Title:           Deadly Memories

Author:      mahaliem

Rating:       R

Summary:  Prequel to "Xander Harris – Carpenter Extraordinaire" Future Xander, haunted by the past, must save the world.

Disclaimer:  Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy

Think back to your most embarrassing, humiliating moment.  You know the one - we all have them.  The memory that makes you cringe and blood rush to your face, years, decades after the incident.  Got it?  Well, that was my entire high school experience.

                                                – Life, Death, and Other Things I'm Not Very Good At

                                                    by A. L. Harris

 Part 2

For the second time in a row, I awoke and marveled that I was alive.  Carefully, I touched the spot on my neck where Drusilla had fed.  The still-forming scabs were smaller than I thought they'd be, and were only slightly sore. 

I glanced around the bedroom.  Drusilla was nowhere to be seen, but I did spy some clothes at the foot of the bed that had to be for me.  Additionally, new tapers had replaced the candles that had begun to flicker low in their holders during our little sex romp. 

Quickly, I rose from the bed.  Too quickly, I realized, as I stumbled a bit, the blood loss kicking in.  I stilled until I felt that passing out was no longer likely, then reached for the clothes and donned them.  They were of good quality, better than what I usually wore, and I wondered whom they'd killed for them.  Fortunately, they were only a little big.  The shoes that were set out were mine, but had been polished to a shine.  I didn't know where the hell I was, but as places to stay went, this wasn't so bad.  My biggest complaint was no bathroom…and that was beginning to be a problem.

I crept to the door and quietly opened it, startling the vampire who stood outside.  He jumped slightly when he saw me poke my head out, and, when I glanced at him, I felt a bit insulted.  Vampires have super-strength, super-speed, and all that, but this one looked like he didn't have 'super' anything.    Also, he reminded me of my Uncle Henry Harris, who was currently a guest of the penal system of the state of New York for bookmaking.  Looking back, I realized that the summer I visited Uncle Henry when I was twelve, and seeing the thugs he hung around with, was actually good preparation for all the demon killing I later did, in Sunnydale.   

Nervously, the vampire dropped the cigarette he'd been smoking, and crushed it under his foot as he eyed me.  With a quick glance down the hallway, he picked the butt up and deposited it in a pocket.  Either we had a vamp here who was opposed to littering or Dru had a thing about cigarettes as well as drinking.  No cigarettes, no drinking…made me wonder how she and Spike had managed to last a century with her opposing two of his favorite activities. 

"Hi.  The name's Leon."

He stuck out a hand for me to shake.  I stared at it.  Self-consciously, he wiped it on his shirt and stuck it out again.  When I still ignored it, he dropped it to his side.

"Bathroom," I snapped.

For a moment, he was confused, then nodded in understanding.

"Sure.  Got one upstairs." 

We began walking down the hallway, turned several corners, went up a flight of stairs, where there were more hallways and more turns.  I soon was completely disoriented.  Occasionally, we passed a door, or another hallway ran off to the side, but we didn't see another person, either living or dead.  We climbed a last flight of stairs and reached what I assumed was the ground level, where we entered what could only be a storeroom for a bar.  The walls were lined with shelves full of liquor bottles, olives, and various other items that I thought that it was better to not look too closely at.  I could hear the clinking of glasses, the din of many conversations, and some non-descript music coming from the next room.

Leon indicated a door to the right.  Inside, I found a cracked sink, a scientific experiment gone bad amount of mold, and, thank God, a working toilet.  When I finished and left the little room, Leon was standing outside, waiting for me. 

He headed for the door that led to the bar, but stopped when he saw that I was hesitating.

"What?" Leon asked.

"Do you think that's a good idea…taking me into what I can only assume is a demon bar?"

"Relax, kid.  Miss Drusilla put out the word that you're her guest.  Not a single floppy hair on your head is to be touched.  Besides, was told I had to feed you."   

He swung the door open and walked through.  Not liking the situation one bit, I followed.  As I entered, conversations halted.  It wasn't just my imagination either.  It got so quiet, that I swore I could hear the chirping of crickets.  Then, I realized the chirping noise was coming from the purple demon on my left, but you get the idea. 

As Leon and I crossed the room and sat at an unoccupied table, the bar patrons stared at me, their gazes filled with both hatred and longing.  It was sort of like being a box of doughnuts at a Weight Watchers' meeting.   Leon motioned to a demon with a tray and she…well, I think it was a she…came over quickly.

"I'll have a glass of AB positive.  As for Mr. Harris, I think there's a meal already warming in the back for him."

"And what would the human liked to drink?" she hissed.

Remembering Dru's 'no sherry and cordials' rant from earlier, I quickly nixed the entire thought of a whiskey from my mind.

"I'll have a Diet Coke."

"We only have Pepsi."

"Okay…maybe a Diet Pepsi, then?"

With a slight roll of her three eyes, she wrote down my order and walked off.  In the meantime, the talking had started back up around us, but I could tell that I was still a focus of interest.  We were smack dab in the middle of the room, and my attention kept flitting around, trying to see if someone or something had decided to have me with their drink versus pretzels.  Leon noted my nervousness.

"Hey…take it easy.  No one's going to go up against Miss D.  Don't think anyone but the boss would have the balls for it."

"Why?  Why is every so scared of her?"

"Well…speaking for myself, there was a little incident about three months ago.  A fellow got a mite fresh with her...kind of touchy, feely…you know what I mean?"

I nodded, then thought back to what had happened between me and Dru earlier in the bedroom and twitched.

"She messed with him.  Played with his mind.  Next thing you know, the guy was biting off and eating his own fingers, like they were chicken legs or something.  Smacking his lips.  Now vamps tend to enjoy most things - the bloodier the better - but believe me, some of those watching that night tossed their cookies." 

The demon waitress arrived back at our table, set our drinks on coasters as neat as you please, then slapped a plate of food in front of me.  I eyed the meal, then glanced up to see a smirk on Leon's face.

"Hey, what do you know…fried chicken."

I guess he expected me to ignore it, or better yet, bolt from the table.  He didn't know that in the trying-to-gross-out-Xander-Harris category, he was outclassed.  Years ago, I'd had Spike as a roomie.  Chipped Spike, whose only outlet for viciousness had been to torment and annoy me, and one of his absolute favorite methods had been to tell me little stories as I ate.  Leon's smirk turned into surprise as I tore into the chicken, making sure to occasionally lick my fingers in the process.  As Spike would have said, Leon was a wanker.

I'd just finished my meal when a hand closed around me neck, lifting me from my chair. 

"I thought you said I was safe!" I yelled at Leon. 

Leon simply shrugged. 

"I said no one but the boss would have the balls to go up against Miss Dru.  Meet the boss."

The vampire who held me must have been almost seven feet tall, and topped the scale at three hundred pounds.  He pulled me close to his face, his yellow eyes studying me, raking up and down my length, while my toes dangled in a failed attempt to find the floor. 

"So…you're Xander Harris."

He glared at me.

"Don't see the attraction.  'Course, I haven't tasted you yet."

Twisting my head to one side, he started to pull my neck towards his mouth, when Drusilla's petulant tone rang out.

"No, Marvin.  Mustn't play with Kitten.  Now, put him down for Princess."

Marvin?  This big lug was called Marvin?

Marvin dropped me like a hot potato, and I unceremoniously fell to the floor.  I guess a bit of bruising wasn't that important to Drusilla, for she rushed over to the huge vampire, squealing how pleased she was that he was gentle with her new pet.  Marvin still didn't look too happy.  While Dru rubbed and patted him, he ordered Leon to take me back below.

We were winding our way through the corridors, when my voice kicked back in.

"So…this Marvin.  Is he always in such a pleasant mood, or did I meet him on a good day?"

For a moment, Leon was silent, before answering.

"You can't blame the guy.  He's got a nice set up here.  Good business, respect from the community…he has it all.  Then some human shows up and starts schtupping his girlfriend."

"Schtupping his…what?  Drusilla's his girlfriend?" I shouted.

"Yep."

We'd arrived back at the room, then.  With a mocking salute, Leon turned and left me, while I tried to process the information.  Crazy, deadly Drusilla had declared me hers and her Incredible Hulk of a boyfriend was thoroughly pissed.  Yes, Xander Harris' life was going just as well as it usually did. 

I was so screwed. 

TBC