Chapter Text
Happily ever after?
by wander699
Marriage not what is all cracked up to be. Was all Xander could think about. It had been 12 years. 12- long years since Sunnydale fell down went boom. He had been around the world and finally came back to the USA. When he got around to LA, to see Ayna's Lawyer. She had amassed very large nest egg before she had died, and left it to Xander with the terms that he got out of Slaying a settle down. He was now ready to do that. But he had a surprise there too. Was a letter from a woman he had not thought about in a long time. Misty, She had worked with him at Lady's Night and had gotten to be really good friends, with the benefits. It seems that she was dying and wanted Xander to know something. And for him to come to Parkerville to find out, she had thought it would be wrong to tell him in a letter. So off he went, one of his girls needed him. He had been on the run from the council for few months at the time. Well run was a big word, could be the wrong word. He just didn't want them to find him, he wanted to rest. He had stopped being their errand boy years ago. And went to find himself. Now he was just tired, still had not found himself. He was still looking for a place to call home.
Parkerville was a small town in Mississippi. He felt a peace there. It was one of those small towns that you expect to see Andy and Barney walking down the main street, and Aunt Bea to have a hot apple pie ready for you at the end of the day. He had decided to stay for a while after he had seen Misty. She was a dancer when he had known her, but here she just worked in a bar, Joe's, with her Husband. Well at lest until she died. He had arrived one month late. Cancer. She didn't leave a note for him or anything. She had thought that he didn't care when she died. So why write something down for someone that's not coming?
He had met Mistys Husband. She had not told him anything about Xander, only that he was a nice guy she worked with in California. After he left the bar he stopped at a dinner. There a goddess was working. For Xander it was love at first sight, for her not some much, but he won her over.
Janet, thought he was different for the men in the town. More so than she knew at the time. The Eye patch was just the start. And the scars on his body from his work, he wouldn't say much to anyone about what he did but kind of told them that he worked in out of the way places, they thought he was a construction worker of some kind he had shown the skills there while working on his home.
A home he bought only to find out Joe was living next door with he young Daughter, Amy. She was 16 and took after her mother. Dark hair and eyes. With a grin that was just off center. She and Xander became fast friends. She would come over with her friends and use his Pool, in return she would get his grass cut and if she could find anyone to do it she would do it her self. She also became the only one to enter his shed. It had at one time been a black smith shop, now it was much more. Xander would build weapons there. A sword, a shield, what ever took his fancy at that time. He was by no means a master crafter but he would fill his times with his hobby. He even build a black power rifle, and no one asked him why it had a cross carved into the stock or why. It had a cross bow mounded under it with wooden arrows. It was just some of the things that Xander just did. To the town he just had strange ways, like never inviting anyone into his home after dark, he would just step aside. Or that some nights he would be found walking in the graveyard down the street from his home. People would just look at him and say he's from California, as if that explained it all.
Thou the people in town would wounder about the scars he had, where he got them and how, no one would crass enough to ask him, like most Mississippi town people believed in minding you own business, at least until it got gossip worthy.
Old Mike who ran the local gas station said that some of the scars were from knife fights, and some were from claws, he had seen both types when he was in Vietnam. But most would just overlook what he said, he told everyone that demons are real and sometimes would stop and get gas late at night. And would tip him in Kittens. Who would believe anything he said?
After a while Xander got a job in a local hardware store. But he didn't do it for the money. He had plenty of that, he never bragged about it, but if he needed something he got it. If someone he knew needed something it would show up. No explanations, no questions. He would pull a who me look if anyone asked him about it.
Slowly over a year he got Janet to marry him. He was happy, she was too after a fashion. But she was bored, not that Xander didn't please her, he did. He was every thing she could want, but the town, Parkerville. Was too small, all the people knew her, she could not go out without someone stopping her to talk about this or that, about her new hair style, anything. Then there was Xanders past, he would just disappear, while sitting in found of you, when that came up. Then soon he would find his way to his shed out back. And either sit and drink a beer or would work on something. She knew that was his place, he had sat it aside for him and one of the bed rooms for her. It was places were spouses were not allowed. A get away place. She didn't use hers much, but he would go into his on certain days each year. With no explanations she would have to either deal with it or have go for a drive, there was no talking about it.
That's when John started to show up. Xander never really noticed it at first. Janet hated John with a passion, at first. Xander and John had been friends almost as soon as he arrived into the small town. They played ball in the park a talked about the world, both had been over seas. John worked for an Oil company and worked in there fields and on some rigs around the world. They both had been to some of the same countries. Over the years. And would talk about the places and people.
Some lazy afternoons Amy would show up with her friends, they would sit around an talk fashion, boys and anything else. They even would talk about Movies that Xander liked. Amy had became is little Sister, maybe even his daughter too. She shocked at first when she had found out that Xander could talk about anything the girls want to talk about. When she asked him why that was he told her that he had lived was as meany as 50 girls at one time, nothing she said would shock him or that he had not heard before. She took it as a challenge and would go out her way to try in gross him out only to have the tables turn on her time and time again. Amy's friends got used to it fast but still didn't know what to make of the time Amy started in on Female Hygiene, and have Xander talk about it with her like it was nothing. No way was he going let her win something like this, and no way was she going to let him win either.
Xander one day cut a work day short and headed over to the next town, he had bought a ring there and had it resized for Janet. It was ready today. He took off to get it. It was a short ride there. And Picking up the ring went easy. After that his world started to come apart. He had stopped at a light when he noticed a girl at the bus station. She was looking at him hard. Like she knew him and couldn't place him. She only had his profile. But when he turned to look at her she saw his Eye patch. And he saw her eyes. He knew her. She was one of the New Slayers. He had met her in England. And she knew him. He floored the truck as she started toward him. She Had almost caught him before he got to the end of the block. Man, that girl could run fast. He thought as he cut down a little side road and then another until he was sure she was far behind him.
In Cleveland, a phone had run a few hours later. Who then called another number.
"He was seen." She knew that both would know who He was.
"Were?" It had been a long time since anyone had seen him.
"In Mississippi."
"Was it a reliable witness?"
"A roving Slayer." A Slayer with no home base, and no Watcher. Just someone looking for any trouble and stopping it or calling in the big guns. They were few of them, and they all answered to her. " She got a lead on him. Shouldn't be more than few more days."
"Just let me know. I call Willow."
"Ok, B take care."
"You too, Faith."
Mississippi
Xander drove home. Nothing else on his mind at the time. Just they almost got him. He spent a lot of time running from them. Now they were almost here. But he couldn't run this time. He had a wife. He could run out on her. He had a home, finally a home, and then there was little sister, Amy. She had became a big part of his life without him even noticing. Janet and Xander only been married two years. And running was not an option. It wasn't like the other times. He could leave then because there was nothing really holding him, but here he had what he had always wanted. And it was going to let it be taken away from him. He just new if they found him he would be back into the Slaying soon enough, he couldn't not help. And then the girls would be stopping by at all hours. He couldn't tell Janet about it she just wouldn't understand.
He had took off from the Council after a years of grunt work for them. He had taken care of the Slayers in the field. Doing what was needed, as Giles had for them. Killing things that couldn't talking about the ones that they could. Then he had faded away from them. No one really noticed he was gone for a while. He had moved on, to other jobs. He worked as a Mercenary for a while, for both Human and the Nicer Demons races. The ran drugs to underground Hospitals in China that took care of Demon and non-humans. He even was made a member of a Were-Bear Clan in Alaska. He travel and learned. Then one day he woke up tired of it all. So he came back to the USA. And found a home. Some place he could rest even some friends. He and John played ball and talked. Xander finally had a friend that wasn't tied into the night life and was male. The closest he had had in years.
Pulling up to his Home. He saw Johns truck in the drive.
What? Xander thought. John knows I don't get off til 3, and its only 11.
Xander Knew that Janet didn't get along with John. So John would not have just dropped by.
As he walked to the house, he pulled the ring out of his pocket. He was going to have a witness to getting the ring, he had planned on just the two of them, and after that some snuggles, and kisses. Well he could always run John off.
He open the door. No one was around. He heard some noise coming from the back rooms. The bed room...
Please Xander prayed not what I think. As he felt his stomach drop.
He stopped at the door. And listen. It was what he thought. The Moans and groans and gasps. It was exactly what he though it was. He stood there. A few years ago he would have walked in and killed them both. The rage was still there but he suddenly just tired all over again, his home was gone, And he just wanted to go. It was just to much right know. With the Slayer that saw him and now this. He need time to think. He turned and left. Not noticing the dropped ring box and note.
He walked out the door and didn't stop til he was a Joe's Bar. Outside was lined up with Bikes. Every year, they would travel through here to some blow out or another across the country. As he walked in, it was wall to wall bikers. Most bikers were just your average people. Doctors lawyers, what have you. But along the back wall were the Hard core bikers. The ones that just lived to ride, no home just the bike. Xander had tried that for a few months. But didn't like it. It was fun. But not what he wanted. He had thought he had found it. But it seems he was wrong.
Joe was behind the bar. He saw something was off about Xander as he walked in. But didn't pay it no mind, the bar was packed and he didn't have time just now. Maybe later. He looked over at Amy she worked here on the Busy days. She was underage, but no one would say anything, She was a good kid and he did need the help.
Amy could tell something was up, and thought she knew what. She had Seen Johns truck around Xanders home more and more, and on the times that she knew Xander wasn't home. She had wanted to tell someone. But how do say something like that to an adult, and what if she had been wrong? He might not ever talk to her again. And that was something she never wanted to happen. He was too nice and every since Tommy and her and went all the way. Before he decided that she was not good enough for him. And Xander talked to her about and didn't say anything to her dad.
Xander sat at the bar. And started to drink. Then he started to talk. To anyone and everyone. He even talked to his beer a few times. Then after an hour. He looked over at the hard core group. He need cut lose. It had been a long time. And the Hyena wanted to play. It was always harder to control when he drank, and right know he didn't want to control it at all.
Everyone in Sunnydale had thought the hyena had left him. But it didn't. Did they thing some high School kids and a Librarian could force something that had been worshiped as a god to do anything? It had stuck around. And help Xander out while watching him. Then made him a Avatar of a sort. He had the power and could call on it any time. But he had no control over it. He could kill anyone when he went over. Now he just didn't give a damn. He just looked at the biggest of the bikers and got in his face. Not really noticing how they drew back when his eye flashed green.
Meanwhile
Janet and John just lay in bed after a great time, John could not believe his luck. Here was this beautiful woman and all she wanted was sex with him. He often wondered about Xander did he know. John didn't think so. And felt a little twinge of guilt, but the sex was to good to stop. As for Janet it was fun and that's why, she had picked John because she didn't like him, so she could do things with him that she would never ask or want Xander to do to her. And it was a thrill to be doing this with John and then later with Xander, giving sloppy seconds and he didn't even know it. It was petty and small of her, but he wouldn't move out Parkerville, if she suffered so did he, he just didn't know it yet. And he might never know. She did love Xander, she didn't like living in this town, and she never had to worry about falling in love with John, he was an ass. Had a big dick but was an ass. And she was in love with Xander, but he held her in this small town and cut her out of his life some much, she couldn't even say were in California were he was born. So she did this revenge on him even thought she loved him, and would never leave him.
They got up and cleaned up the room. The same room that Xander and Janet slept. And had sex in. It made Janet feel just a little be slutty, which was part of the reason to do it here. And later when Xander got off. She would nail him to the bed. She knew sooner or later she or John would get tired of this and then she would be come a married woman loyal to Xander with great memories of what she had done.
Opening the bed room door. She saw the ring box. And note. John was still cleaning up and getting dressed she picked it up. She felt her hart beat faster. Opening the note. It was from Xander. It was slightly crumpled. As if a hand had held it tightly.
" To my loving and loyal wife.
Know that I love you."
What have I done? it hit her, he loved her and would do anything for her. And she had been doing this behind his back. Got to find him explain.
Just then, the Phone ran. It was Joe, she needed to get down to his bar now. Xander had started a fight and cops were on the way. Between the bikers and Xander they were trying to see who could do the most damage. And that she needed to get there as soon as she could.
Outside John was looking to see that he was blocked in by Xanders truck and was looking around for him. Janet didn't say one word, just climbed into Xanders Truck and pulled out heading for Joe's.
When she got there. There were three cop cars in front. All empty, and the parking lot was too. Just a few bikes up close to the bar. And Joe was laid out on the ground. Were he had been thrown out the window of the bar.
" O, God!" Janet said as she left the truck. Running for the bar if anything had happen to Xander she would never forgive herself.
Inside the bar dark. The jukebox playing one track over and over again. There bodies allover the floor. She could see Amy sitting at the bar looking at shadow in the corner of the bar. All around that shadow were bodies. They were still breathing so she knew they weren't dead. Then a flare of light as a cigaret flared to life she could see his face. Xanders face in that light. He was watching her. Amy was too. If anything she felt embarrassed by that look. Amy knew what she had done to this good man.
Xander looked her up and down. He could still hear her moans. The bouncing of the bed. His Bed as John had drove into her. His Eye just went blanker than they already were.
" I want a divorce." He told her then picked up a bottle of whisky he was drinking and walked out of the bar. She then noticed the three city cops laid out on the floor to.
Amy just shook her head and followed Xander out of the bar. Outside he was helping Joe back to his feet. And told him he would replace all the damages that his fight had started. And if the cops still wanted him he would be at his house. He hadn't hit the cops the bikers had but he didn't know if they would still come after him. He day couldn't get any worse. He would just wait for the Council to send someone. And he would do that at his home. Alone.
The next few day in Parkerville came and went. The big news was that Janet had left Xander. Every just knew it was because he got drunk and started the fight. The only time Xander was seen was when he was seen buying a new mattress And then a case of whiskey.
The court let Xander go on the assault on a police officer. He had to pay for damages. And a fine but that was it. He had not hit them. The bikers he fought, that was another matter. Two were wanted for rape and assault with a deadly weapon.
The only people in town that knew what really was going on were not talking about it. John had only seen Xander one time. Xander walked up to a shacking John. And Asked him, "I thought you were my friend?" Then turned a left. To Janet he didn't say anything. When she came to get her clothes and things he walked out of the house and into his Shed. She went to talk to him. Only to find Amy standing in her way. Who cut into her with both barrels. She yelled screamed and just plain cussed her out. All the things Xander wouldn't do. Janet just stood there, she deserved it all. But she wanted to try to talk to Xander. To Explain.
She finally got to see him. He was standing outside what was their home, She drove up. He was turning to go in when she called out and stopped him. She could see the rage in his eyes. She talked then begged for him to listen. Still not saying a thing, he just stood there. She tried to explain. But the words only came out wrong. It was nothing. Just skin. Those words had haunted him for a long time. When she had said that she knew it was the wrong thing. Xander eye just lost all emotion. Just a dark orb looking at her like it could see her sole. And didn't like what it saw.
After the day of bar fight, every one in Parkerville Looked at Xander funny. Everyone heard about the bar, but not what had cause him to do it. And Xander didn't tell them. Janet had moved out, and got her a small Apartment near her job, of John he just stayed away from Xander and though in weeks time he would be able to have his friend back, it was just pussy, guys don't let that get between them,. John had thought it was just a thing with Xanders wife, he had did it before. And no one was ever hurt by it, well yeah some marriages ended. But that because they were ending any way. Right? But when he came around Xander just looked at him, then a growled at him, it was almost like a wild dog was in front of him, that was the last time he came by. They did see each other on the streets, but both just turned and walked the other way.
That first day he came across Xander. He thought he was dead. But Xander just looked at him and asked that question "I thought you were my friend?", then turn walked away. That was it. Not I' ll kill you, not punch, not a thing. It hit him how much he had hurt the man he call a friend. And he really couldn't look at himself in the mirror, that was when he decided to leave.
Soon Xander lost his job. He just stopped coming to work. He still show up at the bars. And drink with the boy's, but never to get drunk. When asked he said he was thinking. About what he wouldn't say.
A week later Janet would see him around town. She would go up to him to him, to talk, explain anything. He would never say a word just look at her. Then turn an walk away.
Then the divorce papers had shown at her door step. She didn't know what to do. She really believed at the time, that she had done no wrong. That it was nothing. After the divorce papers were delivered. She went to see him at what was at one time their home.
Xanders day just kept getting worse and worse. First he had been fired. Not that he needed the job, he had fun there. But it was one more tie to the town that was cut. Now he only had Amy. And she had become his personal stalker. Everywhere he went there, she was. Even in the bars he had gone into, and that was the only reason he had left them. He didn't want her to get hurt. He had watched her grown from a teenager to a young lady. And there was no way he wanted her to get hurt because of him. And just following him around was getting her in trouble, she would tell her Dad, that she was with friends only to be following him. Her Father didn't want her to have anything to do with Xander. Not that he blamed him in the least bit. But she wouldn't leave him alone. He couldn't even pick up a woman with her following him. She would just show up and looking at him with the puppy eyes until he left.
As he pulled into his drive way there was something in his spot. It was a Bike, a Very big bike. A custom job at that. Sitting in his front yard. Painted on the Gas Tank was "Got to have Faith".
Yep, He thought this day gets worse and worse.
Pulling his truck all the way up to the house. He noticed his fence in open as he pulled out his case of beer. It would last him a few days. But drinking at home was better than drinking at the bars, no puppy dog eyes.
"Back yard." he said to himself, while wondering how many Slayers are around. He knew that Buffy and Willow was looking for him. He had no ideal that Faith had joined in on the hunt. Or why. Why would they hunt him down? It's not like he was that powerful, he was just a little sneaker than them and had gotten whole lot more meaner.
Pushing open his gate all the way. He saw something that brought him to a complete stand still. Faith in a String bikini. She was laid out on one of his yard chairs in the middle of his yard. She had on Sunglasses that were so dark he could see her eyes. But knew that she was watching him.
"Got ya Boy - Toy." she said in her husky voice. Man he thought she could give great phone sex.
"Don't seem to be running Faith."
"Not from me you wont.." Faith said looking over her sunglasses, "You don't want to know what I would do to you when I caught ya. And anyway I have always known were you where."
"Somehow I doubt that." Xander said a little worry in his voice.
"Yep, Wood kept up with you. You could do a lot of Damage to the council. So he kept an eye on you."
"Then why didn't your boy toy tell Buffy and Willow were I was?"
"You walked away," Faith looking him in the eyes a little hurt there, " I told him to let you. You need space to find yourself. I thought you would be back."
Xander sat beside her he remembered his last time with Faith. They were in a Bar in some two-bit town in South america. She was dealing with Angel dying. He was dealing with it too. Just not like her. On one side he was glad that Angelus would never come back, but sad that Angel died. And that he was not there. He had made that promise to Angelus a long time ago. That he would be there when he was dusted. He had missed it. Faith was messed up because, Angel was the first person that could reach her. And other than Xander who she almost killed at the time. Xander could not reach because she couldn't believe that someone would want to reach her. And it took a hell of a lot to make her believe that he could. The night in South America was the last step for her. She knew how he felt about Angel and he sat there and listen to her go on about him. Xander had even told her some of the good things about Angel that she didn't know.
"Thanks."
"So do you want to stay are you need help moving before red and B get here?' Looking him over her sunglasses again be pushing them back in place like the anser didn't matter to her at all. But inside it did, she hated to admit it by she missed him. He was one of the few in the Council that never looked down on her.
"Why help me?" Looking at her. Pulling a beer out of the case he had, it was warm but it was beer and he had the feeling he would need it.
"Because you tried to help me. So I'm returning the favor."
"I didn't help you, remember you almost killed me." Then to a swallow of the warm beer, one of us needs to be more drunk to make since of this conversation. And he didn't think it would be Faith so he started on his.
"Hey, I didn't try, if I wanted you dead you'd be dead, I was trying to scare you off."
"Your hands on my neck tell a different story." Xander said looking at her he wanted to believe that she wouldn't want to hurt him but back then who knew. Then he emptied his beer and reached for another one.
"Here," Faith said as she reached down beside her opening a cooler that sat on the other side of her chair, "My beers cold."
"What you give me a beer and its all better?"
"Nope, just the first step," She said setting back looking up into the sky, "the next one is that I know just about every thing about you. And you had my back when Angel died, it's the least I can do for a friend. "
"Huh, friend ," He puffed , "And just what do you know about me?"
"Well, Wood kept track of you for a year or so, til it looked like you weren't coming back. The he cut you loose, then she started to tell him in detail of his life in that time. Were he went who he talked to. Who he helped and who he fought. After a while Xander begun to wonder if he was every really alone.
And then Wood cut you loose, she explained who she paid a group of Wizards to keep up with you. And Block and other tracking spells."
"I had always wondered why Willow never found me."
"You aura is mixed up with someone else that she really doesn't like."
"What did Wood say about this? I mean if he cut me loose, then his girl friend keeps up with me."
"Not his girlfriend at the time. We broke up a little while before then. Just couldn't make it, he wanted me to settle down, but wasn't ready then. I might be soon. But not then."
"So what have you been up to lately?" Xander tried not to pay attions to the feeling he felt when he heard about the break up between them, he had just broken up with his wife, and it brought out all kinds of feelings in him. Plus they way she moved and looked in the tiny bikini, let him know he was still alive at least, and still lust.
As the two talk in the back of the house. Unknown to them Amy sat in a tree watching them. Getting ready to go help her friend if he needed it. And to run the skank out of there if she got too friendly with him.
"Well, I have just been traveling around. Looking for ass to kick. Not much. And you? How's the wife?" Faith asked as soon as it was out of her mouth she knew it was the wrong question to ask. Xander just seemed to fold in on himself.
"What happened X?" Faith asked, she noticed something move in a tree at the fence line of the house. The slayer part started to watch the movement, to make sure it wasn't a danger. She could make out a girl, watching them. And from the look on her face wasn't happy about Faith being here.
"I walked in on her and my best friend." Xander told the dark slayer as he looked at the water in the pool.
"Walked in?", Faith though she knew what he meant but wanted to be sure.
"They were banging away in the bed room," He paused look Faith in the eyes.
"Shit," Faith said, she had really hoped Xan had made it, the only one of the Scoobys to have a life outside of Slaying. And at the same time she was kind of happy about the break up.
"She told me it was just skin." Xander whispered to her.
"Oh, Fuck." Then before she knew what she was doing she pulled him into a hug. Xander stiffen up at first then seemed to just melt into her arms. It was the first time in a long time that he had felt safe, protected. Janet had hugged him, but he never felt safe, he always was the protector. Tears came to his eyes. And he just let loose, something he had not been able to do with anyone. Now he was able to do it with Faith. If anyone had told him that he would have called them a lyer. Faith didn't hold people to make them safe, she made them hurt.
"That's it let it all out." Faith whispered to Xander as she ran a hand up and down his back. Here her friend, the first one she could remember, that never wanted anything but to help her was hurting and she was going to be there for him.
TBC