Title: Leaving Town (Part five continued from The Visitor)

Author: Whiskey Meteor

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The boys are on their way to Canada.

Disclaimer: Everything BtVS belongs to Joss Whedon. And yes, there really is a town in Alberta called Vulcan.

Notes: Alternate ending to "Hell's Bells". After Xander walks out on his wedding he does not come back. As far as we know, the old man really was Xander from the future.

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Xander was just a little bit in shock.

He was sitting on a bus, in the aisle seat, next to Andrew (an ex-bad guy, who's history Xander didn't even want to start thinking about), on his way to Canada. ~Xander?~ he thought to himself, ~*Why* are you doing this?~ He drummed his fingers on his knees and stared fixedly at the back of the seat in front of him, ~You should be at home right now, begging Anya to forgive you for walking out on her, and praying that she'll take you back~, Xander shook his head, ~Not sitting on a bus running away to some random city in Canada,~ Glancing quickly over at Andrew, who was watching cars pass by the window in a blur, Xander took a breath to calm himself, ~Okay,~ he thought, ~You had to leave Anya for the sake of your future happiness.~ Hesitantly, Xander looked back over at Andrew, ~And what about getting on the bus with *him*?~ he wondered, ~Was that for the sake of your future happiness too?~ Andrew had his hands and his face pressed against the window like a child, and his shoulders were tensed with what Xander assumed was excitement or anticipation.

Andrew swiveled around, "Xander, did you see that truck?" he asked, his eyes wide with excitement, "It was *huge*!" He beamed at Xander, and then turned his attention back to the window.

Xander smiled to himself. Seeing Andrew happy made him happy. Xander gave a mental shrug, ~I'm sure my future happiness doesn't balance solely on Andrew,~ he thought, ~But he seems to have a lot to do with my present happiness...~ Xander looked around the bus, at all the passengers. Some were talking, others were sitting quietly. There was a woman sitting in front of Andrew who seemed to be involved in several different conversations at once. Xander wondered idly which passengers were coming or going; who had something waiting for them, and who had left something behind. He glanced down at his naked ring finger and then back up at Andrew, suddenly wondering if any of his fellow passengers were leaving one thing behind for the possibility of something better- ~No. Not better,~ Xander corrected himself, ~Just... different.~

Turning away from the window again, Andrew frowned at Xander thoughtfully, "You're awfully quiet," he observed.

"I'm thinking," Xander shrugged dismissively.

"What about?" Andrew prompted.

Xander paused uncertainly, "My future happiness," he offered. Andrew raised his eyebrows expectantly and, grudgingly, Xander went on, "I'm trying to figure out why I got on this bus with you."

"Because it's going to *Vulcan*," Andrew exclaimed, "You had to come! It was a sign! A sci-fi sign!"

"Shh," Xander hissed half heartedly, "keep your voice down, people are staring."

Andrew pouted and cocked his head to the side, "So you don't wanna talk about it?" he ventured.

Xander offered a small smile, and shook his head, "Nah," he said, "I'm okay, and I'd hate to keep you from your scenery watching. It looked like you were having fun."

"I was," Andrew admitted shyly, "I'm just so excited... I've never been out of Sunnydale before."

"Never?" Xander gaped. Andrew nodded in confirmation. "Wow," Xander said, genuinely amazed, "You poor man."

Andrew waved a hand dismissively, "But now I'm going to *Vulcan*," he said reverently, giving Xander a warm smile, "And it's all thanks to you."

~Yeah, way to go, Xan,~ Xander thought, ~Thanks to you Canada's ex-super-villain-wannabe population has just gone up by one.~

"...What do you think Vulcan's like?" Andrew asked thoughtfully, "I bet it's Trekie friendly."

Xander chuckled despite himself, "I don't know," he admitted, "I didn't even know the place existed until today." He patted Andrew on the shoulder, "Try not to get your hopes up too high," he suggested, "I'd hate to see you disappointed."

Andrew shook his head emphatically, "I'm leaving Sunnydale and putting my evil past behind me," he said with a self-satisfied nod, "This is like a new beginning for me. I have no idea what to expect, so there's no way that I could be disappointed."

As Andrew turned back to gaze out the window contentedly, Xander smiled to himself. He wondered idly what Andrew planned to do with his new beginning in Vulcan. And then, with more intent, Xander wondered what *he* was planning on doing in Vulcan. He leaned back in his seat, deep in thought, and joined Andrew watching the world zip by on the other side of the window.

* * * * *

Their first day of travel had passed quickly, in a combination of relaxed conversation, and comfortable silence. They'd checked their tickets and found that they'd be on the road for four solid days, save for a break somewhere in the middle by means of a two hour layover in Seattle. It would be a very long trip. Xander had given up worrying about what he was going to do when they got there, and had taken up worrying about he was going to do *until* they got there.

As the sun went down Andrew had relinquished the window seat to Xander, in exchange for the use of his shoulder as a pillow. Xander wasn't feeling particularly sleepy, and had agreed easily.

As Andrew's head hit Xander's shoulder, his eyes drooped shut, and he was sound asleep in a matter of seconds. Xander looked down at the sleeping man fondly for a moment, before being struck by a profound sense of guilt. ~You just left Anya at the alter,~ he reprimanded himself, ~You shouldn't looking fondly at anyone right now- especially not Andrew!~ Xander's eyes dropped down to Andrew's face again- eyes pressed shut, and lips drawn into a small peaceful smile, ~...Oh give it up, Xan,~ he thought, ~You're fond of him whether you *should* be or not.~ Xander remembered kissing those lips, and reverently touching every inch of Andrew's face. Xander remembered admitting to Andrew that he was no longer sure that he was straight... and then he remembered asking Anya to spend the rest of her life with him, and meaning it. ...And then he felt very confused. ~Why can't my life just be simple for once?~ he thought sadly.

"You two look so sweet," the hushed voice came from a middle aged woman, leaning back over the seat directly in front of Xander. It was the woman that Xander had noticed carrying on several conversations at once. He wondered exactly how long she'd been sitting there watching him, and prayed that she couldn't read minds. "How long have you boys been together?" she whispered.

"We're not together," Xander insisted quietly.

The woman winked at him, "Sure honey," she said, "How long have you been friends then?"

Xander frowned, "Um," he whispered, "We just met last night."

"Really?" the woman asked, eyes wide in surprise, "But you look so... comfortable together." Still fast asleep, Andrew let out a long sigh. His breath puffed warm against Xander's neck, distracting him from the woman's friendly interrogation. Xander looked down at Andrew, remembering once again the silken texture of Andrew's skin against his fingertips. Something tightened in Xander's chest, the physical manifestation of wanting, and he became very aware of how every part of him that wasn't touching Andrew felt somehow cheated. Still watching, the woman cooed softly, "Aw, now I knew you were pulling my leg." Xander looked back up at the woman quizzically. She winked again, "I bet you've been together for years- the way you looked at him..." she shrugged, "Sometimes you can just tell when a person's in love." Cocking her head to the side, she smiled sweetly, and turned around, settling back into her seat and out of sight.

~Sometimes you can just tell when a person's in love,~ Xander mimicked the woman's voice in his head, shaking his head ever so slightly, ~I'm nowhere *near* in love.~ Andrew shifted in his seat, curling closer to Xander and turning slightly so that his chest lay up against the other man's arm. Through fabric and skin and muscle, Xander could feel Andrew's heart beating. The rhythm was fast for a moment, as Andrew moved, but it soon settled back into a steady even beat. It echoed through Xander's body, calming and grounding him, and he wondered at how something so simple could make him feel so... ~Okay,~ Xander conceded, ~Maybe I'm a little nearer than I want to admit.~

Looking out the window to quiet his thoughts for a while, Xander watched a line of cars whip past. In the darkness the headlights looked almost like shooting stars, and for a moment, he considered making a wish. Andrew sighed again in his sleep, sending another warm puff of air against Xander's neck. Xander closed his eyes complacently, tuning out the sounds of the passengers and the bus, and forgetting the shooting star cars.

It would be pointless to wish for something that was already sitting right beside you.

The end

To be continued...