Meanwhile…
After Xander left, Buffy and Faith considered various options for a work out, while Dawn and Willow set up shop. "I still say that even here, sword training would give us looks from our neighbors, especially on human like dummies."
"Come on then B. Decide already. I'm bored enough as it is. Nothing to do. This place is too damn safe."
"Well, maybe a jog through the forest will help us." Buffy points her thumb to the darkened woods. "
"I'm up for it if you are B." The two girls started off into the darkened forest, unaware of what dangers lay ahead.
______________________________
"Hey Will?"
"Yeah, Dawnie?" Willow musses as she continues placing the new stock that had just arrived.
"I've been thinking. I think I may be able to help you guys out a bit more then just working here."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I was thinking to enroll in the school. I could go where Xander couldn't and I could get to know the girls much better. Then, I could come back here and give you the info."
Willow stopped a moment to think about it. "Yeah but didn't you just get your GED, since, well, your old school became a recent fixer upper?"
Dawn smirked. "They don't know that though, do they?"
Willow chuckled. "And considering it's just a school, I don't think it's going to be a problem with Buffy."
A few seconds pass as they continue to stock the shelves. "Dawnie, you haven't told Buffy yet have you?"
"About what?"
"About what you want to do in the future."
Dawn sighs. "No, not yet. I just haven't found the right time to tell her yet. This has been the most I've got to seen her since before the First showed up. She's been too busy. I don't want to push her away so soon. If I told her now that I wanted to be a Watcher we'd be arguing about it over this whole trip."
Willow nods. "Your right, but you realize, you have to tell her soon. You're able to look after yourself, even if she doesn't know it yet." Dawn nods.
"Now, we have one more thing to do before we can have our grand opening. There are some books in the back I haven't checked yet. The Monster Books of Creatures or something along that line."
"Oh those, yeah, I saw them. They're really annoying. Oh, and one's damaged."
"How did it get damaged?"
Buffy thought one of them was possessed and staked it to the table. I think the other books are quieter now."
"Ahhh," Willow said while going about her business.
_______________________________
"Now that's what I call a workout B," as Faith and Buffy grinned while jogging out of the forest, covered in sweat and other fluids.
"Yeah, that was a really dark forest, even the vampires aren't too bright. One fell right on to a tree branch."
Faith shakes her head laughing. "Yeah but you punched him. The one I'm thinking of was the guy who tripped onto the broken log."
"Yeah, he tripped over his own feet. But the creatures that were the most fun were the guys with the horse hind ends."
"The Centaurs?"
"Yeah. By the way, thanks for that one, he was about to shoot me with his arrow if you hadn't kicked him between his back legs."
"Yeah, well he was a guy so I figured what the hey."
"By the way B, did you notice they were halfway cute though?"
Buffy smirked. "Which half are you talking about?"
"I'll leave that to your imagination." The two just silently ran back to the store, drawing stares from the robed inhabitants as they did.
Later that night, Xander arrived home. "Good news, I'm in. No problems yet and I'll have access to most areas." The others nod.
"Oh and Xander, you're going to have a partner in crime." Willow says, being perky.
"Yeah, you're coming too?"
"Naw, Dawn's volunteered to enter the school as a student."
"Uh, that's the other thing. I found out, the school's not an average private school." The others look at him. "It's a school for magic or something like that."
The girls just shrug. "That will make it all the more fun." Willow said with a smirk.
Xander shakes his head. "Will, I pity any fool who tries to get one word in while your talking." She just smiles.
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"It's time. Have you gotten the beasts ready?"
"Yes. The two trolls are unconscious as we speak."
"Good, we will soon set them loose upon the inhabitants. Maybe even injuring a staff member, or hopefully killing a student. This will result in the parents loosing all faith in the school, leaving Potter open to an attack while his Dumbledor is helpless to protect the brat."
The death eaters nod with the cloaked one and exit the room."
________________________________
It was night in the groups' current residence. The lights were all off except for one in the upper most corner of the house. Xander was still awake, in bed staring at a singular picture he held close to him. She was to have been his wife, but he left her, because of his own fears. His girl.
Months ago after he had been able to just get over the exhaustion and fatigue from the last battle with the First, he finally broke down. Her death tore him apart and matured him a bit more. Sure in public he acted like what people expected him to act like.
He knew that Buffy, Dawn, Will and Faith knew he was just covering up his pain. Heck even Giles probably knew of it, but they didn't know what to do about it and let him alone to deal with it himself. He would have thanked them for that but knew they probably already knew.
After a few months of not eating as well, he forced himself to live through his work, as either carpenter in Cleveland or as a trainer and searcher for new Slayers. HE spent almost no time by himself, trying to keep the pain away but slower, it began to seep through. After breaking down a few times he began to come to terms with it. Sure it still hurt and would always hurt but deep down, he knew there was a reason for these things happening. He also realized that if she could talk to him, she'd try to tell him how great he was doing. She'd try to cheer him up by giving examples of worse times in his life or worse things that could happen which wouldn't really make him feel better but at least she would be there.
Turning off his light he laid her picture back in the drawer at his bedside. "I will always, love you Anya…, but its time I move on…" he mumbled as he drifted off into sleep.
