Getting Off The Griefmobile
By Annakovsky
See part 1 for all relevant info and disclaimer.
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CHAPTER TWELVE
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Andrew had the feeling that Dawn was getting tired of the comic store. Like, for instance, one time she said, "Andrew, I'm tired of the comic store." So he was super excited when Xander asked him to come along. He went to put on his shoes, then headed down to the kitchen where the girls were hanging out, so he could tell Dawn goodbye. She was standing by the refrigerator.
"Hey swee... I mean, Dawn, me and Xander are going to the Great Escape, okay?"
"Sure thing, have fun," she said. He moved in to give her a kiss goodbye, but she looked horrified and took a quick step back.
"Andrew! What did I tell you about PDA?"
"Um... under no circumstances?"
"Exactly," she said. Xander was in the room at this point and opening the outside door.
"Andrew, you coming?" he asked.
"Yeah, just a sec," he said, looking at Dawn. "Um... so, okay, bye then!" He waved enthusiastically, despite the fact that she was two feet away from him. She rolled her eyes and waved back.
"See you later," she said.
He got into the passenger seat beside Xander, in a wave of happiness. Dawn was so, so cool. They were really one of those epic couples, you know, brought together by their fight against evil. Like Han Solo and Princess Leia, or Mulder and Scully. Or Buffy and Spike, maybe. Andrew started musing on the whole Buffy and Spike thing.
"Do you think Buffy will ever love again?" Andrew asked after a bit. Xander shot a look at him.
"What?"
"You know, after Spike."
"You think she was in love with Spike?" asked Xander.
"Well, he got a soul for her - that's, like, right out of an epic romance." Xander snorted.
"Well, it's epic something," he said. Andrew looked at him, but then kept going.
"Besides, there was all that sexual tension between the two of them, and he was really hot and everything. You really don't think she was in love with him?" he asked. Xander got quiet.
"I don't know. Buffy doesn't talk to me about that stuff." He squinted at the road, looking far away and tapping on the steering wheel.
"Yeah, well, I was just thinking that it'd be really hard for her to ever love anybody again, after the love of her life died saving the world and everything." Xander glanced at him, and kind of half laughed.
"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure Buffy will love again. I mean, it'll be rough and all, but I bet you anything she'll have another boyfriend by next year, or at the very latest, Christmas 2004." Andrew looked kind of shocked.
"But... Spike was..."
"Look, she may have loved him, but just because you love one person doesn't mean that you can't love anybody else, ever. You move on when this stuff happens. Even if you don't want to. You can't help it." Xander looked grim.
"But if he was her soulmate..." Andrew trailed off. Xander laughed.
"You believe in...? Okay, Andrew, let me tell you this now - that whole soulmate thing is a bunch of bull made up by greeting card companies seeking to control us." Xander changed lanes, preparing to exit.
"No, it's not. Everybody has a soulmate out there somewhere, and we just have to find them." Andrew smiled, thinking about Dawn.
"Yeah, so how many times have you and Dawn broken up now?" asked Xander pointedly. Andrew paused, a little embarrassed.
"Um, well, five, but that doesn't mean that..."
Xander cut him off. "So what happens if your soulmate dies? You're just screwed then, right, because they're the only person you could ever be with."
"No... well... okay," said Andrew. "Maybe not, then." He paused. After Xander turned left off the exit ramp, he spoke up again in a small voice. "It sucks when people die," Xander didn't respond. Andrew continued. "Like Anya. She was amazing. I don't understand why she had to..."
"Andrew, I really don't want to talk about this again," Xander cut him off.
"Oh. Okay." There was a pause. "So are *you* moving on with things?" Xander looked uncomfortable and shrugged. "You know, you're sort of like James Bond," said Andrew. "His wife got killed, so then he just went back to being single and making out with all the Bond girls. Maybe you should do that." Xander looked a little bit sick.
"While I'm flattered that you're comparing me to James Bond, even if it is just the George Lazenby incarnation, Anya dying is really nothing at all like that." Andrew shrugged. "Besides," said Xander after a second, deciding to give Andrew a break and half smiling, "we don't even have any Bond girls." Andrew grinned.
"Well, there's Faith, but she's in Panama, and Buffy's still getting over the Spike thing, but hey, Willow!" Xander immediately made his face as expressionless as possible. "Oh, no, wait, she's gay, never mind. I guess you'll have to go out and try to meet some Bond girls on your own, then."
"Yeah, I'll put it on the to-do list."
"What's your favorite Bond movie?" Andrew asked, and they were off on a conversation that lasted for most of the rest of the trip. By the time they got back to the house, the worried look on Xander's face was mostly gone. When he saw Willow in the training/ball room, he grinned at her and she couldn't help smiling back.
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TBC...
NOTES: The opinions expressed in this chapter are those of the characters and do not reflect the opinions of the author.
I know Spike's a controversial topic, but the conversation in this chapter is really about Xander and Anya, not Spike and Buffy, so please don't review or email telling me either that Buffy and Spike are soulmates and will love forever, or that Spike is incapable of love and the whole thing was a travesty, because I really don't care either way. Sorry.
By Annakovsky
See part 1 for all relevant info and disclaimer.
***********
CHAPTER TWELVE
***********
Andrew had the feeling that Dawn was getting tired of the comic store. Like, for instance, one time she said, "Andrew, I'm tired of the comic store." So he was super excited when Xander asked him to come along. He went to put on his shoes, then headed down to the kitchen where the girls were hanging out, so he could tell Dawn goodbye. She was standing by the refrigerator.
"Hey swee... I mean, Dawn, me and Xander are going to the Great Escape, okay?"
"Sure thing, have fun," she said. He moved in to give her a kiss goodbye, but she looked horrified and took a quick step back.
"Andrew! What did I tell you about PDA?"
"Um... under no circumstances?"
"Exactly," she said. Xander was in the room at this point and opening the outside door.
"Andrew, you coming?" he asked.
"Yeah, just a sec," he said, looking at Dawn. "Um... so, okay, bye then!" He waved enthusiastically, despite the fact that she was two feet away from him. She rolled her eyes and waved back.
"See you later," she said.
He got into the passenger seat beside Xander, in a wave of happiness. Dawn was so, so cool. They were really one of those epic couples, you know, brought together by their fight against evil. Like Han Solo and Princess Leia, or Mulder and Scully. Or Buffy and Spike, maybe. Andrew started musing on the whole Buffy and Spike thing.
"Do you think Buffy will ever love again?" Andrew asked after a bit. Xander shot a look at him.
"What?"
"You know, after Spike."
"You think she was in love with Spike?" asked Xander.
"Well, he got a soul for her - that's, like, right out of an epic romance." Xander snorted.
"Well, it's epic something," he said. Andrew looked at him, but then kept going.
"Besides, there was all that sexual tension between the two of them, and he was really hot and everything. You really don't think she was in love with him?" he asked. Xander got quiet.
"I don't know. Buffy doesn't talk to me about that stuff." He squinted at the road, looking far away and tapping on the steering wheel.
"Yeah, well, I was just thinking that it'd be really hard for her to ever love anybody again, after the love of her life died saving the world and everything." Xander glanced at him, and kind of half laughed.
"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure Buffy will love again. I mean, it'll be rough and all, but I bet you anything she'll have another boyfriend by next year, or at the very latest, Christmas 2004." Andrew looked kind of shocked.
"But... Spike was..."
"Look, she may have loved him, but just because you love one person doesn't mean that you can't love anybody else, ever. You move on when this stuff happens. Even if you don't want to. You can't help it." Xander looked grim.
"But if he was her soulmate..." Andrew trailed off. Xander laughed.
"You believe in...? Okay, Andrew, let me tell you this now - that whole soulmate thing is a bunch of bull made up by greeting card companies seeking to control us." Xander changed lanes, preparing to exit.
"No, it's not. Everybody has a soulmate out there somewhere, and we just have to find them." Andrew smiled, thinking about Dawn.
"Yeah, so how many times have you and Dawn broken up now?" asked Xander pointedly. Andrew paused, a little embarrassed.
"Um, well, five, but that doesn't mean that..."
Xander cut him off. "So what happens if your soulmate dies? You're just screwed then, right, because they're the only person you could ever be with."
"No... well... okay," said Andrew. "Maybe not, then." He paused. After Xander turned left off the exit ramp, he spoke up again in a small voice. "It sucks when people die," Xander didn't respond. Andrew continued. "Like Anya. She was amazing. I don't understand why she had to..."
"Andrew, I really don't want to talk about this again," Xander cut him off.
"Oh. Okay." There was a pause. "So are *you* moving on with things?" Xander looked uncomfortable and shrugged. "You know, you're sort of like James Bond," said Andrew. "His wife got killed, so then he just went back to being single and making out with all the Bond girls. Maybe you should do that." Xander looked a little bit sick.
"While I'm flattered that you're comparing me to James Bond, even if it is just the George Lazenby incarnation, Anya dying is really nothing at all like that." Andrew shrugged. "Besides," said Xander after a second, deciding to give Andrew a break and half smiling, "we don't even have any Bond girls." Andrew grinned.
"Well, there's Faith, but she's in Panama, and Buffy's still getting over the Spike thing, but hey, Willow!" Xander immediately made his face as expressionless as possible. "Oh, no, wait, she's gay, never mind. I guess you'll have to go out and try to meet some Bond girls on your own, then."
"Yeah, I'll put it on the to-do list."
"What's your favorite Bond movie?" Andrew asked, and they were off on a conversation that lasted for most of the rest of the trip. By the time they got back to the house, the worried look on Xander's face was mostly gone. When he saw Willow in the training/ball room, he grinned at her and she couldn't help smiling back.
****************
TBC...
NOTES: The opinions expressed in this chapter are those of the characters and do not reflect the opinions of the author.
I know Spike's a controversial topic, but the conversation in this chapter is really about Xander and Anya, not Spike and Buffy, so please don't review or email telling me either that Buffy and Spike are soulmates and will love forever, or that Spike is incapable of love and the whole thing was a travesty, because I really don't care either way. Sorry.