See Prologue for disclaimer and details. Hi all, and welcome to the latest chapter of the story. Big thanks to everyone's been reading and reviewing, it really is appreciated. Please keep it coming! Okay, it's one a.m. in the morning here, so let's cut it short and get to the good stuff...
Part Two: Choices
Sunnydale High School, Sunnydale
Early October, 1995
Xander Harris got out of the Chase limousine, easily ignoring the death glare Cordelia sent him before she went off to search for her flock of airheads.
Recent events had left him a very changed young man. The mask of the clown had been stripped away because the family's dirty laundry was no longer a secret in any way, shape or form. Xander knew there was no point trying to hide anything any longer.
Ever since he had woken up in the hospital he'd been quiet, suspicious, cynical and constantly on the lookout for trouble. His world now only had one focus: Dawn. Her safety and welfare was Xander's solitary concern these days, after learning of his mother's death and his father's...situation. Therefore he hadn't objected to moving in with the Chase family, even though he didn't particularly like any of them, because they had one big redeeming feature: their wallets.
Those people could give his little sister everything she needed until they got kicked out, or he was old enough to get a job and they could find a place of their own. So putting up with Cordelia Chase and her seething disgust seemed a cheap price to pay for that to happen.
At that moment Willow and Jesse came flying into the parking lot, and the redheaded hacker grabbed her crush into a huge embrace. "Xander, you're here! You're okay!"
"What, you guys thought I was dead?" Xander asked curiously, as Willow let go and gasped at the sight of all the bruising. It looked even worse now than when she and Jesse had briefly visited him in the hospital. Xander noticed and said, "It's okay, Will. I mean the doctors said I'll be fine, ya know?"
"If you say so." Then the trio started heading for the school building.
"Dude, the rumor mill has been going crazy around here for the past week or two! I mean, I heard that your dad's in jail and your mom died, but I..." Jesse broke off at seeing his buddy's change in expression. "Hey, Xand, I'm sorry. I guess I didn't..."
"It's okay, Jess," Harris shrugged. "Y'know, shit happens."
"What?" Willow demanded as they all stopped. "Xander, that's your mom you're talking about!"
He shrugged again. "Yeah, well, she's gone now, Will. Nothing I can do about it. I gotta focus on Dawn, she's the only thing that's important anymore." Xander started off again as a disbelieving Willow and Jesse trailed after their classmate.
Not far away, Cordelia stood with her so-called friends as they stared at Xander and the other two social outcasts. "I can't believe it. Harris is actually living with you?" one of the girls named Gwen asked the leader of the pack.
Cordelia flipped her hair around. "I know! God, it totally sucks. Even worse than a root canal."
"Just look at him," the Cordette known as Kate grimaced in distaste.
"Yeah. You can take the loser out of the projects, but not the projects out of the loser!" the girl named Joy said.
"Where do you think Xander got that shirt, the Salvation Army?" Harmony asked, as all the girls laughed. "God, I bet you must be counting the days till he and his sister get kicked out. When's that going to be happening, anyway?"
Cordy hesitated. "I don't know for sure, but it can't be too long. I mean, my family does have a reputation to maintain."
"Of course," the girl named Aura spoke up. "I mean, it's not as if your parents could be planning to adopt those two."
"No way!" Harmony looked sick as she looked at Cordelia. "I mean, can you imagine it? Xander Harris as your step-brother?"
There was a chorus of 'ewwws' from all the girls as the herd strolled towards the main building, young, beautiful, happy and carefree. But that was all just a mask for public show. Deep down, the majority of them were cruel and intolerant harpies who enjoyed making others miserable, simply because they could.
Cordelia, despite her shallow and spoiled exterior, wasn't like her followers – there was a real brain behind that gorgeous visage. That was part of why she was Queen C to her peers, even as a freshman. And that was why she never confused fantasy with reality. She knew just how persuasive Cassandra could be, even at this age. And the female teen also knew that if she really wanted to, Little Sis could eventually talk their parents into adopting Dawn. So if that were to happen...
Yep, the unthinkable was definitely a possibility. Contingency plans were now therefore the order of the day.
Chase Manor, Sunnydale
Later that night
Xander sat on his bed, reading a comic book. But he had one ear cocked and primed to hear Dawn screaming for help if Mr. Chase should turn out to be anything like...him.
Any child psychiatrist could have told you that a horrible experience like what both Harris kids had gone through doesn't just magically vanish from one's memory. Even though this was the Hellmouth, which made people repress anything which just didn't fit into their blinkered little human world-view, that didn't extend to ordinary domestic violence. There would be scars for the rest of Xander and Dawn's lives.
He'd thought about it, and the boy knew that if worse came to worst around here he couldn't take David Chase in a fight. The guy was a lot bigger than his father, not to mention he was also way rich and mega-powerful. But Xander figured that he could at least set fire to the mansion and head for LA with Dawn, before the cops could come looking for them...
Oh, yeah. Talk about issues.
A knock on the door distracted Harris from the X-men attempting to rebuild their school after that cowardly attack from the Hellfire Club. The teenager quickly got up and answered it, only to be surprised by Cordelia barging into his new room.
"We so need to talk!" the brunette beauty exclaimed.
Xander shut the door behind her, saying nothing. After a few moments Cordy noticed and demanded imperiously, "Well? Say something!"
Xander shrugged. "Feel free to drop dead of a wasting disease during the next thirty seconds."
Balling her fists, the furious Chase girl somehow resisted the overwhelming temptation to let fly at this nerd, guns blazing. "What the hell is your problem, you geek?"
"Gee, Cor, lemme think. Mom's dead, dad's in jail. Odds are someone's eventually going to try to split me up from Dawnie, once your parents throw us out of here and we get put in the system. What do you think my problem is? I'll give you a hint; it sure isn't being concerned about playing nice in here with you."
The venomous words stung, as Cordelia considered the male teen standing opposite her. She unwillingly came to the conclusion that her old sparring partner had been through a lot lately, and that her attitude wasn't helping. "Whatever. Can we talk?"
"Go ahead."
"My friends and I were discussing the situation today," Miss Chase said. "And I've been doing a lot of thinking about all this ever since."
"So?" Xander asked impatiently.
"Well, I came to the conclusion that since we're currently stuck together, how you look reflects on me personally. I mean you're living in my house, you're eating my food – you may as well be an honorary Chase! That's why we definitely need to make some changes around here."
"Such as..." Xander now had a look of sardonic amusement on his face.
"Well, for a start, your entire wardrobe has got to go." Cordelia looked him up and down carefully. "Just look at you, what you're wearing. That shirt and those pants – yuck, much? And those shoes! I'm telling the maid to throw out all of your clothes-"
"Might be kind of a bad idea. I don't fancy the notion of turning up at school tomorrow buck naked."
The young woman was stunned for a moment. "What?"
"Newsflash, Cordelia. Not all of us are born rich and can spend money the way you do. Dawn and I are broke; the house and everything else the Harris family had either belongs to my dad, or it's been sold to pay the bills. And I already told your parents, as far as I'm concerned? Whatever Dawn needs she can have from them, but I'm not accepting anyone's charity. Least of all yours," Xander spat.
Cordelia wanted to bang her head against a brick wall in frustration. "You think I'm doing this for you? Wake up, dummy! I'm doing this not to give all my enemies at school any ammunition to use against me. Hell, I'll pay you to get rid of all that flannel and polyester while you're living here!"
( Yeah, guess she would at that. Still... ) "Why bother, though?" Xander wanted to know. "I mean, we're not going to be here that long, I'm sure you can ride it out till Dawn and I-"
"And what if this doesn't turn out to be just temporary?" Cordy interrupted. "Think about it, Xander. You've gotten your foot in the door, whether you intended to or not. Plus Cassandra can wrap my parents around her little finger even better than I can. And just how many people would be eager to adopt someone your age, anyway? Keep your noses clean, and you and Dawn might just be staying here for the long haul. How's that grab you?"
The young man hesitated. This possibility had quite simply not occurred to him before now. But then he shook his head and said, "Never going to happen. Not with the Harris family reputation."
"Yeah, well, I can't afford to just blindly hope for the best," Cordelia snapped impatiently. "Some of us like to plan against disaster, you know. So on Saturday you, me, Dawn and Cassandra are going shopping. And you don't have any excuse to get out of it."
"Actually, I was gonna go look for an after-school job. Dawn can be an honorary Chase if you want, but I intend to pay your parents for room and board," Xander said firmly.
The girl sighed. "Fine, whatever. But you can go look for a job next weekend, okay? Right now, damage control mode takes priority. So just do what I say, or else!"
"Or else what?"
"You really don't want to know," Cordelia said with a glare, before she swept out of the room.
Sunnydale High School, Sunnydale
Monday October 9th, 1995
Xander got out of the limo, feeling very uncomfortable.
He hated his new clothes, even if he was forced to admit he didn't look half-bad in them. Cordelia Chase certainly had an eye for fashion, no matter what else you could say about her. ( Damned if she'll ever hear me tell her that, though. )
As Harris suspected, his old enemy's bonus reward for the shopping expedition had been his own personal discomfort. A gleeful Cordy had forced Xander to carry her bags all over the goddamn mall as Dawn and Cassandra trailed along, chatting away and driving the young man to the verge of going postal.
In addition, some of the clothing prices had left Xander gasping for breath, but Cordelia hadn't even batted an eyelash as she'd presented her charge card and the binge had begun. He'd put his foot down about some things Dawn had wanted to buy, though; there was no point in encouraging her about that sort of thing.
"Xander! What are you wearing?"
He heard Willow's voice and caught a glimpse of Cordelia's smirking features, before she left and the male part of the equation turned around to greet his friends. "Hey, guys."
"Dude! Check you out!" Jesse exclaimed. "Designer labels? What happened?"
Harris grimaced. "Have you ever seen Cordelia in shopping mode? Yecch. Reminds me of those fish we saw in Biology class once, what were they called? Piranhas, I think. Well, let me tell you, Saturday afternoon was a freaking nightmare as far as I was concerned."
"She bought you clothes?" Willow found it hard to believe, even with the proof right in front of her.
"Yeah, well, girls' day out. I was the packhorse, and I guess the Chase women are pretty much just born to shop," Xander grumbled. "Still, Dawn enjoyed herself, so I guess I can't complain too much. Thank God, she's finally beginning to get over what happened last month."
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Jesse said, "Uh, moving on. Xander? Cordelia wouldn't have spent money on you if she wasn't starting to warm up to you a little, right? So, so, did you put in a good word for me?"
Willow rolled her sea-green eyes, ignoring that as Harris nodded. "Xander, what's going on? I thought you said you weren't gonna accept any charity from the Chase's. What made you change your mind?"
"I haven't changed my mind on anything, Will. This is strictly a business arrangement between me and Cordy," Xander hastened to explain. "I don't make her look bad by association, and she doesn't give me any hassles while Dawn and I are staying there. Capisce?"
Miss Rosenberg nodded, but she still didn't look convinced as the three friends headed for class. And just like last week, not far away, Cordelia and the Cordettes closely monitored the 'dork squad' as they called it.
"I can't believe it. Is that actually Xander?" Harmony asked in disbelief, staring at the former class clown.
"Yeah, of course it is. What, you think I get driven to school with complete strangers now?" Cordelia snapped automatically.
"Wow. I never thought Harris could clean up so good," Aura remarked, checking out the dark-haired boy.
"Yeah, just look at him. Cordy, you totally kick ass! You managed to turn a complete doofus into decent eye candy!" Joy tried to suck up to her leader. "And in less than a week, too!"
Cordelia preened at hearing that, even though she was perfectly well aware of what her sycophantic minion was trying to do. "Hmmm. Guess I did, didn't I?"
"So what's the story on when Xander and Dawn are gonna leave your place, anyway?" Kate wanted to know.
A shadow seemed to briefly pass over the Chase girl's face. "I still don't know, but it can't be too much longer..."
Chase Manor, Sunnydale
A few days later
"Ah, Alexander, come in. Shut the door and sit down, will you? We need to talk."
( I'm sure we do. ) Xander entered the library and did as he was told. Mr. Chase sat down on the couch opposite him. "What's this about, sir?" Harris asked.
David Chase eyed the boy quizzically for a moment. "Mm, just out of curiosity. Your sister doesn't call me sir, so why do you insist on doing so?"
"Dawn isn't old enough to understand, sir. But I am. We're guests in your house, and it'd be pretty rude to address you as anything else."
The older man appreciated the candor. "Well, as I said, we need to talk. I got a phone call from Ms. Macnaught today; apparently, your case is finished in terms of review. She asked whether or not you and Dawn were ready to leave here, and how soon it could be arranged."
( Thought as much. ) "I'd say if you could give me a day or so to break the news to Dawnie gently, sir, we could be out of your hair by then."
Mr. Chase looked a little surprised. ( He wants to go? I'd lose any opportunity of making more of a political profit out of this. ) "I see...Alexander, does that mean that you don't want to stay here? I mean, I thought you and Cordelia were finally starting to get along, at least more-or-less."
"It's not that, Mr. Chase," Xander tried to explain himself. "I wouldn't mind staying here, and I'm sure that Dawn would be totally thrilled at the opportunity. I mean, from what I've seen she and Cassandra are almost acting like sisters these days. It's just – this isn't our home, and we've enjoyed your hospitality for long enough. It's time for me and Dawnie to face reality, that's all."
David raised an eyebrow. "Look, son-"
"Please don't call me that, sir," Xander interrupted politely yet firmly. "With all due respect, you're not my father. And as far as I'm concerned, I don't really have one anymore. Not in any way that matters, at least."
The harsh words seemed all wrong coming out the mouth of someone so young, Mr. Chase thought to himself fleetingly. "As you wish. So tell me, Alexander, just what do you think is going to happen once you and Dawn walk out our front door?"
Xander shrugged. "Honestly, sir?"
"Please."
"Well, Sunnydale doesn't have any orphanages as far as I know, so Dawn and I will probably end up in Los Angeles. I've heard of a place that a few other kids in town have been sent to, a children's home on Plummer Street. And like Cordy said to me recently, Dawn's still young enough for a good chance at adoption, but I'm not. So if we want to stay together, we'll probably end up on the streets, unless I can find some sort of job to take care of her on my own," Xander said simply. "Odds are against it for someone my age, though, unless I drop out of high school and lie to everyone about how old I really am."
( The boy certainly has few illusions about what this world's really like, I have to give him that, ) David thought to himself. "Well. That seems a very defeatist kind of attitude, I have to say."
"Just being realistic, sir," Xander replied calmly.
"I see. So, Alexander, realistically speaking, what do you think Cassandra will say and do once she learns about this conversation?"
"She'll be very upset about losing Dawn's friendship and company, but eventually she'll get over it. I'm sure you and your family will help her through that," Xander said as diplomatically as possible.
Mr. Chase leaned forward and noted with slight discomfort how the teenager instantly recoiled. "Is there a problem, Alexander?"
"No, Mr. Chase."
David was briefly annoyed at the blatant lie. "Look. Let's cut the crap, shall we? I'm asking you, man to man. What do you want me to tell Ms. Macnaught? I mean, do you want to stay here? Do you want my wife and I to be granted custody of you and your sister, or not?"
Xander managed not to look surprised, remembering that recent conversation with this man's older daughter. He said, "If it makes Dawn happy, then yes sir, I do. Want to stay here, I mean."
( Good, excellent! ) Still, Mr. Chase wasn't completely satisfied. "And what about yourself?"
"I don't care about me, sir. As long as my sister's okay and we're together, then it makes little or no difference to me where we stay. Here, or anywhere else."
Mr. Chase leaned back, deciding to let it go for now. "All right. But if you're going to stay in this house till you're eighteen, then we have to establish some ground rules. For example, you and Cordelia-"
"We've already discussed it, sir," Xander interrupted. "As a matter of fact, she suspected that this might happen a few days ago, even if I didn't."
"Really?" David felt a small gleam of parental pride at his daughter's uncanny insight.
"Yes, sir. And you don't have to worry; I'll be staying out of her way as much as possible. We've already pretty much established a routine, and it's not like I'll be socializing with her at any parties or anything like that."
"Well, good. And just so we're clear, Alexander, my wife and I aren't doing this just to indulge our youngest daughter's whim, you understand? We're doing it because we honestly don't want your sister to end up as just another statistic you read about in the newspapers. Or you yourself, for that matter." Though David Chase was sincere about his reasons, he left unstated the PR advantages he might reap if his political aspirations panned out as he hoped.
Deep down, Xander didn't believe what he'd just heard one iota. But all he said was, "Thank you, sir, that's very kind of you to say. May I be excused now? I need to talk to Dawnie about all this."
Mr. Chase gestured, and Xander got up and walked out of the library. Not long afterwards Mrs. Chase walked in. "How did it go?"
"All right, I guess," David replied with a frown. "But there's something about that boy, something about how he..."
"He doesn't exactly act like a child his age?"
The middle-aged man slowly nodded. "Yes, I suppose. Well, he certainly doesn't act like Cordelia, that's for sure."
"Give it time, dear," Julia advised. "After all, both Alexander and his sister have been through something horrible. Dawn still won't talk about what happened that night, even with Cassandra. And some of Alexander's bruises haven't disappeared yet, haven't you noticed?"
"Yes. Still, you don't think that Alexander and Cordelia will eventually kill each other or anything, do you?" Mr. Chase still seemed a little worried about that part of it.
"The way she rants about their fights all the time, I think it's far more likely that one day, they'll start dating," Julia said with a mother's smile.
"Very funny," David snorted. "Well, I'll call the social worker first thing tomorrow, and get the paperwork started."
Julia raised an eyebrow. "What about the press?"
The man who one day hoped to be a Congressman, or even better, nodded. "I'll have to see about that as well..."
The Master's underground cavern, Sunnydale
The same time
The vampire called Luke sat on the Master's intricately carved chair. He was waiting for Heinrich Nest to rise from his pool of blood, and had been doing so for over a decade now; but then, time often meant little to someone who potentially possessed eternity at his fingertips.
( I have waited six decades for my Master's release from this foul house of worship. I can easily wait less than one more year, ) Luke thought to himself forcefully. ( Soon, soon the time of the Harvest will arrive... )
He started quoting scripture, "And like a plague of boils, the race of man covered the Earth. But on the third day of the newest light shall come the Harvest. And the blood of men will flow as wine, when the Master will walk among them once more! The Earth will belong to the Old Ones, and Hell itself will finally be unleashed! Amen!"
The minion vampires knew better than to annoy the Master's regent whenever he got into one of his religious fervors like this. And none of them, not even Luke, seemed to notice the black man whom Buffy had dubbed 'Robe Boy' standing in the background and staring at the undead in distaste.
The mage, who still remembered the events of 2003, knew that he had a lot of work to do in order to carry out the higher power's orders.
TBC...
