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Xander could see the shape of Angelus’s mansion in the distance from his hiding spots in the bushes. He had been waiting, somewhat patiently, for Buffy to walk up around the corner so he could tell her what he knew. It had already been ten minutes and he had begun to wonder whether or not she was actually going to show. After all it was strange for him to beat Buffy anywhere with her being the Slayer and all. Maybe she chickened out, maybe she got held up, or just maybe Angelus had gotten to her already. With that thought in his head, Xander realized he hadn’t packed a weapon in case he should be ambushed Angelus, Drusilla, or any of their minions. He frantically looked around for some piece of wood that could pass as a stake—instead all he found were flimsy twigs that had fallen from the bushes that surrounded him. Eventually his eyes settled on a large rock. He started to pick it up with his right hand and winced as pain shot up his arm. He cursed the bookshelf that had fallen on his arm back in the library causing his wrist to break. Xander picked it up with his left hand and fidgeted with it for a moment. He wasn’t sure how much damage he could do with his non-dominant hand, but he’d at least go down swinging.
Suddenly, Xander heard footsteps approaching. He attempted to crouch even lower behind the bush, ready to pounce if it be a vampire, but he lost his balance and started fumbling down the small hill, down towards the road.
“Xander!” Buffy exclaimed, startled, lost in thought. Xander’s arm was cocked back, rock at the ready to do some damage, had it been anyone but Buffy. He was thankful it had just been his friend and his arm dropped to his side as relief washed over him.
“Calvary’s here,” he said fidgeting again with the rock in his left hand. It felt awkward holding the rock in that hand. “Calvary’s a frightened guy with a rock, but it’s here.”
Buffy held out Mr. Pointy towards Xander. He immediately dropped the rock knowing he would fare better against any vampires with the wooden stake. There was just a certain kind of safe he felt armed with a glorified wooden stick that he hadn’t quite felt with the rock.
“Much better,” he sighed, tightening his grip on Mr. Pointy. At least now he would have somewhat of a decent chance against the hordes of vamps waiting for them at the top of the hill.
“You’re not here to fight,” Buffy said as she began walking towards the mansion. “You get Giles out, and you run like hell, understood?” Xander followed behind Buffy in consent. “I can’t protect you. I’ll be too busy killing.” She unsheathed the sword, casting her brown, old leather jacket she had been hiding it under aside. She was already wanted for the murder of Kendra so she had decided it probably wouldn’t have been a good idea to walk through downtown Sunnydale with a fairly large sword dangling from her belt.
“That’s a new look for you,” Xander replied sarcastically pointing the stake at the sword.
“It’s a present for Angel,” Buffy continued to walk towards the mansion at a quick pace. Her heels clicked against the concrete. Xander thought that Buffy could have chosen a more discrete way to approach the mansion, say going through the bushes or even storming it by going through the back down, but after the attack on the gang, he knew Angelus would be expecting her to come after him. At least this way she didn’t have to worry about branches and leaves getting caught in her hair. Xander paused a moment to brush of his knees and remove the few bush twigs from his hair.
“Willow,,.uh…she told me to tell you…” He had considered telling Buffy a lie. It was no secret that he wanted Angelus dead, and after seeing all the hurt he had caused all his friends earlier that night, he wanted the asshole to suffer. He had made his feelings on the Angelus/Angel debate perfectly clear from the moment his soul was ripped away from him—Angelus should have to pay for all the damage he’s done. Restoring his soul and falling into the arms of his lover wasn’t exactly what Xander considered a punishment. In fact, Xander had begun to like the idea of Buffy being the one to kill him. Being killed by the love of your life…well the love of your life when you had had a soul…now that was punishment and quite poetic. More than once while he was waiting for Buffy to walk up the hill, he had envisioned how the fight between Angelus and Buffy would go down. All of these scenarios ended with Buffy plunging a stake through his heart and him bursting into a cloud of vamp ash.
However, now that he was actually with her, he began to realize what these “Angel-killed-by-the-slayer” scenarios might do to Buffy. Sure, she looked as though she was ready to cause some pain, but what would killing the love of her life actually do to her? Xander knew he needed to tell Buffy the truth.
“Tell me what?” Buffy asked, a slight tone of annoyance in her voice
He really wanted to tell her to kick his ass. She had several opportunities to slay him, but she always hesitated; she always saw her Angel rather than Angelus. He knew that seeing her friends scattered around the library and Giles’s abduction, on top of Ms. Calendar’s murder, had pushed her over the edge. Buffy was going to kill Angelus.
Xander knew how much influence he had over the situation. At this exact moment, Willow was in a hospital bed with Cordelia at her side setting up the curse to restore Angel’s soul. He had come all this way to tell her this, but simply not telling her seemed so much easier. The two would approach the mansion together—he’d go off to find Giles and she’d make her way towards Angelus and Acathla
Yet, looking over at Buffy he knew he could never take her chance at happiness away from her. “Willow’s trying the spell again, Buf. She’s trying to restore Angel’s soul.”
Buffy stopped her pursuit towards the mansion and whipped around to face Xander.
“You’re just pulling my chain, right? Because last time I checked trying this whole witchy ‘I’m going to restore Angel’s soul’ thing landed her in that hospital gown and bed in the first place,”
“I guess she’s just getting really comfortable with the breeze on her backside,” Xander said jokingly trying to ease the anger he could see spelled out across Buffy’s face. Buffy was quiet for a moment as she considered her options.
“I so do not have time for this,” Buffy grumbled as she started headed back down the hill, away from Angel, Acathla, and most importantly, Giles. Buffy let her arm and sword fall to her side.
Xander ran after her, grabbed her arm, and spun her around to face him. “What the hell do you think you're doing, Buffy? Remember Giles? Saving the world from Acathla? The world ending doesn’t seem like a very fun summer vacation to me.”
“I can’t let her do that curse, Xander. Last time it almost killed her.
“No, last time a vampire almost killed her,” he corrected her. “She can do it, Buffy. You just have to trust her.” And then you’ll have your precious “I’ve-hurt-and-killed-your-friends” Angel back, he thought and almost said, but he didn’t want Buffy’s anger directed towards him while she still had the sword at her side. Mr. Pointy definitely wouldn’t fare well against the Slayer with a sword.
“Xander, let go of me.” Buffy demanded. He tightened his grip on Buffy’s shoulders. It would be easy with her to break through his grasp with her Slayer strength and all, but Xander stood his ground.
“No.”
“XANDER! BACK OFF!” She shouted as she shoved his arms off him. Again she started walking back towards Sunnydale. Xander chased after Buffy and stopped dead in his tracks once he was in front of her.
“Buffy, Giles needs you more right now. Hell, all of Sunnydale and the entire freaking world need you to turn around and head back up that hill. Just picture us all—happy, alive, and tan because the world didn’t end right before summer vacation,” he pleaded. “All Willow needs you to do is stall him. Give her some time to complete the curse and you’ll have him back. For all we know, he’s has already figured out how to activate Acathla while we’ve been standing here wasting time arguing,” Xander hoped this would reignite the hope in Buffy that Angel could come back. He hoped that hearing these words from him of all people would do the trick. He placed his hands once again on her shoulders, lowering his head down to her height so he could look into her eyes. All at once, he could see the emotions running through her brain. He had never seen Buffy look this vulnerable.
“Xander…” she whispered, tears starting to form in her eyes. He watched her tough Slayer façade start to crumble. She dropped the sword and crashed into his embrace. “I don’t know what to do.”
Xander held her for a moment while she recomposed herself. She sniffled as she drew herself away from him to pick her sword back up. “We’ll go together just like you said. You go do your Slayer thing and stall Angel long enough to give Willow enough time and I’ll find Giles. Once we’re out, I’ll immediately take him to the hospital to check on Wil. Everything is going to be okay, Buffy.”
“I can’t let her…if she were to get hurt…”
“Buffy. I promise you I will help you through this. Us Scoobies have to stick together”
Buffy listened to Xander’s pleading. After what felt like an eternity, she finally started up back the hill at a quicker pace than she had been traveling at before. Xander could see her tighten her grip on the sword. Well this is it then , he thought as he ran to catch up to Buffy. Off to save the world at the Slayer’s side….again.