Title: Walkabout - Voyage of Rediscovery 4/?
Author: Mike McD
Rating: R
Summary: Two bitter and lost souls on rock bottom decide to go Walkabout. Two years after 'Chosen'.
Distribution: Anywhere, just let me know.
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.
WARNING!!!
If you don't like fics with some Buffy bashing then move along now. Everyone else, enjoy.
-------
It was a slow awaking for the exhausted Willow the next day. Using herself as a conduit between the massive tree and the Earth's life force took a lot out of her. The last thing she remembered was Xander helping her into the car for the trip back to their motel.
Looking around her room, she found Xander asleep, slumped uncomfortably into a chair beside her bed. As she shifted in her sheets, Xander awoke.
"Hey." Willow greeted gently.
"Wills, you're awake. How you feeling?"
"Not too bad. A little tired, that's all."
Xander's expression of concern turned to relief, then to anger.
"Damn it Willow! What the hell were you thinking?"
Willow was incredulous at the attack.
"What was I thinking? How about that I'd caused enough death over the years and that it was time that I started causing life."
"By interfering in the natural order of things? Remember the last time you brought back something from the dead? Didn't work out too well in the long run for Buffy, did it?"
"This was completely different!"
Xander got out of the chair.
"You could have fucking killed yourself!" he yelled in desperation. They glared at each other for a second before Xander turned and headed to his own room.
"Do whatever the fuck you want with your magic." He muttered then slammed the door.
-----
There was a stony silence in the car on the return trip back to Perth. Xander concentrated on the road and did his best to ignore the redhead next to him.
Willow sat fuming over the fight.
Magic was a part of her now, she reasoned then wondered when that fact would seep into that thick head of Xander's. The tree wasn't dead, it was dying and that was an important distinction. It still had life, and with life came hope.
And hope was a rare and precious thing.
She silently cursed at Xander. Just because she did magic didn't mean she would automatically kill the world.
Suddenly she was struck by a realisation.
He didn't say anything about her killing the world.
He DID say he was worried about Willow killing herself.
He had carried her from the car into her room. He had sat by her bed, keeping an all night watch on her.
He wasn't worried about the world. He wasn't worried about himself.
He was worried about her.
She removed the picture of her younger self and Xander from her purse and looked at the young boy in the photograph.
Somewhere inside the drunken and bitter man, the heart of the little boy still beat.
And that gave her hope for the little girl too.
Author: Mike McD
Rating: R
Summary: Two bitter and lost souls on rock bottom decide to go Walkabout. Two years after 'Chosen'.
Distribution: Anywhere, just let me know.
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.
WARNING!!!
If you don't like fics with some Buffy bashing then move along now. Everyone else, enjoy.
-------
It was a slow awaking for the exhausted Willow the next day. Using herself as a conduit between the massive tree and the Earth's life force took a lot out of her. The last thing she remembered was Xander helping her into the car for the trip back to their motel.
Looking around her room, she found Xander asleep, slumped uncomfortably into a chair beside her bed. As she shifted in her sheets, Xander awoke.
"Hey." Willow greeted gently.
"Wills, you're awake. How you feeling?"
"Not too bad. A little tired, that's all."
Xander's expression of concern turned to relief, then to anger.
"Damn it Willow! What the hell were you thinking?"
Willow was incredulous at the attack.
"What was I thinking? How about that I'd caused enough death over the years and that it was time that I started causing life."
"By interfering in the natural order of things? Remember the last time you brought back something from the dead? Didn't work out too well in the long run for Buffy, did it?"
"This was completely different!"
Xander got out of the chair.
"You could have fucking killed yourself!" he yelled in desperation. They glared at each other for a second before Xander turned and headed to his own room.
"Do whatever the fuck you want with your magic." He muttered then slammed the door.
-----
There was a stony silence in the car on the return trip back to Perth. Xander concentrated on the road and did his best to ignore the redhead next to him.
Willow sat fuming over the fight.
Magic was a part of her now, she reasoned then wondered when that fact would seep into that thick head of Xander's. The tree wasn't dead, it was dying and that was an important distinction. It still had life, and with life came hope.
And hope was a rare and precious thing.
She silently cursed at Xander. Just because she did magic didn't mean she would automatically kill the world.
Suddenly she was struck by a realisation.
He didn't say anything about her killing the world.
He DID say he was worried about Willow killing herself.
He had carried her from the car into her room. He had sat by her bed, keeping an all night watch on her.
He wasn't worried about the world. He wasn't worried about himself.
He was worried about her.
She removed the picture of her younger self and Xander from her purse and looked at the young boy in the photograph.
Somewhere inside the drunken and bitter man, the heart of the little boy still beat.
And that gave her hope for the little girl too.