Title: Two wishes (15/15)

Author: Joyce

Rating: G

Spoilers: Nothing really big.

Note:

Hey guys, I kinda lost the urge to write for a while, all those messages about Spike and Buffy were kinda depressing me. I cheered up when I read that Joss had planned for Buffy and Xander to be together in the long run. Not that we are ever going to see it, cause we all know that Joss doens't really run the show anymore. All the Spuffy writers do.

Anyway, avoiding a rant here, it made me realise that I hadn't imagine the spark there has been between Buffy and Xander in the first seasons. So, this chapter got kinda inspired by the knowledge that the creator of Buffy is also a B/X shipper.

I hope you guys like it, and if you don't, well don't worry... This is the last chapter !! At least, of this story...

Chapter 15

Wishes can come true

Sunnydale CA

Restfield cemetary (3.45 PM)

Angel had big trouble keeping up with Xander, it almost seemed like he flew back to Buffy's house. Apparantly love can make you outrun a vampire.

'Xander, c'mon man. Slow down a bit !'

Xander looked behind him, almost laughing when he realised that he was outrunning Angel. He quickly came back to earth however, the vampire was probably just holding back.

'I need to see Buffy, let's go man.'

Angel stopped him.

'Look, don't get me wrong, I know this is what I wanted...but I don't get it. I mean...are you sure that you forgave Buffy for everything, including Spike, cause if you're not...'

Xander interrupted.

'I will never truly forgive Buffy for sleeping with him. She was wrong, no matter what. I do however understand why she did it. You see, when I entered her brain I saw them having sex. I felt what she felt. She was scared, confused, alone, and she made a mistake. We all make mistakes, so I'm willing to see past it. I mean...I don't really have a right to judge her, I don't own her because I love her. And it's not like we were together at the time, but it's just.. she hurt me. It scared me to think that she could do such a thing, I felt like..like...'

'Like you didn't know who she was anymore ?'

Xander nodded.

'Yeah, I guess you can understand that. You must have been pretty shocked too when you heard about it.'

'I was, I still am. But I do believe that she really regrets it.'

'I know, if I wasn't sure about that I wouldn't go over there right now.'

Angel had to ask.

'So, you really believe that she loves you ?'

'I do, I felt what she feels for me. She loves me, and that gives me the strenght to deal with the Spike thing. It still pains me when I think about them...together. But I'm not scared that she doesn't love me, that she's using me to keep her mind off Spike. You see, I was, that is why I couldn't accept that she loved me. I couldn't have her and than lose her again. To Spike of all people...'

'I can understand that...'

'I just have to accept that this thing with Spike happened and move on. Start fresh with her. Don't get me wrong..I'm not saying that we'll be together forever, but I do know now that she wants to be with me. Not because of you or Spike or anybody else. But because of who I am. It's kinda mindblowing...but it feels good to finally really believe that.'

Angel had to admit that he was impressed and kinda moved.

'You know, this is starting to freak me out. If we're not careful I might actually begin to kinda like you.'

Xander started walking again.

'We can't have that, let's go.'

'Yeah, no need to change a perfectly good relationship.'

'Right, why would we start liking each other if we can have more fun doing the hate thing.'

'I'm with you buddy.'

'Don't call me buddy !'

'Well excuse me for bringing some light in the conversation. You big baby.'

'Like you know anything about babies, you haven't been one for over two century's.'

'Oh, the old 'you're a vampire joke.' Now that's original !'

'I'm getting a lesson in originality from the guy whose been brooding forever and never wears anything that isn't black and depressing. Are you kidding me ?'

'Are you, of all people, giving me fashion advice... Cause you are really the last person on earth who...'

The two kept ranting until they reached their destination.

Sunnydale CA,

Buffy's house (3.55 PM)

Buffy was sound asleep, when she suddenly heard a loud bang coming from downstairs. She got up in a instant, living on a Hellmouth had taught her that you couldn't ignore loud noises in the middle of the night. She relaxed somewhat when she remembered that Angel was downstairs, but that didn't stop her from getting out of bed to see what was going on.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs she saw Lorne cleaning up what was left from her favorite table. It was shattered, broken into a lot of different pieces.

'What the hell did you do to my table ?'

'Ehh, well you see, ehh...I got of the couch cause I had to well...you know, do my thing in the little room of the house... And when I came back I thought I saw something on the table. It looked big, and well, this being the Hellmouth and all I kinda decided to ehh...jump it. I mean..you never know... it could have been a demon.'

'You jumped on my table because there might have been a demon sitting on it ?'

'If you say it like that it sounds kinda lame...'

'You think ! So, tell me, 'oh defender of my table', where is this demon now ?'

'It wasn't really a demon, ehh...I sort of, kinda, forgot that I put my luggage on the table.'

'So you broke my favorite table and scared the hell out of me in the middle of the night to jump on your luggage ?'

'In a nuttshell, yeah.'

Buffy had to fight her smile and looked around the room.

'Where's Angel ?'

'He went out after you went upstairs. He told me I couldn't come with him, that he be back before sunrise. Although that last part was kind of a given considering the source if you ask me.'

'Where did he go ?'

The door of her house opened and when she turned around she saw Xander, letting himself in with his key. Followed by Angel.

'Xander, Angel ?'

Xander just waved, not really sure what to say to her now that he was standing right infront of her. He hadn't expected her to be the first thing he saw once he entered the house, since it was four in the night. But with Buffy you could never be sure of course. Angel cleared his throat.

'Look Buff, I'm sorry, I know you told me to stay out of this, but I just needed to go see him. To show him what he means to you.'

Buffy just stared at Angel.

'You showed Xander what he means to me... Oke I can't think of anything right now that isn't really gross.'

Xander quickly interrupted.

'No, no, not like that ! God no ! He showed me your essence.'

Angel looked at him like he was crazy.

'Somehow I doubt that saying that I showed you her essence will take her mind out of the gutter.'

'Not really no.'

Xander tried again.

'You don't get it. Angel knew a guy who could enter somebody's brain. I've been in your brain.'

'Oke, now I only have one word. What ?'

'I saw you, I felt your feelings.'

Buffy turned to Angel.

'What did you do to him ?'

Angel decided that he could probably explain the whole thing a lot faster without Buffy being distracted by Xander, so he took her into the kitchen to explain what he and Xander had done for the last couple of hours. Xander stayed behind, looking at Lorne and what had been the livingroom table.

'Oh crap, I've got to spend a couple of hours fixing a table that doens't want to be fixed again. What came by tonight and broke Buffy's table ?'

'My luggage...'

Xander didn't even try to make sense of it.

'You are one strange demon, my man.'

Lorne sat down on the couch.

'So, are you here for the happily ever after end ?'

Xander shook his head.

'No, I'm here for the chance of becoming happy. We'll see what happens from there.'

'You know, you are a lot smarter than Angel always described you to be.'

Xander grinned.

'A piece of wood would probably be smarter than Angel's description of me.'

'Good point...'

They were interrupted by Buffy and Angel, coming back from the kitchen. Buffy smiled at Angel.

'Thanks, for everything. But could you be so kind to take yourself and Lorne out of this room. Me and Xand need to talk. Alone.'

'Your wish is my command my lady. Lorne, let's go. We are going to look at Buffy's basement.'

Lorne winked at the vampire.

'That could be exciting...'

'You are one strange demon, just follow me.'

' That's what Xander just told me. Great mind think alike I guess.'

 Angel didn't even bother to repley and left the room. Lorne right behind him. Buffy and Xander were left alone. Neither knowing what to say or where to begin...

Sunnydale CA,

Buffy's house (4.15 PM)

Buffy and Xander were still staring at each other, both uncomfortable. Buffy was the first to gather her courage.

'Ehh, Xand, eventually we will have to say something.'

He just nodded. She smiled.

'And why don't I start. Oke, where do I begin. Uhm, I find it a bit creepy that you have been inside my brain. At the same time I'm jealous, not of you entering my brain, cause well I can do that anytime I want. It's just that you know so much of me now, and it kinda makes me wanna get to know you in the same way.'

'You already know everything there is to know Buff.'

'No, I don't. Cause I still don't get why you needed a trip inside my brain to convince yourself of the fact that I love you.'

'Not to be cruel, but you haven't exactly giving me any indication in the last couple of years that you loved me that way. I mean, I'm not talking about your friendship love, I was always sure of that.  But the romantical love is an whole other matter, that ship had sailed, I had moved on. So it was hard to grasp that all of a sudden you loved me, especially with the news from Spike right after I found out.'

'I guess I can understand a bit. It was hard for me to understand that I loved you too. It took me by suprise and at the same time it didn't. I admit that I never really gave much thought about you in the romatical sense of the word, mostly because I was too busy with doomed relationships. But at the same time I never saw you and Willow in the same way, and not just because Willow is a girl and you are a boy. You were both my best friends, but Willow was just that to me. You were always a bit different, you were my best friend who could all of a sudden look very hot. And not from any heat, just from stretching the right way, or smiling the right smile. I just always labeled these feelings to be friendly, even though I never saw any nice stretching in Willow.'

A lustful smile appeared on Xander's face.

'Too bad, that could have been something else.'

Buffy gave him a glare.

'Do you want me to finish this talk ?'

'Carry on.'

'Right, like I was saying. I can't really explain why I love you all of a sudden. I just know that I do, and that it is real hard for me to understand that there was a time that I didn't love you. It just doesn't make sense anymore cause loving you is so easy. I'm not used to that. I'm used to painfull love, like with Angel. Or love I forced myself to feel, which happened with Riley. This scared me, cause it's my first experience with adult love. Angel was my first love, something I had to experience in order to appreciate what I have now.'

'Buff, I believe you, you don't need to explain yourself.'

'You don't get it, I want to. I want to erase any doubts you might still have. I have to make you understand that I'm not in love with you because I can't be with Angel or because Riley walked out on me. And I'm certaintly not in love with you because I want to deny feelings for Spike. I have no feelings for him, he makes me feel dead inside, which is why I was drawn to him. With him I could block all my feelings, and that was just what I wanted.'

'I'm so sorry I didn't see the pain you were in Buff.'

'Don't be. You did see it, and you did try to help me. I just didn't want any help. I guess I had to fall real deep in order to understand that I really was glad that I was alive again. Anyway, we are getting of topic here. I don't want to talk about Spike, he's not important. You are. I love you. Because you never left my side, because you're always honest with me. Because you make me laugh, because of your courage. When it comes to battling the evil we fight, you don't have the psychical strenght we all have. But you still risk your life almost every night, for the people you love. Mentally you're the strongest of us all.

But do you wanna know what I love most about you ? The fact that I can always come to you when I don't know who I am anymore. Because you always remind me that I'm alowed to make mistakes, that I don't need to be perfect. In your eyes I can always find the evidence that you'll love me no matter what. I know it sounds incredibly mushy, but I need you to be myself. Because that is always so much harder when you're not around.'

Xander was silent, caputured by her words. By how she looked at him, by her honesty.

'Wow.'

'I wasn't even finished because I also wanted to add that you are a fine piece of eye candy. At least that is how Dawn describes you, I just second that opinion.'

He had to laugh.

'You don't look so bad yourself either.'

'Thank you, that must be the greatest compliment I ever recieved.'

'I aim to please you.'

'That's so nice to know...'

Xander changed the subject before he completly forget what he wanted to tell her, especially with that look she had in her eyes.

'Stop looking at my candy Buff, I want to tell you some stuff too.'

'Go right ahead.'

He paused for a brief second, searching her eyes, locking them with his.

'I love you. And that suprised me a great deal. Even though I was used to the feelings, unlike you they weren't new to me. I had loved you before, but I really had put that past me in the last couple of years. I want you to know that because it is important to me that you know that I really loved Anya. A part of me will always love her, just like a part of you will always love Angel. She gave me so much and I will always be her friend for that.

Only in the end you won, because I couldn't do anything then surrender to you. Anya told me that you came back to haunt me and you really did. I fell in love with you all over again, no matter how hard I tried to fight it. No matter how hard I tried to tell myself that we could never work, that I had a girlfriend who I wanted to marry. It wasn't enough, because the only thing that could ever be enough for me is you. I could have been happy with Anya, just like you could have been happy with Riley. But with you... with you I can be complete. You need me to feel like yourself, I need you to feel like me. I could be Xander without you, but I could never be the Xander I want to be without you.'

She had tears in her eyes, and he closed the distance between them. Brushing her tears away with his tumbs. Eventually she began to laugh, and Xander was a bit confused.

'I pour my heart out and you laugh, you are weird Buffy Summers.'

She tried to explain.

'I was just thinking that we just exchanged the most romantical 'I love you's' when we haven't even kissed once. What if we suck at the kissing thing, let alone other things. That would be a big bummer.'

He looked a bit offended.

'I'll have you know that kissing me and other things would never be a bummer. Thank you very much. I happen to be very skilled in both areas.'

Her laughter died and she looked up at him, very serious.

'Prove it to me...'

'I was beginning to think you would never ask.'

Their first kiss was soft, both exploring each other. Getting used to the new feelings. It steadily grew till eventually they had to part. Searching for breath.

'Gotta hand it to you Xand, that wasn't a bummer at all. That was...well...pretty amazing.'

His face lit up in a proud smile.

'You ain't seen nothing yet, I could take you to places you have never seen.'

'I bet you could, but one thing. Lose the macho talk, that never turns a girl on.'

'That wasn't macho talk, that was the truth honey.'

She laughed at his joke.

'I liked that.'

'You see, you'll get used to me being all macho.'

'Not that you big goof, you calling me honey. I liked that.'

'Good, I liked saying it.'

It seemed like they had no other choice but to kiss again. They broke apart when they heard somebody clear their throat, followed by giggles. Willow and Dawn were standing behind them, both sleepy, but with huge smiles on their faces.

'You know guys, I feel a bit left out. Since we're best friends here I feel like you're sharing something I can't participate in.'

The same lustful smile appeared on Xander's face.

'Willow, you are welcome to join us anytime you want. Just say the word.'

Buffy gave him a light punch.

'Don't make me dump you before we officialy get together.'

He put his hands up in deffence.

'I was just trying to make her feel better.'

Willow smiled at their bantering. Seeing how happy they both where. Meanwhile Dawn just stared at Xander and her sister. Finally she spoke.

'You know what, you guys have my permission.'

The new couple looked a litle confused. So she continued.

'That is my job as a sister. I approve Buffy's boyfriends, she approves mine.'

Buffy raised an eyebrow.

'Since when do we do that ?'

Her little sister grinned.

'I just started the tradition. But I gotta say that this was a hard call, since your new boyfriend was my first crush and all. But hey, if I can't have him then you might as well take him.'

Her older sister gave her a hug.

'You're a big nut, but thanks for your permission anyway.'

Willow pouted.

'Hey, I'm giving my permission too you know ?'

Laughing, Buffy hugged her best friend too. When she looked at Xander he gave her the most beautiful smile she ever seen on him.

'What ?'

'Your sister just called me your boyfriend. I liked that.'

She repeated his earlier words.

'Good, cause I liked hearing somebody call you that.'

Willow looked at her best friends.

'Are you guys going to be all mushy on each other from now on ? Because if you are I might take my permission back.'

They both laughed. Buffy answered.

'No, we are not going to be all over each other all the time. But this is just new and exciting. You know how that is ?'

Willow nodded.

Yeah, I still remember. I envy you guys a bit.'

Xander walked over to his best friend.

'You know your still my Willow, right ?'

'Right.'

Dawn yawned and the girls decided that they were going back to bed. There would be plenty of time to talk in the morning. Buffy wrapped her arms around Xander's waist.

'So apart from loving the new and exciting feelings, where do we go from here ?'

'We try and be as happy as we can be. What do you say ?'

She rested her head on his chest.

'I say that's a plan.'

'Good, now let's sleep together.'

She remembered when she asked him that the night they shared that motelroom in LA.

'I would like very much to sleep with you.'

She yawned. He smiled.

'Then that's what we'll do...sleep. We have plenty of time for all the other things.'

She nodded, taking his hand, guiding him to her bedroom. He was right, they would have more nights like this. She smiled, feeling happy and very much alive.

THE END

Oke, I know mega fluff, but I just needed to get it out of my systeem. Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. For now...That's all folks !!