Title: Walkabout - Voyage of Rediscovery 5/?
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.
-------
After their return to Perth, they spent the next two months there seeing the sights and making the occasional day trip here and there. But mostly they spent their time doing nothing. No patrols, no hunting down vampires and demons, nothing that had anything in the slightest to do with the life they had turned their back on. Had they gone looking for supernatural trouble they probably would have found it.
But they didn't.
It was slow going, rebuilding their friendship. Both had major issues with themselves, each other, and others.
Particularly Buffy.
Occasionally the two had heated arguments, nearly always over petty issues and nearly always degrading into personal attacks.
It would take more than a few weeks for years of bitterness to fade.
But they always made up after their fights. Sometimes it took a day or two for tempers to cool enough to allow reason a chance to reign. But even their arguments acted as a safety valve; blowing off steam that had been building for years.
They were older now, wiser too. In years gone by their fights would have ended in tears and a broken friendship. Now they knew that their friendship could and would endure anything that the world, or each other, could throw at it.
With all the idle time they had on their hands, introspection both of themselves and each other became a major part of their days. Sitting on her bed, Willow stared at the TV while her mind was engaged in yet another introspection session.
-----
When they were kids all Xander and Willow had were each other. Sure, there were other friends like Amy and Jessie but they were transitory. The only constant they had was each other.
Then came Buffy.
Nine years after Buffy's arrival in the now destroyed Sunnydale, Willow still couldn't decide if it was a good thing or not. Sure, playing superheroes and saving the world a bunch of times had been fun and all, but looking at what years of it had done to them...
On the other hand if Buffy hadn't come to Sunnydale then, according to Anya, she and Xander would have become vampiric lovers and favourites of the Master.
There were days when Willow would have preferred that.
Another favourite game of Willow and Xander was 'If you had your time again, what would you do differently?' Willow knew that Xander didn't share some of the things he would have done differently, but she didn't mind. She held back on a few things too.
Willow noticed that Xander's physical condition was improving. His ribs weren't so painfully prominent as they were before and hints of muscle tone were returning as Xander hit the hotel's gym to blow off steam after one of their arguments or for some other reason that Willow couldn't quite figure out.
Another thing that Willow couldn't figure out was Xander's growing edginess.
He fidgeted a lot lately. He looked jumpy and stressed and on occasion would get the shakes even in direct sun. Whenever Willow asked about it Xander would say that nothing was wrong and dismiss her worries.
Even after all these years, Xander couldn't lie to her face worth a damn.
Willow figured that sooner or later she'd find out one way or another.
-----
Willow sat on her balcony enjoying the post breakfast morning sun. Breakfast had been delicious. Bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and toast washed down with coffee. In deference to her Jewish upbringing, Willow felt a little guilty about the bacon. But the guilt only lasted as long as the bacon did on the plate.
Behind her, Willow heard Xander come in after his morning walk, the concept of Xander voluntarily exercising still strange in her mind.
"How was your walk?" Willow called out to her friend as she watched the sea-gulls swoop and dive in the park across from the hotel.
Xander came out onto the balcony.
"Good. I picked up something for you on the way." He told her and tossed something onto the table. Willow turned around and looked at it.
"Uh... what's this?" she asked waving at the book on the table.
"I've only got one eye and doing long distance driving by myself isn't all that wonderful. So I want you to learn that book and get your licence."
"But I've already got my licence." Willow objected.
"No you don't. Your licence expired, like, twelve months ago."
"What? How do you know that?"
"I went through your handbag last night which was a fairly freaksome experience. I've got no idea just how you women fit all that crap into such a tiny space." Xander shared the belief of most men that women's handbags were just a little to the left of witchcraft.
"Hey! Keep your greasy little fingers out of my handbag!" Willow grizzled. She didn't worry about what he would have found in it, Xander did his share of the shopping including her tampons.
But it was the principle of the matter.
"And another thing, long distance driving?" Willow wondered what long distance driving they would be doing, as they hadn't decided on going anywhere as yet.
"You remember my little road trip after graduation? Well, I never got to drive across America so I figure that now I'm here and I've got the time, I might as well drive across Australia."
"I thought we were gonna fly." It would be a long enough flight as it is from Perth to Sydney. Driving would take the best part of two weeks.
"Come on Will, it'll give us a chance to see some of the country and I'd really like my best friend to be there with me. So, please?" Xander hit her with double barrel puppy dog eyes.
It worked.
"OK, OK! We'll drive. Just put those puppy dog eyes away." She told him. Xander laughed then stuck out his tongue.
"Don't stick that out unless to intend to use it." She waggled her finger at him.
"OK then." He said then started after Willow, his tongue flicking in and out.
"Oh god! What are you doing?" she squealed playfully and she tried to dodge him.
"What does it look like? I'm gonna use it." He smirked.
"Go and have a shower you big sweaty smelly freak!" she laughed. Xander stopped and pouted.
"You only discriminate against me because I've got a penis."
"I don't care if you were the Olsen twins, you still need a shower."
"Alright, I will." Xander grumbled and started heading to his room. He stopped and looked over his shoulder back at Willow.
"Wash my back?" he asked salaciously.
"XANDER!!"
"Fine. I'll just go and enjoy my cold shower for one then." He sighed theatrically and disappeared into his room leaving his friend in a fit of giggles.
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.
-------
After their return to Perth, they spent the next two months there seeing the sights and making the occasional day trip here and there. But mostly they spent their time doing nothing. No patrols, no hunting down vampires and demons, nothing that had anything in the slightest to do with the life they had turned their back on. Had they gone looking for supernatural trouble they probably would have found it.
But they didn't.
It was slow going, rebuilding their friendship. Both had major issues with themselves, each other, and others.
Particularly Buffy.
Occasionally the two had heated arguments, nearly always over petty issues and nearly always degrading into personal attacks.
It would take more than a few weeks for years of bitterness to fade.
But they always made up after their fights. Sometimes it took a day or two for tempers to cool enough to allow reason a chance to reign. But even their arguments acted as a safety valve; blowing off steam that had been building for years.
They were older now, wiser too. In years gone by their fights would have ended in tears and a broken friendship. Now they knew that their friendship could and would endure anything that the world, or each other, could throw at it.
With all the idle time they had on their hands, introspection both of themselves and each other became a major part of their days. Sitting on her bed, Willow stared at the TV while her mind was engaged in yet another introspection session.
-----
When they were kids all Xander and Willow had were each other. Sure, there were other friends like Amy and Jessie but they were transitory. The only constant they had was each other.
Then came Buffy.
Nine years after Buffy's arrival in the now destroyed Sunnydale, Willow still couldn't decide if it was a good thing or not. Sure, playing superheroes and saving the world a bunch of times had been fun and all, but looking at what years of it had done to them...
On the other hand if Buffy hadn't come to Sunnydale then, according to Anya, she and Xander would have become vampiric lovers and favourites of the Master.
There were days when Willow would have preferred that.
Another favourite game of Willow and Xander was 'If you had your time again, what would you do differently?' Willow knew that Xander didn't share some of the things he would have done differently, but she didn't mind. She held back on a few things too.
Willow noticed that Xander's physical condition was improving. His ribs weren't so painfully prominent as they were before and hints of muscle tone were returning as Xander hit the hotel's gym to blow off steam after one of their arguments or for some other reason that Willow couldn't quite figure out.
Another thing that Willow couldn't figure out was Xander's growing edginess.
He fidgeted a lot lately. He looked jumpy and stressed and on occasion would get the shakes even in direct sun. Whenever Willow asked about it Xander would say that nothing was wrong and dismiss her worries.
Even after all these years, Xander couldn't lie to her face worth a damn.
Willow figured that sooner or later she'd find out one way or another.
-----
Willow sat on her balcony enjoying the post breakfast morning sun. Breakfast had been delicious. Bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and toast washed down with coffee. In deference to her Jewish upbringing, Willow felt a little guilty about the bacon. But the guilt only lasted as long as the bacon did on the plate.
Behind her, Willow heard Xander come in after his morning walk, the concept of Xander voluntarily exercising still strange in her mind.
"How was your walk?" Willow called out to her friend as she watched the sea-gulls swoop and dive in the park across from the hotel.
Xander came out onto the balcony.
"Good. I picked up something for you on the way." He told her and tossed something onto the table. Willow turned around and looked at it.
"Uh... what's this?" she asked waving at the book on the table.
"I've only got one eye and doing long distance driving by myself isn't all that wonderful. So I want you to learn that book and get your licence."
"But I've already got my licence." Willow objected.
"No you don't. Your licence expired, like, twelve months ago."
"What? How do you know that?"
"I went through your handbag last night which was a fairly freaksome experience. I've got no idea just how you women fit all that crap into such a tiny space." Xander shared the belief of most men that women's handbags were just a little to the left of witchcraft.
"Hey! Keep your greasy little fingers out of my handbag!" Willow grizzled. She didn't worry about what he would have found in it, Xander did his share of the shopping including her tampons.
But it was the principle of the matter.
"And another thing, long distance driving?" Willow wondered what long distance driving they would be doing, as they hadn't decided on going anywhere as yet.
"You remember my little road trip after graduation? Well, I never got to drive across America so I figure that now I'm here and I've got the time, I might as well drive across Australia."
"I thought we were gonna fly." It would be a long enough flight as it is from Perth to Sydney. Driving would take the best part of two weeks.
"Come on Will, it'll give us a chance to see some of the country and I'd really like my best friend to be there with me. So, please?" Xander hit her with double barrel puppy dog eyes.
It worked.
"OK, OK! We'll drive. Just put those puppy dog eyes away." She told him. Xander laughed then stuck out his tongue.
"Don't stick that out unless to intend to use it." She waggled her finger at him.
"OK then." He said then started after Willow, his tongue flicking in and out.
"Oh god! What are you doing?" she squealed playfully and she tried to dodge him.
"What does it look like? I'm gonna use it." He smirked.
"Go and have a shower you big sweaty smelly freak!" she laughed. Xander stopped and pouted.
"You only discriminate against me because I've got a penis."
"I don't care if you were the Olsen twins, you still need a shower."
"Alright, I will." Xander grumbled and started heading to his room. He stopped and looked over his shoulder back at Willow.
"Wash my back?" he asked salaciously.
"XANDER!!"
"Fine. I'll just go and enjoy my cold shower for one then." He sighed theatrically and disappeared into his room leaving his friend in a fit of giggles.