Say Goodbye

by Kylia

Xander stared at Buffy for a second, unsure of what to say. He felt
Spike pull him back against his chest, and realized into his lover's
embrace.

"What's going on here, Xander?" Buffy asked in confusion.

"Ever hear of knocking, Slayer?" Spike raised an eyebrow as he pulled
Xander even closer to him.

Buffy glared at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here." He told her and then smirked. "WE live here." He
elaborated.

Xander turned his head and stared questioningly at his lover. Spike raised
his scarred eyebrow, as if daring Xander to challenge his claim. Shrugging,
Xander turned back to Buffy. "We're together."

Buffy scowled as she tried to understand the meaning behind Xander's words.
She had scene the kiss when she walked in, but that didn't necessarily mean
what it looked like. Surely Spike was just playing games.

"What do you mean, 'together'?" She asked carefully.

Spike snorted and nuzzled Xander's neck. "I'd think it would be fairly
obvious. Daft chit." His words were whispered, so only Xander heard them.

Xander grinned. "Just what it sounds. looks like."

"Together as in you're in the same room now. or together as in." She let the
words trail off, not wanting to voice the other option.

"Together as in a couple." Xander told her softly.

"No." Buffy shook her head. "That's not possible. That's. wrong, Xander.
Tell me it isn't true."

Xander stepped away from his lover's embrace, 'causing Spike to growl
softly. "It's true."

"Why?"

"I love him." Xander answered without hesitation.

"No." Buffy stepped forward and grabbed Xander's arm. "Come on, We're
going to get Will, and then we're going home!"

"We are home."

Willow's soft voice stopped Buffy as she attempted to drag Xander away. The
redhead was standing in the doorway, a sad expression on her face. "Let him
go, Buffy. He's fine. I'm fine."

Buffy blinked and her mind tried to comprehend everything Willow had said.
"What do you mean you are home?" She looked back to Spike and Xander. "You
don't mean that you're."

Willow grinned. "No." She stepped aside allowing Faith, who was standing
behind her, to enter. "I'm with Faith."

"Faith? What the hell is she doing here?" Buffy snapped, narrowing her
eyes.

"She lives here." Willow supplied. "Well, not here as in this apartment,
but here in LA."

Buffy shook her head, not wanting to dwell too much on what she had been
told. "Come on, both of you. We're leaving." She started to walk towards
the door, happy to see that Faith had moved out of the way. She wasn't in
the mood for another confrontation with the other Slayer.

She had nearly reached the door when she realized she wasn't being
followed. Stopping and turning around, Buffy looked from Xander to Willow
and back again. "Well? Why are you still standing there? Let's go."

Willow shook her head. Xander had to stifle the grin that threatened to
form at the confused look on Buffy's face.

"They aren't going anywhere." Angel's voice broke the silence of the room.

Everyone turned to stare at the vampire as he walked into the room, followed
by Cordelia. Xander turned to look questioningly at his ex-girlfriend.

Cordelia shrugged. "What? I couldn't leave guys alone to deal with Bitchy."

Buffy's eyes narrowed at the former cheerleader. "This is none of your
business." She said between clinched teeth.

Angel was about to speak when Cordelia's hand on his shoulder stopped him.
He turned to look at her. Cordelia smiled and then stepped forward,
standing just inches away from Buffy.

"That's where you're wrong. This isn't Sunnydale. This isn't the Hellmouth.
And these." She waved her hands around to include everyone in the
room, .people, aren't at your beck and call."

She stepped back slightly. "This is our office. Our town. What gives you
the right to come in here and start order my family around?"

Buffy blinked. <What the hell?> She turned to Angel, begging him to help
her. He stepped forward, and she relaxed, realizing he was on her side.

"Delia's right, Buffy. If Xander and Willow want to stay in La, they're
more than welcome. I could use the help."

Spike snorted at the disbelieving look on Buffy's face.

The blonde Slayer stood up straight. "I'm leaving in the morning. I expect
you both to be with me." She said icily. She turned towards the door and
spoke over her shoulder. "I'll be staying at the hotel down the street.
Don't make me come here to get you."

Buffy stormed out of the small apartment, leaving a stunned silence in hr
wake.

"That went well." Angel said. His voice was serious, but there was a
twinkle in his eyes, and his lips her turned upwards in the tiniest show of
a smirk.

"Gotta hand it to B," Faith laughed. "She sure does have selective
hearing."

Xander grinned. "And sight."

The six friends suddenly broke out laughing.

"We should go." Cordelia spoke softly, leading Angel out of the room.

Angel began to follow her out but stopped before he had walked through the
door. "I meant what I said." He looked from Xander to Willow and back.
"You can stay as long as you want. I do need the help."

Willow smiled. "Thank you, Angel." She gave him a hug.

"Yeah, thanks, Daddy." Xander grinned again as he watched the scowl appear
on Angel's features.

Angel groaned and shook his head. "Children." He muttered as he left the
small apartment.

Faith chuckled. "We should go too. we have some unfinished business."

Xander raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He turned to Willow. "We
should go and see her tomorrow." He heard Spike growl behind him. "We need
to say goodbye."

Willow nodded. "I'll be by in the morning, and we can go together."

"Thanks, Will." Xander grinned at his oldest friend as she took Faith's
hand and disappeared out the same door as Angel had.

*****

As they left the now empty office building, Faith thought about what had
been said. "So, you're really staying?"

Willow squeezed her hand. "I said I would."

"But that was before B showed up."

Willow stopped and looked up at the brunette Slayer. "That doesn't change
anything. I." She paused a moment, "I'm not sure what we have here, but I'd
like to find out." She smiled softly and kissed Faith gently on her lips.

Faith opened her mouth in invitation. Willow's tongue entered the Slayer's
lips, exploring ever inch of her mouth. After a minute, they separated and
Willow smiled up at her lover. "Come on, let's go get something to eat,
than we can go back to your place."

"Our place." Faith corrected.

"Yes, our place." Willow smiled again, her green eyes sparkling.

*****

"Did you mean it?"

Xander turned around to face Spike, started by the sound in the now silent
apartment.

"Mean what?" He asked confused, trying to remember everything he had said.

"About you loving me?" Spike asked, hating that he was so pathetic he had
to ask.

Xander smiled. "Yes, but I can take it back."

Spike growled and pulled the mortal into his chest. "Don't you dare." He
plundered Xander's mouth with his own, his kiss releasing all of his pent up
nervousness, and fear from the encounter with Buffy.

When Xander was forced to pull away due to a need for oxygen, he looked into
Spike's blue eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. I love you. I didn't really
realize it until recently, but I think it's been true for awhile."

"So. You'll stay then? Here. with me?" Spike asked, again, hating the
nervousness he could hear in his own voice.

"Unless you don't want me." Xander asked, a faint grin on his features.

Spike growled. "I want." He dragged the boy back over to the couch and
pushed him down. "I'll show you just how much I want."

*****

"You ready?" Xander turned to look at Willow. They had left Faith and
Spike at home. Although bringing Spike wasn't really an option due to the
sunlit hour.

"Yeah." She paused, "What are we going to tell her?"

Xander shrugged. "Nothing. That we're fine, we're safe, we're not leaving.
We're in love." He paused and turned to Willow again. "Are you in love?"

Willow thought about the question for a second, and image of Faith popping
into her head. She smiled dreamily, before focusing on Xander once more.
"Yeah, I think I am."

"Well then, here goes nothing." He knocked on the hotel room door before
they could have second thoughts.

After a moment, the door was swung opened and Buffy stood there in a
fighting stance wielding a stake.

"You know, Buff, it's daylight, and there's no shade. you aren't likely to
run into any vamps." Xander looked around him to make sure he was correct.

"Come in." Buffy stepped aside, relaxing her stance.

"I'm glad you changed your mind." Buffy said after she had shut the door
behind them.

"We haven't." Xander told her, not wanting to prolong this any longer than
necessary.

"We just came to say goodbye." Willow added.

Buffy stared at them incredulously. "What?" She shook her head. "No, I'm
going to finish getting dressed and then we're leaving here. together."

"No, Buffy, we're not." Xander's voice was firm. "You're going to finish
getting dressed, and you're going to leave. We are staking here, with the
people we love."

Buffy wasn't sure what to do. Xander had never really stood up to her,
except where Angel was concerned, and it had been a long time since any of
that had been an issue. "I don't know what to say." She finally admitted.

"Say goodbye." Xander's voice spoke softly.

"Please." Willow pleaded.

Buffy turned around and began lacing up her boots. When she was finished,
she grabbed her bag and headed towards the door.

"I'm leaving, but this isn't goodbye. You'll be back. You both will. You'
re realize you were wrong, that you need me." She stormed out of the motel
room, not giving her friends a chance to speak.

Willow shook her head sadly. "Come, on, lets go."

Xander followed her out of the room, shutting the door behind him. "Will,
do you think she'll forgive us?"

"I don't know Xan. But there isn't anything to forgive. Whether she ever
understands. I don't know." She stopped and looked up at him. "But you
know what? I don't care."

Xander grinned at her. "Me either." He grabbed her wrist and started
dragging her back towards Angel's office. "Let's go, we have a life to get
on with."

*****

The End