Author's note: The song is Kenny Chesney's "Tin Man"
_________________________________________________________________
"Hey, You're Xander right?"
Xander looked up from the coffee pot to the green horned demon. He heard about this guy, he was being extra careful not to whistle any jaunty tunes while he worked around him. The last thing he needed was to be "read." The thought scared him more than he liked to admit. What would the Green guy tell him, he was to remain a looser in Sunnyhell for the rest of his life?
That the person he thought he would have no chances with, the one person he tried to put behind him had turned old, passionate feelings coming back like one of the seven plagues of Egypt. Not only that, but how wrong it was. He mentally slapped himself, 'She doesn't want to be with you! She's recovering from Spike. The pictures in your head of a house with 2.5 kids and a dog are NEVER going to happen.'
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"Not a huge reason really, just on the way down here Angel said he just doesn't like you. I guess I wanted to know why. I mean I look at you and I see no reason for anyone to not like you."
"Thats mostly because you don't know me. As much as I hate to admit it Dead boy has his reasons for hating me. Although, let me just say my reasons for hating him are so much more reasonable and valid."
"So, I have read almost everybody in this house except you and Buffy, who wants to go first?"
"She can go first then I be in the line for 'never'. Sorry, I already know what my future is, I don't need someone telling me how much my life is going to suck."
"Oh come off it sweetie, you don't know your future, yet. Sing me something and if there is nothing good then I wont say a word. What harm could it do?"
"Me and musicals, not an idea that's such in the good. I don't know......"
"Come on. Out with it. Besides my powers were getting a little whacked out a while ago, gotta make sure I can still work my mojo." Lorne went around the counter and picked up a guitar and shoved it in Xander's hands. Xander shook his head and said, "I don't play the guitar."
Lorne laughed and pointed to the instrument, "I got that from your place. And don't even start on any of this flügelhorn stuff, you and I both know you never played one, you probably don't even know what one looks like."
Xander hung his head in defeat. He sat at one of the bar stools and started to sing:
"Saw a man in the movies that didn't have a heart
How I wish I could give him mine
Then I wouldn't have to feel it breaking all apart
And this emptiness inside would suit me fine
It's times like these
I wish I were a tin man
You could hurt me all you wanted
And I'd never even know
I'd give anything just to be the tin man
And I wouldn't have a heart and I wouldn't need a soul
I couldn't see your leavin' comin'
You took me by surprise
Even now it still seems like a dream
But I know I can't be dreamin'
'Cause as I lay down each night
The pain so great that it won't let me sleep
It's times like these
I wish I were a tin man
You could hurt me all you wanted
And I'd never even know
I'd give anything just to be the tin man
And I wouldn't have a heart and I wouldn't need a soul
Well I'd give anything just to be the tin man
And I wouldn't have a heart and I wouldn't miss you so"
He finally looked up to see just about every one had circled around, most with their jaws wide open. He walked out of the room with Lorne on his heels. Once they were alone Xander handed the guitar back.
"Happy now?"
"Why did you pick that song?"
"It's country, the music of my people. Of course by my people I mean the people in pain. I'm going to go now."
"Don't you want to hear my reading?"
"Not really. Go do someone else.... you can do Buffy." Xander walked out of the room leaving Lorne to find the slayer himself.
****************
Lorne was walking from the kitchen to the dinning room before he got pulled back in. He looked at the strong force.
"Buffy, I was just looking for you."
"You read Xander. I want to know, what's in his future."
"I don't feel right about telling other people's business to anyone, even you kitten."
"I just.... He gets a normal life, right? I just want to know..... I want him to be safe, and happy, and loved. He hasn't always had that..."
"Isn't he loved here? By his friends? He is going to be a lot happier very soon. And where else would he be more safe than being friends with the slayer?"
Buffy looked to the floor and felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. "He'll be happy soon? You do mean the happy I think you mean, right?"
"Yeah, is there anything wrong with that?" He tried to look into the slayers downtrodden eyes.
"No, its great he'll finally be happy. No offence, but its not a demon or former demon, is it?"
"Human."
That seemed to lighten her mood a bit, although it didn't make her totally happy. She then left without another word, not letting Lorne get the reading he was hoping to get from her.
***********************#####################********************
Somewhere outside Quebec, Canada.
"Bleeding Bitch and her boy, I'll show them. I'll show them a change, a big one."
He was walking to his rental car, when he read the bumper sticker: My Canada Includes Quebec.
"They run out of 'Sh!t Happens'?"
He got in and peeled out into the open road. It wasn't long until he reached his destination, an abandoned warehouse. There he found what he was looking for.
"You.... Your soul has been restored, what do you want from me?"
"I'm going to get what I want. There is going to be a change, she doesn't want me like this, then I'll get what I want and show her.... then she'll see. "
*********************######################**************************
"How are you holding up?"
"Huh... Oh, good. You?"
"Well I have to say I kinda like Angel's crew. They all seem really nice, and Wesley...."
"Quel bad ass. You seem to like that girl, Fred. I mean you've been hanging around her."
"Yeah, she reminds me of Willow in high school, except a lot smarter.... if there is such an animal. But then she's not like her, you know? I just really like her."
"Really like her? Really really like like her?"
"Naw, you know she has some thing with Wes, I could feel the thing between them. And she just broke up with Gunn. And I think Angel might have a thing for her...." Xander turned and faced Buffy with a beaming smile that she couldn't help but return.
"You know it kinda feels like old times? You and me on patrol-"
"Gossiping."
"Hey, I'm too manly to gossip. But you know what I mean, right? Here we are talking and... When we used to do this, it felt like the world got smaller. Like there was you, me, and the nasties. But the rest of it, all that bad stuff just kinda slipped away."
"When you fight for your life it does seem kinda trivial if you think about other problems. But I do know what you mean. You and me, in the cemetery, talking about anything. It's comforting.... and I do realize how weird it sounds when I say being in the cemetery is comforting."
"So I'm not the only one. Seriously, you seem to take the Fang gang's entrance like a blow to the puppy. What gives?"
"I don't know. Seeing Angel isn't exactly giving me the warmest of feelings. And now we have to go patrolling in teams to make sure no demon tries to end the world. And on top of it Dawn snores.... She says it was because she wasn't in her own bed, but I highly doubt that."
"If you aren't getting any sleep why don't you have Dawn move back in her own room and I can sleep downstairs."
"With Fre- You and Angel would kill each other within an hour, no way."
"Well no one likes a cranky slayer, so how do you suggest we deal with it?"
"Would you mind sleeping in my room?"
"Geeze Buff, I've waited years to get into your room, how could I say no? I'll get a sleeping bag and bunk on the floor."
"Thanks Xander."
*************
Buffy pulled back the sheets from her bed. Looking over at the carpenter setting up his sleeping bag; she felt bad. She was no longer working, and as of last month Xander was the reason this house was still hers. She had a lot to thank him for, and having him sleep on the floor wasn't really showing her appreciation.
"Xand you're going to hurt your back sleeping on that hard floor. You should sleep in the bed with me, I don't bite."
"You know romance novels start like this." Xander started a mockingly dramatic tone, "The two share a bed and find that the tension between them grows until they can't stand it." He seemed to think for a moment, "You know porno movies start out like that-"
"Owww!!"
"Owww!!
"owwww!!"
"And one to grow on you perv!" Buffy hit him for the fourth time.
"Owwww!! Geeze I was just kidding." They were both still smiling when he laid out his sleeping bag on top of the covers on opposite side of Buffy. They both crawled into bed and Xander zipped the sleeping bag around him. They lay there for a moment staring at the ceiling. Buffy was the one to break the silence.
"I didn't really hurt you did I?"
"Not if you don't count my ego."
"Buffy?"
"Yeah?"
"I know the past couple of years.... the whole Spike incident.... I missed you. I like being here with you.... and not feeling all alone."
Buffy looked over to her friend watching as he looked up, seemingly thinking of nothing, or naked girls. Then he came out and said what he really was thinking, no one was so complex as Xander Harris.
"Me too. G'night Xand."
"Night Buff."
***********
_________________________________________________________________
"Hey, You're Xander right?"
Xander looked up from the coffee pot to the green horned demon. He heard about this guy, he was being extra careful not to whistle any jaunty tunes while he worked around him. The last thing he needed was to be "read." The thought scared him more than he liked to admit. What would the Green guy tell him, he was to remain a looser in Sunnyhell for the rest of his life?
That the person he thought he would have no chances with, the one person he tried to put behind him had turned old, passionate feelings coming back like one of the seven plagues of Egypt. Not only that, but how wrong it was. He mentally slapped himself, 'She doesn't want to be with you! She's recovering from Spike. The pictures in your head of a house with 2.5 kids and a dog are NEVER going to happen.'
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"Not a huge reason really, just on the way down here Angel said he just doesn't like you. I guess I wanted to know why. I mean I look at you and I see no reason for anyone to not like you."
"Thats mostly because you don't know me. As much as I hate to admit it Dead boy has his reasons for hating me. Although, let me just say my reasons for hating him are so much more reasonable and valid."
"So, I have read almost everybody in this house except you and Buffy, who wants to go first?"
"She can go first then I be in the line for 'never'. Sorry, I already know what my future is, I don't need someone telling me how much my life is going to suck."
"Oh come off it sweetie, you don't know your future, yet. Sing me something and if there is nothing good then I wont say a word. What harm could it do?"
"Me and musicals, not an idea that's such in the good. I don't know......"
"Come on. Out with it. Besides my powers were getting a little whacked out a while ago, gotta make sure I can still work my mojo." Lorne went around the counter and picked up a guitar and shoved it in Xander's hands. Xander shook his head and said, "I don't play the guitar."
Lorne laughed and pointed to the instrument, "I got that from your place. And don't even start on any of this flügelhorn stuff, you and I both know you never played one, you probably don't even know what one looks like."
Xander hung his head in defeat. He sat at one of the bar stools and started to sing:
"Saw a man in the movies that didn't have a heart
How I wish I could give him mine
Then I wouldn't have to feel it breaking all apart
And this emptiness inside would suit me fine
It's times like these
I wish I were a tin man
You could hurt me all you wanted
And I'd never even know
I'd give anything just to be the tin man
And I wouldn't have a heart and I wouldn't need a soul
I couldn't see your leavin' comin'
You took me by surprise
Even now it still seems like a dream
But I know I can't be dreamin'
'Cause as I lay down each night
The pain so great that it won't let me sleep
It's times like these
I wish I were a tin man
You could hurt me all you wanted
And I'd never even know
I'd give anything just to be the tin man
And I wouldn't have a heart and I wouldn't need a soul
Well I'd give anything just to be the tin man
And I wouldn't have a heart and I wouldn't miss you so"
He finally looked up to see just about every one had circled around, most with their jaws wide open. He walked out of the room with Lorne on his heels. Once they were alone Xander handed the guitar back.
"Happy now?"
"Why did you pick that song?"
"It's country, the music of my people. Of course by my people I mean the people in pain. I'm going to go now."
"Don't you want to hear my reading?"
"Not really. Go do someone else.... you can do Buffy." Xander walked out of the room leaving Lorne to find the slayer himself.
****************
Lorne was walking from the kitchen to the dinning room before he got pulled back in. He looked at the strong force.
"Buffy, I was just looking for you."
"You read Xander. I want to know, what's in his future."
"I don't feel right about telling other people's business to anyone, even you kitten."
"I just.... He gets a normal life, right? I just want to know..... I want him to be safe, and happy, and loved. He hasn't always had that..."
"Isn't he loved here? By his friends? He is going to be a lot happier very soon. And where else would he be more safe than being friends with the slayer?"
Buffy looked to the floor and felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. "He'll be happy soon? You do mean the happy I think you mean, right?"
"Yeah, is there anything wrong with that?" He tried to look into the slayers downtrodden eyes.
"No, its great he'll finally be happy. No offence, but its not a demon or former demon, is it?"
"Human."
That seemed to lighten her mood a bit, although it didn't make her totally happy. She then left without another word, not letting Lorne get the reading he was hoping to get from her.
***********************#####################********************
Somewhere outside Quebec, Canada.
"Bleeding Bitch and her boy, I'll show them. I'll show them a change, a big one."
He was walking to his rental car, when he read the bumper sticker: My Canada Includes Quebec.
"They run out of 'Sh!t Happens'?"
He got in and peeled out into the open road. It wasn't long until he reached his destination, an abandoned warehouse. There he found what he was looking for.
"You.... Your soul has been restored, what do you want from me?"
"I'm going to get what I want. There is going to be a change, she doesn't want me like this, then I'll get what I want and show her.... then she'll see. "
*********************######################**************************
"How are you holding up?"
"Huh... Oh, good. You?"
"Well I have to say I kinda like Angel's crew. They all seem really nice, and Wesley...."
"Quel bad ass. You seem to like that girl, Fred. I mean you've been hanging around her."
"Yeah, she reminds me of Willow in high school, except a lot smarter.... if there is such an animal. But then she's not like her, you know? I just really like her."
"Really like her? Really really like like her?"
"Naw, you know she has some thing with Wes, I could feel the thing between them. And she just broke up with Gunn. And I think Angel might have a thing for her...." Xander turned and faced Buffy with a beaming smile that she couldn't help but return.
"You know it kinda feels like old times? You and me on patrol-"
"Gossiping."
"Hey, I'm too manly to gossip. But you know what I mean, right? Here we are talking and... When we used to do this, it felt like the world got smaller. Like there was you, me, and the nasties. But the rest of it, all that bad stuff just kinda slipped away."
"When you fight for your life it does seem kinda trivial if you think about other problems. But I do know what you mean. You and me, in the cemetery, talking about anything. It's comforting.... and I do realize how weird it sounds when I say being in the cemetery is comforting."
"So I'm not the only one. Seriously, you seem to take the Fang gang's entrance like a blow to the puppy. What gives?"
"I don't know. Seeing Angel isn't exactly giving me the warmest of feelings. And now we have to go patrolling in teams to make sure no demon tries to end the world. And on top of it Dawn snores.... She says it was because she wasn't in her own bed, but I highly doubt that."
"If you aren't getting any sleep why don't you have Dawn move back in her own room and I can sleep downstairs."
"With Fre- You and Angel would kill each other within an hour, no way."
"Well no one likes a cranky slayer, so how do you suggest we deal with it?"
"Would you mind sleeping in my room?"
"Geeze Buff, I've waited years to get into your room, how could I say no? I'll get a sleeping bag and bunk on the floor."
"Thanks Xander."
*************
Buffy pulled back the sheets from her bed. Looking over at the carpenter setting up his sleeping bag; she felt bad. She was no longer working, and as of last month Xander was the reason this house was still hers. She had a lot to thank him for, and having him sleep on the floor wasn't really showing her appreciation.
"Xand you're going to hurt your back sleeping on that hard floor. You should sleep in the bed with me, I don't bite."
"You know romance novels start like this." Xander started a mockingly dramatic tone, "The two share a bed and find that the tension between them grows until they can't stand it." He seemed to think for a moment, "You know porno movies start out like that-"
"Owww!!"
"Owww!!
"owwww!!"
"And one to grow on you perv!" Buffy hit him for the fourth time.
"Owwww!! Geeze I was just kidding." They were both still smiling when he laid out his sleeping bag on top of the covers on opposite side of Buffy. They both crawled into bed and Xander zipped the sleeping bag around him. They lay there for a moment staring at the ceiling. Buffy was the one to break the silence.
"I didn't really hurt you did I?"
"Not if you don't count my ego."
"Buffy?"
"Yeah?"
"I know the past couple of years.... the whole Spike incident.... I missed you. I like being here with you.... and not feeling all alone."
Buffy looked over to her friend watching as he looked up, seemingly thinking of nothing, or naked girls. Then he came out and said what he really was thinking, no one was so complex as Xander Harris.
"Me too. G'night Xand."
"Night Buff."
***********
