Chapter 7: Ditching
AN: Since our internet connection once again went into a coma yesterday, you get two chapters again today.
Xander had just put the broom and dustpan away when Dawn returned to the kitchen. He knew it didn't take that long to put on shoes. He wondered what had taken so long. He put on a big, but fake feeling, grin when she looked up at him. She still looked just as serious as she had in the living room.
"Hey, Dawnie, what would you like for breakfast this morning?" Xander clapped his hands together and spun away from her, heading for the refrigerator.
"Xander."
Xander kept walking toward the refrigerator. He opened it and stood in the open door, inspecting the contents. "How about it, Dawnie? Would you like a kitchen sink omelet?"
Xander moved his eye from the refrigerator to Dawn but immediately jerked it back when she opened her mouth to speak. "Or if you don't want that I can probably find all the ingredients for waff..." His voice trailed off as Dawn's hand touched his arm. He looked down at the feminine hand lying against his tanned arm. It looked so delicate but could maneuver a sword or stake a vampire as well as any normal human could, maybe better. He raised his eye back to her face. Those beautiful, bottomless blue eyes focused on his face. She looked at him questioningly.
"Xander, I have a breakfast casserole in the oven. I made it last night. It should be done in about fifteen minutes."
Of course, that was why she was puzzled. He had watched her put it together. Xander quickly pulled away from her hand and took a step back. "Oh, good, good. Nothing I like better than breakfast casserole. I'm sure it will be wonderful." He gave her another of his big, goofy grins.
"Xander?" Dawn did not understand what was going on with him. He was acting all nervous and silly.
Xander was rescued from her inquisitive look by the phone ringing. He immediately took another step back, said, "I'll get that," before he spun and bolted from the room.
Dawn just watched him go, wondering why he hadn't picked up the extension in the kitchen.
Dawn went back to preparing the table, setting out plates and flatware while she waited. She had just leaned over the oven to check the casserole when Xander reentered the kitchen wearing work clothes.
"Dawnie, there's a little problem down at the job site. I need to go and help straighten things out."
"What about breakfast?"
"No time for that now. I'll grab something on the way. I'm not sure what time I'll be back."
"But we were going to talk today. You know, about the other stuff."
"Yes, of course, we'll do that. Wouldn't want to let the Dawnster down. But I really need to get to the job site. If I'm not back by the time you need to be in bed, we'll do it...we'll talk another time. Remember you have school in the morning. Sleep tight." Xander stepped out of the kitchen, grabbed his hard hat in the back hall and disappeared out the back door.
Dawn watched him go, her puzzled glance taking in his whirlwind motions. *What the hell is wrong with him?*
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"Thanks for the help, Xander. We could have fixed it without you, but it would have been way harder. Sometimes having somebody around with a title behind the name comes in handy." Tito said as he packed up the last of the equipment.
"Glad to have a reason to get out of the house." Xander replied sincerely.
"Are you still hanging around that same bunch of girls you hung around in Sunnydale?" Tito had never understood Xander's relationship with that bunch. Not that any man in his right mind would turn up his nose at those hotties.
"Well, the bunch is down to one at the moment." Xander was trying to focus on making sure the site was secure for the night. He definitely didn't want to think about the "one" waiting at home for him, alone.
"Hey, Tito, how about joining me for a drink?"
"I need to..." Tito started.
"I'm buying." Xander broke in before Tito could shoot him down.
Tito gave Xander a closer look. He had only offered to buy once before. Something was definitely up.
"Sure, Xander. Where would you like to meet?"
They made arrangements and were soon on their way. After they had settled into a booth and their drinks, Tito looked up and asked, "Ok, Xander, what's up?"
"Up? Nothing's up. Why would anything be up?"
Uh-huh. "Well, you don't want to go home for some reason. And you offered to buy for the first time since your girlfriend shot down your last offer as wasting money on people who weren't her. What's the matter? You in the dog house?"
Xander looked up from his glass to Tito. "No, I'm not in the dog house. But I should be."
Now Tito looked confused.
"I've made a mistake, a huge mistake, except I didn't make the mistake, so I can't really do anything about what happened, not that I could do anything about it now even if I had made the mistake, which I didn't, but I wouldn't have done it in the first place. But now I've been thinking about it, but I don't know if I'm thinking about it or about a dream, because I don't know if the dream is a dream or if it's memories."
"Whoa! I think you need to start at the beginning." Tito was more curious than ever now.
Xander explained as much as he could to Tito without giving away too much of the how. He just let Tito assume that he been drunk.
"And then I had this dream last night with Dawn in a starring role and I don't know if the stuff in the dream was just dreams, partial memories or all memory. If even a fraction of it is what Dawn & I did Friday night, then she got quite an education."
"Education? You were her first?"
"Yeah. And I know she's not a little girl anymore, but she's not a woman either. So, here I have this conflict. My body is saying, 'Pretty girl, we've had sex and I want more' and my mind is saying, 'This is Dawnie, your best friend's little sister. You used to baby-sit her.' And this is on top of the arrest and pregnancy worries. So, yeah, you're right, I don't want to go home. Until my mind can whip my body back into shape, I need to avoid temptation."
"Well, Xander, I don't know what to tell you, but I don't think ditching her was the way to go. What I do know is, no matter what reason you have for avoiding her, you're better off going home and facing the music. If you stay gone long enough for her to worry, you had better start praying to get in a serious accident on the way home. 'Cause you'll get more sympathy if she has to come to the hospital, than if you show up in one piece after she's worried for hours."
Xander gave Tito a rueful smile. "Thanks, Tito. I'll keep that in mind."
Tito shrugged as he pushed back from the table. "I gotta go, man. The little lady may appreciate the paycheck the overtime brings, but she doesn't like me gone anymore than necessary. Thanks for the drink."
"Sure. See you tomorrow." Xander sat back and slowly finished his drink.
Tito might have given him valid advice but he still wasn't ready to face Dawn yet. He needed a little more time between him, the dream, and its implications. There was always paperwork to catch up on. He'd just head back to the job site for now.
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*He's back.* Dawn quietly closed the door as she heard Xander's footsteps in the hall. She didn't know what kind of problem it had been, but how many would keep him 'til 12:30 in the morning? She decided to try and catch him before he left tomorrow. They really needed to get this, whatever "this" was, sorted out.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Early the next morning, Dawn entered the kitchen to find Xander's breakfast dishes abandoned on the table. Dawn frowned as she heard Xander's car start and pull out of the garage. He was just leaving. He must have ducked out when he heard her get up. Dawn's frown deepened as she noticed the note held by a magnet to the refrigerator. As she read it, her annoyance grew.
*So this is how it's going to be.*
Dawn snatched Xander's note from the front of the refrigerator, wadding it in her hands as she walked to the trashcan.
*Avoid me in the morning and bring home work in the evening, while trying to divert my attention with promises of anchovy goodness. He doesn't even like anchovies.*
AN: Since our internet connection once again went into a coma yesterday, you get two chapters again today.
Xander had just put the broom and dustpan away when Dawn returned to the kitchen. He knew it didn't take that long to put on shoes. He wondered what had taken so long. He put on a big, but fake feeling, grin when she looked up at him. She still looked just as serious as she had in the living room.
"Hey, Dawnie, what would you like for breakfast this morning?" Xander clapped his hands together and spun away from her, heading for the refrigerator.
"Xander."
Xander kept walking toward the refrigerator. He opened it and stood in the open door, inspecting the contents. "How about it, Dawnie? Would you like a kitchen sink omelet?"
Xander moved his eye from the refrigerator to Dawn but immediately jerked it back when she opened her mouth to speak. "Or if you don't want that I can probably find all the ingredients for waff..." His voice trailed off as Dawn's hand touched his arm. He looked down at the feminine hand lying against his tanned arm. It looked so delicate but could maneuver a sword or stake a vampire as well as any normal human could, maybe better. He raised his eye back to her face. Those beautiful, bottomless blue eyes focused on his face. She looked at him questioningly.
"Xander, I have a breakfast casserole in the oven. I made it last night. It should be done in about fifteen minutes."
Of course, that was why she was puzzled. He had watched her put it together. Xander quickly pulled away from her hand and took a step back. "Oh, good, good. Nothing I like better than breakfast casserole. I'm sure it will be wonderful." He gave her another of his big, goofy grins.
"Xander?" Dawn did not understand what was going on with him. He was acting all nervous and silly.
Xander was rescued from her inquisitive look by the phone ringing. He immediately took another step back, said, "I'll get that," before he spun and bolted from the room.
Dawn just watched him go, wondering why he hadn't picked up the extension in the kitchen.
Dawn went back to preparing the table, setting out plates and flatware while she waited. She had just leaned over the oven to check the casserole when Xander reentered the kitchen wearing work clothes.
"Dawnie, there's a little problem down at the job site. I need to go and help straighten things out."
"What about breakfast?"
"No time for that now. I'll grab something on the way. I'm not sure what time I'll be back."
"But we were going to talk today. You know, about the other stuff."
"Yes, of course, we'll do that. Wouldn't want to let the Dawnster down. But I really need to get to the job site. If I'm not back by the time you need to be in bed, we'll do it...we'll talk another time. Remember you have school in the morning. Sleep tight." Xander stepped out of the kitchen, grabbed his hard hat in the back hall and disappeared out the back door.
Dawn watched him go, her puzzled glance taking in his whirlwind motions. *What the hell is wrong with him?*
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"Thanks for the help, Xander. We could have fixed it without you, but it would have been way harder. Sometimes having somebody around with a title behind the name comes in handy." Tito said as he packed up the last of the equipment.
"Glad to have a reason to get out of the house." Xander replied sincerely.
"Are you still hanging around that same bunch of girls you hung around in Sunnydale?" Tito had never understood Xander's relationship with that bunch. Not that any man in his right mind would turn up his nose at those hotties.
"Well, the bunch is down to one at the moment." Xander was trying to focus on making sure the site was secure for the night. He definitely didn't want to think about the "one" waiting at home for him, alone.
"Hey, Tito, how about joining me for a drink?"
"I need to..." Tito started.
"I'm buying." Xander broke in before Tito could shoot him down.
Tito gave Xander a closer look. He had only offered to buy once before. Something was definitely up.
"Sure, Xander. Where would you like to meet?"
They made arrangements and were soon on their way. After they had settled into a booth and their drinks, Tito looked up and asked, "Ok, Xander, what's up?"
"Up? Nothing's up. Why would anything be up?"
Uh-huh. "Well, you don't want to go home for some reason. And you offered to buy for the first time since your girlfriend shot down your last offer as wasting money on people who weren't her. What's the matter? You in the dog house?"
Xander looked up from his glass to Tito. "No, I'm not in the dog house. But I should be."
Now Tito looked confused.
"I've made a mistake, a huge mistake, except I didn't make the mistake, so I can't really do anything about what happened, not that I could do anything about it now even if I had made the mistake, which I didn't, but I wouldn't have done it in the first place. But now I've been thinking about it, but I don't know if I'm thinking about it or about a dream, because I don't know if the dream is a dream or if it's memories."
"Whoa! I think you need to start at the beginning." Tito was more curious than ever now.
Xander explained as much as he could to Tito without giving away too much of the how. He just let Tito assume that he been drunk.
"And then I had this dream last night with Dawn in a starring role and I don't know if the stuff in the dream was just dreams, partial memories or all memory. If even a fraction of it is what Dawn & I did Friday night, then she got quite an education."
"Education? You were her first?"
"Yeah. And I know she's not a little girl anymore, but she's not a woman either. So, here I have this conflict. My body is saying, 'Pretty girl, we've had sex and I want more' and my mind is saying, 'This is Dawnie, your best friend's little sister. You used to baby-sit her.' And this is on top of the arrest and pregnancy worries. So, yeah, you're right, I don't want to go home. Until my mind can whip my body back into shape, I need to avoid temptation."
"Well, Xander, I don't know what to tell you, but I don't think ditching her was the way to go. What I do know is, no matter what reason you have for avoiding her, you're better off going home and facing the music. If you stay gone long enough for her to worry, you had better start praying to get in a serious accident on the way home. 'Cause you'll get more sympathy if she has to come to the hospital, than if you show up in one piece after she's worried for hours."
Xander gave Tito a rueful smile. "Thanks, Tito. I'll keep that in mind."
Tito shrugged as he pushed back from the table. "I gotta go, man. The little lady may appreciate the paycheck the overtime brings, but she doesn't like me gone anymore than necessary. Thanks for the drink."
"Sure. See you tomorrow." Xander sat back and slowly finished his drink.
Tito might have given him valid advice but he still wasn't ready to face Dawn yet. He needed a little more time between him, the dream, and its implications. There was always paperwork to catch up on. He'd just head back to the job site for now.
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*He's back.* Dawn quietly closed the door as she heard Xander's footsteps in the hall. She didn't know what kind of problem it had been, but how many would keep him 'til 12:30 in the morning? She decided to try and catch him before he left tomorrow. They really needed to get this, whatever "this" was, sorted out.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Early the next morning, Dawn entered the kitchen to find Xander's breakfast dishes abandoned on the table. Dawn frowned as she heard Xander's car start and pull out of the garage. He was just leaving. He must have ducked out when he heard her get up. Dawn's frown deepened as she noticed the note held by a magnet to the refrigerator. As she read it, her annoyance grew.
*So this is how it's going to be.*
Dawn snatched Xander's note from the front of the refrigerator, wadding it in her hands as she walked to the trashcan.
*Avoid me in the morning and bring home work in the evening, while trying to divert my attention with promises of anchovy goodness. He doesn't even like anchovies.*
