Title: Phoenix Risings
Rating: PG-13/R
Chapter Number: 1
Author: White Werewolf
Category: Buffy/Xander, Sam/Daniel, Gabrielle/Joxer
Spoilers/Timeframe: All I know for sure it is after "Becoming Part 2."
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the ideas and my computer.
Summery: After Buffy leaves Sunnydale, Xander decides to go looking for her. On the other side of the universe, Ninedinna wants the book she created...the Necronomicon Ex Mortis: the Book of the Dead.
Author Notes: This part is just a prologue to a long series. It will be mainly focused on the Buffy/Xander relationship and it will be housing many crossovers.
Special Thanks: Danii, Tenhawk, Teri, Silent Bob Foley, and X-Lander
Crossovers Planned:
Buffy: the Vampire Slayer
Hercules: the Legendary Journeys
Evil Dead
Stargate SG-1
Xena: Warrior Princess
Three's Company
Cameo Crossovers will suddenly appear. Take a read, and see if you can spot one.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xander Harris stood with his friends: Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Daniel Osborne, and Cordelia Chase.
But there was one person missing, one person that meant a whole lot to him...Buffy Summers.
He saw the whole thing between her and Angelus. After the vampire opened the portal, Buffy sent him through. Then she walked away slowly and crying. Xander would've gone after her, but he had to take care of Giles.
The young man turned around and saw Buffy standing at the other side of the school near the bus stop. A grin appeared on his face, but before he could try to talk to her, he had to make an excuse.
Xander turned back to his friends, and said, "Uh...guys?"
Willow looked up at her best friend, "Yeah?"
"I'll be right back."
And before Willow or the others could say anything, Xander ran away and toward the bus, but by the time he got there, the bus already left. "Shit," he cursed.
***
Buffy watched her friends at the school and knew that she couldn't face them.
There was too much pain in her heart. She had to send her lover to hell, and she even saw the return of Angel.
Angel's face was burned in her memory as he got pulled into the portal, and as soon as he left, she broke down crying. Buffy loved him, and he was gone.
The horn sounded, and she turned back around and walked into the bus. After giving her ticket, she found a spot and sat down. The blond looked out the window and could see Xander heading toward the bus.
A tear emerged out of her eye as the bus started to pull away. She placed her hand on the window trying to get her last touch of her friends.
"Goodbye, guys." She said to herself, "take care of yourselves. I love you."
***
Xander stopped as he watched the bus.
He was too late, and watched it go over the horizon.
The teenager looked back at the school and could see his friends heading inside. Xander had to decide. He could either go back to school with his friends, or he could try and get Buffy back into her life where she had friends and a mother that loved her.
And Buffy needed a friend now. She was a mess and was in no shape to fight vampires and demons. His friend would be an easy target, and that's something he didn't want.
Xander figured out what he had to do. Buffy was too important to him. He loved her, and he didn't want to see her die.
So, Xander would go home, pack, and go to the bus station. There he would find out where bus number, 309, was going and go after her-hoping beyond anything to bring her safely home.
Xander swung his bag over his shoulder and walked over to his car. He jumped inside and drove toward his home thanking god that he knew his parents weren't home.
***
Xander slumped back into his seat and roared the engine back to life. On the dashboard was a piece a paper that he just received at the station. On it was the information he needed.
Bus 309 was on it's way to Los Angeles, and that's where Xander was destined to go and bring back his love.
***
Buffy Summers walked off the bus to an old yet familiar setting-Los Angeles.
She took a deep breath and looked at her surroundings. The last time she was here was two summers ago with her father. She glanced back at the bus and watched it depart.
As soon as it was gone, Buffy walked out of the ally and wondered what she was going to do. Before she could do anything, the Slayer had to get a place to live. That and a job. After all, she had to survive.
"Buffy?"
The tone of the voice made Buffy stagger a few feet back. She looked at where the voice and saw a tall man. It was Angel, and he was standing in broad daylight.
She took a few steps toward him, "Angel?" She whispered.
"You killed me. I loved you and you killed me."
Tears started to emerge from her eyes. "I didn't mean to."
"You killed me, Buffy," he repeated.
A nod was made, "I know."
"Why?"
"Because," she whispered, "I had to save the world."
He glared at her, "Well, congratulations, Buffy. You killed me and you saved the world. And now you're alone. You're alone, and you'll never find anyone. I was your chance at happiness, and you lost it. You left your friends. Now, you'll die alone with no one that cares for you. No one. No Willow, no Giles, no mom, and no Xander. You're good as dead."
With that said, Angel disappeared and she crumbled to the ground. She made her way to a nearby ally, and started to cry for the life that she left behind.
***
Xander walked up to a nearby counter. "Excuse me?"
A man turned around and saw a young teenage with dark hair. "Can I help you?"
He nodded, and went inside his walled. Xander showed him a picture of Buffy. "Have you seen this girl?"
The man shook his head, "Sorry, son. I haven't seen her before. Kind of a cutie though. She you're girlfriend?"
(I wish,) he thought to himself. "No, she's just a friend I'm trying to find."
The man shrugged, "Sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"
Xander looked around and spotted a sign in front of him. On it were the words, 'Help Needed.' "Yeah, maybe you could. Can I get an application?"
The man smiled. He liked this kid. "Sure thing," he said as his hand slid underneath the counter and pulled out a piece of paper. "here. Fill this out, and give it back to me."
The Sunnydale resident took the paper and flashed him a smile, "Thanks."
The clerk said, "I'll tell you what, son. I like you, and you obviously care about that young girl enough to ask a stranger if I've seem her. After you fill out the form, I'll give it the manager and put in a good word for you."
He beamed, "Thanks. And you are?"
The older man replied, "The name's Ralph Furely, but you can call me RF."
"Nice to meet you, RF. My name's Xander."
The clerk said, "Well, Xander. Please fill out the form, and give it back to me. It shouldn't take you that long."
Xander nodded, took the form, and went to the far table by the entrance of the store and started to fill it out.
***
Buffy started washing her hands in the bathroom of the restaurant she was in. Her hands were covered in soap and she began rubbing them together.
Then she looked into the mirror and there were traces of tears that were left from her crying earlier.
The whole scene was so burned into her memory. She could remember every detail of her Angel and how she sent him to hell. The portal opened and Angel came back. She could see his face change from that demonic one that Buffy loathed to the innocent one that the Slayer loved.
So much emotion was in her soul at that moment. She lost her love-the one person who could understand her...or so she thought.
Then she remembered the school from just this morning. She looked at her friends one last time and went on the bust. As it departed, she saw her friend, Xander Harris, running toward her.
Xander was always the one person that could see through her. Even though it has been two years, Xander knew her to the core. He knew everything about her, and she truly missed him.
She missed the sound of his laugh as well as his voice. The way his eyes always looked at her. He cared deeply for her, and she knew it. But, she didn't feel anything for him.
It was Angel that made her heart skip a beat, and now he was dead.
"I guess the watchers are right," she sighed to herself. Slayers aren't meant to find happiness. They're meant to be raised as vampire slayers and nothing else. They're not supposed to find happiness or enjoy the time they spend on this Earth. They're only meant for killing demons and vampires. Nothing else.
Soon teas started to remerge. "Can't I ever stop crying?" She sad aloud.
She went into a nearby stall and closed the door. After sitting on the toilet, she sat there waiting for the tears to stop, and then she had to move on.
When her crying would stop, Buffy would have to take a deep breath, compose herself, and go out into the world to try and find a job and a place to stay.
One thing was for sure, Buffy Anne Summers couldn't return home-back to Sunnydale.
Her past was full of pain, and she didn't want to revisit that. She didn't want to see her mother who told her not to return home if she left that house, and she left that house. Now, she can't return home.
***
Xander sat in a white office. In front of him sat the manager.
"So, Xander?"
He gulped, "Yes, Mr. Brundle."
The man chuckled, "First of all, Xander. Like I said earlier. Call me Mike."
Xander nodded slowly, "Sorry, Mike."
"So, you just graduated Highschool, huh?"
A deep breath was made, "Yes, I did, Mike. Now, that I graduated, I want to start fresh. So, I moved away from Sunnydale and came here."
(A fresh start is always nice,) he thought to himself as he marked it down on the application. "Everything seems to be in order here, Xander. Resume looks good, and nothing else seems to be wrong. RF gave you a good recommendation. And if anything ever comes up, which I doubt, I'll just call Rupert Giles here."
He smiled, "Does this mean I get the job, Mike?"
Mike nodded, "Congratulations, Xander. You're the new cashier here at S-Mart."
Xander smiled, "Thanks, Mike."
He said, "You're welcome, Xander. You start tomorrow. Be here at 9:00 and we'll show you the ropes to this store, then you can start cashiering."
The now employed teenager offered his hand, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
Mike shook his hand; "I'll see you tomorrow. We'll go over the paper work and everything else."
***
With that said, Xander left the office and headed for the exit.
He was about to leave when he heard a voice, "How'd it go?"
Xander turned around, "I got the job, RF."
The landlord grinned, "That's great, Xander. When do you start?"
"Tomorrow, RF. Tomorrow. Now, if you don't mind. I'm going to go try and find my friend."
He nodded, "Sounds like a plan. I'm afraid though, I can't help you, my young friend. Y'see, I'm what as known as a ladies' man. She won't stand a chance from RF."
He chuckled, "I'll keep that in mind. I'll see you tomorrow."
With that he was about to leave when Ralph spoke up, "Since your new here, Xander. You're going to need a place to live and I happen to own an apartment building in Santa Monica."
An apartment in Santa Monica? True, it wasn't Los Angeles, but the two were neighboring cities. Plus, it would an area for him to create a headquarters for his Buffy search.
"How much is the rent?"
Normally, Ralph would charge 600 dollars a month, and he would make sure that his tenants paid that. He always had trouble with his tenants: Jack, Chrissy, and Janet. Although they were good people, and paid to the best of their abilities.
Xander on the other hand, was in a tight situation. From what he's learned from him, Xander was only here to search for his friend and recently found himself a job. So, that means he didn't have that much money. He needed to sound reasonable.
"Here's the deal, Xander. Normally, I'd charge people 600 a month, but given your current situation, I've decided to drop it down to 200 a month. This is only for the first few months however. Once three months go by, I expect you to pay the full 600."
He smiled, "Thanks, RF. I got 200 in my bank account, and I'll pay you as soon as I get to the bank. And don't worry, I'll have your 600 after the three months."
"Good. Now, wait ten minutes, then I'll show you your apartment. I only got ten minutes left on my shift."
"I'll be waiting." With that said, he went over to an empty chair and sat down.
***
Buffy needed to stop and do something that she was used to-something that was so normal for her, that she could get the night off. And that idea was slaying.
Today has been extremely hard for her. For the first few hours in Los Angeles, all she could do was cry over Angel, over the life that she left behind and all she wanted was for it to stop.
After a number of attempts, she got a job as a waitress at Helen's Kitchen. She applied at numerous restaurants and stores, but it was at that final restaurant she got lucky. Her pay was somewhat decent and that was enough for her to afford a place to live and get some food in her system.
To make her past something unremembered, she had to create a new identity. So, Buffy Anne Summers had to die for the time being, and in her place was now Anne Phillips.
Her living situation was also going somewhat well. She managed to pay for a low-rent apartment, but that's all she needed.
But no matter how hard she tried to move on with her life at that moment, her heart still was broken, and she needed time to heal.
"Slayer..."
She heard that word and she immediately went into Slayer mode. The Slayer turned around and spotted three vampires.
"You're dead." One of them hissed.
She withdrew her stake, "Want to bet? Because, personally, I don't think you should bet on something that you'd most definitely lose."
The other vampire said, "Oh, but I do want to bet. I bet we take you and turn you."
As a response, she plunged her stake into that very demon's chest. "That's why you shouldn't bet with the Slayer, you'll lose every time."
The last vampire chuckled, "I don't think so, Blondie." Then he swung a roundhouse across her face, and she easily ducked the demon's attack.
But one thing she didn't count on was that the other vampire used that time to his advantage. While Buffy was in a crouching position, he foot swept the Slayer and she landed on her back. "This is not what I needed."
"Oh, but it was what you needed." The vampire that did a roundhouse said. He then straddled her with his hands pinning down her arms keeping her in place. He lowered his face, put on his vampiric face, and licked his lips.
Buffy could feel the end coming. She tried desperately to move any limb, but with her arms pinned down and her legs held in place by the last demon, she couldn't move. In short, Buffy felt helpless.
Suddenly the vampire that had her arms pinned down was lifted from his position. "Get the fuck off of me!" the demon yelled.
With her now free arms, she grabbed the other vampire from her ankles and somersaulted them both over. Now, she was on top. With her stake, she jabbed him in the heart, and the vampire exploded into dust.
After that, she sat back up and saw a shadow of the stranger that rescued her from that vampire. "Who's there?"
But instead of answering, the stranger staked the vampire and ran off leaving one perplexed Slayer. "What kind of guy leaves without saying anything?" Then she thought of Angel, "Stupid question."
***
Ralph Furely led Xander up the stairs leading to some rooms. As soon as they reached the second floor, Ralph said, "Before I let you look at your room, Xander. There are some people I want you to meet. But if I were you, I'd stay away from Jack."
"Why Jack?"
The landlord chuckled, "Because Jack's a girl."
"Huh?"
"He's gay. That's the only reason why I let him live with two girls."
Two girls and a guy? That sounded like Xander, Buffy, and Willow. Same situation, he thought. But it's not a living situation yet. And nobody thinks he's gay. Well, accept for Larry.
Before he could further think of anything else. Ralph knocked on the door.
Soon the door opened and there stood a blond woman. "Hi, Mr. Furely."
Ralph smiled, "Hi, Chrissy. This is Xander. I thought you, Janet, and Jack might want to meet him."
"Sure. C'mon in." She said as she opened the door further.
RF and Xander walked inside only to find a brunette and a guy Xander never thought he'd see again. With his eyes glaring, Xander yelled, "Get away from them, Ted!"
Without another thought, Xander ran into the room and tackled Jack. After pinning him to the ground, he said, "Going after Mrs. Summers wasn't enough for you, Ted. Wasn't it? Now you're going after these two girls. You make me sick!"
Jack looked at him confusingly, "Uh...my name's not Ted. I'm Jack. Jack Tripper."
This didn't move Xander, "So you changed your name? I'm not totally surprised."
The chef looked at his friends, "Guys, help me."
RF chuckled, "You sure want help, Jack. I thought Xander would be right up your alley."
"C'mon, Chrissy." Janet said to her roommate, "let's help Jack."
She showed a confused look, "Help him with what?"
The brunette sighed, "Help me get Xander off of Jack."
Jack said, "Xander. Like I said before, my name is not Ted. Ted's my uncle."
"Uncle?" He asked out loud. It made sense. Ted did seem to look older than Jack here and he realized something else. This 'Ted' was breathing. Robots don't breath.
A soft chuckle was sounded. "Sorry," he said to Jack as he stood back up. The same time the girls were helping the chef up.
Jack got back to his feet after losing his balance temporarily. "It's alright, Xander. Uncle Ted has bad relationships with women. The only thing I got from him was my good looks."
"Again, sorry about that. But, it's nice to meet you."
Janet left her friend's side, "You should know better than to attack people at first site."
"Yeah." Was Chrissy statement.
(Well, when you live on the Hellmouth, it's kind of hard to do that, Janet.) he thought to himself.
"Xander," RF said, "I want you to check out your room, because I got a hot date tonight."
"Oh, you do, Mr. Furely? That's great news. I'm sure you'll have tonight."
He nodded at Janet, "Of course she'll have fun tonight. She's going out with me, isn't she?"
"Right you are, RF. Right you are." Jack said.
Xander stated, "Yeah, I'll check out the room and go see if I can find Buffy."
"Buffy?" Chrissy asked, "who's Buffy?"
"She's my friend from Sunnydale, Chrissy. She ran away today and I found out that she's staying in LA somewhere. I ran into RF at S-Mart today, and he offered me an apartment."
"Good luck with that," said the chef.
"Thanks. We better get going."
With that said, Xander and Ralph left apartment 201 and went to apartment 202.
***
Buffy dusted the remaining ash off her pants as she walked out of the cemetery. "I wonder who that was back there?" She asked herself.
She quickly placed her stake into her purse and headed back to her apartment. Even though it didn't last that long, it was somewhat of a workout, and she did need that to keep in shape.
As she headed for the apartment, she realized something. She needed a knife to make more stakes. All she had on her was one...Mr. Pointy. And she needed spares
But where do go? Then she remembered Helen mentioning a department store that was near the diner, and it might be the best place to get one. (S-Mart here I come,) she thought to herself.
***
Buffy walked into the store and walked through the aisles looking for a knife. Where to look? The Slayer passed clothes, house wares, electronics, and so on.
Soon she came to sports. That might be the perfect place. Buffy went down the aisle and saw the normal stuff...baseball bats, soccer balls, basketballs, and the usual stuff.
Then she came to the fishing aisle.
"Can I help you?"
Buffy looked from where the voice came from, "Yeah, maybe you can. I'm looking for a knife."
"A knife? Aren't you a little young for carrying a knife?"
Buffy glared at the man, "I'm old enough. I might look young, but I assure you. I'm old enough. It's not my fault I look younger than I am. I don't go out in the sun that much."
"That's a shame. A pretty girl like yourself deserves to go out into the world," he said with a lopsided grin.
Buffy blushed, "That's sweet. But if you don't mind, I got work tomorrow, and I just want the knife that's all."
The man nodded, "Right. This way."
For the first time Buffy looked at the man. And her eyes widened. This guy looked like Xander. (God! He looks like Xander!) she thought to herself. (I miss him so much. I wonder what he's doing right now? Probably looking after my mother. He's the kind of guy that would do that.)
"Here we are...the knives."
That brought her back to the here and now. Buffy looked through the display counter; (No...no...no...bingo.) "I'll take that ones," she said as she pointed to the one she wanted.
"So what do you need it for?" The man asked as he opened the case she put the innocent look on her face.
"Whittling, a girl has to have her hobbies. Thanks...Mister?"
He smiled, "Just call me Ash."
***
RF opened the door to the apartment and flipped on the switch, "Welcome to room number 202, Xander. It's not as big as 201, but there are two rooms with two beds. A kitchen and a living room. Nothing special, but it should be able to fill your needs."
Xander smiled, "Thanks, RF. This isn't that bad of an apartment." Then he walked inside and took a look around. The apartment was all what the landlord said. It was a nice place, better than he thought it would be.
"So, I give you 200 dollars a month for the first three months, and then it goes up to 600, right?"
"Right. So, will you take it?"
A grin appeared, "How could I not?"
"Great. I'll give you the paperwork tomorrow at work. See you then."
He nodded, "Sure, tomorrow."
Then the elder man left the apartment and Xander flopped himself down on the couch. "This is better than my house in Sunnydale!" he exclaimed out loud.
He turned around and spotted a telephone by the kitchen. He got up and went over to it. After taking it in his hand, he dialed a number, and placed it to his ear.
It rung a few times when the phone was picked up. "Hello, Buffy?"
Xander sighed knowing it wasn't whom she was suspecting. "Sorry, Mrs. Summers. It's not Buffy. It's me...Xander."
TBC
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Rating: PG-13/R
Chapter Number: 1
Author: White Werewolf
Category: Buffy/Xander, Sam/Daniel, Gabrielle/Joxer
Spoilers/Timeframe: All I know for sure it is after "Becoming Part 2."
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the ideas and my computer.
Summery: After Buffy leaves Sunnydale, Xander decides to go looking for her. On the other side of the universe, Ninedinna wants the book she created...the Necronomicon Ex Mortis: the Book of the Dead.
Author Notes: This part is just a prologue to a long series. It will be mainly focused on the Buffy/Xander relationship and it will be housing many crossovers.
Special Thanks: Danii, Tenhawk, Teri, Silent Bob Foley, and X-Lander
Crossovers Planned:
Buffy: the Vampire Slayer
Hercules: the Legendary Journeys
Evil Dead
Stargate SG-1
Xena: Warrior Princess
Three's Company
Cameo Crossovers will suddenly appear. Take a read, and see if you can spot one.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xander Harris stood with his friends: Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Daniel Osborne, and Cordelia Chase.
But there was one person missing, one person that meant a whole lot to him...Buffy Summers.
He saw the whole thing between her and Angelus. After the vampire opened the portal, Buffy sent him through. Then she walked away slowly and crying. Xander would've gone after her, but he had to take care of Giles.
The young man turned around and saw Buffy standing at the other side of the school near the bus stop. A grin appeared on his face, but before he could try to talk to her, he had to make an excuse.
Xander turned back to his friends, and said, "Uh...guys?"
Willow looked up at her best friend, "Yeah?"
"I'll be right back."
And before Willow or the others could say anything, Xander ran away and toward the bus, but by the time he got there, the bus already left. "Shit," he cursed.
***
Buffy watched her friends at the school and knew that she couldn't face them.
There was too much pain in her heart. She had to send her lover to hell, and she even saw the return of Angel.
Angel's face was burned in her memory as he got pulled into the portal, and as soon as he left, she broke down crying. Buffy loved him, and he was gone.
The horn sounded, and she turned back around and walked into the bus. After giving her ticket, she found a spot and sat down. The blond looked out the window and could see Xander heading toward the bus.
A tear emerged out of her eye as the bus started to pull away. She placed her hand on the window trying to get her last touch of her friends.
"Goodbye, guys." She said to herself, "take care of yourselves. I love you."
***
Xander stopped as he watched the bus.
He was too late, and watched it go over the horizon.
The teenager looked back at the school and could see his friends heading inside. Xander had to decide. He could either go back to school with his friends, or he could try and get Buffy back into her life where she had friends and a mother that loved her.
And Buffy needed a friend now. She was a mess and was in no shape to fight vampires and demons. His friend would be an easy target, and that's something he didn't want.
Xander figured out what he had to do. Buffy was too important to him. He loved her, and he didn't want to see her die.
So, Xander would go home, pack, and go to the bus station. There he would find out where bus number, 309, was going and go after her-hoping beyond anything to bring her safely home.
Xander swung his bag over his shoulder and walked over to his car. He jumped inside and drove toward his home thanking god that he knew his parents weren't home.
***
Xander slumped back into his seat and roared the engine back to life. On the dashboard was a piece a paper that he just received at the station. On it was the information he needed.
Bus 309 was on it's way to Los Angeles, and that's where Xander was destined to go and bring back his love.
***
Buffy Summers walked off the bus to an old yet familiar setting-Los Angeles.
She took a deep breath and looked at her surroundings. The last time she was here was two summers ago with her father. She glanced back at the bus and watched it depart.
As soon as it was gone, Buffy walked out of the ally and wondered what she was going to do. Before she could do anything, the Slayer had to get a place to live. That and a job. After all, she had to survive.
"Buffy?"
The tone of the voice made Buffy stagger a few feet back. She looked at where the voice and saw a tall man. It was Angel, and he was standing in broad daylight.
She took a few steps toward him, "Angel?" She whispered.
"You killed me. I loved you and you killed me."
Tears started to emerge from her eyes. "I didn't mean to."
"You killed me, Buffy," he repeated.
A nod was made, "I know."
"Why?"
"Because," she whispered, "I had to save the world."
He glared at her, "Well, congratulations, Buffy. You killed me and you saved the world. And now you're alone. You're alone, and you'll never find anyone. I was your chance at happiness, and you lost it. You left your friends. Now, you'll die alone with no one that cares for you. No one. No Willow, no Giles, no mom, and no Xander. You're good as dead."
With that said, Angel disappeared and she crumbled to the ground. She made her way to a nearby ally, and started to cry for the life that she left behind.
***
Xander walked up to a nearby counter. "Excuse me?"
A man turned around and saw a young teenage with dark hair. "Can I help you?"
He nodded, and went inside his walled. Xander showed him a picture of Buffy. "Have you seen this girl?"
The man shook his head, "Sorry, son. I haven't seen her before. Kind of a cutie though. She you're girlfriend?"
(I wish,) he thought to himself. "No, she's just a friend I'm trying to find."
The man shrugged, "Sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"
Xander looked around and spotted a sign in front of him. On it were the words, 'Help Needed.' "Yeah, maybe you could. Can I get an application?"
The man smiled. He liked this kid. "Sure thing," he said as his hand slid underneath the counter and pulled out a piece of paper. "here. Fill this out, and give it back to me."
The Sunnydale resident took the paper and flashed him a smile, "Thanks."
The clerk said, "I'll tell you what, son. I like you, and you obviously care about that young girl enough to ask a stranger if I've seem her. After you fill out the form, I'll give it the manager and put in a good word for you."
He beamed, "Thanks. And you are?"
The older man replied, "The name's Ralph Furely, but you can call me RF."
"Nice to meet you, RF. My name's Xander."
The clerk said, "Well, Xander. Please fill out the form, and give it back to me. It shouldn't take you that long."
Xander nodded, took the form, and went to the far table by the entrance of the store and started to fill it out.
***
Buffy started washing her hands in the bathroom of the restaurant she was in. Her hands were covered in soap and she began rubbing them together.
Then she looked into the mirror and there were traces of tears that were left from her crying earlier.
The whole scene was so burned into her memory. She could remember every detail of her Angel and how she sent him to hell. The portal opened and Angel came back. She could see his face change from that demonic one that Buffy loathed to the innocent one that the Slayer loved.
So much emotion was in her soul at that moment. She lost her love-the one person who could understand her...or so she thought.
Then she remembered the school from just this morning. She looked at her friends one last time and went on the bust. As it departed, she saw her friend, Xander Harris, running toward her.
Xander was always the one person that could see through her. Even though it has been two years, Xander knew her to the core. He knew everything about her, and she truly missed him.
She missed the sound of his laugh as well as his voice. The way his eyes always looked at her. He cared deeply for her, and she knew it. But, she didn't feel anything for him.
It was Angel that made her heart skip a beat, and now he was dead.
"I guess the watchers are right," she sighed to herself. Slayers aren't meant to find happiness. They're meant to be raised as vampire slayers and nothing else. They're not supposed to find happiness or enjoy the time they spend on this Earth. They're only meant for killing demons and vampires. Nothing else.
Soon teas started to remerge. "Can't I ever stop crying?" She sad aloud.
She went into a nearby stall and closed the door. After sitting on the toilet, she sat there waiting for the tears to stop, and then she had to move on.
When her crying would stop, Buffy would have to take a deep breath, compose herself, and go out into the world to try and find a job and a place to stay.
One thing was for sure, Buffy Anne Summers couldn't return home-back to Sunnydale.
Her past was full of pain, and she didn't want to revisit that. She didn't want to see her mother who told her not to return home if she left that house, and she left that house. Now, she can't return home.
***
Xander sat in a white office. In front of him sat the manager.
"So, Xander?"
He gulped, "Yes, Mr. Brundle."
The man chuckled, "First of all, Xander. Like I said earlier. Call me Mike."
Xander nodded slowly, "Sorry, Mike."
"So, you just graduated Highschool, huh?"
A deep breath was made, "Yes, I did, Mike. Now, that I graduated, I want to start fresh. So, I moved away from Sunnydale and came here."
(A fresh start is always nice,) he thought to himself as he marked it down on the application. "Everything seems to be in order here, Xander. Resume looks good, and nothing else seems to be wrong. RF gave you a good recommendation. And if anything ever comes up, which I doubt, I'll just call Rupert Giles here."
He smiled, "Does this mean I get the job, Mike?"
Mike nodded, "Congratulations, Xander. You're the new cashier here at S-Mart."
Xander smiled, "Thanks, Mike."
He said, "You're welcome, Xander. You start tomorrow. Be here at 9:00 and we'll show you the ropes to this store, then you can start cashiering."
The now employed teenager offered his hand, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
Mike shook his hand; "I'll see you tomorrow. We'll go over the paper work and everything else."
***
With that said, Xander left the office and headed for the exit.
He was about to leave when he heard a voice, "How'd it go?"
Xander turned around, "I got the job, RF."
The landlord grinned, "That's great, Xander. When do you start?"
"Tomorrow, RF. Tomorrow. Now, if you don't mind. I'm going to go try and find my friend."
He nodded, "Sounds like a plan. I'm afraid though, I can't help you, my young friend. Y'see, I'm what as known as a ladies' man. She won't stand a chance from RF."
He chuckled, "I'll keep that in mind. I'll see you tomorrow."
With that he was about to leave when Ralph spoke up, "Since your new here, Xander. You're going to need a place to live and I happen to own an apartment building in Santa Monica."
An apartment in Santa Monica? True, it wasn't Los Angeles, but the two were neighboring cities. Plus, it would an area for him to create a headquarters for his Buffy search.
"How much is the rent?"
Normally, Ralph would charge 600 dollars a month, and he would make sure that his tenants paid that. He always had trouble with his tenants: Jack, Chrissy, and Janet. Although they were good people, and paid to the best of their abilities.
Xander on the other hand, was in a tight situation. From what he's learned from him, Xander was only here to search for his friend and recently found himself a job. So, that means he didn't have that much money. He needed to sound reasonable.
"Here's the deal, Xander. Normally, I'd charge people 600 a month, but given your current situation, I've decided to drop it down to 200 a month. This is only for the first few months however. Once three months go by, I expect you to pay the full 600."
He smiled, "Thanks, RF. I got 200 in my bank account, and I'll pay you as soon as I get to the bank. And don't worry, I'll have your 600 after the three months."
"Good. Now, wait ten minutes, then I'll show you your apartment. I only got ten minutes left on my shift."
"I'll be waiting." With that said, he went over to an empty chair and sat down.
***
Buffy needed to stop and do something that she was used to-something that was so normal for her, that she could get the night off. And that idea was slaying.
Today has been extremely hard for her. For the first few hours in Los Angeles, all she could do was cry over Angel, over the life that she left behind and all she wanted was for it to stop.
After a number of attempts, she got a job as a waitress at Helen's Kitchen. She applied at numerous restaurants and stores, but it was at that final restaurant she got lucky. Her pay was somewhat decent and that was enough for her to afford a place to live and get some food in her system.
To make her past something unremembered, she had to create a new identity. So, Buffy Anne Summers had to die for the time being, and in her place was now Anne Phillips.
Her living situation was also going somewhat well. She managed to pay for a low-rent apartment, but that's all she needed.
But no matter how hard she tried to move on with her life at that moment, her heart still was broken, and she needed time to heal.
"Slayer..."
She heard that word and she immediately went into Slayer mode. The Slayer turned around and spotted three vampires.
"You're dead." One of them hissed.
She withdrew her stake, "Want to bet? Because, personally, I don't think you should bet on something that you'd most definitely lose."
The other vampire said, "Oh, but I do want to bet. I bet we take you and turn you."
As a response, she plunged her stake into that very demon's chest. "That's why you shouldn't bet with the Slayer, you'll lose every time."
The last vampire chuckled, "I don't think so, Blondie." Then he swung a roundhouse across her face, and she easily ducked the demon's attack.
But one thing she didn't count on was that the other vampire used that time to his advantage. While Buffy was in a crouching position, he foot swept the Slayer and she landed on her back. "This is not what I needed."
"Oh, but it was what you needed." The vampire that did a roundhouse said. He then straddled her with his hands pinning down her arms keeping her in place. He lowered his face, put on his vampiric face, and licked his lips.
Buffy could feel the end coming. She tried desperately to move any limb, but with her arms pinned down and her legs held in place by the last demon, she couldn't move. In short, Buffy felt helpless.
Suddenly the vampire that had her arms pinned down was lifted from his position. "Get the fuck off of me!" the demon yelled.
With her now free arms, she grabbed the other vampire from her ankles and somersaulted them both over. Now, she was on top. With her stake, she jabbed him in the heart, and the vampire exploded into dust.
After that, she sat back up and saw a shadow of the stranger that rescued her from that vampire. "Who's there?"
But instead of answering, the stranger staked the vampire and ran off leaving one perplexed Slayer. "What kind of guy leaves without saying anything?" Then she thought of Angel, "Stupid question."
***
Ralph Furely led Xander up the stairs leading to some rooms. As soon as they reached the second floor, Ralph said, "Before I let you look at your room, Xander. There are some people I want you to meet. But if I were you, I'd stay away from Jack."
"Why Jack?"
The landlord chuckled, "Because Jack's a girl."
"Huh?"
"He's gay. That's the only reason why I let him live with two girls."
Two girls and a guy? That sounded like Xander, Buffy, and Willow. Same situation, he thought. But it's not a living situation yet. And nobody thinks he's gay. Well, accept for Larry.
Before he could further think of anything else. Ralph knocked on the door.
Soon the door opened and there stood a blond woman. "Hi, Mr. Furely."
Ralph smiled, "Hi, Chrissy. This is Xander. I thought you, Janet, and Jack might want to meet him."
"Sure. C'mon in." She said as she opened the door further.
RF and Xander walked inside only to find a brunette and a guy Xander never thought he'd see again. With his eyes glaring, Xander yelled, "Get away from them, Ted!"
Without another thought, Xander ran into the room and tackled Jack. After pinning him to the ground, he said, "Going after Mrs. Summers wasn't enough for you, Ted. Wasn't it? Now you're going after these two girls. You make me sick!"
Jack looked at him confusingly, "Uh...my name's not Ted. I'm Jack. Jack Tripper."
This didn't move Xander, "So you changed your name? I'm not totally surprised."
The chef looked at his friends, "Guys, help me."
RF chuckled, "You sure want help, Jack. I thought Xander would be right up your alley."
"C'mon, Chrissy." Janet said to her roommate, "let's help Jack."
She showed a confused look, "Help him with what?"
The brunette sighed, "Help me get Xander off of Jack."
Jack said, "Xander. Like I said before, my name is not Ted. Ted's my uncle."
"Uncle?" He asked out loud. It made sense. Ted did seem to look older than Jack here and he realized something else. This 'Ted' was breathing. Robots don't breath.
A soft chuckle was sounded. "Sorry," he said to Jack as he stood back up. The same time the girls were helping the chef up.
Jack got back to his feet after losing his balance temporarily. "It's alright, Xander. Uncle Ted has bad relationships with women. The only thing I got from him was my good looks."
"Again, sorry about that. But, it's nice to meet you."
Janet left her friend's side, "You should know better than to attack people at first site."
"Yeah." Was Chrissy statement.
(Well, when you live on the Hellmouth, it's kind of hard to do that, Janet.) he thought to himself.
"Xander," RF said, "I want you to check out your room, because I got a hot date tonight."
"Oh, you do, Mr. Furely? That's great news. I'm sure you'll have tonight."
He nodded at Janet, "Of course she'll have fun tonight. She's going out with me, isn't she?"
"Right you are, RF. Right you are." Jack said.
Xander stated, "Yeah, I'll check out the room and go see if I can find Buffy."
"Buffy?" Chrissy asked, "who's Buffy?"
"She's my friend from Sunnydale, Chrissy. She ran away today and I found out that she's staying in LA somewhere. I ran into RF at S-Mart today, and he offered me an apartment."
"Good luck with that," said the chef.
"Thanks. We better get going."
With that said, Xander and Ralph left apartment 201 and went to apartment 202.
***
Buffy dusted the remaining ash off her pants as she walked out of the cemetery. "I wonder who that was back there?" She asked herself.
She quickly placed her stake into her purse and headed back to her apartment. Even though it didn't last that long, it was somewhat of a workout, and she did need that to keep in shape.
As she headed for the apartment, she realized something. She needed a knife to make more stakes. All she had on her was one...Mr. Pointy. And she needed spares
But where do go? Then she remembered Helen mentioning a department store that was near the diner, and it might be the best place to get one. (S-Mart here I come,) she thought to herself.
***
Buffy walked into the store and walked through the aisles looking for a knife. Where to look? The Slayer passed clothes, house wares, electronics, and so on.
Soon she came to sports. That might be the perfect place. Buffy went down the aisle and saw the normal stuff...baseball bats, soccer balls, basketballs, and the usual stuff.
Then she came to the fishing aisle.
"Can I help you?"
Buffy looked from where the voice came from, "Yeah, maybe you can. I'm looking for a knife."
"A knife? Aren't you a little young for carrying a knife?"
Buffy glared at the man, "I'm old enough. I might look young, but I assure you. I'm old enough. It's not my fault I look younger than I am. I don't go out in the sun that much."
"That's a shame. A pretty girl like yourself deserves to go out into the world," he said with a lopsided grin.
Buffy blushed, "That's sweet. But if you don't mind, I got work tomorrow, and I just want the knife that's all."
The man nodded, "Right. This way."
For the first time Buffy looked at the man. And her eyes widened. This guy looked like Xander. (God! He looks like Xander!) she thought to herself. (I miss him so much. I wonder what he's doing right now? Probably looking after my mother. He's the kind of guy that would do that.)
"Here we are...the knives."
That brought her back to the here and now. Buffy looked through the display counter; (No...no...no...bingo.) "I'll take that ones," she said as she pointed to the one she wanted.
"So what do you need it for?" The man asked as he opened the case she put the innocent look on her face.
"Whittling, a girl has to have her hobbies. Thanks...Mister?"
He smiled, "Just call me Ash."
***
RF opened the door to the apartment and flipped on the switch, "Welcome to room number 202, Xander. It's not as big as 201, but there are two rooms with two beds. A kitchen and a living room. Nothing special, but it should be able to fill your needs."
Xander smiled, "Thanks, RF. This isn't that bad of an apartment." Then he walked inside and took a look around. The apartment was all what the landlord said. It was a nice place, better than he thought it would be.
"So, I give you 200 dollars a month for the first three months, and then it goes up to 600, right?"
"Right. So, will you take it?"
A grin appeared, "How could I not?"
"Great. I'll give you the paperwork tomorrow at work. See you then."
He nodded, "Sure, tomorrow."
Then the elder man left the apartment and Xander flopped himself down on the couch. "This is better than my house in Sunnydale!" he exclaimed out loud.
He turned around and spotted a telephone by the kitchen. He got up and went over to it. After taking it in his hand, he dialed a number, and placed it to his ear.
It rung a few times when the phone was picked up. "Hello, Buffy?"
Xander sighed knowing it wasn't whom she was suspecting. "Sorry, Mrs. Summers. It's not Buffy. It's me...Xander."
TBC
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