Title: Full Circle of Life
Chapter: Lonesome Dove
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: First Four Series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy. I would buy the show but I am broke.
Summary: Buffy's death results in a paradox. Years later Buffy and Xander are uniquely cursed by a demon; can they survive to fulfil a destiny that had already come to pass? (Not a post Gift Fic.)
AN: No Glory, no Dawn, and no Dracula. Riley died in the big battle *_* means song lyrics, '_' means thought "_" means speech. The song in this chapter is 10000 Miles by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
AN2: Thank you everyone who reviewed. One thing, however that keeps getting asked is will Buffy and Xander ever get back to Sunnydale. The simple answer is no and if you want to know why then reread the first paragraph of chapter 1. There is a complex answer that boils down to sort of, and if anyone thinks they can figure out how the drop me and e-mail and I'll tell you if you are on the right track, do not review it and spoil the other readers surprise. It is a mind bending situation and I'd like to hear other's theories, maybe I'll use them and, of course, acknowledge you for the idea. Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the surviving soldiers who had made a final stand for humanity and prevailed began to disperse, to lead lives far away from this place, Buffy and Xander stood in each other's arms.
"Is it over?" Buffy asked quietly, sounding much like a lost little girl.
"What do you want me to say?" Xander asked back, knowing that she needed to be comforted.
"Lie to me." She whispered.
"Yes, it's all over. No one will ever have to face anything like this again and all who died will be remembered forever." Xander said with mock confidence in his voice.
"Thank you." Buffy whispered back.
The couple were the last to leave the fortress of humanity that had fallen so the race could endure. From this encounter civilisation took a downturn that it would not recover from for a long time and The City would fade into myth as humanity struggled to regain what was lost.
The myth would take on many incarnations based on where the evacuees went, the most famous would become known as Atlantis and Mu. It would be thousands of years before any humans again settled on the site that was abandoned while the sun was high.
********
The sprawling estate was quiet in the per-dawn light. The houses were in a style that would become popular in several thousand years time. The main house was large, build of limestone blocks with slate roof tiles, with Mediterranean style architecture. The outbuildings were designed to fit with the house and were built with the same materials.
To the north were orchids, everything from apples to mandarins to olives, all irrigated from a stream that flowed down from the hills beyond. To the south were fields of wheat, maize, corn, barley and hops, also irrigate from the stream. To the west were the livestock. Cows, chicken, sheep, pigs. Pastured or in pens, along with other animals, such as the sheep and cattle dogs and the horses.
To the east, between the orchids and the fields, ran a dirt road, lined on either side by poplars, that ran the half a day ride to the nearest village. After the destruction of The City, three hundred and sixty years ago, Buffy and Xander had wandered. They had, after a few years, meet up with Tara, the former Queen of The City, her new husband and their infant child.
Two years after that they had settled down and built the estate. The estate had slowly grown to accommodate the growth of the family and others who had come to live at the estate, as tenders of the orchids, farmers or cooks. Anyone who wanted to stay at the estate was welcome; however things were not as peaceful as the seemed.
"What the hell has been bugging you, Buffy?" Xander demanded of his wife. "You're moody, irritable. I would say you were pregnant but hell, you've had a headache every time I've touched you for the last two decades, so that option's out. You would think that after nine hundred years you could tell me what the hell the matter is?"
"You want to know? You really want to know?" Buffy replied.
"Yes! I want to know."
"You treat me like I'm some porcelain vase and you act as if your life does not matter. That's what's, bugging me."
"Is this about that raid last week? I sent you to protect the farmers in the southern fields. Is it my fault they attacked from the north?" Xander asked.
"That's not the only time. Like the time I was not good enough to be fighting by your side." Buffy shot back with venom.
"What are you. you mean the City?!? Hell Buffy, that was three hundred and sixty years ago. Get over it. I love you, and yes, it hurts me when you get injured but I don't stop you from fighting, you are more than able to take care of yourself, but I would gladly give my life to save yours. I would do that because I love you." Xander replied.
"But I can't live without you Xander." Buffy replied.
"So you treat me like crap. Thanks a lot, Buffy." Xander said.
*Fare thee well,
My own true love,
Farewell for a while,
I'm going away,
But I'll be back,
Though I go 10,000 miles.*
Xander quickly moved around the bedroom collecting his things. He packed most of his armour and weapons in bundles and threw clothes into his saddlebags, absently adding the small figurine of Buffy. Donning his leather armour, his bow case, quiver, sabre, knives and Ranger's cloak, Xander headed down to the kitchens to grab some travel food before heading out to the stables. Loading up a pack horse and a mount, Xander lead them out of the stables.
*10,000 miles,
My own true love,
10,000 miles or more,
The rocks may melt,
And the seas may burn,
If I should not return.*
Xander mounted his horse in the courtyard, watched by the family and the household. Buffy was not in the courtyard, she was watching from the house, her anger battling with her fear of losing Xander. Xander rode away down the road line with Poplars, leaving the safe place they had built to meet an uncertain world.
"I'll be back." Xander softly promised as the estate slipped out of sight behind him.
********
Buffy watched as Xander road away, without looking back, and her heart shattered. Buffy sat alone in what was now her bedroom filled with pain and indescribable loneliness. Tears would not come, she knew that they would, given time, but not now.
'I drove him away. I was so self absorbed that I drove Xander away.' Buffy thought, her eyes going glassy and unfocused.
********
*Oh don't you see,
That lonesome dove,
Sitting on an ivy tree,
She's weeping for,
Her own true love,
As I shall weep for mine.*
A hundred years passed and a whole generation of the family grew up without Xander. They heard stories of the great Buffy and Xander, their devotion to each other, quick whits, and legendary battles.
But they saw no Xander, no great and loyal warrior. No courageous Buffy, beautiful and wise, just the creepy lady, who wept for someone they never knew and never left her room. While she did not look physically old, Buffy seemed to be old, never getting out of her chair, which faced the window that gave a view of the road and never talking to anyone except to call out that he was gone and she wanted him back, never saying who 'he' was.
She only ate when she was fed, but luckily she was cared for, by the daughter of a woman who had seen the day he had left and who had remember what Buffy was like before. Although the woman was now dead, her daughter had grown up with the stories and whished for the old Buffy to return, so she prayed for Xander, the lost love, to return.
"Please come back to me, Xander. My love, my friend." Buffy whispered staring at the small figurine of Xander placed near the window.
*Oh come ye back,
My own true love,
And stay a while with me,
If I had a friend,
All on this earth,
You've been a friend to me.*
********
In the morning light a single figure on a horse rode up the road towards the estate. The figure was slightly ragged, and the saddlebags bulged. Dressed in a tattered cloak that may have once been green, its hood obscuring the figures face, the horse moved into the courtyard and the rider dismounted, to be faced with men holding swords and spears.
"State your business." One of the men said.
"I have come to see the lady of the estate." The figure said.
"I am she." A woman stepped forward, the female head of the family.
"No you are not." The figure declared. "Not unless you have lived a thousand years and changed your face. I am here to see the lady."
"Who are you and on what business." The man from before asked.
"I am her lord and tend to the business is between me and my wife." The figure said sweeping back the hood to reveal Xander.
"I'll take you to see her immediately, my lord." Said Buffy's maid.
She had seen her mother's drawings of Xander and Buffy so knew his face well.
"Your lady is unwell." The maid said.
"Then take me quickly." Xander replied.
He quickly established that they were headed to his, Buffy's, bedroom. Xander burst through the door and saw Buffy sitting in a chair by the window.
"He had returned, my lady." The maid said.
"Xander?" Buffy asked weakly.
"Buffy! What happened?" Xander asked hurriedly.
"I drove you away. I wanted you back, needed you back. I've seen you return so many times in my dreams. Am I going to wake up now?" Buffy said.
"No, Buffy. This is not a dream. I'm really back." Xander said.
"Oh Xander." Buffy said as she tried to get up.
Buffy raised halfway and then fell, only to be caught by Xander. Even if you are practically immortal and a Slayer, a hundred years sitting in a chair is bound to make your muscles atrophy.
Xander told Buffy about his travels and the world as the slowly rebuilt Buffy's muscles. Humanity was starting to pull itself together and rebuild civilisation, but the demonic powers were also on the rise. Xander estimated that in a few hundred years they would be needed again to fight for the light. For now, they were just together. Xander was back and all was right with the world, at least it was for Buffy.
TBC.
Chapter: Lonesome Dove
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: First Four Series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy. I would buy the show but I am broke.
Summary: Buffy's death results in a paradox. Years later Buffy and Xander are uniquely cursed by a demon; can they survive to fulfil a destiny that had already come to pass? (Not a post Gift Fic.)
AN: No Glory, no Dawn, and no Dracula. Riley died in the big battle *_* means song lyrics, '_' means thought "_" means speech. The song in this chapter is 10000 Miles by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
AN2: Thank you everyone who reviewed. One thing, however that keeps getting asked is will Buffy and Xander ever get back to Sunnydale. The simple answer is no and if you want to know why then reread the first paragraph of chapter 1. There is a complex answer that boils down to sort of, and if anyone thinks they can figure out how the drop me and e-mail and I'll tell you if you are on the right track, do not review it and spoil the other readers surprise. It is a mind bending situation and I'd like to hear other's theories, maybe I'll use them and, of course, acknowledge you for the idea. Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the surviving soldiers who had made a final stand for humanity and prevailed began to disperse, to lead lives far away from this place, Buffy and Xander stood in each other's arms.
"Is it over?" Buffy asked quietly, sounding much like a lost little girl.
"What do you want me to say?" Xander asked back, knowing that she needed to be comforted.
"Lie to me." She whispered.
"Yes, it's all over. No one will ever have to face anything like this again and all who died will be remembered forever." Xander said with mock confidence in his voice.
"Thank you." Buffy whispered back.
The couple were the last to leave the fortress of humanity that had fallen so the race could endure. From this encounter civilisation took a downturn that it would not recover from for a long time and The City would fade into myth as humanity struggled to regain what was lost.
The myth would take on many incarnations based on where the evacuees went, the most famous would become known as Atlantis and Mu. It would be thousands of years before any humans again settled on the site that was abandoned while the sun was high.
********
The sprawling estate was quiet in the per-dawn light. The houses were in a style that would become popular in several thousand years time. The main house was large, build of limestone blocks with slate roof tiles, with Mediterranean style architecture. The outbuildings were designed to fit with the house and were built with the same materials.
To the north were orchids, everything from apples to mandarins to olives, all irrigated from a stream that flowed down from the hills beyond. To the south were fields of wheat, maize, corn, barley and hops, also irrigate from the stream. To the west were the livestock. Cows, chicken, sheep, pigs. Pastured or in pens, along with other animals, such as the sheep and cattle dogs and the horses.
To the east, between the orchids and the fields, ran a dirt road, lined on either side by poplars, that ran the half a day ride to the nearest village. After the destruction of The City, three hundred and sixty years ago, Buffy and Xander had wandered. They had, after a few years, meet up with Tara, the former Queen of The City, her new husband and their infant child.
Two years after that they had settled down and built the estate. The estate had slowly grown to accommodate the growth of the family and others who had come to live at the estate, as tenders of the orchids, farmers or cooks. Anyone who wanted to stay at the estate was welcome; however things were not as peaceful as the seemed.
"What the hell has been bugging you, Buffy?" Xander demanded of his wife. "You're moody, irritable. I would say you were pregnant but hell, you've had a headache every time I've touched you for the last two decades, so that option's out. You would think that after nine hundred years you could tell me what the hell the matter is?"
"You want to know? You really want to know?" Buffy replied.
"Yes! I want to know."
"You treat me like I'm some porcelain vase and you act as if your life does not matter. That's what's, bugging me."
"Is this about that raid last week? I sent you to protect the farmers in the southern fields. Is it my fault they attacked from the north?" Xander asked.
"That's not the only time. Like the time I was not good enough to be fighting by your side." Buffy shot back with venom.
"What are you. you mean the City?!? Hell Buffy, that was three hundred and sixty years ago. Get over it. I love you, and yes, it hurts me when you get injured but I don't stop you from fighting, you are more than able to take care of yourself, but I would gladly give my life to save yours. I would do that because I love you." Xander replied.
"But I can't live without you Xander." Buffy replied.
"So you treat me like crap. Thanks a lot, Buffy." Xander said.
*Fare thee well,
My own true love,
Farewell for a while,
I'm going away,
But I'll be back,
Though I go 10,000 miles.*
Xander quickly moved around the bedroom collecting his things. He packed most of his armour and weapons in bundles and threw clothes into his saddlebags, absently adding the small figurine of Buffy. Donning his leather armour, his bow case, quiver, sabre, knives and Ranger's cloak, Xander headed down to the kitchens to grab some travel food before heading out to the stables. Loading up a pack horse and a mount, Xander lead them out of the stables.
*10,000 miles,
My own true love,
10,000 miles or more,
The rocks may melt,
And the seas may burn,
If I should not return.*
Xander mounted his horse in the courtyard, watched by the family and the household. Buffy was not in the courtyard, she was watching from the house, her anger battling with her fear of losing Xander. Xander rode away down the road line with Poplars, leaving the safe place they had built to meet an uncertain world.
"I'll be back." Xander softly promised as the estate slipped out of sight behind him.
********
Buffy watched as Xander road away, without looking back, and her heart shattered. Buffy sat alone in what was now her bedroom filled with pain and indescribable loneliness. Tears would not come, she knew that they would, given time, but not now.
'I drove him away. I was so self absorbed that I drove Xander away.' Buffy thought, her eyes going glassy and unfocused.
********
*Oh don't you see,
That lonesome dove,
Sitting on an ivy tree,
She's weeping for,
Her own true love,
As I shall weep for mine.*
A hundred years passed and a whole generation of the family grew up without Xander. They heard stories of the great Buffy and Xander, their devotion to each other, quick whits, and legendary battles.
But they saw no Xander, no great and loyal warrior. No courageous Buffy, beautiful and wise, just the creepy lady, who wept for someone they never knew and never left her room. While she did not look physically old, Buffy seemed to be old, never getting out of her chair, which faced the window that gave a view of the road and never talking to anyone except to call out that he was gone and she wanted him back, never saying who 'he' was.
She only ate when she was fed, but luckily she was cared for, by the daughter of a woman who had seen the day he had left and who had remember what Buffy was like before. Although the woman was now dead, her daughter had grown up with the stories and whished for the old Buffy to return, so she prayed for Xander, the lost love, to return.
"Please come back to me, Xander. My love, my friend." Buffy whispered staring at the small figurine of Xander placed near the window.
*Oh come ye back,
My own true love,
And stay a while with me,
If I had a friend,
All on this earth,
You've been a friend to me.*
********
In the morning light a single figure on a horse rode up the road towards the estate. The figure was slightly ragged, and the saddlebags bulged. Dressed in a tattered cloak that may have once been green, its hood obscuring the figures face, the horse moved into the courtyard and the rider dismounted, to be faced with men holding swords and spears.
"State your business." One of the men said.
"I have come to see the lady of the estate." The figure said.
"I am she." A woman stepped forward, the female head of the family.
"No you are not." The figure declared. "Not unless you have lived a thousand years and changed your face. I am here to see the lady."
"Who are you and on what business." The man from before asked.
"I am her lord and tend to the business is between me and my wife." The figure said sweeping back the hood to reveal Xander.
"I'll take you to see her immediately, my lord." Said Buffy's maid.
She had seen her mother's drawings of Xander and Buffy so knew his face well.
"Your lady is unwell." The maid said.
"Then take me quickly." Xander replied.
He quickly established that they were headed to his, Buffy's, bedroom. Xander burst through the door and saw Buffy sitting in a chair by the window.
"He had returned, my lady." The maid said.
"Xander?" Buffy asked weakly.
"Buffy! What happened?" Xander asked hurriedly.
"I drove you away. I wanted you back, needed you back. I've seen you return so many times in my dreams. Am I going to wake up now?" Buffy said.
"No, Buffy. This is not a dream. I'm really back." Xander said.
"Oh Xander." Buffy said as she tried to get up.
Buffy raised halfway and then fell, only to be caught by Xander. Even if you are practically immortal and a Slayer, a hundred years sitting in a chair is bound to make your muscles atrophy.
Xander told Buffy about his travels and the world as the slowly rebuilt Buffy's muscles. Humanity was starting to pull itself together and rebuild civilisation, but the demonic powers were also on the rise. Xander estimated that in a few hundred years they would be needed again to fight for the light. For now, they were just together. Xander was back and all was right with the world, at least it was for Buffy.
TBC.