Chapter Text
Change is Inevitable
calikocat
Word count: 1,433
XXX
Cordelia peeked into Xander's room. “Xander?”
He looked up from where he sat on his bed, looking dejected, an open suitcase beside him and a picture frame in his uninjured hand. The white cast looked out of place on his right. “Hey Cordy.”
“Why is there a moving van in your driveway?”
“That's a funny story, one that hasn't quite sunk in yet.”
She stepped fully into the room and sat beside him on the bed, pushing the suitcase aside, noticing that it was half full. “What happened?”
“Well...with everything that's happened I didn't feel that my petty problems were worth bringing up.”
“Xander.”
“My dad left a few weeks ago. I thought he'd just walked out on us.”
“He didn't?”
“No...Turns out Mom filed for a divorce, they put a rush on it. Dad gets the house and Mom gets her freedom. She has ‘til the end of the week to get us out of here.”
Cordelia gaped at him...and put her hand on his arm. “Who gets you?”
“Well that's the kicker. Neither one wants me, so instead of just shoving me into the gutter Mom is sending me to her brother Jack. To Amity Park, Ohio. I barely even remember what he and Aunt Maddie look like.”
“But you'll be back after summers over.”
“Afraid not Queen C.”
“This...is permanent?”
“Unfortunately...or fortunately depending on how you look at it. I mean Willow is beyond pissed at me and won't answer my calls.”
“You did lie.”
“And I did it to give Buffy the push she needed to survive...but it’s not something I'm proud of.”
She nodded and leaned against him, remembering Willow's rage and the fallout. “When do you leave?”
“Would you believe my plane leaves tomorrow afternoon?”
She swallowed and buried her face in his shoulder. “That's too soon.”
“We weren't going to have much time together this summer anyway.”
Cordelia nodded. “Yeah...but we could have had a week, my parents aren't dragging me on that structured family fun vacation until next week.” She lifted her head up and rested her chin on his shoulder. “Does Giles know?”
“Oh man, no. I sort of just stumbled in here and started filling a suitcase after Mom told me what was going on.”
“Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“To tell Giles.”
“What if Willow's there.”
Cordelia gave him a wicked smile. “I'll scratch her eyes out if she says anything mean to you.” Xander only snorted and let her pull him along, pausing only to set down the framed photo he'd been holding of three kids, two brunette boys and a little redheaded girl. “Xander, whatever happened to Jesse?”
He gulped and held her hand in the one that wasn't all plastered up. “I'll tell you on the way.”
xxx
“Good lord Xander, why didn't you say something.”
“There were more important things going on G-man, yeah I know, don't call you that. But with Angel being crazy and killing people my parents’ marital problems were the least of my worries. And they still are. My main concern right now is that I'm being shipped off to relatives I hardly remember...I can't even remember if I have cousins!”
Giles sighed. “You're going to need weapons, and you can't exactly pack the daggers I gave you in your bags, or the crossbow. I'll have to ship them.”
Cordelia nibbled at a cookie and gave Giles an odd look. “What good will that do?”
“I do on occasion deal with antiquities. You'd be surprised what can go through customs under such a label. No worries, I'll sneak into your home when your mother is driving you to the LA airport and get your weapons out of the house then.”
“And how are you going to get in?”
“Pick the lock.”
Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Right, I keep forgetting you were a bad boy back in your heyday.”
Giles ignored her comment and continued to sip at his tea. “I expect you to be careful...while you won't be in Sunnydale there are other places of danger in the world...and there is a Hellmouth in Ohio.”
They gaped at him. “There's more than one?” Xander asked.
“Yes, in Cleveland actually, but it’s nothing compared to the one here.”
“Great...I'm moving across the country just to end up close to another mystical convergence. I hate my life.”
xxx
“Well, I said goodbye to Giles, can't say goodbye to Willow or Buffy...guess it’s time to go home and ... pack.” He looked at the house she pulled up to in confusion. “Why are we at the old Crawford place?”
“I thought it would be a good place to talk.”
“Cordy?”
She took a breath and her eyes met his in the afternoon light. “I know you had a thing with Spike...and that you still have Spike-lust.”
“How did you know that? I didn't tell anyone about---I mean...no I don't.”
“Parent Teacher night. After Willow and I got out of that closet I was driving home...and I saw Spike tackle you...I didn't get a good look at him when he attacked us at school so I didn't know he was a vampire then. And you didn't exactly fight him when he kissed you.”
He sighed. “Yeah...it didn't go very far; or rather we didn't go all the way.”
“Did he rock your world?”
Xander smiled. “A bit. But the reason he went after me was all Angel's fault. As Spike's 'sire' he gave me to him as a gift.”
“So...since Spike has a prior claim, do you think he'll come back for you?”
“It was one time Cordy. We made out; he sucked my brain out through my cock and left me laying on the sidewalk in a daze.”
“Yeah, I saw that part.”
He blushed. “I don't know. I don't even know if he knows my name.”
“Well...if he comes looking for you we'll need to come to an arrangement. I liked watching...but...” She blushed as well. “I think I might have Spike-lust...and I wanna do more than watch.”
Xander blinked, gulped and took her hand. “Cordy?”
“So...since we don't have a Spike to chain to a bed...I thought we might find the bed he used and warm it up a bit while he's gone.”
For a second Xander thought his vision went fuzzy at the edges. “Cordy, no, that ... you need to save that for someone special. Not the guy who's about to move across--”
Cordelia pulled him to her and kissed him, swallowing down his protests. “You are special. Don't ever think you're not. Now, do you wanna go find Spike's bed and keep me company the rest of the afternoon and most of the night? Or do you wanna go glare at your mom in between packing your bags.”
“Well, when you put it like that...let’s go find Spike's bed.”
Luckily Spike's bed was on the first floor, a large monstrosity of a bed. It smelled like leather and tobacco and there were a few stray blond hairs on the pillows. Keeping it warm the rest of the day and most of the night...was an interesting experience. One Xander was glad to share with Cordelia.
xxx
Danny sulked on the couch, glaring at the ceiling at the racket their parents were making as they got the room ready for their newest family member. “I don’t even remember Aunt Jessica ... well. I didn't even know we had a cousin!”
Jazz nodded. “Yeah, I barely remember them too. Mom said Alexander just finished his junior year, so he's a year ahead of you.”
“Great, another person I'll have to hide my secret from, both at school and at home.”
She smiled at him. “Well, at least you'll have more people at school to help you keep your secret. And I'll be home all summer to help you adjust.”
“Yeah...thanks.”
“So...do Mom and Dad know you have a boyfriend yet?”
“Jazz!”
Jack Fenton suddenly appeared in front of them. “Boyfriend? Danny! Why didn't you tell us! We need to have him over for dinner! Right Maddie!”
Danny smacked his forehead. “Thanks a lot Jazz.”
“You're welcome.”
XXX