Armadillos & SalsaBy Syn
Chapter Eight: Long Drive in the Direction of Home"Pass the gravy." Connor grunted as he put down the plate of peas in front of him. Lorne looked up at him and arched a brow.
"What do we say, little nipper?"
"Please?" Connor said, smiling slightly. Lorne nodded and passed the gravy boat to him with care as everyone else helped themselves to the appetizing banquet before them.
Patricia Burkle sat at the end of the table, a smile on her face and her heart content. In the two short weeks that this ragtag band of beaten heroes had been at her house, she'd seen a change go on in all of them. When they'd arrived, there was tension, feelings and thoughts weighing heavily on everyone's minds. Now...now everything was healed. Well, most of it anyway. But these people were a family again, like they were meant to be. And she was happy to say, she and her husband felt like part of that family now too.
Looking around at them all, sitting at her dining room table in front of the boarded up window that had yet to be replaced, she was also happy to see that other, more physical wounds had healed. For the past week, everyone had pitched in to clean up the debris left by the tornado. Most of the windows had already been replaced and the front porch had been completely torn down. They'd managed to round up the cattle that had gotten out and all of the horses, none of which had been hurt, and put them all in temporary fences. Her chickens were all dead and the barn was a total loss, but Roger had been talking about building a new one for a few years, so it wasn't completely devastating.
All in all, things were good. Trish looked at them all in turn, watching Lorne cajoling Connor about baking the chocolate cake they were going to have for desert himself. It seemed that Connor not only had a talent for killing things, but he could bake up a storm too. Next to him, Angel, plate empty, slung over Cordelia's shoulders, thumb swirling over her arm as she leaned into him. They turned and looked at each other, emotion surging between them so thick she could cut it with a knife. Beside her, Roger was talking with Wesley about finances or something. Faith was sitting next to Wesley, sneaking carrots off his plate while his attention was elsewhere. Trish smiled as she saw Wesley's hand sneak up and catch her around the wrist, stopping her in mid-snatch. Faith grinned and Wesley glanced at her once, eyebrow arching before he turned back to Roger and continued the conversation. Fred and Gunn were bent toward each other, lost in their own world. They were whispering in such soft tones that she couldn't make out what they were saying and they kept looking around the table nervously.
Her whole family was here. Well, everyone but Grayson, whom she thought of as a son. He'd told her he had a date and couldn't make it, which meant he'd come home at the crack of dawn, drunk as a skunk. Trish sighed. That boy was going to have to settle down one of these days.
"Mom?"
Trish turned and met her daughter's gaze. Fred looked even more nervous, her face pale and her eyes huge. "Yes, dear?"
"Um...I...umm...uh...Charles?" Fred stammered and turned to Charles as she bit down on her lip. Charles gave her a look that told Trish volumes about how he felt about her daughter. Hell, she still caught Roger looking at her like that after thirty-two years of marriage. Her heart felt like it was going to burst any moment.
"It's okay baby, I can do it for us if you want." Charles said, bringing her hand to his mouth and kissing it gently. Fred blushed and looked relieved, her shoulders drooping.
"Would you? I feel like I'm gonna pass out any minute." Fred said as Charles nodded his head and stood slowly. Every eye at the table suddenly turned on him and he faltered for a second, his smile fading. Fred saw his apprehension and stood, her arm going around his waist.
Trish's furrowed her brow in concern. What was going on? She glanced around the table and saw Roger nodding his head at Charles, a look of pride on his face. Her eyes narrowed. He knew what was going on! Why did he know and she didn't?
"Uh...everybody...since this is our last night here in Mr. and Mrs. Burkle's home, Fred and I thought we should...um...we...well, uh...dammit, this should be easier to say, ya know?" Charles said, closing his eyes and steadying himself before he blurted out, "Okay. Fred and I are getting married."
There was utter silence for a few heartbeats before Cordelia squealed and launched out of her chair, tearing around the table and leaping at Fred and Gunn. Fred squealed with her and the two danced in a circle for a few minutes as everyone started talking at once. Trish was stunned. She glanced down the table at Roger, who was leaning back in his chair, that proud look on his face again. His eyes met hers and she narrowed her gaze at him. She knew why he looked so proud; he'd actually managed to keep something from her for once.
"Oh my God! Have you two set a date yet?" Cordelia asked, her smile bright, the bruise on her face now only a slight shadow on her skin and the cuts faded pink lines.
"No. We were more concerned about telling y'all. We're gonna have it in L.A. though, in the hotel's garden. You're my maid-of-honor!" Fred said in a rush, flailing her limbs.
"Well, duh!" Cordelia said, rolling her eyes with a grin.
"Faith too!" Fred said, gesturing toward Faith, who was trying not to smile as she sat in her chair.
"I'm not wearing a fluffy pink bridesmaid's dress so don't even try." Faith said as Fred swooped down and gave her a hug. She smiled despite herself and pushed her away. "Okay...but...no pictures, got it?"
"Got it." Gunn said, as Lorne clapped him on the back.
"It's about time, bro. I kept swearing that if you weren't going to make an honest woman out of her soon, I was gonna try and capture the fair damsel's heart." Lorne said with a grin, catching Fred around the waist and hugging her. She hugged him back for a second and then squirmed away toward her father. "Hmm...trickier than I thought. I guess she's yours. Congrats!"
"Thanks, man." Gunn said as Trish hugged him.
"I hope you're ready for me to become the overbearing mother-in-law, Charles."
"So...you're okay with it?"
"Look at my little girl and tell me why I shouldn't?" Trish countered, gesturing toward Fred, whose enthusiasm was strangely catching. She'd managed to wrangle Connor into giving her a hug, even though he looked slightly less than thrilled about it.
"She's gonna hurt someone..." Gunn said, pulling back with a grin. "Like Angel."
Fred leapt at Angel and nearly knocked him out his chair. He hugged her back, grinning wide enough to split his face. He looked way happier than Gunn had ever seen him. It was almost scary, but in a good way.
Trish smiled again and patted her future son-in-law on the back as she surveyed the room. She went from face to face twice before she realized that Wesley was strangely absent. A frown creased her face and she glanced around even as Faith did the same. She saw the dark-haired girl's jaw clench as she vaulted up out of her seat and weave gracefully past Lorne and Cordelia before ducking into the kitchen and out of sight.
Whatever was going on, Trish prayed it wouldn't put a damper on the good news. They'd all been through so much; she didn't think they needed any more fuel on the fire that had seemingly burnt itself out.
****
"Come on sprout, wanna go help me finish cleaning the trash out of the RV?" Lorne asked Connor as Trish started clearing the table. They'd managed to get the motor home out of the tree relatively unharmed. The front fender was bent and one of the windows was cracked out and they'd had to replace all four tires, but other than that, it was fine. "We're starting early tomorrow, remember?"
"Great. Sounds fun!" Connor said as he made a face at the demon.
"I hope your face sticks like, little man." Gunn said as he picked up the empty dessert plates and carried them into the kitchen. Connor rolled his eyes, but followed Lorne out the back door anyway.
"Charles, you don't have to do that!" Trish exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen and saw him starting the dishwater. He half-turned and shrugged.
"Its okay. Fred and I can handle it. Right baby?"
"Right honey." Fred said, putting down the rest of the glasses and leaning up on tip-toe, kissing Gunn firmly on the lips. Trish watched them for a second and then sighed.
"I'm going to bed then. See you in the morning, okay?"
"'Kay mom! Love you!" Fred said as Trish walked out of the room. She sighed contentedly and turned back to Gunn, watching as he rolled back the sleeves of his shirt and plunged his hands into the hot, soapy water. She immediately grabbed a towel and started working on drying and putting them away. Neither one of them spoke as they found an easy rhythm; wash, rinse, dry, stack.
Finally, Gunn spoke up, his eyes never leaving the plate he was scrubbing. "I'm gonna marry you."
"You'd better. Cordy'll kill us if she doesn't get to be my maid-of-honor now!" Fred said, jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow.
"Umm...I noticed Wesley disappeared..."
"Don't. Don't start in, please? It's so over between us. There really wasn't anything to get over anyway!"
"Uh, that's not what I was going to say. I wanted to ask him something." Gunn said, lifting his eyebrow.
"Oh. Right then." Fred said, blushing.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine. Just...nervous is all. I mean, we're engaged! It's...huge and life changing and I'm loving it and I'm scared and I'm kinda floopy, like when you go on vacation to the Bahamas and you can't really believe you're there, but you are and it still doesn't feel real? You know that feeling, right?"
"Strangely enough, yeah I do."
"It feels good, doesn't it? I could live the rest of my life like this and be perfectly happy."
"Fredgelus?"
Fred groaned as he laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "Please...no more 'gelus' puns! Especially not after yesterday when you called Connor Conngelus and Faith started calling him Connilingus and then Lorne started talking about the clitoris. What was that about anyway?"
"It's a man thing."
"The clitoris?"
"No! I mean...you know what? Let's change the subject."
"You were talking about Wesley earlier." Fred pointed out as Gunn let her go and started washing the last of the plates.
"Right. You think he's upset?"
"I don't know. Why don't you go talk to him?"
"If I can wrestle him away from Faith for a few minutes. Those two...I swear." Gunn said, handing her the last dish.
"I think it's cute." Fred said as she dried the plate, stacking it with the others in the cabinet. Gunn pulled the stopper out of the sink to let the dirty water out, then turned to kiss her on top the head.
"You're not wrong about that. I think I'm gonna go find him now."
"Okay. And play nice."
"I'll try. See you later, babe." He said as he walked away.
Fred watched him over her shoulder as he walked out the back door, the rusty screen whining. She took a deep breath and turned back to the dishwater, staring into the murky, sudsy depths as it was siphoned down the drain in a miniature tornado. She smiled and whispered, "He's gonna marry me."
****
"There you are."
Wesley turned around, his back to the newly erected fence as he peered into the gloom. Faith materialized out of the darkness, her steps unsure and a frown on her face.
"Should have known you'd find me."
"I know you too well, Wes. You're just like me." Faith said, ignoring him and leaning against the fence beside him. "You find a problem and you run from it. You let it eat at you until you can't stand it anymore. Which is why I'm here. Spill."
"I'd rather not."
"Remember that whole Slayer strength thing?"
"Good point." Wesley nodded and looked up at the clear, moonless sky. A million stars were sprinkled across the inky black sky; they glittered at him like diamond chips, so close he felt he could reach up and pull one down. "So, since you know me so well, you tell me why I'm out here."
"Considering you split right after Fred and Gunn announced their big news, I'm thinking you're worried about global warming." Faith said sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at Wesley's profile. The corners of his mouth ticked and his eyes flicked in her direction for a moment before returning to their search of the stars. "You're not happy for them?"
"Actually, I am. More so than I thought possible."
"Then why...?"
"It's complicated."
"I'm the queen of complication, Watcher. Enlighten me."
"I guess in a way I'm jealous of what they have. Not of Gunn getting Fred--there was never really a competition between us. She loves him and I've finally learned that for myself."
"'Bout time. So...what are you jealous of?"
Wesley turned his head and looked her over. "You're going to laugh at me."
"No I--yeah I probably will, but you'd better say it anyway."
"I want the wife and the kids and the...normalcy for once. I know I'll never get it, but being here in Texas, watching Fred's parents...I just think, 'what if'?"
"Wow. Never took you for a white picket fence kinda guy, Wes." Faith said with the promised laugh.
"Hard to believe, I know. It's stupid..."
"No it's not. Everyone deserves that if they can get it. It's a good dream. Can't say its one I've ever had, but then again, I don't think much about the future. Serving time, you kinda tend to deal with the day-to-day planning and not much else. Add the Slayer expiration date on top of that and you've got someone not thinking about getting their gold watch and settling in Florida for my retirement."
"You're too wild for that life anyway. No one could ever hold you down, no matter how much they wanted to." Wes said, glancing at her. "I tend to think I'm the same way. Too self-destructive to keep a good thing when I see it."
"Ahh...Lilah." Faith said with a sigh.
"What about her?"
"Well...you two...I mean, you must have thought about it, right?"
"No. Not once." Wesley said, turning toward her. "Lilah and I...well to say our relationship was complicated is barely scratching the surface. What we had was barely a relationship, in fact."
"You loved her though."
"I did, but not like..."
"Like?"
"Nevermind." Wesley said quickly, searching her face. "The point is, I ruined that relationship. Self-destruction is a lifestyle for me."
"Join the club."
Wesley chuckled and stared back up at the stars. "Well, I suppose you're proud of yourself. Your plan to make me stop being such a serious bastard seems to be working."
"Eh. I just got started. Miles to go before the permanent scowl is gone."
"It's not permanent!"
"Sure..."
"I was smiling last night on the back porch while everyone was hauling the rest of the barn debris away. You were also doing your own smiling if I recall correctly."
"Sex in a public place doesn't count! That always makes me smile and you were with me, so naturally you'd be grinnin' too. Besides, you got real pissed off when I flipped you over."
"Well...there were splinters in my bum!" Wesley declared, clearly flustered.
"Wuss." Faith said, looking up at him as he moved closer to her. She looked over his shoulder and pursed her lips. "So you're really okay with Fred and Gunn?"
"Yes, I really am."
"Good, because here comes Gunn and as sexy as I find two hot guys fisting it out, I really don't want Gunn to break your face." Faith said as Wesley turned around to see Gunn approaching them.
"Hey man." Gunn said as he stopped before them, looking from Faith to Wesley and back again. "Well, at least you have your clothes on."
"You'd have walked out here five minutes later than you did and we would have been. What's up?"
"I kinda need to talk to Wes. Alone."
"Fine. Keep it civil boys. Wes..." Faith's voice trailed off as she stood on tiptoe, kissing him slowly, feeling the skin against hers grow warm as he flushed. She pulled away, his lower lip caught between her teeth for a moment before she let go. "Gunn." Faith said as she turned around and nodded at Charles.
"Faith." Gunn responded, trying not to smile at the embarrassed look on Wesley's face. Faith grinned and reached behind her.
"See ya on the back porch Splinter Boy." She said, squeezing the front of Wesley's pants, making him yelp and blush again. Gunn snorted and watched her walk away before turning back to Wesley, whose eyes were wide in the darkness.
"What I don't get, English, is why that fine ass woman is with you and not somebody cool."
"She's not with me. I mean, we're not..."
"Mhmm...and you two are just friends? Heard that one before. Face it, dog, you got a thing for her."
Wesley regarded Gunn for a moment before smiling. "As much as I'd like to protest...yes, I do have a 'thing' for her. More so than I probably should."
"If it helps, she's got it just as bad."
"She does?"
"You can't tell? You always were a clueless bastard."
Wesley shifted uncomfortably at that revelation. He knew how he felt--but Faith? The very thought made his stomach tighten. He didn't want to think about it right now though. He looked up at Gunn. "So...you wanted to talk?"
"Yeah."
"About?"
"Some things I needed to get off my chest. I noticed you disappeared at dinner."
"Yes...I needed a little air."
"I get that, man. What I wanted to know was...how you felt about Fred."
"I've already told you, anything that was between us is over. She's one of my very best friends. A sister, really."
"You're not lying?"
"No. I mean it. As I was just telling Faith, I'm very happy for you two."
Gunn nodded, looking down at his shoes. "Good. Because I want you to be my best man."
"What?"
"You heard me. As much as we've been through--most of it utter crap and some of it really, really good...you're my best friend, man. Who the hell else would I ask?"
"Lorne, Angel, Connor..."
"Okay, true. But...it wouldn't be the same. I want you up there."
"Are...are you sure?"
"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't. So is that a yes?"
"It is."
"Good." Gunn said, holding out his hand. "Friends?"
"Friends." Wesley said, shaking his hand before letting go. Together they started back toward the house, fences mended.
"So...why did Faith call you Splinter Boy?" Gunn asked out of nowhere as Wesley blushed and slipped in the wet grass, tumbling to the ground in a heap. Gunn laughed as he looked down at Wes. "You really are falling for her huh?"
"Oh, piss off."
****
"Mmm...our last night in the good ol' Lone Star State. I think I just might miss this place. What about you?" Cordelia said, rubbing the arm Angel had slung over her stomach. They were laying on the couch in the Burkle's living room, the sound of Fred puttering around in the kitchen comforting.
"I definitely will. But...I miss L.A." He said as she turned her head to look at him, gazes meeting as his eyes fluttered open.
"You do? Mr. Let's-run-away-so-we-don't-have-to-deal-our-problems? I'm shocked."
"You keep saying that's what we did...but I kinda think we ran away TO deal with our problems. Look at everything that's gone on while we've been here. Connor and I are getting along. Fred and Gunn are engaged and Gunn and Wesley aren't fighting anymore and Faith is...well, Faith is Faith. You and I aren't doing so bad ourselves." Angel said, holding her closer, his head buried in her hair.
"Huh. I think you're on to something. Seriously...you're really looking forward to going home?"
"I am. I kinda miss fighting the good fight."
"Me too. I mean, we've been away for two weeks and while I love it here, I can't help thinking that we could be saving lives back home. We're needed there." Cordelia said as Angel nodded his head in understanding. He looked her over and then spoke up.
"So...what about you? How are you doing?"
"I'm good. Dealing. You know me; I'm a survivor. It's what I do." Cordelia said matter-of-factly after taking a trembling breath. She'd been slowly dealing with things in her own way. She wasn't afraid of anything anymore, especially not Angel. Having him here was actually giving her strength.
"Yeah, but...are you going to be okay? You don't have to be, you know. It's okay to not be okay."
"I am. As long as you're with me, I'm going to be just fine, Angel." Cordelia said, shifting around on the cushion and slinging her leg over his.
"You know I'm not going anywhere." Angel said as he lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her gently, his hands in her hair, thumbs swirling over her cheek.
"Hey! If I'm not allowed to make out on my parent's couch, neither are you!" Cordelia and Angel broke apart, craning their head's to see Fred standing in the doorway of the kitchen, her hands on her hips. "What if my dad came in here?"
"Uh...sorry Fred." Angel stammered as Cordelia stuck her tongue out at her.
"Yeah, sorry Mom! Jeez I feel bad for Gunn already. I can see it now," Cordelia said, sitting up. "Gunn comes home late from demon killing and you meet him at the door with a rolling pin and curlers in your hair screaming about how you missed your physic's convention or whatever because he had the truck."
"Ha-ha, Cordy. We're not gonna be like that." Fred said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the doorframe.
"No, probably not. You know Gunn's still going to have that damned truck though."
"That's a sobering thought." Fred said with a terrified look on her face.
"Where is Gunn by the way?"
"Talking to Wesley. He didn't come right out and say it, but I have a feeling he's going to ask him to be his best man."
"Really? He's asking Wesley?" Angel sounded hurt as he sat up, his eyes clouded.
"Aww...poor Angel. You can be a groomsman, okay?" Cordelia said, patting his hand in reassurance.
"S'not the same." He sulked, hunching his shoulders.
"You big baby." Cordy said, kissing his cheek just as the front door swung open and Faith leapt the broken step, gaining entry with ease. Technically they weren't supposed to use the front door yet because the porch was gone, but you couldn't tell Faith that.
Apparently, you couldn't tell Connor that either because he popped inside after her.
"Connor..." Angel warned as Connor looked up and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Faith did it first."
"If Faith jumped off a bridge would you do it too?"
Cordelia groaned. "Oh my God! You really are a father, Angel! Only dad's speak in clichés like that."
"It's not a cliché...it's a very valid question!" Angel protested.
"Not really, seeing as I'm not stupid enough to jump off a bridge in the first place." Faith said, kicking off her shoes and throwing herself down into the recliner.
"I don't know Faith, you seem the type who really needs to take a long walk off a short pier." Fred said, making a face at the younger girl.
"Gah! I'm awash in a sea of clichés!" Cordy exclaimed.
"Who's washing in a sea of flea spray?" Lorne asked as he walked in from the kitchen.
"Not flea spray, cliché." Fred corrected him as she perched next to Faith on the arm of the recliner.
"Oh, honey, I've got a million of those!" Lorne exclaimed. "They're as stupid as a screen door on a submarine though."
"Noooo! Why did you get him started?" Cordelia said, throwing herself backward on the couch, her face in her hands.
"Aww, Cordy if you don't like it you could always leave the room." Lorne said as he sat down on the floor.
"Yeah, don't let the door hit ya were the good Lord split ya!" Faith said with a dirty chuckle.
"Faith don't make me come over there and bitch-slap you."
"Please, Cor. Don't write a check your ass can't cash." Faith shot back.
"Oooh...good one." Fred said, giving Faith a high-five.
"Good what? Did we miss something?" Wesley said as he and Gunn walked into the living room. He looked around the room, catching Faith's eye. He deliberately smiled widely at her; she rolled her eyes but smiled back.
"That's Wesley alright. Always a day late and a dollar short." Angel snorted. Cordelia groaned and slapped him on the back.
"What?" Wesley exclaimed, bewildered.
"Somehow we got on the subject of puns and clichés. Feel free to join in." Fred explained with a giggle.
"What's a cliché?" Connor managed to interject, looking highly confused. "Is this a sex thing again?"
"Poor Connor, his brain's no bigger than a gnat's ass..." Faith said, clucking her tongue and shaking her head.
"Faith, why do yours all have to do with asses?" Fred asked, looking down at her from the arm of the recliner. Faith shrugged.
"I don't know. You learn a lot about ass in prison I guess."
"Raise your hand if 'ewww'?" Cordelia asked as everyone made a face.
"Damn...your girl is dirty." Gunn said, nudging Wesley in the arm.
"Yeah but he likes it." Faith said, lifting her eyebrow at him.
"Pffftt...that just goes to show that he's as dumb as a doornail." Cordelia said before she could stop herself. "Crap! It's infective!" She moaned, clapping her hand over her mouth as everyone laughed.
****
Laughter echoed through the house, making Roger groan and turn over to look at the alarm clock on the nightstand near his head. The glowing red letters told him it was near midnight. Beside him, Trish stirred and sighed.
"Do they know they've got to be on the road before dawn?"
"They don't care, honey. They're young and the night is theirs." Trish answered wistfully, patting his shoulder in the darkness.
"Yeah well...my bad mood is gonna be theirs if they keep it up. I'll be glad when they leave and we get some peace and quiet around here again."
"Oh, you'll miss them and you know it." Roger grunted, but didn't correct her. "I know I will."
"You'll see them at the wedding."
"Speaking of which, why didn't you tell me you knew!?"
"Because it's fun to see you surprised for once." Roger chuckled as she sniffed indignantly.
"I wasn't <i>that</i> surprised! I'm going to miss our baby though."
"Fred's going back where she belongs. She's a hero. I couldn't be prouder."
"Me too, honey." Trish sighed and then strained her ear, hearing Lorne laughing about something. "I just wish..."
"Don't! No wishing. And no crying tomorrow morning or Fred'll never leave! I know how you two are."
"I'm not going to cry! I never cry!" She protested as he snorted again and pulled the covers up over his head. "Well, I don't!"
****
"You have to stay! Please...you can't leave! I won't let you!" Trish exclaimed, holding tight to her daughter and kissing her on the forehead. They were standing outside the house next to the battered motor home (that still smelled like an Innit in heat), the sky barely turning from dark black to inky blue. Even Grayson was there. Of course he was just getting home when they all came out to say goodbye, so he'd been cornered and wasn't quite sober enough to think up a good excuse to leave yet. Angel and Gunn had given him "The Look" when he'd said goodbye to both Fred and Cordelia. He was now standing to the side, looking damned uncomfortable.
"Oh Mom...I don't wanna...but I gotta..." Fred said, holding onto her mother. She tried not to cry as her mother did the same. "People need our help."
"I know, sweetie. It seems like you just got here though..."
"Feels like it's been forever to me. It's been a long two weeks." Fred said as she pulled back and wiped a tear off her mother's cheek. "I'll call you as soon as we get there and every day after that, I swear!"
"You'd better!" Trish sniffled, then turned to the rest of the group standing outside the Winnebago as Fred went to hug her father. She eyed them all one by one, and then moved down the group like a general addressing her troops. "Connor, I've written down some recipes. Try them out and call me, okay?"
"Thanks Mrs. Burkle." Connor said with a shy smile as he took the recipes from her hands. She patted him on the cheek and moved toward Angel and Cordelia.
"No more bar fights, Cordelia." She said sternly as Cordelia grinned. "And you, make sure she doesn't get into any more bar fights. You've got super strength for goodness's sakes!"
"I'll try." Angel said, squeezing Cordelia's hand as Trish moved on. She sized up Faith with a calculating eye.
"Don't kill anyone." She advised shortly, then moved on before Faith could retort anything. Wesley stood up as she stopped in front of him, and then leaned forward, whispering. "You could do much better."
"Uh...well..." Wesley stammered as she patted him on the arm. He glanced at Faith, expecting to see the Slayer seething with anger. Instead, she was smiling. He shrugged and looped his hand with hers as he watched Trish move to the end of the line.
Gunn stood upright as she appraised him with a cool eye. Finally she said, "Take care of my little girl, Charles."
"Yes Mrs. Burkle."
"Call me Mom." She said warmly.
"Yes Mom." He corrected as she pulled him for a hug and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She released him and looked down the line.
"Oh, I'm going to miss y'all so much."
"We'll miss you too, Mom." Fred said, hugging her one more time as she let go of her father's arm. Trish hugged her tight and then smacked her on the rear end.
"Okay! No more sniffles! Get out of my house and go save the world!" Trish exclaimed, gesturing everyone to get in the Winnie. Roger slung his arm around her as they all said goodbye.
"Thanks for having us!"
"We'll come back to visit real soon!"
"You guys are great!"
"Love you!" Trish exclaimed, watching as they climbed inside. Fred waved from the passenger's seat, tears streaking down her face. Wesley put the Winnebago again in drive with a wave and they tore off down the driveway.
"Bye Winnie!" Grayson called a little drunkenly as the motor home disappeared down the gravel driveway, kicking up clouds of dust behind them, the pre-dawn gloom swallowing them as they began the long drive in the direction of home. The Burkles watched them go, knowing that whatever they were going back to, they could handle it.
****
"You know, we could wait until night to do this."
"Like hell we could! I'm not driving at night with you. I don't even like driving in full daylight!" Cordelia declared from the passenger's seat as she peaked around Angel's blanket-shrouded form. Connor shot her a dirty look, the wheel veering toward the median strip as he did. "Eyes on the road!"
"Jeez, sorry." Connor said, his eyes back on the road as he righted the wheel and set the motor home back in the middle of the road.
"You're doing good. Ignore Cordy. She drives like Steve McQueen on crack." Angel said, peering out from the depths of the blanket.
"Do not!"
"Who's Steve McQueen?" Connor asked, not taking his eyes off the road.
"He was an actor, don't worry about it." Angel said, his voice slightly muffled. "Okay, you want to try switching lanes?"
"Sure!"
"Check your mirrors."
"Clear."
"Turn signal?"
"Check."
"Alright, move it on over. SLOWLY!"
As Connor moved into the other lane, his father peeking out from behind the blanket, Cordelia watched him with a small smile on her face. She leaned back in the seat, her feet up on the dash and her hand beneath the blanket, Angel's palm cool against hers. Warm air rushed over her from the open window, pushing her short brown hair away from her face.
Things were going to be okay. She was going to be okay. She felt strangely calm inside about going back to Los Angeles, despite lingering shadows and doubts in the back of her brain. She would be fine as long as she had her family with her. And, watching Connor learn to drive, she couldn't help but smile. Angel and Connor were getting along. It was everything she'd ever hoped for.
As Connor slowed down to the speed limit again, Angel squeezed her hand and turned around to face her, his dark eyes shining from the shadowed depths of the blanket. 'I love you.' He mouthed soundlessly.
'I love you too.' Cordelia mouthed back, her stomach fluttered. He kissed her hand and turned back to Connor as he steered the big vehicle with ease.
Sitting just behind them, Lorne smiled and crossed his arms smugly over his chest. Looking around the motor home as it sped westward, he felt a certain amount of satisfaction.
His crimson gaze landed on Fred and Gunn sitting on one side of the booth, Gunn's back against the wall and Fred laying against his chest. She had a thick book in her hands; her glasses perched precariously on the tip of her nose and her mouth moving as she read. Gunn's hands were wrapped around her stomach and he was reading over her shoulder. They looked completely and totally comfortable sitting there in silence. Lorne watched them for a minute, reveling in their happiness before looking across the cabin at the figure dancing in the middle of the tiny kitchen area.
Faith, tiny strains of hard rock blaring from the speakers on her headphones, was moving in sensuous circles, her hips swaying, hair swinging, eyes screwed shut. She moved like a wild thing, totally unaware of her surroundings save one thing. Her eyes flicked open and she met Wesley's gaze as he stared over the top of his crossword puzzle. His pencil was poised over the book in mid-letter as he sat at the booth opposite Fred and Gunn. Seeing that she had his attention, she wiggled her hips enticingly, her bottom lip between her teeth as he drew in a sharp breath and glared at her.
As Lorne watched, she slid the headphones off her head and sat down on his lap. He didn't say anything as she took the pencil from his hands and filled out a column on the crossword. The corners of Wes's mouth quirked up as she handed the pencil back to him, then put her headphones back on.
Lorne folded his legs up on the narrow couch and smiled again.
"I am amazing." He mused aloud.
"Huh? What do you mean, Lorne?" Fred asked, looking up from her book as Gunn did the same.
"Just that...look at what I've done. Look at you all, together, getting along, acting like a family. I did that. Me. Me, me, me. I am amazing." Lorne said smugly as Wesley looked up from his crossword and Faith slid her headphones down.
"You did what exactly?" Cordelia said, turning in her seat and peering at him curiously.
"Well...I got Fred and Gunn back together. And you and Angel together. And I got Connor and Angel to stop acting like mortal enemies. Faith and Wesley too." Lorne explained, looking around at them all.
"I don't know...I kinda think we all worked out things on our own."
"Okay...granted, some of it was self-healing, but I was behind some of it, all subtle and behind-the-scenes. I was manipulating all of you all along and you didn't even know it. It took a talented and dedicated staff in the form of Fred's mom and Connor to help too. But mostly it was me. You should all thank me."
"Yeah, okay." Faith said sarcastically. "I knew what you were doing all along and I don't think you did much."
"Say that if you will, but the source of my matchmaking powers can never be harnessed or measured."
"Riiiigght..." Gunn said, shaking his head.
"I smell something? Is that...bullcrap?" Cordelia tossed over her shoulder as she turned back around in her seat.
"A big green pile." Gunn chuckled as Lorne's mouth flew open and he lurched to his feet.
"Fine! Don't believe me! You can all think it was yourselves fixing everything if you want. I'm not going to argue."
"Good, because you wouldn't win, I'm afraid." Wesley said, shifting under Faith's weight. "No, I rather think it was Texas and the ranch...the tranquility and the healing atmosphere that allowed us to work through things. I know it helped me to be away from Los Angeles for a while."
Everyone agreed and Lorne threw up his hands.
"Fine, fine whatever. But just think about this kiddies; who's idea was it to come to Texas in the first place?" Lorne said pointedly as he walked into the back room and slid the curtain shut.
Silence followed his exit as they all looked around; peering into faces more familiar than their own. Maybe Lorne was right and he had worked his subtle magic and fixed everything, or maybe they'd done it themselves. Maybe it was Texas. Maybe it was the feeling of togetherness they hadn't had in long, long time. Maybe it was the tornado. Or even all of these things combined.
None of them knew for sure, but as they drove into New Mexico on the I-10, leaving Texas behind, they had a feeling that they could handle whatever was waiting for them in L.A. They were a family now, bigger, stronger and better than ever. Nothing could ever tear them apart again.
Well you know...except a wedding.
~Fin~