Epilogue 1
It was Tuesday, around 1 pm. Xander Harris sat on the hood of his car at the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign. The same events kept replaying in his head. Anya was dead. Anya was dead. Anya was dead. He had no more tears because he had already cried them all. All he had was an ache in his heart that wouldn't go away and a feeling like he had just been stabbed in the stomach. It wasn't fair. It never was. This town was notorious for not being fair. It wasn't fair that he and his friends had had to deal with so much from such a young age.
I mean my God, he and Willow had lost their childhood friend Jesse the very first night Buffy was in Sunnydale. Not to mention Buffy's job as a Slayer put her through so much as it was. Then Spike showed up gunning for her. Then Angel lost his soul and went gunning for her. Angelus had killed Ms. Calendar, who was not only very hot, but probably the best teacher Xander had (though he only used computers for porn and had Willow do most of his work for him). Ms. Calendar dying has robbed Giles of happiness too because they were in love. And it just went on and on right up to….
"Faith." Xander said as the Dark Slayer rode up and stopped beside his car on a motorcycle.
"Hey Harris. What's up?" Faith said, driving it around into the grass and putting the kickstand down.
"Just debating leaving town for a while." Xander said, "You?"
"Getting' the hell out while the getting's good. Place'll be crawling with rent-a-cops and bounty hunters before you know it, and I'm not going back to prison now that I'm out. I helped save the world twice in the past few months. Debt's repaid." Faith replied hopping up on the hood of his car. She then looked at him for a moment, "Oh yeah. And I'm sorry about trying to strangle you a few years ago."
"It's cool. I mean most of my friends have tried to kill me once or twice, so I figure it's not a big deal." Xander said with a weak smile, "That Spike's bike?"
Faith was all smiles, "Yep. Gonna nark on me?"
"Nope. So where you heading?" Xander asked.
"East. Ever heard of the Saints?" Faith asked.
"The sports team or the guys that kill murderers, rapists, and thieves?" Xander asked in reply.
"Second one. My cousins." Faith smirked.
"You're related to the McManus brothers?" Xander asked, genuinely surprised that Faith was related to the Boondock Saints.
"Yeah. They were actually pretty cool to me when I was a kid. They let me drink beer when I was twelve. I'm thinking of tracking them down and maybe joining up. Might as well be with family on the run from the law while I am too." Faith explained, "How about you? Where you running to?"
"I dunno. Maybe Mexico for a while. Told the construction site I'm taking a few weeks off." Xander said quietly.
Faith put her hand on his shoulder, "Hey. I'm sorry about what happened with Anya. It wasn't right."
"No, it wasn't. But what was even more wrong was that gold colored bastard refusing to bring her back to life. Omnipotence is SO overrated." Xander said in frustration.
Faith leaned over and kissed his cheek, ""You're a good guy, Harris. A real good guy. If I had been smart I would have latched onto you a while ago. Anyways, my point is that bad shit happens. It always does, but more good shit happens than bad to guys like you. You'll see that one day."
"I dunno. Maybe." Xander said quietly again.
"You got a piece of notebook paper?" Faith asked.
"And boy that was out of left field. Why?" Xander replied.
"Well I borrowed a cel phone." Faith smirked, "And I want to give you the number. I figure that if you ever want to call and talk to me while I'm on the run then you can."
Xander raised an eyebrow at her.
Faith smirked evilly, "What? I want to keep in touch with someone remotely normal. Feel proud Harris, I don't usually want to talk to anyone again after I've had sex with them once."
Xander sighed and got into his car, retrieving a notebook and pen. He handed them to Faith.
"So you told everyone else you're taking off?" Xander asked, as Faith wrote.
"Nah. Figure it's best if I just slip out. I hate big goodbyes. You?" Faith questioned.
"Told Buffy, Willow, and Dawnie."
Faith handed the notebook back to him, "Well boy toy, I better hit the road. It's been really nice talking to you."
"You too Faith. I can honestly say I'll miss you." Xander replied as she straddled Spike's motorcycle.
"I think I'll miss you guys too. Don't miss me too much though. It might make me want to come back." Faith laughed huskily. Then she revved up the bike and took off out of town. Xander watched as she disappeared in the distance. He then hopped off his hood and tossed the notebook in his passenger side seat.
"Got a stop to make before I take off." Xander thought.
"So you guys are leaving tonight?" Buffy asked, sitting the coffee down on the kitchen table. She then turned and grabbed the two mugs of blood and sat them on the table too.
Cordelia took a coffee mug, "Yeah. Wesley and the others already rented a car and gone back. Angel and I are just waiting until the sun goes down."
"Well duh. Silly me. Vampire and all." Buffy said as she sat.
"Tends to put a damper on daytime activities." Angel said, taking a mug of warmed blood and generally feeling extremely nervous as his current girlfriend and the one before that, who never really liked one another, sat at the table chit chatting. He hoped they hadn't noticed.
They hadn't but Spike had. Spike gave his grandsire two looks when he realized it. One was the "Hey mate, I realized you're nervous as hell" look. The other was the "And I'm also going to try and raise as much hell as possible while they do" look.
"Too bad you didn't keep the Gem of Amara then Peaches. Or at least kept it for me now that I'm a good guy." Spike smirked.
Angel didn't quite know what to say so he said, "Yeah. I guess so."
"But doesn't matter. You're on the right road now, all permanently souled and such. Which begs the question, how'd you lose your soul that last time?" Spike said with an evil smile.
"Magick." Angel replied.
"Well that and that whole fantasy thing." Cordelia said, drinking her coffee.
"Fantasy thing?" Buffy asked, looking to Angel, who was starting to turn beet red. That was like blood in the water for Spike.
"Fantasy? Oooh do tell cheerleader, do tell. What kind of fantasy was it? I mean last time Angel here went psycho it was because baby did a bad, bad thing." Spike smiled.
Buffy didn't like where this was going but was nonetheless intrigued, "Was there sex involved?"
Angel spit out his blood.
"What?!" Angel said choking.
"Sex. You know Peaches, shagging. I'd think you'd know what that is after a few centuries." Spike smirked, now thoroughly enjoying himself.
"Well yeah there was sex involved." Cordelia confirmed, "He said he had sex with me in his fantasy."
"Oh. So any moment of true happiness will do?" Buffy said angrily towards Angel.
"No! I mean, I love Cordy…"Angel began.
"More than you loved me?!" Buffy said angrily.
"Yeah Angel, why don't you tell us just how much you love me? I mean I have to be ranked higher than her right? Right?!" Cordelia growled.
"Well I…"
"How could you fantasize about her? I'm the one true love here! I'm the one you're supposed to be in love with here? Why would you want a cow like her?!" Buffy asked.
"A cow?! Well I don't know how things work in Buffy-World, but weighing one twenty is hardly a cow, chicken-girl." Cordy snapped back.
"Angel are you just going to sit there and let her insult me like that?" Buffy pouted.
"Oh do not even go there. He is SO over that pouty crap. Tell her Angel." Cordy said, folding her arms.
"Well…." Angel began, before running for the basement and slamming the door behind him.
Spike was laying his head in his arms on the table and then sat up laughing his ass off. Buffy and Cordy joined, nearly wiping tears.
"Ladies, that was beautiful." Spike said nearly falling out of his chair.
"God it's fun to mess with him like that." Cordelia replied.
"You're telling me. Whew, should have done that more years ago!" Buffy said giggling hysterically. She then snorted and started laughing harder.
"Oh God! I snorted!" Buffy laughed.
"Oh God that is so funny!" Cordy laughed.
WHAM!
"Spike?" Buffy asked cautiously.
"I'm okay…. I just fell on the bloody floor from laughing so hard!" Spike replied. To which all three broke out in laughter again.
"So, going back to L.A.?" Dawn asked Connor as they sat on a bench in the park.
"Nope." Connor replied.
"Why not?" Dawn asked.
"Been there, done that." Connor replied. Dawn smirked.
"One week and already you talk like a normal teenager. Cool. So where you going?" Dawn asked.
"Nowhere. I thought I'd stay here." Connor replied.
"Oh?! Any reason?" Dawn said trying not to show she her excitement.
"Yeah. Plenty of demons to hunt here." Connor replied.
Dawn's face fell a little.
"Plus I kind of like you." Connor added.
Dawn exploded inwardly but hid it well on the outside, "Oh. That's kinda cool."
"You sure about this?" Ernie asked Tara.
Tara placed a hand on his arm.
"Ernie, if you're not sure that this Lady Death actually loves you then you shouldn't go to Hell. I wouldn't want to go there on principle. I think going to England is a good step. Giles knows people that can help you more than I can. You need counseling and a way to help focus your powers in better ways." Tara explained.
"Yeah so pipe down rub-a-dub!" Smiley yelled.
"Smiley you retard." Ernie grumbled.
Ernie sat next to Tara at the airport terminal, glamours hiding both his zombie-like figure and Poe who sat on Tara's shoulder. Poe began squawking slightly, which was the cause of many looks at the two seemingly normal people on the bench.
"What did he say?" Ernie asked.
"Yeah Bird-Brain! Tell us!" Smiley yelled.
"Smiley…that was rude." Tara admonished.
Smiley sighed, "I'm sorry Tara."
"That's better, and Poe said that you're young and you still probably don't know the full extent of your powers, but when you do they could be really awesome, for either good or evil. We'd prefer you use them for good though." Tara explained.
"Pssh. Yeah, well how can my powers possibly be good?" Ernie growled.
"You're strong and near invulnerable when Smiley's on you. That's a start. You may be a Justice Leaguer one day. And you can control the dead. Say some crazy guy makes an army of zombies. You can make them go back to their rest. I mean just imagine all the villains who are dead and come back everyday. You could be useful there too." Tara explained.
"You really believe that?" Ernie asked.
"Yeah, I do. You're a special guy Ernie." Tara smiled.
"Ah…ok…well then….umm..I don't know how to put this…." Ernie began.
"Spit it out!" Smiley sighed.
"I uh…kinda like you." Ernie said.
"Well I like you too." Tara smiled.
"No. LIKE LIKE." Ernie replied.
"Like like?" Tara said confused, "OH. Oh. I thought you were in love with that Lady Death?"
"Maybe I was. But I think maybe it was just all the cleavage. She never talked to me like you have. You were the only person who gave me a chance. That was more than any of your friends were willing to do, or even that my parents were willing to do." Ernie explained, "So I like you."
"Ernie…"
"You don't like me?" Ernie asked, sounding heartbroken.
"Ernie, I'm gay." Tara replied.
"You're gay?" Ernie asked wide-eyed, "How long?"
"Since around puberty." Tara laughed, "Didn't you notice me holding hands with Willow and Kennedy and always calling them "sweetie"?"
"I just figured it was a close group of friends." Ernie said dumbfounded.
"Nope. Gay."
"Any chance of you…uh…straightening out?"
"Not really."
"Damn."
"You can really pick 'em gruesome."
"Smiley!" both Ernie and Tara shouted.
"Sorry." Smiley grumbled.
"I'm sorry Ernie, but that's just who I am. I know it sounds condescending but if I were straight, I'd go for you in a second." Tara said with sympathy.
"You serious?" Ernie asked, "Rotting skin and all?"
"There are spells for that." Tara replied before hugging Ernie.
Just then, Giles, Willow, and Kennedy walked up, with Andrew looking around frantic.
"Hey Ernie, you and Giles gotta catch the next flight." Willow frowned.
"Huh?" Ernie asked.
"Something has…. occurred." Giles said, mildly annoyed. He was frantically cleaning his glasses.
"What happened?" Tara asked.
"Well, as you knew, I was going to go back to England for a while and help to reform the Watcher's Council. Well it seemed that Andrew wanted to come with me…and train to be a Watcher." Giles said, grinding his teeth as he got giggles all around.
"This is the best part." Willow smirked.
"Andrew…caused a mishap." Giles groaned.
"What kind of mishap?" Tara asked.
Before he could answer, Kennedy leaped in, "Gaira's loose in the airport."
"Yes. Thank you." Giles said, putting his glasses on.
"Well that should be no big right? I mean Willow shrunk him back to monkey size again." Tara questioned.
"Tara, this IS Gaira." Kennedy replied.
"This never would have happened if pets were allowed to ride with humans. That is so specist." Andrew chimed in, still looking around.
"Andrew, shut up." Giles said annoyed.
"Actually this probably could have been avoided if you had put him in something other than a dog cage." Willow said.
"I didn't know it was going to happen!" Andrew said.
"Andrew, he has opposable thumbs and chimp-like intelligence. He'd figure it out. Didn't you think about that at all?" Tara asked.
"It…sort of slipped my mind." Andrew replied.
Giles sighed and said, "Well right now it is imperative that we find Gaira before he causes any tr—"
A crash was heard across the airport and women began screaming.
"Bollocks. Why do I even try?" Giles said looking at the ceiling.
"By Odin's beard! He's at the snack bar!" Andrew yelled before running over.
"Oh not the Mochas!" Willow said following.
"We'd better go and help. Maybe get you something to eat before the flight." Tara sighed, following Willow.
"But it would just fall out of me." Ernie added, walking by Giles.
Kennedy looked at Giles and then at the carnage.
"Sorry, but I got to go with them. This is too funny." Kennedy said walking along as well, leaving Giles staring at the ceiling. Giles watched them go and sighed.
"The earth is doomed."
Xander walked up the large tree and looked at the graves. They were set in a circular fashion around the tree. Seven Potentials died battling the First. Seven roses were dropped onto their graves. Xander them examined the discarded headstone nearby. It had been Buffy's when she had died after facing Glory. He almost chuckled because death used to seem so permanent. But now it was like an inside joke. Buffy came back, Tara came back, so it was probably only a matter of time before he saw Jesse walking down the sidewalk or Anya showing up at a Scooby meeting.
Xander knelt at the grave he knew belonged to Anya, because just days before he had helped lower her coffin inside. He kissed the last rose in his hand and laid it on the still fresh dirt. Wrapped around the stem of the rose was a twenty-dollar bill. Xander considered it fitting because Anya loved the concept of money. He did chuckle at that remembering her dance of capitalist superiority. Xander kissed his fingers and pressed them to the dirt and stood.
"Love you An. Love you forever."
He then turned, got in his car, and began to drive south. Mexico was pretty nice this time of the year.