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Chapter Six

Now its fair to say that living on the Hellmouth has made it very hard to surprise me, I would almost say I'm immune to most things, after all there is only so many times a vampire can try and kill you, or a demon or some other form of evil can try and destroy the world, before you just get bored. Then it happened, one sentence, that's all in took to turn my world upside down. "Shouldn't I be in on any decision regarding that subject." This doesn't sound like much, to anyone else it wouldn't mean much, even to Willow, Tara & Giles it only meant that Buffy was awake and seemed to be okay. However, to me it meant either that the Buffy was fine remembered everything and still wanted to see where our budding relationship took us, or she was fine remembered everything but had decided for some reason that she didn't want to pursue our relationship. So as the rest of them went over to talk to her I just stood there, unable to move. I must have remained like this for 10 or so minutes, because I heard Giles say something about going to the Magic Box to get some thing or other, I really wasn't paying attention. Then I saw Willow and Tara take Buffy in to the bedroom to make sure she was okay. After they left I just stood there wondering what I should do, I was glancing around the flat when I decided to go for a walk to clear my head but I realised that they would only worry if I just vanished so I found a piece of paper and a pen and wrote a short note.

Hey Guys,

I am going for a walk, I just need some time to clear my head I'll see you later,

Xander

I placed the note on the table and walked out the door. As I left my apartment block and started to walk down the street, I was waiting for the little voice to start shouting at me but nothing happened then after a little while the voice spoke "Listen kid, I know why you needed to clear your head, and in principle I agree with you but you are only putting of the inevitable. You two are going to need to talk at some point." I just continued walking

"yeah I know" This conversation went on for quite some time before I realised where I was. I had arrived at the bronze, I was going to turn around and go home but I decided to go inside instead. I walked in to the bronze to discover the place packed but for once there was no band only a DJ I walked over and sat at a table near the back. Eventually a waitress walked over and asked me if I wanted anything I just smiled shook my head and she moved on. I was actually starting to enjoy myself when the DJ said "Okay folks this song was requested by Brian for Julie" as I was about to leave my seat and head for the door the song started and to my surprise I discovered I liked it. Okay so the only reason I like this song is because it reminded me of the film Coyote Ugly which Willow and Tara brought around I had thought that it would be a chick flick, and to some extent that's what it was, however, there was enough female flesh on display to keep me happy, and made the soppy film with a predictable ending, bearable.

As I was listening to this, I was watching the dance floor and all the couples dancing to the music. I just sat there watching them dance, looking into each other eyes, bodies swaying in time with the music. As the song ended I glanced over at the DJ booth and noticed he was watching me and grinning. I was looking around the club when the DJ spoke. "Okay folks we have another special request, this next song is for Xander." as he spoke, my head snapped around to look at the DJ booth "From Buffy." He pointed to the dance floor and I saw her standing there. As I stood up the first verse of the song started

"Look at this face, I know the years are showing

Look at this life I still don't know where it's going.

I don't know much but I know I love you.

That may be all I need to know."

I looked over at her and my heart was racing, she walked up to me and smiled softly. "Dance with me?" I nodded and she took my hand and led me onto the dance floor. As we swayed softly to the music I looked down at her and couldn't believe this was happening. Covertly I pinched myself on the arm, when I flinched in pain, I figured I wasn't dreaming. I looked at Buffy and she was laughing. I felt my face flush, oops guess I hadn't been as subtle as I was aiming for. She shook her head. "I'm really here Xan, your not dreaming, besides if you were, I'd probably be naked, right?" With that I laughed and she stepped closer. "Talk later, dance now." With that we started to dance, not really listening to the lyrics, but moving together to the slow beat of the music. After the song finished I felt Buffy draw back to look up at me. She smiled softly and walked over to the table I had been sat at I sat down beside her and suddenly felt really unsure of what was about to happen. Had my secret (or sometimes not so secret) hope come true, or was I about to be kicked in the teeth by fate, again. Suddenly I heard a familiar gruff voice "What are you boy? A complete chicken-shit? You now how you feel about the girl, if you want her tell her, stop acting like a wimp and move your ass!" With that ringing around my brain, I went to speak, but Buffy beat me to the punch (this time not literally). She looked at me and slowly smiled. I felt my heart both sink and melt, which made for interesting feelings. She took a deep breath and my stomach clenched with fear. "Xander, relax, breathe your gonna pass out." She grinned at me and I suddenly realised I had been sub-consciously holding my breath.

"First of all, I'm back. You now have sitting here, Buffy the 100% original, accept no substitutes. And I remember everything, even the things I didn't want to remember again. But most importantly I remember you, Alexander Levelle Harris. Honourable, dependable, the original White Knight who has saved my butt more times than I can count." When Buffy mentioned White Knight, it touched a still tender nerve with me and before I could control it I flinched, luckily Buffy never noticed. "But most importantly I remembered Xander, the best friend I ever had, and the man who I love, more than you know and more than I realised." As she spoke I felt my heart drop then it started to soar and pound. I looked at her and my mouth was dry, I licked my lips. "Buffy, you know I've been in love with you since we first met, but that was a crush and unrealistic love, believing you were some hero and meant to save the world. But over these past few years my feelings have changed." I saw Buffy's face drop and sped up what I was saying before she stormed off. "They've changed because we've changed. We're no where near the kids we were, we've both had relationships with other people, that, in the end, for whatever reason, didn't work. And my feelings for you have deepened and I now love you now, not because your some mystical hero, destined to save everyone from whatever creature feature came along. But because your Buffy, someone who fights everyday to save the world for the people she loves and someone who is brave, strong and one hell of a woman. And it doesn't hurt that you could bench press a Mack truck either, or that I'll never have to struggle to open a jar." I saw Buffy laugh

"So basically what your saying is you want me for my body." I looked at her and grinned.

"Not entirely but it's a deal breaker I got to tell you." Buffy laughed and slapped my arm, but her eyes sparkled with a combination of laughter and something deeper. She looked at me and raised her eyebrow. "And yet you still haven't said it." I looked at her and played dumb.

"What? Okay. It it it." When she raised her hand to slap me again I laughed.

"Okay, okay. I, Alexander Levelle Harris, love you Elizabeth Anne Summers." Where I was expecting a kiss I got another slap. I gaped at Buffy. "I tell you I love you and you slap me?" Buffy grinned.

"I thought I mentioned about the 'E' word, its forbidden, really. Never call me that." I grinned and shrugged. She lent over the table and kissed me, and my entire body went on alert, and my heart did the snoopy dance while my brain turned to mush. She looked at me slowly and smiled. "Lets go home." With that she took my hand and we walked out of the bronze.

Thanks to all the people who have reviewed this story and my other works, I would like to thank my sister for the help she gave me when i was suffering from a case of last chapter writers block, from this I guess you have figured out that this is the last chapter in THIS story. There will however be a sequel and maybe more than one depending on how well this last chapter is recieved.

So once again thanks for reading this story

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