Title: Someone Has to Teach Them- Chapter 3
Author: PNS*
"We should just open our own family burger joint." Buffy and Faith raised their eyebrows at Xander's suggestion. "I just mean that if we all end up working at the Cleveland Doublemeat Palace it would be worth our while to open up our own."
"I am not working there ever again." Buffy shuddered. "Besides, someone has to be matriarch of this house."
"Somehow I had Willow pictured for that job." Faith crinkled up her nose as Buffy punched her lightly on the shoulder. "See! Violence!"
"We'll keep the suggestion in mind. Hopefully Giles will be able to find something...And I too make a good mom!"
Buffy wondered if the people in Cleveland would find it suspicious when they tried to apply. Can we contact your last employer? Well,....my last employer sank into the earth. So did the rest of my town. Ok then. What about recommendations? People evacuated and I currently don't know where anyone I ever met is.
"Well flipping burgers is one of the few things I can do with one eye...And type. And I was never one for sitting at a desk," Xander said wryly.
"You lose no respect for that." Buffy and Xander gazed at each other. They were both going through a private grieving that was only pronounced when they acknowledged it to each other.
"We should open a Slayer for hire business. Make people pay to bump their relatives that have been turned." Faith grinned. "Come on, it's a good idea."
"And the police will be on you in seconds."
"So we don't make it legal."
"I'm not a fan of breaking laws unless it's necessary Faith."
"My parents got audited once. It wasn't pretty. And let's not forget Cordelia." There was a moment of silence then everyone burst into laughter. "How is she Faith?" Faith shrugged.
"Good," she said heading out of the room.
"I know these last few days have been hard on you Buffy, is there anything I can do to help?" Everyone was worried for her. Funny, they didn't seem half as worried when it was the end of the world. That wasn't fair though. They hadn't time to worry then.
"Do you dream of her, Xander?"
"Anya? Yeah, sometimes."
"Just wondering."
"Why? Do you dream of Spike? You can talk about it with me. I know I never liked the guy, but he did save our lives in the end and that I won't forget."
"I just wonder why he had to die." Her unlying lament was really, why did he have to die when they were finally becoming something more than enemies or fuck buddies?
"We wondered that about you Buff. Let me suggest not trying to resurrect him." Xander smiled, painfully.
"That won't happen anytime soon." He had his peace. Far be it from her to bring him back from it. Out of them all he was the only one who understood how much she hated being ripped out of heaven.
"Good." Xander wandered out of the room.
"Hey, Goldilocks."
"Not now Spike."
"Why not now? It's a good a time as any. And I'm only your imagination." He smirked. "And don't even tell me this is original. I watched all the WB shows. Alex used to visit Isabel after his death on Roswell."
"So maybe I can't let you go yet." Buffy backed up against the sink. If anyone walked in at that moment they would be doubting her sanity. She doubted it herself, but having him there, even if he was imaginary was better than knowing he was gone for good.
"You have to get back to the real world Buffy. You can't live through these fantasies. I know things are bad right now-"
"Really bad," she interrupted. "We have no money and a dilapidated house full of people who don't have jobs who need me. And I can't do this anymore. It should be over. We saved the world. We gave it heroes."
"Buffy, I've told you before," the figure said sternly, "Life is just this. It's living."
"I don't want to be alone again." The truth. The loneliness. The shadow came closer, brushing by her. Buffy closed her eyes.
"There's someone else here who could use your love. Maybe you haven't noticed yet."
"who?"
"Xander, of course."
"Huh?" Buffy backed up, not sure she understood what her own brain was saying to her.
"Jus think about it." Spike smiled his wily smile. "Later, Slayer." He disappeared, leaving her in the empty room until Dawn came romping in.
Author: PNS*
"We should just open our own family burger joint." Buffy and Faith raised their eyebrows at Xander's suggestion. "I just mean that if we all end up working at the Cleveland Doublemeat Palace it would be worth our while to open up our own."
"I am not working there ever again." Buffy shuddered. "Besides, someone has to be matriarch of this house."
"Somehow I had Willow pictured for that job." Faith crinkled up her nose as Buffy punched her lightly on the shoulder. "See! Violence!"
"We'll keep the suggestion in mind. Hopefully Giles will be able to find something...And I too make a good mom!"
Buffy wondered if the people in Cleveland would find it suspicious when they tried to apply. Can we contact your last employer? Well,....my last employer sank into the earth. So did the rest of my town. Ok then. What about recommendations? People evacuated and I currently don't know where anyone I ever met is.
"Well flipping burgers is one of the few things I can do with one eye...And type. And I was never one for sitting at a desk," Xander said wryly.
"You lose no respect for that." Buffy and Xander gazed at each other. They were both going through a private grieving that was only pronounced when they acknowledged it to each other.
"We should open a Slayer for hire business. Make people pay to bump their relatives that have been turned." Faith grinned. "Come on, it's a good idea."
"And the police will be on you in seconds."
"So we don't make it legal."
"I'm not a fan of breaking laws unless it's necessary Faith."
"My parents got audited once. It wasn't pretty. And let's not forget Cordelia." There was a moment of silence then everyone burst into laughter. "How is she Faith?" Faith shrugged.
"Good," she said heading out of the room.
"I know these last few days have been hard on you Buffy, is there anything I can do to help?" Everyone was worried for her. Funny, they didn't seem half as worried when it was the end of the world. That wasn't fair though. They hadn't time to worry then.
"Do you dream of her, Xander?"
"Anya? Yeah, sometimes."
"Just wondering."
"Why? Do you dream of Spike? You can talk about it with me. I know I never liked the guy, but he did save our lives in the end and that I won't forget."
"I just wonder why he had to die." Her unlying lament was really, why did he have to die when they were finally becoming something more than enemies or fuck buddies?
"We wondered that about you Buff. Let me suggest not trying to resurrect him." Xander smiled, painfully.
"That won't happen anytime soon." He had his peace. Far be it from her to bring him back from it. Out of them all he was the only one who understood how much she hated being ripped out of heaven.
"Good." Xander wandered out of the room.
"Hey, Goldilocks."
"Not now Spike."
"Why not now? It's a good a time as any. And I'm only your imagination." He smirked. "And don't even tell me this is original. I watched all the WB shows. Alex used to visit Isabel after his death on Roswell."
"So maybe I can't let you go yet." Buffy backed up against the sink. If anyone walked in at that moment they would be doubting her sanity. She doubted it herself, but having him there, even if he was imaginary was better than knowing he was gone for good.
"You have to get back to the real world Buffy. You can't live through these fantasies. I know things are bad right now-"
"Really bad," she interrupted. "We have no money and a dilapidated house full of people who don't have jobs who need me. And I can't do this anymore. It should be over. We saved the world. We gave it heroes."
"Buffy, I've told you before," the figure said sternly, "Life is just this. It's living."
"I don't want to be alone again." The truth. The loneliness. The shadow came closer, brushing by her. Buffy closed her eyes.
"There's someone else here who could use your love. Maybe you haven't noticed yet."
"who?"
"Xander, of course."
"Huh?" Buffy backed up, not sure she understood what her own brain was saying to her.
"Jus think about it." Spike smiled his wily smile. "Later, Slayer." He disappeared, leaving her in the empty room until Dawn came romping in.