Fic: Droopy Dog Will Save You

Title: Droopy Dog Will Save You
Fandom: BtVS
Summary: As the Slayerettes form, Xander misses his best friend.
Rating: PG
Characters: Xander
Disclaimer: They will be mine, oh yes they will, once I've taken over the world. Bwah-ha-ha!
Note: Written for a prompt at Open on Sunday: towel

When they'd been six, Jesse's crazy aunt had folded up towels to look like animals and left them all over the house. Willow had been gone, on vacation, and “Droopy dog will save you” had become their special phrase, his and Jesse's. Willow had thrown a fit about it when she got back, angry at being left out. She'd never really understood droopy dog. Her attempts to join in had fallen flat and so, by unspoken agreement, the two boys had dropped the phrase. Only rarely, when he saw that Xander was feeling down, would Jesse would bring it up.

But droopy dog would never save anyone ever again. It was just as well. The things they needed saving from were darker now, too big for a pretend hero to handle.

Willow was excited, looking forward to helping the Slayer. She'd even coined a name, the Slayerettes. Jesse would have laughed his ass off. Xander hadn't laughed when Willow had told him. He's said just enough to let her think he was excited too. Xander wasn't sure he'd ever laugh again. He couldn't look forward to this Slayer-filled future, not when his present no longer allowed Jesse to plop down next to him and say that droopy dog would, once again, save the day.