"Do you think he's going to be alright?" Buffy asked. She and Dawn
were packing up their things. They were leaving for Europe in a few days.
"He'll be fine. After a while. I think. I mean, he can't wallow in a black pit of horror forever can he? Well, sure, he lost the love of his young life, and I miss Anya too, but he has to get over it, right?" Willow was rubbing her hands together nervously. Dawn stacked her bag by the ugly, worn hotel chair.
"Yeah, he should. But it'll be a long and perilous road. On top of that, we're leaving him right now," Buffy said, "That can't help."
Dawn sat in the ugly chair. "I wonder where he is."
Xander found himself sitting in a small, black bar. The air smelled like smoke, alcohol, and old wallpaper. He stared into his foamy glass of beer.
"You look lonely." A pretty redhead sat next to him. He looked up at her with sad eyes. Maybe it was the beer, but he would have sworn it was Anya sitting there instead. He shook the image away and the redhead returned.
"You know, I am. I really am."
"Well, me too. So maybe we could be, you know, alone together." She smiled, showing her dimples.
"Alright." He didn't know what he just said. Xander didn't actually feel for her, he was just, like he said, lonely. It just felt like he was being burned from the inside out. Xander closed his eyes and leaned toward her and kissed her.
"Xander?" a voice rang out behind him. "Get off her." Faith stood behind the pair.
"Who are you?" the redhead asked rather rudely.
Faith rolled her heavily-lined eyes. "I'm his girlfriend," she lied.
The other girl's eyes bulged. "Oooh, I see you two have problems. I'll be leaving now." She slinked away with red cheeks.
Faith punched Xander on the arm. "What the Hell was that? Kissing some slut in a bar, where you're drinking your troubles away?" Her hard exterior melted. "I'm sorry, Xand, I know this is hard for you, but a ten dollar ho from a bar isn't going to replace Anya. Nothing will. But maybe eventually, you'll meet someone." He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Thanks, sort of." He chugged his beer.
"I'm sorry, I'm not good at pep talks." She patted him on the back, "C'mon, I'll buy the next round." She signaled two fingers to the bar tender. They grabbed the beers and clinked them together.
"I just miss her so much," he said. The tears started falling again.
"Okay big guy, no more beer for you." She pushed the beer away. She finished her drink and stood up. I'm taking you to the hotel." She helped him up.
"Faith." he mumbled. She turned her head towards him and ran right into Xander's kiss. Faith pushed him away.
"Xander, I can't." She pushed her dark hair out of his face.
"But it's happened before." Almost four years ago, Xander had lost his virginity to Faith. But now, she was a different person. She had realized her wrongs and served (almost) all her time in prison.
"Xander, I know you're hurting, but this isn't the way. Just live in this world, it'll get better."
"We can be together."
"No, we can't. You know I don't feel that way about you and the same goes for you. Plus, I'm actually on the verge of something with Robin." She frowned at him and gave him a hug. "Let's get you to the hotel."
"Faith? What happened to him?" Buffy stared at the big, slouchy, mess that was her friend Xander.
"Oh, about two and a half beers. The man can't hold his drinks." The two Slayers dumped him on the couch. He fell soundly asleep.
"He's coming undone without her," Buffy noted, "I thought he was over her."
"Not over her death." Faith threw a blanket over him.
"Yeah, I think part of him will always love her." The blonde put a pillow under his head.
Faith noted all the bags were packed and in neat little stacks. "So, Europe, that's gotta be, uh, neat."
"Yeah."
"How long are you going to be there?"
"I don't know yet."
"Yeah, I'd better be going now."
"Okay."
"Just drag him into his own room later."
"'Kay."
"Bye."
"Bye." With that, Faith left. There was still tension between the two Slayers. Faith still thought that Buffy would think she'd turn on her.
"Mmmuffy?" Xander groaned from the couch. Buffy knelt next to him.
"What is it?" She looked down on him.
"Am I ever going to meet someone else?"
"Of course you will." She swept the hair out of his face.
"Just checking." He fell face down on the couch again.
"He'll be fine. After a while. I think. I mean, he can't wallow in a black pit of horror forever can he? Well, sure, he lost the love of his young life, and I miss Anya too, but he has to get over it, right?" Willow was rubbing her hands together nervously. Dawn stacked her bag by the ugly, worn hotel chair.
"Yeah, he should. But it'll be a long and perilous road. On top of that, we're leaving him right now," Buffy said, "That can't help."
Dawn sat in the ugly chair. "I wonder where he is."
Xander found himself sitting in a small, black bar. The air smelled like smoke, alcohol, and old wallpaper. He stared into his foamy glass of beer.
"You look lonely." A pretty redhead sat next to him. He looked up at her with sad eyes. Maybe it was the beer, but he would have sworn it was Anya sitting there instead. He shook the image away and the redhead returned.
"You know, I am. I really am."
"Well, me too. So maybe we could be, you know, alone together." She smiled, showing her dimples.
"Alright." He didn't know what he just said. Xander didn't actually feel for her, he was just, like he said, lonely. It just felt like he was being burned from the inside out. Xander closed his eyes and leaned toward her and kissed her.
"Xander?" a voice rang out behind him. "Get off her." Faith stood behind the pair.
"Who are you?" the redhead asked rather rudely.
Faith rolled her heavily-lined eyes. "I'm his girlfriend," she lied.
The other girl's eyes bulged. "Oooh, I see you two have problems. I'll be leaving now." She slinked away with red cheeks.
Faith punched Xander on the arm. "What the Hell was that? Kissing some slut in a bar, where you're drinking your troubles away?" Her hard exterior melted. "I'm sorry, Xand, I know this is hard for you, but a ten dollar ho from a bar isn't going to replace Anya. Nothing will. But maybe eventually, you'll meet someone." He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Thanks, sort of." He chugged his beer.
"I'm sorry, I'm not good at pep talks." She patted him on the back, "C'mon, I'll buy the next round." She signaled two fingers to the bar tender. They grabbed the beers and clinked them together.
"I just miss her so much," he said. The tears started falling again.
"Okay big guy, no more beer for you." She pushed the beer away. She finished her drink and stood up. I'm taking you to the hotel." She helped him up.
"Faith." he mumbled. She turned her head towards him and ran right into Xander's kiss. Faith pushed him away.
"Xander, I can't." She pushed her dark hair out of his face.
"But it's happened before." Almost four years ago, Xander had lost his virginity to Faith. But now, she was a different person. She had realized her wrongs and served (almost) all her time in prison.
"Xander, I know you're hurting, but this isn't the way. Just live in this world, it'll get better."
"We can be together."
"No, we can't. You know I don't feel that way about you and the same goes for you. Plus, I'm actually on the verge of something with Robin." She frowned at him and gave him a hug. "Let's get you to the hotel."
"Faith? What happened to him?" Buffy stared at the big, slouchy, mess that was her friend Xander.
"Oh, about two and a half beers. The man can't hold his drinks." The two Slayers dumped him on the couch. He fell soundly asleep.
"He's coming undone without her," Buffy noted, "I thought he was over her."
"Not over her death." Faith threw a blanket over him.
"Yeah, I think part of him will always love her." The blonde put a pillow under his head.
Faith noted all the bags were packed and in neat little stacks. "So, Europe, that's gotta be, uh, neat."
"Yeah."
"How long are you going to be there?"
"I don't know yet."
"Yeah, I'd better be going now."
"Okay."
"Just drag him into his own room later."
"'Kay."
"Bye."
"Bye." With that, Faith left. There was still tension between the two Slayers. Faith still thought that Buffy would think she'd turn on her.
"Mmmuffy?" Xander groaned from the couch. Buffy knelt next to him.
"What is it?" She looked down on him.
"Am I ever going to meet someone else?"
"Of course you will." She swept the hair out of his face.
"Just checking." He fell face down on the couch again.