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Fic: All's Fair 3/5
Vampire Stories, story 2
BtVS / Buffy/Willow/Xander
NC- 17
Summery: Xander wakes and they're on the run. In the passing nights, they try to figure out what it means now, what to do next and maybe even where to settle down.
All’s Fair, part 3.
Disclaimers and warnings are listed in part 1 and still apply.
Willow turned to Buffy. "I think we created a monster."
"In true Frankenstein fashion." Buffy agreed. "He's a vampire, Will. We, I, turned Xander into a vampire."
"I thought you said he'd be different." Willow glanced at the open door and the dark outside. "You know, cause you're the Sire."
"Come on, Will. We better catch up to him." Buffy led them out the door. Shutting it, she glanced around, looking for a sign of Xander. She saw nothing so she smelled the air. It felt odd now, her chest rising as her lungs expanded with air. She caught his scent and nodded her head in the direction of a side street. "That way." They crossed the parking lot and started down the road after him. "I said that Spike said it mattered who the Sire was. That if you do the whole drinking the Sire's blood again and again you get a bigger dose of Sire. I'll just, you know, have to do that and see what happens."
"Any chance that Spike lied?" Willow dryly observed. She glanced around to see where they were going. It was a side street heading away from the community college. The houses were getting smaller and more run down the farther they traveled. When the sidewalk disappeared altogether, they continued down the road. "Where is he?"
"He's just up ahead. You can't smell him?" Buffy took another breath. She smiled at the scent of dry grass, and somewhere, roses. She could easily pick up Xander's lingering trace and others, fainter and unknown. There was also the overwhelming the scent of motor oil and garbage and what she thought must be rust and rot. Looking around, she saw houses unkempt, their porches leaning, their yards cluttered with old toys and broken cars. She stopped breathing.
"Smell him?" Willow took an experimental breath, coughing when the stench of old garbage spilled onto the road from a tipped over trash can overwhelmed her. "Yeah, okay, he's in there somewhere."
"And didn't he just pick the nicest part of town." Buffy noticed him then and pointed. Xander was standing in a lot at the end of the road circled by a dozen broken down RV's and trailers. They walked up to stand beside him.
"I know these places." Xander addressed Buffy and Willow without looking at them. "They call them retirement parks. Actually, it's just where old alcoholics can afford to live and drink themselves to death. I probably have family here. Where is here, anyway?"
"Redding." Willow answered. She thought it must be too far north for Xander to have any family here, but she knew Xander's family, and knew what he meant. "A small town in northern California. We've been going north."
"How long was I out?" Xander finally started to wonder what had happened since his last memory.
"Just a day." It was Buffy's turn to answer. "It seemed like forever, but we drove all night, stopped here, and it's been just one day."
"Drove?" Xander had a million questions it seemed to him in his mind, but they were being rapidly pushed aside by his growing hunger and rising anger. He stared at the trailers, his stomach turning at the thought of feeding from any of the people who could live here. People who beat their kids when they were too young to fight back and who cursed those same kids now for never visiting and never sending money. Or maybe there were people here who never had anyone and numbed the pain of loneliness still, waiting to die.
"Yeah." Buffy turned to look at Xander, curious why he was staring so intently at broken trailers, these poor scraps of shelter. She wondered what they were doing here. "Willow stole us a car."
Xander smiled. "Way to go, Will." He turned then, looking around and peering into the bare dirt spaces that separated the trailers. "You know what will fix this place right up? A gas can, and a match."
"Xander! No." Willow immediately protested. "We can't just... just kill people!" She stepped in front of Xander, making him look at her.
"Oh, don't tell me we're doing the whole vampires with soul crap!" Xander stepped away from Willow. "Just keep your mojo off me, Will."
"No, we're not." Buffy stepped in. "No souls. But Willow's right, Xander. Why kill these people?"
"Why not?" Xander countered. "Distraction, crowd, bound to be younger people there. I'm not feeding from them."
"There's a college here." Buffy hoped the suggestion would be enough of a distraction.
"That'll work, too." Xander smiled at the idea. "Where?"
"Back up the road, the other direction." Buffy pointed in the general direction. She was surprised that Xander had his human face showing. She expected to see the demon.
"Figures." Xander shook his head and without giving the park another glance, started running back up the road.
Willow watched him race back the way they came and quickly disappear into the dark. "Well isn't he just the barrel of monkeys."
"What was that all about?" Buffy turned to Willow for the explanation, guessing she did have some clue.
"I'm not sure, but I think it had to do with a family reunion and the rest of the summer spent with a great uncle when he was young. Long story." Willow confessed vaguely.
"Well, we better follow him." Buffy started to leisurely walk back up the road, Willow falling in step beside her. "I'm going hunting tonight, Will."
"Well, yeah, we all are." Willow glanced at Buffy, increasing her stride when Buffy picked up the pace.
"No, I mean I'm going to hunt them, not just feed once, quickly." Buffy clarified. "I'm going to choose, chase, slay. I need to feel the hunt. I need..." Buffy looked at Willow, waiting till the pause forced her friend to look over at her. "And so do you."
"I know, Buffy." Willow stared back up the road, after Xander. The hunger was consuming her thoughts and Xander's feral lust for the kill seemed to pull at her, tugging her into the dark after him. "I'm wondering, how fast can I run?" Willow took off. The houses lining the road became only a blur of muted grays rushing back past her. Her eyes clearly saw the dips and bumps of uneven road, sidewalks, a bus stop bench she hurdled, laughing. So quickly, she found herself on the sprawling campus. She took a breath, searching for Xander, smiling when there was now the scent of green grass, trees, roses, and there he was, to the left. She adjusted her course, speeding down a cement path. She looked back to see if Buffy was following.
Buffy was gaining quickly on Willow, easily passing her a moment after they changed course. With barely contained joy, Buffy turned to face Willow, running backwards as deftly and with as much speed as Willow could run forward. She smirked, her face morphing to show her demon, to taunt Willow's own. Motioning Willow with her hands to 'come on', Buffy turned and bolted down the path towards Xander and the main buildings of the campus.
Willow laughed and increasing her speed, darted off the path, hurdling another bench along the side and cutting across a lawn. Buffy and Xander were standing just ahead in a courtyard when she caught up to them. "Wow, look at me, not even winded."
Buffy turned towards Willow then glanced back at Xander. "Finally, you two can keep up with me."
"Funny." Xander confirmed with a hint of a smile. "Let's see how well you can keep up with me. I see a couple coeds now. It's time to see if this new Xander has any luck with the ladies." Xander left them, jogging to catch the two women who had just left one of the buildings and were slowly walking down one of the paths off the courtyard. Interrupting their conversation, he pushed himself between them, put his arm around each of their shoulders and introduced himself. He guided their protesting and struggle off the path to a dark patch behind some trees. Experimenting, he released one of the woman's shoulders only to grab her one handed around the neck, choking her strength and screams from her as she feebly tried to push away his arm. He paused, marveling at his strength, the ease with which he could hold her. The other woman, frozen at first by panic, suddenly snapped into full awareness of the danger she was in. She tried to pull away, kicking at his legs and twisting. Xander reacted, grabbing her by the back of the neck, he held her tightly against him and quickly sank his fangs into her neck. He ripped her throat and drank hungrily at the blood that spurted into his mouth. He wrapped his arm around her, hugging her to himself as she grew more limp and finally collapsed dead in his grasp. Xander let her drop to the ground and turned toward the other woman he held at arms length, hand at her throat. His mouth was bloody, his eye yellow under the large ridged forehead of the vampire's visage, and he expected renewed panic and another attempt to get away. But the woman hung lifeless in his grasp. In the thrill of the feeding, his hand had grown too tight, choking off the blood to her brain and the breath to her lungs. She was dead. "Damn, don't know my own strength I guess." Xander muttered to himself, his smile cold. He let her drop to the ground next to her friend. "Well, I'm sure there's more."
Buffy shook her head as Xander set out again. Looking around, she spotted a young man leaving one of the buildings and going down another path in the opposite direction. She turned back to Willow. "You wanna come with?"
Willow shook her head. "Nah. He's only one. We'll split up and meet back here?"
"Okay. Will, you're gonna let it out, right?" Buffy checked in, and smiled as she watched Willow's face lightly morph and fangs hinted past her lips.
"Yeah. I'll play. It's like I'm buzzed on too many mochas." Willow confirmed. "Go. Hunt. Slay."
Buffy nodded and turned to follow after the man she noticed before. She picked up her pace to catch him, easily catching the scent and turning down another of the paths through campus. She chose to pass him on one of the darker, more secluded sections of the path, noting that this clearly isn't Sunnydale and these students aren't even subconsciously aware of this type of danger. She wanted to clue him in. Turning so that she faced him and blocked his path, she held up her hand to stop him. "Hi," she addressed him, her face slipping into demon form, "I'm going to give you a head start."
The man started backing slowly away from Buffy, unsure and unable to interpret what he was seeing. "Who. What are you?"
"The other side of the coin." Buffy grinned cryptically. "I was once heads, but I guess now you could say I'm tales." She started to circle around him, directing him back towards the direction he was first heading. "At one time I'd have been jumping in right now to your rescue against something like me. But now, well, I guess you lose this coin toss. You might want to run."
He did then, he turned and ran as fast as he could down the path, not even caring anymore what it was or what it meant and only hoping he could reach his car in time. He slid to a halt, his feet slipping from under him and falling when Buffy seemed to suddenly appear in front of him.
"Changed my mind." Buffy looked down at the man who was trying to get back on his feet while crawling backwards away from her. "We'll do this here."
The man shucked his backpack and righted himself. The panic cleared from his mind as his recreational martial arts training told him he could defend himself. However ugly this woman appeared, she was still just a small girl. He brought his hands up and his feet apart, ready in his stance.
Buffy halted her approach and just looked incredulously at him. "This should be fun. I gotta warn ya, though, I've done this before."
"Yeah, you don't look like the virgin type," the man quipped, then steeling himself, started a series of strikes, aiming for her face and chest. He reached only air as she dodged and moved just out of his reach, swaying and sliding. He moved in with kicks at the knees and then to sweep her off her feet. Again, he found nothing and ended up twisted off balance and turned around.
"Too slow." Buffy informed him. "Come on, what are you, a virgin yourself? Harder, faster." She taunted him, content to simply move slightly out of the way and dance around the attempted blows. She was enjoying this.
He kept trying, his mind searching and attempting every move he could remember. There were no counter blows to block and he focused frustrated on the blurred form that all so swiftly alluded him. Winded, he paused, turning and searching as the woman he now desperately feared kept herself just past his sight.
"At least you tried." Buffy quietly commended, as she stepped quickly up behind him and wrapped an arm around his chest. Holding him firmly to herself, she easily sank her fangs into his neck and gently pulled at the racing pulse. Buffy wrapped her other arm around him and held him as he started to go limp in her arms. She drank softly, lapping her tongue at the wound, letting his death go easy and feeling his life slowly fill and warm her. When it ended, she picked him up and set the body down on a nearby bench. Stroking his hair off his face, her own relaxed and returned to human. "I used to kill for better purpose than this. Still, and especially at the end, I only killed. Ask the high school kids I found chanting around a Hellmouth. Maybe it's Karma. Maybe it's what I deserved. Don't ask me what you deserved though. I swear I don't know." Buffy straightened and looked up at the stars starting to show themselves on a clear night. "Hell, now Willow has me trying to figure this out."
Willow was left alone in the courtyard. She watched Buffy take off down a path after the young man. She turned and tried to see where Xander had run off to, but he was deep into the dark of the campus. She didn't see any people leaving the buildings or walking down the paths that intersected through the courtyard. Willow closed her eyes and tilted her head, curious what other heightened senses she might now possess. She heard laughter in the lobby of one of the buildings. They might come out soon. She heard a rustling in the bushes far down one of the paths, maybe a dog. A car moving down one of the side roads away from the college. Muted, faint conversations at varying distances away. Insects gave the picture a low hum of background noise. Then the sound of footsteps, distant and approaching from the path behind her. Willow opened her eyes, her face sliding back into human form, turned and headed down the path to meet them.
The path was well lighted in this part, benches lining the side for conversations between classes and smaller paths branching out from it. Willow walked casually towards the one set of footsteps, her eyes and ears noticing that there was no-one else in the area. They would be alone when they met, so there was no hurry. A form began to take shape out of the distance between them. Willow smiled as she realized it was a woman. The details cleared as Willow got closer. A beautiful woman, petite, long dark hair, she reminded Willow of Kennedy. Especially when she recognized an attitude; leather jacket, jeans, boots creating the footsteps so easily heard, and a confident swagger in her steps. The woman reminded Willow of so many things. Her demon growled, itching to come out and play. As they neared each other, Willow stopped in front of the woman, halting her progress. "Hey." She smiled what she hoped was in a friendly manner, though with the demon so close to the surface, she doubted it came across that way.
"Hi." The woman stopped a few feet from Willow, the search for recognition and doubt clearly evident on her face. Deciding she didn't know the person in front of her and a feeling of unease crawling inside her, she started to go around Willow, hoping to just continue on her way.
Willow didn't know what else to say and conversation felt unneeded. She wanted to feed. And she felt a craving desire to feed from this woman, a compulsion stronger than any she had felt before. Willow stepped in front of her again, close and menacing. She let her face reveal her hunger, yellow eyes boring into brown ones, relishing the challenge she found in them. She reached out and grabbed the woman by the shoulders, pulling her close and bent her head towards the woman's neck. Willow was shocked when she realized she was suddenly flying back through the air and landed hard on the ground. Picking herself up, she eyed the woman who was standing still on the path, hands clenched and staring at her angrily.
"Look you little freak," the woman spat at Willow, "I don't know what you think you're doing, but you better stay the hell away from me."
Willow smirked, moving back in front of the woman, she left some distance between them. She let the demon remain on her face, growling low in her throat as she recognized the only thing that could give this woman that kind of strength: her own spell. This was a slayer, untrained and unaware. Her demon danced inside her skin in anticipation. "Pretty strong for a young girl." She watched the woman's eyes harden, her stance lower and ready for a fight. "Pretty instinctual as well. You ready for a fight? Come on, give it your best shot. Here, I'll start." Willow stepped quickly up to the woman and punched her hard across the jaw, twisting the head sideways.
The woman didn't fall, only took a step back for balance and touching her jaw, turned to face Willow. Anger rose from deep inside her and pushed her into action. Stepping forward, she jabbed at Willow's face, missing, and followed with a left hook. She barely missed again, Willow's speed surprising her, and found herself turned around, almost off balance. She quickly adjusted her feet and threw her elbow back, connecting with Willow's face. Turning, gaining confidence, she bounced on the balls of her feet, facing Willow and ready for more.
Willow stepped back and shook her head. The power and sting of the blow reminding her this was still a slayer, however untrained. She offered the woman a smile and a nod of recognition and respect. With renewed focus, the fight started again. They traded blows and blocks. Willow dodged or diverted most, only the occasional hit getting through and kick sending her back. She had more experience with fighting, especially fighting for one's life. Willow connected far more often, sending strikes to the midsection and jaw, wanting to wear her down, content to wait for her to make a big mistake. She kept her eyes on the hands, ever watchful for an impromptu weapon or stake. The woman's hands remained empty and clenched into fists. Willow jumped over a sweep at her legs. The woman fell off balance and Willow quickly moved in for the kill. Grabbing the woman's arms, and pulling the slayer's back tightly against her front, Willow bent quickly down and bit into her neck. She heard the gasp and the blood flooded her mouth. She drank deeply and quickly, pulling the fight and strength from the young slayer. The fight was over. It felt like fire filled her and she nearly howled into the neck. Willow calmed only as the slayer died. She picked the body up and laid her down under a tree. Standing, Willow reached out to touch the rough bark, knowing that any of its branches could have been the weapon that might have saved this girl's life. 'But she didn't know that,' Willow remarked in her thoughts. 'Even in a spell for good, there is evil. They'll never reach all the new slayers in time.'
Willow stretched, excess energy vibrated through her. She felt hot, connected, there was something; deep, strong, she could almost touch. She searched the feeling, trying to place, name, what she was suddenly grounded to. 'The earth?' she wondered. She had felt it before with Buffy and thought it was just Buffy, but it was in all slayers. In their blood, there was a calling. Willow felt no more craving or desire to hunt, so she walked back to the courtyard. She would enjoy telling the others what she found tonight.
Xander moved on down the path in search of another woman. There was a swagger in his step now. He could literally feel the night and he was a part of it. A part of the cold that washed over the earth for a time. His time. His calling. It wasn't long till he saw another woman almost reaching the door of a campus building. Speeding up, he intercepted her, blocking her entrance and gleefully giving stuttered chase to her as she ran to towards a side door, then racing ahead to block that as well. Before she could scream for help, he clasped his hand over her mouth and shoved her hard against the wall of the building. Smiling at the panic in her eyes, he bent forward and fed. Her life vibrated through his body and he stretched his neck, enjoying the flush warmth. Xander tossed the body behind some bushes and looking around, started down another path for more.
Buffy continued in the direction the man was running towards, curious what safety he had hoped to find ahead and sure she might find someone else. The path led her to a parking lot, mostly empty. She walked around the few old small cars that were scattered around the lot, looking inside the windows and waiting for someone to join her. She found a newer car parked away from the others, a black Mustang, standing out and clearly boasting money. Hearing footsteps, she watched as a man approached. He looked sharp; short hair, dress shirt and slacks. His age uncertain, she couldn't tell if he was a student or a teacher. It was clear this was his car though, and he picked up his pace crossing the parking lot towards her.
"Need a lift?" He casually offered, his eyes traveling down over her tight shirt.
"I need something." Buffy flirted with him, leaning back on the hood of his car.
He grinned slightly, trying to act cool but unconsciously licking his lips. "Well, maybe I can help. Are you a student here?"
"No." Buffy dragged the answer out, realizing he must be a teacher, or more likely, a teacher's aid.
"Good." He stepped closer to Buffy. "So, what do you need then? Maybe a drink? I know a place..."
Buffy smiled and stood up to meet him. Standing very close, she reached up to the collar of his shirt. "Your collar's crooked." Buffy trailed her fingers over his collar to the top buttons and started to undo the first two, pulling the material away from his neck.
He reached up and stilled her hands. "Hey, maybe we should go someplace."
"Why not here?" Buffy countered.
He looked around the deserted lot. "Someone could come by any minute."
"This won't take that long." Buffy freed her hands from his and placed one at the back of his head, pulling him closer. She held his eyes as he readied for a kiss and when he closed them in anticipation, she morphed, altered course, and sank her fangs into his neck. She was prepared for his startled response, her other hand reached around his waist and held him firmly to her. His hands beat uselessly against her, trying to push away as she let his blood pulse steadily into her mouth. And there it was, that heat, pumping and flowing into her, through her, filling her with the life force she remembered having, feeling human. Then she felt the man die, the flow slip away to a halt, and she returned to how she is, hardened and buzzed with the fresh kill. She leaned his body against the hood of the car and checked his pockets. She found his wallet and removed the cash. She found his keys, and opening the driver's side door, placed his body inside. She noticed a pair of nice sunglasses on the dash and took them. Shutting the door, she put the sunglasses on and wandered back to the courtyard.
Buffy found Willow seated on one of the benches surrounding the courtyard. "Well, I feel... better." Buffy stood in front of her friend, ran her hand through her hair and stretched.
"Good." Willow smiled warmly up at her.
Buffy eyed her suspiciously. "Will, you did hunt, didn't you?"
"Yes." Willow confirmed exaggeratedly. "I..." She was about to brag about her hunt when Buffy cut her off.
"Good." Buffy bounced a little on her feet. "My first one, much too much thinking. This last one, no thought at all."
Willow nodded her head, enjoying watching Buffy dance with excess energy, buzzed from the hunt, the kill. She was reminded of the small slice of time when her friend allowed herself to accept the Slayer, felt entitled to it even. Moments only through the years, and all before they pulled her back from her death and her peace. Willow wondered that after all this, that feeling is what would be brought out in Buffy now. And she wondered if Buffy realized it. Willow shook the thoughts from her head. "Well, I'm still thinking enough for the three of us. Not worrying." Willow held up her hand to stop any of Buffy's protests. "Just thoughts. For instance, what's with the sunglasses?" She hoped to keep any conversation light, finding she was enjoying Buffy's mood.
Buffy shrugged. "I liked them. Can still see well enough."
"Well, did you see Xander?" Willow asked.
"No, but..." Buffy paused and looked towards the far end of the courtyard, nodding her head in that direction.
Xander nodded in response and strolled across the courtyard. He stopped in front of the ladies and stood relaxed and reserved. "Well, what's the count? I took three. A forth, too, but she died before I could feed."
Buffy scrunched her nose at him and crossed her arms, defensively. "Xander, we weren't competing."
"Sure we were." Xander countered. "What? You gonna admit I beat the Slayer?" He smirked.
"Well, I wasn't playing." Buffy declared. Uncrossing her arms, she shrugged and relaxed. "Two, and I'm plenty full. Plus some cash and these cool glasses."
"Cash, right. I didn't think of looting." Xander smiled and gave Buffy a short nod of respect for her forethought.
Willow kept her face blank as both her friends turned to her, their expressions expectant and challenging. "One." She quietly admitted, trying to keep the knowing smirk off her face.
"One?" Buffy's features fell to disappointment. "Will, I thought we agreed..."
Willow cut her off by raising her hand in a 'stop' gesture. Unable to keep the smirk off her face any longer, she let it slide across her lips and rose off the bench to meet her friends at eye level. "But she was a slayer." She just as quietly continued, feeling like she just pulled an ace out of her sleeve.
"A slayer?!" They both remarked surprised at the same time. They looked at each other when they realized what they'd done, then looked back at Willow when she started to laugh.
"Yep." Willow stopped laughing, but continued to grin at the dumbfounded look on her friends' faces. "The spell. You do remember the spell? She probably just woke up that way. Untrained, unknowing, still strong as hell." Willow touched her jaw, some of the sting still lingering. "She only had the impulse to fight. And the fire in that blood... more than enough for me tonight. I'm still humming."
Xander laughed. "Way to go, Will. I concede."
Buffy arched an eyebrow. "I think that's what they call irony."
"So, what now, ladies? We go back, torch the park and get a move on?" Xander rubbed his hands together in feigned excitement and honest amusement.
"Xander, no!" Willow turned on him, resolve making her face stern and her eyes hard.
Xander met her eyes, his own growing cold in contrast to his smile. "Oh, come on. Buffy got to blow up schools and a whole town. You tried to end the world. I just want to set one little drunks' park into flames."
"Why?" Buffy asked softly, her head tilted and eyes mild and open in curious question.
"Why not?" Xander countered, turning on Buffy, expecting to see resistance from her as well. When he saw only open curiosity, he continued an explanation, growing more agitated as he revealed what he was feeling. "They probably deserve it. It's just... everything's different now. I'm strong and I'm free. Like a storm. And I'm connected, too. I can feel the earth; the dirt and the heat deeper inside. There's this pull..." Xander paused, searching for the words. Unable to find any, he shook his head and crossed over to the bench in front of them, hoping he could just show it. "Look," he instructed them. He placed his hands under the bench seat and pulled up, snapping the hold of the bolts that kept it secure to the pavement. Lifting the bench over his head, he tossed it arching through the air to land and tumble in a dark clearing behind them. "I want to tear it all apart. This whole world needs rearranging."
The women stood stunned from the display, unable to understand his rage. He turned to look at them, his face still human and smiling. The smile faded when he realized they didn't get it. They felt like strangers. He felt alone. Noticing a look on Willow's face, a pleading in her eyes, his anger flared again and he glared at her. "Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?" Willow stepped back.
"Like you're searching for your friend." Xander shook his head slightly and the form of a vampire showed. "Xander doesn't live here anymore. And it's good riddance. He was weak, he could do nothing."
"He was stronger than that little show. He had a strength you couldn't know." Buffy countered, stepping up closer.
"Oh, right." Xander moved both hands over his heart. "He was the heart of the group. Well guess what, Buffy. The heart doesn't beat any more. Whatever roll in the hay finally turned you saw to that."
"I didn't..." Buffy voice rose and her fist clenched, but her forward movement was intercepted by Willow.
Willow rushed up to Xander and grabbed his shirt in both hands. "Let's get this straight, for the record, right now. I killed the Slayer. The Slayer." Her face morphed to the vampire. "I turned Buffy."
Buffy rolled her eyes at the outburst. It was true, though. She took a step back and nodded at Xander's glance for confirmation.
"I'm the one who got turned first." Willow admitted in a quieter tone, her face shifting back to human form. She released Xander and stepped back a little, still holding his attention firmly.
Xander just watched her, absorbing the information. "How? Who?"
Willow relaxed a little more and shrugged. "Got jumped. He's dust." She wasn't in a mood to fully explain standing in a campus courtyard when they should be leaving the scenes of many crimes and getting back on the road.
Xander's face softened back to human, his anger deflated. "Willow." The name softly slipping out from his thoughts. "So it's just us, isn't it?" The chain of events beginning to clear in his mind, the questions of where they were going and why starting again.
"Yes, Xander." Buffy reaffirmed. "It's just the three of us."
"Not to break up the touching part, but we should get going." Willow pointed out. She started back down the first path they came in on.
Buffy and Xander willingly followed. Xander leaned towards Buffy, his voice lowered. "So, she's the boss of us?"
Buffy's reaction was immediate. "Ha!"
Willow called back over her shoulder. "I'm still close enough to hear you."
"And I'll say it again, ha!" Buffy replied louder.
Willow turned and started walking backwards to face her friends. "And I'll repeat the score. Two slayers." Willow smirked and turned back around, continuing on the way.
They arrived at the apartment buildings. Willow let herself into their borrowed apartment to grab the bag of their clothes, make sure they left no identifying items behind and get the CD's Buffy wanted. Buffy noticed Xander had grown sullen on the way back. She watched as he stared off in the direction of the trailer park, clearly wanting to return. She remembered what Spike told her about Sire's blood and wondered if it was true, or if Spike was just being...Spike. It had been the plan anyway, the reasoning, her argument in the pro-turning Xander case. She decided to try.
Buffy removed her sunglasses and placed them in her pocket, wanting Xander to be able to read her eyes. "Xander." Buffy pulled his attention to her by placing a hand on his chest. She smiled warmly up at him, reassured when she felt a small spark of connection.
"Hey Buff." Xander gazed down into her eyes, wondering at the sudden comfort he felt.
"There's something I want you to do." Buffy started, her fingers moving back and forth across Xander's chest.
"Something like what Willow's been doing to you?" Xander placed his hands on Buffy's back, returning the gesture. When Buffy looked surprised at his words, he explained. "I can smell her all over you. I've wanted you longer, you know. Not by much, but still." He smirked.
Buffy turned Xander and pushed him back against the side of the car, holding him at arm’s length. "What is it with you two and this longing since high school stuff?" She shook her head in amusement. Smiling again, she stepped forward into Xander's arms. "I have something better in mind." When Xander arched his eyebrows in disbelief, she tilted her head, revealing her neck and looked into his eye. "Sire's blood. Drink, Xander."
Xander looked into her eyes, the proposition hanging in the little space between them. He glanced down at her neck and licked his lips. Looking back into her eyes for confirmation and seeing only invitation, his face changed and he slowly bent down and slid his fangs gently into her neck. There was no pulse to push the blood into his mouth so he licked the barest trickle that started down her neck. Then he began to pull at the wound, sucking the sweet elixir into himself. He craved suddenly, his grip tightened around her and pulled her roughly to himself. She moaned and he pulled harder, drank deeper. He thought he could never have enough of this. He felt her hand tangle in his hair, holding him; felt her body sliding seductively against his own. He sucked, he licked at the trickles that escaped his lips. He vaguely felt her pull away and darkness clouded his mind to sleep.
Buffy staggered back, surprised at the intensity and how dizzy and weak she felt now. Confused, she barely held Xander upright, his body limp and to all appearances, dead, again. Needing better leverage in her weakened state, she stepped up, leaned her body against his to hold him and lightly slapped his face to try and wake him.
Willow locked the door to the apartment and shut it, leaving the police one more tragedy and riddle. She started towards the car and noticed Buffy holding Xander, and Xander apparently knocked out cold. "What'd you do, Buffy?"
Buffy turned her head to Willow. "Hey, a little help here, please." She nodded at the car door to the backseat, indicating for Willow to open it.
Willow stepped quickly up to the car and opened the door. "Why, what's wrong? What happened? Why do you look almost as bad as he does?"
There were too many questions and Buffy was losing the battle to keep Xander upright. She struggled to move him to the backseat, relieved when Willow just stepped in and easily lifted him into the car and shut the door. When Willow turned back to her, Buffy leaned wearily against the car herself. "I got him to drink. From me. Sire's blood and all that. I didn't know this would happen." Buffy groaned. "I feel drained."
Willow looked at Xander laid across the backseat just as he was the night before, then back at Buffy. "Pun, literal. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm sure I will be. I just wish... there was someone..." Buffy closed her eyes and rested her head back against the car.
Willow had an idea. Giving herself a moment to go over it in her mind, she opened the door again, setting the bag on the floor next to Xander and the CD's in the space between the front seats. With everything ready for the road, Willow shut the car door and stepped in front of Buffy. She traced the bite mark with her finger, heard Buffy hum and their eyes met as Buffy's arms wrapped around her. "You need blood, Buffy, so here's the plan. Drink from me. As you say, Sire's blood. Besides, what's good for the goose..." Willow leaned closer, running her hand over Buffy's chest.
"Can't, Will..." Buffy's tone pleaded.
"Yes." Willow slipped her thigh between Buffy's, pressing up. "You need it. You want to. I want you to."
"You'll be just as weak as me and I'll probably be out like the light that is Xander." Buffy tried to protest.
"I won't let it get that far. And I'll find a snack for the road." Willow reassured. "Buffy, drink." She tilted her head, offering her neck to Buffy and leaning in, licked at Xander's bite mark.
Buffy couldn't hold back any longer and unheeding any worry, sank her fangs fully into Willow's neck. She sucked immediately, holding Willow tight and relishing the responding groan. Pulling the liquid into herself, she answered her thirst, the craving sudden and different than the others. There was no heat, no spark of life, but it was thick with a promise, a bond. Buffy stroked Willow's back, moving their bodies against each other's, sliding herself over Willow's thigh. She pulled with abandon at the wound, accepting what was offered: a connection, union. It felt like sex. It felt like love. Suddenly it was torn away and she moved instinctively to follow, Willow's hand pushing her gently back against the car. Buffy smiled, recognizing in Willow's eyes that she felt it too and reached up to stroke Willow's face. Her arm fell to her side with sudden weight and she felt her eyes flutter shut and her thoughts quiet in dark sleep.
Willow watched as Buffy's eyes closed and her head fell forward. Buffy's body began to slide down and instead of trying to hold it up, Willow controlled the fall, gently setting her on the ground to lean against the car. Willow ran her hand through her hair, pulling it away from her face and carefully stood up, resting her other hand on the car to steady herself. She was weak, weaker than she had planned. It had been too intense to stop in time. Slowly, she looked around. It was early evening still. Someone would have to be coming home soon. She saw her, another student Willow guessed, crossing the road and heading in their direction. As the woman neared, she staggered away from the car towards her, calling out. "Hey, can you help us. Please."
The woman looked up. She saw a young woman like herself moving uneasily towards her and another woman laying on the ground near a car. She was frightened, looking around she quickly ran up to them. "Are you okay? What happened? Do you need help?"
Willow let the woman run up to her. She put her hand on the woman's shoulder, letting her help hold her up, smiling as she felt the woman's arm wrap around her waist to steady her. "Thank you." Willow concentrated the last of her strength and placed her other hand on the woman's other shoulder, pulling her close. She leaned in immediately, as if falling into her arms and sank her fangs into the neck. Willow struggled to hang on, letting her body move with the panicked woman instead of fighting her. She sucked the blood from her neck in time with the pulse, hoping to weaken the woman before she managed to pull away. They both fell to the pavement, Willow bent over her, covering her, holding desperately to the body and the flow of blood. She felt the woman's arms fall away as the pulse slowed and stopped. Willow sat up, ran her hand again through her hair and stretched. "Thank you."
Willow stood up; steady, strong now, and looked around. She could see no-one, but that didn't mean that no-one saw them. Quickly moving back to Buffy, she opened the passenger door and set her friend inside. She just as quickly moved around the car and got into the driver's seat. With one last look around, Willow started the car and headed for the freeway, northbound.