CHAPTER 3 "UNTITLED"
- 1:43 a.m. -
A mentally frustrated Xander tosses and turns in his bed. He grabs a pillow and puts it over his head.
"Nope, not going to happen. No sleep for me. And why not? I only have to work a ten hour shift tomorrow." Lays his head back down and says,
"So not gonna happen. Might as well join Buffy. If I can't sleep, might as well kill something evil. Up, up and away Xander." He gets up and gets his car keys and heads to the door. He realizes he is still wearing his pajamas.
"Screw it. Vamps aren't very fashion wise anyway." And heads out to his car. He closes the door and starts the car. Realizes he is wearing fuzzy bunny slippers and goes back in. He looks around and sees a pair of his shoes by a night stand and changes. Answering machine light blinking, Xander presses it with curiosity and listens. Nothing and then the phone in the message slams down.
"Ah no." He dials Buffy's house. It rings and rings with no answer. He hangs up worried and calls Anya.
"Anya, it's me. dawn and Giles might be missing and I can't get a hold of Willow. I'm coming by to get you. Pick up if you are there." He hangs up and runs to the car.
"I don't know why I do it. Put my life in danger, take all this. I might as well volunteer fireman; the pay is equal." Pulls out and drives off.
"What am I going to tell work? Three of my best friends disappeared in the middle of the night and I had to go find them, but they're okay? I'm gonna lose my job. My home! My big beautiful home, with the big windows. No, I can't let it happen. Anya's not going to pay and Buffy..." Trails off and stops behind a car at a stop sign.
"Hey! You may have all night, but I don't!" The car doesn't move. It's off he notes as he walks up to it. No one is inside it. It's in park with the heads lights on. He checks the back seat and then puts his ear to the trunk. No sound so he goes back to his car.
"Odd. I'm sure it's some kind of car jacking demon monster that has to have a nice set of wheels." Starts up and drives around it. He sees other cars like it and drives by slowly peering through the windows. Nobody.
"All alone. Xander, you got your wish. No Dawn, no Giles, no Anya, no Buffy... Buffy. You know I still feel for you. Sometimes I look at you and think about how strong and beautiful you are and how you'll never care. My own personal steak through the heart. It's tough on me to be so in ... and unable to express it to you, or do anything. I love Anya, but..." Pulls up to Anya's house. Steps out and heads to her door. He knocks on her door loudly many times and calls out,
"Anya! Anya! It's me, Xander! Are you there?" He pulls out his spare key to her place and goes in. The lights are off except in her bedroom. He enters. She is not there, but the lights are on.
"Anya! Where are you?" He turns the light off and goes back to the front door. He closes it and goes back into his car.
"Okay, this worries me. You know, just when I thought Sunnydale couldn't get any brighter and full of sunshine ... the only silver linings are on the coffins." He starts the car and leaves.
"A directionless loser, they were right. Going no where. I waste away my youth building things. Even Anya own the Magic Box. I contribute nothing. And it's not like Buffy would listen anyway, she's all high and mighty on her slayer pedestal. It doesn't matter what we suggest ... what I suggest. I'm just that pathetic guy who gets cold cocked every time. I used to be the guy Dawn looked up to and had a crush on. Now I'm jus living annoying joke. I used to be that friend that Willow knew, now the distance is so far apart we can't even see ourselves for what we now are. Whoa Xander, how prophetic," sighs, "Anya hates me and I just plain bother Giles. Riley was the only one that respected me. Old white head Spike clearly would suck me dry given the opportunity ... never say that to anyone out loud. Wonder what ever happened to Oz?" He stops the car in the cemetery and shuts it off. He pauses and listens to it's errie silence.
"Damn," he says as he gets out and locks it, "didn't bring any weapons. Buffy! Are you here?! It's Xander!" He hears no reply and starts easing his way through the plots. The moon was covered by the night clouds partially.
"Buffy! Where are you?!" A voice circulates through the air.
"She can't hear you..." He puts his fists up and looks around and says back,
"If you've harmed her, I swear I'll ... do really horrible things to you that might possibly hurt ... a little..." The voice laughs.
"Run..." Xander takes a gulp and does just that. With his heart pounding he makes a mad dash for his car. His hand catches the window, stopping him from smacking into it's side. He fiddles with the keys and drops them. The voice so close now, he runs instead of picking them up.
"I can make it. I can make it. Magic Box isn't so far." The footsteps gaining he worries aloud.
"Maybe not. Buffy!"
- 1:43 a.m. -
A mentally frustrated Xander tosses and turns in his bed. He grabs a pillow and puts it over his head.
"Nope, not going to happen. No sleep for me. And why not? I only have to work a ten hour shift tomorrow." Lays his head back down and says,
"So not gonna happen. Might as well join Buffy. If I can't sleep, might as well kill something evil. Up, up and away Xander." He gets up and gets his car keys and heads to the door. He realizes he is still wearing his pajamas.
"Screw it. Vamps aren't very fashion wise anyway." And heads out to his car. He closes the door and starts the car. Realizes he is wearing fuzzy bunny slippers and goes back in. He looks around and sees a pair of his shoes by a night stand and changes. Answering machine light blinking, Xander presses it with curiosity and listens. Nothing and then the phone in the message slams down.
"Ah no." He dials Buffy's house. It rings and rings with no answer. He hangs up worried and calls Anya.
"Anya, it's me. dawn and Giles might be missing and I can't get a hold of Willow. I'm coming by to get you. Pick up if you are there." He hangs up and runs to the car.
"I don't know why I do it. Put my life in danger, take all this. I might as well volunteer fireman; the pay is equal." Pulls out and drives off.
"What am I going to tell work? Three of my best friends disappeared in the middle of the night and I had to go find them, but they're okay? I'm gonna lose my job. My home! My big beautiful home, with the big windows. No, I can't let it happen. Anya's not going to pay and Buffy..." Trails off and stops behind a car at a stop sign.
"Hey! You may have all night, but I don't!" The car doesn't move. It's off he notes as he walks up to it. No one is inside it. It's in park with the heads lights on. He checks the back seat and then puts his ear to the trunk. No sound so he goes back to his car.
"Odd. I'm sure it's some kind of car jacking demon monster that has to have a nice set of wheels." Starts up and drives around it. He sees other cars like it and drives by slowly peering through the windows. Nobody.
"All alone. Xander, you got your wish. No Dawn, no Giles, no Anya, no Buffy... Buffy. You know I still feel for you. Sometimes I look at you and think about how strong and beautiful you are and how you'll never care. My own personal steak through the heart. It's tough on me to be so in ... and unable to express it to you, or do anything. I love Anya, but..." Pulls up to Anya's house. Steps out and heads to her door. He knocks on her door loudly many times and calls out,
"Anya! Anya! It's me, Xander! Are you there?" He pulls out his spare key to her place and goes in. The lights are off except in her bedroom. He enters. She is not there, but the lights are on.
"Anya! Where are you?" He turns the light off and goes back to the front door. He closes it and goes back into his car.
"Okay, this worries me. You know, just when I thought Sunnydale couldn't get any brighter and full of sunshine ... the only silver linings are on the coffins." He starts the car and leaves.
"A directionless loser, they were right. Going no where. I waste away my youth building things. Even Anya own the Magic Box. I contribute nothing. And it's not like Buffy would listen anyway, she's all high and mighty on her slayer pedestal. It doesn't matter what we suggest ... what I suggest. I'm just that pathetic guy who gets cold cocked every time. I used to be the guy Dawn looked up to and had a crush on. Now I'm jus living annoying joke. I used to be that friend that Willow knew, now the distance is so far apart we can't even see ourselves for what we now are. Whoa Xander, how prophetic," sighs, "Anya hates me and I just plain bother Giles. Riley was the only one that respected me. Old white head Spike clearly would suck me dry given the opportunity ... never say that to anyone out loud. Wonder what ever happened to Oz?" He stops the car in the cemetery and shuts it off. He pauses and listens to it's errie silence.
"Damn," he says as he gets out and locks it, "didn't bring any weapons. Buffy! Are you here?! It's Xander!" He hears no reply and starts easing his way through the plots. The moon was covered by the night clouds partially.
"Buffy! Where are you?!" A voice circulates through the air.
"She can't hear you..." He puts his fists up and looks around and says back,
"If you've harmed her, I swear I'll ... do really horrible things to you that might possibly hurt ... a little..." The voice laughs.
"Run..." Xander takes a gulp and does just that. With his heart pounding he makes a mad dash for his car. His hand catches the window, stopping him from smacking into it's side. He fiddles with the keys and drops them. The voice so close now, he runs instead of picking them up.
"I can make it. I can make it. Magic Box isn't so far." The footsteps gaining he worries aloud.
"Maybe not. Buffy!"