by Mel Odom
Epilogue
B UFFY FOUND XANDER SITTING OUT AT THE LUNCH tables alone the next day. All of them were worn out from staying up demon-hunting the night before, but Xander had seemed more down than any of them. Willow was spending her time with Jia Li. Lok didn’t remember any of the possession and had made a full recovery. He still wasn’t exactly a pleasant person, but Willow said Jia Li and her parents were relieved.
The papers and media were filled with reports on the mysterious disappearance of Zhiyong, but no one was stepping forward to say what had really happened. And no more Black Wind members had put in an appearance since yesterday.
“Hey,” Buffy called.
Xander looked up without much enthusiasm. “Hi. Don’t want any company.”
“That’s too bad, because I do.”
“Get with Will.”
Buffy shook her head. “She’s off with Jia Li.”
“There’s always Oz.”
“Helping Giles file books in the library. And getting rid of empty pizza cartons from the little gathering last night.”
“You could always go look up Dead Boy.”
“I wanted to eat outside today. He doesn’t feel like working on his tan.”
That almost got a smile from Xander.
“I heard about Shing,” Buffy said more quietly. “She went back to China, huh?”
“Yeah. It appears a Spirit Guardian’s work is never done, and Sunnydale isn’t exactly her neck of the woods.” Xander pulled his knees up a little closer to his chest.
“I thought you looked lonely.”
“Me?”
Buffy held her thumb and forefinger up a fraction of an inch apart. “Maybe a little. Thought I’d come share my lunch with you.”
“Lunch?”
Buffy held up a brown paper bag.
“You made lunch today?” Xander smiled and shook his head. “I never thought I’d see that.”
“Actually,” Buffy said, “you still haven’t. I bought this particular lunch from Jake Knickmeyer.”
“You bought his lunch?”
Buffy nodded. “Cost me ten bucks.” She reached into her bag and pulled out two soft drinks. “Had to buy the sodas, too.”
Xander looked at the brown paper bag. “So what do you have?”
“Don’t know. It’s kind of a mystery lunch.”
“Jake’s mom used to make some of the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” Xander said. “Greg Barrows used to beat Jake up some days just to take his lunch.”
“Well, maybe we’d better hurry and eat this lunch before Greg finds out we got it today.”
“Jake always got Twinkies, too.”
Buffy shook the bag again, teasing. “Maybe we have a Twinkie today.”
Xander patted the table beside him. “Okay, you’ve got me salivating.”
“Good.” Buffy joined him on the table.
“A mercy lunch,” Xander said, taking the bag.
“Not mercy,” Buffy insisted. “I get half. Including the Twinkie. Not accepting dibs today.”
Xander reached into the bag and took out one of the fattest peanut butter and jelly sandwiches Buffy had ever seen. He grinned in anticipation. “Did I tell you his mom makes her own jelly?”
“No.”
Xander nodded as he tore the sandwich in half. He dropped his eyes. “You know, the last couple of days I thought I really had something.”
“You did. Shing liked you a lot.”
“We’re still not together.”
“Doesn’t always work out that way.”
“I know. I’m just tired of it not working out for me,” Xander said.
Buffy took her half of the sandwich. “I know.”
“I’m going to miss her, Buffy.”
“I know that too,” Buffy said, “but I’m here and so are the others. You don’t have to miss her alone, or be alone, or feel alone. We’ve all got each other.”
“I just feel all busted up inside, you know?” His voice sounded pained and hoarse all of a sudden.
“Xander,” Buffy said quietly.
“Yeah.”
“We’re still going halves on the Twinkie.”
“Okay.” Xander sounded more normal, a grin on his face. “Didn’t get the sympathy vote, did I?”
“Nope. But it was a nice try.”
About the Author
Mel Odom lives in Moore, Oklahoma, with his wife and five children. He’s the author of several books, many of them including novels in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and other television shows. He’s done the novelizations for Blade and the upcoming Vertical Limit. He’s also done books in the fantasy and science fiction field, including the Threat From the Sea trilogy from TSR. His e-mail address is [email protected].
