"The Reflection Effect"
Chapter 1: Consequences
===============================
BGM: Fuel "Bad Day"
===============================
Buffy strolled down the midnight streets, idlying kicking a soda can which look like it has been abused before. What would Xander think of her now? Could she look at her best friend the same way ever again? In seconds Spike shattered any hope she had of letting the others know about him and her, when she knew they could handle it best..
Stupid Bastard, she sometimes wondered why she didn't stake the asshole herself. But then again..
Something caught her eyes, a sparkle of red under a street lamp. A neat little pile of dust. Approaching closer.. Oh dear, quite the battle took place, new slayer in town? No.. there would be less blood. Blood? Oh no. Someone's hurt. Hey, that looks like a piece of Xander's shirt.. Nah, couldn't be, he went the total opposite direction. She was heading east right? Whipping out a handy compass, she frowned. For being the Chosen One, her sense of direction really sucked. Oh shit...
=======================================================================
"Xander! My god what happened to you?!"
A suprised ex-witch confronted a pale looking Xander who just burst in through the door. He held a hand over his neck, several bruises covering his form. His jacket was in his right hand, crumpled up.
"I had things under control until he decided to fight back." Xander whimpered, stumbling forward unsteadily on his feet.
"Where's buffy?" Willow exclaimed, still making a fuss over the pale Xander which barely stood in front of him, a protective arm snaking around his waist as he was guided to the couch.
"No, the bathtub." Xander said bluntly, his voice weakening and blood trailed between his fingers. Didn't want to stain buffy's good couch. Maybe he should? Ha, payback. Fuck walking dead and fear the wrath of Xander! ..No, that hardly seemed mature.. His fingers could no longer hold what was contained in them, his jacket floped to the floor, a nearly empty vial of something also dropping to the floor below him, a few dribbles of water comming from the lip of the container
"Xander?" The ex witch repeated. "Where's buffy?" He would be able to talk to willow better if she'd stop spinning the room on him. Damned witches.
Darkness.
"Xander?!" Willow squeaked, bouncing on her toes as the man slumped foward, his forehead thumping lightly on the coffee table as his hand slipped from his neck. Blood is really hard to get out of nice white carpeting, perhaps buffy should just switch to hardwood.. BATHTUB! That's what he meant.
"DAWN!" Willow screamed, seconds later a teenager came bounding down the stairs, looking frustrated as angsty teens normally do.
"What?! I was doing my homework I SWEAR, so don't even start with--" She stopped midsentence, tears already welling up in her eyes, her hand cupped over her mouth.
"Oh god..."
That's not comming out of the carpet.
"Help me take Xander to the bathtub, Hurry!! And after that get the first aid kit from Buffy's room." Willow took command, she was good at that when buffy wasn't around to be drill seargant. Dawn complied, the two thin women quickly hefting the unconsious Xander to the bathroom, and finally into the bathtub. He hadn't stopped bleeding yet.
Finally able to see the wound, she clearly observed two clean puntures in the artery on his neck.
"Oh no.. Xander don't do this to me!"
A crash through the front door was heard, signaling the arrival of Buffy. She burst into her living room, stake in hand and can o' whoop ass open and ready to pour. She stopped, her demeanor still aggresive though her stance worried as she spied the neat little puddle.. well, more than a puddle of blood on the ground. That's not comming out of the carpet. Well, maybe with a good shampooer.. Was the Albertson's still open this late? Wait, danger, oh yeah.
"Will? Dawn?" She called out.
"Oh buffy! Thank god!" Came a half cry/half squeak of Willow from the bathroom, she was in the small bathroom in seconds, a heavy sigh comming forth as she saw what lie in the bathtub.
"I should have went after him.." she mused with a slight shake in her voice, lightly fingering the stake he dropped earlier.
"He needs to go to the hospital." She then added.
"But.." A small protest from the ex-witch.
"No buts, no magic. He'll live, he needs blood. Put him in the car."
====================================================================
Buffy! Now there's a sight for sore eyes.
Wait, she slept with Spike and nearly let him become a vampy meal. Fuck her.
White walls.. Oooh, IV bag. Not home. Not at buffy's. What was the last thing he remembered? Oh.. Spinning room, Willow trying to talk in said spinning room. And.. something about not wanting to stain the carpet. Where was he now? Oh, IV bag. Hospital. Perfect.
Willow.. Good ole' willow, you'd never sleep with spike right? Reaching up as he sat weakly, Xander embraced Willow in a warm hug.
"Welcome back Xander.." she whispered, giving her best friend a small peck on the forehead.
"What happened?" Came the concerned voice of Buffy. As if she couldn't tell.
Well, I was sitting on the curb crying my eyes out like a little girly man when vampire who thought I was a woman attacked me. No. Gotta put a little decoration on it. Make it manly.
Not looking at Buffy, he regarded Willow instead. Don't look confused, Will. Hating Buffy right now, deal with it. "I was patrolling to get...some things off my mind when one of them took me by suprise."
Yeah, that was more manly.
"You shouldn't have went alone, Xander..." Buffy's voice again.
Dawn opened her mouth to add something, but a harsh glare from her older sister quieted her for the time time being.
"You almost died.. I don't want to lose you." Was that buffy talking more? She just doesn't get the whole ignoring her thing does she? But.. That was kind of sweet..
Just as he about to finally acknowledge buffy's presence at that.. well, kind of sweet comment. The nurse of the hospital opened the door, interupting him before he could start.
"Visiting hours are over."
Chapter 1: Consequences
===============================
BGM: Fuel "Bad Day"
===============================
Buffy strolled down the midnight streets, idlying kicking a soda can which look like it has been abused before. What would Xander think of her now? Could she look at her best friend the same way ever again? In seconds Spike shattered any hope she had of letting the others know about him and her, when she knew they could handle it best..
Stupid Bastard, she sometimes wondered why she didn't stake the asshole herself. But then again..
Something caught her eyes, a sparkle of red under a street lamp. A neat little pile of dust. Approaching closer.. Oh dear, quite the battle took place, new slayer in town? No.. there would be less blood. Blood? Oh no. Someone's hurt. Hey, that looks like a piece of Xander's shirt.. Nah, couldn't be, he went the total opposite direction. She was heading east right? Whipping out a handy compass, she frowned. For being the Chosen One, her sense of direction really sucked. Oh shit...
=======================================================================
"Xander! My god what happened to you?!"
A suprised ex-witch confronted a pale looking Xander who just burst in through the door. He held a hand over his neck, several bruises covering his form. His jacket was in his right hand, crumpled up.
"I had things under control until he decided to fight back." Xander whimpered, stumbling forward unsteadily on his feet.
"Where's buffy?" Willow exclaimed, still making a fuss over the pale Xander which barely stood in front of him, a protective arm snaking around his waist as he was guided to the couch.
"No, the bathtub." Xander said bluntly, his voice weakening and blood trailed between his fingers. Didn't want to stain buffy's good couch. Maybe he should? Ha, payback. Fuck walking dead and fear the wrath of Xander! ..No, that hardly seemed mature.. His fingers could no longer hold what was contained in them, his jacket floped to the floor, a nearly empty vial of something also dropping to the floor below him, a few dribbles of water comming from the lip of the container
"Xander?" The ex witch repeated. "Where's buffy?" He would be able to talk to willow better if she'd stop spinning the room on him. Damned witches.
Darkness.
"Xander?!" Willow squeaked, bouncing on her toes as the man slumped foward, his forehead thumping lightly on the coffee table as his hand slipped from his neck. Blood is really hard to get out of nice white carpeting, perhaps buffy should just switch to hardwood.. BATHTUB! That's what he meant.
"DAWN!" Willow screamed, seconds later a teenager came bounding down the stairs, looking frustrated as angsty teens normally do.
"What?! I was doing my homework I SWEAR, so don't even start with--" She stopped midsentence, tears already welling up in her eyes, her hand cupped over her mouth.
"Oh god..."
That's not comming out of the carpet.
"Help me take Xander to the bathtub, Hurry!! And after that get the first aid kit from Buffy's room." Willow took command, she was good at that when buffy wasn't around to be drill seargant. Dawn complied, the two thin women quickly hefting the unconsious Xander to the bathroom, and finally into the bathtub. He hadn't stopped bleeding yet.
Finally able to see the wound, she clearly observed two clean puntures in the artery on his neck.
"Oh no.. Xander don't do this to me!"
A crash through the front door was heard, signaling the arrival of Buffy. She burst into her living room, stake in hand and can o' whoop ass open and ready to pour. She stopped, her demeanor still aggresive though her stance worried as she spied the neat little puddle.. well, more than a puddle of blood on the ground. That's not comming out of the carpet. Well, maybe with a good shampooer.. Was the Albertson's still open this late? Wait, danger, oh yeah.
"Will? Dawn?" She called out.
"Oh buffy! Thank god!" Came a half cry/half squeak of Willow from the bathroom, she was in the small bathroom in seconds, a heavy sigh comming forth as she saw what lie in the bathtub.
"I should have went after him.." she mused with a slight shake in her voice, lightly fingering the stake he dropped earlier.
"He needs to go to the hospital." She then added.
"But.." A small protest from the ex-witch.
"No buts, no magic. He'll live, he needs blood. Put him in the car."
====================================================================
Buffy! Now there's a sight for sore eyes.
Wait, she slept with Spike and nearly let him become a vampy meal. Fuck her.
White walls.. Oooh, IV bag. Not home. Not at buffy's. What was the last thing he remembered? Oh.. Spinning room, Willow trying to talk in said spinning room. And.. something about not wanting to stain the carpet. Where was he now? Oh, IV bag. Hospital. Perfect.
Willow.. Good ole' willow, you'd never sleep with spike right? Reaching up as he sat weakly, Xander embraced Willow in a warm hug.
"Welcome back Xander.." she whispered, giving her best friend a small peck on the forehead.
"What happened?" Came the concerned voice of Buffy. As if she couldn't tell.
Well, I was sitting on the curb crying my eyes out like a little girly man when vampire who thought I was a woman attacked me. No. Gotta put a little decoration on it. Make it manly.
Not looking at Buffy, he regarded Willow instead. Don't look confused, Will. Hating Buffy right now, deal with it. "I was patrolling to get...some things off my mind when one of them took me by suprise."
Yeah, that was more manly.
"You shouldn't have went alone, Xander..." Buffy's voice again.
Dawn opened her mouth to add something, but a harsh glare from her older sister quieted her for the time time being.
"You almost died.. I don't want to lose you." Was that buffy talking more? She just doesn't get the whole ignoring her thing does she? But.. That was kind of sweet..
Just as he about to finally acknowledge buffy's presence at that.. well, kind of sweet comment. The nurse of the hospital opened the door, interupting him before he could start.
"Visiting hours are over."