"Road Trip" - BTVS fic by eep1313
eep1313 wrote a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" story - Buffy/Xander/Willow friendship fic at the request of dawnydiesel
Road Trip
by eep1313
Author’s Note: Written for dawnydiesel at her request of Buffy/Xander/Willow friendship fic. This story is written after “Graduation Day” and before “The Freshman.” Basically, the summer between senior and freshman years. I hope this fits the bill!
***
“So what time is he going to be here?”
Buffy took a paper plate of Rice Krispie treats from her mom. “Pretty soon. Xander said he was planning to hit the road around noon.”
Willow put another sandwich in a Ziploc bag. “I wonder how much food he’ll need for the trip?”
Oz eyed the stack of peanut butter and jelly on the counter. “I think that’s probably enough.”
Joyce Summers turned to see the stockpile of sandwiches on the counter. “I guess it all depends on his appetite. He’ll have to eat those quickly so they don’t go bad. But at least it will keep him from eating fast food for an extra day or two.”
Buffy pulled a box of granola bars from the cupboard. “That’s my mom. Always thinking of the healthy alternative,” she said sarcastically.
“I made Rice Krispie treats for him,” Mrs. Summers replied in mock defense. “Those aren’t healthy.”
Buffy rolled her eyes playfully. “They’re not the worst you could have offered him.”
“You never know. Those preservatives may come back to haunt us all one day,” Oz offered.
Mrs. Summers picked up her purse from the counter. “Well, you wish Xander my best when you see him. I need to go put out some fires at the gallery.”
“Will do,” Willow chirped.
“And make sure he knows he can call us if he has any problems,” Mrs. Summers instructed as she left. “Bye, kids.”
The door shut and the three friends went back to work. The kitchen counters were piled high with grocery bags full of snacks, and a Styrofoam cooler sat next to the fridge.
“I hope Xander doesn’t mind us getting all this food for him,” Buffy pondered.
“Somehow I doubt Xander will think to do this for himself,” Oz observed.
“Besides,” Willow offered, “it’s like our little bon voyage party for him. Except, it’s a party he can take in his car.”
“The gift that keeps on giving,” Buffy said. “And I doubt his parents are concerned with what he’ll be eating on the road this summer.”
“I still don’t get that,” Oz contemplated. “You think they’d be more concerned that their son was traveling the country alone.”
Willow frowned. “That’s the Harrises for you. I wouldn’t be surprised if he came home to find new locks on the house.”
Buffy looked down at the Rice Krispie treats. “Poor Xander. He’s probably doing this trip just to get away from them.”
“I think it’s also the whole college thing,” Willow said. “I mean, we’re all going off at the end of August, and he’s just stuck here.” She looked up, eyes wide. “You don’t think he’s going to stay away? Like, what if he’s taking the trip to find somewhere else to live? What if he goes to, like, Atlanta and doesn’t come back?”
“Will, I don’t think we have to worry about Xander staying in Atlanta,” Buffy reassured her.
“I see him more of a Milwaukee type, myself,” Oz said with a nod.
“Oh! Milwaukee?” Willow said, her face scrunching into a frown.
“He’s kidding,” Buffy said, shooting Oz a glare. He patted Willow’s shoulder in apology.
The familiar metallic grinding of brake pads signaled Xander’s arrival in the Summers’ driveway. Buffy, Willow, and Oz all headed to the front door of the house. They filed out onto the porch and were once more greeted with the sight of Xander’s car, a 1977 AMC Matador that Xander bought off his cousin Franklin a month earlier. No one was quite sure where the rust ended and the paint began, as it was all one bright orange eyesore. A footlocker was strapped to the two-door sedan’s roof, and the back seat was piled high with duffels, sleeping bags, and knapsacks.
Xander climbed out from behind the driver’s seat. “Hey guys!” He jogged up to the porch and waved a hand to the car. “What do you think?”
“It, um, looks like a road trip,” Buffy offered through a forced smile.
Willow gave her fake, over-enthusiastic grin. “Wow, you’re all ready to go!”
Oz just nodded.
Xander’s shoulders fell. “You all think I’m crazy.”
“No, no,” Buffy began. “The trip sounds like a blast.”
Xander let himself get ushered into the house by Willow. “Yeah,” she agreed. “You’ll get to see all sorts of stuff. Like Mount Rushmore!”
“Or New York!” Buffy suggested.
“Oh, you could go to the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe!” Willow said, offering a real grin this time.
Xander stopped. “Will? Folk Art?”
“What? That’s where I’d go.”
“Listen, man, I wanted to wish you good luck,” Oz said, cutting in on the sightseeing tips. He held out a paper bag for Xander. “For your trip.”
Xander took the bag and pulled out several eight-track tapes. “Wow, Oz. Now I’ll have music for the ride.”
“I found the best I could.”
Xander shuffled through the tapes. “Lou Reed, Motown Chartbusters, Fleetwood Mac, Supertramp, Engelbert Humperdinck.” Xander looked up. “Engelbert Humperdinck?”
“I found the best I could,” Oz repeated.
“Thanks, man,” Xander said with a laugh.
Oz stuck his hands in his pockets. “I gotta run. Some band thing going on. I’ll see you when you get back, okay?”
Xander nodded. “Yeah, you have a good summer, man.”
“You too,” Oz said, heading out the door and making a typically non-dramatic exit.
The three friends were left standing in the entryway, staring at each other.
“So,” Buffy said.
“So,” Xander replied.
Willow crossed her arms. “I still don’t see why you have to go away for the whole summer.”
Xander wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. “Come on, Will. It’s just a few weeks when you really think about it. Besides, you’ll be busy, it’ll go fast.” He steered her towards the sofa in the living room.
“It’s just... We’ve always had summers together, ever since we’ve been little. Who am I supposed to waste the summer with?”
“I’m still right here,” Buffy said. “You can waste your time with me.”
“I know, Buff. It’s just that...” Willow stopped and sighed. “It’s always been me and Xander, and then you and me and Xander.” She flopped down on the sofa.
“Think of it as a new chapter,” he offered. “This is your summer to do something different. See what happens without me. Take up a new hobby I wouldn’t approve of.”
“Like what? Badminton?”
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with shuttlecocks,” Xander joked. His face went blank. “Did that sound weird to anyone else?”
“Yup,” Buffy agreed, sitting next to Willow. “Xander, I think we’re just concerned. I mean, going out to see the world by yourself is cool and all, but are you sure you’re gonna be okay on your own?”
He tipped his head back. “Eighteen years on the Hellmouth, I think I’ve learned to take care of myself.”
“Xander, I’ve saved your ass enough times to know you’re not capable of taking care of yourself,” Buffy chided.
“I’ll be off the Hellmouth. What’s the worst that could happen?” he asked.
“Oh!” Willow shrieked. “You’ve done it now! You just cursed yourself by saying that, you know.” She reached forward and knocked on the wooden coffee table. “Don’t ever say something like that, it’s like inviting the fates to do their worst.”
“I’m a big boy, Willow. I can handle what’s out there.”
Buffy sighed. “I know you can. I’m just more worried about whether or not your car can handle it.”
“What, Sally? She’ll be fine.”
“You named the car?” Willow asked as Xander sunk down next to her.
“Sure. I figured we’d be spending some time together, I might as well give her a name,” he replied.
“I would have called the car ‘Eunice.’ It seems like a ‘Eunice’ to me,” Buffy mused.
“I’m not calling her Eunice. It’s Sally.” Xander struck out his hand definitively. “Sally.”
Buffy smirked. “Okay, then.”
“Listen, is there anywhere you girls want postcards from?” he asked. “I’m planning on hitting the major cities, Cape Canaveral, the Baseball Hall of Fame...”
“Yeah, sign me up for that last one,” Buffy groaned.
“Oh! If you go to Salem, will you get me a souvenir?” Willow begged. “Something non-tacky, if it’s possible. Something a real witch would want.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Xander, we got a bunch of stuff for your trip,” Buffy told him, standing up and heading to the kitchen. “Mainly food, so you won’t have to spend more money than you have to.”
He followed her into the kitchen, Willow not two steps behind. His eyes looked over the piles of food on the counters. “You guys didn’t have to do this.”
“We know,” Willow said. “But we had to give you something.”
“Besides, it’s not like we could make tapes for your drive, seeing as how your car pre-dates the cassette, much less CDs,” Buffy explained.
“That’s why we put Oz in charge of the eight-tracks,” Willow offered.
“Most of this is non-perishable,” Buffy told him. “And there are Cokes and juice boxes and some iced coffees in the cooler.”
Xander smiled. “This is really great. I can’t believe you did all this for me.”
“You’re Xander. We couldn’t just toss you out into the world without snacks,” Willow said with a shrug.
He pulled her into a hug. “You’re the best friend any guy could have.”
“Hey, I’m still right here!” Buffy said, faking anger.
Xander moved away from Willow and crossed the room to Buffy, hugging her as well. “Thank you.” Willow came over to join him in the hug, and he wrapped an arm around each girl. “I’m going to miss you both.”
Willow sniffed into his side. “We’re going to miss you, too.”
“And you know you can always come home early if you want,” Buffy reminded him. “We won’t mind.”
He broke away from them and picked up the cooler. “Don’t plan on seeing me before Labor Day. This is my big adventure, I don’t plan on blowing it.”
Buffy picked up the bags of snacks and followed him to the front door. Willow followed with the sandwiches and Rice Krispie treats. “It’s going to be weird without you,” Buffy said.
“Give yourself a day or two, you won’t even notice I’m gone,” Xander joked, opening the passenger side door and fitting the cooler on the floor.
“You know that’s not true,” Buffy said, squinting at him.
He straightened up and met her gaze. “I know.”
Willow’s eyes began to fill with tears. “We’ve never been apart more than two weeks. Except for that summer I went to Jew Camp in the second grade.”
Xander forced a smile, trying not to be affected by his friend’s emotions. “Remember how I wanted to go with you? And you got me a yarmulke, thinking it would fool your parents into letting me go?”
She smiled, a tear slipping down her cheek. “That summer sucked.”
His eyes began to water at the edges. “Yeah. But this will be different. You’ll get postcards everywhere I go. Giles even gave me a bunch of stamps.”
Buffy tried not to frown and handed Xander an envelope along with the grocery bags. “Mom wanted me to give this to you. It’s a phone card. In case you have any problems, she said to call.”
“Tell her thanks.” He took the bags from her and loaded them into the backseat.
“We should go to lunch before you take off,” Buffy said.
“Yeah, but I want to beat the traffic coming out of the city at rush hour,” Xander explained. “Besides, there’s no room in my car.”
She gave him a wan smile and he pulled her into a hug again. Buffy pressed her face into his shoulder and squeezed back. He finally let go of her and rounded the car to where Willow waited at the driver’s side. Xander took the food from her and placed it on Sally’s vinyl roof, they pulled her into a bear hug. Both friends shut their eyes tight, and Willow’s face twisted as her tears let loose. A few moments later Xander stepped back and wiped his cheeks with the heel of his hand.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’ll be back sooner than you think.” He opened the car door and put the sandwiches on the passenger seat.
“Hey, wait,” Willow said quickly. She stepped forward and handed Xander a little yellow flannel pouch.
“What’s this?”
“A good luck charm, for your trip. Just some Comfrey root, a little mint, some oil... Your basic mojo stuff.”
“Thanks,” Xander said. He sat down in his car and hooked the little bag over the rearview mirror. “Buffy, you take care of her, okay?”
Buffy saluted. “I have my orders.”
Willow shook her head at her and turned back to the car. “Xander, be careful. And have fun.”
“I will!” He put the key in the ignition and the engine rolled over. Then he flashed them a giant grin and backed the car out of the driveway.
“Bye, Xander!” Buffy yelled, waving.
“We’ll miss you!” Willow shouted as he began to drive off.
Two toots of the horn, and the car sputtered off down the road. The girls stood watching from the driveway until the rusty car disappeared around a corner.
“How far do you think he’ll get?” Willow finally asked.
“My bet’s on Vegas,” Buffy said.
Willow laughed.
They both stared at the end of the street for a few moments longer.
“So what do you want to do now?”
Buffy shrugged. “It’s the summer. Daytime talk shows and ice cream?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
And with that, the girls headed back inside.
Road Trip
by eep1313
Author’s Note: Written for dawnydiesel at her request of Buffy/Xander/Willow friendship fic. This story is written after “Graduation Day” and before “The Freshman.” Basically, the summer between senior and freshman years. I hope this fits the bill!
***
“So what time is he going to be here?”
Buffy took a paper plate of Rice Krispie treats from her mom. “Pretty soon. Xander said he was planning to hit the road around noon.”
Willow put another sandwich in a Ziploc bag. “I wonder how much food he’ll need for the trip?”
Oz eyed the stack of peanut butter and jelly on the counter. “I think that’s probably enough.”
Joyce Summers turned to see the stockpile of sandwiches on the counter. “I guess it all depends on his appetite. He’ll have to eat those quickly so they don’t go bad. But at least it will keep him from eating fast food for an extra day or two.”
Buffy pulled a box of granola bars from the cupboard. “That’s my mom. Always thinking of the healthy alternative,” she said sarcastically.
“I made Rice Krispie treats for him,” Mrs. Summers replied in mock defense. “Those aren’t healthy.”
Buffy rolled her eyes playfully. “They’re not the worst you could have offered him.”
“You never know. Those preservatives may come back to haunt us all one day,” Oz offered.
Mrs. Summers picked up her purse from the counter. “Well, you wish Xander my best when you see him. I need to go put out some fires at the gallery.”
“Will do,” Willow chirped.
“And make sure he knows he can call us if he has any problems,” Mrs. Summers instructed as she left. “Bye, kids.”
The door shut and the three friends went back to work. The kitchen counters were piled high with grocery bags full of snacks, and a Styrofoam cooler sat next to the fridge.
“I hope Xander doesn’t mind us getting all this food for him,” Buffy pondered.
“Somehow I doubt Xander will think to do this for himself,” Oz observed.
“Besides,” Willow offered, “it’s like our little bon voyage party for him. Except, it’s a party he can take in his car.”
“The gift that keeps on giving,” Buffy said. “And I doubt his parents are concerned with what he’ll be eating on the road this summer.”
“I still don’t get that,” Oz contemplated. “You think they’d be more concerned that their son was traveling the country alone.”
Willow frowned. “That’s the Harrises for you. I wouldn’t be surprised if he came home to find new locks on the house.”
Buffy looked down at the Rice Krispie treats. “Poor Xander. He’s probably doing this trip just to get away from them.”
“I think it’s also the whole college thing,” Willow said. “I mean, we’re all going off at the end of August, and he’s just stuck here.” She looked up, eyes wide. “You don’t think he’s going to stay away? Like, what if he’s taking the trip to find somewhere else to live? What if he goes to, like, Atlanta and doesn’t come back?”
“Will, I don’t think we have to worry about Xander staying in Atlanta,” Buffy reassured her.
“I see him more of a Milwaukee type, myself,” Oz said with a nod.
“Oh! Milwaukee?” Willow said, her face scrunching into a frown.
“He’s kidding,” Buffy said, shooting Oz a glare. He patted Willow’s shoulder in apology.
The familiar metallic grinding of brake pads signaled Xander’s arrival in the Summers’ driveway. Buffy, Willow, and Oz all headed to the front door of the house. They filed out onto the porch and were once more greeted with the sight of Xander’s car, a 1977 AMC Matador that Xander bought off his cousin Franklin a month earlier. No one was quite sure where the rust ended and the paint began, as it was all one bright orange eyesore. A footlocker was strapped to the two-door sedan’s roof, and the back seat was piled high with duffels, sleeping bags, and knapsacks.
Xander climbed out from behind the driver’s seat. “Hey guys!” He jogged up to the porch and waved a hand to the car. “What do you think?”
“It, um, looks like a road trip,” Buffy offered through a forced smile.
Willow gave her fake, over-enthusiastic grin. “Wow, you’re all ready to go!”
Oz just nodded.
Xander’s shoulders fell. “You all think I’m crazy.”
“No, no,” Buffy began. “The trip sounds like a blast.”
Xander let himself get ushered into the house by Willow. “Yeah,” she agreed. “You’ll get to see all sorts of stuff. Like Mount Rushmore!”
“Or New York!” Buffy suggested.
“Oh, you could go to the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe!” Willow said, offering a real grin this time.
Xander stopped. “Will? Folk Art?”
“What? That’s where I’d go.”
“Listen, man, I wanted to wish you good luck,” Oz said, cutting in on the sightseeing tips. He held out a paper bag for Xander. “For your trip.”
Xander took the bag and pulled out several eight-track tapes. “Wow, Oz. Now I’ll have music for the ride.”
“I found the best I could.”
Xander shuffled through the tapes. “Lou Reed, Motown Chartbusters, Fleetwood Mac, Supertramp, Engelbert Humperdinck.” Xander looked up. “Engelbert Humperdinck?”
“I found the best I could,” Oz repeated.
“Thanks, man,” Xander said with a laugh.
Oz stuck his hands in his pockets. “I gotta run. Some band thing going on. I’ll see you when you get back, okay?”
Xander nodded. “Yeah, you have a good summer, man.”
“You too,” Oz said, heading out the door and making a typically non-dramatic exit.
The three friends were left standing in the entryway, staring at each other.
“So,” Buffy said.
“So,” Xander replied.
Willow crossed her arms. “I still don’t see why you have to go away for the whole summer.”
Xander wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. “Come on, Will. It’s just a few weeks when you really think about it. Besides, you’ll be busy, it’ll go fast.” He steered her towards the sofa in the living room.
“It’s just... We’ve always had summers together, ever since we’ve been little. Who am I supposed to waste the summer with?”
“I’m still right here,” Buffy said. “You can waste your time with me.”
“I know, Buff. It’s just that...” Willow stopped and sighed. “It’s always been me and Xander, and then you and me and Xander.” She flopped down on the sofa.
“Think of it as a new chapter,” he offered. “This is your summer to do something different. See what happens without me. Take up a new hobby I wouldn’t approve of.”
“Like what? Badminton?”
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with shuttlecocks,” Xander joked. His face went blank. “Did that sound weird to anyone else?”
“Yup,” Buffy agreed, sitting next to Willow. “Xander, I think we’re just concerned. I mean, going out to see the world by yourself is cool and all, but are you sure you’re gonna be okay on your own?”
He tipped his head back. “Eighteen years on the Hellmouth, I think I’ve learned to take care of myself.”
“Xander, I’ve saved your ass enough times to know you’re not capable of taking care of yourself,” Buffy chided.
“I’ll be off the Hellmouth. What’s the worst that could happen?” he asked.
“Oh!” Willow shrieked. “You’ve done it now! You just cursed yourself by saying that, you know.” She reached forward and knocked on the wooden coffee table. “Don’t ever say something like that, it’s like inviting the fates to do their worst.”
“I’m a big boy, Willow. I can handle what’s out there.”
Buffy sighed. “I know you can. I’m just more worried about whether or not your car can handle it.”
“What, Sally? She’ll be fine.”
“You named the car?” Willow asked as Xander sunk down next to her.
“Sure. I figured we’d be spending some time together, I might as well give her a name,” he replied.
“I would have called the car ‘Eunice.’ It seems like a ‘Eunice’ to me,” Buffy mused.
“I’m not calling her Eunice. It’s Sally.” Xander struck out his hand definitively. “Sally.”
Buffy smirked. “Okay, then.”
“Listen, is there anywhere you girls want postcards from?” he asked. “I’m planning on hitting the major cities, Cape Canaveral, the Baseball Hall of Fame...”
“Yeah, sign me up for that last one,” Buffy groaned.
“Oh! If you go to Salem, will you get me a souvenir?” Willow begged. “Something non-tacky, if it’s possible. Something a real witch would want.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Xander, we got a bunch of stuff for your trip,” Buffy told him, standing up and heading to the kitchen. “Mainly food, so you won’t have to spend more money than you have to.”
He followed her into the kitchen, Willow not two steps behind. His eyes looked over the piles of food on the counters. “You guys didn’t have to do this.”
“We know,” Willow said. “But we had to give you something.”
“Besides, it’s not like we could make tapes for your drive, seeing as how your car pre-dates the cassette, much less CDs,” Buffy explained.
“That’s why we put Oz in charge of the eight-tracks,” Willow offered.
“Most of this is non-perishable,” Buffy told him. “And there are Cokes and juice boxes and some iced coffees in the cooler.”
Xander smiled. “This is really great. I can’t believe you did all this for me.”
“You’re Xander. We couldn’t just toss you out into the world without snacks,” Willow said with a shrug.
He pulled her into a hug. “You’re the best friend any guy could have.”
“Hey, I’m still right here!” Buffy said, faking anger.
Xander moved away from Willow and crossed the room to Buffy, hugging her as well. “Thank you.” Willow came over to join him in the hug, and he wrapped an arm around each girl. “I’m going to miss you both.”
Willow sniffed into his side. “We’re going to miss you, too.”
“And you know you can always come home early if you want,” Buffy reminded him. “We won’t mind.”
He broke away from them and picked up the cooler. “Don’t plan on seeing me before Labor Day. This is my big adventure, I don’t plan on blowing it.”
Buffy picked up the bags of snacks and followed him to the front door. Willow followed with the sandwiches and Rice Krispie treats. “It’s going to be weird without you,” Buffy said.
“Give yourself a day or two, you won’t even notice I’m gone,” Xander joked, opening the passenger side door and fitting the cooler on the floor.
“You know that’s not true,” Buffy said, squinting at him.
He straightened up and met her gaze. “I know.”
Willow’s eyes began to fill with tears. “We’ve never been apart more than two weeks. Except for that summer I went to Jew Camp in the second grade.”
Xander forced a smile, trying not to be affected by his friend’s emotions. “Remember how I wanted to go with you? And you got me a yarmulke, thinking it would fool your parents into letting me go?”
She smiled, a tear slipping down her cheek. “That summer sucked.”
His eyes began to water at the edges. “Yeah. But this will be different. You’ll get postcards everywhere I go. Giles even gave me a bunch of stamps.”
Buffy tried not to frown and handed Xander an envelope along with the grocery bags. “Mom wanted me to give this to you. It’s a phone card. In case you have any problems, she said to call.”
“Tell her thanks.” He took the bags from her and loaded them into the backseat.
“We should go to lunch before you take off,” Buffy said.
“Yeah, but I want to beat the traffic coming out of the city at rush hour,” Xander explained. “Besides, there’s no room in my car.”
She gave him a wan smile and he pulled her into a hug again. Buffy pressed her face into his shoulder and squeezed back. He finally let go of her and rounded the car to where Willow waited at the driver’s side. Xander took the food from her and placed it on Sally’s vinyl roof, they pulled her into a bear hug. Both friends shut their eyes tight, and Willow’s face twisted as her tears let loose. A few moments later Xander stepped back and wiped his cheeks with the heel of his hand.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’ll be back sooner than you think.” He opened the car door and put the sandwiches on the passenger seat.
“Hey, wait,” Willow said quickly. She stepped forward and handed Xander a little yellow flannel pouch.
“What’s this?”
“A good luck charm, for your trip. Just some Comfrey root, a little mint, some oil... Your basic mojo stuff.”
“Thanks,” Xander said. He sat down in his car and hooked the little bag over the rearview mirror. “Buffy, you take care of her, okay?”
Buffy saluted. “I have my orders.”
Willow shook her head at her and turned back to the car. “Xander, be careful. And have fun.”
“I will!” He put the key in the ignition and the engine rolled over. Then he flashed them a giant grin and backed the car out of the driveway.
“Bye, Xander!” Buffy yelled, waving.
“We’ll miss you!” Willow shouted as he began to drive off.
Two toots of the horn, and the car sputtered off down the road. The girls stood watching from the driveway until the rusty car disappeared around a corner.
“How far do you think he’ll get?” Willow finally asked.
“My bet’s on Vegas,” Buffy said.
Willow laughed.
They both stared at the end of the street for a few moments longer.
“So what do you want to do now?”
Buffy shrugged. “It’s the summer. Daytime talk shows and ice cream?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
And with that, the girls headed back inside.