Xander Harris – Carpenter Extraordinaire
Author – mahaliem
Rating – R
Summary – Xander takes on a case to save a girl. Set sometime in the future.
Disclaimer – Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the property of Joss Whedon, Fox, and Mutant Enemy Productions.
Thank you so much to Jane Davitt (whose stories I love) and Alena for beta reading this for me. Any errors remaining are entirely my fault. Thank you also to Treacle-Antlers for her constant support of my endeavors.
Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19) This is a clear cut example of the Lord claiming dominion over an area that evil would like for itself.
- Good v. Evil – A Territorial Dispute?
by A. L. Harris
Part 1
I'd just finished shaping the headboard I was making for a corporate honcho who decided he'd like to sleep at night with his logo hovering over his pillow, when she walked into my shop. The sawdust was still floating through the air, gently drifting down on all nearby surfaces as I lifted my faceplate and got a good look at her. From the way she gazed around in confusion, I could tell that she wasn't here for my wonderful carpentry skills.
Gingerly, she walked over to me, her high heels making little tracks through the tiny wood shavings on the floor.
"I'm looking for Xander Harris," she stated.
Her voice was soft, but clear, with just a hint of a Southern accent peeking through. She was dressed conservatively, a high-necked blouse, dark skirt down to the knees, and a pair of shoes that I could tell were some famous brand, but since I was a heterosexual male, had no idea which one. I figured her outfit cost about what I made in a week. A good week. An extremely good week. She had chestnut hair that fell in waves to her shoulders, and I'd always been a bit of a sucker for brunettes.
I took off my protective headgear, placed it to the side, and began putting my tools away for the night. The shop still needed to be cleaned up, and it wasn't too long before sunset. I still liked to be home before dark. It was a good habit to have, and one of the reasons I'd survived for so long, when so many hadn't. While I straightened up the area, I answered her.
"You're looking for Xander? Well, you must be a real wizard at hide-and-seek, 'cause you found him."
She looked a bit surprised at that; then her gaze swept over me, not having really looked at me when she'd first entered. I thought about what she saw. I'd kept in shape, better shape than when I was younger, fighting the years with constant exercise and attention to diet. My hair was still dark, with no signs of gray yet, and in many ways, I knew I looked younger than I really was. My eyes, however, were old. They'd seen too much death and destruction, and too many tears had fallen from them.
She hesitated for a moment before sticking out her hand for me to shake. I did so, knowing that she would feel the rough calluses on my palm, which no creams or ointments could ever smooth.
"Grace Matthews."
"Xander Harris."
I showed her into my small office. It wasn't much, with just a desk, a few chairs, and a file cabinet, but I'd made all of the furnishings myself, so it was a showroom for my work. She looked suitably impressed.
"I thought I had the wrong place at first. My friend didn't tell me that you were an artist."
I laughed, but felt a bit flattered at the same time. I knew I had some talent, but didn't think I would never reach the point where you could call anything I did 'art.'
"So…I'm guessing that you're not here for specially created furniture, then."
"No. I'm here because of your…other job."
She glanced around the shop and looked a bit doubtful that I could do whatever she asked. A little bit of encouragement on my side might help.
"Hey, carpenters have been known to save the world."
A small smile flitted over her lips before she started thinking about the reason she'd come to me, and it slipped from her face.
"Mr. Harris…"
"Call me 'Xander'."
"Xander, then. It's my sister. I didn't know what to do. I talked to Nancy Stevens, and she thought that you might be able to help me."
Ah, so that's whom she knew. Knowing that information gave me some insight as to what might be her problem. I'd met Nancy several lifetimes ago in Sunnydale. When we'd run into each other years later, she'd been frantic, and had latched on to me for help.
Her brother had been turned by a vampire, and instead of wandering around cemeteries like a good bloodsucker should, he'd taken to hanging around outside her house. This seriously impacted her lifestyle, seeing how she was trapped in her own home every night by an undead sibling. When I'd told her how much I really didn't care, she offered to pay me. I gave her a price of a thousand dollars, and she leapt at it. It'd been so easy to stake her brother and get paid, that I wondered why all of us had done it for free, all those many years ago. I'd been doing odd jobs of that sort since.
"A few nights ago, my sister, Lara, was snatched from me by a group of people. At first, I thought they were human, but then I saw their eyes…and their fangs… They were vampires."
"Then please, accept my condolences on your loss."
"No, you don't understand," she insisted. "My sister's alive. I know it. You've got to help us. She's only fourteen."
I sighed. It was always hard when people didn't accept reality.
"Listen…vampires aren't known to grab young girls because they want to play hopscotch with them."
"I know what vampires are. I just don't think that they killed her. My sister…she's special. She's a vampire charmer."
Okay, hadn't seen that one coming. For years I'd heard rumors that there were people who could thrall demons just like vampires could thrall humans. The whole lure of being in control of that type of power had been known to snare quite a few individuals. Even Giles, in his younger days, had been prey to it. But these people were different. They had a gift. With a mental jerk, I brought myself back to the present conversation, where Grace was still talking.
"When we were attacked, Lara tried to enter their minds to control their wills, but she couldn't. I think that the vampires were already under control."
In a low voice, so soft I had to strain to hear her, she continued.
"I think a group of vampire charmers kidnapped my sister."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
We'd agreed on a price before she left; three thousand a night with nine thousand up front - no guarantees, no refunds. I always insisted on those last two stipulations. I couldn't prove that a pile of dust had been anyone's long lost relative, and if I died first night out on the job, I didn't want anyone thinking they could get some of their money back.
Grace had also given me a photo of her sister Lara. It showed a girl with huge eyes over a mouth filled with braces. Her hair was long and straight, but that wasn't what made my heart skip a beat. The girl was a redhead…just like Willow. Seeing visions of my childhood best friend when I looked at Lara's picture strengthened my desire to rescue her.
I had some connections with the demon community, and most of them knew not to bother me. But, if there was a group of vampires in thrall to a bunch of charmers, then I knew whom I had to talk to. And I wasn't looking forward to it.
In less than an hour, I was armed to the teeth, stakes in sleeves, knives at the ankles, crosses and packets of holy water on my person, and a Xander-special in my right hand pocket and at the small of my back. My destination was "The King of Cups", one of the fouler nightspots in town. Its clientele tended to be mostly demonic, with a few motley humans thrown in. Supposedly, it had the best selection of blood in town.
As I entered, I was pleased to note that the noise level dropped, and a few customers scurried towards the back door. I made my way to the bar and ordered a Diet Coke, and was soon joined by the manager, a vampire named Leon. Leon was one of the few vampires who didn't depend on his fangs to get him what he wanted, but on his brains. That's why he was in charge of the club, and why he knew that the best thing he could do was to try to get me to leave his establishment.
"I thought we had a deal, Xander," he said, angry at my presence, but trying to control it. "I thought you weren't going to come by no more."
"Hey, can't an old friend pay a visit?"
"Yeah, but whenever you come by, lots of my customers usually end up floating in the breeze. It's not good for business."
I turned, yanking him close to me, the stake in my sleeve poised over his heart, then smiled, though my voice was low and harsh.
"I need to see her."
"No. No way. Last time you saw her, it took me a week to get her back so she was semi-rational again."
"Let me put it another way, then. I'm going to see her. Even if I have to walk through a mountain of ex-vampire dust to do it."
Vampires are naturally paler than their human counterparts, but Leon turned a shade whiter, before swallowing heavily, and leading me towards the back. I followed him down a set of stairs, and through a warren of hallways, hallways that I hadn't been through in ages. Finally, we reached a large door ornamented with carvings of grotesque beasts. Leon motioned for me to go forward, while he turned and quickly made his way back the way we'd come. For a moment I stood there, before taking a deep breath and entering the room.
She'd been lounging on the bed, but when she saw me, she stood, and a pleased smile lit her face. Her dark hair cascaded down past her shoulders, contrasting nicely with the long white lace dress she wore. She was as beautiful as I remembered, and part of me responded to it.
"Kitten, you're early. Couldn't you wait for the moon to wail to see me again?"
Too bad Drusilla was just as crazy and deadly as ever.
- - - - - - - -
I'd been going through a bad, extremely self-destructive period when I'd had my little fling with the insane undead. Being with Dru had reminded me of home, of good memories and bad, and of all the lonely graves I'd stood beside, watching dirt being shoveled over the coffins of friends while other mourners walked away.
We'd been a strange couple in anyone's books, me crazy with guilt for surviving, Dru just plain crazy; but for a short time, it had worked. It didn't hurt that Drusilla was exceptionally talented. After only a week with her, I realized why Spike had stayed with her for more than a century. Hell, I was still a bit in love with her.
Her room was the same as I'd always seen it. There was a nightstand with candles lit on it. A dresser stood on the far side of the room where a stuffed black cat held prominence, and there was the bed. The extremely large soft bed where I'd laid for many nights having experiences that I still could hardly believed I'd lived through.
She moved towards me now, stroking my cheek with cool fingers before making a shallow slice in the skin. The rough brush of her tongue lapping at my blood followed, and I could feel myself begin to harden in anticipation. When her mouth slowly slid down my face towards my neck, I grabbed her arms and gently pushed her away. For a moment, Dru resisted, and then she raised her eyes to me, gave me a mischievous smile, and slid away.
Her tongue slipped out to retrieve the lingering taste of my blood on her lips as she looked me over. Down boy, down, I silently told the part of my anatomy that was making its interest extremely apparent when her eyes fell upon it. To distract my hormones, I started talking.
"Dru, I came to see you tonight for a reason."
"You always came for a reason, my brave dark knight, but you didn't always know the 'what' and 'wherefores'."
"This is time is different. I'm going to ask you a few questions, and it would make me really, really happy if when you answered, you left out anything about stars, fish, and Miss Edith."
A small pout appeared. God no, not the pout, I thought. Fortunately, she gave me a little nod, so I continued.
"I'm looking for some people who are in town. Evidently, they have the ability to thrall demons. They're vampire charmers."
"Ooh, nasty, stupid humans. Trying to set a trap, but they're clumsy. Get their foot caught, they do."
"You've heard of them, then. Good. Do you know where they are?"
Drusilla was becoming agitated. She began trembling, and her voice quivered.
"No. Mustn't find them. You'll only cause more salty rust on your armor. Someday, it'll eat through and corrode the tender inside."
"I have to find them. They kidnapped a young girl."
She stopped her shaking and stared.
"Is she beautiful? Dressed in silks and white petticoats, with lovely ribbons trailing from her hair? Spike brought me a girl like that…years ago."
Her face began to crumple with sadness.
"But now, there are no more presents for his princess."
Taking in a deep breath, I tried to take control of the conversation.
"Listen, Dru. I need to rescue this girl, but first I need to find her…or the people who took her. Do you know where they are?"
"I've heard them. Calling to unwary fledglings with their siren songs."
"And where did you hear them? Dru? Honey, do you remember?"
"Where the goddess Diana holds sway over the world."
For a moment, I considered asking her again to try to get an answer that made sense, but then I got it. I knew exactly where they were.
"Thanks, Dru. You've been a big help," I said as I turned to leave.
Drusilla closed the gap between us and clutched at my arm, looking up at me with her lovely eyes. I quickly averted my gaze. Didn't want to be thralled or anything.
"Must you leave? Don't you want to play with your beloved Dulcinea? We could have a party."
Carefully, I disengaged her hand from my arm. She was lovely and she needed me, and part of me liked being needed. But, I'd traveled down that road once before, and didn't care to repeat the journey.
"Drusilla, you know that I'm with someone else now. I love her. And you and I…it wouldn't work. It'd end the same way as it did before, with you trying to turn me and me trying to stake you."
Her right hand crept up to the scar she'd left on my throat, and I shivered at the memory of that particular close call. I took a step back then, away from her, and away from our past.
"I'm sorry, Dru."
It was only as I started through the doorway that she spoke again.
"Remember, my knight, that eyes are the windows to the soul and the heart contains the love, but it is the mind that wraps around it all."
Turning to give Drusilla one last look, I gave her a slightly crooked grin, and closed the door.
- - - - - - - -
Leon breathed an unnecessary, and quite obnoxiously loud, sigh of relief as I passed him on my way out of the club. It was only when I'd reached my parked car that I realized that I'd been followed. For vampires, who are famous for their silent stalking, they seemed fairly clumsy at it. I turned to face the four of them as they neared.
"Look, fellows. I already gave to the Red Cross this month, so why don't you just go back inside the club, have yourself a nice mug of O negative, and forget all about this?"
They didn't say anything; no banter, no explanation. When I pulled my Xander-special from my coat pocket, they didn't even acknowledge it. Usually, I get a laugh about how guns and bullets don't work on vampires. From these guys – nothing. They just kept stumbling closer, with their game faces up. Taking aim at the lead vamp, I fired, and a wooden shard of a bullet flew from my carefully crafted weapon, causing him to explode into tiny particles.
The three remaining vampires didn't even flinch. They just kept on walking towards me. So I fired again and again. There was one left now, and the parking lot was swirling with the remains of his companions when he suddenly stopped and looked around. He seemed confused, as if he didn't know where he was or why he was there. He glanced at me, and I saw that he recognized me for the split second before I fired and he, too, became dust. That was when I heard the running footsteps.
I took off after the runner. The only thing I saw, though, was a brief flash of a dark coat before the culprit rounded a corner. By the time I got there, a car was speeding away into the night.
Someone had just tried to kill me. Someone whose preferred method was death by vampire. The charmers knew I was coming.
tbc