Primitive

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xx. EIGHT .xx

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I pace back and forth in front of the payphone for awhile, watching Buffy pick bugs out of the dirt and study them closely. Finally, I pick up the phone and collect-call her house.



"Hello?"



"Good. You're just the person I wanted to talk to. We're at Shady Hill. I need you to bring a couple things, though." I rattle off the items I need quickly and hang up without waiting for a response.



Buffy looks up at me and cocks her head to the side, holding out a worm for me. I sigh and sit next to her, taking it. "Thanks." She looks confused and frowns, glancing back at the street.



"Hey.." she looks back at me and I reach out to touch her shoulder lightly. "It's cool, B. I promise. No more street. We'll just stay here for awhile, yunno?"



She sighs and curls up against my side, resting her head on my shoulder. I shift a little and rest my head against hers. I can't remember being this exhausted in my life, ever. I can't remember the last time I slept, and I fight as hard as I can not to sleep, but my eyes won't stay open on their own any longer.



~*~



"Faith.." a soft whisper comes. "Don't hit me or anything, but.. you gotta wake up."



I let out a grunt and shift a little. Go away, go away. I'm tired, and I'm very comfortable right now, curled up with.. "Shit! Buffy?" My eyes fly open, and she's sitting next to me, staring up, bewildered. I look up as well.



"Thank god, Xander." I stand up and brush my pants off. "Did you bring that stuff?"



He nods, studying Buffy, who doesn't look pleased. "Yeah. Got your really random groceries, MacGuyver."



"Who?"



"..never mind. What are we doing?"



I glance at Buffy, whose brows are furrowed. "We're getting her home." I kneel down and spread out the wool blanket near Buffy and pat it a little. She raises an eyebrow at me in yet another one of her classic expressions, but obediently crawls onto the blanket, laying down and looking up at me.



"I don't get it."



I pop open the bottle and pour some of it into the cup. "She's s-c-a-r-e-d of the c-a-r-s." I hold the cup of Benedryl out to her and the trust in her eyes when she sips it kind of freaks me out. Not used to seeing that from anybody, much less her.



She lays back down and curls onto her side, and Xander sits down as well, a few feet away. "Here's another question for you.. why me?"



I knit my brows and glance back at him. "What?"



"Um.. you said on the phone. I was just the person you wanted to talk to. Why?"



I look down and watch Buffy's face starting to relax, shrugging a little. "You'd die for her." I look at him again. "So would I." Xander studies me for a minute, then nods. "You tell anyone that, and I'll gut you like a fish."



"I won't." His voice is soft and serious. "You think that's why they picked you?"



"What?"



He shrugs. "To be the Guardian. Because you'd die for her."



"No. I think it's cause I was there."



"Yeah. You were." He picks up a stick and starts peeling the bark off it. "And why's that again?"



"Cause I went in after.." I trail off. He's being insightful, and it's kind of annoying. "When did you get so damn logical, anyway?"



"Somewhere between going for jelly donuts and saving the world. You love her."



I snort and scoot back a little, away from her. "Who said love? I said I'd die for her. Nobody said anything about love."



He just smiles and goes back to playing with the stick. "Okay."



"I don't."



"Okay."



I groan with frustration and glance over at Buffy. "She's out cold. Let's roll." I stand up and carefully wrap the blanket around her. "Check it out. Buffy burrito."



He grins and tosses the stick aside, standing up. "You didn't mean actual rolling, did you? 'Cause burritos never stay together."



"I had something a little different in mind. Here." I shove the bottle of Benedryl at him. He takes it and watches as I slide my arms under Buffy's body and lift her up, cradling her to my chest. She curls up against me and nestles her head against my shoulder.



"I can do that," Xander offers quickly. "You're all beat up and stuff."



"Thanks, but.. I'm a Slayer. And she weighs about five pounds soaking wet. It's fine." I move forward slowly, double checking my grip on her.



"You looove her.." comes the singsong voice from behind me. I pause and lift my leg backwards, kicking him in the shin. "Ouch."



"See?"



"Doesn't change the truth," he mumbles. "Sissykicker."



I start walking again, checking every once in awhile to make sure the blanket is pulled over her face so she doesn't see anything but me if she wakes up.