A Love I Thought I Knew

A Kill Bill/Buffy Tale

Author: B.H. Ramsay <drgonzo124[at]yahoo.com>

Disclaimer: I own nothing and receive nothing; Sue me and you shall gain nothing

Distribution: If you like it let me know. If you hate it, tell me what to fix and if you archive it, tell me where it is

Summery: The Bride Strikes again, with dire consequences for Xander

Pairing : X/Elle, W/K

Author's Note: Less of a sequel then a darker take on the idea from the first story


Chapter 1

A cold wind over the hill made the Minister rush through the service. The girls maintained a discrete distance from the chief and only mourner. The Biggest bunch of flowers had not come from Xander but from an old employer, which was all Xander would call him, an old employer. The card was equally unhelpful. All it said was. "For my special one--B."

Xander headed for the limousine that would take them back to his place. He was never sure what had kept them together. He remembered that cold night back when they met. He had followed three vampires into an ally. They were about to dine on a young woman they surprised. They were interrupted by the arrival of a one-eyed white knight. He had been doing well when one of the thugs got lucky and scored a hit on him staggering him. The woman had suddenly been there, plunging a stake into his undead heart. They had headed back inside a dive-bar where She eagerly asked him where he had learned to fight like that. She thought they had been common muggers that she could easily dispose of. He joked that she had not done that bad considering it was her first slaying.

Faith remembered the first time she had meet Elle. It was a post-engagement party for Willow and Kennedy just after they had slipped across the border to Canada for a week. She and Xander had apparently just hooked up. Far from the blushing retiring type, Faith had pegged Xander as going for; Elle had spirit and an edge to her. The eye-patch helped with that image. Xander joked that between them they had a functioning set of eyes. Elle had lost the right, Xander the left. Willow had demanded a group photo and Elle had felt out of place at first. However, Willow's perkiness won the day. Faith still had the picture. Their frozen images standing side by side. Xander cradled Elle at his side. They seemed perfect, A match.

Arriving at his place, Buffy and Dawn hugged him again. Xander made a crack about Buffy using Slayer strength in her hug. But, the joke was forced. His eye was cold and gray. Dawn recalled her panic over Buffy's Birthday. It was days away and she had decided to buy her sister a knife. But, what does a girl her age even one related to a Slayer know about knives. Faith was nowhere to be found and Willow and Kennedy were no help so she had called Xander. He was out but Elle was in. The woman had innocently suggested they view a website devoted to bladed weaponry together. During the next hour, Dawn learned more about workmanship, styling and maintenance then she thought possible. The blade she had picked out with Elle's help was a top of the line model functional as well as decorative, Buffy had been blown-away by the gift.

That Elle had a past was no secret but since she did not ask about Xander's late night forays into the neighborhood, he did not press the issue of her late night telephone calls. Bill was the one who called the most. She made it clear that this was an off limits topic and he had complied. His first thought was Bill was an old boyfriend that she would dumb Xander for eventually but her ardor for the Zeppo never wavered.

The one conversation he had had with Bill one afternoon when Elle was away had left him chilled, the man knew everything, even stuff he had not ever told Elle. He know about Uncle Rory's gambling debts which mysteriously seemed to either vanish or become much less of a problem. Elle made only one reference to the incident. It came a few weeks ago, she had said casually that he should be careful about the favors he asked for. "You and I are really happy and that's Good enough for Bill. But remember Xan, nothing in this world comes free, nothing."

Xander did not kid himself about marrying this woman; he was no more ready for marriage now then he had been to when Anya was around. He noticed nevertheless that the painful aching hole where Anya used to be, pained him a bit less everyday he was with Elle. For her part, Elle had a darkness that fled in the presence of the Zeppo. She laughed when she was with him. Something she claimed she had not done in pleasure in a long time. Training with her was more like playing although she took it upon herself to fix a few of the bad habits he had picked up in seven years.

Then came the telephone call. It came in the night as all bad calls do. She said it was Bill. They didn't discuss the meat of the call. The gist of it was that an old friend was looking up old partners. Elle was due for a visit. This visiting old friend seemed to worry Elle just a tad.

Then came the afternoon a week ago. Xander had been out buying fixings for a mini-feast. His concern over Elle's dark mood led him to try to lift her sprits with a Xander-cooked meal. He arrived to find the house in shambles and Elle dead on the floor. The woman sitting in the easy chair looking at Elle's lifeless corpse looked like she had been through hell. Elle had given as good as she got. A shocked Xander got the whole story from her. He had listened in silence. The marriage, the betrayal, the Death-list with Elle's name scratched out along with four others. Bill's name was at the bottom of that list.

The blond haired woman had looked at Xander seriously. "She told me about you and the pictures fill in the details she didn't share. You are a good man and don't deserve this, but what she did, to me…to my daughter. I don't know if you can believe this, but she had it coming. "

Xander had looked at the woman he cared about, maybe even thought he might love. She had to be lying this could not be the same Elle Driver.

"I know how people can be about this kind of thing." She was speaking again. "Take your time, mourn her, bury her. Honor her the way that you think she needs to be honored." She had stood up and stepped toward the door. " Think it over and if your still raw about this after that, well if you come and find me Xander Harris, I'll understand, and I'll be waiting."

Back at the house, everyone was sharing memories, Elle had only been around for a short time but she had touched lives. Xander knew if he mentioned what he had learned; the girls would go ballistic. Faith would not have the slightest problem with Revenge. Buffy was a stickler for rules but even she would feel that this Woman was a threat to be dealt with. One word from him and the Bride would find herself the target of an army of Slayers. Thing was, he felt that he should give the matter thought. That night after the girls had headed to the various bedrooms Harris sat drinking. He decided he would get very drunk, then after he had spent a day recovering, he would think long and hard about what The Bride had told him about his love. If he decided to do this, he would do it alone. He and The Bride would meet again, and then they would do what had to be done.

The End