Addendum to the author's note: This story is titled "Gator-Slayers" because, obviously, there's a hell of a lot of slayers in it, and because it takes place in Gainesville, home of the Florida Gators. I picked and rejected a lot of local legends for this one, and considered, briefly, creating a gator demon a bit like the loan-shark demon from Tabula Rosa, but decided, eh, I'll give the characters a break. Fun trivia fact: the University of Florida is where Gatoraide was invented, to help the Florida Gators do even better at football.
Roads Less Traveled
by Casix Thistlebane
Story 5: Gator-Slayers
Part Three
"So," Xander sat himself down next to Willow on the front steps of the hotel, watching as Kennedy finished loading the last suitcase into the van. "How many new recruits did we get on this one?"
"Not quite as many as we hoped." Willow shrugged. "We've got phone numbers and contact information for all the girls at the meeting though, so there's still a chance of convincing them. Over all, about twelve girls are transferring immediately, another twenty are coming in next fall, and at least ten are 'strongly considering' it."
"Not bad for one weekend's work."
"Yep! And I didn't go all veiny from the magic demo, and Kennedy got to kick Buffy's ass a bit, so she's much happier. All in all? I'd say we rock."
"Definitely." Xander looked out at the younger slayer, hefting a large black carry-all onto the roof rack. He caught the look of disappointment and fear in Willow's eyes as she watched her girlfriend, and sighed. It'd been too long since he and his childhood friend had had a good talk. It was weird not knowing every detail of her life for the last month he'd been on the road. "So, since we did so well, what's with the angsty feeling you're getting every time you look at your jailbait?"
"No!" Willow shook her head wildly. "No, no angsty feelings. None at all! Kennedy and I are doing just fine, she got a new all for her tongue stud and it's–really probably not something you want to hear about. She's mad at me."
"Why?" Xander put an arm over the redhead's shoulders. "And yes, I don't want to hear about tongue studs, there's only so much jealousy one guy can handle."
Willow watched Kennedy tie down the last of the roof load, and then walk back toward the hotel lobby, very carefully not looking in her direction. She let the silence stretch out as she considered how to explain.
"I'm leaving."
"Well, yeah. Have to get back up to Cleveland, make sure that Wood and Faith haven't managed to kill any of our new slayer pals."
"No, Xand." Willow looked over at him through her hair. "I'm leaving the country. The Institute is pretty well set up now, and the Devon coven has got the slayer tracking completely covered. I'm going over there in two weeks, to finish my not-going-evil training. It's been so long since I had to go back to Sunnydale, I think that everyone kind of forgot that I never got that done."
Xander nodded. "I know I did. But you're good, Will. You haven't even pretended to go black-eyed in more than a year. Are you sure you need to go back?"
"I've got to see it through." Willow shrugged. "I don't really have much left to do, actually. The coven says that they only have one more assignment for me, considering how well I've done without them. But it IS kind of a doozy."
"Oh?"
"They want me to travel. Around the UK and around Europe. For a year. Without using my magic, unless it's an absolute life threatening situation with no other choice."
"Wow. That's . . ." Xander looked out over the parking lot. "Big."
"Way big. Oh, but its good! I mean, they're not making me go alone, they're sending one of the junior coven girls or someone along with me. And we think that I can probably go slayer tracking over there while I'm at it, since we know they're all over the world, not just in the states. It should be . . . fun. I hope. Kennedy kinda went nuts, though, when she found out she couldn't come with me."
"Why can't she?"
"Hello, she's a slayer, and Wood wants her to be one of the trainers once she's got her GED squared away. She needs to stay here. And . . . and I think this is something I need to do without her. Without anyone I already know. I've never done that before, you know? And that's part of growing up, learning to strike out on your own, make new friendships, handle bad situations without blowing up the world."
"Willow, you've grown up plenty."
"No, I haven't! I mean, yeah, I've tried new things and everything, but they've always been in the safety of my own home in Sunnydale, or with people I knew I could trust, who I knew cared about me. Even when I went to England last time, I had Giles there with me. So I didn't really HAVE to handle it all by myself. I didn't have to be a big girl, I could still count on someone else."
"And what's wrong with that? That's the same thing I've done," Xander stiffened. "I know I'm not all 'growed up' yet myself but–"
"But nothing, mister!" Willow turned on him, her face a mix of annoyance and apology. "You've had a job! A real one! You nearly got married, but knew enough to back out when you weren't ready. You've worked beside people you had to learn to trust without Buffy, or me, or Giles to back you up. And you've taken care of Dawn for the last month on the road, without getting either of you killed. You've grown up plenty. I've never done that. I've never even HAD job. I was always just 'oo, look at me, I couldn't even go away to college, cause I'd have to leave my friends behind, I'll just live off of them and my parents until the whole town falls apart. Oh! And then I'll just tag along where they go, oh, no growing up for me!'"
"I can see where Kennedy would get upset." Xander smiled. "Willow babble is tough to take when you didn't grow up with it. Willow, you're grown up. You're a wonderful woman, who's learned the hardest lessons about loss, love, and control. The coven wouldn't be telling you to do this if you weren't. But you're right. Maybe this is something you need to do."
Xander laughed. "God, four years after high school, and we're finally doing the 'going our separate ways and growing apart' thing."
"No, Xander. We're not going to grow apart. I mean, we'll still be doing the same job, just, you know, on different continents. And when I'm done, and you're done, we can all get back together again."
"Sure we can Wills." He stood. "We've got to get moving, don't we. Where's our next assignment?"
"Virginia." Willow stood as well, and wrapped him in a hug. "Goddess, I've missed you Xand."
"I've missed you too. Call me when you get to England?"
"Of course. And I'll send you creepy postcards, or well, emails, anyway."
"From all your exotic places." Xander smirked. "Is it too late for me to go to Europe too? I've never even left the country."
Willow smiled into his shoulder. "When this is all done, you and me are gonna go globe trotting."
"Yeah." Xander let go of her and stepped back. "Have a good trip." He turned and walked back into the hotel, after one last kiss on her cheek. He blinked away tears in both eyes, wishing he could blame them on the prosthetic. He'd talked a lot about "when this was over" in the last couple of days, but he knew, somehow, that "this" would never be over. There would always be more slayers to find, more places to go that weren't near the most important people in his life. The scooby gang had gotten caught up in a fight that was bigger than any of them, one that would outlast their children and their children's children. They would come together and split apart many, many times. And he knew that their friendship would have to change for it. God, he thought. We really have grown up.
end part three
tbc in "The Sad Tale of Bunnyman"
postscript/author's note: Willow will indeed continue the slayer hunt abroad, in Roads Less Traveled's sister story, "Avenues Abroad". Coming soon to a ff.net near you . . . .
Roads Less Traveled
by Casix Thistlebane
Story 5: Gator-Slayers
Part Three
"So," Xander sat himself down next to Willow on the front steps of the hotel, watching as Kennedy finished loading the last suitcase into the van. "How many new recruits did we get on this one?"
"Not quite as many as we hoped." Willow shrugged. "We've got phone numbers and contact information for all the girls at the meeting though, so there's still a chance of convincing them. Over all, about twelve girls are transferring immediately, another twenty are coming in next fall, and at least ten are 'strongly considering' it."
"Not bad for one weekend's work."
"Yep! And I didn't go all veiny from the magic demo, and Kennedy got to kick Buffy's ass a bit, so she's much happier. All in all? I'd say we rock."
"Definitely." Xander looked out at the younger slayer, hefting a large black carry-all onto the roof rack. He caught the look of disappointment and fear in Willow's eyes as she watched her girlfriend, and sighed. It'd been too long since he and his childhood friend had had a good talk. It was weird not knowing every detail of her life for the last month he'd been on the road. "So, since we did so well, what's with the angsty feeling you're getting every time you look at your jailbait?"
"No!" Willow shook her head wildly. "No, no angsty feelings. None at all! Kennedy and I are doing just fine, she got a new all for her tongue stud and it's–really probably not something you want to hear about. She's mad at me."
"Why?" Xander put an arm over the redhead's shoulders. "And yes, I don't want to hear about tongue studs, there's only so much jealousy one guy can handle."
Willow watched Kennedy tie down the last of the roof load, and then walk back toward the hotel lobby, very carefully not looking in her direction. She let the silence stretch out as she considered how to explain.
"I'm leaving."
"Well, yeah. Have to get back up to Cleveland, make sure that Wood and Faith haven't managed to kill any of our new slayer pals."
"No, Xand." Willow looked over at him through her hair. "I'm leaving the country. The Institute is pretty well set up now, and the Devon coven has got the slayer tracking completely covered. I'm going over there in two weeks, to finish my not-going-evil training. It's been so long since I had to go back to Sunnydale, I think that everyone kind of forgot that I never got that done."
Xander nodded. "I know I did. But you're good, Will. You haven't even pretended to go black-eyed in more than a year. Are you sure you need to go back?"
"I've got to see it through." Willow shrugged. "I don't really have much left to do, actually. The coven says that they only have one more assignment for me, considering how well I've done without them. But it IS kind of a doozy."
"Oh?"
"They want me to travel. Around the UK and around Europe. For a year. Without using my magic, unless it's an absolute life threatening situation with no other choice."
"Wow. That's . . ." Xander looked out over the parking lot. "Big."
"Way big. Oh, but its good! I mean, they're not making me go alone, they're sending one of the junior coven girls or someone along with me. And we think that I can probably go slayer tracking over there while I'm at it, since we know they're all over the world, not just in the states. It should be . . . fun. I hope. Kennedy kinda went nuts, though, when she found out she couldn't come with me."
"Why can't she?"
"Hello, she's a slayer, and Wood wants her to be one of the trainers once she's got her GED squared away. She needs to stay here. And . . . and I think this is something I need to do without her. Without anyone I already know. I've never done that before, you know? And that's part of growing up, learning to strike out on your own, make new friendships, handle bad situations without blowing up the world."
"Willow, you've grown up plenty."
"No, I haven't! I mean, yeah, I've tried new things and everything, but they've always been in the safety of my own home in Sunnydale, or with people I knew I could trust, who I knew cared about me. Even when I went to England last time, I had Giles there with me. So I didn't really HAVE to handle it all by myself. I didn't have to be a big girl, I could still count on someone else."
"And what's wrong with that? That's the same thing I've done," Xander stiffened. "I know I'm not all 'growed up' yet myself but–"
"But nothing, mister!" Willow turned on him, her face a mix of annoyance and apology. "You've had a job! A real one! You nearly got married, but knew enough to back out when you weren't ready. You've worked beside people you had to learn to trust without Buffy, or me, or Giles to back you up. And you've taken care of Dawn for the last month on the road, without getting either of you killed. You've grown up plenty. I've never done that. I've never even HAD job. I was always just 'oo, look at me, I couldn't even go away to college, cause I'd have to leave my friends behind, I'll just live off of them and my parents until the whole town falls apart. Oh! And then I'll just tag along where they go, oh, no growing up for me!'"
"I can see where Kennedy would get upset." Xander smiled. "Willow babble is tough to take when you didn't grow up with it. Willow, you're grown up. You're a wonderful woman, who's learned the hardest lessons about loss, love, and control. The coven wouldn't be telling you to do this if you weren't. But you're right. Maybe this is something you need to do."
Xander laughed. "God, four years after high school, and we're finally doing the 'going our separate ways and growing apart' thing."
"No, Xander. We're not going to grow apart. I mean, we'll still be doing the same job, just, you know, on different continents. And when I'm done, and you're done, we can all get back together again."
"Sure we can Wills." He stood. "We've got to get moving, don't we. Where's our next assignment?"
"Virginia." Willow stood as well, and wrapped him in a hug. "Goddess, I've missed you Xand."
"I've missed you too. Call me when you get to England?"
"Of course. And I'll send you creepy postcards, or well, emails, anyway."
"From all your exotic places." Xander smirked. "Is it too late for me to go to Europe too? I've never even left the country."
Willow smiled into his shoulder. "When this is all done, you and me are gonna go globe trotting."
"Yeah." Xander let go of her and stepped back. "Have a good trip." He turned and walked back into the hotel, after one last kiss on her cheek. He blinked away tears in both eyes, wishing he could blame them on the prosthetic. He'd talked a lot about "when this was over" in the last couple of days, but he knew, somehow, that "this" would never be over. There would always be more slayers to find, more places to go that weren't near the most important people in his life. The scooby gang had gotten caught up in a fight that was bigger than any of them, one that would outlast their children and their children's children. They would come together and split apart many, many times. And he knew that their friendship would have to change for it. God, he thought. We really have grown up.
end part three
tbc in "The Sad Tale of Bunnyman"
postscript/author's note: Willow will indeed continue the slayer hunt abroad, in Roads Less Traveled's sister story, "Avenues Abroad". Coming soon to a ff.net near you . . . .