Uncommon Knowledge Chapter 5: The stuff heroes and nightmares are made of.
Disclaimer: Still don't own X-Men or Buffy. After this coming weekend's high stakes poker game with Stan Lee and Joss Whedon, that may very well change. Yes, I live in my own little world, but it's ok, they know me here.
Warning: This chapter eventually discusses sexual assault/rape, NC=17 due to this, viewer discretion is advised.
Dedication: To my blindingly beautiful, absolutely wonderful fiancée (who'll eventually kill me for continuing to call her beautiful) I love you!
Special Thanks: to my reviewers (and my muses, Marie and Xander, as well) you guys are the reason I write! Thanks for all the positive feedback and support. It really brightens an otherwise horrid day to come home and see review alerts sitting in my inbox. You guys are the greatest!
We now return to our regularly scheduled fic
Feeling the shower begin to turn cold, Marie hurriedly rinsed off what soap was left on her body and turned off the water. Glancing guiltily at the clock mounted by the fogged up mirror on the wall, she noted that her shower had lasted for the better part of half an hour. " Ah hope Xander isn't too mad at me for using up his hot water" she muttered softly. She'd only intended to hop in the shower for a few minutes, ten at the most, but the hot water had felt too good to leave so soon. She'd lathered up and rinsed off three times while it had lasted, and for the first time in months, she finally felt clean. Physically anyway, she wasn't sure she'd ever feel clean in any other way again. She toweled off slowly, the events of the night once again running through her head, still not quite believing her luck in meeting someone like Xander. * Ah wonder if he's serious about letting me have his bed for the night. If he is, Ah'm marrying him, power be damned. Ah guess there's only one way to find out * she smiled and stepped into her panties, pulling them up quickly before slipping Xander's swim team shirt over her head. To her delight, it fell almost to the middle of her shins, leaving the barest amount of skin exposed. Growing up in Meridian, she'd never understood why guys liked the baggy clothes look, but at the moment, she was extremely thankful that Xander did. Her arms, however, were left exposed by the shirt's short sleeves, and so, she slipped into the bathrobe Xander had mentioned, and finally the gloves that had become a second skin.
Quietly slipping out of the bathroom, she was greeted by a somewhat surprising sight. Xander, knight in shining armor, protector of damsels, both human and mutant, was stretched out on the orange couch in front of the TV, watching Tom & Jerry cartoons. It was at once odd, and somehow fitting that she found him like that, and she wondered when the last time she'd been as happy as he looked was. * You know darn well when it was * she chided herself as she walked towards the couch * Before you discovered what kind of freak you are and ran away from home *. Telling herself to shut the hell up, she perched on the arm of the couch and delicately cleared her throat. Xander jumped slightly at the sound and quickly scooted over on the couch, giving her ample room to sit down.
"Have a nice shower?" he asked with a smile, taking in the sight before him. Her dark brown hair was still slightly wet and pulled back from her face, save for a few strands that had plastered themselves to her forehead. The t-shirt, from what he could see, had been even longer than he thought it would be. A hint of maroon fabric peeked out from under the white bathrobe, just about mid-shin. His gaze continued to sweep over her and he had to admit two things. One, she was excellent about covering up any exposed skin, and two, she was really quite beautiful. Especially when she smiled at him like she was now. * Watch it kid * the soldier reminded him * unless you want to spend awhile in a coma. And unlike Willow, you won't have anyone professing love there when, if, you wake up. *
Marie blushed slightly under his gaze and looked away, settling herself on the couch; curling her exposed ankles and feet under her, before answering., " Yea…Ah kinda used all of the hot water though. It'll probably take awhile for it to build up again"
" It's ok, I'm not a stranger to the occasional cold shower." The look on her face was well worth the reply as he continued, " It really helped out during high school, since my best friends were both beautiful women" A pause " Man, I never thought my parents' inability to pay the bills on time would be considered useful". The slightly shocked, slightly amused smile that Marie had worn, slid to something else, indecision perhaps, as she clearly didn't know how to react to his last statement. * Good one Harris * he chided himself * Once again open your mouth and insert both feet. On the bright side, it took longer for you to do it than normal. Maybe it's a sign that you're growing up.* He reached over and carefully pulled a gloved hand from her lap, holding it in his and smiled, " Hey, it's ok. My parents aren't ever going to win best parents of the year or ever, hell they probably shouldn't have been allowed to reproduce, but it's ok, it's behind me and my life is all in front of me."
Marie looked down at their joined hands, unsure of what to say. She was sure however, that her first impression of him as having a much easier life than hers was off, probably more off than she knew considering what he'd said about fighting vampires. * Hmmm…there's a nice conversation change * she thought, a smile fixing itself back on her face as she turned to him. " So Ah believe someone promised to tell me more about this Sunnydale after my shower. Well, Ah'm done with my shower, and not quite ready to hit the bed" She looked at him hesitantly and was reassured by the look in his eyes that he'd been serious when he offered the bed, "So, Ah'd love to hear all about this little town of yours. Ah'm warning you though, Ah don't scare easy, so don't hold anything back.."
Xander couldn't help it, a slow grin spread across his face. * Don't hold anything back, huh. I hope this place has a night light she can use later on*. Leaning back against the couch he gave her hand a soft squeeze, " Ok, but just remember, you asked for it." The look she gave him clearly said to get on with it, and feeling a bit like Giles, he began " In every generation, there is a Chosen One; well in almost every generation anyway, this one's been a little messed up, but we'll get to that later. She alone will stand against the Vampires, the Demons, and the forces of Darkness. She is the Slayer…" Seeing that his opening had caught her full attention, he launched into how he and Willow had met Buffy, and their exploits from sophomore year through graduation, leaving some parts out as necessary, mainly to make the tales shorter, but also to preserve what little dignity he had. After all, she didn't need to know just how many times running like a woman had saved his life. He also added others that not even Buffy and Wills were aware of, such as his showdown with Jack over the bomb in the school's basement. During the two and a half hours it took to recount almost everything that had ever happened since meeting Buffy and learning about the reality of the world, Xander noticed that Marie had curled more and more into herself, until she was almost in a fetal ball. "Not too scared are you? I mean we can leave the lights on when we go to sleep if that'll help."
" Ah'm not scared at all." She replied; trying not to think about how many times the world had almost ended without anyone knowing it, the slight tremble in her voice belied her true feelings however. " Ok, maybe a little." She eyed him speculatively before speaking again, " You're like some kind of superhero, saving the world as many times as you have."
Xander smiled, " This coming from the person who actually has superhuman powers in this room? Trust me, I'm no superhero. Buffy, Willow, Dead boy, hell even Giles are closer to being superheroes than I am. I'm just the normal guy who's too stubborn to stay out of the way when his friends are in trouble."
An answering smile tugged at her lips " And my power is just oh so useful. You're more of a hero than Ah am Xander. Ah mean, can you see me wearing some spandex get up and saving the world on a regular basis? Ah am, or rather was, just a normal girl with plans for the future. Now Ah'm some freak without a home, traveling from city to city and trying to avoid being noticed. Not exactly hero material, now am Ah?"
He studied her carefully for a moment before replying, " I think you'd look great in some spandex get up. In fact, you'd be a real knock out; and considering your power, that could be your code name. Knock Out, the untouchable"
For the first time since the discovery of her powers, Marie actually laughed about them; it was a soft, amused sound that seemed to fill the room. " Right, Ah don't think so. You on the other hand could work wonders as Ordinary Guy, saving the world by night, and getting himself into all sorts of trouble by day. You could be like Batman without the money…or the car…..or the gadgets…" She grinned, fully prepared to go on when he stopped her.
"Alright, alright, I get the picture," he said, holding up a hand to forestall any more comparisons between himself and the legendary dark knight., " Look, I know I told you I have some questions about mutancy, but it's almost three a.m. Would you mind if I left them for the morning and we hit the sack…..err…you hit the sack, and I'll hit the couch," he corrected. Suppressing a yawn, Marie nodded and climbed up onto the bed, pulling the sheets around her for extra warmth. She opened her mouth to say something, but Xander beat her to it " Don't worry about the lights Marie, I'll take care of them."
" Goodnight Xander," she said softly, watching as he walked over to the wall and flipped the switch, plunging the room into darkness, " And thank you. For everything." The sheets rustled as she snuggled down into the warmth, a soft sigh escaping her lips. Xander stumbled his way carefully back to the couch, miraculously avoiding stubbing his toes on anything. His mind was, of course, focused on the young woman occupying the bed and what the morning would bring. She didn't seem to have any definitive plans for the future, and neither did he. After all, with Buffy and Willow heading off to UC Sunnydale in the fall, it was likely that he'd be persona-non- grata even more than he had been over the past year. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea if he asked her to hit the road with him. It'd be nice to have company other than the voices in his head for a change.
* Yea, right kid * the soldier piped up * The hellmouth has a better chance of freezing over than you do of getting her to tie herself down with you* With a sigh, Xander sat up on the couch, knowing this interior argument could last awhile. * Soldier boy's right * the hyena added, one of the few times it put its feelings into words instead of feral impulses.
* Great * Xander thought, * When the two of you are agreeing on something, I know we've got a problem. However, I think you guys are wrong on this. First of all, to the accusation of her tying herself down, can we say over reaction? I'm not proposing to the girl, just thinking that she might want to stick around for awhile. It might help her to learn some self defense if she hangs out with me for awhile, I'm no Watcher, but I could give her some pointers on how to identify and avoid vampires and other demons.*
* Oh, of course kid. Your motivation here is strictly altruistic* the soldier sniped, underscored by a mental chuckle from the hyena. * But, on the off chance that you honestly believe that, it still isn't going to do any good. Fur brains here tried to tell you earlier, she's not ready to settle down, and I have to agree that she's too much of a rogue to settle even enough to go on a road trip. You have to be to survive on the streets as long as she has. Maybe someday she'll be ready to accept help on a more permanent basis, but kid, the most you're going to get is helping her tonight. It's about even money that she'll be gone before you wake up in the morning.*
* Alright, alright, * Xander sighed in resignation, * But you're wrong about her being out of here before I wake up* Walking into the small kitchen of the room, he gathered a few empty soda cans and arranged them in a pyramid in front of the door, hoping that Marie wouldn't think to look down if she decided to try and sneak out without saying goodbye. It wasn't the most elaborate trick in the world, he'd probably picked it up in a movie, but years of late night study sessions where his sleep could be randomly be interrupted by an irate English Watcher had trained him to be a light sleeper; the sound of falling cans would be more than enough to jerk him back into consciousness.
Deciding that he wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon, Xander took a seat at the desk across from the bed, watching Marie sleep. Her face was a mask of serenity, her arms curled around the extra pillow on the bed in s tight hug. Not for the first time, he considered the possibility that if there was some sort of higher power out there, it wasn't the most benevolent; his thoughts drifting back to Sunnydale and Buffy, who's life was predestined to be cut short, in an ugly and violent manner. Now there was Marie, saddled with a power she couldn't control and could barely understand. It just wasn't fair! * Life ain't fair kid, no one ever said it was * the soldier offered * Sometimes you just play the hand you're dealt. You can't help everyone.*
* Watch me * Xander shot back. As quietly as he could, he rose from the chair and walked to the dresser, opening the top drawer and pulling out a crinkled old envelope. Inside was the money he'd saved for his road trip, significantly less than it had been at the start, barely a couple hundred dollars now. It'd mean that he'd have to cut the rest of his trip short, maybe even pick up an odd job or two but….he glanced back at Marie's sleeping form and his mind was made up. Taking the remainder of the cash from the envelope, he walked back to the desk and, taking a pen and some paper from the desk drawer, wrote a short letter. Finally, he slipped the thin wad of bills and the letter into another envelope and quietly snuck it into her jacket pocket where the coat lay crumpled on the floor. He was on his way back to the couch, and hopefully a few hours of sleep, when an ear piercing shriek stopped him in his tracks.
Marie sat straight up in the bed, the sheets soaked in sudden sweat and crumpled around her waist, her eyes wide open and yet unseeing, save the terror in her mind. " No! God no! Please…." Tears streamed from her eyes unabashedly. Without a second thought, Xander flew to the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist. Locked in the terror of her memory however, the sensation of being held caused Marie to lash out, striking him in the chest with a sharp elbow, eliciting a "oof" in response. The unexpected sound seemed to do the trick, and she blinked, slowly seeming to realize where she was and who she was with. " Xander?" she whispered softly; he nodded, about to ask if she was alright, when she threw herself down onto him, arms encircling his waist as she sobbed against his chest. She felt his hands begin to slowly rub her back as she cried, and slowly the tears died off to mere hiccups and whimpers. It'd been almost a month without the dream tormenting her; she'd even begun to hope that he had finally been forced out of her head. " Ah'm sorry" she whispered, pulling her head away from his chest, revealing a dark damp spot where her tears had soaked his shirt.
" Hey, it's ok, I've been meaning to do the laundry anyway. You just saved me a wash cycle" he joked, but his eyes and face belied his concern. The unspoken question of was she ok evident in his expression and how he held her.
" It was two months after Ah left home" she began without preamble; Xander nodded silently and continued to rub her back supportively, " Ah wasn't used to the road yet, Ah was still a fairly heavy sleeper, even on hard alleys, and for the most part, no one bothered me. One night that changed. Ah woke up to the feeling of my pants being pulled down, at first Ah thought it was someone just trying to rob me. When Ah opened my eyes, Ah saw this man, with horrible hate filled eyes, holding a knife to my throat with one hand and pulling my pants down with the other. When Ah saw that his were already down, Ah knew what he was going to do. So Ah tried to fight, to beg, anything. It didn't work…He finally got my pants and panties down and was going to put it in me when Ah tried to stop him one more time. Ah even tried to tell him Ah was a mutant, and he just laughed. God, that laugh" she shuddered and wiped away the unbidden tears spilling down her cheeks, " He tried putting it in me, and that was the last mistake he ever made. Not even a minute after that first thrust, he began to scream and fell away. But Ah…Ah got his memories….Ah wasn't the first girl he'd done that to….but Ah made sure Ah was the last. Ah picked up the knife from the ground where he dropped it and Ah shoved it into his heart and twisted….Ah…ah killed him" The last part was whispered as she broke down into sobs again, burying her face against Xander's chest.
* Shit * the soldier sent as Xander pulled her closer to him * I was wrong kid, you're doing the right thing in helping this one. If she hadn't taken care of him, between you me and fur for brains, I'm sure we could have hunted the bastard down and done it.* Xander didn't acknowledge the thought, he was focused solely on Marie and comforting her. What seemed like an eternity later, she pulled her head back once more, the wet spot on his shirt considerably larger. Xander flashed her a careful smile " And you say you aren't a hero"
" Ah'm not. Didn't you hear me, Ah killed a man. Not a demon, a man. A horrible man, hut a man" She said harshly.
" And if you hadn't, he'd probably have killed you Marie. It's self defense, and quite frankly, no one is going to cry over that one being put in the ground. He may not have had horns or a tail, but he was a demon. He lost all traces of humanity the first time he forced himself on a woman" Xander replied softly, kindly, as if he were afraid she'd break if he was too firm in his choice of words.
Tiredly, Marie simply nodded, " Hold me?" she asked plaintively. Before he could ask her what she meant, Marie laid back on the bed and arched her body up so the covers hung down under her body. Xander quickly caught on to how she meant and slipped an arm under the covers, safely protected from any accidental contact with her bare skin, the other arm wrapping itself around her waist. Marie snuggled down into his arms, her back against his chest. Though neither of the bed's occupants said a word, it was a long while before they drifted off to sleep together.
Disclaimer: Still don't own X-Men or Buffy. After this coming weekend's high stakes poker game with Stan Lee and Joss Whedon, that may very well change. Yes, I live in my own little world, but it's ok, they know me here.
Warning: This chapter eventually discusses sexual assault/rape, NC=17 due to this, viewer discretion is advised.
Dedication: To my blindingly beautiful, absolutely wonderful fiancée (who'll eventually kill me for continuing to call her beautiful) I love you!
Special Thanks: to my reviewers (and my muses, Marie and Xander, as well) you guys are the reason I write! Thanks for all the positive feedback and support. It really brightens an otherwise horrid day to come home and see review alerts sitting in my inbox. You guys are the greatest!
We now return to our regularly scheduled fic
Feeling the shower begin to turn cold, Marie hurriedly rinsed off what soap was left on her body and turned off the water. Glancing guiltily at the clock mounted by the fogged up mirror on the wall, she noted that her shower had lasted for the better part of half an hour. " Ah hope Xander isn't too mad at me for using up his hot water" she muttered softly. She'd only intended to hop in the shower for a few minutes, ten at the most, but the hot water had felt too good to leave so soon. She'd lathered up and rinsed off three times while it had lasted, and for the first time in months, she finally felt clean. Physically anyway, she wasn't sure she'd ever feel clean in any other way again. She toweled off slowly, the events of the night once again running through her head, still not quite believing her luck in meeting someone like Xander. * Ah wonder if he's serious about letting me have his bed for the night. If he is, Ah'm marrying him, power be damned. Ah guess there's only one way to find out * she smiled and stepped into her panties, pulling them up quickly before slipping Xander's swim team shirt over her head. To her delight, it fell almost to the middle of her shins, leaving the barest amount of skin exposed. Growing up in Meridian, she'd never understood why guys liked the baggy clothes look, but at the moment, she was extremely thankful that Xander did. Her arms, however, were left exposed by the shirt's short sleeves, and so, she slipped into the bathrobe Xander had mentioned, and finally the gloves that had become a second skin.
Quietly slipping out of the bathroom, she was greeted by a somewhat surprising sight. Xander, knight in shining armor, protector of damsels, both human and mutant, was stretched out on the orange couch in front of the TV, watching Tom & Jerry cartoons. It was at once odd, and somehow fitting that she found him like that, and she wondered when the last time she'd been as happy as he looked was. * You know darn well when it was * she chided herself as she walked towards the couch * Before you discovered what kind of freak you are and ran away from home *. Telling herself to shut the hell up, she perched on the arm of the couch and delicately cleared her throat. Xander jumped slightly at the sound and quickly scooted over on the couch, giving her ample room to sit down.
"Have a nice shower?" he asked with a smile, taking in the sight before him. Her dark brown hair was still slightly wet and pulled back from her face, save for a few strands that had plastered themselves to her forehead. The t-shirt, from what he could see, had been even longer than he thought it would be. A hint of maroon fabric peeked out from under the white bathrobe, just about mid-shin. His gaze continued to sweep over her and he had to admit two things. One, she was excellent about covering up any exposed skin, and two, she was really quite beautiful. Especially when she smiled at him like she was now. * Watch it kid * the soldier reminded him * unless you want to spend awhile in a coma. And unlike Willow, you won't have anyone professing love there when, if, you wake up. *
Marie blushed slightly under his gaze and looked away, settling herself on the couch; curling her exposed ankles and feet under her, before answering., " Yea…Ah kinda used all of the hot water though. It'll probably take awhile for it to build up again"
" It's ok, I'm not a stranger to the occasional cold shower." The look on her face was well worth the reply as he continued, " It really helped out during high school, since my best friends were both beautiful women" A pause " Man, I never thought my parents' inability to pay the bills on time would be considered useful". The slightly shocked, slightly amused smile that Marie had worn, slid to something else, indecision perhaps, as she clearly didn't know how to react to his last statement. * Good one Harris * he chided himself * Once again open your mouth and insert both feet. On the bright side, it took longer for you to do it than normal. Maybe it's a sign that you're growing up.* He reached over and carefully pulled a gloved hand from her lap, holding it in his and smiled, " Hey, it's ok. My parents aren't ever going to win best parents of the year or ever, hell they probably shouldn't have been allowed to reproduce, but it's ok, it's behind me and my life is all in front of me."
Marie looked down at their joined hands, unsure of what to say. She was sure however, that her first impression of him as having a much easier life than hers was off, probably more off than she knew considering what he'd said about fighting vampires. * Hmmm…there's a nice conversation change * she thought, a smile fixing itself back on her face as she turned to him. " So Ah believe someone promised to tell me more about this Sunnydale after my shower. Well, Ah'm done with my shower, and not quite ready to hit the bed" She looked at him hesitantly and was reassured by the look in his eyes that he'd been serious when he offered the bed, "So, Ah'd love to hear all about this little town of yours. Ah'm warning you though, Ah don't scare easy, so don't hold anything back.."
Xander couldn't help it, a slow grin spread across his face. * Don't hold anything back, huh. I hope this place has a night light she can use later on*. Leaning back against the couch he gave her hand a soft squeeze, " Ok, but just remember, you asked for it." The look she gave him clearly said to get on with it, and feeling a bit like Giles, he began " In every generation, there is a Chosen One; well in almost every generation anyway, this one's been a little messed up, but we'll get to that later. She alone will stand against the Vampires, the Demons, and the forces of Darkness. She is the Slayer…" Seeing that his opening had caught her full attention, he launched into how he and Willow had met Buffy, and their exploits from sophomore year through graduation, leaving some parts out as necessary, mainly to make the tales shorter, but also to preserve what little dignity he had. After all, she didn't need to know just how many times running like a woman had saved his life. He also added others that not even Buffy and Wills were aware of, such as his showdown with Jack over the bomb in the school's basement. During the two and a half hours it took to recount almost everything that had ever happened since meeting Buffy and learning about the reality of the world, Xander noticed that Marie had curled more and more into herself, until she was almost in a fetal ball. "Not too scared are you? I mean we can leave the lights on when we go to sleep if that'll help."
" Ah'm not scared at all." She replied; trying not to think about how many times the world had almost ended without anyone knowing it, the slight tremble in her voice belied her true feelings however. " Ok, maybe a little." She eyed him speculatively before speaking again, " You're like some kind of superhero, saving the world as many times as you have."
Xander smiled, " This coming from the person who actually has superhuman powers in this room? Trust me, I'm no superhero. Buffy, Willow, Dead boy, hell even Giles are closer to being superheroes than I am. I'm just the normal guy who's too stubborn to stay out of the way when his friends are in trouble."
An answering smile tugged at her lips " And my power is just oh so useful. You're more of a hero than Ah am Xander. Ah mean, can you see me wearing some spandex get up and saving the world on a regular basis? Ah am, or rather was, just a normal girl with plans for the future. Now Ah'm some freak without a home, traveling from city to city and trying to avoid being noticed. Not exactly hero material, now am Ah?"
He studied her carefully for a moment before replying, " I think you'd look great in some spandex get up. In fact, you'd be a real knock out; and considering your power, that could be your code name. Knock Out, the untouchable"
For the first time since the discovery of her powers, Marie actually laughed about them; it was a soft, amused sound that seemed to fill the room. " Right, Ah don't think so. You on the other hand could work wonders as Ordinary Guy, saving the world by night, and getting himself into all sorts of trouble by day. You could be like Batman without the money…or the car…..or the gadgets…" She grinned, fully prepared to go on when he stopped her.
"Alright, alright, I get the picture," he said, holding up a hand to forestall any more comparisons between himself and the legendary dark knight., " Look, I know I told you I have some questions about mutancy, but it's almost three a.m. Would you mind if I left them for the morning and we hit the sack…..err…you hit the sack, and I'll hit the couch," he corrected. Suppressing a yawn, Marie nodded and climbed up onto the bed, pulling the sheets around her for extra warmth. She opened her mouth to say something, but Xander beat her to it " Don't worry about the lights Marie, I'll take care of them."
" Goodnight Xander," she said softly, watching as he walked over to the wall and flipped the switch, plunging the room into darkness, " And thank you. For everything." The sheets rustled as she snuggled down into the warmth, a soft sigh escaping her lips. Xander stumbled his way carefully back to the couch, miraculously avoiding stubbing his toes on anything. His mind was, of course, focused on the young woman occupying the bed and what the morning would bring. She didn't seem to have any definitive plans for the future, and neither did he. After all, with Buffy and Willow heading off to UC Sunnydale in the fall, it was likely that he'd be persona-non- grata even more than he had been over the past year. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea if he asked her to hit the road with him. It'd be nice to have company other than the voices in his head for a change.
* Yea, right kid * the soldier piped up * The hellmouth has a better chance of freezing over than you do of getting her to tie herself down with you* With a sigh, Xander sat up on the couch, knowing this interior argument could last awhile. * Soldier boy's right * the hyena added, one of the few times it put its feelings into words instead of feral impulses.
* Great * Xander thought, * When the two of you are agreeing on something, I know we've got a problem. However, I think you guys are wrong on this. First of all, to the accusation of her tying herself down, can we say over reaction? I'm not proposing to the girl, just thinking that she might want to stick around for awhile. It might help her to learn some self defense if she hangs out with me for awhile, I'm no Watcher, but I could give her some pointers on how to identify and avoid vampires and other demons.*
* Oh, of course kid. Your motivation here is strictly altruistic* the soldier sniped, underscored by a mental chuckle from the hyena. * But, on the off chance that you honestly believe that, it still isn't going to do any good. Fur brains here tried to tell you earlier, she's not ready to settle down, and I have to agree that she's too much of a rogue to settle even enough to go on a road trip. You have to be to survive on the streets as long as she has. Maybe someday she'll be ready to accept help on a more permanent basis, but kid, the most you're going to get is helping her tonight. It's about even money that she'll be gone before you wake up in the morning.*
* Alright, alright, * Xander sighed in resignation, * But you're wrong about her being out of here before I wake up* Walking into the small kitchen of the room, he gathered a few empty soda cans and arranged them in a pyramid in front of the door, hoping that Marie wouldn't think to look down if she decided to try and sneak out without saying goodbye. It wasn't the most elaborate trick in the world, he'd probably picked it up in a movie, but years of late night study sessions where his sleep could be randomly be interrupted by an irate English Watcher had trained him to be a light sleeper; the sound of falling cans would be more than enough to jerk him back into consciousness.
Deciding that he wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon, Xander took a seat at the desk across from the bed, watching Marie sleep. Her face was a mask of serenity, her arms curled around the extra pillow on the bed in s tight hug. Not for the first time, he considered the possibility that if there was some sort of higher power out there, it wasn't the most benevolent; his thoughts drifting back to Sunnydale and Buffy, who's life was predestined to be cut short, in an ugly and violent manner. Now there was Marie, saddled with a power she couldn't control and could barely understand. It just wasn't fair! * Life ain't fair kid, no one ever said it was * the soldier offered * Sometimes you just play the hand you're dealt. You can't help everyone.*
* Watch me * Xander shot back. As quietly as he could, he rose from the chair and walked to the dresser, opening the top drawer and pulling out a crinkled old envelope. Inside was the money he'd saved for his road trip, significantly less than it had been at the start, barely a couple hundred dollars now. It'd mean that he'd have to cut the rest of his trip short, maybe even pick up an odd job or two but….he glanced back at Marie's sleeping form and his mind was made up. Taking the remainder of the cash from the envelope, he walked back to the desk and, taking a pen and some paper from the desk drawer, wrote a short letter. Finally, he slipped the thin wad of bills and the letter into another envelope and quietly snuck it into her jacket pocket where the coat lay crumpled on the floor. He was on his way back to the couch, and hopefully a few hours of sleep, when an ear piercing shriek stopped him in his tracks.
Marie sat straight up in the bed, the sheets soaked in sudden sweat and crumpled around her waist, her eyes wide open and yet unseeing, save the terror in her mind. " No! God no! Please…." Tears streamed from her eyes unabashedly. Without a second thought, Xander flew to the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist. Locked in the terror of her memory however, the sensation of being held caused Marie to lash out, striking him in the chest with a sharp elbow, eliciting a "oof" in response. The unexpected sound seemed to do the trick, and she blinked, slowly seeming to realize where she was and who she was with. " Xander?" she whispered softly; he nodded, about to ask if she was alright, when she threw herself down onto him, arms encircling his waist as she sobbed against his chest. She felt his hands begin to slowly rub her back as she cried, and slowly the tears died off to mere hiccups and whimpers. It'd been almost a month without the dream tormenting her; she'd even begun to hope that he had finally been forced out of her head. " Ah'm sorry" she whispered, pulling her head away from his chest, revealing a dark damp spot where her tears had soaked his shirt.
" Hey, it's ok, I've been meaning to do the laundry anyway. You just saved me a wash cycle" he joked, but his eyes and face belied his concern. The unspoken question of was she ok evident in his expression and how he held her.
" It was two months after Ah left home" she began without preamble; Xander nodded silently and continued to rub her back supportively, " Ah wasn't used to the road yet, Ah was still a fairly heavy sleeper, even on hard alleys, and for the most part, no one bothered me. One night that changed. Ah woke up to the feeling of my pants being pulled down, at first Ah thought it was someone just trying to rob me. When Ah opened my eyes, Ah saw this man, with horrible hate filled eyes, holding a knife to my throat with one hand and pulling my pants down with the other. When Ah saw that his were already down, Ah knew what he was going to do. So Ah tried to fight, to beg, anything. It didn't work…He finally got my pants and panties down and was going to put it in me when Ah tried to stop him one more time. Ah even tried to tell him Ah was a mutant, and he just laughed. God, that laugh" she shuddered and wiped away the unbidden tears spilling down her cheeks, " He tried putting it in me, and that was the last mistake he ever made. Not even a minute after that first thrust, he began to scream and fell away. But Ah…Ah got his memories….Ah wasn't the first girl he'd done that to….but Ah made sure Ah was the last. Ah picked up the knife from the ground where he dropped it and Ah shoved it into his heart and twisted….Ah…ah killed him" The last part was whispered as she broke down into sobs again, burying her face against Xander's chest.
* Shit * the soldier sent as Xander pulled her closer to him * I was wrong kid, you're doing the right thing in helping this one. If she hadn't taken care of him, between you me and fur for brains, I'm sure we could have hunted the bastard down and done it.* Xander didn't acknowledge the thought, he was focused solely on Marie and comforting her. What seemed like an eternity later, she pulled her head back once more, the wet spot on his shirt considerably larger. Xander flashed her a careful smile " And you say you aren't a hero"
" Ah'm not. Didn't you hear me, Ah killed a man. Not a demon, a man. A horrible man, hut a man" She said harshly.
" And if you hadn't, he'd probably have killed you Marie. It's self defense, and quite frankly, no one is going to cry over that one being put in the ground. He may not have had horns or a tail, but he was a demon. He lost all traces of humanity the first time he forced himself on a woman" Xander replied softly, kindly, as if he were afraid she'd break if he was too firm in his choice of words.
Tiredly, Marie simply nodded, " Hold me?" she asked plaintively. Before he could ask her what she meant, Marie laid back on the bed and arched her body up so the covers hung down under her body. Xander quickly caught on to how she meant and slipped an arm under the covers, safely protected from any accidental contact with her bare skin, the other arm wrapping itself around her waist. Marie snuggled down into his arms, her back against his chest. Though neither of the bed's occupants said a word, it was a long while before they drifted off to sleep together.