-'Enter Sandman.'-
Pairings: a little angst for right now, something more substantial later.
A/N: Special thanks to Ed Scott for editing and betaing. Also, if anyone's in the National Guard, don't take offense. The National Guard has an important part to play in the nations defense. Besides, in cannon, they stole it from a National Guard Armory.
A/N2: God knows you can't write more unless you get reviews. And I wasn't planning on releasing this part till later in the week. See? Good things happen when I get lots of nice reviews.
Disclaimers: I don't own anything relating to Buffy, Angel.
Timeframe: S2 AU "Innocence," you know the episode after Buffy sleeps with Angel.
Dedicated to the ones you can't save, and to the ones you can.
///////////////////////////////
Xander sat still. "What do you mean? I can't fight, I'm not a hero."
The man nodded. "Exactly."
Xander shook his head. "Okay, explain it to me again."
The man leaned back in his seat and gave Xander a quick smile. "I didn't think that you would be this accepting."
Xander rolled his eyes. "And I didn't think that I would dream of a black room with a table, chairs and a guy that wont give me a strait answer."
The man chucked before saying. "Just call me 'cryptic guy.'"
Xander put his forehead on the table. "This is hell. I am dead and this is my personal hell. Sitting at a table with a guy that constantly makes fun of me and leads me around while trying to explain things to me. Its like Giles and Cordy had a baby."
Xander stopped and shivered in his seat.
He looked back across at the man who was giving him a slight glare. "Moving on from...being disturbing..."
Xander nodded. "Yes, moving on."
The man took a drink from his water. "The two sides are playing each other and have been for years. It doesn't matter who is on what side. Everyone dies. There are small skirmishes and huge battles, Armageddon and simple accidents, every player for every side will go down, it doesn't matter when or how. And you'll know what I mean."
Xander cut him off and glared. "I already know what you mean."
The man nodded his head. "Jesse."
Xander kept his glare as he nodded. "Jesse."
"You can't save everyone."
"Then why are you here?"
The man looked solemn for a minute. "Because there's no one left. Like I said, everyone dies. But just because you cant save everyone doesn't mean you shouldn't try. You CAN save someone. Its too late for me, now...Its not to late for you."
He stopped for a second and looked at Xander before continuing, "...and hopefully, its not to late for them."
//////////////////////
Cordelia's car pulled up alongside the Sunnydale National Guard Reserve Armory. Xander and Cordelia got out of the car. Xander led her to an unguarded part in the chain link fence behind a building.
Xander muttered to himself as he counted off seconds on his watch. "The security here really is a joke. I should, uh, report it. Maybe they pay more attention than the Sunnydale Police." He looks around for a second before starting to cut through the fence. "I hope not."
Cordelia stood behind him keeping watch. "Who am I supposed to be again?"
Xander replied with a smirk as he made quick work of the fence and pulled her through. "You're supposed to be a horny little girl." He turned and waggled his eyebrows. "I didn't think it would be that much of a stretch for you, think you can handle it?"
Cordelia slapped him on the arm. "Asshole." They snuck along behind the building. She whispered. "You couldn't _handle_ me geek-boy."
Xander shushed her before whispering back. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know."
Xander looked around the corner of the building. A few soldiers were on the other side of the complex on patrol. Xander smiled. He had timed it so they would be on the other side for the entire time that they would be there. He stepped over to the side door of the building and reached for the doorknob.
A loud voice interrupted him. "Halt! Arms where I can see them!"
Xander shot up his arms and elbowed Cordelia so she did the same. The soldier approached them. "Identify yourself right the hell now."
Xander spoke quickly. "Uh... Private Harris with the, uh... 33rd."
The soldier shook his head and took aim. "Sorry numbnuts, the 33rd are on maneuvers. Try again."
Xander nodded and replied as if it was obvious. "No shit, I'm on leave...from them."
Cordelia groaned. 'Smooth move Harris.'
The soldier was unfazed. "You always spend your leave snooping around the armory?" He then took notice of Cordelia who was hiding behind Xander. "And who is she?"
Cordelia waved. "Hi. I'm not a soldier." She leaned over to Xander and whispered, "Right?"
Xander had to force himself not to let the soldier shoot her. He approached the guard with his hands still up. "Look Private...Hammet, I just want to show her around a little, give her the tour. Uh, you know what I'm saying."
Hammet raised an eyebrow. "The tour?"
Xander lied for all he was worth. "Well, you know the ladies. They like to see the big guns. Gets them all hot and bothered. Can you cut me some slack, gimme a blind eye?"
The soldier eased up, but didn't give in. "And why should I?"
Xander nodded. "Well, if you do, I won't tell Colonel Ulrich that your boots ain't regulation, your post wasn't covered," Xander quickly grabbed the soldier's M-16 and gave it back to him properly, "and you hold your gun like a pussy."
Hammet was annoyed but satisfied. He took back the rifle. "You got 20 minutes, nimrod."
Xander smiled. "I just need 3." He took a step and then turned back. "Uh, forget I said that last part."
Inside Cordelia looked out the window in the door while Xander searched the room.
She talked while making sure there was no one coming. "Okay, what was that? And who are you?"
Xander replied without looking at her. "Remember Halloween, I got turned into a soldier and spent the night protecting your sorry butt?"
Cordelia smiled for a second, but quickly caught it. "Uh, yeah."
Xander didn't notice her hesitation. "Well, I still remember all of it. I know procedure, schedule, ordnance, access codes, everything. I know the layout for this base, I can field strip and put together an M-16 in 57 seconds. And the best part is, I know more dirty jokes than I ever did before."
Cordelia pretended to be unfazed. "Well, I'm sort of impressed. But let's just find the thing and get out of here."
"Don't worry. Do you remember that guy that stole the tank from a National Guard Armory and drove it around LA for a couple hours?"
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
Xander smirked as he continued his search. "Guess where he got it?"
Cordelia got bored at the door and hopped onto a crate to sit. "So, does looking at guns really make girls wanna have sex? That's scary."
Xander replied while looking at several boxes. "Yeah, I guess."
Cordelia tried to talk with a strait face. "Well, does looking at guns make you wanna have sex?"
Xander stopped what he was doing, looked up and deadpanned. "I'm a red- blooded American seventeen year old male, looking at linoleum makes me wanna have sex."
Cordelia stifled her laughter.
Pairings: a little angst for right now, something more substantial later.
A/N: Special thanks to Ed Scott for editing and betaing. Also, if anyone's in the National Guard, don't take offense. The National Guard has an important part to play in the nations defense. Besides, in cannon, they stole it from a National Guard Armory.
A/N2: God knows you can't write more unless you get reviews. And I wasn't planning on releasing this part till later in the week. See? Good things happen when I get lots of nice reviews.
Disclaimers: I don't own anything relating to Buffy, Angel.
Timeframe: S2 AU "Innocence," you know the episode after Buffy sleeps with Angel.
Dedicated to the ones you can't save, and to the ones you can.
///////////////////////////////
Xander sat still. "What do you mean? I can't fight, I'm not a hero."
The man nodded. "Exactly."
Xander shook his head. "Okay, explain it to me again."
The man leaned back in his seat and gave Xander a quick smile. "I didn't think that you would be this accepting."
Xander rolled his eyes. "And I didn't think that I would dream of a black room with a table, chairs and a guy that wont give me a strait answer."
The man chucked before saying. "Just call me 'cryptic guy.'"
Xander put his forehead on the table. "This is hell. I am dead and this is my personal hell. Sitting at a table with a guy that constantly makes fun of me and leads me around while trying to explain things to me. Its like Giles and Cordy had a baby."
Xander stopped and shivered in his seat.
He looked back across at the man who was giving him a slight glare. "Moving on from...being disturbing..."
Xander nodded. "Yes, moving on."
The man took a drink from his water. "The two sides are playing each other and have been for years. It doesn't matter who is on what side. Everyone dies. There are small skirmishes and huge battles, Armageddon and simple accidents, every player for every side will go down, it doesn't matter when or how. And you'll know what I mean."
Xander cut him off and glared. "I already know what you mean."
The man nodded his head. "Jesse."
Xander kept his glare as he nodded. "Jesse."
"You can't save everyone."
"Then why are you here?"
The man looked solemn for a minute. "Because there's no one left. Like I said, everyone dies. But just because you cant save everyone doesn't mean you shouldn't try. You CAN save someone. Its too late for me, now...Its not to late for you."
He stopped for a second and looked at Xander before continuing, "...and hopefully, its not to late for them."
//////////////////////
Cordelia's car pulled up alongside the Sunnydale National Guard Reserve Armory. Xander and Cordelia got out of the car. Xander led her to an unguarded part in the chain link fence behind a building.
Xander muttered to himself as he counted off seconds on his watch. "The security here really is a joke. I should, uh, report it. Maybe they pay more attention than the Sunnydale Police." He looks around for a second before starting to cut through the fence. "I hope not."
Cordelia stood behind him keeping watch. "Who am I supposed to be again?"
Xander replied with a smirk as he made quick work of the fence and pulled her through. "You're supposed to be a horny little girl." He turned and waggled his eyebrows. "I didn't think it would be that much of a stretch for you, think you can handle it?"
Cordelia slapped him on the arm. "Asshole." They snuck along behind the building. She whispered. "You couldn't _handle_ me geek-boy."
Xander shushed her before whispering back. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know."
Xander looked around the corner of the building. A few soldiers were on the other side of the complex on patrol. Xander smiled. He had timed it so they would be on the other side for the entire time that they would be there. He stepped over to the side door of the building and reached for the doorknob.
A loud voice interrupted him. "Halt! Arms where I can see them!"
Xander shot up his arms and elbowed Cordelia so she did the same. The soldier approached them. "Identify yourself right the hell now."
Xander spoke quickly. "Uh... Private Harris with the, uh... 33rd."
The soldier shook his head and took aim. "Sorry numbnuts, the 33rd are on maneuvers. Try again."
Xander nodded and replied as if it was obvious. "No shit, I'm on leave...from them."
Cordelia groaned. 'Smooth move Harris.'
The soldier was unfazed. "You always spend your leave snooping around the armory?" He then took notice of Cordelia who was hiding behind Xander. "And who is she?"
Cordelia waved. "Hi. I'm not a soldier." She leaned over to Xander and whispered, "Right?"
Xander had to force himself not to let the soldier shoot her. He approached the guard with his hands still up. "Look Private...Hammet, I just want to show her around a little, give her the tour. Uh, you know what I'm saying."
Hammet raised an eyebrow. "The tour?"
Xander lied for all he was worth. "Well, you know the ladies. They like to see the big guns. Gets them all hot and bothered. Can you cut me some slack, gimme a blind eye?"
The soldier eased up, but didn't give in. "And why should I?"
Xander nodded. "Well, if you do, I won't tell Colonel Ulrich that your boots ain't regulation, your post wasn't covered," Xander quickly grabbed the soldier's M-16 and gave it back to him properly, "and you hold your gun like a pussy."
Hammet was annoyed but satisfied. He took back the rifle. "You got 20 minutes, nimrod."
Xander smiled. "I just need 3." He took a step and then turned back. "Uh, forget I said that last part."
Inside Cordelia looked out the window in the door while Xander searched the room.
She talked while making sure there was no one coming. "Okay, what was that? And who are you?"
Xander replied without looking at her. "Remember Halloween, I got turned into a soldier and spent the night protecting your sorry butt?"
Cordelia smiled for a second, but quickly caught it. "Uh, yeah."
Xander didn't notice her hesitation. "Well, I still remember all of it. I know procedure, schedule, ordnance, access codes, everything. I know the layout for this base, I can field strip and put together an M-16 in 57 seconds. And the best part is, I know more dirty jokes than I ever did before."
Cordelia pretended to be unfazed. "Well, I'm sort of impressed. But let's just find the thing and get out of here."
"Don't worry. Do you remember that guy that stole the tank from a National Guard Armory and drove it around LA for a couple hours?"
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
Xander smirked as he continued his search. "Guess where he got it?"
Cordelia got bored at the door and hopped onto a crate to sit. "So, does looking at guns really make girls wanna have sex? That's scary."
Xander replied while looking at several boxes. "Yeah, I guess."
Cordelia tried to talk with a strait face. "Well, does looking at guns make you wanna have sex?"
Xander stopped what he was doing, looked up and deadpanned. "I'm a red- blooded American seventeen year old male, looking at linoleum makes me wanna have sex."
Cordelia stifled her laughter.