she was happy. This was one of those times.
"Don't cry Buffy, laugh, become violent, turn to alcohol just don't cry.." His voice trailed off and Buffy could see sadness in his eyes.
"One vodka on the rocks for the lady," the bartender nodded in Xander's direction.
"The usual thanks Leon."
"So come here often?" Buffy raised an eyebrow and her drink as she took one long sip.
"Just to, you know cool down after work before I go home to an empty house. Hey I've never seen Buffy Summers drink vodka before."
"Maybe I've grown up a lot since you last saw me Xander." Buffy murmured and took another sip of her drink.
"Maybe I have too," Xander tipped the barman and ordered Buffy another drink.
"So how was LA, City of Angel, find what you were looking for?" Xander looked up like a wounded puppy and Buffy realised that not everybody left her, everybody left Xander, he had lived in the same town his whole life and they'd all took off for greener pastures while he came to Willie's and drank.
"Look Xander, I never meant to leave you here in this godforsaken town, I'm sorry.."
"Buffy, you're the slayer you did what you had to do and I should be thanking you right now that I have a world to live in." Xander reached out and touched Buffy's hand; she pulled back to her drink. It was all too much too soon.
"Xander." she said softly but she had already hurt him and he looked away.
"So how's Anya?" Buffy continued, trying to lighten the mood.
"She left me right after Maddie was born, she took the kids and everything." He looked up at her with a tear in his eye then took his drink, finished it off and slammed it on the table so hard that Buffy jumped.
"She says I've got an alcohol problem and I don't understand her anymore, stupid bitch!" Buffy felt for Xander, he had obviously had a rough time with it and his friends hadn't even been there for him.
"You've got kids Xander? Tell me about them and why exactly I wasn't named godmother!" Buffy said delighted to hear some happy news.
"I've got two, a girl and a boy, Jake's five, he'll be starting school in September and Madeline, well she'll be four soon. I haven't seen them since she skipped town .." Xander smiled as he talked about his kids, he obviously loved them a lot.
"So maybe she'll come back, you have rights as a father but only if you stop drinking." Buffy said lightly to her friend completely surprised that she of all people was the voice of reason.
"I wouldn't give her the satisfaction!" he grumbled and turned from Buffy.
The two of them sat in silence, there was so much to be said but neither could bring themselves to speak about it. Buffy could remember a time when Xander loved Anya more than life itself but now the bitterness had risen in him and she saw in him something that he would throw a punch at her for even thinking. He had turned into his own father. The memories of Mr Harris at Anya and Xander's 'almost' wedding, were becoming clearer as she watched her friend slumped over his drink. It was then she had an epiphany: she was going to help Xander get his life back!