Title: Home and Heart
A Buffy the Vampire Slayer story.
By: Ghostrider
Summary: What happens when your heart is ripped apart by those you love? A slayerette's return after years of absence causes old wounds to be ripped open.
Rating: R
Author's Note: This story takes place approximately 8 years after the events in the this season's last episode. Personally, I don't like the ending, it's too convenient. So I rewrote it to what I would have wanted to see. Furthermore, I would like to thank my Beta-readers Ozmandayus, Banquo and Scb047 for everything they've done.
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon, Fox, Mutant Enemy, the WB and UPN own the characters.
Chapter 12
*** 2313 PM, July 14th, a street somewhere in Sunnydale, CA ***
Alex was riding around aimlessly through Sunnydale's streets, replaying the events of tonight in his mind. Things had begun good, he and Faith had been patrolling, talking about everything and nothing. They'd been having fun, he thought as a small smile grazed his features underneath the helmet. They hadn't even worried about the fact that the streets were so empty of supernatural activity, instinctively knowing it was their unknown opponent's doing. Carefully avoiding any mention of the other Scoobies, they had talked about the turns their lives had taken, all the mistakes of the past, hopes and dreams.
"So, you're working for Social Services?"
"Not really. I work for Sunnydale Memorial's program for family affairs. Mostly battered women, abused kids, runaways, that kind of thing", Faith said.
"A psychology degree and instead of going into a private practice and make tons of money, you do this? Why?", Alex asked as they walked through the streets, sipping their coffees.
"I figured, with all the personal experience I've had with that, I might just put it to good use", she answered flippantly. Alex winced under her tone; he might not know what had happened to her before she'd come to Sunnydale all those years before, but from personal experience, he'd been able to peg her as a survivor. He'd seen it in her eyes; in moments when she didn't think anyone was watching, there would be this melancholy flash of sadness. Just like him. And if what he'd been through was any indication, Faith's life had been infinitely worse.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, boytoy. I'm not saying I don't want to make lots of money or work in private practice, but right now, I'm doing what somebody did for me."
Looking at her earnest face, Alex couldn't really figure out what she was saying.
"Excuse me but... HuH?"
Faith's laughter rolled around the quiet night like bells ringing. It was a sound filled with genuine feelings and it lifted his spirits, just hearing it, seeing the joy clearly on the darkhaired Slayer's face. Faith stopped walking and turned towards Alex, one arm stopping him from walking on and turning him to face her.
"Xander, the past few years, even before I started working for the Mayor, there was someone who tried to help me cope with my fucked up life. No matter what I did, no matter how much I tried to hurt the people around me, someone was always there to help me fight my demons. Even if I didn't want to. My first watcher. You. Angel and Wesley. Then you again. I screwed up, big-time. Yet, none of you guys dropped me like you should have. You stuck by me and helped me to overcome all the shit that's been dogging me my whole life. You guys didn't care what I did wrong. You didn't listen to others who said I wasn't redeemable. Or that I was evil. And believe me, Xan, I WAS evil. In my eyes, I was the most evil son-of-a-bitch around. I had killed people. I was evil and evil must be destroyed, so I tried to get myself destroyed. Yet, that didn't happen. These same people I'd hurt so badly, had tried to kill so many times, had betrayed. These same people helped me see that I was running away again and that if I continued doing so, I would end up in hell.
I was suicidal, Xander. I wanted to die because I thought I belonged in Hell for all the sins I'd commited. I was looking for a way out, for a way not to deal with all of it. They made me realize that doing so would be a continuation of what I've been doing for years. Running away from my problems. Taking the easy way out, instead of facing up to what I've done. They showed me that redemption and forgiveness, earned, however hard or not, is a lot more satisfying. It gives you a greater appreciation of life and of the people around you. You stop being the victim, even if you're the one doing others harm, because in doing so, you're just doing harm to yourself also. You're just sinking deeper into whatever hellhole you've been in."
Faith looked Alex straight in the eyes, noticing that they seemed to shimmer even more in the soft moonlight. She knew he was holding back tears at her heartfelt words. She was too.
"Xander, you were the first one here, the only one, to try and help me and I tried to kill you. I'm so sorry about that, but I never forgot that you tried to be there for me, even though your life wasn't much different from mine. If someone whose homelife was as bad as yours was, was still capable of reaching out to a wrecked soul like mine, how could I even consider doing something as mundane as using my talents to make tons of money? You are the main reason I'm helping kids like you and I, abuse victims and people who've been through what we've been through. It's the least I can do."
Alex tried to speak. He tried to form the words but Faith's fingers on his lips stopped him.
"No. Don't apologize for not being around, Xander. You may not have been around physically, but you've been with me, in spirit, for as long as I can remember. There were times when I wanted to just give up. Where I just wanted to curl up inside myself and not feel anymore but then I'd see your face or hear your voice and I knew I couldn't give up. I knew you wouldn't let me give up and would drag me, kicking and screaming forward if you had to."
Faith wrapped her arms around the man who'd come to mean so much to her these past few years, sighing in contentment at his touch. Of all the people in her life, Xander Harris was the rock she'd needed, the anchor to ground her and even if nothing more would develop between them, she was more then content to have his friendship.
Alex could still feel the lump in his throat at Faith's heartfelt words earlier that night. After that, they'd walked in silence for a while, until she'd hit the empty coffee cup out of his hands. He'd taken off after her and a tickling fight had ensued. They'd both laughed for a long time, feeling like little kids, all the worries and troubles forgotten for a brief moment. On their way back, Alex had begun to tell anecdotes of things that had happened to him during the past few years and the laughter had continued, until the reached the Magic Box.
But Faith's words still lingered in his brain and the subsequent confrontation with Buffy had reinforced his restlessness. Knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep until he'd calmed down some, Alex turned his bike around and headed to the Bronze. Hopefully, he'd be able to shoot a few games of pool and relax a little.
*** 2349 PM, July 14th, The Bronze, CA ***
Cassandra stepped into Sunnydale's only teen hangout and club, the beat from the speakers, arrayed around the dancefloor, pounding into her ears. Looking around for any familiar or out-of-place faces, the young Slayer made her way over to the bar. She didn't usually come here on a Tuesday night, what with school and all, but tonight, she needed to unwind. Ever since the lost Scooby had returned, things had gotten way too intense. That, coupled with the new Big Bad was enough to give even a saint the jitters. From the looks of it, it seemed like Sunnydale's complete teenager-to-early-twentysomething population had had the same idea. The place was packed.
'Finals', Cassandra realized and suddenly cursed silently to herself. Being the Slayer didn't mean you could skip your finals.
'One drink, maybe a dance, then I'm outta here.'
Getting a soda, Cassandra leaned against the bar, her eyes roving around the packed club. Never one to be without any male (and sometimes female) attention, the girl was confident that she wouldn't be standing alone for long. Some dancing with a moderately cute guy, teasing and toying with him and she'd be peachy again. Pointedly ignoring the appreciative glances thrown her way, Cassandra took a sip from her drink, then ran her fingers through her raven tresses, finishing it with a slow, sensuous shake of her head. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed Kevin Martinelli, Sunnydale High's runningback moving towards her, a predatory grin on his face. Inwardly groaning, Cassandra mentally prepared herself for his arrival. The guy thought he was God's gift to women; he was rather successful with the girls, but if some of the rumors were true.... Well, she would keep an eye on her drink, that should keep her safe.
"Hey Cass! Lookin' good. How are you doing?"
"Hey Kev. Thanks and okay."
"Didn't expect to see you here tonight", the footballplayer said, leaning one arm on the bar, behind Cassandra's back as he stood next to her.
Rolling her eyes, Cassandra sipped her drink, before turning back and answering.
"Needed to get out a bit. Relax, stop the grey matter from churning around, you know?"
"Yeah. Finals are a cast-iron bitch. I'm feeling like my head is gonna explode. Guess it's the same for you?"
"What are you complaining about, Kev? I hear you got a football scholarship?", Cassie asked, giving him a sideways glance.
The youth grinned at Cassandra as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer against him.
"Yeah, well, I'm not betting my future on it. It's a prestigious college so I'm taking it but at the same time, I'm gonna study. Hard. I mean, how many kids with sports scholarships get injured or something and then.... Goodbye Scholarship. No Cass, I'm gonna get me an education. If I ever get recruited by the NFL, well, we'll see then, won't we?"
"Good thinking. Glad to see the notion of Dumb Jock doesn't apply to you."
"Hey! Who have you been talking to?", Kevin stated in mock outrage. "I'll have you know that I'm a very dumb jock, girl! I can belch the ABC, crush beercans on my forehead and scratch with the best of them!"
Cassandra couldn't help it as she started to giggle and Kevin Martinelli thought he had the dark-haired beauty right were he wanted her. In awe and a little bit flustered. Bending forward slightly, he brushed his lips over hers, giving her soft kiss, startling Cassandra.
"Kevin, stop."
"I'm not sorry I kissed you, Cass. Wanted to do it for a long time. You're beautiful."
"Thanks, Kev, but I'm not looking for anything like that right now."
"Cass, I'm not asking for a relationship okay? It was just a kiss and I'm sure you enjoyed it too. We're both young and unattached. What is stopping us from having a little fun before we get grinded by the tests tomorrow?"
As he was talking softly to her, Kevin slipped his other arm around her waist as he turned so he was standing in front of her. The hand behind her back came up, softly stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers and Cassandra could feel her temperature rise as he began to kiss her again, soft butterfly kisses. In the back of her mind she could hear both Faith's and Buffy's warnings about the dark side of the Slayer and the rumors about Kevin. It became harder and harder for her to resist the boiling of her blood, the need for release, even though it wasn't what she had come here for.
"Kevin, no. Please."
Her voice sounded foreign to her own ears, as the half-hearted protest passed her suddenly dry lips. He wasn't stopping, though, continuing to pepper her face with kisses that seemed to burn her to the tips of her toes, grinding his body along the length of her. Slowly, Cassandra was losing her will to fight. Backing up further against the bar, she pushed halfheartedly against Kevin's chest, when she noticed something or rather someone out of the corner of her eye.
'What's he doing here?'
Her curiosity piqued, Cassandra grabbed hold of Kevin's wrist, turning it sharply counterclockwise, straining it to the breaking point. The young man's reaction was immediate; with a yelp, he released his hold on the dark-haired beauty as he stumbled back in pain, Cassandra's hold on his wrist the only thing keeping him from falling flat on his face.
"I believe I spoke clearly when I said NO. You should learn how to listen, Kevin. It'll save you some broken bones", Cassie said, adding some pressure. Pushing the jock away, she picked up her drink and walked over to the pooltables in the corner of the Bronze, taking deep, relieved breaths. Placing the glass on the opposite end of the table's player, Cassandra leaned over the table, eyeing the man opposite her as he lined up his shot. With a light tap, the white ball careened off the left side of the table, hitting midway between the rightside corner and middle pocket. It then rolled along the side, hitting the last ball, sending it into the middle pocket.
"My beer fund thanks you for your patronage", Alex said as he pocketed the money on the table, nodding towards the other player.
"You always hustling some poor sap for beer money or do you like making fools out of people?", Cassandra asked
"I don't hustle. Kid saw me play and told me he could beat me. I didn't want any action, just wanted to shoot some pool, kick back and relax but he insisted", Alex said as he put away his wallet before looking up at Cassandra.
"So you decided to teach him a lesson that made him look like a fool in front of everybody."
"It's a tough world out there, Cassandra. Somebody has to teach these kids about that", he retorted with a wry grin.
"I'm sure you're the perfect person for the job", she countered, putting as much sarcasm as she could into it.
"You know, I just wanted a quiet night, just relax a bit but as usual, my 'luck' strikes again. Here I am and there YOU are with your holier-then-thou-attitude", Alex growled, then looked up to the ceiling. "What did I ever do to piss you off so bad, that you keep screwing up my life?"
"Talking to your imaginary friend again?", Cassandra asked, casting a worried glance at the man in front of her.
"No, just some issues I've got with the PTB."
"PTB?", she asked.
"Yup, the defenders of all that is good and right", Alex said, the venom carrying clearly through his voice. "Let us lay down our lives and our kin to thy greater glory."
Cassandra looked at the man standing next to her.
"You know, the more I get to know you, the more I start to dislike you."
"Really? Well, stand in line, kid, coz there are whole hell of a lot of people and non-people who don't like me."
It took a monumental effort on Cassandra's part not to knock his head off for his flippant behavior. Taking a deep breath to calm her boiling anger, she stood before him, hands on her hips, giving him her most menacing stare.
"You come waltzing into town like the Terminator, you've got my friends all hovering on the edge of a nervous breakdown and you're acting as if we're supposed to feel sorry for you? Can you say Bullshit? If you hate them so much, you should have left well enough alone and never returned. As it is, I'd say YOU are our biggest problem and not whatever evil is lurking around.
Buffy told me all the sob stories about you, pal. Yeah, she was wrong. Dead wrong, I'll give you that. But it's been years. GET FUCKING OVER IT ALREADY! MOVE ON! Forgive them, don't forgive them, I don't care! But stop adding to their guilt! If they really meant something to you once, you wouldn't want them to feel like this at all. The Xander Harris Buffy told me about would do anything to take away their pain."
"Xander Harris died eight years ago of a broken heart", Alex said quietly as he stared into his glass. "As for your 'friends' all going wiggy, that is not my doing. I came here to do a job and then get out of here as fast as I can. It's their own guilt that is causing them all this stress."
"Yeah, right, like shooting Angel is part of that 'job' or meeting up with Willow and Faith and patching things up with them, but ignoring Buffy. You came here looking for a fight, not necessarily with the enemy but with those that betrayed you. You've gone all Monte Christo on them."
Alex looked up at the angry Slayer, noticing her flushed face and the angry gleam in her eyes and couldn't help but to chuckle.
"What?"
"Is that the new slang?"
"Is what the new slang?"
"Going Monte Christo? It used to be 'goin' midieval on someone's ass'."
"Oh. OH! NO! No, not at all. I just ... I read Dumas' book and it's very good. It's actually my favorite novel, I must've read it a dozen times since I got it", Cassandra said, blushing slightly.
Silence fell around the two people; Alex walked around the pool table, taking out all the balls from the pockets and placing them back inside the triangle. Placing the white ball at it's spot, he placed his cue on the green felt and broke. Several balls immediately hit the side pockets, the majority however, still on the table.
"I loved to read. Don't have much time for it anymore, though. But when I was younger, I loved to read. It would be the only place, apart from Willow's house that I could forget the world around me. I could go anywhere inside those pages. Be anyone. Do anything I wanted. I spent hours in the public library, reading anything I could get my hands on. It was the one escape I had from the place I lived."
Cassandra's ears picked up at the last sentence, the empathic difference Alex had used. Not home, but place he lived in. It was important, very important and she would bet anything on it that it was what had shaped the man in front of her.
"I take it you know about Faith's life in Boston?"
At Cassandra's curt nod, Alex continued his story. He didn't know why he suddenly wanted to share this part of his life with the young woman, but the feeling wouldn't go away. Something drove him on. Something he couldn't understand but it was there nonetheless. She needed to understand who he was and what drove him forward. It was imperative that she did.
"Mine wasn't much better. Reading was what helped me cope. Nowadays, you go to see a shrink or a therapist and pay hundreds of dollars an hour just to hear your own voice talk about the stuff that makes you who you are. Back then, I couldn't talk to anybody about it. Not because I thought they wouldn't or couldn't understand but because I couldn't understand. So the library became my refuge. And so it grew. By the time I was in High School, I'd gotten an expert on internalising. I'd become the class clown, using that to mask what I was feeling. Willow and Jesse were my only friends and even they didn't know much of anything about me. I was their anchor, the one they talked to about their problems, who kept things together. Then Buffy came to town, Jesse died, and nothing would ever be the same again.
I was there for Willow, throughout her grief, but was she there for me? No. Nobody asked me how I felt. I mean, I'm the one who killed Jesse. I'm the one who saw what he had become. And nobody even said they were sorry for my loss. And even if they did, they took my answers at face value, never questioning. Never trying to dig deeper, to try and get me to open up. Xander says he's fine, so good, another problem less. For years I did that, taking in all of their pain, their problems. Sometimes standing up and telling them the truth, whether it was harsh or not. But in all that time, did any one of them even give the slightest thougth to how I was feeling? Did any one of them even make an effort to find out? No, they didn't. I've been there for every single one of them, whether they wanted it or not, whether they knew it or not. But even a simple thank you was too much too ask. Let alone worrying about my mental health. You can only put so much pressure on a tank before it explodes. I've been lied to, marginalized, shoved aside, used as a convenient prop and generally thought of as useless.
At one time, I thought it was all that I deserved. That all of it was true, that indeed I wasn't worth it. That I was a useless waste of space and oxygen. But someone showed me that that wasn't true. Someone showed me that I was worth something. That I did mean something. That I did contribute. And she paid for it with her life. And you know what really gets me? The way they always thought that I couldn't think for myself. That I was just the clown, the kid in a grown man's body. What's so funny about that is that I'm the most adult of the bunch, even more so then Giles is. At least I wasn't afraid to speak my mind, even if it was something they didn't want to hear. Being an adult is making decisions you don't like but are needed. Being an adult is doing what is needed to be done. Taking responsibility for your actions. Not hanging around feeling sorry for yourself. It has got nothing to do with age, Cassandra. It is all about what choices you make and having the responsibility to see them through and accept the consequences.
So yeah, I'm angry. I'm pissed off to the extremes. I am mad as hell. Do I enjoy their suffering? Yes, I do. Now they finally feel what I've felt for years. Now they know what I've been struggling with since I was just a kid. It's selfish, it's petty but it's all I have left. You want to know the real reason I came back, kid? I need closure. I left without ever closing that chapter of Xander's life. There is this ball in here", Alex said, pressing his closed fist on his heart, "filled with pain and anger. I thought I could keep it locked up but I can't anymore. It needs to be let out. It's heat must burn everything clean so I can start living again."
"I'm sorry for all your pain, but it still isn't fair to act like a spoiled brat. To hurt Buffy and the others", Cassandra countered, feeling a bit of her anger at him fading after his impassioned speech.
"I'm not hurting them. Their actions or rather, lack thereof are hurting them. I've forgiven Willow and you know what? That ball feels lighter already. She apologized to me for the things she did. It is a start. The others haven't. And as long as they haven't, none of us is going to live without the pain. It's up to Buffy and Giles to take the first step."
"That is so typically male", Cassandra said in exasparation.
"Maybe but if someone isn't willing to acknowledge what they have done is wrong, then what reason is there to think that they won't do something similar again? And in that case, why would someone want to forgive them? After all, they haven't learned anything."
Shaking her head, Cassandra leaned against one of the pillars holding up the top floor of the club.
"What if Buffy or Giles doesn't do what you want them to? Are you gonna walk around the rest of your life with that ball in your chest?"
"Not gonna happen coz you know what? If they don't, I'll really know how they think of me and I'll have my closure. One way or the other, this is going to be an end. Or a new beginning."
Both people stood there, gazing at each other, thinking over the revelations of the last few minutes. Cassandra could understand Alex's reasoning, even some of his actions, even if she didn't condone them. Still, not having known the man before her, she still disagreed with the way he was handling everything. Alex, for his part, couldn't think of anything to say at that moment. He felt exhausted and numb. The reason for telling this teenager things he'd never told a living soul were as much as mystery to him as it was back when he started talking. But maybe that was what he'd needed. Someone to challenge him, call him on his behavior. Someone to break through the armor he'd built up and bare his soul. Someone who didn't know him like Buffy, Willow, Dawn, Faith or any of the others did. It was strange but somehow, it had felt good getting all his frustrations out of his system. Just like it had felt good to finally be able to make things right with Willow. Not to mention that Cassandra wasn't one to back down and seemed to be willing to go toe-to-toe with him, calling him on things she thought he was doing wrong. Smiling slightly, he scanned his surroundings, feeling better then he had in a long time.
"So, now what?"
"Now, we kick ass", Alex answered as he straigthened up, his eyes riveted on the entrance to the Bronze.
Immediately on guard and following his line of sight, Cassandra's eyes narrowed as she noticed the six newcomers enter the club. Nothing about their outward appearance set off any alarm bells; at first glance, they could be mistaken for typical teenagers. It was the havoc they were creating with Cassandra's Slayer sense that warned her.
"How did you know?"
"When trouble has been finding you as long as it's found me, you develop an instinctual response to it", Alex said as he stepped backwards from the pooltable. Two of the six vampires had stayed behind near the door, ready to stop anyone trying to escape while the other four were walking through the club, sizing it up.
"Newbies in town?", Cassandra ventured.
"Or our unseen buddy has some loose cannons in his ranks", Alex whispered back.
"Not likely, gyrene, the Bronze has been a neutral zone for years now. Just like Willy's. Vamps and demons know better then to come here, especially with that protection spell we put up for the management. They shouldn't be able to come in at all."
Cassandra seemed to consider her words as she rethought them, her features clearly displaying her surprise.
"I stand corrected then, these aren't loose cannons."
"But how...", the young Slayer began.
"Our chesspartner must have removed the spell. I suggest you take it up with management after we take care of this little problem. Don't want them reporting you to the Better Business Bureau, now would we", Alex told her.
*******
Cody Sinclair was happy. Things in Sunnydale had been going downhill for his kind ever since not one but three Slayers and their support troops were in town. But now, now there was the new Master and things were about to change. Cody Sinclair wasn't stupid, either. He knew that the new Master was planning something apocalyptic, which meant he and his brethren would be placed somewhere on the bottom of the foodchain as the stronger, more powerful demons would again roam the earth. However, for as long as it took to accomplish that, he'd be around doing the things that had been denied to him for so long. Things like entering The Bronze without running into the magickal barrier at the entrance. And who knows, maybe the Slayers would be able to stop the Master this time too. After all, their track record regarding averting apocalypses was impressive. But with luck, maybe all three would perish in the attempt; even one of them would be cause for rejoicing as things in town would be easier for the vampires. For now though, he was going to enjoy himself by wreaking a little havoc here, as he was ordered to.
Putting on his most charming smile, Cody began to walk over to the bar and the pretty brunette sitting there with her friends, his eyes riveted at the pulse point in her neck. Maybe a bit of dancing and some other 'activities' before he had her for dinner.
"Heads up!"
Sinclair turned towards the loud voice, instantly alert. However, none of his vampiric senses could prepare him for the object rapidly growing larger in his eyes.
"THUNK!"
"WHOOSH!"
*******
Cassandra's eyes shifted from side to side, trying to keep track of all six vampires as they shifted through the room. Turning her head slightly to look at her companion, the young Slayer was surprised to find that Alex stance was that of a man bored with his surroundings. One leg slightly bend, resting his weight on it, a disinterested look on his face, Alex was the epitome of someone without a care in the world. She was about to hiss an angry retort, when events suddenly exploded.
*******
Dawn had been dragged to the club, her friend Stacey having noticed the melancholy mood her friend had been in. It had been a while since the two girls had been in here, what with exams and such taking up most of their time. Dawn had noticed the two vamps by the doorway and the four others almost immediately as they'd entered the club. Her hands were halfway into her purse, already closing around the stake she kept there and her cellphone, before Stacey had caught on what was about to happen. Dawn's momentary panic was shortlived however, as she spotted Xander and Cassandra.
"Dawn, call Buffy!", Stacey hissed, her eyes almost popping out of her head in fright as she frantically looked around.
"Chill, girlfriend. Cavalry's already here", Dawn whispered, nodding her head in the direction of her two friends.
The events that followed that statement would leave both girls in bewildered awe for a long time....
*******
Alex quickly catalogued the positions the vamps had taken up around the large floor, several tactical scenarios running through his mind at once. Quirking his lips into his trademark lopsided smile, the former Zeppo and current Marine moved into action.
"Clear the entrance", he told the Slayer standing next to him. Before she could respond, he'd already moved....
"Heads up!"
His right leg lashed out, the tip of his combat boot hitting the pooltable's corner pocket, causing the ball inside it to fly straight up into the air. As it hit its apex and began to fall back to the ground, several things happened at once.
Alex's shout had alerted everyone in the vicinity, making heads turn as one towards the sound.
His right leg, having returned to the floor, pushed off, making his body jump into the air; twisting his upper body to the right, Alex's left leg whipped backwards. As it reached its maximum rearward movement, it exploded forward again, gaining momentum. Just as its forward momentum was at its peak, the tip of his boot made contact with the falling ball with a loud thunk, proppelling it forward in a straight line at maximum speed. The look on the vampire's face as he saw the approaching poolbal was reminiscent of Wiley E. Coyote, just as he's about to be hit by the oncoming rock.
"THUNK!"
The striped ball hit Cody Sinclair head-on, just above the bridge of his nose at full power. At a distance of less then twelve feet, a normal human's skull would have been badly fractured under the tremendous amount of pressure, almost certainly killing the victim. Sinclair faired worse then said human as the force of the hit caused the ball to literally rip through his skull, like an oversized bullet, spraying brain matter and blood around and punching through the rear skullplate, leaving a large, bloody hole through his head....
"WHOOSH!"
A fraction of a second later, Cody Sinclair was no more.
*******
"Clear the entrance."
The clipped reply from the man standing next to her grated on Cassandra's nerves. 'Who the hell does he think he is', went through her mind. After all, she was the Slayer. Granted, the junior Slayer, but still, she was a Slayer and as such had dealt with similar situations before. He was just a normal human.....
That thought brought her up short. Alexander Harris or Alex Harrelson as he was now known, had been fighting vampires and demons while she was still happily playing with dolls. The few stories she'd heard over the last few days had shown her a man who'd not only been able to survive anything the Hellmouth could throw at him but had actually contributed to keeping it save. Even if everybody else only realized it way too late. And she'd personally seen him in action a few days ago. His technique had impressed her and Cassandra wasn't someone easily impressed. These thoughts zipped through her mind in seconds, even as she was starting to move towards the Bronze's entrance, her eyes still on her companion. Her eyes grew saucershaped as she witnessed what happened next.
*******
Having turned almost three hundred and sixty degrees, Alex's left leg hit the floor, bending slightly under the impact of his bodyweight, as the other leg came down. Straightening his legs, the young Marine Lieutenant proppeled himself up and over the pooltable in a somersault, his hands flashing out and grabbing the poolcue he'd been using. Coming down into a crouch, he surged upwards, the cue held in the traditional poolplayer's grip.
"Eight ball in the corner pocket."
As he said this, Alex moved the cue through his fingers, as if he was hitting the ball. Instead, it entered the chest of the second vampire closest to him, piercing its heart, turning the demon to dust almost instantly, the look of bewilderment still on its face.
Twirling the oversized stake between his fingers, Alex turned and slammed the thick rearend across the third vampire's face, sending him flying. The fourth vamp, shaking off the amazement at the events surged forward, intent on ripping out this human's throat. Alex met him head-on, using the cue like the pugil stick he'd learned to use in basic training. Slamming the rearend into the vamp's throat hard, he followed it up with a right downward slash to the face, sending the vampire staggering. Alex then rammed the butt of the cue into the vampire's crotch, dropping the demon to its knees, wheezing in pain. Before he could finish him off, however, the vampire he'd send flying earlier barreled into him, causing him to fall to the floor.
*******
Two vampires had been dusted in the matter of seconds and Cassandra's brain was still trying to process what exactly had happened as her senses told her the two vamps at the entrance had shaken off their momentary stupefacation and were headed towards the fight. Quickly stepping in their path, she smiled her best 'vacuous airhead' smile at them.
"Hey boys, buy a girl a drink?"
"Wha-"
Before either vamp could say anything else, Cassie had already made her move. Jumping up, both legs extended at a forward angle, she kicked her opponents in the face, sending them back several steps. Coming down in a crouch, Cassie extended her right leg, using the left to spin herself around, causing the vampires to crash to the floor with a resounding thump. Cassie jumped up as two stakes fell from their holsters around her forearms, straight into her hands. She then rapidly crouched, intent on stabbing both vamps in the heart. The first hadn't recovered quickly enough from events and dusted almost immediately. The other however, managed to block the downward thrust, using the momentary imbalance of the Slayer, caused by the death of his partner to yank her to the floor. In a flash, Cassandra was staring up in the face of death, all ridges, fangs and yellow eyes.
*******
Alex quickly recovered, rolling backwards to his feet. The vamp let loose with a barrage of punches, pressing its advantage and putting Alex on the defensive. He was blocking the rapid strikes with the cue as he danced around, trying to find an opening. However, his opponent was experienced and that, coupled with the fury of watching his friends get dusted and his strength was enough to keep Alex off his game for the moment. The vampire executed a spin kick to Alex's left side, powerful enough to break ribs. Alex brought the cue up as he stepped backwards, intent on blocking the strike....
"SNAP!"
Suddenly, the young Marine held two pieces of wood in his hand. The vamp grinned, clearly enjoying his victory as he saw that his opponent's weapon was now in shambles. That momentary triumph turned to a sudden fear as he noticed the evil grin on Alex's face....
With the quick snap of his wrists, Alex twirled the two pieces of wood in his hands and attacked. His hands were a blur as they rained down a flurry of strikes all over the vampire's body, the sound making the other occupants of the room cringe. The vampire tried his best to defend himself but the amount of hits he was taking was overwhelming. They cut through his defenses like a hot knife through soft butter, bruising the skin and breaking bones. A particularly savage hit broke his jaw as at the same time he could feel the sudden painful snap of several of his ribs. Before he could scream out his pain and rage, a sudden pressure in his chest startled him. Looking down, he saw the front end of the broken cue stick straight through his chest. Looking up in surprise at the human in front of him his only thought was....
'Oh Crap!'
Alex's victory was shortlived, however, as he was suddenly hit from behind with such force that he lost the grip on the sticks as he crashed to the ground.
*******
Dawn and Stacey had been watching as the events unfolded before them, wariness and fear turning to complete awe as they witnessed Alex's seemingly casual demeanor turn into focused energy, dusting first one then two vamps and knocking two others around as if they were bowling pins. Feeling a nudge in her side, Dawn watched Stacey's frantic headshakes, finally catching on and turning to look towards the entrance. The sight brought a wry grin to her face.
'I almost feel sorry for the idiots', shot through her mind. When Cassie wanted to, she could play the stupid blonde part better then any stupid blonde ever could. Watching Cassie fight was like watching a combination of Buffy and Faith, a combination of witty banter with almost unstoppable concentration. just as she thought it was all over, Dawn's heart almost seized functioning as one vamp managed to block Cassie's strike and turn the tables around on the young Slayer. Frantically whipping her head around towards her one-time crush, Dawn nearly screamed in rage as she Xander go down, the fourth vampire standing over him with a dented metal chair.
*******
"Girly, I ain't buyin' ye a drink but all this ruckus gave me a mighty big appetite. So y'all hol' still while I get me an appetizer 'fore the main course, ya hea'?"
'Great! Just great! I'm stuck with the Southern Yokel from Hillbillie land', Cassandra fumed as she watched the glittering fangs descend towards her neck. Putting all her strength into her upper body, Cassie thrust upwards, headbutting the vamp in the face. The shock rattled her straight to her toes.
'God, I hate this! I'm gonna need those extra strength Advils tonight.'
With a roar of pain, anger and surprise, the vamp flew backwards, losing his grip on his prey. Using her hands and upper back to push off, Cassandra landed into a crouch and immediately straightened up, falling back into combat stance, a stake in each hand.
"Sorry Billyboy, but I've already got nine piercings. Ain't lookin' to make it eleven, y'all catch mah drift?"
With a roar that would make anybody else but a Slayer cringe, the vamp rushed forward, intent on ripping this upstart to pieces. What he got for his trouble however, was a booted heel in his face.
Cassandra met the vamp's charge with a spin kick that nearly took his nose off, her right leg leading. She completed the movement with her left leg, slamming the foot into his face again, again followed by the right. Not giving him a chance to recover, the Slayer used the momemtum of her right leg to push off the ground, her left foot smashing into her opponent's chest. Next, her right foot slammed into the same spot, cracking the bruised ribs. To the onlookers, it was as if this slip of a girl was walking an imaginary stairway, as her feet seemed to slam into the vamp's chest and face with rapid succession.
Somersaulting backwards, Cassandra landed on her feet, grabbed hold of the vampire's arm and using a hip throw, landed him on his back. Quickly crouching down next to the disoriented vamp, she then slammed her stake into it's chest, piercing the heart and watched in satisfaction as the creature dusted.
"Should have bought me the drink, sugah, might 'ave let ya'll get tha' first base befo' dustin' yo' ass."
Turning around to see how Alex was fairing, Cassandra's eyes turning into saucers again for the second time that night.
*******
A Buffy the Vampire Slayer story.
By: Ghostrider
Summary: What happens when your heart is ripped apart by those you love? A slayerette's return after years of absence causes old wounds to be ripped open.
Rating: R
Author's Note: This story takes place approximately 8 years after the events in the this season's last episode. Personally, I don't like the ending, it's too convenient. So I rewrote it to what I would have wanted to see. Furthermore, I would like to thank my Beta-readers Ozmandayus, Banquo and Scb047 for everything they've done.
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon, Fox, Mutant Enemy, the WB and UPN own the characters.
Chapter 12
*** 2313 PM, July 14th, a street somewhere in Sunnydale, CA ***
Alex was riding around aimlessly through Sunnydale's streets, replaying the events of tonight in his mind. Things had begun good, he and Faith had been patrolling, talking about everything and nothing. They'd been having fun, he thought as a small smile grazed his features underneath the helmet. They hadn't even worried about the fact that the streets were so empty of supernatural activity, instinctively knowing it was their unknown opponent's doing. Carefully avoiding any mention of the other Scoobies, they had talked about the turns their lives had taken, all the mistakes of the past, hopes and dreams.
"So, you're working for Social Services?"
"Not really. I work for Sunnydale Memorial's program for family affairs. Mostly battered women, abused kids, runaways, that kind of thing", Faith said.
"A psychology degree and instead of going into a private practice and make tons of money, you do this? Why?", Alex asked as they walked through the streets, sipping their coffees.
"I figured, with all the personal experience I've had with that, I might just put it to good use", she answered flippantly. Alex winced under her tone; he might not know what had happened to her before she'd come to Sunnydale all those years before, but from personal experience, he'd been able to peg her as a survivor. He'd seen it in her eyes; in moments when she didn't think anyone was watching, there would be this melancholy flash of sadness. Just like him. And if what he'd been through was any indication, Faith's life had been infinitely worse.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, boytoy. I'm not saying I don't want to make lots of money or work in private practice, but right now, I'm doing what somebody did for me."
Looking at her earnest face, Alex couldn't really figure out what she was saying.
"Excuse me but... HuH?"
Faith's laughter rolled around the quiet night like bells ringing. It was a sound filled with genuine feelings and it lifted his spirits, just hearing it, seeing the joy clearly on the darkhaired Slayer's face. Faith stopped walking and turned towards Alex, one arm stopping him from walking on and turning him to face her.
"Xander, the past few years, even before I started working for the Mayor, there was someone who tried to help me cope with my fucked up life. No matter what I did, no matter how much I tried to hurt the people around me, someone was always there to help me fight my demons. Even if I didn't want to. My first watcher. You. Angel and Wesley. Then you again. I screwed up, big-time. Yet, none of you guys dropped me like you should have. You stuck by me and helped me to overcome all the shit that's been dogging me my whole life. You guys didn't care what I did wrong. You didn't listen to others who said I wasn't redeemable. Or that I was evil. And believe me, Xan, I WAS evil. In my eyes, I was the most evil son-of-a-bitch around. I had killed people. I was evil and evil must be destroyed, so I tried to get myself destroyed. Yet, that didn't happen. These same people I'd hurt so badly, had tried to kill so many times, had betrayed. These same people helped me see that I was running away again and that if I continued doing so, I would end up in hell.
I was suicidal, Xander. I wanted to die because I thought I belonged in Hell for all the sins I'd commited. I was looking for a way out, for a way not to deal with all of it. They made me realize that doing so would be a continuation of what I've been doing for years. Running away from my problems. Taking the easy way out, instead of facing up to what I've done. They showed me that redemption and forgiveness, earned, however hard or not, is a lot more satisfying. It gives you a greater appreciation of life and of the people around you. You stop being the victim, even if you're the one doing others harm, because in doing so, you're just doing harm to yourself also. You're just sinking deeper into whatever hellhole you've been in."
Faith looked Alex straight in the eyes, noticing that they seemed to shimmer even more in the soft moonlight. She knew he was holding back tears at her heartfelt words. She was too.
"Xander, you were the first one here, the only one, to try and help me and I tried to kill you. I'm so sorry about that, but I never forgot that you tried to be there for me, even though your life wasn't much different from mine. If someone whose homelife was as bad as yours was, was still capable of reaching out to a wrecked soul like mine, how could I even consider doing something as mundane as using my talents to make tons of money? You are the main reason I'm helping kids like you and I, abuse victims and people who've been through what we've been through. It's the least I can do."
Alex tried to speak. He tried to form the words but Faith's fingers on his lips stopped him.
"No. Don't apologize for not being around, Xander. You may not have been around physically, but you've been with me, in spirit, for as long as I can remember. There were times when I wanted to just give up. Where I just wanted to curl up inside myself and not feel anymore but then I'd see your face or hear your voice and I knew I couldn't give up. I knew you wouldn't let me give up and would drag me, kicking and screaming forward if you had to."
Faith wrapped her arms around the man who'd come to mean so much to her these past few years, sighing in contentment at his touch. Of all the people in her life, Xander Harris was the rock she'd needed, the anchor to ground her and even if nothing more would develop between them, she was more then content to have his friendship.
Alex could still feel the lump in his throat at Faith's heartfelt words earlier that night. After that, they'd walked in silence for a while, until she'd hit the empty coffee cup out of his hands. He'd taken off after her and a tickling fight had ensued. They'd both laughed for a long time, feeling like little kids, all the worries and troubles forgotten for a brief moment. On their way back, Alex had begun to tell anecdotes of things that had happened to him during the past few years and the laughter had continued, until the reached the Magic Box.
But Faith's words still lingered in his brain and the subsequent confrontation with Buffy had reinforced his restlessness. Knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep until he'd calmed down some, Alex turned his bike around and headed to the Bronze. Hopefully, he'd be able to shoot a few games of pool and relax a little.
*** 2349 PM, July 14th, The Bronze, CA ***
Cassandra stepped into Sunnydale's only teen hangout and club, the beat from the speakers, arrayed around the dancefloor, pounding into her ears. Looking around for any familiar or out-of-place faces, the young Slayer made her way over to the bar. She didn't usually come here on a Tuesday night, what with school and all, but tonight, she needed to unwind. Ever since the lost Scooby had returned, things had gotten way too intense. That, coupled with the new Big Bad was enough to give even a saint the jitters. From the looks of it, it seemed like Sunnydale's complete teenager-to-early-twentysomething population had had the same idea. The place was packed.
'Finals', Cassandra realized and suddenly cursed silently to herself. Being the Slayer didn't mean you could skip your finals.
'One drink, maybe a dance, then I'm outta here.'
Getting a soda, Cassandra leaned against the bar, her eyes roving around the packed club. Never one to be without any male (and sometimes female) attention, the girl was confident that she wouldn't be standing alone for long. Some dancing with a moderately cute guy, teasing and toying with him and she'd be peachy again. Pointedly ignoring the appreciative glances thrown her way, Cassandra took a sip from her drink, then ran her fingers through her raven tresses, finishing it with a slow, sensuous shake of her head. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed Kevin Martinelli, Sunnydale High's runningback moving towards her, a predatory grin on his face. Inwardly groaning, Cassandra mentally prepared herself for his arrival. The guy thought he was God's gift to women; he was rather successful with the girls, but if some of the rumors were true.... Well, she would keep an eye on her drink, that should keep her safe.
"Hey Cass! Lookin' good. How are you doing?"
"Hey Kev. Thanks and okay."
"Didn't expect to see you here tonight", the footballplayer said, leaning one arm on the bar, behind Cassandra's back as he stood next to her.
Rolling her eyes, Cassandra sipped her drink, before turning back and answering.
"Needed to get out a bit. Relax, stop the grey matter from churning around, you know?"
"Yeah. Finals are a cast-iron bitch. I'm feeling like my head is gonna explode. Guess it's the same for you?"
"What are you complaining about, Kev? I hear you got a football scholarship?", Cassie asked, giving him a sideways glance.
The youth grinned at Cassandra as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer against him.
"Yeah, well, I'm not betting my future on it. It's a prestigious college so I'm taking it but at the same time, I'm gonna study. Hard. I mean, how many kids with sports scholarships get injured or something and then.... Goodbye Scholarship. No Cass, I'm gonna get me an education. If I ever get recruited by the NFL, well, we'll see then, won't we?"
"Good thinking. Glad to see the notion of Dumb Jock doesn't apply to you."
"Hey! Who have you been talking to?", Kevin stated in mock outrage. "I'll have you know that I'm a very dumb jock, girl! I can belch the ABC, crush beercans on my forehead and scratch with the best of them!"
Cassandra couldn't help it as she started to giggle and Kevin Martinelli thought he had the dark-haired beauty right were he wanted her. In awe and a little bit flustered. Bending forward slightly, he brushed his lips over hers, giving her soft kiss, startling Cassandra.
"Kevin, stop."
"I'm not sorry I kissed you, Cass. Wanted to do it for a long time. You're beautiful."
"Thanks, Kev, but I'm not looking for anything like that right now."
"Cass, I'm not asking for a relationship okay? It was just a kiss and I'm sure you enjoyed it too. We're both young and unattached. What is stopping us from having a little fun before we get grinded by the tests tomorrow?"
As he was talking softly to her, Kevin slipped his other arm around her waist as he turned so he was standing in front of her. The hand behind her back came up, softly stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers and Cassandra could feel her temperature rise as he began to kiss her again, soft butterfly kisses. In the back of her mind she could hear both Faith's and Buffy's warnings about the dark side of the Slayer and the rumors about Kevin. It became harder and harder for her to resist the boiling of her blood, the need for release, even though it wasn't what she had come here for.
"Kevin, no. Please."
Her voice sounded foreign to her own ears, as the half-hearted protest passed her suddenly dry lips. He wasn't stopping, though, continuing to pepper her face with kisses that seemed to burn her to the tips of her toes, grinding his body along the length of her. Slowly, Cassandra was losing her will to fight. Backing up further against the bar, she pushed halfheartedly against Kevin's chest, when she noticed something or rather someone out of the corner of her eye.
'What's he doing here?'
Her curiosity piqued, Cassandra grabbed hold of Kevin's wrist, turning it sharply counterclockwise, straining it to the breaking point. The young man's reaction was immediate; with a yelp, he released his hold on the dark-haired beauty as he stumbled back in pain, Cassandra's hold on his wrist the only thing keeping him from falling flat on his face.
"I believe I spoke clearly when I said NO. You should learn how to listen, Kevin. It'll save you some broken bones", Cassie said, adding some pressure. Pushing the jock away, she picked up her drink and walked over to the pooltables in the corner of the Bronze, taking deep, relieved breaths. Placing the glass on the opposite end of the table's player, Cassandra leaned over the table, eyeing the man opposite her as he lined up his shot. With a light tap, the white ball careened off the left side of the table, hitting midway between the rightside corner and middle pocket. It then rolled along the side, hitting the last ball, sending it into the middle pocket.
"My beer fund thanks you for your patronage", Alex said as he pocketed the money on the table, nodding towards the other player.
"You always hustling some poor sap for beer money or do you like making fools out of people?", Cassandra asked
"I don't hustle. Kid saw me play and told me he could beat me. I didn't want any action, just wanted to shoot some pool, kick back and relax but he insisted", Alex said as he put away his wallet before looking up at Cassandra.
"So you decided to teach him a lesson that made him look like a fool in front of everybody."
"It's a tough world out there, Cassandra. Somebody has to teach these kids about that", he retorted with a wry grin.
"I'm sure you're the perfect person for the job", she countered, putting as much sarcasm as she could into it.
"You know, I just wanted a quiet night, just relax a bit but as usual, my 'luck' strikes again. Here I am and there YOU are with your holier-then-thou-attitude", Alex growled, then looked up to the ceiling. "What did I ever do to piss you off so bad, that you keep screwing up my life?"
"Talking to your imaginary friend again?", Cassandra asked, casting a worried glance at the man in front of her.
"No, just some issues I've got with the PTB."
"PTB?", she asked.
"Yup, the defenders of all that is good and right", Alex said, the venom carrying clearly through his voice. "Let us lay down our lives and our kin to thy greater glory."
Cassandra looked at the man standing next to her.
"You know, the more I get to know you, the more I start to dislike you."
"Really? Well, stand in line, kid, coz there are whole hell of a lot of people and non-people who don't like me."
It took a monumental effort on Cassandra's part not to knock his head off for his flippant behavior. Taking a deep breath to calm her boiling anger, she stood before him, hands on her hips, giving him her most menacing stare.
"You come waltzing into town like the Terminator, you've got my friends all hovering on the edge of a nervous breakdown and you're acting as if we're supposed to feel sorry for you? Can you say Bullshit? If you hate them so much, you should have left well enough alone and never returned. As it is, I'd say YOU are our biggest problem and not whatever evil is lurking around.
Buffy told me all the sob stories about you, pal. Yeah, she was wrong. Dead wrong, I'll give you that. But it's been years. GET FUCKING OVER IT ALREADY! MOVE ON! Forgive them, don't forgive them, I don't care! But stop adding to their guilt! If they really meant something to you once, you wouldn't want them to feel like this at all. The Xander Harris Buffy told me about would do anything to take away their pain."
"Xander Harris died eight years ago of a broken heart", Alex said quietly as he stared into his glass. "As for your 'friends' all going wiggy, that is not my doing. I came here to do a job and then get out of here as fast as I can. It's their own guilt that is causing them all this stress."
"Yeah, right, like shooting Angel is part of that 'job' or meeting up with Willow and Faith and patching things up with them, but ignoring Buffy. You came here looking for a fight, not necessarily with the enemy but with those that betrayed you. You've gone all Monte Christo on them."
Alex looked up at the angry Slayer, noticing her flushed face and the angry gleam in her eyes and couldn't help but to chuckle.
"What?"
"Is that the new slang?"
"Is what the new slang?"
"Going Monte Christo? It used to be 'goin' midieval on someone's ass'."
"Oh. OH! NO! No, not at all. I just ... I read Dumas' book and it's very good. It's actually my favorite novel, I must've read it a dozen times since I got it", Cassandra said, blushing slightly.
Silence fell around the two people; Alex walked around the pool table, taking out all the balls from the pockets and placing them back inside the triangle. Placing the white ball at it's spot, he placed his cue on the green felt and broke. Several balls immediately hit the side pockets, the majority however, still on the table.
"I loved to read. Don't have much time for it anymore, though. But when I was younger, I loved to read. It would be the only place, apart from Willow's house that I could forget the world around me. I could go anywhere inside those pages. Be anyone. Do anything I wanted. I spent hours in the public library, reading anything I could get my hands on. It was the one escape I had from the place I lived."
Cassandra's ears picked up at the last sentence, the empathic difference Alex had used. Not home, but place he lived in. It was important, very important and she would bet anything on it that it was what had shaped the man in front of her.
"I take it you know about Faith's life in Boston?"
At Cassandra's curt nod, Alex continued his story. He didn't know why he suddenly wanted to share this part of his life with the young woman, but the feeling wouldn't go away. Something drove him on. Something he couldn't understand but it was there nonetheless. She needed to understand who he was and what drove him forward. It was imperative that she did.
"Mine wasn't much better. Reading was what helped me cope. Nowadays, you go to see a shrink or a therapist and pay hundreds of dollars an hour just to hear your own voice talk about the stuff that makes you who you are. Back then, I couldn't talk to anybody about it. Not because I thought they wouldn't or couldn't understand but because I couldn't understand. So the library became my refuge. And so it grew. By the time I was in High School, I'd gotten an expert on internalising. I'd become the class clown, using that to mask what I was feeling. Willow and Jesse were my only friends and even they didn't know much of anything about me. I was their anchor, the one they talked to about their problems, who kept things together. Then Buffy came to town, Jesse died, and nothing would ever be the same again.
I was there for Willow, throughout her grief, but was she there for me? No. Nobody asked me how I felt. I mean, I'm the one who killed Jesse. I'm the one who saw what he had become. And nobody even said they were sorry for my loss. And even if they did, they took my answers at face value, never questioning. Never trying to dig deeper, to try and get me to open up. Xander says he's fine, so good, another problem less. For years I did that, taking in all of their pain, their problems. Sometimes standing up and telling them the truth, whether it was harsh or not. But in all that time, did any one of them even give the slightest thougth to how I was feeling? Did any one of them even make an effort to find out? No, they didn't. I've been there for every single one of them, whether they wanted it or not, whether they knew it or not. But even a simple thank you was too much too ask. Let alone worrying about my mental health. You can only put so much pressure on a tank before it explodes. I've been lied to, marginalized, shoved aside, used as a convenient prop and generally thought of as useless.
At one time, I thought it was all that I deserved. That all of it was true, that indeed I wasn't worth it. That I was a useless waste of space and oxygen. But someone showed me that that wasn't true. Someone showed me that I was worth something. That I did mean something. That I did contribute. And she paid for it with her life. And you know what really gets me? The way they always thought that I couldn't think for myself. That I was just the clown, the kid in a grown man's body. What's so funny about that is that I'm the most adult of the bunch, even more so then Giles is. At least I wasn't afraid to speak my mind, even if it was something they didn't want to hear. Being an adult is making decisions you don't like but are needed. Being an adult is doing what is needed to be done. Taking responsibility for your actions. Not hanging around feeling sorry for yourself. It has got nothing to do with age, Cassandra. It is all about what choices you make and having the responsibility to see them through and accept the consequences.
So yeah, I'm angry. I'm pissed off to the extremes. I am mad as hell. Do I enjoy their suffering? Yes, I do. Now they finally feel what I've felt for years. Now they know what I've been struggling with since I was just a kid. It's selfish, it's petty but it's all I have left. You want to know the real reason I came back, kid? I need closure. I left without ever closing that chapter of Xander's life. There is this ball in here", Alex said, pressing his closed fist on his heart, "filled with pain and anger. I thought I could keep it locked up but I can't anymore. It needs to be let out. It's heat must burn everything clean so I can start living again."
"I'm sorry for all your pain, but it still isn't fair to act like a spoiled brat. To hurt Buffy and the others", Cassandra countered, feeling a bit of her anger at him fading after his impassioned speech.
"I'm not hurting them. Their actions or rather, lack thereof are hurting them. I've forgiven Willow and you know what? That ball feels lighter already. She apologized to me for the things she did. It is a start. The others haven't. And as long as they haven't, none of us is going to live without the pain. It's up to Buffy and Giles to take the first step."
"That is so typically male", Cassandra said in exasparation.
"Maybe but if someone isn't willing to acknowledge what they have done is wrong, then what reason is there to think that they won't do something similar again? And in that case, why would someone want to forgive them? After all, they haven't learned anything."
Shaking her head, Cassandra leaned against one of the pillars holding up the top floor of the club.
"What if Buffy or Giles doesn't do what you want them to? Are you gonna walk around the rest of your life with that ball in your chest?"
"Not gonna happen coz you know what? If they don't, I'll really know how they think of me and I'll have my closure. One way or the other, this is going to be an end. Or a new beginning."
Both people stood there, gazing at each other, thinking over the revelations of the last few minutes. Cassandra could understand Alex's reasoning, even some of his actions, even if she didn't condone them. Still, not having known the man before her, she still disagreed with the way he was handling everything. Alex, for his part, couldn't think of anything to say at that moment. He felt exhausted and numb. The reason for telling this teenager things he'd never told a living soul were as much as mystery to him as it was back when he started talking. But maybe that was what he'd needed. Someone to challenge him, call him on his behavior. Someone to break through the armor he'd built up and bare his soul. Someone who didn't know him like Buffy, Willow, Dawn, Faith or any of the others did. It was strange but somehow, it had felt good getting all his frustrations out of his system. Just like it had felt good to finally be able to make things right with Willow. Not to mention that Cassandra wasn't one to back down and seemed to be willing to go toe-to-toe with him, calling him on things she thought he was doing wrong. Smiling slightly, he scanned his surroundings, feeling better then he had in a long time.
"So, now what?"
"Now, we kick ass", Alex answered as he straigthened up, his eyes riveted on the entrance to the Bronze.
Immediately on guard and following his line of sight, Cassandra's eyes narrowed as she noticed the six newcomers enter the club. Nothing about their outward appearance set off any alarm bells; at first glance, they could be mistaken for typical teenagers. It was the havoc they were creating with Cassandra's Slayer sense that warned her.
"How did you know?"
"When trouble has been finding you as long as it's found me, you develop an instinctual response to it", Alex said as he stepped backwards from the pooltable. Two of the six vampires had stayed behind near the door, ready to stop anyone trying to escape while the other four were walking through the club, sizing it up.
"Newbies in town?", Cassandra ventured.
"Or our unseen buddy has some loose cannons in his ranks", Alex whispered back.
"Not likely, gyrene, the Bronze has been a neutral zone for years now. Just like Willy's. Vamps and demons know better then to come here, especially with that protection spell we put up for the management. They shouldn't be able to come in at all."
Cassandra seemed to consider her words as she rethought them, her features clearly displaying her surprise.
"I stand corrected then, these aren't loose cannons."
"But how...", the young Slayer began.
"Our chesspartner must have removed the spell. I suggest you take it up with management after we take care of this little problem. Don't want them reporting you to the Better Business Bureau, now would we", Alex told her.
*******
Cody Sinclair was happy. Things in Sunnydale had been going downhill for his kind ever since not one but three Slayers and their support troops were in town. But now, now there was the new Master and things were about to change. Cody Sinclair wasn't stupid, either. He knew that the new Master was planning something apocalyptic, which meant he and his brethren would be placed somewhere on the bottom of the foodchain as the stronger, more powerful demons would again roam the earth. However, for as long as it took to accomplish that, he'd be around doing the things that had been denied to him for so long. Things like entering The Bronze without running into the magickal barrier at the entrance. And who knows, maybe the Slayers would be able to stop the Master this time too. After all, their track record regarding averting apocalypses was impressive. But with luck, maybe all three would perish in the attempt; even one of them would be cause for rejoicing as things in town would be easier for the vampires. For now though, he was going to enjoy himself by wreaking a little havoc here, as he was ordered to.
Putting on his most charming smile, Cody began to walk over to the bar and the pretty brunette sitting there with her friends, his eyes riveted at the pulse point in her neck. Maybe a bit of dancing and some other 'activities' before he had her for dinner.
"Heads up!"
Sinclair turned towards the loud voice, instantly alert. However, none of his vampiric senses could prepare him for the object rapidly growing larger in his eyes.
"THUNK!"
"WHOOSH!"
*******
Cassandra's eyes shifted from side to side, trying to keep track of all six vampires as they shifted through the room. Turning her head slightly to look at her companion, the young Slayer was surprised to find that Alex stance was that of a man bored with his surroundings. One leg slightly bend, resting his weight on it, a disinterested look on his face, Alex was the epitome of someone without a care in the world. She was about to hiss an angry retort, when events suddenly exploded.
*******
Dawn had been dragged to the club, her friend Stacey having noticed the melancholy mood her friend had been in. It had been a while since the two girls had been in here, what with exams and such taking up most of their time. Dawn had noticed the two vamps by the doorway and the four others almost immediately as they'd entered the club. Her hands were halfway into her purse, already closing around the stake she kept there and her cellphone, before Stacey had caught on what was about to happen. Dawn's momentary panic was shortlived however, as she spotted Xander and Cassandra.
"Dawn, call Buffy!", Stacey hissed, her eyes almost popping out of her head in fright as she frantically looked around.
"Chill, girlfriend. Cavalry's already here", Dawn whispered, nodding her head in the direction of her two friends.
The events that followed that statement would leave both girls in bewildered awe for a long time....
*******
Alex quickly catalogued the positions the vamps had taken up around the large floor, several tactical scenarios running through his mind at once. Quirking his lips into his trademark lopsided smile, the former Zeppo and current Marine moved into action.
"Clear the entrance", he told the Slayer standing next to him. Before she could respond, he'd already moved....
"Heads up!"
His right leg lashed out, the tip of his combat boot hitting the pooltable's corner pocket, causing the ball inside it to fly straight up into the air. As it hit its apex and began to fall back to the ground, several things happened at once.
Alex's shout had alerted everyone in the vicinity, making heads turn as one towards the sound.
His right leg, having returned to the floor, pushed off, making his body jump into the air; twisting his upper body to the right, Alex's left leg whipped backwards. As it reached its maximum rearward movement, it exploded forward again, gaining momentum. Just as its forward momentum was at its peak, the tip of his boot made contact with the falling ball with a loud thunk, proppelling it forward in a straight line at maximum speed. The look on the vampire's face as he saw the approaching poolbal was reminiscent of Wiley E. Coyote, just as he's about to be hit by the oncoming rock.
"THUNK!"
The striped ball hit Cody Sinclair head-on, just above the bridge of his nose at full power. At a distance of less then twelve feet, a normal human's skull would have been badly fractured under the tremendous amount of pressure, almost certainly killing the victim. Sinclair faired worse then said human as the force of the hit caused the ball to literally rip through his skull, like an oversized bullet, spraying brain matter and blood around and punching through the rear skullplate, leaving a large, bloody hole through his head....
"WHOOSH!"
A fraction of a second later, Cody Sinclair was no more.
*******
"Clear the entrance."
The clipped reply from the man standing next to her grated on Cassandra's nerves. 'Who the hell does he think he is', went through her mind. After all, she was the Slayer. Granted, the junior Slayer, but still, she was a Slayer and as such had dealt with similar situations before. He was just a normal human.....
That thought brought her up short. Alexander Harris or Alex Harrelson as he was now known, had been fighting vampires and demons while she was still happily playing with dolls. The few stories she'd heard over the last few days had shown her a man who'd not only been able to survive anything the Hellmouth could throw at him but had actually contributed to keeping it save. Even if everybody else only realized it way too late. And she'd personally seen him in action a few days ago. His technique had impressed her and Cassandra wasn't someone easily impressed. These thoughts zipped through her mind in seconds, even as she was starting to move towards the Bronze's entrance, her eyes still on her companion. Her eyes grew saucershaped as she witnessed what happened next.
*******
Having turned almost three hundred and sixty degrees, Alex's left leg hit the floor, bending slightly under the impact of his bodyweight, as the other leg came down. Straightening his legs, the young Marine Lieutenant proppeled himself up and over the pooltable in a somersault, his hands flashing out and grabbing the poolcue he'd been using. Coming down into a crouch, he surged upwards, the cue held in the traditional poolplayer's grip.
"Eight ball in the corner pocket."
As he said this, Alex moved the cue through his fingers, as if he was hitting the ball. Instead, it entered the chest of the second vampire closest to him, piercing its heart, turning the demon to dust almost instantly, the look of bewilderment still on its face.
Twirling the oversized stake between his fingers, Alex turned and slammed the thick rearend across the third vampire's face, sending him flying. The fourth vamp, shaking off the amazement at the events surged forward, intent on ripping out this human's throat. Alex met him head-on, using the cue like the pugil stick he'd learned to use in basic training. Slamming the rearend into the vamp's throat hard, he followed it up with a right downward slash to the face, sending the vampire staggering. Alex then rammed the butt of the cue into the vampire's crotch, dropping the demon to its knees, wheezing in pain. Before he could finish him off, however, the vampire he'd send flying earlier barreled into him, causing him to fall to the floor.
*******
Two vampires had been dusted in the matter of seconds and Cassandra's brain was still trying to process what exactly had happened as her senses told her the two vamps at the entrance had shaken off their momentary stupefacation and were headed towards the fight. Quickly stepping in their path, she smiled her best 'vacuous airhead' smile at them.
"Hey boys, buy a girl a drink?"
"Wha-"
Before either vamp could say anything else, Cassie had already made her move. Jumping up, both legs extended at a forward angle, she kicked her opponents in the face, sending them back several steps. Coming down in a crouch, Cassie extended her right leg, using the left to spin herself around, causing the vampires to crash to the floor with a resounding thump. Cassie jumped up as two stakes fell from their holsters around her forearms, straight into her hands. She then rapidly crouched, intent on stabbing both vamps in the heart. The first hadn't recovered quickly enough from events and dusted almost immediately. The other however, managed to block the downward thrust, using the momentary imbalance of the Slayer, caused by the death of his partner to yank her to the floor. In a flash, Cassandra was staring up in the face of death, all ridges, fangs and yellow eyes.
*******
Alex quickly recovered, rolling backwards to his feet. The vamp let loose with a barrage of punches, pressing its advantage and putting Alex on the defensive. He was blocking the rapid strikes with the cue as he danced around, trying to find an opening. However, his opponent was experienced and that, coupled with the fury of watching his friends get dusted and his strength was enough to keep Alex off his game for the moment. The vampire executed a spin kick to Alex's left side, powerful enough to break ribs. Alex brought the cue up as he stepped backwards, intent on blocking the strike....
"SNAP!"
Suddenly, the young Marine held two pieces of wood in his hand. The vamp grinned, clearly enjoying his victory as he saw that his opponent's weapon was now in shambles. That momentary triumph turned to a sudden fear as he noticed the evil grin on Alex's face....
With the quick snap of his wrists, Alex twirled the two pieces of wood in his hands and attacked. His hands were a blur as they rained down a flurry of strikes all over the vampire's body, the sound making the other occupants of the room cringe. The vampire tried his best to defend himself but the amount of hits he was taking was overwhelming. They cut through his defenses like a hot knife through soft butter, bruising the skin and breaking bones. A particularly savage hit broke his jaw as at the same time he could feel the sudden painful snap of several of his ribs. Before he could scream out his pain and rage, a sudden pressure in his chest startled him. Looking down, he saw the front end of the broken cue stick straight through his chest. Looking up in surprise at the human in front of him his only thought was....
'Oh Crap!'
Alex's victory was shortlived, however, as he was suddenly hit from behind with such force that he lost the grip on the sticks as he crashed to the ground.
*******
Dawn and Stacey had been watching as the events unfolded before them, wariness and fear turning to complete awe as they witnessed Alex's seemingly casual demeanor turn into focused energy, dusting first one then two vamps and knocking two others around as if they were bowling pins. Feeling a nudge in her side, Dawn watched Stacey's frantic headshakes, finally catching on and turning to look towards the entrance. The sight brought a wry grin to her face.
'I almost feel sorry for the idiots', shot through her mind. When Cassie wanted to, she could play the stupid blonde part better then any stupid blonde ever could. Watching Cassie fight was like watching a combination of Buffy and Faith, a combination of witty banter with almost unstoppable concentration. just as she thought it was all over, Dawn's heart almost seized functioning as one vamp managed to block Cassie's strike and turn the tables around on the young Slayer. Frantically whipping her head around towards her one-time crush, Dawn nearly screamed in rage as she Xander go down, the fourth vampire standing over him with a dented metal chair.
*******
"Girly, I ain't buyin' ye a drink but all this ruckus gave me a mighty big appetite. So y'all hol' still while I get me an appetizer 'fore the main course, ya hea'?"
'Great! Just great! I'm stuck with the Southern Yokel from Hillbillie land', Cassandra fumed as she watched the glittering fangs descend towards her neck. Putting all her strength into her upper body, Cassie thrust upwards, headbutting the vamp in the face. The shock rattled her straight to her toes.
'God, I hate this! I'm gonna need those extra strength Advils tonight.'
With a roar of pain, anger and surprise, the vamp flew backwards, losing his grip on his prey. Using her hands and upper back to push off, Cassandra landed into a crouch and immediately straightened up, falling back into combat stance, a stake in each hand.
"Sorry Billyboy, but I've already got nine piercings. Ain't lookin' to make it eleven, y'all catch mah drift?"
With a roar that would make anybody else but a Slayer cringe, the vamp rushed forward, intent on ripping this upstart to pieces. What he got for his trouble however, was a booted heel in his face.
Cassandra met the vamp's charge with a spin kick that nearly took his nose off, her right leg leading. She completed the movement with her left leg, slamming the foot into his face again, again followed by the right. Not giving him a chance to recover, the Slayer used the momemtum of her right leg to push off the ground, her left foot smashing into her opponent's chest. Next, her right foot slammed into the same spot, cracking the bruised ribs. To the onlookers, it was as if this slip of a girl was walking an imaginary stairway, as her feet seemed to slam into the vamp's chest and face with rapid succession.
Somersaulting backwards, Cassandra landed on her feet, grabbed hold of the vampire's arm and using a hip throw, landed him on his back. Quickly crouching down next to the disoriented vamp, she then slammed her stake into it's chest, piercing the heart and watched in satisfaction as the creature dusted.
"Should have bought me the drink, sugah, might 'ave let ya'll get tha' first base befo' dustin' yo' ass."
Turning around to see how Alex was fairing, Cassandra's eyes turning into saucers again for the second time that night.
*******