Part 24
The 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign had never meant a lot to Xander. In his early years, on the very odd occasion that his parents took him anywhere, let alone outside the city limits, it was just a reminder of his return to the less than stellar home he had left behind for a few hours. As he grew older, it seemed to be taunting him, almost daring him to actually leave. His aborted cross-country trip put paid to his only real attempt at that time.
But now, as he stretched his head a little to peer over the top of the car door, from his prone position in the back seat, he found it oddly comforting. It's bright and garish colours and lettering, so long a symbol of what was wrong with Sunnydale, now filled him with warmth. It was a signal that they had survived. They'd triumphed when it had been in doubt for so long. And more to the point they were returning to their home. Returning as a big, if a little different, family unit.
His movements when stretching to see out the window was enough to wake his companion who shared the back seat with him on this trip home. Xander glanced down, as she lifted her head off his shoulder, feeling like the most fortunate man in the world.
"Sorry," he told her gently as he watched with joy as she opened her eyes. Eyes which were only gazing at him.
"Where are we?" Dawn asked a little sleepily, as she raised her head. The first thing she noticed was the smile on Xander's face. "What?" she asked, thinking that she'd woken up with a horrible bird's nest where her usually straight brown hair fell. She raised her hand and started straightening it.
Xander shook his head, and chuckled lightly. "It's fine. We just hit the outskirts of the city."
He watched her as she simply nodded, and lay her bead back down on his chest. His breathing her accompaniment as she closed her eyes. It would be so easy for Xander to lose himself in this situation. It all seemed so right. He wrapped one of his arms around her shoulder, letting it rest there as Dawn snuggled more into his body. In the last few days, since they went on that outing into the city of San Francisco, the years of separation seemed to fade away. They were once again inseparable, and he knew that Dawn felt the same.
But somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew they had things to talk about. Away from Sunnydale, away from their home, they could ignore the realities. But now that they were back, he knew that those realities would need to be faced. He was also pretty sure, that Dawn realised it as well, and she had decided that it was a talk for home, and not before hand. And even though they'd just passed through the boarder of Sunnydale, he was determined to leave it unspoken for at least another day.
He wanted nothing to disturb this.
In the corner of his eye, he could tell someone was looking at him. Glancing up he saw, just for a second, Tara's eyes move in the rear view mirror. Xander couldn't stop himself from grinning, even though Tara's eye's may have moved just in time, her smile was ample evidence that she'd been watching them, and it wasn't hidden from the reflection Xander looked upon.
He let his thoughts drift off as he lay there, feeling the closeness of Dawn, waiting for the inevitable time when they would arrive at his apartment. Far quicker than he had hoped, he felt the car come to a stop, and when Tara turned off the ignition he knew that he was home.
Buffy's suggestion of staying with them had been tempting. But even though Dawn had seemed keen on the idea, Xander had begged off. There was a path that Dawn and he had to walk if this was going to work. And since he wanted nothing more in this world for that to be so, he wasn't going to take any short cuts, or trip over himself by running to fast. No matter how enticing the end result may be.
And it wasn't as though he was incapacitated. He was more than capable of looking after himself. The Doctor's orders were to rest for two weeks. Nothing too drastic. He was certain that he wouldn't have much time alone. His dear friends would see to that. So going back to his admittedly modest apartment wasn't a problem for him. It seemed to be much more like a starting point for what is to come.
"We're here," he whispered to Dawn, lightly touching her temple with the back of his hand.
"Don't want to move," she replied adamantly, as she pressed her cheek into his chest a little bit more.
"And if I was on my couch that would be a good thing, but the back seat of my car, is not where I want to spend the night," he told her jovially.
"But I don't want to leave," Dawn told him raising her head.
"I'll be here tomorrow," he told her leaning forward and kissing her lightly on her forehead. "And I'll be fine."
Dawn pouted a little, but didn't argue further. As much as she wanted to stay with him, there was a voice in the back of her mind (that sometimes didn't sound like Buffy) telling her that going home was the best idea.
"I'm coming over in the morning," she told him adamantly, before moving herself up and opening the door to get out. She held the door open as Xander slid out beside her. He pulled himself up, his hand resting on the car, while Dawn supported his other side of his body. When he was vertical, he softy told Dawn, thanks, before turning to Willow and Tara.
"Thanks," he told them.
"We'll take Dawn home and be back with the car later," Tara said.
"No rush, guys, I'm not going anywhere," Xander told them, thinking that they would want to be getting home as well.
"True. That's why we're coming over with some take out for dinner," Willow told him. Her face told him that arguing wasn't an option.
"Okay, fine," Xander replied holding his hands up in mock surrender. He turned to Dawn who was still holing on to him. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Dawn nodded. "I'd rather stay for dinner."
"I know, but we'll have lunch tomorrow," Xander told her gently with a bit of effort.
Dawn wrapped her arms around him and held on to him tightly. Now that they were saying goodbye, it started to hit her. She'd been in his presence for over a week, and even though they were just going to be across town from one and other, it felt at that moment, that an ocean was forming between them. She pulled back after almost a minute and walked slowly backwards the few steps to the open car door, where she ducked her head and sat down in the back, closing the door behind her.
Xander could feel it too, the distance that grew between them. But he knew it was only in his head. It wasn't real. As much as part of him wanted her to stay, she was coming over tomorrow. Tomorrow. That meant a future. For a very real time, Xander didn't know if any of them would have that.
As they drove away, his eyes and Dawn's locked together, it was that very real truth that kept his heart warm.
*************
Even though part of his body still ached from the efforts in San Francisco, Xander's sleep was comfortable. It helped that he was back in his own bed. It may not be the newest, but it was what he was used to, and after the hospital beds, and the motel, he was glad to be back on his familiar comfort.
Added to that he had over ten hours sleep. Willow and Tara had not stopped for long after they'd eaten dinner. Xander could tell that they were just as tired as he was, and with a little nudging he'd given them back his car keys, and told them to keep it for now.
He slowly swung his legs out over the edge of the bed, and then lifted his back off the mattress, and stood up, stretching his back as he did. He opened his eyelids as much as possible letting the morning light chase away the last of his slumber. He stumbled slightly, his legs not yet fully working as he stepped into the bathroom, and turned on the shower. He stepped into the cavity, and closed the curtain behind him, letting the warm water rush over his body.
Closing his eyes, and enjoying the massaging effect the water had on his back, his thoughts were continuously dwelling on two matters. It bothered him that as yet they had no clear idea of what they had achieved if anything in San Francisco. They'd obviously survived, and the next night when Buffy and other patrolled the area, there was no sign of any vampires or demons. Added to that Sunnydale still seemed to be as night friendly as it was before they left. But there was no official word. The Watcher's Council for all their bluster, was an important tool of information, and as yet it had been decidedly un-helpful. Deep inside, Xander held a fear that even though they'd managed to save Buffy's life, the safety the future world had, had not been managed this time around. The thought of countless people who would lose their lives in attacks that shouldn't exist, chilled him on the few occasions he entertained that thought. It was too hard to contemplate most times, so he kept it buried. But today, being home, and with everything so right, the thought kept nagging at him.
Thankfully his contemplations were countered by his continuing thoughts on Dawn. He could feel himself making note of every minute that passed by as he waited for her arrival. But even though that part of his life seemed to be so serene, he also knew that there were realties that they both had to face. He only hoped that his idea was the right way to go about it
*********
Rising from her bed, and wishing that her parents had not been at work to answer the pounding on the door, Stacey stretched and then pulled on her bathrobe. She'd hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and after finally nodding off in the early hours of the morning, she wasn't all that appreciative of the early morning, unasked for, wake up call.
She wiped her eyes as she reached the front door, clearing away the sleep that had gathered, before she placed her hand on the doorknob, and turned it.
"Dawn!" she screamed when she saw who it was, before rushing forward and taking her best friend in a hug. "Oh my god, when did you get back?
"Last night," Dawn replied happily. "Okay, easy there solider, It's not like I went missing or anything," she added as Stacey continued to hug her.
Stacey pulled back and with a smile, she simply stated. "I'm just glad you're okay."
A frown fell on Dawn's face, as she replied. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Cause of what you went to San Francisco for," Stacey told her, signaling for Dawn to come inside.
"I just went on a little vacation with my sister and friends," Dawn responded.
Stacey rolled her eyes. "Yeah okay."
"What?" Dawn asked.
"I'm not stupid, Dawn," Stacey told her, looking straight into her eyes as she did. The meaning behind the words weren't lost on Dawn, as she suddenly became aware of Stacey's knowledge of the truth.
"Oh my god! How long have you known?" she asked.
Stacey shrugged "For a while."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Dawn replied.
"I didn't want to bother you with it," Stacey told her. "Though it was hard to keep a straight face sometimes. I mean hello, I did visit you at the magic shop all the time."
Dawn went to say something, but then paused and started laughing. "Well, I feel like an idiot."
"Well that's nothing unusual," Stacey retorted nonchalantly, before changing the subject. "So how was everything?"
"Everything is fine," Dawn told her, thinking that Stacey was asking about the battle they went through.
"And does a certain dark haired older guy fall into that explanation?" Stacey asked more straightforward. She noticed with joy that Dawn blushed a little and looked down before answering.
"Yes, Xander is in that answer."
Stacey sat down on the couch and crossed her legs under her, pulling a cushion behind her to support her back. "Good," she replied. "Now, tell me all. Don't skip on anything."
******
Xander straightened up by placing a few of the items that had been left scattered around the apartment when he left for San Francisco, back into their various places in the shelving. The problem with his place was that it was too small. That was something he needed to work on, after fixing his unemployed status. He had a life to get back to.
There was a gentle knock at the door, which turned his head. His face broke into a smile, as the door opened and he saw whom it was that had knocked. He was about to say something when Dawn looked slightly annoyed at him.
"What are you doing up?" she scolded him, rushing over and placing her arm on his to escort him back to the couch.
Xander had to chuckle a little at her response, but not for long, as he pulled slightly back on her, stopping her movements. "I'm fine," he told her, then when he noticed that she was looking at him like she didn't believe him 100 percent, he added, "I really am."
Dawn let go of his arm, and looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I worry. The Doctor said for you to rest for two weeks."
Xander reached out and grabbed her hand, lightly holding it as he ran his thumb along the back of her palm. "I'm just putting a few things away. No exertion here, honest."
There was something in his eyes that convinced Dawn, and when she had, she smiled at him, her love for him radiating from the centre of her eyes. "Good morning then."
She reached over and took him in her arms, which was quite a feat considering the difference in size, but as much as she loved being enveloped in his arms, this morning she wanted to wrap herself around him. Not the other way round.
After a moment, she let go, and just looked up at his face, enjoying being with him. Nothing more. Nothing less.
"So what did you want to do today?" she asked him after a moment.
"Well as thrilling as it is, and considering that I am supposed to be resting," Xander started dragging his answer out.
"Yes?" Dawn broke in, feigning impatience.
"Lets go out for a late breakfast, and spend the day together. Get to know each other again."
"I know you," Dawn replied.
"And I know you as well, but I want to know you more," Xander told her. "I want to fall in love with you again. Does that make sense?"
Dawn smiled at him again. It was so inviting that Xander could feel nothing but the strongest warmth behind it again. "And I want to fall for you again. Without the crush."
"Good," Xander agreed. "Should we go now?"
"Sure," Dawn responded, holding onto his hand, as he picked up the keys in his other hand and walked to the door, Dawn following him. He opened it and let her through first, stopping to close and lock it behind him.
"You know, I always though the crush was cute," Xander teased her, as he turned back around, moving a step away from her expected playful slap.
"Not fair, I can't hit an injured person," Dawn replied laughing, as she stepped back in line with him, and re-took his hand. "Besides, according to Stacey, you were the one crushing on me the last few months," she added with a grin, smiling even more when she realised that Xander wasn't going to deny it.
*****
Everyone's attention turned as Xander and Dawn walked into the Magic Shop, the door closing behind them, with the usual tingle of the doorbell as accompaniment.
They hadn't had much of their day cut short, as they had been on their way back to Xander's apartment when they got the call from Buffy that there was going to me a meeting. There was no annoyance in being summoned, although they both did wonder what was so important, and even though he hadn't mentioned it, Xander feared that it was bad news. The day had gone so well, that his internal pessimist radar was on full scope at present.
They walked over together, hands lightly clasped, with a few of their fingers intertwined. As they took a seat, Xander looked around the room, noticing that everyone that had stopped in Sunnydale for the night was there. Giles and Wesley looked serious. Buffy, Willow and Tara were waiting expectantly, and Cordelia sat a little off to the side of them. Fred and Gunn had accompanied Angel and Lorne back to LA the day before.
"Well, now that the lovebirds are back," Buffy commented looking slyly at the two of them. Xander blushed at what he was sure would be the first of many little gibes directed at him and Dawn. He could tell that Dawn didn't see the funny side of it, as she simply glared at her sister, who was doing her best impersonation of Miss Innocence in return. The others, including even Giles and Wesley all seemed to be smiling. Something that Xander admitted to himself made him feel a little less tense about the news that they had to deliver.
Her fun over, Buffy turned to face the two Englishmen. "So what's the what?" she asked.
Xander's worries, and he assumed most of the groups, weren't eased at all when both Giles and Wesley looked at each other, as if they couldn't make up their mind on who should speak first. Finally after what had seemed like an eternity, even if it was only a few seconds Giles spoke.
"Well, the good news is that it looks like we succeeded," Giles told her.
Buffy's mood improved almost immediately. "Really, you're sure?"
"It does look that way. From what the council has been able to ascertain, the Hellmouth for all intensive purposes, is closed."
Buffy seemed like she was about to jump for joy, figuratively, if not literally, but something was telling her there was a 'but' still unsaid. "And?"
"And, well it seems as though vampires and the like will no longer be a danger or even be seen." Wesley added.
"Okay, guys there is something else, cause so far it's all been good, but you are still hesitating," Buffy asked. "And if there isn't then I would like to start the celebration."
Giles nodded his head slightly. "There is some doubt to it all. There is obviously no way of monitoring the other end of the Hellmouth, but suffice it to say that no-one is expecting the forces that rule that dimension will simply stop from trying to break through into ours. It could be weeks, months, maybe years, but sometime in the future, maybe the long distant future after we have all passed, but sometime they will probably succeed."
Xander could feel himself tensing as Giles spoke these words, and then as if she knew what was happening he could feel Dawn lightly squeezing his hand, letting him know that she was there with him. He felt himself ease down slightly as he waited for more information.
Buffy thought about what he'd said for a moment, her elation at success falling a little, till she remembered something. "But didn't Xander say that the world was a safer place in the future. Five years after, it was still vampy free?" She looked over to Xander for re-assurance, and he felt a little inadequate to be able to only give a nod in return.
"But how we stopped that realities Hellmouth was different, something, and we have no guarantee that this was as successful," Wesley answered.
"But," Giles countered, not wanting to alarm the group more than they had already done, "we also may have been eminently more successful."
"So we either did really well, or just good enough for a while?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, quite," Wesley replied, knowing that in reality they had no concrete proof of anything.
"But all the vampires, they just well died," Buffy pointed out, wishing that she had a better word to use instead of saying that a dead thing, died.
"Well it is all theory of course, but according to the council's researchers, the Hellmouth wasn't just a portal to another dimension. It also in a very real way was the lifeblood to the vampires, and a lot of the demons that inhabited earth. That is why so many were attracted to it," Wesley told her.
"But, aren't there are vampires and demons world wide?" Buffy responded.
"It is true that vampires and demons do survive world wide," Giles answered. "The 'evil' that the Hellmouth spewed out, affected the whole of the earth. This may have been its strongest point, but its affects were felt in every corner of the globe."
"So what happened to all the vampires?" Xander asked, feeling the need to get a definitive answer.
"Well it is of course all supposition," Wesley answered as if he had to protect his reputation in case it turned out to be incorrect. "But without the Hellmouth to 'feed' them, the demons had no hold on the corpses they inhabited, and they eventually crumbled to dust."
"Angel," Buffy softly said.
"Yes," Giles replied, taking his glassed off and rubbing his nose. "It seems that the powers that be had very good timing on that little transformation." He gave Buffy a sympathetic grin. "I don't think that was a co-incidence"
"No," Buffy replied. Her heart may not belong to Angel anymore, but she couldn't deny that she was happy to know that he had a life to lead now. "But what about Lorne?"
"Lorne is from another dimension to the Hellmouth, so are other demons. Not all friendly by any means, but on the whole, not your 'take over the world' types either. They will live on as always," Wesley answered.
"It's over?" Buffy whispered the thought of her duty being finished hitting her as she spoke the words. She looked over to her friends who all seemed to be grasping the enormity of what that not only meant to the world, but to Buffy specifically.
Giles walked over and wrapped a protective arm around the girl he considered a daughter. "There will always be evil in the world, Buffy. Whether it is human, or demon, the world isn't all flowers and sunshine. But the threats we faced over the last ten years are gone."
"It's over," She said looking up into his face, searching for the final piece of confirmation to that news.
Giles smiled back, telling her gently. "Yes, I do think it is."
It was then that another thought entered Buffy's mind.
"So what now?"
Giles shrugged a little, but with a small smile answered. "Who knows. The future is yet to be written."
The scope of what had just been said hit them all in different ways. For the most part it was unbridled joy. Tara, Willow and Cordelia all hugged, before Wesley came over and wrapped his arms around Cordelia, and Willow and Tara simply rasped each other again. Sitting to the side, Dawn looked up at Xander, and could see a tear falling from his eye.
"Xan?" she asked softly reaching up and wiping the tear away gently with the back of her fingers.
Looking at her in front of him, Xander knew that it was over. The fear, the burden and the guilt were behind him. He no longer knew what was to come. It was all new. All to be enjoyed, and all to experience. Leaning down, he pulled Dawn closer to him, kissing her lightly on her lips, before holding her tight.
He knew exactly what he had to do.
*****
Xander woke energised the next day. Sure his body still ached a little, and he had important things to do today, but it was for that reason that he felt so alive. He stretched a little gingerly, not wanting to aggravate any of the still tender parts of his body, he was halted in mid-stretch by a knock at his door. Glancing over at the wall clock to make sure that he wasn't totally out with his time frame, he was reassured to see it was only nine a.m. Still he hadn't expected anyone to come around this morning, though if it was who he thought it would be, he wasn't going to he unhappy with that occurrence.
Opening the door it wasn't the brunette that he was expecting, but a very welcome one in any matter.
"Hey."
Cordelia walked in with an air of grace she'd seemed to be born with, and as she passed him she reached up slightly to kiss him on the cheek. "You're looking well," she told him warmly, as they walked over to the lounge to sit.
"I feel fine, but I've been told to rest for a couple of weeks, so resting I am," Xander replied.
"And if you tried to do too much, I have a feeling that Dawn would kick your ass," Cordelia responded, grinning as she lightly emphasized 'Dawn'.
"You're having much too much fun with my love life, Cordy," Xander replied with a grin that showed that he was only kidding.
"Yes, I am. But come on, can't you see the possibilities," Cordelia continued. Then with a sly grin she added. "I'm sure Buffy has."
Xander shook his head, chuckling. "You're evil."
"Well we've always known that," Cordelia counted, before getting a little serious. "How's it all going anyway?"
He couldn't help but grin, as he thought of his response. "It's great, better that I had dared to dream."
"I'm glad," Cordelia told him.
Xander nodded, but could see there was some indecision on her part. He couldn't be sure, but it looked like she wanted to say something more. And if Cordy was hedging her words, it was obviously serious.
"What is it?" Xander asked.
He watched as Cordelia bit her lip, before speaking. "Have you talked to Anne?"
It wasn't as though Xander had forgotten his friend from Los Angeles, but at that moment he was ashamed to admit that she hadn't entered his thoughts for a while.
"No, not since I came back to Sunnydale," Xander admitted guiltily.
Cordelia tilted her head slightly. "I ran into her, just before you came down to get us a few weeks ago."
"You did?" Xander asked surprised that he hadn't heard about it before.
"There just didn't seem a right time to mention it, and well...with everything else," Cordelia answered, opening her hands as she spoke.
Xander knew what Cordelia was saying. He also knew that it was up to him, not her to answer. "I'll call her tonight," Xander told her.
"You don't think you should go and see her?" Cordelia continued.
Shaking his head, Xander disagreed. "No, I need to tell her now. I promised that I would, once it was all sorted out."
At those words, Cordelia nodded. "Yeah, but I don't think she was wishing for what you will be telling her."
"I know," Xander replied softly.
Cordelia once again nodded at Xander's words, but after a moment she took a breath, and moved on. "Well, I have to get back and pack. We're heading back to LA tonight."
"Already?" Xander asked surprised.
"You'll miss me, I'm touched," Cordelia answered sarcastically.
"Can it Cordy, you know that I will," Xander replied seriously.
"I know, and I'll miss you as well," Cordelia replied, pausing after, then adding. "Were we close in the future?"
"Yeah, we were," Xander answered smiling at his old school girlfriend.
"That sounds nice," Cordelia added almost wistfully.
"You'll give my best to Wesley and all the others."
"Even Angel?" Cordelia asked as her eyebrows raised.
"He's not my favourite person and truth be told, he never will be. There's too much between us," Xander told her. "But, he's looking for a reason to everything right now. I can sympathise, so yeah, give my best to him as well."
Cordelia smiled. As much as she cared about the souled vampire, she knew that Xander would never feel the same. But it made her feel happy that there was something other than anger in her friend's heart. "I will."
"Besides, I plan on visiting you every now and again, so I should get used to him being around," Xander told her, his tone back to it's usual mixture of sarcasm and insincerity.
Rolling her eyes, Cordelia countered. "So what did I do to deserve this honour?"
"Don't know, still trying to work that one out," Xander responded straight-faced.
"So, will a certain brunette close relative of the slayer be accompanying you?" Cordelia teased, fighting back with her own brand of teasing.
"We shall see," Xander replied honestly, before moving forward and taking Cordelia in a hug.
*****
Walking up the path that he'd done on many occasions in the last few months, Xander couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at what he had decided to do. He didn't think that she would say no. In fact he was sure she wouldn't. But it was a huge part of his life that he was putting behind him, and as such it still weighed on his mind, even though he'd decided days ago to do this.
He lightly rapped his knuckles across the doorframe, and stood waiting for one of his friends to answer it. Which wasn't long, as within a few seconds the wooden door opened to the smiling face of one of his best friends.
"Xander! What are you doing here?" Tara asked obviously not expecting him.
"Umm...I needed to ask you something," Xander replied.
"What?" Tara responded. She then opened the door further, and signaled for him to come in, leaning up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek as he passed. She noticed that he was carrying a bag with him, but thought nothing of it. What was surprising to her was that he was mere hours from his date, a date that it was safe to say had been the culmination of one of his dreams, he was instead at her place, looking a little worried.
She closed the door behind him and walked behind, following Xander as he went straight to the living room. He'd been over to Willow and her place so often in the previous months, that there was no ceremony that either of them felt a need to wait for.
Once he'd sat, Tara took her seat next to him and waited for Xander to say something.
"I want you to keep this," Xander finally told her after a few seconds. He reached out and thrust his bag that he'd been carrying to her. Tara glanced quickly up to his face, seeing no humour there. Whatever it was that he was asking was deadly serious to him.
When she took the bag from him, she gave Xander a nod, and then he sat back, waiting for her to open it.
Untying the drawstring, she reached inside and pulled out the book, knowing as she did exactly what it was she was holding. She'd seen it and read it a number of times before, but for the moment she was lost as to why he was handing it over to her. She gently placed it down on her lap, then looked up at him once more.
"Your journal?" she simply said.
Xander nodded. "Is that okay?"
"Of course it is, Xander. But why?" Tara gently probed.
"I have to let it go," he replied softly. "But I just can't throw it away."
"Of course you can't," Tara responded seeing the quiet determination on Xander's face. "But don't you want to keep it with you?"
Shaking his head from side to side slowly, Xander answered. "It's not fair to Dawn," he told her. "Or me."
Tara understood what he was getting at. The shadow of his relationship with Dawn in the future had been something that she herself had wondered about on numerous occasions. While he had obviously developed an unmistakable bond to her, even Xander had told her that he needed to separate the two of them. Tara had agreed and knew this to be true if he wanted to have any future with the eighteen-year-old he was in love with.
"Dawn didn't tell you..." Tara started, but was quickly silenced by another shake of Xander's head.
"No. She never would, never has. She doesn't know about this. It's something that I need to do, it's just...I can't throw it away," Xander told her.
"Of course you can't," Tara replied. Her mouth broke into a grin as she felt a warm glow in her heart. The fact that he'd trusted her with this task meant a great deal to her. "I'll keep it safe," she told him.
"Do you know how much you mean to me?" Xander told her. "I mean, I always liked you, but..."
Tara put her hand on his shoulder. "I know, sweetie."
Xander smiled at her, nodding his head. He'd never had a sister, and didn't know what it would've been like, but he could never imagine it feeling any better than he felt when he could talk to Tara.
*****
Buffy looked up from her magazine when she heard someone walking down the steps. She had been ordered away from Dawn's bedroom, and Stacey had been the only one allowed in. Though Buffy had a feeling that the decision had more to do with her little jokes about Dawn doing herself up for Xander than any grooming skills Stacey might have.
She didn't dislike the idea of Xander dating her sister, or her sister dating Xander. In fact, when she really thought about it, she loved them both and that was a heck of a lot better than nearly any other perspective partners they might find. But that didn't stop her from using her knowledge of both of them to her own advantage. After all, what fun would there be if a big sister couldn't have a laugh at her younger sister's expense.
She saw that it was Stacey who had emerged from upstairs first. "How's she doing?"
"She's okay, and really nervous at the same time," Stacey told her as she reached the bottom of the steps.
"She's been with Xander for most of the last two weeks, why is she so nervous?" Buffy asked.
"Because," Dawn answered as she stepped on to the staircase. "This is our first date. It's important."
"And the other times you went out?" Buffy questioned.
"That was Xander and I, getting to know each other again," Dawn replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Okay..." Buffy responded, leaving it hanging.
"We're taking it slowly, Buffy. Tonight's our first date," Dawn told her, and immediately Buffy could see the seriousness in her eyes.
"I know," Buffy told her. She understood why it was so special to Dawn and Xander tonight. "And I'm glad you're taking it slowly. So I expect you home tonight."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Yes, I will be home tonight. But If I'm not, don't read into that, okay? I have my mobile if you need to contact me."
"It's not that I worry, it's just that..."
"You worry," Dawn filled in for Buffy. "I know you do, and that's sweet, it really is. But Buffy, you remember when he kissed me that night in San Francisco?"
Buffy nodded, casting a glance at Stacey wondering if Dawn should be talking about it.
"Well that's the last time he kissed me. I mean really kissed me," Dawn told her. "We're taking things slow, I know, but if Xander doesn't get out of first gear, I might have to jump on him," she added, with a smile. She knew Buffy would just hate the visual she'd just given her.
Stacey giggled a little, and even Buffy had to laugh. "So Xander's being a gentleman."
Her lips curled at the end, as she couldn't stop smiling with pride as she admitted, "yeah, he is."
"As he should be," Buffy agreed. She just felt like mothering her little sister for a bit.
****
Across town, the other half of this momentous night was straightening up his jacket in the mirror, before turning to face his own personal pep squad. He opened his arms in an unspoken question.
"Yes, you look good," Tara told him, walking over and flicking a loose thread off his jacket.
"You look fine," Willow added. "Where are you going to tonight?"
"I've booked reservations at Gulio's for dinner, then there is a summer concert in the park that starts at 9.00pm, and it looks like a good night for it."
Willow shook her head at the thought of it. "It still sounds strange to hear that Sunnydale is having events like that at night."
"The place is night friendly now, Will. And I for one want to take advantage of it," Xander replied, finally finished fussing with his clothes. "Okay?"
"Yes, Xander you look fine," Tara replied, wondering if Dawn was this much of a worrywart tonight. "Everything is okay with you two, isn't it?"
"Yeah, everything is really good," Xander replied.
****
"Xander's here," Stacey called out, as she saw Xander pull up outside the house. Dawn and Buffy came out from the kitchen on her words, Stacey not missing the fact that Buffy was carrying a camera.
"No, Buffy, not tonight," Dawn told her.
"Just one," Buffy replied, equally as adamant.
Dawn shook her head and muttered, "Sisters," before taking a breath and reaching for the front door. She opened it to find Xander standing there, holding a bouquet of flowers. She immediately noticed that he'd worn the jacket she'd picked out for him on one of their shopping days last week. She'd liked the look of it then and now seeing it on him she couldn't help but like it even more. She thought that he looked great, but then she'd always thought so, even during his questionable clothing years.
"Hi," she told him.
"These are for you," he told her, handing the flowers to her, and then reaching down and kissing her on the cheek. "You look wonderful," he told her, appreciating the black dress she was wearing. He couldn't fail to notice the smell of perfume as he kissed her cheek. It was a pleasant inviting one, and definitely hit his senses in the right way.
"Thanks. I'll just put these in water," Dawn told him, as they walked back inside.
Xander watched as Stacey joined Dawn and they took the flowers over to kitchen to find a vase for them.
"So, looking good, Xander," he heard from behind him, not that he needed sight to recognise the voice.
"Hey Buffy," he greeted her warmly, giving her a hug when she came forward. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Buffy replied, before almost blurting out, "you know if you..."
Xander held up his hands in surrender. "I know okay," he told her, as if he'd been expecting it.
Buffy softened considerably and even looked a little guilty. "I'm sorry, it's just that she's my sister, and you're one of my best friends, and it's a little weird."
Xander could understand that, and didn't want to haul Buffy over the coals for her over-protectiveness, but needed to tell her something. "Buffy, I love and respect Dawn, and I also happen to love and respect her sister,' he told her, knowing that she would understand exactly what he was saying.
When Buffy nodded in return, he knew that she did.
"So, how are you really?" Xander asked.
"She's fine," Dawn answered for her sister, keen to get out of there before Buffy got snappy happy.
"Yes, I am," Buffy replied. There would be plenty of time to catch up with Xander. This was Dawn and his night. She cast a glance towards Dawn. "And I want to take a picture before you go," she added picking up the camera from beside her.
"Okay," Xander replied, before seeing the look of shock on Dawn's face. He reached over and took her hand as she came towards him. "I'd like a picture of us to have at home."
Dawn smiled, and agreed. She stood a few inches in front of Xander, leaning back slightly, as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. She couldn't help herself, closing her eyes for a few seconds to simply enjoy the feeling of his body on hers. Her own personal nirvana was broken by Buffy's voice.
"Eye's Dawn,"
As she opened her eyes, Xander whispered, just loud enough for only her to hear, "Love you." It was enough to make her smile widen, and as the flash lit, both of them were caught in a pose that only signified the way they felt for each other.
After they had said goodbye to Buffy and Stacey, they walked outside, while the other two watched from the window.
Xander reached the passenger door and opened it, but before Dawn could get in, he lightly touched her on the shoulder, and then cupping her cheeks gently with both hands he leant down and kissed her. He hadn't planned on doing so, but the moment just seemed like it was right, and judging by the enthusiastic response from Dawn, as her arms wrapped around his body pulling him closer, he knew that he'd done the right thing.
After some time, they both hadn't taken any notice, they broke apart, and then Dawn simply got in her side of the Xander's car, and Xander closed the door behind her. He then walked around to the other side and got into the driver's seat, closing his door after he's sat down.
From the window Buffy and Stacey watched as they drove off. Each of them had squealed a little when Xander had kissed Dawn, though Buffy had to admit that Stacey clearly won the award for acting happy this time around. She couldn't however disregard the total and overwhelming feeling of happiness she felt as she watched two of the people most dear to her, head off on their special night.
"They looked very happy," Stacey replied.
"Yeah they did," Buffy replied, taking a last look down the road, where the car had last been seen, before she pulled on the curtains, letting them fall into place.
"They're writing their own future," Buffy said softly to herself, as the curtains touched in the middle.
The End
Dedicated to -
Adrena for her dearest friendship and beta reading skills, and Jewel for the original spark.
My sincerest gratitude to the following people for reviewing the story. Each one of your reviews was very gratefully received -
Calen, Rob Clark, Chorltond, Bolo, Stone Cold, David, Bruce McBurney, Cynthia, Red Jacaboson, Rick Seiber, David Naumowicz, Scott, Nathan Postmark, Reed, Roeure, Amelia, Bolo, DrunkenFairy, Puguita, Drake Roberts, Furious George, Scott Timms, Bill Haden, Eirwinrommel, Erin and Jamie Brinkman, Vegakeep, Franger, Ejot, Tpk757, AngelaM, Geoof, Levi Truelove, Niki, Talbot, Michael, Morpheus, Jed, Ghostrider, TopQuark, Eckles 71, jmchau, Teri, Emma Bruty, Monicka, Darklight, paradox761, Tommy Chen, Jared, Coffee, Mystic, IceWing, Elder, Knifehand, Drednax.
The 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign had never meant a lot to Xander. In his early years, on the very odd occasion that his parents took him anywhere, let alone outside the city limits, it was just a reminder of his return to the less than stellar home he had left behind for a few hours. As he grew older, it seemed to be taunting him, almost daring him to actually leave. His aborted cross-country trip put paid to his only real attempt at that time.
But now, as he stretched his head a little to peer over the top of the car door, from his prone position in the back seat, he found it oddly comforting. It's bright and garish colours and lettering, so long a symbol of what was wrong with Sunnydale, now filled him with warmth. It was a signal that they had survived. They'd triumphed when it had been in doubt for so long. And more to the point they were returning to their home. Returning as a big, if a little different, family unit.
His movements when stretching to see out the window was enough to wake his companion who shared the back seat with him on this trip home. Xander glanced down, as she lifted her head off his shoulder, feeling like the most fortunate man in the world.
"Sorry," he told her gently as he watched with joy as she opened her eyes. Eyes which were only gazing at him.
"Where are we?" Dawn asked a little sleepily, as she raised her head. The first thing she noticed was the smile on Xander's face. "What?" she asked, thinking that she'd woken up with a horrible bird's nest where her usually straight brown hair fell. She raised her hand and started straightening it.
Xander shook his head, and chuckled lightly. "It's fine. We just hit the outskirts of the city."
He watched her as she simply nodded, and lay her bead back down on his chest. His breathing her accompaniment as she closed her eyes. It would be so easy for Xander to lose himself in this situation. It all seemed so right. He wrapped one of his arms around her shoulder, letting it rest there as Dawn snuggled more into his body. In the last few days, since they went on that outing into the city of San Francisco, the years of separation seemed to fade away. They were once again inseparable, and he knew that Dawn felt the same.
But somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew they had things to talk about. Away from Sunnydale, away from their home, they could ignore the realities. But now that they were back, he knew that those realities would need to be faced. He was also pretty sure, that Dawn realised it as well, and she had decided that it was a talk for home, and not before hand. And even though they'd just passed through the boarder of Sunnydale, he was determined to leave it unspoken for at least another day.
He wanted nothing to disturb this.
In the corner of his eye, he could tell someone was looking at him. Glancing up he saw, just for a second, Tara's eyes move in the rear view mirror. Xander couldn't stop himself from grinning, even though Tara's eye's may have moved just in time, her smile was ample evidence that she'd been watching them, and it wasn't hidden from the reflection Xander looked upon.
He let his thoughts drift off as he lay there, feeling the closeness of Dawn, waiting for the inevitable time when they would arrive at his apartment. Far quicker than he had hoped, he felt the car come to a stop, and when Tara turned off the ignition he knew that he was home.
Buffy's suggestion of staying with them had been tempting. But even though Dawn had seemed keen on the idea, Xander had begged off. There was a path that Dawn and he had to walk if this was going to work. And since he wanted nothing more in this world for that to be so, he wasn't going to take any short cuts, or trip over himself by running to fast. No matter how enticing the end result may be.
And it wasn't as though he was incapacitated. He was more than capable of looking after himself. The Doctor's orders were to rest for two weeks. Nothing too drastic. He was certain that he wouldn't have much time alone. His dear friends would see to that. So going back to his admittedly modest apartment wasn't a problem for him. It seemed to be much more like a starting point for what is to come.
"We're here," he whispered to Dawn, lightly touching her temple with the back of his hand.
"Don't want to move," she replied adamantly, as she pressed her cheek into his chest a little bit more.
"And if I was on my couch that would be a good thing, but the back seat of my car, is not where I want to spend the night," he told her jovially.
"But I don't want to leave," Dawn told him raising her head.
"I'll be here tomorrow," he told her leaning forward and kissing her lightly on her forehead. "And I'll be fine."
Dawn pouted a little, but didn't argue further. As much as she wanted to stay with him, there was a voice in the back of her mind (that sometimes didn't sound like Buffy) telling her that going home was the best idea.
"I'm coming over in the morning," she told him adamantly, before moving herself up and opening the door to get out. She held the door open as Xander slid out beside her. He pulled himself up, his hand resting on the car, while Dawn supported his other side of his body. When he was vertical, he softy told Dawn, thanks, before turning to Willow and Tara.
"Thanks," he told them.
"We'll take Dawn home and be back with the car later," Tara said.
"No rush, guys, I'm not going anywhere," Xander told them, thinking that they would want to be getting home as well.
"True. That's why we're coming over with some take out for dinner," Willow told him. Her face told him that arguing wasn't an option.
"Okay, fine," Xander replied holding his hands up in mock surrender. He turned to Dawn who was still holing on to him. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Dawn nodded. "I'd rather stay for dinner."
"I know, but we'll have lunch tomorrow," Xander told her gently with a bit of effort.
Dawn wrapped her arms around him and held on to him tightly. Now that they were saying goodbye, it started to hit her. She'd been in his presence for over a week, and even though they were just going to be across town from one and other, it felt at that moment, that an ocean was forming between them. She pulled back after almost a minute and walked slowly backwards the few steps to the open car door, where she ducked her head and sat down in the back, closing the door behind her.
Xander could feel it too, the distance that grew between them. But he knew it was only in his head. It wasn't real. As much as part of him wanted her to stay, she was coming over tomorrow. Tomorrow. That meant a future. For a very real time, Xander didn't know if any of them would have that.
As they drove away, his eyes and Dawn's locked together, it was that very real truth that kept his heart warm.
*************
Even though part of his body still ached from the efforts in San Francisco, Xander's sleep was comfortable. It helped that he was back in his own bed. It may not be the newest, but it was what he was used to, and after the hospital beds, and the motel, he was glad to be back on his familiar comfort.
Added to that he had over ten hours sleep. Willow and Tara had not stopped for long after they'd eaten dinner. Xander could tell that they were just as tired as he was, and with a little nudging he'd given them back his car keys, and told them to keep it for now.
He slowly swung his legs out over the edge of the bed, and then lifted his back off the mattress, and stood up, stretching his back as he did. He opened his eyelids as much as possible letting the morning light chase away the last of his slumber. He stumbled slightly, his legs not yet fully working as he stepped into the bathroom, and turned on the shower. He stepped into the cavity, and closed the curtain behind him, letting the warm water rush over his body.
Closing his eyes, and enjoying the massaging effect the water had on his back, his thoughts were continuously dwelling on two matters. It bothered him that as yet they had no clear idea of what they had achieved if anything in San Francisco. They'd obviously survived, and the next night when Buffy and other patrolled the area, there was no sign of any vampires or demons. Added to that Sunnydale still seemed to be as night friendly as it was before they left. But there was no official word. The Watcher's Council for all their bluster, was an important tool of information, and as yet it had been decidedly un-helpful. Deep inside, Xander held a fear that even though they'd managed to save Buffy's life, the safety the future world had, had not been managed this time around. The thought of countless people who would lose their lives in attacks that shouldn't exist, chilled him on the few occasions he entertained that thought. It was too hard to contemplate most times, so he kept it buried. But today, being home, and with everything so right, the thought kept nagging at him.
Thankfully his contemplations were countered by his continuing thoughts on Dawn. He could feel himself making note of every minute that passed by as he waited for her arrival. But even though that part of his life seemed to be so serene, he also knew that there were realties that they both had to face. He only hoped that his idea was the right way to go about it
*********
Rising from her bed, and wishing that her parents had not been at work to answer the pounding on the door, Stacey stretched and then pulled on her bathrobe. She'd hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and after finally nodding off in the early hours of the morning, she wasn't all that appreciative of the early morning, unasked for, wake up call.
She wiped her eyes as she reached the front door, clearing away the sleep that had gathered, before she placed her hand on the doorknob, and turned it.
"Dawn!" she screamed when she saw who it was, before rushing forward and taking her best friend in a hug. "Oh my god, when did you get back?
"Last night," Dawn replied happily. "Okay, easy there solider, It's not like I went missing or anything," she added as Stacey continued to hug her.
Stacey pulled back and with a smile, she simply stated. "I'm just glad you're okay."
A frown fell on Dawn's face, as she replied. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Cause of what you went to San Francisco for," Stacey told her, signaling for Dawn to come inside.
"I just went on a little vacation with my sister and friends," Dawn responded.
Stacey rolled her eyes. "Yeah okay."
"What?" Dawn asked.
"I'm not stupid, Dawn," Stacey told her, looking straight into her eyes as she did. The meaning behind the words weren't lost on Dawn, as she suddenly became aware of Stacey's knowledge of the truth.
"Oh my god! How long have you known?" she asked.
Stacey shrugged "For a while."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Dawn replied.
"I didn't want to bother you with it," Stacey told her. "Though it was hard to keep a straight face sometimes. I mean hello, I did visit you at the magic shop all the time."
Dawn went to say something, but then paused and started laughing. "Well, I feel like an idiot."
"Well that's nothing unusual," Stacey retorted nonchalantly, before changing the subject. "So how was everything?"
"Everything is fine," Dawn told her, thinking that Stacey was asking about the battle they went through.
"And does a certain dark haired older guy fall into that explanation?" Stacey asked more straightforward. She noticed with joy that Dawn blushed a little and looked down before answering.
"Yes, Xander is in that answer."
Stacey sat down on the couch and crossed her legs under her, pulling a cushion behind her to support her back. "Good," she replied. "Now, tell me all. Don't skip on anything."
******
Xander straightened up by placing a few of the items that had been left scattered around the apartment when he left for San Francisco, back into their various places in the shelving. The problem with his place was that it was too small. That was something he needed to work on, after fixing his unemployed status. He had a life to get back to.
There was a gentle knock at the door, which turned his head. His face broke into a smile, as the door opened and he saw whom it was that had knocked. He was about to say something when Dawn looked slightly annoyed at him.
"What are you doing up?" she scolded him, rushing over and placing her arm on his to escort him back to the couch.
Xander had to chuckle a little at her response, but not for long, as he pulled slightly back on her, stopping her movements. "I'm fine," he told her, then when he noticed that she was looking at him like she didn't believe him 100 percent, he added, "I really am."
Dawn let go of his arm, and looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I worry. The Doctor said for you to rest for two weeks."
Xander reached out and grabbed her hand, lightly holding it as he ran his thumb along the back of her palm. "I'm just putting a few things away. No exertion here, honest."
There was something in his eyes that convinced Dawn, and when she had, she smiled at him, her love for him radiating from the centre of her eyes. "Good morning then."
She reached over and took him in her arms, which was quite a feat considering the difference in size, but as much as she loved being enveloped in his arms, this morning she wanted to wrap herself around him. Not the other way round.
After a moment, she let go, and just looked up at his face, enjoying being with him. Nothing more. Nothing less.
"So what did you want to do today?" she asked him after a moment.
"Well as thrilling as it is, and considering that I am supposed to be resting," Xander started dragging his answer out.
"Yes?" Dawn broke in, feigning impatience.
"Lets go out for a late breakfast, and spend the day together. Get to know each other again."
"I know you," Dawn replied.
"And I know you as well, but I want to know you more," Xander told her. "I want to fall in love with you again. Does that make sense?"
Dawn smiled at him again. It was so inviting that Xander could feel nothing but the strongest warmth behind it again. "And I want to fall for you again. Without the crush."
"Good," Xander agreed. "Should we go now?"
"Sure," Dawn responded, holding onto his hand, as he picked up the keys in his other hand and walked to the door, Dawn following him. He opened it and let her through first, stopping to close and lock it behind him.
"You know, I always though the crush was cute," Xander teased her, as he turned back around, moving a step away from her expected playful slap.
"Not fair, I can't hit an injured person," Dawn replied laughing, as she stepped back in line with him, and re-took his hand. "Besides, according to Stacey, you were the one crushing on me the last few months," she added with a grin, smiling even more when she realised that Xander wasn't going to deny it.
*****
Everyone's attention turned as Xander and Dawn walked into the Magic Shop, the door closing behind them, with the usual tingle of the doorbell as accompaniment.
They hadn't had much of their day cut short, as they had been on their way back to Xander's apartment when they got the call from Buffy that there was going to me a meeting. There was no annoyance in being summoned, although they both did wonder what was so important, and even though he hadn't mentioned it, Xander feared that it was bad news. The day had gone so well, that his internal pessimist radar was on full scope at present.
They walked over together, hands lightly clasped, with a few of their fingers intertwined. As they took a seat, Xander looked around the room, noticing that everyone that had stopped in Sunnydale for the night was there. Giles and Wesley looked serious. Buffy, Willow and Tara were waiting expectantly, and Cordelia sat a little off to the side of them. Fred and Gunn had accompanied Angel and Lorne back to LA the day before.
"Well, now that the lovebirds are back," Buffy commented looking slyly at the two of them. Xander blushed at what he was sure would be the first of many little gibes directed at him and Dawn. He could tell that Dawn didn't see the funny side of it, as she simply glared at her sister, who was doing her best impersonation of Miss Innocence in return. The others, including even Giles and Wesley all seemed to be smiling. Something that Xander admitted to himself made him feel a little less tense about the news that they had to deliver.
Her fun over, Buffy turned to face the two Englishmen. "So what's the what?" she asked.
Xander's worries, and he assumed most of the groups, weren't eased at all when both Giles and Wesley looked at each other, as if they couldn't make up their mind on who should speak first. Finally after what had seemed like an eternity, even if it was only a few seconds Giles spoke.
"Well, the good news is that it looks like we succeeded," Giles told her.
Buffy's mood improved almost immediately. "Really, you're sure?"
"It does look that way. From what the council has been able to ascertain, the Hellmouth for all intensive purposes, is closed."
Buffy seemed like she was about to jump for joy, figuratively, if not literally, but something was telling her there was a 'but' still unsaid. "And?"
"And, well it seems as though vampires and the like will no longer be a danger or even be seen." Wesley added.
"Okay, guys there is something else, cause so far it's all been good, but you are still hesitating," Buffy asked. "And if there isn't then I would like to start the celebration."
Giles nodded his head slightly. "There is some doubt to it all. There is obviously no way of monitoring the other end of the Hellmouth, but suffice it to say that no-one is expecting the forces that rule that dimension will simply stop from trying to break through into ours. It could be weeks, months, maybe years, but sometime in the future, maybe the long distant future after we have all passed, but sometime they will probably succeed."
Xander could feel himself tensing as Giles spoke these words, and then as if she knew what was happening he could feel Dawn lightly squeezing his hand, letting him know that she was there with him. He felt himself ease down slightly as he waited for more information.
Buffy thought about what he'd said for a moment, her elation at success falling a little, till she remembered something. "But didn't Xander say that the world was a safer place in the future. Five years after, it was still vampy free?" She looked over to Xander for re-assurance, and he felt a little inadequate to be able to only give a nod in return.
"But how we stopped that realities Hellmouth was different, something, and we have no guarantee that this was as successful," Wesley answered.
"But," Giles countered, not wanting to alarm the group more than they had already done, "we also may have been eminently more successful."
"So we either did really well, or just good enough for a while?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, quite," Wesley replied, knowing that in reality they had no concrete proof of anything.
"But all the vampires, they just well died," Buffy pointed out, wishing that she had a better word to use instead of saying that a dead thing, died.
"Well it is all theory of course, but according to the council's researchers, the Hellmouth wasn't just a portal to another dimension. It also in a very real way was the lifeblood to the vampires, and a lot of the demons that inhabited earth. That is why so many were attracted to it," Wesley told her.
"But, aren't there are vampires and demons world wide?" Buffy responded.
"It is true that vampires and demons do survive world wide," Giles answered. "The 'evil' that the Hellmouth spewed out, affected the whole of the earth. This may have been its strongest point, but its affects were felt in every corner of the globe."
"So what happened to all the vampires?" Xander asked, feeling the need to get a definitive answer.
"Well it is of course all supposition," Wesley answered as if he had to protect his reputation in case it turned out to be incorrect. "But without the Hellmouth to 'feed' them, the demons had no hold on the corpses they inhabited, and they eventually crumbled to dust."
"Angel," Buffy softly said.
"Yes," Giles replied, taking his glassed off and rubbing his nose. "It seems that the powers that be had very good timing on that little transformation." He gave Buffy a sympathetic grin. "I don't think that was a co-incidence"
"No," Buffy replied. Her heart may not belong to Angel anymore, but she couldn't deny that she was happy to know that he had a life to lead now. "But what about Lorne?"
"Lorne is from another dimension to the Hellmouth, so are other demons. Not all friendly by any means, but on the whole, not your 'take over the world' types either. They will live on as always," Wesley answered.
"It's over?" Buffy whispered the thought of her duty being finished hitting her as she spoke the words. She looked over to her friends who all seemed to be grasping the enormity of what that not only meant to the world, but to Buffy specifically.
Giles walked over and wrapped a protective arm around the girl he considered a daughter. "There will always be evil in the world, Buffy. Whether it is human, or demon, the world isn't all flowers and sunshine. But the threats we faced over the last ten years are gone."
"It's over," She said looking up into his face, searching for the final piece of confirmation to that news.
Giles smiled back, telling her gently. "Yes, I do think it is."
It was then that another thought entered Buffy's mind.
"So what now?"
Giles shrugged a little, but with a small smile answered. "Who knows. The future is yet to be written."
The scope of what had just been said hit them all in different ways. For the most part it was unbridled joy. Tara, Willow and Cordelia all hugged, before Wesley came over and wrapped his arms around Cordelia, and Willow and Tara simply rasped each other again. Sitting to the side, Dawn looked up at Xander, and could see a tear falling from his eye.
"Xan?" she asked softly reaching up and wiping the tear away gently with the back of her fingers.
Looking at her in front of him, Xander knew that it was over. The fear, the burden and the guilt were behind him. He no longer knew what was to come. It was all new. All to be enjoyed, and all to experience. Leaning down, he pulled Dawn closer to him, kissing her lightly on her lips, before holding her tight.
He knew exactly what he had to do.
*****
Xander woke energised the next day. Sure his body still ached a little, and he had important things to do today, but it was for that reason that he felt so alive. He stretched a little gingerly, not wanting to aggravate any of the still tender parts of his body, he was halted in mid-stretch by a knock at his door. Glancing over at the wall clock to make sure that he wasn't totally out with his time frame, he was reassured to see it was only nine a.m. Still he hadn't expected anyone to come around this morning, though if it was who he thought it would be, he wasn't going to he unhappy with that occurrence.
Opening the door it wasn't the brunette that he was expecting, but a very welcome one in any matter.
"Hey."
Cordelia walked in with an air of grace she'd seemed to be born with, and as she passed him she reached up slightly to kiss him on the cheek. "You're looking well," she told him warmly, as they walked over to the lounge to sit.
"I feel fine, but I've been told to rest for a couple of weeks, so resting I am," Xander replied.
"And if you tried to do too much, I have a feeling that Dawn would kick your ass," Cordelia responded, grinning as she lightly emphasized 'Dawn'.
"You're having much too much fun with my love life, Cordy," Xander replied with a grin that showed that he was only kidding.
"Yes, I am. But come on, can't you see the possibilities," Cordelia continued. Then with a sly grin she added. "I'm sure Buffy has."
Xander shook his head, chuckling. "You're evil."
"Well we've always known that," Cordelia counted, before getting a little serious. "How's it all going anyway?"
He couldn't help but grin, as he thought of his response. "It's great, better that I had dared to dream."
"I'm glad," Cordelia told him.
Xander nodded, but could see there was some indecision on her part. He couldn't be sure, but it looked like she wanted to say something more. And if Cordy was hedging her words, it was obviously serious.
"What is it?" Xander asked.
He watched as Cordelia bit her lip, before speaking. "Have you talked to Anne?"
It wasn't as though Xander had forgotten his friend from Los Angeles, but at that moment he was ashamed to admit that she hadn't entered his thoughts for a while.
"No, not since I came back to Sunnydale," Xander admitted guiltily.
Cordelia tilted her head slightly. "I ran into her, just before you came down to get us a few weeks ago."
"You did?" Xander asked surprised that he hadn't heard about it before.
"There just didn't seem a right time to mention it, and well...with everything else," Cordelia answered, opening her hands as she spoke.
Xander knew what Cordelia was saying. He also knew that it was up to him, not her to answer. "I'll call her tonight," Xander told her.
"You don't think you should go and see her?" Cordelia continued.
Shaking his head, Xander disagreed. "No, I need to tell her now. I promised that I would, once it was all sorted out."
At those words, Cordelia nodded. "Yeah, but I don't think she was wishing for what you will be telling her."
"I know," Xander replied softly.
Cordelia once again nodded at Xander's words, but after a moment she took a breath, and moved on. "Well, I have to get back and pack. We're heading back to LA tonight."
"Already?" Xander asked surprised.
"You'll miss me, I'm touched," Cordelia answered sarcastically.
"Can it Cordy, you know that I will," Xander replied seriously.
"I know, and I'll miss you as well," Cordelia replied, pausing after, then adding. "Were we close in the future?"
"Yeah, we were," Xander answered smiling at his old school girlfriend.
"That sounds nice," Cordelia added almost wistfully.
"You'll give my best to Wesley and all the others."
"Even Angel?" Cordelia asked as her eyebrows raised.
"He's not my favourite person and truth be told, he never will be. There's too much between us," Xander told her. "But, he's looking for a reason to everything right now. I can sympathise, so yeah, give my best to him as well."
Cordelia smiled. As much as she cared about the souled vampire, she knew that Xander would never feel the same. But it made her feel happy that there was something other than anger in her friend's heart. "I will."
"Besides, I plan on visiting you every now and again, so I should get used to him being around," Xander told her, his tone back to it's usual mixture of sarcasm and insincerity.
Rolling her eyes, Cordelia countered. "So what did I do to deserve this honour?"
"Don't know, still trying to work that one out," Xander responded straight-faced.
"So, will a certain brunette close relative of the slayer be accompanying you?" Cordelia teased, fighting back with her own brand of teasing.
"We shall see," Xander replied honestly, before moving forward and taking Cordelia in a hug.
*****
Walking up the path that he'd done on many occasions in the last few months, Xander couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at what he had decided to do. He didn't think that she would say no. In fact he was sure she wouldn't. But it was a huge part of his life that he was putting behind him, and as such it still weighed on his mind, even though he'd decided days ago to do this.
He lightly rapped his knuckles across the doorframe, and stood waiting for one of his friends to answer it. Which wasn't long, as within a few seconds the wooden door opened to the smiling face of one of his best friends.
"Xander! What are you doing here?" Tara asked obviously not expecting him.
"Umm...I needed to ask you something," Xander replied.
"What?" Tara responded. She then opened the door further, and signaled for him to come in, leaning up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek as he passed. She noticed that he was carrying a bag with him, but thought nothing of it. What was surprising to her was that he was mere hours from his date, a date that it was safe to say had been the culmination of one of his dreams, he was instead at her place, looking a little worried.
She closed the door behind him and walked behind, following Xander as he went straight to the living room. He'd been over to Willow and her place so often in the previous months, that there was no ceremony that either of them felt a need to wait for.
Once he'd sat, Tara took her seat next to him and waited for Xander to say something.
"I want you to keep this," Xander finally told her after a few seconds. He reached out and thrust his bag that he'd been carrying to her. Tara glanced quickly up to his face, seeing no humour there. Whatever it was that he was asking was deadly serious to him.
When she took the bag from him, she gave Xander a nod, and then he sat back, waiting for her to open it.
Untying the drawstring, she reached inside and pulled out the book, knowing as she did exactly what it was she was holding. She'd seen it and read it a number of times before, but for the moment she was lost as to why he was handing it over to her. She gently placed it down on her lap, then looked up at him once more.
"Your journal?" she simply said.
Xander nodded. "Is that okay?"
"Of course it is, Xander. But why?" Tara gently probed.
"I have to let it go," he replied softly. "But I just can't throw it away."
"Of course you can't," Tara responded seeing the quiet determination on Xander's face. "But don't you want to keep it with you?"
Shaking his head from side to side slowly, Xander answered. "It's not fair to Dawn," he told her. "Or me."
Tara understood what he was getting at. The shadow of his relationship with Dawn in the future had been something that she herself had wondered about on numerous occasions. While he had obviously developed an unmistakable bond to her, even Xander had told her that he needed to separate the two of them. Tara had agreed and knew this to be true if he wanted to have any future with the eighteen-year-old he was in love with.
"Dawn didn't tell you..." Tara started, but was quickly silenced by another shake of Xander's head.
"No. She never would, never has. She doesn't know about this. It's something that I need to do, it's just...I can't throw it away," Xander told her.
"Of course you can't," Tara replied. Her mouth broke into a grin as she felt a warm glow in her heart. The fact that he'd trusted her with this task meant a great deal to her. "I'll keep it safe," she told him.
"Do you know how much you mean to me?" Xander told her. "I mean, I always liked you, but..."
Tara put her hand on his shoulder. "I know, sweetie."
Xander smiled at her, nodding his head. He'd never had a sister, and didn't know what it would've been like, but he could never imagine it feeling any better than he felt when he could talk to Tara.
*****
Buffy looked up from her magazine when she heard someone walking down the steps. She had been ordered away from Dawn's bedroom, and Stacey had been the only one allowed in. Though Buffy had a feeling that the decision had more to do with her little jokes about Dawn doing herself up for Xander than any grooming skills Stacey might have.
She didn't dislike the idea of Xander dating her sister, or her sister dating Xander. In fact, when she really thought about it, she loved them both and that was a heck of a lot better than nearly any other perspective partners they might find. But that didn't stop her from using her knowledge of both of them to her own advantage. After all, what fun would there be if a big sister couldn't have a laugh at her younger sister's expense.
She saw that it was Stacey who had emerged from upstairs first. "How's she doing?"
"She's okay, and really nervous at the same time," Stacey told her as she reached the bottom of the steps.
"She's been with Xander for most of the last two weeks, why is she so nervous?" Buffy asked.
"Because," Dawn answered as she stepped on to the staircase. "This is our first date. It's important."
"And the other times you went out?" Buffy questioned.
"That was Xander and I, getting to know each other again," Dawn replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Okay..." Buffy responded, leaving it hanging.
"We're taking it slowly, Buffy. Tonight's our first date," Dawn told her, and immediately Buffy could see the seriousness in her eyes.
"I know," Buffy told her. She understood why it was so special to Dawn and Xander tonight. "And I'm glad you're taking it slowly. So I expect you home tonight."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Yes, I will be home tonight. But If I'm not, don't read into that, okay? I have my mobile if you need to contact me."
"It's not that I worry, it's just that..."
"You worry," Dawn filled in for Buffy. "I know you do, and that's sweet, it really is. But Buffy, you remember when he kissed me that night in San Francisco?"
Buffy nodded, casting a glance at Stacey wondering if Dawn should be talking about it.
"Well that's the last time he kissed me. I mean really kissed me," Dawn told her. "We're taking things slow, I know, but if Xander doesn't get out of first gear, I might have to jump on him," she added, with a smile. She knew Buffy would just hate the visual she'd just given her.
Stacey giggled a little, and even Buffy had to laugh. "So Xander's being a gentleman."
Her lips curled at the end, as she couldn't stop smiling with pride as she admitted, "yeah, he is."
"As he should be," Buffy agreed. She just felt like mothering her little sister for a bit.
****
Across town, the other half of this momentous night was straightening up his jacket in the mirror, before turning to face his own personal pep squad. He opened his arms in an unspoken question.
"Yes, you look good," Tara told him, walking over and flicking a loose thread off his jacket.
"You look fine," Willow added. "Where are you going to tonight?"
"I've booked reservations at Gulio's for dinner, then there is a summer concert in the park that starts at 9.00pm, and it looks like a good night for it."
Willow shook her head at the thought of it. "It still sounds strange to hear that Sunnydale is having events like that at night."
"The place is night friendly now, Will. And I for one want to take advantage of it," Xander replied, finally finished fussing with his clothes. "Okay?"
"Yes, Xander you look fine," Tara replied, wondering if Dawn was this much of a worrywart tonight. "Everything is okay with you two, isn't it?"
"Yeah, everything is really good," Xander replied.
****
"Xander's here," Stacey called out, as she saw Xander pull up outside the house. Dawn and Buffy came out from the kitchen on her words, Stacey not missing the fact that Buffy was carrying a camera.
"No, Buffy, not tonight," Dawn told her.
"Just one," Buffy replied, equally as adamant.
Dawn shook her head and muttered, "Sisters," before taking a breath and reaching for the front door. She opened it to find Xander standing there, holding a bouquet of flowers. She immediately noticed that he'd worn the jacket she'd picked out for him on one of their shopping days last week. She'd liked the look of it then and now seeing it on him she couldn't help but like it even more. She thought that he looked great, but then she'd always thought so, even during his questionable clothing years.
"Hi," she told him.
"These are for you," he told her, handing the flowers to her, and then reaching down and kissing her on the cheek. "You look wonderful," he told her, appreciating the black dress she was wearing. He couldn't fail to notice the smell of perfume as he kissed her cheek. It was a pleasant inviting one, and definitely hit his senses in the right way.
"Thanks. I'll just put these in water," Dawn told him, as they walked back inside.
Xander watched as Stacey joined Dawn and they took the flowers over to kitchen to find a vase for them.
"So, looking good, Xander," he heard from behind him, not that he needed sight to recognise the voice.
"Hey Buffy," he greeted her warmly, giving her a hug when she came forward. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Buffy replied, before almost blurting out, "you know if you..."
Xander held up his hands in surrender. "I know okay," he told her, as if he'd been expecting it.
Buffy softened considerably and even looked a little guilty. "I'm sorry, it's just that she's my sister, and you're one of my best friends, and it's a little weird."
Xander could understand that, and didn't want to haul Buffy over the coals for her over-protectiveness, but needed to tell her something. "Buffy, I love and respect Dawn, and I also happen to love and respect her sister,' he told her, knowing that she would understand exactly what he was saying.
When Buffy nodded in return, he knew that she did.
"So, how are you really?" Xander asked.
"She's fine," Dawn answered for her sister, keen to get out of there before Buffy got snappy happy.
"Yes, I am," Buffy replied. There would be plenty of time to catch up with Xander. This was Dawn and his night. She cast a glance towards Dawn. "And I want to take a picture before you go," she added picking up the camera from beside her.
"Okay," Xander replied, before seeing the look of shock on Dawn's face. He reached over and took her hand as she came towards him. "I'd like a picture of us to have at home."
Dawn smiled, and agreed. She stood a few inches in front of Xander, leaning back slightly, as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. She couldn't help herself, closing her eyes for a few seconds to simply enjoy the feeling of his body on hers. Her own personal nirvana was broken by Buffy's voice.
"Eye's Dawn,"
As she opened her eyes, Xander whispered, just loud enough for only her to hear, "Love you." It was enough to make her smile widen, and as the flash lit, both of them were caught in a pose that only signified the way they felt for each other.
After they had said goodbye to Buffy and Stacey, they walked outside, while the other two watched from the window.
Xander reached the passenger door and opened it, but before Dawn could get in, he lightly touched her on the shoulder, and then cupping her cheeks gently with both hands he leant down and kissed her. He hadn't planned on doing so, but the moment just seemed like it was right, and judging by the enthusiastic response from Dawn, as her arms wrapped around his body pulling him closer, he knew that he'd done the right thing.
After some time, they both hadn't taken any notice, they broke apart, and then Dawn simply got in her side of the Xander's car, and Xander closed the door behind her. He then walked around to the other side and got into the driver's seat, closing his door after he's sat down.
From the window Buffy and Stacey watched as they drove off. Each of them had squealed a little when Xander had kissed Dawn, though Buffy had to admit that Stacey clearly won the award for acting happy this time around. She couldn't however disregard the total and overwhelming feeling of happiness she felt as she watched two of the people most dear to her, head off on their special night.
"They looked very happy," Stacey replied.
"Yeah they did," Buffy replied, taking a last look down the road, where the car had last been seen, before she pulled on the curtains, letting them fall into place.
"They're writing their own future," Buffy said softly to herself, as the curtains touched in the middle.
The End
Dedicated to -
Adrena for her dearest friendship and beta reading skills, and Jewel for the original spark.
My sincerest gratitude to the following people for reviewing the story. Each one of your reviews was very gratefully received -
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