2003
When Xander drove into the nation's capital a year later he'd plunked himself down long enough in a small town after he'd passed Lexington to gain some capital. He'd enjoyed being the handyman a place where things stayed fixed – and didn't get broken by a demonic fight a day later.
But he was man enough to realize that he'd never get much work in Quebeck, Kentucky. He probably wouldn't be getting anything in Washington, D.C either. But at least he could tell Willow in his next e-mail that he'd been there. Tell her about the sights he was going to see, avoid replying to the latest mail asking him when he'd be coming home.
He could tell that Willow had settled into the Hyperion permanently, something he'd never do. He had his reasons and Will had hers. Where he'd be settling down he had no inkling, but it was not going to be in the city of Angel.
The e-mail had given news about Buffy, a pregnant Buffy, who wouldn't tell anyone who was the father of her unborn baby. While it would have made him angry that Buffy would refuse to share her secrets with him when he was younger, now he'd nearly applauded her for her choices.
She probably wouldn't have an easy life, but at least she had someone there to help her with the kid.
Xander had parked the car at the hotel he'd checked into – for once he wanted a real bed, even if it cost a bit more than the low-class motels he'd been checking into previously on this trip.
Besides the hotel was fairly central, and he wanted to stretch his leg.
That he did. Xander admired the Lincoln Memorial, gazed on the White House, looked at Capitol, everything he knew Willow would want to hear about.
When he was positive he'd gotten at least a couple of blisters he figured that Willow would probably forgive him if he went and had a beer instead of doing something worse to his feet.
And, the beer, also a part of Washington, DC.
Granted not the part that Willow might have studied in guidebooks, or on the web, but still a part. Right?
The one he stumbled upon straight after making the decision was dark, and not overly crowded. Had it been Sunnydale his vamp-dar would have gone off ages ago, but this place didn't even give of a vibe of any evil but politicians and lawyers. That might have been enough evil in itself, Xander thought, slightly amused as he signalled for a beer.