Title: Superheroish – Part 1
Author: Michael Dunbar
Summary: Everyone's got their take on a Xander with super powers; in
fact I've got a few myself. Here's another one.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Buffy is owned by Joss and UPN. Dark Angel
is owned by somebody who is not me.
-
The hallways were mostly empty, a few stray students found themselves in the halls but in general students either tended to be in class or out in the quad. It was as close a student could get to getting out of school without actually leaving. Xander walked towards the locker rooms, deducing that Buffy after her initial reaction to the dead body would be headed in that direction.
He turned a corner; the one situated right near the locker rooms and stepped back behind the corner almost instantly. Buffy was there, looking around trying to see if anyone was watching her. Xander wouldn't normally spy on a would-be friend but he made an exception for one whose reaction had unnerved him. He soon realised that was probably a good idea of his as she simply pulled down on the locked door handle and shoved it open with ease.
The door had squeaked under pressure but gave way to greater strength, namely one Buffy Summers. She must have stood Five foot four tall and weigh about a hundred pounds and yet she had exerted amazing pressure on a locked door that would have given a bodybuilder cause for worry.
That alone gave him cause for concern, his first instinct and tactical training telling him that she was one of him but his intellect overriding that particular idea in an instant.
If Lydecker knew where he was he wouldn't send an assassin, he was worth more alive than dead and if he ever did want him dead then he would send more than just one and he wouldn't bother on infiltration first. If Lydecker knew where he was he would have a full battalion of soldiers up his ass before he could even speak, that was how he knew she wasn't from Lydecker.
She could be another run-away...
Xander admitted that she very well could have been, he hadn't known how many had escaped that night and realised that it wasn't just his own group that had escaped. Many others had escaped also from that compound. However he couldn't believe that theory too.
Why would she show her strength in such a display to simply look at a dead body?
She would be hiding it more secretly and another thing was that if he was interested in a murdered suspect he wouldn't risk the chance of been caught. He would find some other high tech alternative, maybe hacking the hospital records on the dead body and if it did come down to low tech he would have waited till the body was sent to the morgue and then find the pathology reports in the hospital.
She couldn't be one of them.
However he couldn't hide the fact that she had amazing strength for one so small and petite. No human her size could have done what she had done, hell no human could have done it that particular way anyway. It would have taken a heavy man a shoulder barge to break that door, he knew that for certain.
Who was this Buffy Summers?
She'd been in a while; he decided to take a slight chance and slowly crept to the door making sure not to make a sound. When a person such as him doesn't want to make a sound, then they wouldn't be heard. It was as simply as that.
Buffy's voice could be heard from inside, she was muttering in anger. He listened intently trying to pick whatever she was saying up.
"Great... Wonderful.. Come to Sunnydale, you'll make loads of friends.... I knew we should have moved to Cleveland"
Nothing could be heard for a few minutes, Xander sure that she was thinking of something. He heard footsteps and as quick as he could he disappeared back to the safe spot past the corner. Buffy flew out of the room and vanished down the opposite way, whatever she had thought of had made her disappear quickly. No one was around; he snuck back to the door and crept into the room.
On a silver table in the middle of the room was laid a body bag, inside obviously was the body of the person who had died. Xander opened the bag without hesitation and stared into some hazel eyes, a person who had died well before their time. The boy looked about Xander's age maybe a bit older; he had no abrasions on his body that Xander could see except two little holes in the side of his neck at the left side.
Obviously the cause of his death was some kind of blood loss, the simple sight of the pale coloured body told Xander that bit of information. However the strange thing was that Xander couldn't see a single drop around the body or the whole locker room in fact.
Where could so much noticeable blood vanish to?
Too many thoughts and not enough answers. He shook his head free of the puzzles of the hour and decided to head to the library to check out the book that Willow had told him to get.
The puzzles could wait till later, maybe he would ask Buffy about it. - Classes were soon to start; the bell would ring shortly ending his freedom that he cherished so much. Xander made short time as he appeared at the double doors to the library, about to walk in he noticed the girl of his deliberation in a heated conversation with the new librarian.
Things were getting even more interesting.
Instead of interrupting them he decided to take a form of action that wasn't out of the norm for him today and decided to spy instead. Stepping shortly to the side of the window on the door he placed his foot and pressed in gently, allowing a slight gap to appear between the doors and the sounds inside to come out clearly.
"He's got two little, little holes in his neck, and all his bloods been drained. Isn't that bizarre? Aren't you just going ooooo?"
"I was afraid of this"
"Well, I wasn't. It's my first day! I was afraid that I was gonna be behind in all my classes, that I wouldn't make any friends, that I would have last month's hair. I didn't think there'd be vampires on campus. And I don't care."
The librarian replied abruptly "Then why are you here?"
Silence reigned for a second as she pondered " To tell you that... I don't care which... I don't, and... Have now told you, so... bye. "
The librarian managed to reply before she had walked an inch "Is he.... Will he rise again?"
"Who?"
"The.. The boy"
"No. He's just dead"
"Can you be sure?"
"To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing. Mostly they're just gonna kill you. Why am I still talking to you?
Buffy walked down the stairs while the librarian moved to the railing.
"You really have no idea what's going on, do you? You think its coincidence, your being here? That boy was just the beginning."
"Oh, why can't you people just leave me alone?" Buffy announced exasperatedly.
"Because you are the Slayer."
He followed her down the stairs "Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires..."
Buffy interrupted him suddenly in a monotonous tone "With the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil blah, blah, blah... I've heard it, okay?"
"I really don't understand this attitude. You, you've accepted your duty, you, you've slain vampires before..." The uptight Englishman replied clearly.
"Yeah, and I've both been there and done that, and I'm moving on."
"What do you know about this town?"
Xander heard his footsteps get quieter; surmising that he must have went into his office for some particular reason.
"It's two hours on the freeway from Neiman Marcus?" Buffy replied jokingly.
The librarian came out of his office "Dig a bit in the history of this place. You'll find a, a steady stream of fairly odd occurrences. Now, I believe this whole area is a center of mystical energy, that things gravitate towards it that, that, that you might not find elsewhere."
"Like vampires?" Buffy stated obviously.
"Like zombies, werewolves, incubi, succubi, everything you've ever dreaded was under your bed, but told yourself couldn't be by the light of day. They're all real!"
The librarian seemed to get excited by the prospect.
"What? You, like, sent away for the Time-Life series?"
"ah... yes"
"Did you get the free phone?" Buffy asked changing the subject slightly.
"Um, the calendar." He replied
"Cool... first of all I'm a vampire slayer, hence the vampire word. And secondly I am retired. Hey I know... why don't you kill them?
The uptight English man didn't seem to like that idea as he stuttered out an answer "I-I'm a watcher... I-I haven't the skill...."
"Oh come on, a stake through the heart.... Little sunlight, its like falling off a log."
"A slayer slays.. A watcher..."
"Watches?" Buffy retorted, her anger obviously getting the better of her as she turned on the man.
"Yes.. no.. He, he trains her... he prepares her..."
"Prepares me for what?" Buffy yelled " For getting kicked out of school, for losing all my friends. For having to spend all of my time fighting for my life and never getting to tell anyone because I might endanger them? Never getting to socialize or live a normal life?"
She stormed towards the door "GO AHEAD, PREPARE ME"
Xander quickly realized she was headed his way and stepped to side; she stormed out and vanished down the hallway without even noticing him. He looked after her thoughtfully, obviously having internal arguments that seemed to centre on the stupidity of the conversation he had just heard or the likeliness that both parties were in fact insane.
However soon after he did realize maybe he was a bit harsh in his assumptions and could not ignore the possibility that the upset Buffy had been through a tremendous ordeal. That kind of thing cannot be hidden under duress; her tone of voice told him all he needed to know.
Then he thought of Sunnydale and the possibility of a world he never knew about. The stretch from his own life to that of Buffy's wasn't the distance he had hoped to see, she hadn't chosen her destiny just like he hadn't chosen his. They had more in common than he cared to admit. But to admit that likelihood of the supernatural was to admit a world that he had possibly ignored under the pretense of been more self involved than anything else.
He was born of something he couldn't control for a government he never knew and was bread to notice things and act upon them accordingly according to his heightened genetics. That was something he knew to be certain and yet he had never even heard of this new world, never had an inkling of it ever existing and yet here it was.
Sunnydale was strange, people disappeared, far too many for Xander to remember and far too many than to his liking. Yet he never even expected any foul play up until this moment, he was as ignorant as the whole town and the whole nation.
Worlds beyond your own don't seem to matter until your own world is blown out of proportion. The realities of existing in the modern world come to life once again in an unexpected fashion.
Xander couldn't help but feel slightly disgusted at his own ignorance; he could have possibly saved many people over the years that needed not to die. He could have saved that boy whose eyes he had stared into earlier, the one who had died before his time.
He could have saved him.
The bell interrupted anymore of his thoughts and he ignored the entire reason he had come to the library in the first place as he walked towards Mathematics, his thoughts were on anything but equations and algebra.
-
The first thing Xander noticed when he walked into class was that she was sat in the seat next to his again. She obviously didn't want to go through the whole process of meeting another person and getting to know them either that or she just wanted to get to know him better. However he knew he wouldn't be the ideal company at this particular time.
Too many questions and thoughts were in his head for him to focus on anything but the predicament he had found himself in.
What action could he take now that he knew the possibility of that world existing?
Should he talk to the librarian and Buffy?
So many questions and no answers.
Xander found himself in a kind of trance for most of the entire day, his friends noticed and tried to get him to talk but he was unsure of what to say to them. He just assured them that he would be okay, that he was thinking about something important and would be fine.
Willow was okay with that, she knew nothing could keep Alexander Harris down in the dumps for long. She had witnessed it first hand.
The end class came and went and they headed down the bustling corridor, they needed to split off to separate destinations. Xander's own destination been detention for an hour but he had chirped up slightly by now, finally realising the action and only action that could be taken.
"The bronze.. We should go tonight" Xander said out of the blue and looked at his friends with a smile
Buffy looked at him with a question on her lips.
"Local youth hangout, dance, drink... even some loud obnoxious live band if that's your thing. We should go tonight..."
"Defo man.." Jesse slapped him on the shoulder "I got to book, mom wants me home pronto but I'll see you there definitely, I'll be their at the usual time right Wills?"
Willow nodded assuredly as he vanished out of the building. They always walked there together, their homes been on the same street made it simpler.
"I got to go as well Xan... About maths, can we leave it a night?" She asked looking at her history homework with slight displeasure.
Xander grinned and hugged her sideways "Thought you were reading my mind"
She walked down the stairs and disappeared down the street and out of sight leaving Buffy stood with Xander.
"Buffy" he asked hopefully.
Buffy seemed to ponder for a second then smiled "Sure... where exactly is this club?"
"Don't worry about it... I can meet you at yours and we'll walk together."
Maybe then he could tell her what he knew and just hoped she would consider his help if anything.
Buffy seemed reassured and even smiled shyly "1630 Revello drive"
"Ok.. I know the place, I'll see you at seven?" he asked and grinned.
"Definitely" Buffy whispered as he walked towards detention.
While detention to Xander was pretty much a regular occurrence it always seemed to last decades rather that one little hour. It was quite possibility the most boring experience in the world, counting down the seconds on the clock hanging over the teachers head.
This only fuelled his need for a good night out with his friends and his new friend, the one that had been on his mind most of the day and not in a nasty way. Despite his own reasoning's and the ever increasing likelihood of a new world out there waiting to be found some small part of him held true to the idea that it was all a lie and that there could quite possibly be another reasoning behind the corpse and the discussion that he had yet to learn.
He supposed that some small part of him would be unsure until he saw the night with his own two eyes and could finally see that the myths hold true to form. It was only human after all.
Xander couldn't help but sympathise with Buffy, something was taken from her that should never have been.
Her free will
Buffy did not choose to be a slayer. All she ever wanted was to be a girl, and then a woman and even perhaps a mother. But all that had been thrown into doubt by some higher power with no consideration involved. He knew she should run from her problems, it was the age old solution to any problem after all. Maybe she had done in the past. But something in her eyes had told Xander that she wasn't that kind of person at her core, that she was the kind of person that stood for what she believed in to the end. Her strength of character had inspired his decision to take part in the night life. He knew he was a good judge of character; it was in his DNA after all.
Xander's inner thoughts were disturbed by the time as he vanished from school as quickly as he could. Deciding to leave before a rule was changed by the school board to make it so that all Alexander's had to stay at school till eight at night. A bit paranoid perhaps, but is it paranoia when the system is truly out to get you?
-
His home wasn't far from the school; it was one of the luxuries of living in such a small town. Xander barged through the door with an audible groan and dropped his bag almost instantly, then his shoes and he was about to head upstairs when he heard someone clearing their throat.
The disapproving look on his step-mothers face made him pick up his shoes and bag with a sheepish look on his face before he headed to his room.
"Sorry... "
Sarah smiled warmly at her would-be child as he vanished up the stairs, he wasn't perfect but he came pretty darn close to her. Even now she could hear him drop his stuff on the floor in his bedroom but she knew that before the weekend came he would have it cleaned up; it was the way he was.
She knew him that well, he couldn't stand clutter.
It was strange for a child, but nice for a mother.
Meanwhile upstairs Xander quickly rid himself of his stuffy clothing. He was going to wear one of his more appealing outfits tonight. Solid colours instead of the usual stripy pattern he liked so much. A pair of black Levi's and one of his new shirts and he was good to go, via the use of washing facilities of course.
He wasn't doing it to just impress Buffy, well not entirely. The use of the dark shirt and jeans could come in handy if anything that the librarian had spoken of earlier decided to rear its ugly head.
Surprise was something Xander always took advantage of if he could.
His school books had been dumped unceremoniously in the corner where it would most likely stay till the night before it was due in. It had never been important to him, despite what his parents thought. Xander looked himself over in the large mirror by his bed then smiled at Pamela Anderson on the wall.
"Pammy, I look good enough to eat"
Heading down stairs he briefed his mom on where he was headed and what time he would be home, which he argued with her about of course when she altered the time he had originally given her. Arguing with a mother about curfew was never a good thing to do, he learnt the hard way when he left having to be in by ten pm when he could have swooped eleven if he'd had stayed calm and cool about it. Leaving the house he headed towards Revello drive, he knew the location well it was only four blocks from his own house.
- Date: 15th March 1997 Location: Buffy Summers House, 1630 Revello Drive
"Hi I'm a big slut"
"Want a copy of the watch tower?"
Buffy eyed herself in the mirror as she placed outfit after outfit in front of her. She used to be so good at this before the fire, before she lost her friends. She had been queen of her old school and now what was she?
A slayer?
A Loser?
Despite losing her friends and her social standing she had discovered that not everything revolved around make-up, dresses or the cute boy working at Taco-bell that was four years her senior. Something's been far more serious than that and despite losing her friends it had probably been for the best; they had never really known each other. It was all a façade by the cool and popular kids, who put the best front up. No one actually got to know each other; they just knew the face you hid behind.
Then she came here after the fire and there were nice people, actual people that wanted to know her for her and not for her clothes.
Willow looked nice enough, not someone the old Buffy would have hanged around with but somebody the new Buffy could see very well depending on in the future.
Jesse was nice enough when he wasn't saying sexist remarks, his continuous annoyance of Willow was something to behold even to an outsider like she currently was.
Then came Xander Harris, what could she say about him?
He was handsome definitely and very funny, but there was just something about him that she had instantly attached to. Something beneath them brown eyes that told secrets that no one could grasp, she saw a sort of kinship there like he could understand her like no other.
Buffy liked him beyond a shadow of a doubt the moment she saw him.
At that moment Joyce Summers peeked her head around the door frame and smiled at her one and only daughter "hi hon"
"Hey" Buffy replied putting her dresses back in the closet.
"Are you uh going out tonight?"
"To a club..."
"Will there be boys there?"
"No it's a nun club mom"
"Well.. Just be careful"
"I will"
Her mother could never possibly know the stress she had been under in her short life and what was worse was that the entire LA fiasco had made her look like the soul person responsible. All the other people that were involved were now finding their way around the air vents in dust form. Buffy loved her mother but sometimes she could also be very trying.
"Oh, you're a good girl, Buffy, you just fell in with the wrong crowd. But that is all behind us now."
The door bell interrupted the conversation and Buffy looked at the clock in panic.
6:30
"Oh.. God he's early... go stall him mom... I've got to get changed..."
"Him?" her mother asked questioningly with an eyebrow raised.
"Xander Harris..... He's just a friend, please mom?"
-
Xander admired the house from the outside, it looked large and homey. Kind of like his own home but with a larger garden. He pressed the bell again in nervous anticipation, it wasn't even a date and he was as nervous as hell. Willow and Jesse would no doubt be at the bronze at their usual time of half seven. They were consistent to say the least but it at least meant he knew of there whereabouts at most times.
He saw someone beyond the glass of the door and it opened to reveal a woman in her early forties, late thirties who had a genuine smile on her face.
"Is Buffy in? Your Mrs Summers right? Pleased to meet you, I'm Xander Harris"
First impressions are important if a relationship wants to get off to a good start and as Mrs Summers ushered him into the house pretty quickly he was sure that he had made a good one. He walked into the living room and looked around admiringly before taking a seat.
"Nice House..."
"Thanks Xander" Mrs Summers replied "would you care for a drink? I believe my daughter will be a while yet."
He nodded his head "sure... whatever's on offer yea..."
Joyce vanished into the kitchen and he heard water and various other things been implemented while he just looked around casually. It looked very nice, very homey to him.
"Here..." Xander was brought out of his reverie as Mrs Summers offered him a glass with fruit juice in it and he smiled in thanks. She took a seat opposite him and looked at him for a moment before she spoke.
"So... Xander, how exactly did you get to know Buffy?"
Questions unnerved him and he clenched the cup in his hand tighter before replying.
"Well.. She sat next to me in Chemistry, I introduced her to my friends,,, one big happy friend family now... yep yessiree..."
He always babbled when nervous, it was a trait he had picked up over the years, a very unwelcome one.
"Tell me about the bronze?"
Such a blunt question, if he was to take this examination under scrutiny he would definitely find it more in tune to a date kind of occurrence than anything else resembling his and Buffy's current relationship.
"Well.. It's a converted warehouse, very big and spacious. No alcohol is served there which you will be happy to know" he smiled at her "there's a 2 dollar entrance fee and it houses live entertainment a lot, that isn't to say its good live entertainment buts its entertainment nonetheless"
Xander fingered the glass and looked towards the stairs in hope that Buffy would break this tit a tat with her mother.
"So.. Xander that's an unusual name..."
He couldn't help but wonder at the audacity of the person calling his name weird when she had called her own daughter Buffy. Not the most traditional of names for children to say the least. Still his name had come as some kind of nick name and it beat the number he had before that.
"It's short for Alexander" he answered "Willow, my best friend decided one day that it wasn't a good enough name for me, hence the Xander..."
Joyce smiled at him and before she could ask another question Buffy walked down the stairs with a smile on her face. A beautiful black dress hung off her like nothing Xander had ever seen and he couldn't help but ogle her, he was after all a teenager despite his other traits.
"Hi" Buffy seemed to stammer a bit "I hope my mom wasn't bothering you too much..."
"Buffy" Joyce reprimanded her but in jest "Well that's my cue to leave and do the dishes. You young lady be in before 11 or there will be hell to pay. Nice meeting you... Xander"
"Yea, same here" Xander replied and watched her disappear into the kitchen before visibly relaxing.
"Sorry about my mom, she means well"
"Yea" He looked her up and down then smiled "You look beautiful"
Buffy blushed "Thank you, you don't look half bad yourself..."
"What!.. This old thing?"
Her laughter followed them out of the door; they headed towards the bronze engaging in conversation as they went. Every time Buffy said something Xander would reply with something that made her laugh, she hadn't laughed in a while.
It felt good.
She could hear the footsteps behind her immediately; her stake was stuck snugly in her purse. Just because she didn't want to be the slayer didn't mean she was stupid either.
Always be prepared.
A sentence to live and die by.
Xander for his part remained emotionless despite the footsteps; he had wanted to broach the conversation that had been bugging him the entire day and now something was going to interrupt that. He wasn't sure who the intruder was but something in Buffy's eyes told him to be very wary.
The bronze wasn't far from there current location, before they could reach there however Buffy grabbed Xander's hand and led him down an alley. He didn't react and just followed suit, he was pushed behind a dumpster and told to remain still and to trust in her.
If he was anybody else he would have been very worried.
Buffy vaulted up and grabbed a hold of a pipe and swung herself right around until she was resting vertically above it in wait.
Xander saw him first as he entered the alley behind them. A tall man with spiky hair and a face that he doubted even knew how to crack a smile. Dark leather was obviously the man's clothes of choice as he was donned from head to foot and he looked around cautiously. However It all did him no good as Buffy swung right around and kicked him flat on in the chest, sending him flying to the floor. She dropped down, her hair hanging before her eyes and a wicked glint in her eyes.
"Is there a problem ma'am?"
"Yea, there's a problem. Why are you following us?"
Deciding that hiding behind a dumpster was already denting his reputation, despite what it is already Xander came to stand beside her and looked down at the man on the floor.
"Who's he?"
"I'm Angel" The man said.
"Pretty name" Xander replied
"I know what you're thinking... Don't worry, I don't bite..."
Buffy's head was spinning, not only did she have to contend with this guy but her new friend had no doubt witnessed her Olympic style gymnastics and would no doubt require an explanation. It could come later after dealing with this stalker.
"I thought you'd be taller, more muscles... Your pretty spry though" Angel admitted and rubbed his neck.
"What do you want? "Xander asked curiously before Buffy could ask the same question.
"The same thing as she does..." He looked at Buffy and smiled "to kill them all"
"No!!" Buffy pushed him with her foot as he tried to get up "What I want is to be left alone!!"
"Do you think that's an option anymore, you're standing at the mouth of hell and it's about to open... Don't turn your back on this" Angel reached into his pocket as he was allowed to stand and threw her a box but Xander intercepted it and grabbed it in his hand.
Angel faltered slightly as he walked from the alley but turned and looked straight at Buffy "You're the only chance this planet has, don't throw it away. The harvest is coming and he will rise... the world needs a hero right now"
With that the mysterious guy left and Xander fingered the box in his hand before opening it, a silver cross rested in the soft velvet. He handed it to Buffy and she looked into the box.
"I have enough crosses" Buffy said and handed it back. She looked at Xander about to explain but decided it wasn't the place "We'll talk... later okay?"
He knew it would be coming eventually anyway so he nodded and they walked the rest of the way to the bronze in silence, the cross in Xander's pocket burning to be used. Once they had paid the entrance fee they bustled through the many teenagers stood idly by the door and Buffy managed to get her first glimpse of the infamous Bronze.
The only place to be in Sunnydale.
It wasn't magnificent, she'd seen better clubs in LA of course but it had a rudimentary charm to it and the atmosphere seemed to be magnetic to the clubbers as they danced wildly about anywhere they could. Dodging flailing arms and legs they immediately made there way to a table occupied by Willow and Jesse. The latter obviously ogling Cordelia who stood across the room while the former looked incredible bored.
However her face brightened as she saw the two new arrivals.
"God... I thought you were never going to get here, Cordelia this... Cordelia that... I was thinking of running away with the barman but my shyness held me back"
Xander laughed as he took a seat, Buffy taking the one next to him and opposite Willow. She looked between the two obviously feeling something going on and couldn't help but ask, it was her nature to be nosy.
"What's up with you two?"
"Nothing" they both replied at the same time, an obvious amount of shame was definitely present whenever two people said the same thing at the same time. It was Law, however the tension did break as they both broke out in a grin and even sniggered.
"So Jess.. Going to try your luck once again for the indomitable Cordelia Chase?"
Jesse grinned widely and slapped him on the shoulder "You know me so well, just call me Jesse "Glutton for punishment" McCormick... She's alone... its time for my well thought out, brilliant plan"
He almost vanished in thin air like you see on cartoons early morning, just leaving a dust cloud in his wake. Buffy, Willow and Xander all laughed at his dispense as he almost tripped up on his way towards her, trying to swagger wasn't his forte.
"So... what's his well thought out, brilliant plan?" Buffy asked still watching him.
"He'll go over, same some randomly male chauvinistic comment and she'll either slap him or berate him vocally after which he'll hang around her for like ten minutes in hope that she'll change her mind. After that he'll head back on over with a grin on his face despite his set back and say she'll come around..." Xander smiled, he knew his friend so well.
"Xander..."
He looked over at Willow and she was nodding towards her empty glass with a smile, the male always gets the drinks or that was what she had told him from when he was eight and him been a manticore reject believed her. He knew better now but he still accepted it, besides she could never get served.
"Buffy.. A drink?"
She smiled up at him as he stood "Yea Coke.. diet"
"Right... Coke diet and orangeade for Miss Bossy britches..."
Willow stuck her tongue out at him as he vanished from sight headed towards the bar.
"So..." Willow started, aware that they were alone "your interested in Xander?"
Where did that come from?
Buffy just looked at her dumbly and was sure she saw some signs of jealousy on the auburn haired girl's face but she hid it well. She was suddenly aware that she could be standing on somebody's feet by been interested in him and she had to ask.
"Why?.. Are you and he?"
Willow grinned and brushed hair behind her ear "No... we were once... but he stole my Barbie, I had to dump him then..."
The slayer let out a slight breath she didn't know she was holding and Willow noticed and couldn't help a slight smirk appearing on her face but then she turned her head down.
"I..I don't really date much... Any boy but Xander and Jesse and I-I find it difficult to say anything resembling coherent sentences..."
Buffy looked at the girl, despite some of her clothes choices she was very pretty and decided to dish out some small advice in hope that it would alleviate her problems.
"Do you want to know my philosophy?"
"Yes" Willow answered immediately.
"Life is short"
"Life is short" Willow echoed.
"Not original, I'll grant you, but it's true. You know? Why waste time being all shy and worrying about some guy, and if he's gonna laugh at you. Seize the moment, 'cause tomorrow you might be dead."
"Oh that's nice" Willow piped up in sincerity.
Buffy turned her head and spotted the librarian, the watcher, Giles on the top deck of the small club and she excused herself from Willow.
"Seize the moment" Willow muttered to herself.
-
Xander was muttering as he returned to the table about the barman stealing his change and how would he like the cash register shoved somewhere painful when he noticed it was empty.
"Oh... I see, I go off to get drinks and they desert me... "
After he had placed the tray down he grabbed his coke and took a sip before turning to peruse the dance floor. He immediately noticed his red headed friend dancing with a guy and he smiled happy that she had found somebody. Xander also spotted Jesse dancing with a girl that wasn't Cordelia, a blonde that seemed to be good looking from the view he could get of her and he gave his friend the thumbs up. That left one; he looked up and noticed her immediately talking to the librarian. Maybe it was time to get some answers.
Making light work of the stairs he appeared behind Buffy and Giles to catch the last bits of a sentence.
"... Besides, I knew you were likely to show up, and I have to make you understand..."
"That the harvest is coming... I know your friend told me"
"What did you say..."
Xander decided to introduce himself, maybe inopportune but better now than never he surmised. He cleared his throat and Giles turned and looked at him, not knowing what to say.
"She said the harvest was coming... A weird guy in leather and fixation for spiked hair told us..."
Giles automatically turned on the slayer "HE KNOWS!!!"
"Hey cool it gramps, it wasn't like she had a choice the guy was following us." Xander stated half annoyed and Buffy even gave him a grateful look "All I know is what I overheard in the library earlier, now I'm open minded but even I thought what the hell when I heard that conversation..."
He walked up and leaned over the railing looking down at the crowd of teenagers below "So.. According to what I heard is that vampires exist right? Your saying that they could be anyone here... that they have been here before? All these people... how many times have I been here and put my life on the line without even knowing it"
Buffy patted him on the back gently "some people cope with it differently, like you some few want to know but most just want to ignore it... ignorance is bliss."
Giles decided to intervene; he wasn't pleased about the way things were turning out "now see here, you aren't supposed to know about this so I suggest you go home and forget you heard anything...The slayer is supposed to fight this fight, not you...."
Xander almost laughed out loud "You think I could do that now? Just leave people to the slaughter, even if it isn't with your help I.. I couldn't walk away now.."
"You'll have to Xander" Buffy said and looked at him sternly "This isn't a game, people die when ever a mistake is made and you have to live with that... I should know"
Giles looked at Buffy with sad eyes; he understood what she meant too truly for him to ignore it. He also knew that someone her age shouldn't have to deal with things pertaining to such guilt or complex emotions, but he also knew that this girl, this young girl before him was possibly the only hope the world had. That scared him more than he cared to vocalize.
"I..I always thought that something was wrong in Sunnydale but something like this never really crossed my mind, people went missing a lot. Even a few people I myself knew... I guess I stuck my head in the ground just like everybody else.. Ignorance is bliss, or stupidity risks lives.... Neither matters, I can't walk away Buff... I'm not the kind of person that could..."
Buffy sighed and patted his hand, give him a week and he wouldn't be able to cope and then she would be on her own.
Again.
"Buffy, as I was saying... I'm not aware of this harvest, I-I'll have to research it... "
"Yea, you do that" She stared idly over the railing and noticed Willow smiling as she danced with a brunette and Buffy smiled in response.
It soon disappeared.
"Giles... Vampire.."
The librarian stuttered "A-Are you sure.."
"Look at his jacket.. Sleeves rolled up.."
"It's dated?" the watcher asked curiously as he saw her and Xander head to the stairs.
"Carbon" was her reply as she vanished from his sight.
They pushed their way through the crowd of teenagers and looked around nervously, Xander saw Jesse walking towards the same door with a blonde and he got a sudden sinking feeling.
"Is that one?" He asked, already dreading the answer.
Buffy saw the blonde; she suddenly got a nauseous feeling and just nodded.
They pushed through and out of the door to find nobody in the alley beside the bronze; Buffy was just getting more infuriated by the minute.
"Where did they go?" Xander asked to nobody and followed Buffy from the alley.
"What's around here?" Buffy wondered and looked at him.
"Ice cream parlor, few shops, a graveyard but that's a given in Sunnydale"
Another reason to think about the likelihood of the supernatural in the town.
"The graveyard... Which way?"
"At the end of the street on the corner"
Buffy nodded setting off in a sprint towards the graveyard at her fastest possible pace, within a few minutes she was looking around the graveyard noticeably and saw footprints upon the dirt headed off in a northern direction.
"Where'd they go?"
Buffy got a start and turned to see Xander standing there looking around like she just did, he wasn't panting, he wasn't out of breath remotely but at the moment it didn't matter. She nodded towards the direction and they headed there at pace Buffy with a determined look on her face.
A scream broke through the night.
Xander recognised the voice anywhere, it was his friends.
Willow's
Author: Michael Dunbar
Summary: Everyone's got their take on a Xander with super powers; in
fact I've got a few myself. Here's another one.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Buffy is owned by Joss and UPN. Dark Angel
is owned by somebody who is not me.
-
The hallways were mostly empty, a few stray students found themselves in the halls but in general students either tended to be in class or out in the quad. It was as close a student could get to getting out of school without actually leaving. Xander walked towards the locker rooms, deducing that Buffy after her initial reaction to the dead body would be headed in that direction.
He turned a corner; the one situated right near the locker rooms and stepped back behind the corner almost instantly. Buffy was there, looking around trying to see if anyone was watching her. Xander wouldn't normally spy on a would-be friend but he made an exception for one whose reaction had unnerved him. He soon realised that was probably a good idea of his as she simply pulled down on the locked door handle and shoved it open with ease.
The door had squeaked under pressure but gave way to greater strength, namely one Buffy Summers. She must have stood Five foot four tall and weigh about a hundred pounds and yet she had exerted amazing pressure on a locked door that would have given a bodybuilder cause for worry.
That alone gave him cause for concern, his first instinct and tactical training telling him that she was one of him but his intellect overriding that particular idea in an instant.
If Lydecker knew where he was he wouldn't send an assassin, he was worth more alive than dead and if he ever did want him dead then he would send more than just one and he wouldn't bother on infiltration first. If Lydecker knew where he was he would have a full battalion of soldiers up his ass before he could even speak, that was how he knew she wasn't from Lydecker.
She could be another run-away...
Xander admitted that she very well could have been, he hadn't known how many had escaped that night and realised that it wasn't just his own group that had escaped. Many others had escaped also from that compound. However he couldn't believe that theory too.
Why would she show her strength in such a display to simply look at a dead body?
She would be hiding it more secretly and another thing was that if he was interested in a murdered suspect he wouldn't risk the chance of been caught. He would find some other high tech alternative, maybe hacking the hospital records on the dead body and if it did come down to low tech he would have waited till the body was sent to the morgue and then find the pathology reports in the hospital.
She couldn't be one of them.
However he couldn't hide the fact that she had amazing strength for one so small and petite. No human her size could have done what she had done, hell no human could have done it that particular way anyway. It would have taken a heavy man a shoulder barge to break that door, he knew that for certain.
Who was this Buffy Summers?
She'd been in a while; he decided to take a slight chance and slowly crept to the door making sure not to make a sound. When a person such as him doesn't want to make a sound, then they wouldn't be heard. It was as simply as that.
Buffy's voice could be heard from inside, she was muttering in anger. He listened intently trying to pick whatever she was saying up.
"Great... Wonderful.. Come to Sunnydale, you'll make loads of friends.... I knew we should have moved to Cleveland"
Nothing could be heard for a few minutes, Xander sure that she was thinking of something. He heard footsteps and as quick as he could he disappeared back to the safe spot past the corner. Buffy flew out of the room and vanished down the opposite way, whatever she had thought of had made her disappear quickly. No one was around; he snuck back to the door and crept into the room.
On a silver table in the middle of the room was laid a body bag, inside obviously was the body of the person who had died. Xander opened the bag without hesitation and stared into some hazel eyes, a person who had died well before their time. The boy looked about Xander's age maybe a bit older; he had no abrasions on his body that Xander could see except two little holes in the side of his neck at the left side.
Obviously the cause of his death was some kind of blood loss, the simple sight of the pale coloured body told Xander that bit of information. However the strange thing was that Xander couldn't see a single drop around the body or the whole locker room in fact.
Where could so much noticeable blood vanish to?
Too many thoughts and not enough answers. He shook his head free of the puzzles of the hour and decided to head to the library to check out the book that Willow had told him to get.
The puzzles could wait till later, maybe he would ask Buffy about it. - Classes were soon to start; the bell would ring shortly ending his freedom that he cherished so much. Xander made short time as he appeared at the double doors to the library, about to walk in he noticed the girl of his deliberation in a heated conversation with the new librarian.
Things were getting even more interesting.
Instead of interrupting them he decided to take a form of action that wasn't out of the norm for him today and decided to spy instead. Stepping shortly to the side of the window on the door he placed his foot and pressed in gently, allowing a slight gap to appear between the doors and the sounds inside to come out clearly.
"He's got two little, little holes in his neck, and all his bloods been drained. Isn't that bizarre? Aren't you just going ooooo?"
"I was afraid of this"
"Well, I wasn't. It's my first day! I was afraid that I was gonna be behind in all my classes, that I wouldn't make any friends, that I would have last month's hair. I didn't think there'd be vampires on campus. And I don't care."
The librarian replied abruptly "Then why are you here?"
Silence reigned for a second as she pondered " To tell you that... I don't care which... I don't, and... Have now told you, so... bye. "
The librarian managed to reply before she had walked an inch "Is he.... Will he rise again?"
"Who?"
"The.. The boy"
"No. He's just dead"
"Can you be sure?"
"To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing. Mostly they're just gonna kill you. Why am I still talking to you?
Buffy walked down the stairs while the librarian moved to the railing.
"You really have no idea what's going on, do you? You think its coincidence, your being here? That boy was just the beginning."
"Oh, why can't you people just leave me alone?" Buffy announced exasperatedly.
"Because you are the Slayer."
He followed her down the stairs "Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires..."
Buffy interrupted him suddenly in a monotonous tone "With the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil blah, blah, blah... I've heard it, okay?"
"I really don't understand this attitude. You, you've accepted your duty, you, you've slain vampires before..." The uptight Englishman replied clearly.
"Yeah, and I've both been there and done that, and I'm moving on."
"What do you know about this town?"
Xander heard his footsteps get quieter; surmising that he must have went into his office for some particular reason.
"It's two hours on the freeway from Neiman Marcus?" Buffy replied jokingly.
The librarian came out of his office "Dig a bit in the history of this place. You'll find a, a steady stream of fairly odd occurrences. Now, I believe this whole area is a center of mystical energy, that things gravitate towards it that, that, that you might not find elsewhere."
"Like vampires?" Buffy stated obviously.
"Like zombies, werewolves, incubi, succubi, everything you've ever dreaded was under your bed, but told yourself couldn't be by the light of day. They're all real!"
The librarian seemed to get excited by the prospect.
"What? You, like, sent away for the Time-Life series?"
"ah... yes"
"Did you get the free phone?" Buffy asked changing the subject slightly.
"Um, the calendar." He replied
"Cool... first of all I'm a vampire slayer, hence the vampire word. And secondly I am retired. Hey I know... why don't you kill them?
The uptight English man didn't seem to like that idea as he stuttered out an answer "I-I'm a watcher... I-I haven't the skill...."
"Oh come on, a stake through the heart.... Little sunlight, its like falling off a log."
"A slayer slays.. A watcher..."
"Watches?" Buffy retorted, her anger obviously getting the better of her as she turned on the man.
"Yes.. no.. He, he trains her... he prepares her..."
"Prepares me for what?" Buffy yelled " For getting kicked out of school, for losing all my friends. For having to spend all of my time fighting for my life and never getting to tell anyone because I might endanger them? Never getting to socialize or live a normal life?"
She stormed towards the door "GO AHEAD, PREPARE ME"
Xander quickly realized she was headed his way and stepped to side; she stormed out and vanished down the hallway without even noticing him. He looked after her thoughtfully, obviously having internal arguments that seemed to centre on the stupidity of the conversation he had just heard or the likeliness that both parties were in fact insane.
However soon after he did realize maybe he was a bit harsh in his assumptions and could not ignore the possibility that the upset Buffy had been through a tremendous ordeal. That kind of thing cannot be hidden under duress; her tone of voice told him all he needed to know.
Then he thought of Sunnydale and the possibility of a world he never knew about. The stretch from his own life to that of Buffy's wasn't the distance he had hoped to see, she hadn't chosen her destiny just like he hadn't chosen his. They had more in common than he cared to admit. But to admit that likelihood of the supernatural was to admit a world that he had possibly ignored under the pretense of been more self involved than anything else.
He was born of something he couldn't control for a government he never knew and was bread to notice things and act upon them accordingly according to his heightened genetics. That was something he knew to be certain and yet he had never even heard of this new world, never had an inkling of it ever existing and yet here it was.
Sunnydale was strange, people disappeared, far too many for Xander to remember and far too many than to his liking. Yet he never even expected any foul play up until this moment, he was as ignorant as the whole town and the whole nation.
Worlds beyond your own don't seem to matter until your own world is blown out of proportion. The realities of existing in the modern world come to life once again in an unexpected fashion.
Xander couldn't help but feel slightly disgusted at his own ignorance; he could have possibly saved many people over the years that needed not to die. He could have saved that boy whose eyes he had stared into earlier, the one who had died before his time.
He could have saved him.
The bell interrupted anymore of his thoughts and he ignored the entire reason he had come to the library in the first place as he walked towards Mathematics, his thoughts were on anything but equations and algebra.
-
The first thing Xander noticed when he walked into class was that she was sat in the seat next to his again. She obviously didn't want to go through the whole process of meeting another person and getting to know them either that or she just wanted to get to know him better. However he knew he wouldn't be the ideal company at this particular time.
Too many questions and thoughts were in his head for him to focus on anything but the predicament he had found himself in.
What action could he take now that he knew the possibility of that world existing?
Should he talk to the librarian and Buffy?
So many questions and no answers.
Xander found himself in a kind of trance for most of the entire day, his friends noticed and tried to get him to talk but he was unsure of what to say to them. He just assured them that he would be okay, that he was thinking about something important and would be fine.
Willow was okay with that, she knew nothing could keep Alexander Harris down in the dumps for long. She had witnessed it first hand.
The end class came and went and they headed down the bustling corridor, they needed to split off to separate destinations. Xander's own destination been detention for an hour but he had chirped up slightly by now, finally realising the action and only action that could be taken.
"The bronze.. We should go tonight" Xander said out of the blue and looked at his friends with a smile
Buffy looked at him with a question on her lips.
"Local youth hangout, dance, drink... even some loud obnoxious live band if that's your thing. We should go tonight..."
"Defo man.." Jesse slapped him on the shoulder "I got to book, mom wants me home pronto but I'll see you there definitely, I'll be their at the usual time right Wills?"
Willow nodded assuredly as he vanished out of the building. They always walked there together, their homes been on the same street made it simpler.
"I got to go as well Xan... About maths, can we leave it a night?" She asked looking at her history homework with slight displeasure.
Xander grinned and hugged her sideways "Thought you were reading my mind"
She walked down the stairs and disappeared down the street and out of sight leaving Buffy stood with Xander.
"Buffy" he asked hopefully.
Buffy seemed to ponder for a second then smiled "Sure... where exactly is this club?"
"Don't worry about it... I can meet you at yours and we'll walk together."
Maybe then he could tell her what he knew and just hoped she would consider his help if anything.
Buffy seemed reassured and even smiled shyly "1630 Revello drive"
"Ok.. I know the place, I'll see you at seven?" he asked and grinned.
"Definitely" Buffy whispered as he walked towards detention.
While detention to Xander was pretty much a regular occurrence it always seemed to last decades rather that one little hour. It was quite possibility the most boring experience in the world, counting down the seconds on the clock hanging over the teachers head.
This only fuelled his need for a good night out with his friends and his new friend, the one that had been on his mind most of the day and not in a nasty way. Despite his own reasoning's and the ever increasing likelihood of a new world out there waiting to be found some small part of him held true to the idea that it was all a lie and that there could quite possibly be another reasoning behind the corpse and the discussion that he had yet to learn.
He supposed that some small part of him would be unsure until he saw the night with his own two eyes and could finally see that the myths hold true to form. It was only human after all.
Xander couldn't help but sympathise with Buffy, something was taken from her that should never have been.
Her free will
Buffy did not choose to be a slayer. All she ever wanted was to be a girl, and then a woman and even perhaps a mother. But all that had been thrown into doubt by some higher power with no consideration involved. He knew she should run from her problems, it was the age old solution to any problem after all. Maybe she had done in the past. But something in her eyes had told Xander that she wasn't that kind of person at her core, that she was the kind of person that stood for what she believed in to the end. Her strength of character had inspired his decision to take part in the night life. He knew he was a good judge of character; it was in his DNA after all.
Xander's inner thoughts were disturbed by the time as he vanished from school as quickly as he could. Deciding to leave before a rule was changed by the school board to make it so that all Alexander's had to stay at school till eight at night. A bit paranoid perhaps, but is it paranoia when the system is truly out to get you?
-
His home wasn't far from the school; it was one of the luxuries of living in such a small town. Xander barged through the door with an audible groan and dropped his bag almost instantly, then his shoes and he was about to head upstairs when he heard someone clearing their throat.
The disapproving look on his step-mothers face made him pick up his shoes and bag with a sheepish look on his face before he headed to his room.
"Sorry... "
Sarah smiled warmly at her would-be child as he vanished up the stairs, he wasn't perfect but he came pretty darn close to her. Even now she could hear him drop his stuff on the floor in his bedroom but she knew that before the weekend came he would have it cleaned up; it was the way he was.
She knew him that well, he couldn't stand clutter.
It was strange for a child, but nice for a mother.
Meanwhile upstairs Xander quickly rid himself of his stuffy clothing. He was going to wear one of his more appealing outfits tonight. Solid colours instead of the usual stripy pattern he liked so much. A pair of black Levi's and one of his new shirts and he was good to go, via the use of washing facilities of course.
He wasn't doing it to just impress Buffy, well not entirely. The use of the dark shirt and jeans could come in handy if anything that the librarian had spoken of earlier decided to rear its ugly head.
Surprise was something Xander always took advantage of if he could.
His school books had been dumped unceremoniously in the corner where it would most likely stay till the night before it was due in. It had never been important to him, despite what his parents thought. Xander looked himself over in the large mirror by his bed then smiled at Pamela Anderson on the wall.
"Pammy, I look good enough to eat"
Heading down stairs he briefed his mom on where he was headed and what time he would be home, which he argued with her about of course when she altered the time he had originally given her. Arguing with a mother about curfew was never a good thing to do, he learnt the hard way when he left having to be in by ten pm when he could have swooped eleven if he'd had stayed calm and cool about it. Leaving the house he headed towards Revello drive, he knew the location well it was only four blocks from his own house.
- Date: 15th March 1997 Location: Buffy Summers House, 1630 Revello Drive
"Hi I'm a big slut"
"Want a copy of the watch tower?"
Buffy eyed herself in the mirror as she placed outfit after outfit in front of her. She used to be so good at this before the fire, before she lost her friends. She had been queen of her old school and now what was she?
A slayer?
A Loser?
Despite losing her friends and her social standing she had discovered that not everything revolved around make-up, dresses or the cute boy working at Taco-bell that was four years her senior. Something's been far more serious than that and despite losing her friends it had probably been for the best; they had never really known each other. It was all a façade by the cool and popular kids, who put the best front up. No one actually got to know each other; they just knew the face you hid behind.
Then she came here after the fire and there were nice people, actual people that wanted to know her for her and not for her clothes.
Willow looked nice enough, not someone the old Buffy would have hanged around with but somebody the new Buffy could see very well depending on in the future.
Jesse was nice enough when he wasn't saying sexist remarks, his continuous annoyance of Willow was something to behold even to an outsider like she currently was.
Then came Xander Harris, what could she say about him?
He was handsome definitely and very funny, but there was just something about him that she had instantly attached to. Something beneath them brown eyes that told secrets that no one could grasp, she saw a sort of kinship there like he could understand her like no other.
Buffy liked him beyond a shadow of a doubt the moment she saw him.
At that moment Joyce Summers peeked her head around the door frame and smiled at her one and only daughter "hi hon"
"Hey" Buffy replied putting her dresses back in the closet.
"Are you uh going out tonight?"
"To a club..."
"Will there be boys there?"
"No it's a nun club mom"
"Well.. Just be careful"
"I will"
Her mother could never possibly know the stress she had been under in her short life and what was worse was that the entire LA fiasco had made her look like the soul person responsible. All the other people that were involved were now finding their way around the air vents in dust form. Buffy loved her mother but sometimes she could also be very trying.
"Oh, you're a good girl, Buffy, you just fell in with the wrong crowd. But that is all behind us now."
The door bell interrupted the conversation and Buffy looked at the clock in panic.
6:30
"Oh.. God he's early... go stall him mom... I've got to get changed..."
"Him?" her mother asked questioningly with an eyebrow raised.
"Xander Harris..... He's just a friend, please mom?"
-
Xander admired the house from the outside, it looked large and homey. Kind of like his own home but with a larger garden. He pressed the bell again in nervous anticipation, it wasn't even a date and he was as nervous as hell. Willow and Jesse would no doubt be at the bronze at their usual time of half seven. They were consistent to say the least but it at least meant he knew of there whereabouts at most times.
He saw someone beyond the glass of the door and it opened to reveal a woman in her early forties, late thirties who had a genuine smile on her face.
"Is Buffy in? Your Mrs Summers right? Pleased to meet you, I'm Xander Harris"
First impressions are important if a relationship wants to get off to a good start and as Mrs Summers ushered him into the house pretty quickly he was sure that he had made a good one. He walked into the living room and looked around admiringly before taking a seat.
"Nice House..."
"Thanks Xander" Mrs Summers replied "would you care for a drink? I believe my daughter will be a while yet."
He nodded his head "sure... whatever's on offer yea..."
Joyce vanished into the kitchen and he heard water and various other things been implemented while he just looked around casually. It looked very nice, very homey to him.
"Here..." Xander was brought out of his reverie as Mrs Summers offered him a glass with fruit juice in it and he smiled in thanks. She took a seat opposite him and looked at him for a moment before she spoke.
"So... Xander, how exactly did you get to know Buffy?"
Questions unnerved him and he clenched the cup in his hand tighter before replying.
"Well.. She sat next to me in Chemistry, I introduced her to my friends,,, one big happy friend family now... yep yessiree..."
He always babbled when nervous, it was a trait he had picked up over the years, a very unwelcome one.
"Tell me about the bronze?"
Such a blunt question, if he was to take this examination under scrutiny he would definitely find it more in tune to a date kind of occurrence than anything else resembling his and Buffy's current relationship.
"Well.. It's a converted warehouse, very big and spacious. No alcohol is served there which you will be happy to know" he smiled at her "there's a 2 dollar entrance fee and it houses live entertainment a lot, that isn't to say its good live entertainment buts its entertainment nonetheless"
Xander fingered the glass and looked towards the stairs in hope that Buffy would break this tit a tat with her mother.
"So.. Xander that's an unusual name..."
He couldn't help but wonder at the audacity of the person calling his name weird when she had called her own daughter Buffy. Not the most traditional of names for children to say the least. Still his name had come as some kind of nick name and it beat the number he had before that.
"It's short for Alexander" he answered "Willow, my best friend decided one day that it wasn't a good enough name for me, hence the Xander..."
Joyce smiled at him and before she could ask another question Buffy walked down the stairs with a smile on her face. A beautiful black dress hung off her like nothing Xander had ever seen and he couldn't help but ogle her, he was after all a teenager despite his other traits.
"Hi" Buffy seemed to stammer a bit "I hope my mom wasn't bothering you too much..."
"Buffy" Joyce reprimanded her but in jest "Well that's my cue to leave and do the dishes. You young lady be in before 11 or there will be hell to pay. Nice meeting you... Xander"
"Yea, same here" Xander replied and watched her disappear into the kitchen before visibly relaxing.
"Sorry about my mom, she means well"
"Yea" He looked her up and down then smiled "You look beautiful"
Buffy blushed "Thank you, you don't look half bad yourself..."
"What!.. This old thing?"
Her laughter followed them out of the door; they headed towards the bronze engaging in conversation as they went. Every time Buffy said something Xander would reply with something that made her laugh, she hadn't laughed in a while.
It felt good.
She could hear the footsteps behind her immediately; her stake was stuck snugly in her purse. Just because she didn't want to be the slayer didn't mean she was stupid either.
Always be prepared.
A sentence to live and die by.
Xander for his part remained emotionless despite the footsteps; he had wanted to broach the conversation that had been bugging him the entire day and now something was going to interrupt that. He wasn't sure who the intruder was but something in Buffy's eyes told him to be very wary.
The bronze wasn't far from there current location, before they could reach there however Buffy grabbed Xander's hand and led him down an alley. He didn't react and just followed suit, he was pushed behind a dumpster and told to remain still and to trust in her.
If he was anybody else he would have been very worried.
Buffy vaulted up and grabbed a hold of a pipe and swung herself right around until she was resting vertically above it in wait.
Xander saw him first as he entered the alley behind them. A tall man with spiky hair and a face that he doubted even knew how to crack a smile. Dark leather was obviously the man's clothes of choice as he was donned from head to foot and he looked around cautiously. However It all did him no good as Buffy swung right around and kicked him flat on in the chest, sending him flying to the floor. She dropped down, her hair hanging before her eyes and a wicked glint in her eyes.
"Is there a problem ma'am?"
"Yea, there's a problem. Why are you following us?"
Deciding that hiding behind a dumpster was already denting his reputation, despite what it is already Xander came to stand beside her and looked down at the man on the floor.
"Who's he?"
"I'm Angel" The man said.
"Pretty name" Xander replied
"I know what you're thinking... Don't worry, I don't bite..."
Buffy's head was spinning, not only did she have to contend with this guy but her new friend had no doubt witnessed her Olympic style gymnastics and would no doubt require an explanation. It could come later after dealing with this stalker.
"I thought you'd be taller, more muscles... Your pretty spry though" Angel admitted and rubbed his neck.
"What do you want? "Xander asked curiously before Buffy could ask the same question.
"The same thing as she does..." He looked at Buffy and smiled "to kill them all"
"No!!" Buffy pushed him with her foot as he tried to get up "What I want is to be left alone!!"
"Do you think that's an option anymore, you're standing at the mouth of hell and it's about to open... Don't turn your back on this" Angel reached into his pocket as he was allowed to stand and threw her a box but Xander intercepted it and grabbed it in his hand.
Angel faltered slightly as he walked from the alley but turned and looked straight at Buffy "You're the only chance this planet has, don't throw it away. The harvest is coming and he will rise... the world needs a hero right now"
With that the mysterious guy left and Xander fingered the box in his hand before opening it, a silver cross rested in the soft velvet. He handed it to Buffy and she looked into the box.
"I have enough crosses" Buffy said and handed it back. She looked at Xander about to explain but decided it wasn't the place "We'll talk... later okay?"
He knew it would be coming eventually anyway so he nodded and they walked the rest of the way to the bronze in silence, the cross in Xander's pocket burning to be used. Once they had paid the entrance fee they bustled through the many teenagers stood idly by the door and Buffy managed to get her first glimpse of the infamous Bronze.
The only place to be in Sunnydale.
It wasn't magnificent, she'd seen better clubs in LA of course but it had a rudimentary charm to it and the atmosphere seemed to be magnetic to the clubbers as they danced wildly about anywhere they could. Dodging flailing arms and legs they immediately made there way to a table occupied by Willow and Jesse. The latter obviously ogling Cordelia who stood across the room while the former looked incredible bored.
However her face brightened as she saw the two new arrivals.
"God... I thought you were never going to get here, Cordelia this... Cordelia that... I was thinking of running away with the barman but my shyness held me back"
Xander laughed as he took a seat, Buffy taking the one next to him and opposite Willow. She looked between the two obviously feeling something going on and couldn't help but ask, it was her nature to be nosy.
"What's up with you two?"
"Nothing" they both replied at the same time, an obvious amount of shame was definitely present whenever two people said the same thing at the same time. It was Law, however the tension did break as they both broke out in a grin and even sniggered.
"So Jess.. Going to try your luck once again for the indomitable Cordelia Chase?"
Jesse grinned widely and slapped him on the shoulder "You know me so well, just call me Jesse "Glutton for punishment" McCormick... She's alone... its time for my well thought out, brilliant plan"
He almost vanished in thin air like you see on cartoons early morning, just leaving a dust cloud in his wake. Buffy, Willow and Xander all laughed at his dispense as he almost tripped up on his way towards her, trying to swagger wasn't his forte.
"So... what's his well thought out, brilliant plan?" Buffy asked still watching him.
"He'll go over, same some randomly male chauvinistic comment and she'll either slap him or berate him vocally after which he'll hang around her for like ten minutes in hope that she'll change her mind. After that he'll head back on over with a grin on his face despite his set back and say she'll come around..." Xander smiled, he knew his friend so well.
"Xander..."
He looked over at Willow and she was nodding towards her empty glass with a smile, the male always gets the drinks or that was what she had told him from when he was eight and him been a manticore reject believed her. He knew better now but he still accepted it, besides she could never get served.
"Buffy.. A drink?"
She smiled up at him as he stood "Yea Coke.. diet"
"Right... Coke diet and orangeade for Miss Bossy britches..."
Willow stuck her tongue out at him as he vanished from sight headed towards the bar.
"So..." Willow started, aware that they were alone "your interested in Xander?"
Where did that come from?
Buffy just looked at her dumbly and was sure she saw some signs of jealousy on the auburn haired girl's face but she hid it well. She was suddenly aware that she could be standing on somebody's feet by been interested in him and she had to ask.
"Why?.. Are you and he?"
Willow grinned and brushed hair behind her ear "No... we were once... but he stole my Barbie, I had to dump him then..."
The slayer let out a slight breath she didn't know she was holding and Willow noticed and couldn't help a slight smirk appearing on her face but then she turned her head down.
"I..I don't really date much... Any boy but Xander and Jesse and I-I find it difficult to say anything resembling coherent sentences..."
Buffy looked at the girl, despite some of her clothes choices she was very pretty and decided to dish out some small advice in hope that it would alleviate her problems.
"Do you want to know my philosophy?"
"Yes" Willow answered immediately.
"Life is short"
"Life is short" Willow echoed.
"Not original, I'll grant you, but it's true. You know? Why waste time being all shy and worrying about some guy, and if he's gonna laugh at you. Seize the moment, 'cause tomorrow you might be dead."
"Oh that's nice" Willow piped up in sincerity.
Buffy turned her head and spotted the librarian, the watcher, Giles on the top deck of the small club and she excused herself from Willow.
"Seize the moment" Willow muttered to herself.
-
Xander was muttering as he returned to the table about the barman stealing his change and how would he like the cash register shoved somewhere painful when he noticed it was empty.
"Oh... I see, I go off to get drinks and they desert me... "
After he had placed the tray down he grabbed his coke and took a sip before turning to peruse the dance floor. He immediately noticed his red headed friend dancing with a guy and he smiled happy that she had found somebody. Xander also spotted Jesse dancing with a girl that wasn't Cordelia, a blonde that seemed to be good looking from the view he could get of her and he gave his friend the thumbs up. That left one; he looked up and noticed her immediately talking to the librarian. Maybe it was time to get some answers.
Making light work of the stairs he appeared behind Buffy and Giles to catch the last bits of a sentence.
"... Besides, I knew you were likely to show up, and I have to make you understand..."
"That the harvest is coming... I know your friend told me"
"What did you say..."
Xander decided to introduce himself, maybe inopportune but better now than never he surmised. He cleared his throat and Giles turned and looked at him, not knowing what to say.
"She said the harvest was coming... A weird guy in leather and fixation for spiked hair told us..."
Giles automatically turned on the slayer "HE KNOWS!!!"
"Hey cool it gramps, it wasn't like she had a choice the guy was following us." Xander stated half annoyed and Buffy even gave him a grateful look "All I know is what I overheard in the library earlier, now I'm open minded but even I thought what the hell when I heard that conversation..."
He walked up and leaned over the railing looking down at the crowd of teenagers below "So.. According to what I heard is that vampires exist right? Your saying that they could be anyone here... that they have been here before? All these people... how many times have I been here and put my life on the line without even knowing it"
Buffy patted him on the back gently "some people cope with it differently, like you some few want to know but most just want to ignore it... ignorance is bliss."
Giles decided to intervene; he wasn't pleased about the way things were turning out "now see here, you aren't supposed to know about this so I suggest you go home and forget you heard anything...The slayer is supposed to fight this fight, not you...."
Xander almost laughed out loud "You think I could do that now? Just leave people to the slaughter, even if it isn't with your help I.. I couldn't walk away now.."
"You'll have to Xander" Buffy said and looked at him sternly "This isn't a game, people die when ever a mistake is made and you have to live with that... I should know"
Giles looked at Buffy with sad eyes; he understood what she meant too truly for him to ignore it. He also knew that someone her age shouldn't have to deal with things pertaining to such guilt or complex emotions, but he also knew that this girl, this young girl before him was possibly the only hope the world had. That scared him more than he cared to vocalize.
"I..I always thought that something was wrong in Sunnydale but something like this never really crossed my mind, people went missing a lot. Even a few people I myself knew... I guess I stuck my head in the ground just like everybody else.. Ignorance is bliss, or stupidity risks lives.... Neither matters, I can't walk away Buff... I'm not the kind of person that could..."
Buffy sighed and patted his hand, give him a week and he wouldn't be able to cope and then she would be on her own.
Again.
"Buffy, as I was saying... I'm not aware of this harvest, I-I'll have to research it... "
"Yea, you do that" She stared idly over the railing and noticed Willow smiling as she danced with a brunette and Buffy smiled in response.
It soon disappeared.
"Giles... Vampire.."
The librarian stuttered "A-Are you sure.."
"Look at his jacket.. Sleeves rolled up.."
"It's dated?" the watcher asked curiously as he saw her and Xander head to the stairs.
"Carbon" was her reply as she vanished from his sight.
They pushed their way through the crowd of teenagers and looked around nervously, Xander saw Jesse walking towards the same door with a blonde and he got a sudden sinking feeling.
"Is that one?" He asked, already dreading the answer.
Buffy saw the blonde; she suddenly got a nauseous feeling and just nodded.
They pushed through and out of the door to find nobody in the alley beside the bronze; Buffy was just getting more infuriated by the minute.
"Where did they go?" Xander asked to nobody and followed Buffy from the alley.
"What's around here?" Buffy wondered and looked at him.
"Ice cream parlor, few shops, a graveyard but that's a given in Sunnydale"
Another reason to think about the likelihood of the supernatural in the town.
"The graveyard... Which way?"
"At the end of the street on the corner"
Buffy nodded setting off in a sprint towards the graveyard at her fastest possible pace, within a few minutes she was looking around the graveyard noticeably and saw footprints upon the dirt headed off in a northern direction.
"Where'd they go?"
Buffy got a start and turned to see Xander standing there looking around like she just did, he wasn't panting, he wasn't out of breath remotely but at the moment it didn't matter. She nodded towards the direction and they headed there at pace Buffy with a determined look on her face.
A scream broke through the night.
Xander recognised the voice anywhere, it was his friends.
Willow's