“Hey, Buff, do you have a second?” Xander poked his head in the training room, where Buffy and a fifteen year old African American slayer from San Francisco were training. “Hi Sara,” Xander said, acknowledging the girl.
Sara giggled. “Hi Xander.”
“What is it?” Buffy asked, stretching. She reached up and pulled her long blonde hair out of a messy bun, raking her finger s through it to smooth out the tangles.
“I have to talk to you.” Xander raised his eyebrows.
“Sara, why don’t you go and get Willow to teach you about the… um, what was it?” Buffy frowned.
“Difference between a healthy use of magic and an unhealthy use of it,” Sara recited dutifully.
Buffy nodded. “Go do that. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Sara smiled, showing straight white teeth. “Okay, Buffy. Thanks for the help on my kicks today.” Buffy smiled. Sara made her way to the door, averting her eyes and giggling when Xander said goodbye to her.
“So, Xander, what’s up?” Buffy asked, collapsing onto the bean bag chair in the corner of the room.
“Angel.” Xander pronounced the word, testing Buffy’s reaction.
Buffy sat up. “Oh God, is there something… Has something happened? Please tell me he’s okay.” Her eyes were filled with worry and fear.
“He’s fine.” Xander smiled at the relieved look on Buffy’s face, but his smile faded when he saw Buffy’s expression grow angry.
“You jerk!” she yelled. “Making me think there was something wrong… Making me worry…” She sighed, leaning back and allowing her features to settle into an irritated expression.
“Actually, Buffy, the reason I wanted to talk to you was about why you get so worked up over just the mention of his name.” Xander sat down on the couch across from Buffy’s chair.
“I just… I don’t know… he’s…” Buffy crossed her arms in front of her, defensive. “What is this about?” she finally asked.
“He’s human now.” Xander looked at her.
“And?” she said, pretending that this information didn’t cause butterflies in her stomach every time she thought about it.
“And, so, you two could have everything you wanted. The love, the sex, the daylight…”
“Him being human doesn’t change anything for me, or for us.” Buffy looked away. The truth was, she was scared. That was why she hadn’t run into Angel’s arms ever since Cordy called her with the news. She was terrified that something would go wrong, or that she’d wake up and have the past year and a half had all been a fantasy of hers.
“How long have I known you?” Xander asked.
Buffy’s was thrown off by the change of subject. “I don’t know, eight, eight and a half years.”
“Right. And you think I can’t tell when you’re lying to me?”
Buffy stared at Xander through narrowed eyes. “What are you getting at?”
“You should be together. You want him, and you deserve him. It would make you happy.”
“I am happy,” Buffy insisted.
Xander kneeled in front of Buffy and took her hands in his. “I know, Buff. But the one thing you’ve always wanted… can be yours. You always whine to me about—”
“I do not whine,” Buffy interrupted, her mouth open at Xander’s implication.
Xander ignored her. “You always whine to me about how you can’t make a relationship work. This is your chance. Angel is your chance. And if you don’t take it, you’re throwing away the opportunity of a lifetime. Were you lying when you said you wanted love?”
“No.” Buffy stared at Xander, and realization of her own stupidity seemed to blossom on her face. “I want love,” Buffy whispered, her eyes wide and her lips parted.
“Then what are you waiting for?” Xander asked. He realized then that Willow had been right, as she usually is, and Buffy had needed Xander to tell her to go for it. He had always known, I suppose that it was him to give her the final push. If the one person who had been so opposed to Buffy and Angel’s relationship so obviously was for it, she could no longer deny it. Buffy did want love, and in the end, Xander was glad he could help her find it.
“Oh my God,” Buffy said, standing up. Xander stood as well. “I have to… I have to get a plane ticket… I have to pack. I have to—”
“Um, Buff? How mad would you be if I told you Angel was already on his way to England because I called him and told him to come and get back together with you?” Xander’s face was guilty. “I’m not saying I did that…”
Buffy turned around, and looked at Xander. She put her hands on her hip and let out a conspicuous “ahem.”
“Okay, so I MIGHT have done that…” Xander admitted.
“Why?” Buffy asked, not accusingly, just… wondering.
Xander considered telling her what he’d told Angel, that he wouldn’t let his and Angel’s past get in the way of her happiness, but he decided that would take too long. “Willow told me to.”
“Why didn’t she do it herself?” Buffy questioned.
“Would you have listened to her if she had?” Xander inquired, wanting to know what Buffy’s answer would be.
Buffy seemed to think about this for a few seconds. “No, I guess not.”
“How come?” Xander had wondered this all day.
Buffy shot Xander a look. “Duh,” she said. “Willow’s a girl.” Then she turned on her heel and walked out of the room, muttering about manicures and new clothes and Willow’s cool new strappy sandals that she wanted to borrow.
Xander sank onto the couch. “What does her being a girl have anything to do with it? I just don’t get it.”
“You talking to yourself again?” Dawn teased, walking into the training room.
“Hey Dawn,” Xander said, patting the seat next to him. Dawn sat down beside him.
“What’s up with my crazy sister? She was in her room throwing clothes around.”
“Angel’s coming,” Xander replied.
“Angel’s coming?” Dawn’s face lit up. She thought of the man like an older brother.
“Yeah, yeah, everyone seems thrilled.” Xander sighed. He watched as Dawn’s face started frowning. “What’s wrong?”
“When’s he coming?” she asked.
“He’ll probably get in around tomorrow night. Why?”
“We are going to need get the hell out of this place. He’s human now. With Buffy’s slayer stamina and Angel’s vampire strength preserved, they are going to be having sex for like, three days straight.”
Xander hit Dawn with a cushion. “Thank you for those images.” He was scowling. “But you’re right,” he said. “We are gonna need to clear out. Boy, Giles is not gonna be happy with the thought of the lust bunnies taking over his flat.”
Dawn shook her head, laughing. “No. No, he’s really not.”
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