The Queen Slayer | TO {2}

Carriage Of Sorrow

WHITMORE, VIRGINIA

Somehow despite the first two weeks of classes being beyond stressful given that Elena's focus was trying to get in as much preparation to take her MCAT exam later on this year, a small happy sequel escaped her lips as she spotted the message pop up on her phone.

Xander immediately jumped in front of the bathroom mirror almost slicing through his cheek with his razor "Lena you know I suck at this." He grumbled gesturing to his shaving cream-covered face. He already sucked enough at shaving, having done so three times already. So the rule was Elena couldn't do anything that resembled screaming.

He loved her but her powers caused so much damage.

When Elena even squealed too loud glass shattered and it never ended well for him if he was shaving at the same time.

"Sorry." Elena squeaked as she sat up in the bubble bath, her grin never faltering for a second "Buffy's in Mystic Falls!" As much as a tiny part of her was upset that she had been aware of Buffy visiting Mystic Falls for the week, it didn't change the excitement bubbling in her chest.

She hadn't seen Buffy in six months so she was ecstatic.

Plus, she wanted to check in and see how Buffy was coping six months since losing her child.

"That explains her text this morning." Xander commented with a shrug as he cautiously started moving the razor down his neck "She's asked me to meet her at a development space in town later on." If Xander noticed the way Elena's face faltered at the fact she was the last to know that her sister was back in Virginia, Xander didn't comment on it.

While he had noticed, the whole situation was awkward and he really didn't want to be put into the middle.

Buffy was one of his best friends and Elena was his girlfriend, it was just a messy situation at the moment.

"Though, surprised Buff is staying in Mystic Falls, figured she would crash with Caroline."

"Really think about what you just said."

Instantly, Xander winced, he liked Caroline, she was cool and all, but the idea of staying with her where she could just stroll into the bedroom whenever she wanted?

No thanks.

He knew Buffy adored Caroline to pieces, but he also knew that with all the complicated relationship stuff with Tyler going on, the perky vampire would throw herself into trying to set Buffy up on a date while she was in town. Probably in a subtle attempt to ensure Buffy had more reasons to stay longer than a week.

Spotting the conflicted look on his girlfriend's face, Xander sighed before grabbing the blue hand towel off the edge of the sink, wiping the shaving cream away from his cheeks before moving toward her. 

He knew this was hard for Elena; just how strained her relationship with Buffy was. Xander wasn't an idiot he could see the disappointment on her face every time someone else had either spoken to or seen Buffy. When Caroline had come back from California after spending a three-day weekend with Buffy, Elena had been crestfallen.

It probably didn't help that she and Buffy had only spoken 3 times over the past six months on the phone.

He knew Elena had been hoping to use the summer to rebuild their relationship only for the distance physically between them to leave her realising just how damaged their relationship was. It was easy to make amends when you lived in the same town because you were around the same people every day so playing nice slowly stopped being an act, but with Buffy always on the other side of the planet, it was like a harsh reality check about how far their sister bond had fallen.