Title: Best Laid Plans.
Author: Charlie
Timeline: Post BtVS S7 & AtS S5
Summary: Xander begins a new chapter of his life.
-------------------------
-St. Louis, Missouri-
-------------------------
The man stepped back to admire his work. The shelves were filled to capacity yet there was no sense of over-crowding. It had been a real challenge to get everything properly displayed without simply stacking things up in a crude fashion.
"Looks nice."
He turned around and smiled at what he saw.
"Riley, back in town long?"
"Yeah, for a little while. I see your still living the glamorous life of an assistant store manager."
"ha ha, laugh all you want. I'm in line to get my own store in the next six months."
"Oh so you're working your way up in the retail world Alex."
"You're just jealous that I can get Cardinal tickets cheaper then you can."
Riley frowned at that. "All right you win, I am jealous that you can get cheaper tickets."
Alex chuckled briefly, "So how's the busy life of a married man?"
The Iowa transplant grinned, "I'm on my way home now, want to come say hello?"
"Sure, let me finish up here."
----------------------------
- Thirty Minutes later -
----------------------------
"I'm telling you that Iverson is the best player in the East."
"No way, Kidd is, Iverson can't shoot worth a crap."
The argument ended as they pulled up in front an apartment building. Riley knocked briefly on the main door before being buzzed thru by the security guard in the lobby.
"Hey Bobby."
"Hello Mr. Finn, Alex."
They got on the elevator and Riley pushed the button for the fifth floor. The doors closed and they felt the elevator begin to go up.
"So, how's your friend?"
"He's fine."
"Nothing exciting going on?"
"No, not recently. He saw the Rangers play and almost went and demanded a refund."
"That could have been interesting."
"Tell me about it."
With a chime, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Both men stepped out and went three-quarters of the way down the hall before stopping in front of a door.
"Riley, Alex, it's so good to see you." Sam's greeted them warmly.
"It's good to see you to Sam", Alex smiled at her. "How is Danielle?"
Sam gave a tired smile, "she's lying down right now. She's been a very busy little girl."
Alex looked around, his gaze coming to rest on the collection of photos on top of the television. He carefully picked one of a couple in there 50's in front of a farmhouse. Samantha touched his elbow gently, sensing his change of mood.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Alex..."
"I'm fine guys, really I am. I'm not saying I'm jumping for joy but every day that goes by, the pain, it hurts a little less you know. They're in a better place now I'm sure of it."
"I'd better go check on dinner".
Riley and Sam gave Alex a comforting look before she went into the kitchen.
------------------------------------------
-Crestview School for the Gifted -
------------------------------------------
Winfred Burke was finishing her day; she had graded the previous evening's homework. Now she was in the midst of updating her gradebook.
"Hello, pet."
"Spike? I'm just finishing up these papers the girls turned in."
"I know luv, just wanted to come and see you."
He leaned in close to her, his lips less then an inch from her ear.
"Care to play, again?"
Fred blushed at his words; her skin tingled as his cool hands caressed her arms. She closed her eyes as his lips touched hers briefly. Reluctantly she broke the kiss and stood up.
"Come on, Giles has called a meeting in the faculty library and everyone is required to be there."
"Everyone?"
"Yes, Buffy even wants Dawn there. I think it might have something to do with what Wood brought back from his trip overseas. Faith was happy to see him again. I don't think she let him out of their room until lunch."
Spike was quiet for a bit. "So she's back, Buffy is?"
"Yeah she's with Travis probably."
"Her loss."
---------------
-Elsewhere-
---------------
"...This feels good."
"Uh huh."
"Buffy."
"Yeah?"
"We really should get dressed."
Buffy pouted. "I don't want to. I want to lie here with you."
"Same here but I think Rupert would get upset."
"A girl can't spend time with her slightly older boyfriend?"
Travis laughed; his face changed to a somewhat grayish tone with red eyes as he did so.
Buffy grinned and leaned in and kissed Travis softly on the lips.
"I love you."
"I know, I love you too."
"Come on, let's go see what Giles wants."
They smiled at each other as they got dressed.
------------
-St.Louis-
------------
"That was a great dinner Sam."
"Thanks." She started carrying the dishes into the kitchen.
"So what's the deal, Riley, I mean what's going on."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what's with the dinner and meeting me at the store?"
"Well, when I was out of the country this past few months, I learned that we had lost Graham."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"It's okay, it's part of the job. It's been a few weeks since his funeral. I was just going to see him. Do you want to come along?"
"Yeah, I didn't really get to know Graham that well. But he was a good man and I think I owe it to him to say thanks for what he did."
"There is just one thing though"; Riley paused as Sam re-entered the room. "Graham was from Cleveland."
"Good, that's fairly close by then, only a day's drive. When do we leave?"
"Day after tomorrow, if that's good for you."
"It's fine by me, I'll just get someone to cover my shift at the store. I'll show myself out if you guys don't mind."
"Well I would say be careful but I think you've got that taken care of."
Alex chuckled as he left the Finn's apartment.
Sam was quiet until the door closed.
"Is he okay?"
"Alex isn't really the emotional type, Sam. You know that."
"Riley, he'll be near them, Buffy, Wil--"
"I know that, so does he. Doesn't seem to bother him too much."
"Riley, he hasn't said one thing to them or seen them in almost two years. Don't you think that would matter to him?"
Author: Charlie
Timeline: Post BtVS S7 & AtS S5
Summary: Xander begins a new chapter of his life.
-------------------------
-St. Louis, Missouri-
-------------------------
The man stepped back to admire his work. The shelves were filled to capacity yet there was no sense of over-crowding. It had been a real challenge to get everything properly displayed without simply stacking things up in a crude fashion.
"Looks nice."
He turned around and smiled at what he saw.
"Riley, back in town long?"
"Yeah, for a little while. I see your still living the glamorous life of an assistant store manager."
"ha ha, laugh all you want. I'm in line to get my own store in the next six months."
"Oh so you're working your way up in the retail world Alex."
"You're just jealous that I can get Cardinal tickets cheaper then you can."
Riley frowned at that. "All right you win, I am jealous that you can get cheaper tickets."
Alex chuckled briefly, "So how's the busy life of a married man?"
The Iowa transplant grinned, "I'm on my way home now, want to come say hello?"
"Sure, let me finish up here."
----------------------------
- Thirty Minutes later -
----------------------------
"I'm telling you that Iverson is the best player in the East."
"No way, Kidd is, Iverson can't shoot worth a crap."
The argument ended as they pulled up in front an apartment building. Riley knocked briefly on the main door before being buzzed thru by the security guard in the lobby.
"Hey Bobby."
"Hello Mr. Finn, Alex."
They got on the elevator and Riley pushed the button for the fifth floor. The doors closed and they felt the elevator begin to go up.
"So, how's your friend?"
"He's fine."
"Nothing exciting going on?"
"No, not recently. He saw the Rangers play and almost went and demanded a refund."
"That could have been interesting."
"Tell me about it."
With a chime, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Both men stepped out and went three-quarters of the way down the hall before stopping in front of a door.
"Riley, Alex, it's so good to see you." Sam's greeted them warmly.
"It's good to see you to Sam", Alex smiled at her. "How is Danielle?"
Sam gave a tired smile, "she's lying down right now. She's been a very busy little girl."
Alex looked around, his gaze coming to rest on the collection of photos on top of the television. He carefully picked one of a couple in there 50's in front of a farmhouse. Samantha touched his elbow gently, sensing his change of mood.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Alex..."
"I'm fine guys, really I am. I'm not saying I'm jumping for joy but every day that goes by, the pain, it hurts a little less you know. They're in a better place now I'm sure of it."
"I'd better go check on dinner".
Riley and Sam gave Alex a comforting look before she went into the kitchen.
------------------------------------------
-Crestview School for the Gifted -
------------------------------------------
Winfred Burke was finishing her day; she had graded the previous evening's homework. Now she was in the midst of updating her gradebook.
"Hello, pet."
"Spike? I'm just finishing up these papers the girls turned in."
"I know luv, just wanted to come and see you."
He leaned in close to her, his lips less then an inch from her ear.
"Care to play, again?"
Fred blushed at his words; her skin tingled as his cool hands caressed her arms. She closed her eyes as his lips touched hers briefly. Reluctantly she broke the kiss and stood up.
"Come on, Giles has called a meeting in the faculty library and everyone is required to be there."
"Everyone?"
"Yes, Buffy even wants Dawn there. I think it might have something to do with what Wood brought back from his trip overseas. Faith was happy to see him again. I don't think she let him out of their room until lunch."
Spike was quiet for a bit. "So she's back, Buffy is?"
"Yeah she's with Travis probably."
"Her loss."
---------------
-Elsewhere-
---------------
"...This feels good."
"Uh huh."
"Buffy."
"Yeah?"
"We really should get dressed."
Buffy pouted. "I don't want to. I want to lie here with you."
"Same here but I think Rupert would get upset."
"A girl can't spend time with her slightly older boyfriend?"
Travis laughed; his face changed to a somewhat grayish tone with red eyes as he did so.
Buffy grinned and leaned in and kissed Travis softly on the lips.
"I love you."
"I know, I love you too."
"Come on, let's go see what Giles wants."
They smiled at each other as they got dressed.
------------
-St.Louis-
------------
"That was a great dinner Sam."
"Thanks." She started carrying the dishes into the kitchen.
"So what's the deal, Riley, I mean what's going on."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what's with the dinner and meeting me at the store?"
"Well, when I was out of the country this past few months, I learned that we had lost Graham."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"It's okay, it's part of the job. It's been a few weeks since his funeral. I was just going to see him. Do you want to come along?"
"Yeah, I didn't really get to know Graham that well. But he was a good man and I think I owe it to him to say thanks for what he did."
"There is just one thing though"; Riley paused as Sam re-entered the room. "Graham was from Cleveland."
"Good, that's fairly close by then, only a day's drive. When do we leave?"
"Day after tomorrow, if that's good for you."
"It's fine by me, I'll just get someone to cover my shift at the store. I'll show myself out if you guys don't mind."
"Well I would say be careful but I think you've got that taken care of."
Alex chuckled as he left the Finn's apartment.
Sam was quiet until the door closed.
"Is he okay?"
"Alex isn't really the emotional type, Sam. You know that."
"Riley, he'll be near them, Buffy, Wil--"
"I know that, so does he. Doesn't seem to bother him too much."
"Riley, he hasn't said one thing to them or seen them in almost two years. Don't you think that would matter to him?"