Title: A New Beginning (Part eight continued from Getting Distracted)

Author: Whiskey Meteor

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Oops, they missed the bus. Now what are they gonna do? (Last story in the series.)

Disclaimer: Everything BtVS belongs to Joss Whedon. And yes, there really is a town in Alberta called Vulcan.

Notes: Alternate ending to "Hell's Bells". After Xander walks out on his wedding he does not come back. As far as we know, the old man really was Xander from the future.

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Xander swallowed.

...So did Andrew for that matter. But that was earlier in the bathroom stall in the IHOP, and this was later, standing at the space their bus had left empty some time ago. So this time, when Xander swallowed it was more of a gulp, and it was immediately followed by him smacking his forehead with the heel of his hand and swearing loudly.

Andrew stood beside Xander, wringing his hands, "What are we gonna do?" he whined, "How are we supposed to get to Vulcan without the bus?"

Groaning, Xander sunk down to sit on the curb by the empty parking space, "Lucky we didn't have any luggage, huh?" he ventured. Andrew pouted and joined Xander on the curb.

"Could we buy new tickets?" Andrew asked hopefully.

Xander shook his head, "I don't know about you, but I couldn't really afford the *first* ticket." Andrew sighed and leaned against Xander, resting his head on the other man's shoulder. "Sorry, Andrew," Xander offered, and then smiled bravely, "Try to look at the bright side," he instructed.

"Bright side?" Andrew asked doubtfully.

"Yeah," Xander assured him, "... At least this way we don't have to spend another two days on a bus."

"I thought the bus was fun," Andrew said, continuing to pout.

Xander shrugged, "It wasn't *that* bad..." he leaned over and deposited a kiss on the top of Andrew's head, "But try to remember that there aren't really any private places on a bus."

Andrew looked up at him, "What about the-,"

Xander cut him off, "I'm pretty sure that we *both* couldn't fit into the bathroom on the bus," he grinned, "Besides, we agreed there weren't going to be any more bathroom shenanigans."

Andrew bit his lip and nodded in sudden understanding, "Two days on a bus would've totally sucked," he conceded. Xander pulled himself up off the curb, and offered his hand to Andrew, helping him to his feet as well. "So what are we gonna do now?" Andrew asked.

Xander sighed. He was tired. He missed his bed, and his friends... and his tux was getting tired and wrinkly and way overdue for a wash. Xander scratched his head, "Andrew," he said hesitantly, "I know you're not gonna like this idea..." Andrew cocked his head to the side uncertainly, and Xander shrugged, "But I think we should go back to Sunnydale."

"What?" Andrew gasped, "We- we- *I* can't go back!"

Xander held up his hands defensively, "Hold on," he said, "Look, I'll call Buffy and explain what happened, and-,"

"And she'll think you've lost your mind!" Andrew hissed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Andrew, calm down," Xander placed his hands on Andrew's shoulders and smiled at him reassuringly, "She won't think I've lost my mind, and I'll make sure that it's safe for you to come home with me."

Pouting, Andrew looked up at Xander, "Promise?" he asked.

"Promise," Xander agreed, and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss onto Andrew's lips, melting the pout into a contented smile. Then, leading Andrew by the hand, Xander set off to find a phone.

* * * * *

They'd found a pay phone in a parking lot near by. Xander fed several coins into it, dialed, and waited apprehensively. Andrew stood squeezed tightly into the phone booth beside Xander, his fingers knit between those on the other man's free hand. There was a faint click as the line was connected, and then the phone began to ring. Xander took a deep breath, suddenly unsure of exactly what he was going to say when someone answered. Before he could come up with a plan, there was another click as the ringing stopped, and someone picked up on the other end of the line.

"Hello?" It was Anya's voice.

Xander gulped, "Anya," he squeaked.

There was a pause, during which Xander held his breath, and Andrew tightened his grip on his hand. "Xander?" Anya asked, concern evident in her tone, "Where are you? Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Xander paused, "Are you... all right?"

"All right?" Anya asked incredulously, "Xander no one knew where you were. We've been worried sick."

"Sorry," Xander offered meekly, "I left... I- I just had to get away..."

"I know," Anya said happily, "You told me everything- about how we'd never be happy, and how you left because you didn't want to hurt me, and how... how you're gay."

"Oh," Xander said, slightly taken aback, "And you're not mad that- wait," he cut himself off, "I didn't tell you all that."

"Yes you did," Anya insisted, "At the wedding. After you left."

Xander frowned, "I told you all that at the wedding... *after* I left?"

"Yes," Anya agreed, "Well, the wrinkly, fat, old, future version of you."

"Oh..." Xander closed his eyes, finally understanding, "And you're not mad?" he asked again.

Anya hesitated, "Well... I was at first, but now I understand," on the other end of the line, she nodded to herself.

Xander sighed in relief, and then frowned, "Wait, Anya, when you were mad at first..." he cringed, "You didn't hurt that poor old man, did you?"

"No," Anya scoffed, "...Okay, maybe a little." Xander gasped. "What?" Anya asked defensively, "He wasn't even from our reality."

"Does that matter?" Xander demanded weakly.

Anya sighed, "Look, he's okay," she insisted, "And anyway, what matters is that I *was* angry, but now I understand. You had to leave, it was the only way for both of us to be happy."

"Wait," Xander said, suddenly narrowing his eyes, "He... I told you I was gay?" Xander frowned, "Why didn't I tell *me* that?"

On the other end, Anya shrugged, "Maybe you thought you knew?" she ventured.

"Stupid me," Xander grumbled.

Anya cleared her throat, "So where are you now?" she prompted.

"We were going to Vulcan, but we missed the bus," Xander started, "So now we're stuck in Seattle-,"

"Seattle?" Anya cut in, "Why were you going to Vulcan? And why do you keep saying *we*?"

Xander sighed, "There was a layover in Seattle," he explained, "And we were going to Vulcan because..." Xander trailed off, "It's kind of a long story."

"And the *we* part?" Anya asked suspiciously.

Xander cast a glance at Andrew, "I sorta met someone," he explained.

"That was quick," Anya said sourly.

"I know," Xander conceded, "but I know that you'll like him... he- he's a good guy." Xander cast another glance at Andrew before he continued, "That's sort of why I'm calling."

"What, to brag about your new boyfriend?" Anya asked irritatedly.

"No," Xander scoffed, "It's just... We want to come home now, but we're afraid that Warren-,"

"Wait, Warren?" Anya cut in, "As in Warren, Jonathan and the other guy?"

"That's the one," Xander confirmed.

"Well, he's not a problem anymore," Anya explained happily, "He got arrested- apparently he tried to break into a hotel and there was some damage... a chair got broken or something... Anyway, Jonathan came to see Buffy yesterday to tell her what happened- how Warren killed that girl- and that Jonathan and Andrew- that's the other guy..." Anya trailed off, "Wait," she said, "Andrew- the other guy- he's *your* guy, isn't he?"

Xander nodded and squeezed Andrew's hand, "Yeah," he said, "He is."

"Can you find a place to stay for a few nights?" Anya asked, "Then call me again and tell me where you are, and someone will come and pick you up."

Slowly, Xander nodded his head again, "Thanks for understanding, An," he said.

Anya smiled sadly on the other end of the line, "Can I talk to Andrew for a minute?" she asked sweetly.

Hesitantly, Xander handed the phone over to Andrew, who took it with equal hesitation. "Hello?" he asked. Xander watched curiously, as Andrew nodded in response to whatever it was that Anya was saying, and then hung the phone up shakily.

"What did she say?" Xander asked cautiously.

Andrew cleared his throat, "Her exact words?" Xander nodded, and Andrew continued, "If you *ever* hurt Xander, I'll rip your heart out through your nose and shove it back up through your ass." Xander patted Andrew on the shoulder reassuringly, and Andrew looked up at him miserably, "She didn't mean it, did she?"

Xander smiled, "Probably," he conceded. Abruptly, there was a loud rumble of thunder, followed by a low, steady hiss as it began to rain.

Andrew looked at Xander expectantly, "So, what did she say about... about Warren?" he asked, raising his voice to be heard over the steady hiss and plink of rain on the metal roof above them.

"She said he's in jail," Xander shouted, "So it's safe, we can go home!"

Andrew squealed and clapped excitedly, and grabbing Xander by the collar, pulled him into an ecstatic kiss. They were going home *together*, and Andrew felt like celebrating. With the rain falling in thick sheets outside of the phone booth, the two men felt like they were tucked away in their own little world. If they couldn't see anything past the rain, it stood to reason that no one could see them either. "You don't count this as a bathroom stall, do you?" Andrew asked, having pulled back momentarily to gasp for breath.

Xander chuckled, "No," he said, and cast an apraising glance around the small space, "But it kinda smells like one..." Andrew giggled and looked up into Xander's gentle smiling eyes. He felt a strong hand nestled resolutely at the small of his back as the another raised to his neck to trace a lazy line across his jaw with a calused finger. Thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed, and Xander leaned in slowly to press another kiss onto Andrew's lips. Then hands slipped under clothes to pinch and stroke and play, and amidst muted cries of pleasure the glass around them fogged over, giving them privacy even from the storm. Andrew pulled back again to look at Xander, whose lips were parted just so to make room for shallow panting breaths, and feeling him withdraw, Xander opened his eyes to peer at him questioningly. "The phone is digging into my back," Andrew said apologetically.

"Well we don't want that," Xander chuckled and repositioned Andrew so that his back was against the door, "Better?" he asked. Andrew nodded emphatically, and pulled Xander to his lips, kissing him greedily. Xander leaned into the kiss, letting Andrew claim every part of his mouth that he wanted. Xander keened at the hot eager lips, and the curious wet tongue sliding against his, and weak-kneed he pressed against Andrew for support. There was a click and the door folded open abruptly behind them. Andrew tumbled back in surpsise, with Xander on top of him, and they fell heavilly in a pile onto the wet ground. Xander blinked at the man beneath him, somewhat stunned by the sudden fall, "Are you okay?" he asked.

Andrew swallowed and wiggled his fingers and toes. He nodded, "Yeah, I don't think anything's broken," he said.

"Sorry," Xander offered, "We *really* have to stop doing this in small public spaces." Xander crawled to his knees, and sat beside Andrew on the ground. Andrew shuffled to sitting and leaned against Xander with knees drawn up to his chest. The rain was still coming down in heavy sheets, and although they'd only been outside for a few moments, both men were already soaked. Xander brushed his dripping hair back off of his forehead and laughed, "I feel like I fell into a swimming pool."

Andrew nudged Xander lightly, "So, we can really go home?" he asked, "...together?" Xander nodded happily. Andrew sighed and lay his head down on the other man's shoulder, closing his eyes and letting the rain wash over his face. Xander leaned over and lay a trail of kisses over Andrew's rain slicked cheek before pulling their lips back together. The kiss was sweet and chaste, wet only from the weather, but it spoke volumes to Andrew.

He knew that he would be safe, and that he would be cared for and respected. And he knew that in time he would be loved. Maybe not for a week, or a month, or a year... but Andrew could wait. For now he had exactly what he wanted. A fresh start. A second chance. A new beginning.

The End.