Chapter 20 Postscripts From the Edge--Epilogue
The Slayer helped her sister outside and into my rattletrap of a car. I was standing there a bit stunned and realized I'd made it through another sunrise in Sunnydale. Well, relatively speaking, since the clouds were so low and black it looked like nighttime. Maybe it wasn't gonna be such a rotten day after all. The bad guys got dusty and we'd saved the day again. One thing was sure, she wouldn't ever be the same. Maybe none of us would.
I was damned tired. I could hear the sirens in the distance and I wondered if anyone had gotten the fire out on Crawford Street. If the Slayer was lucky, she'd be rid of that albatross of a house. One less thing holding her here. Buffy'd sure made a clean sweep of her past tonight--or today. Whatever.
It was Christmas Eve. Happy frickin' Holidays. Ho, ho, ho.
I was still feeling a little light-headed, or maybe the holiday blues were getting me down. Spike was staring back at the burning factory with a sad, lost look. We stood there and watched it burn, until with a final sulfurous belch, the whole thing fell inwards. Musta been weird for him, too. He hadn't said more than a dozen words to anyone.
The bitter cold wind squirreled up my coat and hit the gash on my throat like a bolt of electricity. The bite was aching in the frigid temperatures and it was time to go home. Then I had a thought. Something had been bothering me and I needed to know the whole truth.
Hey, uh, Spike. I gotta question and I need a straight answer.
He looked cranky. Yeah, I remember everything now.
No, not that question. Am I gonna be a vampire?
He cracked a smile and shot me a odd look, Doubt it. Why? Fancy yourself as a vamp? Prolly make a fine one...
Uh, no. I mean, NO! Not that kind of guy. At all. I hastily amended that idea, I just thought since you and I... He gave me that quirky eyebrow thing again and a sideways smirk. He wasn't gonna make this easy for me. The blood and all that, from earlier...when you...and with the biting...
He was merciful and cut me off before I sounded more like a dope than usual. No, Xander. You're not going to be anything but a pretty good gumshoe, far as I know. I was just playing along with Angelus.
On the square?
Honestly, I doubt it. You just don't seem dead enough to me.
Well, good, cause I'm not really an undead kind of guy. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Just the whole blood drinking thing...
he grinned like his old self, Not your cup of tea.
Oh, good. I guess I didn't need to know anymore right now. I was jingle-brained and tired to the bone and all I really wanted was to sleep until New Year's.
My apartment had that stale, neglected smell.
Well, that and the fact that I hadn't put out the trash for a week. The dust bunnies had multiplied astronomically and the inside of my icebox was as empty as Grant's Tomb.
One of these days, I oughta do something with this flop. Maybe decorate or get a cat. Or at least hang up my clothes. I threw my jacket in the general direction of the closet and kicked off my damp brogans. Through the Venetian blinds, I could see the flickering holiday lights still burning cheerfully. The palms had a thin glaze of ice and a haze of snow was starting to blow across the horizon. The Hellmouth, weird weather capital of the known Universe.
I needed to get a real life, not just hang around the Slayer's coat-tails and hope for a job to fall in my lap. No wonder Anyanka dumped me for Mr. Rich Demon Guy.
I guess that's how the story ends. Me all alone on Christmas, same as always.
I slumped on my mattress, trying to work up to forty good winks, but the sheep weren't being cooperative. Maybe a slug of good Kentucky would put me out. Or maybe there was a jelly doughnut in the breadbox. I ratted around in the cabinets until I found a bottle with a couple of ounces of Jack inside. I poured myself a stiff one and made a toast to my reflection in the grimy window. Yeah, you made it through another one, and here you are. I tossed back my drink and pitched the glass against the wall, but it bounced on the rug and rolled under the sofa.
I started to the icebox when a soft sound and the scent of jasmine told me I wasn't alone. Great, like this day hadn't sucked enough. Anyanka.
Come to tell me goodbye before you're off with your pal Krevlorne? Someplace warm and cozy, like Bermuda. Couldn't blame her, really. Some girls have all the luck and she was one of them. I should never have fallen for her.
She swayed toward me, her slim figure outlined in the foggy light trying to seep through the bent edges of my kitchen blinds. I had to blink again to make sure I wasn't seeing things.
Maybe. Maybe I wanted to run my fingers through your hair.
Quit playing around, Anyanka. You're leaving town. Just make it quick.
You're a good detective, Xander. Yeah, I'm leaving for New York. Broadway. Lorne's got me the lead in a new musical.
Figured. Sunnydale's not big enough for you.
Is it big enough for you?
What do you mean?
Oh, you can be so dense! Do you want to come with me?
I sat down. Unfortunately the chair had gone missing and I sat in the floor. She giggled and put out a hand to help me up.
Alexander Harris, I'm crazy about you. She smiled at me and started undoing her buttons and sliding the silk gown off her shoulders. I flopped there like a stunned turtle.
You are?
Yeah, ya big palooka. She hung a couple of big kisses on me and we managed to stagger into the bedroom after a while. We finally got up around sunset, and she made me coffee and rousted out that elusive doughnut while I talked.
I clued her in on what'd been happening around town, but she was pretty blasé about it. Thousand years of demon living, it takes a bit to surprise her. She grinned and kissed me again.
It won't be all moonlight and roses, Anya.
I know, She whispered as she wound her arms around my neck, It'll be hard and I might want to kill you... which I won't.......but you and me, we've got something right. I felt her warm coffee scented breath on my lips and her soft hands threading themselves in my hair. Now, undress me again. I want to spend Christmas with you.
Now, this is how the story ends.
Music: Love Theme OST for Bladerunner, Vangelis & Nothin' New for New Year, Harry Connick, Jr.
I hope you've enjoyed this thing. The music was probably my favorite thing to do. . Hope you did too. Thanks for all the reviews. Peace, Love, & Music. I'm going to miss this Verse.
