-----Buffy-----
"You can pay in the morning." The man giving me the room snorted and walked away.
"Or not," I muttered under my breath. I usually find some cash on vamps before I dust them, but I'd been in a bad part of town. I hate it. To tell you the truth. It's just a game. Trying to find each-other without getting found, my turn during the day, theirs at night. Each of us trying to catch the other off-guard, or asleep. And I did find them today. Well, Angelus at least. Sprouted some crap about being Angel. Tried to lead me into a trap. I can't believe I let him get away. Now he's still alive, and me... I'm lying on a bed with springs in my back listening to the couple next door have sex.
"This sucks," I muttered to myself.
1999
"Xander!" I was overjoyed when I saw him. I tried to hug him, but he pushed me off.
"Don't do that. I'm not her to make things right between us, they're not. I'm here because Oz needs your help. I don't put emotional problems over friends lives."
I ignored that last comment and focused on my job. "Oz? What's wrong?"
"Have you heard of the Initiative?"
I had.
"Those commando guys."
"Yeah. They found Oz. Caught him on a full moon."
"Wolfy?"
He nodded. That would have been a few days ago.
"Where have they taken him?"
"I've found the spot. Just need some more fire-power to get him out of there."
He turned around and left, expecting me to follow. I sighed and chased after him.
1999
I jerked awake. It was 5:30 am. Time to sneak out without paying. The life of a slayer. Faith's not doing any better, last I heard. 'To each generation a slayer is born.' I think Mum's right, there is something wrong with our generation. I should call Mum soon. She's all alone, I haven't even spoken to her in a year. At least my leaving probably made it safer for her.
"Alright," I thought. "I'll head back to the hotel where he was yesterday. Might find a clue as to where he is now."
1999
"Damn it. Damn it!"
"Xander, shhh. Someone's gonna find us," I said quickly.
"Does that matter? You've killed everyone I care about."
"How is this my fault?" I motioned to Oz's dead body, lying open on the operating table.
"We couldn't just go. Had to make a plan, the cautious approach."
"I could have saved both our lives," I yelled at him. "It wouldn't have done Oz any good if we got shot ten steps in the door!"
"I don't really care any more. I really don't care."
He walked out, and I was still standing there.
"Shit. What have I done?" I asked myself.
A voice came from behind me.
"You have broken into a federal building. I am agent Riley Finn. You're under arrest."
I turned around to see a young man holding a gun at me. I laughed. What else could I do in this situation? Then I walked over to him and punched him.
"Did you do this?" I asked forcefully.
"No. I would have done the right thing and killed this monster. My organisation kept him alive for days, doing tests."
I took him into an arm-lock and screamed at him, "Why are you doing this? He was not a monster. He was a human. And your 'organisation' murdered him. How is that right?"
I heard an alarm go off. I dropped Finn and ran out the door and away from my friend's body.
1999
The portal was still there. The drunks had all left, but this place still stunk of piss and alcohol. And the portal was still there. A great big swirly thing. What if it wasn't a trap? If Angelus was controlling it, he wouldn't have left it up all night.
"Buffy."
I turned slowly. I knew that voice. It was a voice that killed me every time I heard it. Xander.
"Xander. I should have known you'd be here. After Angelus yesterday."
"Angelus fought with you?"
"Yeah. Didn't he tell you? Or are the bonds of sire and vampire wearing thin? Angelus getting bored with you, is he?" I twirled a stake between my fingers and planned my moves.
He laughed. "Can you do it Buffy? Kill me?"
"I had a bad night and I'm just about ready to do anything. I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you." I was talking tough, but I had doubts. I didn't know if I was ready, but he wasn't going to give me a choice.
He ran at me, and the fight began. It was a long, hard fight. I'd fought him before, but he had some new moves. Angelus had trained him well. Xander could live a long time as a vampire. If I didn't kill him now. I threw a hard punch at him and got him on the floor. I jumped on him and held a stake to his heart.
"You really gonna do that?"
"Goodbye Xander."
I shoved on the stake and my best friend turned to dust. I lay on the floor where I was and cried.
"You can pay in the morning." The man giving me the room snorted and walked away.
"Or not," I muttered under my breath. I usually find some cash on vamps before I dust them, but I'd been in a bad part of town. I hate it. To tell you the truth. It's just a game. Trying to find each-other without getting found, my turn during the day, theirs at night. Each of us trying to catch the other off-guard, or asleep. And I did find them today. Well, Angelus at least. Sprouted some crap about being Angel. Tried to lead me into a trap. I can't believe I let him get away. Now he's still alive, and me... I'm lying on a bed with springs in my back listening to the couple next door have sex.
"This sucks," I muttered to myself.
1999
"Xander!" I was overjoyed when I saw him. I tried to hug him, but he pushed me off.
"Don't do that. I'm not her to make things right between us, they're not. I'm here because Oz needs your help. I don't put emotional problems over friends lives."
I ignored that last comment and focused on my job. "Oz? What's wrong?"
"Have you heard of the Initiative?"
I had.
"Those commando guys."
"Yeah. They found Oz. Caught him on a full moon."
"Wolfy?"
He nodded. That would have been a few days ago.
"Where have they taken him?"
"I've found the spot. Just need some more fire-power to get him out of there."
He turned around and left, expecting me to follow. I sighed and chased after him.
1999
I jerked awake. It was 5:30 am. Time to sneak out without paying. The life of a slayer. Faith's not doing any better, last I heard. 'To each generation a slayer is born.' I think Mum's right, there is something wrong with our generation. I should call Mum soon. She's all alone, I haven't even spoken to her in a year. At least my leaving probably made it safer for her.
"Alright," I thought. "I'll head back to the hotel where he was yesterday. Might find a clue as to where he is now."
1999
"Damn it. Damn it!"
"Xander, shhh. Someone's gonna find us," I said quickly.
"Does that matter? You've killed everyone I care about."
"How is this my fault?" I motioned to Oz's dead body, lying open on the operating table.
"We couldn't just go. Had to make a plan, the cautious approach."
"I could have saved both our lives," I yelled at him. "It wouldn't have done Oz any good if we got shot ten steps in the door!"
"I don't really care any more. I really don't care."
He walked out, and I was still standing there.
"Shit. What have I done?" I asked myself.
A voice came from behind me.
"You have broken into a federal building. I am agent Riley Finn. You're under arrest."
I turned around to see a young man holding a gun at me. I laughed. What else could I do in this situation? Then I walked over to him and punched him.
"Did you do this?" I asked forcefully.
"No. I would have done the right thing and killed this monster. My organisation kept him alive for days, doing tests."
I took him into an arm-lock and screamed at him, "Why are you doing this? He was not a monster. He was a human. And your 'organisation' murdered him. How is that right?"
I heard an alarm go off. I dropped Finn and ran out the door and away from my friend's body.
1999
The portal was still there. The drunks had all left, but this place still stunk of piss and alcohol. And the portal was still there. A great big swirly thing. What if it wasn't a trap? If Angelus was controlling it, he wouldn't have left it up all night.
"Buffy."
I turned slowly. I knew that voice. It was a voice that killed me every time I heard it. Xander.
"Xander. I should have known you'd be here. After Angelus yesterday."
"Angelus fought with you?"
"Yeah. Didn't he tell you? Or are the bonds of sire and vampire wearing thin? Angelus getting bored with you, is he?" I twirled a stake between my fingers and planned my moves.
He laughed. "Can you do it Buffy? Kill me?"
"I had a bad night and I'm just about ready to do anything. I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you." I was talking tough, but I had doubts. I didn't know if I was ready, but he wasn't going to give me a choice.
He ran at me, and the fight began. It was a long, hard fight. I'd fought him before, but he had some new moves. Angelus had trained him well. Xander could live a long time as a vampire. If I didn't kill him now. I threw a hard punch at him and got him on the floor. I jumped on him and held a stake to his heart.
"You really gonna do that?"
"Goodbye Xander."
I shoved on the stake and my best friend turned to dust. I lay on the floor where I was and cried.