Devil's In The Details

Buffy sat in her room and tried to focus on reading about the evil Wolfram and Hart. She couldn’t believe that he had taken her ultimatum so well. She had agonized about since the last time she saw him, she knew if she ever met anyone, she knew that she would have to tell him goodbye, but she thought he would at least fight for her. But nothing, except for a slightly earth-shattering kiss, he had done nothing, he had let her go.
But what did she expect? He had four years to get over her, they weren’t the people that they were when they had left each other but still, she had always had a flame inside of her for him. Even during Spike, and Riley, she knew that they weren’t him, they would never be him. Apparently now he had a girlfriend, and she knew how he felt about Cordelia before she died, so it wasn’t exactly like he was being celibate either. But she had always assumed that they would find a way to be together. The same time, the more she thought, the more she realized how insanely unlikely it was. Now she had Xander, and she knew that it was a different kind of love than the one that she had Angel had but it was something that she knew she would be happy with the rest of her life. Buffy heard a knock on her door.
“It’s me, Willow.” She heard from the other side of the door she quickly went to open it.
“This place is a little filled with ex-boyfriend’s, I thought you’d want to talk?”
“You saw them?”
“Yea, all we need is Oz and we could have a party!” Buffy laughed then made a sad face.
“You want to come in?”
“Of course,” Buffy flopped herself onto her bed and sighed deeply.
“So what do you think?” Buffy asked her best friend, as she lay down next to her.
“I think you’ve got a future with Xander.” She said diplomatically.
“What about Angel?” Buffy countered.
“What did you tell him?” Willow said instead of answering the question.
“Told him the truth, that if Xander and I got together it would be permanent.”
“Really!” Willow said getting all excited.
“Don’t start foaming at the mouth just yet, Xander and I haven’t even had a real date yet.”
“Violence, ending with sex, isn’t that you’re usual date?” Willow asked and Buffy hit her with a pillow.
“You want to talk about you’re dating history?”
“No.”
“Fine, than I suggest one does not throw stones into glass houses that know personal dating disasters.”
“Listen, all I’m saying is that you and Xander have been a lock ever since Sunnydale was destroyed. You and Angel, is always so murky, you know?”
“Yea, that’s why I told him that it was over.” Buffy said and Willow sat up.
“What do you mean by over?”
“I told him that if Xander came back to me that he and I could never get together.”
“I’m not going to make a happy noise; I’m just going to think it all right?”
“Thank you. You know you used to be on board the Angel train you know?”
“That’s before he tried to kill us all and broke you’re heart.”
“I just can’t help but think that I’m not giving Angel a chance is all.”
“Buffy you gave him a million chances, and he blew them all. If Wesley can really fix Xander why it is that Angel never used it on himself?”
“Too selfless?”
“Bullcrap.”
“Yea, that’s what I thought too. You know, I just keep wondering if it was really that perfect, that we were that happy, or if I just mythologize our time together because at the time it was so passionate or because it was the first time. Were we really that happy or is it just my girlish brain filling in the bad parts with roses and daffodils.”
“Listen, I don’t want you jinx you two but you’re meant to be together, even when you were with other people, you always had more than the connection he and I had.”
“Did I ever tell you that when Angel was evil, I thought about kissing Xander all the time?”
“Really, why didn’t you?”
“Well he was with Cordelia then, and I was still in burn mode, and I always thought if I went after him it would be in rebound capacity only and I never wanted to do that to him.”
“Xander would go insane if he heard that.”
“That is why it is going to both of our graves.”
Wesley continued to look on Alyria while quietly stroking her hair, enjoying the first quiet moment he felt like he had in months.
“Someone is coming.” She told him, he tried to pull for his clothes then he remembered she had shredded them.
“Please put your armor on.” He told her and she looked at him confused.
“I am not afraid of being seen in my naked form.”
“But I am.” Wesley said as he tried to figure out what to put on.
“If I return to my armor, you will pleasure me again?” She asked and he stopped and turned to look at her. He caressed her cheek with his hand.
“Yes, but I was planning on doing that anyway.” He said and he kissed her lips. She pulled on her armor just as someone knocked at the door.
“Coming!” He yelled, he pulled the sheet around him the best he could then he opened the door. Angel looked at him twitchily.
“You say you can cure Xander.”
“I think I can.”
“I can wait until you get dressed.” Wesley saw Spike running behind Angel.
“Don’t do this man; it’s not a good idea.” Spike told Angel and Spike looked at Wesley and then Alyria walked up behind Wesley.
“Hi,” Spike said and he looked from Wesley back to Alyria with a knowing look.
“What have you two kids been up to?” Spike asked and Spike could swear that he could see Wesley blush. Alyria opened her mouth but Wesley put his hand up.
“I’m afraid that I can’t get dressed.” He took a beat of slight humiliation. “She ripped all my clothes.” Wesley finished and both Angel and Spike stepped back.
“Nice.” Spike said and Alyria gave a small smile.
“So you’re saying you’re busy.” Angel said incredibly uncomfortable.
“I’d say.” Spike chimed in, and then Alyria ran her fingers through Wesley’s hair.
“It is time for the pleasure again.” She said and Wesley suddenly only felt where her fingers touched him.
“We’ll talk later, do me a favor, have Giles let me borrow some clothes and I’ll come down to the main office in the morning.” Wesley said and Alyria moved her hand down his back.
“Make that morning-ish.” He slammed the door shut and Spike and Angel looked at each other.

“Well at least someone’s having fun.” Spike said Angel grumbled and pounded on the door.
“We really need to talk to Wesley about Xander.” Angel yelled through the door. Alyria opened the door and looked at them.
“The vampire is no longer here anyway.” Alyria said as she went to shut the door. Angel stopped her.
“What do you mean, he’s gone?” Spike asked.
“He and I passed each other. He was not going to stop me, why should I have tried to stop him?” Alyria asked, she slammed the door shut.
“We have to find him.” Angel said, and Spike nodded his head.
“I’ll tell Willow and I’ll meet up with you out of the castle.”
“Fine, but tell her we’ll handle it. I have a few punches with that kid’s name on it.”
Spike rolled his eyes and looked at Angel.
“You know you’re almost two hundred and fifty years old, you think you can mature up a little?”
“I’m being mature, I’m just hoping that he resists.”
“Remember, if you kill him Buffy’s going to be awfully displeased with you.”
“Promise I won’t, cross my heart, hope to die.” Angel said and began to walk down the hall.
“But you’re already dead!” Spike yelled down the hallway.
Angel ran at Xander and punched him in the face. A punch had never felt so good in his life. Xander took the punch and countered, striking Angel in the ribs, making them feel like Jell-O. Angel came for a right hook but Xander blocked it and Angel countered with kick but Xander spun out of the way. Spike sat on the grave for a moment and just watched the mayhem. Then his cell phone rang in his coat. He pulled it out and opened it.

“Hello, oh hi Willow, yea we found him. Angel and he are just working out some issues. Yea, so how was Buenos Aires? I was there a few years ago; it wasn’t as much fun as I’m sure you’re having. Sure, I’ll talk to Dawn. Hi Dawnie, yea not dead, well after we destroyed Sunnydale I...”
Xander clocked Angel hard on the face causing him to fall over and Xander took the opportunity to knee Angel in the face sending Angel reeling to the ground. Angel quickly popped up and kicked Xander with both feet in the chest sending Xander flying back, cracking himself on a tombstone. Spike watched Angel run across the cemetery going to attack Xander. Xander jumped up as Angel reached him and threw him over his head. Angel landed with a crack on another tombstone. Xander went to kick him in the face, but Angel quickly moved out of the way causing Xander to smash the tombstone further. The two turned to face each other again came at each other and this time Spike jumped in.
“ALL RIGHT!” Spike yelled out, the two stopped glaring at each other and looked at Spike. “You don’t have to do this Xander, just come back to the castle with us and we promise we’ll fix this.” Spike said as he tried to hold up his hands for peace.
“Why so I can be on a leash like you two, and never really have she? I won’t do that; I won’t pretend to have a life with her!”
“Wesley says he can cure you completely.” Angel said grudgingly as he waited for Xander to make his move.
“Sorry, but I just don’t believe him.”
“Please Xander, if you don’t come back, Buffy’s going to come and get you, and do you really want her to see you like this?” Spike countered, Xander actually looked like he was actually listening to him. He backed off a little.
“Look at the two of you, you both know that I just can’t just be half-breed. It’s no life for me; it’s no life for her.”
“We know that, now just come back with us, and we’ll figure the whole thing out.” Angel told him and Xander looked completely defeated.
“I just can’t believe that she will still want me when I become human again.”
Spike looked at Angel, urging him with his eyes to tell Xander that she had said that if he returned to her, she would be with him always.
“Xander that’s not our department ok, we just are just a catch and retrieve team. What happens between you and Buffy is none of our business. But you have to come back with us.” Spike told him and Xander nodded his head and Xander suddenly dropped to his knees, he sucked in breath like he couldn’t breathe. He fell on the ground and Spike and Angel watched him.
“Don’t worry; it’ll only sting for a minute.” Angel told him and they watched him hyperventilate on the ground. Then Xander burst up and light appeared to becoming from his eyes. Xander dropped back to the ground and breathed heavily.
“God dammit Willow!” Xander screamed and ripped the grass out of the earth.
Wesley once again slept peacefully until he heard whispering in his ear.
“ I still bet she wasn’t as good as me.” Wesley jumped up like a shot and looked to see Lilah Morgan, his ex and dead lawyer at Wolfram and Hart, in a deep red dress that had slit up to the thigh, and her trademark scarf around her neck where he had chopped her head off.
“What are you doing here? If Alyria sees you she’ll dismember you.”
“Nice to see you too lover, actually she won’t see me because I’m in your dream.”
Wesley sighed.
“So that means you’re not real?”
“Oh no, I’m real, just thought this would better than having to tangle with big blue over there.”
“What do you want?”
“Do you really think all of this is going to work?”
“It’s working pretty well so far.”
“But you’re juggling a lot of balls here Wes, how do you know that you’re not going to drop one?”
“Is there a point to this hallucination or have you just come back from hell to chitchat?”
“I have something for you if that’s what you mean, an offer.”
“How excitingly different from what you normally do.”
“That’s all right I’m used to sarcasm, but this is legit, the partners are willing to let you come back and run Wolfram and Hart if you give up you’re friends.”
“If they already know where we are why don’t they come and kill us?”
“Well you crippled them more than you know; if they can’t get you on this go round they’re going to give you up.”
“They’ll just let us go.”
“Well, I don’t know about that, but they’ll definitely be a hiatus for at least a thousand years.” Wesley felt like he had gotten a reprieve from the governor. But then he thought about it.
“So that means they’re going to come at us guns blazing, doesn’t it?”
“And how, they’re going to throw everything they have at you but if you survive, that’s it. You’re free.” She looked at him for a minute forlornly. “I wish I could enjoy it with you.”
Wesley looked at her, and told her something that he never thought he would say.
“Lilah, I know that I never said that I.., but I...” He said and she looked truly shocked. She smiled at him and a tear came down her face.
“I know.” She said and he smiled at her. Wesley didn’t say anything for a moment.
“Are they going to send another army?”
“No, that didn’t work the first time, they’re going to try something a little more diabolical this time.”
“Like what?”
“ I don’t know.” She said and she stood up to leave, she turned back and looked at him. She kissed him lightly on the lips.
“You didn’t try very hard to sway me?”
“To tell you the truth I lied and told them that I could talk you into it. But really I just wanted to say goodbye Wesley.” She said and Wesley jumped awake and she was gone.
Xander was thrown back into the castle and on to the ground. Spike and Angel, half pulled, half wrestled Xander back to the school with him yelling and screaming all the way. As he was dropped to his feet he found himself in front of Buffy.