Buffy wiped the tears away and tried to compose herself.

"I understand if you don't feel anything right now for me, but if you try I'll wait."

"God Damn Buffy!! I have to stop an apocalypse! If I don't the world will end, and you tell me you love me! The world is going to be in my hands. Not only that, but YOU love ME!! When did this happen?!"

"I don't really know! I tried not to! But every time I used to talk about someone I would like to end up with I was always describing someone like you. Then I realized, I don't want someone like you, I want you you. You make me happy, I can't explain it but.... I want to go back in time. I want to talk to that 15-year-old girl and tell her what she's missing out on. I want to tell her to go have the best dance of her life with the one man that she can be happy with."

"Buffy..."

"I know, ok? You don't want to hear it. That's fine."

"I wanted it for so long... But what kind of life would we lead? You say you're in love with me but how could we ever make a relationship work? You know there is no way. All slayers die early, and I can't do it Buffy. I can't have you then have to let you go because some demon gets the best of you on your off night. You can't stop being the slayer, its who you are, and I can't say good bye to you. Not again."

Buffy looked up to him and stared for a few seconds.

"You never said you weren't in love with me. Are you in love with me?"

"Its not enough. Not anymore."

"Its not like you're never in danger. We can make it work. If we both make sacrifices...please? If we just try... I love you, you love me. That should be enough."

"Buffy, please don't make this harder than it already is."

"Fine, lets just go home."

***********************

Everyone was already asleep when they entered the Summer's home. They tip toed upstairs and into Buffy's room. Xander stared at the bed. On one side was his sleeping bag, he caught Buffy staring at the same thing he was. Something had just changed with them. They were now in love. Not only that, but they were not doing anything about that. Were their sleeping arrangements to change too? Of course now they couldn't share the same bed.

"You want me on the floor?" Xander finally asked.

"You know I don't. But of course that's what you want."

"I think it's for the best."

"Well I don't."

"Buffy, we talked about this-"

"No, you just gave up like a little kid. You said your peace and wouldn't see anything any different."

"And this in no way reflects you."

"Yeah, but I'm the one that wants to work it out."

"Oh, so that makes you better? Welcome back 'Superior Buffy.'"

"I am not being superior!"

"SSSSHHHHHH!"

"Oh, sorry. Anyway, you're the one that's superior here."

"How in the hell do you come up with that??"

"Because of what I did with Spike that makes me not good enough. I know ok? I'll never be good enough for you that's fine."

"You not good enough for me?? Buffy is there anyway you have been sniffing glue lately? No one here isn't good enough for the other. It's just... God Damnit Buffy!! You ever think that sleeping in the same bed with you is acute torture for me? Or all of this training and sweating? And the whole you are Buffy so automatically the most beautiful person I have ever seen isn't helping my situation any. And here we are and we are arguing and I don't know why but I'm thinking thoughts.... These are not good thoughts. And I can't have you and I know it and it makes it that much worse."

"You can. I'll give you anything you want."

"Buffy, you know that sounds-"

"You'd do the same. All I have to do is walk a few feet and you know if I ask you can't resist me. You'd do anything to make me happy, and I'd do the same. Even if that meant no relationship."

"But that what I want. Thats the one thing I want the most."

"Then take it."

"I.... I can't."

"We can get a picket fence and put it up around the house. Get a puppy. Xander.... I'm not going to have my powers forever, you do know that don't you?"

"Buff, powers or not you are a hero. Its what you do."

"I do it because you believe in me. I can live without it. I can be a hero in a different way, just as long as you believe in me. After this apocalypse we can call it quits. We can move away from the hell mouth, and be together."

"Buffy I-"

"Just think about it, ok? Tell me your answer when you save the world... again."

Xander smiled and hopped into his sleeping bag. Without saying another word Buffy walked to the other side of the bed and lay next to her friend.

"I love you Buffy."

"I know."

*************************

"Giles something is still bothering me." Willow sat down next to the watcher and took the jar of jam he was struggling with and opened it easily.

"What exactly is bothering you?"

"When you said it was Xander, you had no question, you just knew it. How can you be so sure?"

"You want to know what exactly the text says?"

"Yes."

"It referred to the Champion known as the White Knight."

"Ok, but how do you go from there to Xander?"

Giles swallowed the piece of toast and continued. "It said the champion was a champion of his own making, meaning if he didn't turn out to be the person he is he wouldn't be a Champion. People like Angel have no choice in the matter. Also it said the vampire that is given life shall know him. I asked Angel if he had known a white knight. He said Angelus called Xander that one time."

"Did he say when?"

"I didn't think it mattered. Does this answer your question? Can I go back to eating my breakfast?"

Willow smiled and thanked the watcher, allowing him to finish his meal.

***************************

Buffy lay there waiting. She had a smile on her face although she really had no reason to be so happy. He never said yes, but she figured she was happy because he didn't say no. She saw his eyes slowly open and look over in her direction.

"Morning."

"Hey Buffy. So... Tonight is going to be the last Scooby meeting until..."

"Yeah. Giles wants to start it before sundown. He says all the signs point to tonight.... God you've come so far.... I just.... I want to be able to do this with you. You shouldn't do this alone."

"Right, but the reason I have to fight might be that you do go down there but get your throat slashed. Lets not worry about it right now. Do you think we should train for the day?"

"No, lets relax today. At least till the meeting."

________________________________________________________________________________
A/N: I am sorry this is soo slow, but I found my muse drunk in a bar called the Blue Oyster mumbling to itself "Soul? Who cares.... I'll show you soul... bitca. They can just change the name to #1spikefan. (Hiccup) Bite her myself. Look mommy, pink elephants..." It was a real sad site. In other words I am not the biggest fan of Buffy right now, so in my mind I'm asking myself... 'And she deserves him why?' And to make matters worse my beta can't get to a computer at all now... and she is going to co-write the last chapters with me. I was thinking I could just do the 'Clue' thing and end this now with an ending I'm not really happy with, then later when my co-author comes back I could end it the right way. Or I could put a big fat TBC at the end of this and just sit on my hands till my beta comes back. (Sigh) Anyway, please R&R!