A/N One reviewer posted that they're enjoying this slice of normal life story and I'm glad, problem is, Xander and Cordelia don't live in a normal world, they live in a supernatural world and I can't ignore that fact unless I put them in a story where the supernatural doesn't exist or is unknown and I actually do have a story idea for a Xander and Cordelia in a non supernatural world and will eventually get around to writing it. That being said, I have always maintained that Cordelia's abilities were natural and were hijack as a result of Jasmine's manipulation. Every other person with psychic ability from Cassie Newton in Sunnydale to the psychics employed by Wolfram and Hart were naturally occuring and experienced no pain with the exercise of their abilities, except Doyle and Cordelia. When Wesley finally accepted what Skip was telling them, that they'd all been manipulated, he said, 'Cordelia was maneuvered into getting the visions.' Which means Doyle would have been too, because I don't see him being a bad guy and helping manipulate them, especially Cordelia. I believe Doyle and Cordelia's pain and damage can be explained by the ability being forcibly activated, which led to the coma and being manipulated into accepting what she was told was demon powers. I feel claims like that were like the soul curse, just accepted when they should have been investigated. I also believe Xander had an unknown ability as well, he had too many instances of insight to be coincidental. Which means this Xander and Cordelia are also going to become aware of their abilities. Eventually and not forcibly.
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"Hey, Will, It's Xander." Xander said, as soon as he heard Willow's chirpy voice on the other end of the line.
"This is a bad time, Xander, I'm late for class. I'll talk to you later." And before Xander could say anything else, she hung up. He slowly replaced the handset and sighed.
"That's the third time, Xander." Cordelia said quietly. "She uses the same excuse each time, she's late for class and can't talk now. And then she doesn't call back."
"I think it's clear, she's got a life and it doesn't include me and she's okay with that." Xander agreed and laid his head back against their couch and stared at the ceiling. "I've known her since we were two and considered her and Jesse my family. She started pulling away after the Fluke, she wanted Oz back and I wanted you back. I guess I just have to accept, we're never really going to be friends again. I'm the only one trying, maybe she will call this time, but I can't hang my hopes on it."
"If she was interested in trying, Xander, she wouldn't use that excuse. This is Willow we're talking about, not Buffy. Buffy saying she's late for class can be explained as late night Slaying. Willow saying she's late for class is Willow not able to think up a convincing lie on the spur of the moment and it's late afternoon in Sunnydale anyway, classes don't happen this late in the day. Evening classes won't start for a couple of hours. Late afternoon, no classes. And school is practically a religion for her and she might be late once, but it would cause a panic attack and she'd never be late again."
"Which means she thinks lying to me and not returning phone calls is less painful than just saying, 'I don't want to be friends anymore, Xander'." Xander agreed.
"She's never been a straight forward person, Xander. She's too passive aggressive, instead of telling me she's mad at me, she tricked me into deleting my homework. It's exactly the kind of way she deals with things, she uses the easy way, instead of confronting the feelings."
"Before you I did that too, avoided talking about feelings and I used bad jokes to hide. From the moment after the love spell ended and you chose me, you supported me, even when I didn't immediately recognize it. You were willing to keep me in your bathtub when you thought I was a fish monster and take care of me. Well, if Willow doesn't want to be friends or even know what's going on in my life, that's her choice. I'll be starting classes myself next semester. And we have an answering machine, if she chooses to call, she can leave a message and I will call her back. It would prove she wants to be friends. But I'm done being the one trying to reach out."
"I'm sorry, Xander, I know it hurts. None of the Cordettes talk to me either, although I only miss Aura. Harmony was only a friend because it was expected. And I'm lucky my Dad still talks to me, I was so mean to him over the IRS thing."
"You were in shock, his mistake cost you everything and the two of you have made up. I sincerely doubt I will ever speak to my parents again. There's just too much bad blood and memories there."
"I know and you're better off without them in your life." She assured him. "We're building a life and it's a good one."
"And I happen to like the life we have now, you and the Army and soon school. As dedicated to the cause as I was, living a life that doesn't have the supernatural in it has been very freeing." Which is when that annoying little imp known as Murphy decided now was an absolutely perfect time to drag the two of them kicking and screaming back into the supernatural world when the phone rang and it wasn't anyone from California calling.