1 Year Later

Cleveland, Ohio 2015

Harris Residence

Hiding behind the doorless doorframe of the kitchen, Josh and Sarah kept out of sight as Buffy and Xander argued.

"It's not that you went in there, Buffy! It was that you went into that place alone!" Xander shouted at Buffy standing across from him, leaning back against the counter still very sore from the fight.

Only the counter island separated them.

Buffy released a huff of annoyance and pursed her lips together, angered, "You act like I haven't been doing this—exactly this for the last eighteen years! I am more than capable of taking care of myself."

"You think I don't know that?" He fumed. "It's been almost twenty years, Buffy. I'm well aware of what you're capable of." He clenched his jaw with a steely glare. "But, you're not in that position anymore! You purposely kept yourself out of that position! You don't need to risk yourself like that anymore!"

"I had a clear shot and I took it and I won. That is the position I'm in!" She glared at him.

"And look what happened to you!" He threw his hand out. Buffy's beautiful face was tarnished by a large gash on her right cheekbone and the right side of the forehead. A black and blue bruise began to form under her right eye. "You can barely stand. You should've waited for backup!"

"And what?—Repeat of '03?—No, thanks. There wasn't any need to risk anyone when I could just handle it myself."

Xander scowled, "Great. Crisis diverted," he sneered. "Now it just looks like I beat my wife."

"Surprise, surprise, Xander is overreacting!" Sarcasm seeped through her words.

Fed up with annoyance at her hardheaded stubbornness, Xander shook his head and ran a hand through his dark hair. "You are so missing the point!"

"Then what's your point?" Buffy yelled.

Xander slammed his hand on the counter, "We have children, Buffy! It's not just you and me or you alone! There are two little humans upstairs sleeping that call you 'mommy'! There is absolutely no reason to almost die because you were itching for a fight!" He yelled at her. "The point is that sometimes you are so self-centred, you can't see past the end of your own goddamn nose!"

Biting back her surprise, Buffy grew more furious at him. "You've got a lot of nerve!"

"Tell me I'm wrong!" He challenged.

"You want to talk about being wrong? What is wrong is that you burst into my meeting and start arguing with me about this—!"

"—The meeting with Faith in the room?—Please, as if she hasn't seen us argue before." His lips curled into a mirthless smile.

"It wasn't just Faith in the room!" Buffy gritted her teeth. "You can't do that, Xander! You can't just barge in whenever you feel like! I have a higher position there! I'm the boss, damn it!"

Xander moved around the counter island and got into her face, "You are my wife! I will do whatever I have to, to make sure that you are safe! And if that means barging in on your precious meeting or telling you that you're being an egotistical bitch—Then I'll fucking do it!"

"God, you are a hardheaded, overdramatic son of a bitch!"

Having heard more than enough to frighten him, Josh pulled Sarah away from their hiding place outside the kitchen and snuck back up the stairs into Josh's bedroom. They were supposed to be asleep but the sounds of their yelling voices arguing were clear as day and it woke Sarah up. She immediately ran into Josh's room frightened by the angry yelling.

This wasn't the first screaming match their parents had ever had. From Josh's experience, they'd yell and call each other names. Depending on the argument, sometimes the next morning it was as if nothing happened but most often, Josh would get the impression that not all was forgiven just yet. Buffy and Xander would give each other the silent treatment and glare at one another but by the end of the day, when Josh came home from school, it was as if an argument never occurred. His parents were caressing each other, smiling lovingly, and sharing sweet kisses; totally normal again.

But Josh wasn't too sure this time. A few kids at school had revealed that their parents were divorcing after screaming arguments they would have and they just couldn't forgive each other. Divorce was a new concept to him, thoughts of his parents ever breaking up had never entered his mind before. But now, Josh feared 'divorce' would happen with his own parents.

Similarly, Sarah had also heard about parents divorcing just like Josh, from the kids at school.


"Do you think Mom and Dad will get divorced now?" Sarah asked sitting against the headboard of Josh's bed hugging her knees into her chest looking at Braxton laying at the foot of the bed.

"I dunno," Josh frowned toying with the hem of his Batman pyjama pants.

Sarah rested her chin on her knees and sighed, "They sound really angry." She glanced at the cracked open bedroom door hearing the echoes of stomping boots followed by more yelling. "Aly at school said her parents are divorcing 'cause they just don't love each other anymore. They'd fight a lot. And her dad loves someone else or something…" the nine-year-old looked at her brother, "… Do you think Mom and Dad still love each other?"

Josh was silent terrified that his parents would no longer be in love thus tearing their happy home apart. If they did divorce; would he have to choose between living with his mom or his dad? Would Sarah have that same choice to make too? Or would they be separated and live with either parent? Would they ever see each other again?

"I dunno," Josh said sadly.

"I don't want them to divorce. I like Mom and Dad together. I don't wanna choose between them."

Josh swallowed, "Maybe they won't. Maybe it's just another argument… They've had 'em before…"

Sarah nodded, "Yeah, but… they've never been mean like this to each other. They sound so angry." Her frown deepened, "Mom looks hurt."

"When she came home, she said that she slipped on black ice in the parking lot at the Academy. That's why she has those cuts and bruises."

"Oh," Sarah slowly nodded. The likelihood of Mom slipping on ice in the dead of winter seemed plausible enough.

They heard a door slam closed, rattling the walls.

Josh and Sarah looked at each other fearfully.

Moments later, the clacks of heeled boots sounded up the stairs.

"Lay down," Josh ordered and laid down under the covers with Sarah. He wrapped his arm around her and whispered, "Close your eyes. Pretend to sleep."

Sarah closed her eyes just as the bedroom door of Josh's room opened a bit wider letting the hall light wash into the dark room.

Buffy leaned against the doorframe, she brought her hand up to push back her hair when she touched the irritated gash on her forehead with a hiss. She dropped her hand and folded her arms across her chest watching her children sleep. She hated that her screaming match with Xander had woken up Sarah and frightened her enough to run to Josh for comfort.

Pushing her sore body from the doorframe, Buffy went over to the bed and tucked her kids under the covers just a little bit tighter. She pushed Sarah's hair from her forehead and looked at Josh with a loving smile tugging at her lips. Though she was thoroughly pissed off enough to rip a demon in half, the sight of her gorgeous sleeping children always made her smile, reminding herself of just how much she loved Xander—despite her frustrations towards him. Through their love, they were able to create two little beings that were so perfect and they filled her heart with so much love.

Standing straight, Buffy looked at the German Shepard and whispered, "C'mon, Braxton."

Braxton followed the command and jumped off the bed.

She and the dog quietly exited the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

As soon as the door clicked closed, Sarah's eyes shot open and she turned over to face Josh. "You think Daddy will come back?"

Josh opened his green eyes and shrugged, depressed at the thought that his father wouldn't ever return. "I dunno. Try to go to sleep."

Snuggling closer into the protective safety of her big brother, Sarah closed her eyes and hoped that in the morning the entire nightmare was over and everything would return back to normal, where her parents loved each other endlessly.

Next Morning

Kitchen

Sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal in front of them, Josh and Sarah watched their mother standing at the coffee maker. Her back faced them but they could tell, not all was well between her and dad.

Buffy reached for the loaf of bread and peanut butter. She crossed over to the refrigerator and took out jelly to make the children their lunches.

Josh and Sarah stared shocked to see all of the injuries adorned on their mother's beautiful face had disappeared. Her dark black eye was completely gone. There was not a scratch on her.

The children's attention turned to watch Xander enter the kitchen struggling with the knot of his tie. He had a meeting with the city for their approval on breaking ground on the new acreage of land N.W.C Academy had just purchased.

Buffy faced him and silently pushed his hands away and began to help fix his tie knot. Xander looked straight ahead, not sparing her a glance while she fiddled with his tie.

The children watched the interaction hopeful that Buffy and Xander had really made up and everything was back to the way it was. But by the glare Buffy shot up to Xander as she fixed his tie, the children felt their hope deflate.

Without a word uttered, Xander took two mugs from a cabinet and poured the coffee. He fixed the two coffees and passed the second one over to Buffy. He looked at her with a scoff, reading her insulting silence mixed with a hard glare. With the clench of his jaw, Xander walked over to the kitchen table to sit down.

The children kept their heads down and focused on their cereal, afraid to look at either their father or mother in fear of getting yelled at.

Sarah looked at Josh.

Josh shook his head, understanding her thoughts and mouthed, 'no'.

Sarah took a deep breath and looked over at Xander, who was skimming over the front page of the morning paper in silence.

"Are you and Mom getting divorced?"

Both Buffy and Xander's heads shot up and looked at their daughter completely dumbfounded. Gone were the expressions of annoyance directed only at each other. They stared at their daughter completely taken back.

With deep concern, Buffy walked over to the table standing by a chair nearest to Xander and sat down with the coffee still in her hand. "Honey, what are you talking about?"

Nor Sarah or Josh had seen their parent's genuine confusion coming.

"You guys are fighting… A girl at school—Aly, her parents fight all the time and now they're getting divorced because they don't love each other anymore and her dad fell in love with someone else… Is that gonna happen to you guys? I don't want it to. I-I like how everything is and I don't want to choose between you guys 'cause I really love you and our house and my room… I don't want you to get divorced." She said in all in one breath.

Buffy and Xander blinked trying to catch up with the nine-year-old.

"Sweetie," Xander reached out his hand placing it over Sarah's, "your mom and I aren't getting divorced."

"Not now?" Josh asked.

Buffy looked at him with serious eyes, "Not ever."

"Hey," Xander began, "I love your mom so much."

"But you guys were yelling and calling each other names." Sarah frowned.

Buffy felt her heartbreak. She knew this wasn't the first argument the kids had overheard of theirs and it probably wouldn't be the last, but now they were older, she had to remind herself that they'd have their own thoughts and feelings; children see everything.

"Still doesn't change the fact that your dad and I love each other. Sometimes we love each other so much… we fight about it." Buffy glanced over at Xander, catching his lopsided smirk. "Couples fight sometimes—even couples that are in love. But what makes your dad and I different from Aly's parents is that because we love each other so much, we'll forgive each other and move on from it."

Josh looked down at the cereal he was toying with, with his spoon and asked, "So… you guys aren't getting divorced?"

Shaking his head, Xander said, "No, we would never do that."

"But sometimes you fight?" Josh lifted his green eyes to Buffy to see her smiling at him sympathetically.

"Sometimes," she shrugged.

Xander reached for Buffy's hand and gave it a small squeeze. "But we'll make up and laugh about it later." He ignored the 'oh really' look that flashed across her beautiful features then focused on reassuring his kids. "You two have nothing to worry about. Your mom and I are in it for the long haul." He brought Buffy's hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.

Waiting patiently for any more questions from their kids, Buffy and Xander stayed quiet.

Josh and Sarah seemed satisfied with their answers and really believed them.

"Okay?" Buffy asked, breaking the momentary silence.

Josh nodded and Sarah smiled happy that her parents were together and would always stay that way.

"Good," Buffy felt relief that she and Xander had successfully navigated themselves through that conversation. "Its time for school. Go get your things. The bus will be here soon." She said bringing them all back to reality.

With a groan, Josh slowly got out of the chair and went into the next room for his backpack, followed by Sarah.

Alone in the kitchen, Buffy pulled her hand from Xander, still annoyed with him.

Xander smirked. He knew she was still mad at him, but eventually, as she said, they'll get over it and move on.

When he walked out last night, he only got as far as the edge of the porch. He just needed a moments breath and give her and himself time to cool off.

He wasn't outside long because it was the dead of winter and it's freezing.

Arriving into the master bedroom, Buffy was already in bed, sitting against the headboard reading a thick psychological thriller novel she's been trying to get through for months. Braxton was curled up at her feet.

He shrugged off his flannel shirt, leaving on the undershirt. Xander then picked up the folded Spiderman pyjama pants placed on his side of the bed.

His steps were heavy as he disappeared into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Buffy didn't even lift her gaze when he returned back into the bedroom.

Not a word was uttered. Both too annoyed and still angered at harsh words that had been said to each other.

Xander pulled his side of the covers down and got into bed.

Buffy closed the book, placing it on the nightstand. She reached for the lamp switch and turned it off.

She laid on her side with her back facing him. She closed eyes but she couldn't sleep yet, her mind replayed the argument over and over again on an endless repeat.

A long arm wrapped around her midsection. She immediately felt a familiar sense of comfort when his large body spooned behind her, holding her close. Albeit he was still pissed off at his wife, his love for her was immovable. His one long leg dangled over her slender thigh and his nose buried into her flower scented hair. Buffy shifted closer into him, so not one inch was spared between them.

"I love you," he grunted, keeping his eye closed.

"Love you, too." She said sharply, despite still feeling exasperated from their fight. Buffy listened to the soft rhythm of his breathing as she fell asleep.


In the kitchen, Buffy felt his eyes on her. She looked at him, with eyes that did not hold the fuming anger as before, only a slight annoyance.

"Did they really think we were gonna get divorced?" Xander asked.

Buffy inhaled a deep breath, "Its crazy that they would think we'd ever do that because of an argument."

"That's just a Tuesday for us," he tried to joke in hopes it would lighten the mood.

A faint smile crosses her mouth for the briefest moment, "We wouldn't divorce… right?"

Frowning at her, almost with disbelief that she would even have to ask. Xander slid his chair closer to her and pushed a strand of her lightly curled hair behind her ear. "Never. I would never ever leave you."

"Good," Buffy held her hand against his stubbled cheek. "'Cause I'd kick your ass if you ever did."

Chuckling, Xander held her hand against his cheek, "I have no doubt." He kissed the palm of her hand, sharing a smile with her.

"I'm still mad at you." She narrowly looked at him.

"I'm not that crazy about you now either." He smirked.

1 Month Later

Harris Residence

Exhausted from the long day, Xander had to stay late at the Academy waiting on a fax from the city for final approvals on a few permits he was requesting.

Looking forward to a little peace and quiet, after being surrounded by loud-mouthed Slayers-in-training all day, Xander smiled to himself as he entered his home.

He should've seen it coming when he entered his house looking forward to one thing and the exact opposite happened.

The television was on blast as Josh played his video game. Sarah was standing beside the television yelling for a turn but she was ignored.

Xander took a deep breath and dared to go find Buffy hiding in the kitchen leaning on the counter island on her elbows. Her head was in her hands and a glass of red wine filled almost to the brim was in front of her.

"Stressful day, honey?" Xander entered the kitchen watching as Buffy's head shot up.

"They've been arguing for thirty minutes. If it's not arguing it; 'Mom I want this' or 'Mom get me that' or they're just yelling… just to yell." Xander slowly nodded his head and moved around to stand behind her. He covered his hands around her hands and rested his chin on her shoulder. "They won't listen to me—which is insane 'cause I'm supposed to be the scary parent. I'm the 'bad cop'. I've gotten really good at being the 'bad cop.'" She turned her chin to look at him. "They're always supposed to listen to me. So I just said, 'that's it!' Between the BS with the Council and my children being little monsters… I drink." She brought the wine to her lips the rested the side of her head against his cheek, exhausted, "I need a break. A weekend of just… quiet; No kids, no demons, no Watcher's Council… Zero drama."

Gently kissing her neck, Xander breathed in her familiar floral perfume. "I'll handle it."

She looked at him sceptically.

Xander's lazy smile fell into a frown reading her judgmental thoughts, "What? I can completely handle this."

"You?—Mr Nice Guy?" She enjoyed teasing him.

Rolling his eye, Xander pecked her lips with his own and said, "Yes!"

"Fine, go 'handle it.'"

Accepting the challenge to prove his wife wrong, Xander narrowly looked at her, "I will." He kissed her shoulder. "First, I'll handle the kids and prove you wrong. Then I'll call Willow and ask if she and Tara could take them for a weekend."

"You're entirely too good to me." Buffy tilted her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her, despite the sounds of high-pitched voices mixed with background music from a video game happening in the other room.

"Mom!"

Unwrapping his arms from around his wife, Xander stood straight and said, "I got this." He caught her look, "Don't look at me like that." He walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway, hearing Buffy's chuckle. He rounded the corner into the living room.

Sarah still stood over Josh with a scowl across her little face. She aimed a Nerf gun at the back of her brother's head furious that he wasn't doing what she wanted.

"Sarah Joyce put the Nerf gun down," Xander ordered, pointing his finger at the nine-year-old.

Sarah immediately closed her mouth and dropped the Nerf gun. It was rare that her father ever used her entire name unless she was in major trouble.

"Josh, turn off the game," Xander demanded with a calm voice.

Josh readily ignored Xander, just as he ignored his mother when she told him to turn it down.

"Josh," Xander's felt his normal abundant amount of patience fly out the window. He marched over to the television and ripped the power plug out of the wall, turning off the game.

"Dad! I was just about to win!" Josh whined.

"Dining room table the both of you." He said. "Now!" Xander raised his voice when neither moved.

Josh and Sarah ran to the dining room and sat down at the table afraid of their father. Xander was never one to raise his voice or do much of the discipline. Buffy often teased him that he was a softy pushover, never saying, 'no' to either child—ever. He and Buffy found their middle ground where she was the rule enforcer, 'the bad cop' and Xander easy-going or 'the good cop'. He was always there to freely give advice for any occasion and to give them what they wanted when mom wasn't looking.

But today, their well-established roles were just not working and Xander had to put his foot down.

Standing at the front of the table, he tossed his eye to either kid sitting opposite each other with frowns and their arms folded across their chests. "The ignoring us thing is stopping now. When either your mother or I tell you to do to something, we don't want to hear, 'in a minute' or 'no'. When we say it, it's done—immediately."

Josh and Sarah silently nodded their heads.

Xander looked directly at Josh, "Otherwise, I will take that video game and throw it in the trash." He then directed his attention to Sarah, "We are not your servants. Your mom and I are not raising you two to be either incompetent or brainless. If you want something, either get it yourself or ask us politely—we are more than happy to help you. We don't ask much from you two; except to do the right thing, to always try your best, and be respectful. If these simple and very easy to follow rules are not followed, there will be serious consequences. Do I make myself clear?"

In unison, Josh and Sarah let out a meek, "Yes, Dad."

"Good. Now, did you finish your homework?"

Sarah nodded her head whereas Josh shook his head, 'no'.

"Sarah get out of here." Sarah jumped off the chair and started for the living room when Xander said over his shoulder, "No television."

She released a heavy sigh and walked away from the living room and into the playroom.

Xander looked at Josh and said calmly, "Get your backpack."

Josh immediately did as told in hopes that he wouldn't get into any more trouble. Not only was he not listening and gave his mom a hard time but if she found out that he lied about not finishing his homework in order to play video games, he would be in even more trouble.


Leaving Josh in the dining room to work on his homework, Xander reentered the kitchen to see Buffy leaning against the sink with the half drank glass of wine in her hand. A smile danced across his mouth as she watched her husband walk towards her with a confident strut.

"You're pretty proud of yourself, huh?" Buffy eyed him.

"Just call me your Knight in Shining Armour." He walked over to her and held his hands at her hips.

"Yeah, you're my Knight in Shining—whatever," she hooked an arm around his neck, still holding the wine glass.

"Wow, it's so hard for you to admit defeat." He grinned down at her.

She looked at him coyly, "Never."

"This totally gives me some sort of husband-y points, right?"

Millimetres from his lips, Buffy purred with a smile, "You get all the points." She ran the tip of her tongue over his lips and lightly kissed him.

Xander took the wine glass from her hand and sipped it. "Yeah? How about some bonus points?" His other hand slid to her lower back and over her backside.

"Get Will and Tara to take the kids for the weekend and I'll," she gently ran her hand over the front of his pants and bit his bottom lip until he moaned, "see about those bonus points."

Xander felt his entire body awakened to the sound of her seductive voice. He wanted to bury himself balls deep in her. Call Willow. "I'm gonna…" he held a dreamy look on his face overwhelmed by her seduction, "… gonna c-c-call W-W-Willow…" Xander swallowed finding it nearly impossible to remove himself from her.

"Yeah, okay, you do that." Buffy smiled at the power she had over him.

Clenching his jaw, Xander finally removed himself from her and picked up the cell phone on the counter island pressing the speed dial button for Willow.

He's so easy, Buffy smiled to herself shaking her head, watching him talk to Willow with boyish eagerness.

Buffy closed her eyes enjoying the few minutes of silence that she knew would not last long because her children's punishments never lasted long. Though Xander stepped up his 'disciplining game,' he was still a sucker for the children's endearing pout which was identical to Buffy's. He'd crack and give them what they wanted—he always does.

Days Later

Harris Residence

Buffy helped carry Sarah's small overnight bag down the stairs with Sarah following behind meeting Xander, Josh, Willow, and Tara in the foyer.

Willow and Tara were more than excited to take their niece and nephew for the weekend and give Buffy and Xander much needed alone time. It was perfect timing since this weekend was the city's winter festival.

They were planning on meeting Faith and Spike at the festival if everything N.W.C Academy is quiet and uneventful.

"You have your toothbrush?" Buffy asked going through a mental checklist.

Sarah nodded her head, "Yep, already packed."

"You have your hairbrush?"

"Check," Sarah replied.

"Hat and gloves?—Extra socks? Its cold," Buffy said.

With a dramatic nod, Sarah appeased her mother, "Check, check, and check."

Satisfied with Sarah, Buffy then turned her attention to Josh but before she could open her mouth, Josh interjected, "Check, check, check, and check."

"Great!" Buffy smiled.

Xander stood beside Buffy, placing his hands on her shoulders as he addressed his oldest friend and her fiancée, "Thanks for doing this."

"No, problem," Willow grinned with excitement. "We love having them as much as we can!"

"Be good," Buffy addressed her children. "Listen to your aunts. If you need us—call. Call at any time."

Josh rolled his eyes, "Jeez, ma, its just two days."

"I know. But I'll miss my little pumpkin bellies driving me nuts." She kissed her son's cheek.

Josh was growing fast, he almost towered over Buffy, much to her amazement.

"Ma!" He complained and pulled himself from his mother's grasp and started to walk out the door followed by Sarah, running to catch up with him.

"Have fun," Willow wagged her brows suggestively at the pair seeing them out.

Tara laughed rolling her eyes and took Willow's hand. "We should get ice cream." She looked at Willow as they walked to the car parked at the end of the driveway.

"Good idea, it's entirely too warm today." Willow laughed and gestured to the snow covering the ground around them.


Standing at the door, Buffy and Xander watched the car pull out of the driveway. Xander closed the door and they stood staring at it, taking in the silence.

They turned to face each other, standing close, faces merely inches apart. Smiles danced across their faces at what felt like sexual tension building up between them.

"It's just us," Xander took a short step closer to her.

"What'd you wanna do now?" She looked up at him under her dark lashes and cocked a brow suggestively.

A lopsided smiled curved at his lips knowing exactly what he wanted to do.

Suddenly, they broke away from each other. Xander raced to the living room and Buffy sprinted up the stairs to the master bathroom.

Sometime Later

Master Bathroom

In a soothingly warm bubble bath, Buffy laid back in the large jacuzzi tub, with her head resting back on a little-folded towel.

A look of pure enjoyment settled across her beautiful features. She sipped the red wine in her hand and closed her eyes, basking in the sweet silence. She released a blissful hum.

Living Room

Changed out of his jeans, Xander wore a pair of Spiderman printed pyjama pants. He sat on the floor, in Josh's usual spot in front of the television with a video game controller in hand. He was in the current process of defeating Josh's high score in the game.

He concentrated hard on the game. The tip of his tongue stuck out the corner of his mouth as he defeated the next level.

He raised his arm in the air in a power fist-bump as he moved on in the game to the next level.

Without taking his eye off the game, he reached over to the coffee table where he had a half drank opened beer bottle.

½ Hour Later

Buffy walked down the stairs dressed in sweatpants and loose long sleeve shirt. Her hair was still partially wet and in its natural curled state. In one hand she carried a wine glass and the half drank wine bottle in the other hand. She went into the living room where Xander still sat glued to the video game and two beers in.

Buffy sat down on the couch behind him and said, "I ordered a pizza."

Without removing his focused eye from the television, Xander began to ask, "With extra—"

"—Pepperoni, yes," Buffy replied reading his thoughts. She poured herself another glass of wine and set the bottle down on the coffee table.

"Nice," Xander killed another video game character, bad guy.

Slipping off of the couch and kneeling behind her husband, Buffy rested her chin on his shoulder and said in a little whining voice, "I want a turn." She pouted.

"In a minute," he jerked with the controller in hand.

"Xander… please?" She whined into his ear and began to lightly kiss his neck then the small patch of skin behind his ear.

Determined not to be deterred from the video game, Xander did his very best to ignore Buffy's small peppering kisses tingling his skin or her hands on his shoulders that slowly ran over his triceps to his elbows.

Wanting to rattle him more, Buffy trailed her lips down the line of his jaw and gently turned his chin towards her. Xander kept his eye on the television as he accepted Buffy's kiss. It wasn't until she sucked his bottom lip and glided her tongue across his mouth that he finally lost his hard concentration and kissed her more fully. Her tongue darted into his mouth, sucking him further into the vortex of her passionate kiss.

The background the sound effects of defeat echoed, which broke Xander from the kiss. He looked at the game on the television and saw that he had died. "Buffy!"

Cheekily, Buffy kissed his cheek and laughed triumphantly just as the doorbell rang.

"Doorbell!" Buffy got up with a squeak when Xander's hand smacked her backside as she ran to the door.


A minute later, Buffy returned into the living room holding a pizza box.

Tactfully, she took out a slice of the pre-sliced pizza from the box and went over to Xander. She placed the box on the coffee table and stepped in front of her husband. He looked up at her as she went to her knees and straddled his lap.

Holding the game controller in one hand, Xander's other hand went around to her back. Buffy then kissed him deeply until he was breathless and distracted.

Breaking the kiss softly, Buffy put the tip of the triangular pizza into his mouth, feeding him. Xander smiled joyfully as he chewed the pizza. Buffy took it one step further and ground her centre over him, awakening his body all over again. She fed him more of the pizza and peppered his face with small kisses.

Seeing her chance, Buffy snatched the game controller from him and twisted around to the television, sitting between his long legs.

Xander grunted with his mouth full but he accepted his defeat.

"How do I play?" Buffy asked with childlike innocence.

Rolling his eye, Xander reached around her and placed her hands on the controller. "Beat the crap outta those weird demon-y looking guys you see."

"Got it." She frowned, "How?"

"'X' is kick. 'Square'…" he pointed to the pink outline of a square, "… See the square?—'Square' is punch. 'Circle' is roll. 'Triangle' is to pick up weapons. Got it?"

Buffy nodded, "Got it. Buttons that do stuff." The game began. "What does this button do?" She pressed the R1 button. Her eyes widened when her avatar burst into a sprint.

"That's a bad guy," Xander pointed at the oncoming angry looking avatar. He reached over to the pizza box and took out two slices; one for himself and the other for Buffy.

As he ate his slice, holding the second slice of pizza, Xander reached around to Buffy's mouth and fed her as she played the game.

"Ha! Ha! Got 'im!" Buffy smiled as she chewed the pizza.

Xander chuckled watched his wife do surprisingly really well in this video game. He hadn't really seen that coming.

Sunday Afternoon

For the last day and a half, Buffy and Xander alternated between playing video games, eating everything in the refrigerator that would be deemed unhealthy, and finally catching up with their recorded television shows and renting movies On Demand. They also spent a few hours separated; giving each other some welcomed space.

In the few hours left of their childless weekend, Buffy and Xander laid on the couch in each other's arms watching a syndicated house flipping show. Xander held his wife tightly, their legs were tangled together. Buffy laid comfortable between the back of the couch and Xander, with her head resting on his chest, over his heart.

Her eyes were closed, completely, and totally relaxed. This weekend was exactly what she needed.

Xander pressed his lips against the top of her head, holding her tightly.

They felt no need to move a muscle the entire rest of the day and so they won't.

Late Evening

Walking into the house, Willow, Tara, Josh, and Sarah were immediately met with silence.

They exchanged frowning looks, wondering where the couple of the house would be. Their cars were in the driveway, so they didn't go anywhere.

Closing the door from the frigid cold, Josh and Sarah called out to their parents, "Mom? Dad?"

But there was no reply.

Removing their jackets, hats, gloves, and scarves, the foursome walked further into the home and poked their heads into the kitchen; nothing out of the ordinary. They then stepped down the hallway walking into the living room.

Josh immediately noticed his game controller out on the floor he went over to it and glanced over his shoulder to see his parents asleep on the couch, locked in each other's arms with a throw blanket tossed over themselves, covering the waist down.

"Guys want some hot chocolate?" Tara whispered to the kids.

Sarah nodded her head and followed her aunt into the kitchen.

Josh got to his feet and did the same.

Willow eyed the entangled pair on the couch and smiled to herself, moved by the image. Leaving them be, Willow turned away and headed out of the living room and said, "Josh-y, go find the marshmallows."