STORY FIVE: THE BIG APPLE (Part 1)
"Are you sure you know how to fly this thing?" Xander asked as they sped down the road towards New York on a Harley. He hugged Faith as he sat behind her.
"Haven't crashed yet," Faith replied. She laughed suddenly. "You're having fun, aren't you?" she yelled back to Xander.
"I'm with you, aren't I?" Xander said, a smile in his tone, giving her a quick squeeze around the waist. He truly was enjoying this time, and marveling at the fact that after so many months, she was still sticking with him, by him... even after that night. They hadn't said much about 'that night,' but he wondered if it was a step somewhere with her. The problem was, a motorcycle wasn't exactly the kind of scene to talk about something like that. "Hey, anytime you see a rest area, can we stop? The sodas are getting to me!"
"Sure..." A few minutes later, Faith pulled up at the rest stop and shut the motorcycle off. "Hurry up. I think we can still make the city before sunset."
Xander nodded, hoping off, then went to the men's side of the restroom. After a few short moments, Xander was slowly walking out. He came up to Faith again, his face a little pale. "Okay, let's go. Now."
"Whoa - you okay?" Faith asked him. "What happened? Did you throw up?"
Xander was already hopping on the bike, putting on his helmet. "No... I mean, I'm fine." His smile was shakier than before. "We're going now, yeah?"
"Yeah... Seriously - you okay?"
Xander nodded. "Yeah. Fine," he said too quickly to be true. "Hey, wanna get to the Big 'A' before dark so we better get moving." Then he smiled that strange smile again.
"Okay..." Faith considered pressing Xander on his sudden shiftiness, then decided to let it go. For now. She hopped onto the Harley and off they went again.
A few hours later, just as the sun was starting to slip over the western horizon, Faith pulled to a stop again, this time in front of a low-low-low rent hotel in Brooklyn. "Stayed here once... beds are clean. That's about all we can afford, I think," she told Xander as she got off.
Xander got off the bike as well, looking up at the place. "You'd think we should be used to this by now. But after that hotel in Vegas..." He hugged her.
Faith grinned, holding him close. "Yeah... we oughta start charging people."
"Wanna drop off our stuff then go get something to eat then maybe find those alligators?"
"Sounds good to me," Faith said, staring around the slightly scummy neighborhood on the edge of Little Odessa. She rubbed her arms as a sudden chill ran through her. Great. All this crap, now I'm getting a cold... "I wonder if Sergei's still running this place," she said with a nod towards the hotel.
As it turned out, Sergei was still behind the counter. And it looked like he hadn't changed clothes or gotten a haircut since the last time Faith was in town. He eyed the two as if they were from Mars.
"Can I help you?" Sergei asked in thickly-accented English.
"Yeah... A room'd be nice." Faith drummed her fingers on the counter. She leaned forward and whispered something, at which point the Russian laughed and gave Xander a knowing look. Once she had the key, Faith handed it to Xander. "I'll take the bags."
Xander stared at her as they walked away. "Hey, what'd you tell the guy?"
"What? Nothing..." Faith smirked.
"Oh, no, you can't do that - what you just did - and not tell. C'mon!" He pushed her playfully. "I'll dislocate that weak shoulder of yours. I know your weakness, you know."
"Try it... I dare ya," Faith replied, grinning at him. "Go check the room out. I'll grab the bags, all right?"
Xander didn't answer right away. He was this close to saying "no," but he stopped himself. "Yeah, okay."
"All right. Stay outta trouble." Faith headed back across the lobby.
He watched her go and then went to find their room. He came across it and went in, closing the rickety door behind him.
A couple minutes later, Faith nudged the door open with her shoulder and stepped inside.
Xander jumped as he stood in a corner of the room when Faith walked in.
"Hey," she said, then stopped and gave Xander a worried look.
"Uh...h-hey." He smiled. "Got the bags? I'm kinda hungry. Maybe we should go ahead and get going."
"Are you SURE you're okay? What's going on?" she asked him.
"Going on? Nothing! Nothing at all..." He nudged her back towards the door. "So, where's the best place to eat around here?" He wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"Okay, that's it." Faith tossed the bags down. "What the hell is up with you?" she demanded.
Xander blinked at Faith. "I told you; it's nothing... Now let's go. We'll test the bed out later."
"The fuck it is." Faith crossed the room until she was right in Xander's face. "You've been acting weird since Boston... what's going on?" she asked, more gently this time.
There really was no choice for Xander. It wasn't like he could just go out of the room without being stopped - hard. He raised his brows, swallowing. "I... I can't..." His eyes looked over her shoulder and they widened. "Jesus."
Faith turned sharply, but the room was empty aside from them. Or at least it looked like it was. "Who am I looking at here, Xander...?"
"You don't see...?" Xander's face fell. "Oh, God, you don't see..." He shook his head. "No, I have to get out of here." He pushed past Faith and opened the door, moving down the hallway. It felt so stuffy in the room, he needed air.
"Whoa!" Faith was out in the hall in a flash, catching up with Xander and stepping in front of him. "Xander, come on... tell me."
"It's... it's Anya," he whispered, his eyes quickly gazing down to the ground.
"Oh." With that, it all clicked into place. Faith took hold of Xander and pulled him close for a second. "Xander, shit," she said, now looking warily around the hallway. Why the hell would Anya be haunting him? Sheer spite? Didn't seem like the New and Mostly Improved Anya that Faith had known in her last stay in Sunnydale, but... what else, then? A warning? Against what? Fuck. I miss Mexico now.
Xander looked around, too, but didn't see her in sight. "She showed up at the convenience store in Boston and... I just... I keep seeing her." He shook his head. "I don't know why, though." He almost looked pleadingly at Faith. "Can we just go get something to eat?"
"Yeah, we can," Faith replied soothingly. Jesus. No wonder he's flipping out. "Come on. I saw a few places on the way in."
A short while later, Faith sat down across from Xander in one of the back booths of a smoky Russian restaurant that didn't have any patrons except for them at the moment. Which was probably just as well, since there didn't look to be anybody around except for a single waiter.
"How long has this been going on, Xander?" Faith asked after he'd sat down.
Xander had been scanning the small restaurant as they sat. It finally registered that he had been spoken to. "Just since Boston. When I ran to get snacks." He held his hands together to keep them from shaking. This was ridiculous to be shaking like this! He had been though so many near death, near end of the world experiences, this should be nothing - except... this was Anya.
The one who had loved him when he was a true loser in every sense of the word. Whom he almost married... whom he never said good-bye to as Sunnydale crumbled to the ground. The girl he had cried over at night for the next few days after they had left on the yellow bus. "So, I never got to ask you what did happen to your pal in Boston?" he asked, trying to keep the subject away from him. As he asked, he noticed an old woman sitting just in the line of vision who stared back at him.
Faith shrugged, uncomfortable at Xander turning the conversation back towards her. It didn't help that she felt guilty over how it'd gone down back in Boston. "Mark tried to hook up with me... I said no."
Xander blinked. "You said... well, that's good. I mean, about the... I mean, because back in Vegas, I just... you and me... we're..." He cringed a little, not knowing how to straight out and say what he wanted to say.
"It's okay, Xander. We are." She smiled then shrugged again. "How many times have you seen her?" Faith asked.
"Her? Her who?" he asked. Then realized. "Oh, Anya. Um... I think... I think that was the third time." His eye was trained on the menu on the table. "I don't really know why. Why now, you know? Maybe... maybe she's mad at me 'cause I didn't..." He shrugged. "I wasn't there for her."
"Xander, c'mon. That ain't true. And I'm sure she knows it," Faith said, even though she wasn't sure of any such thing. Anya had spent 99 of her life as a vengeance demon, after all... "Look. I know you're guilty about what happened to her, but that doesn't mean that's why she's here."
"Then why?" he asked as if she'd suddenly have the answer. "I mean, why not right after it happened? Or when I was in Cleveland? Or even when we were in Mexico? What was different any of those times than right after Vegas?" He paused. "Oh, man... you don't think she's... No." He shook his head. "Then again, she was a vengeance demon."
"She was, Xander," Faith reminded him. But his logic was pretty good.
"Was, right..." he murmured. "You know, she became a vengeance demon again. Big fat payback for leaving her at the alter." He looked back up and over towards the old, frail woman who continued to look at him.
"And - well, has she done anything? Said anything?"
He shook his head. "No. Just... was there. Even when I was staring at her, she just kinda looked back at me. I think she wanted to say something to me, but... I just freaked." The old woman was still staring back at him, something in her eyes making him want to ask if she needed any help. "Um, think they're gonna take our order soon?"
Faith glanced back over her shoulder. The waiter was still off in the corner... "Hey!" She waved at him, and he reluctantly came over to their table, walking just shy of glacial speed.
'Bout time. Faith placed her order then glanced at Xander. The waiter just stared off into space.
Xander ordered as well then gave the weirdo waiter the menu. "Are New Yorkers always this weird?" he asked.
"Yeah, pretty much," Faith replied.
Now that they had ordered, however, Xander felt compelled to see if the old woman did need some help and was just too... old?.. to walk over. "Um, could you excuse me?" he told Faith, getting to his feet.
"Uh - yeah, sure." Faith went back to her Coke.
Xander made his way over to the old lady, glancing around at the patrons who only glanced at him a moment. He stood in front of the lady's table, stuffing his hands in his pockets uncomfortably. This was already awkward. "Um, hey there," he said to the woman quietly. "I couldn't help but wonder if you... needed help for something? Always up to helping..." He almost said 'the elderly' but second thought about it. "... beautiful people." He grinned, realizing up close, the old woman wasn't the picture that went under 'beautiful' exactly.
"Beautiful people?" the old crone giggled hoarsely. "Sit down, polite little one... I think maybe you're the one who needs help, aren't you?" she asked him, staring at him with her tiny, beady eyes.
Xander glanced back at the booth where Faith still sat and noticed she was wrapped up in something else. He sat down across from the old woman, just to be polite. "Um, I don't know what you mean about me needing the help. Totally help-free."
The woman shook her head. "Helpless, you mean... She's here, you know, even when you can't see her."
He quirked up a brow. "Who? Faith? Oh, yeah, I can see her fine if I turn a certain way... and, yeah, most of the time I am the helpless in distress, but I can make it fine myself. Now back to YOU needing some help." He smiled.
"Don't talk to me like I'm your stupid grandmother, little one. You know who I mean," the old woman snarled, her eyes narrowing for a second.
"Oh, okay, okay..." he said, putting his hands up. "I mean, I kinda don't know what you're talking about." She COULDN'T be talking about Anya. How could she possibly know?
The woman continued to glare, then she gave Xander a gap-toothed smile. "You're right, you're right, I do need someone to help me... will you help an old woman find what she's lost?"
Xander shrugged and leaned in a little on the table, ready to do whatever the woman needed. "Of course. It's why I came. What can I do ya' for?" He wanted to think she reminded him of his own grandmother, only he didn't remember his grandmother being so... scary.
"I lost something. Just a little thing... a little old glass ball..." She sniffed, her face the picture of woe. "Someone stole it from me."
"Oh? Man, that sucks. Sorry to hear that. I'm not really good at retrieving things, truthfully. I mean, from other people." He really hoped he wasn't expected to chase the thief down and fight for some small piece of jewelry. He just thought the woman needed help crossing the street or an escort back to her place. "Did you call the police, report it stolen? Because I hear they're pretty good that finding things."
"No, no, my dear, you're the one who can help me," the old woman assured Xander. She reached out and grabbed his wrist with her own rather leathery hand, squeezing tightly for just a second. "You can't say no to an old woman who needs you."
Xander almost had the urge to pull his hand back from her surprisingly firm grip. But he refrained. "Um, I can't, you're right. But... why am I the only one who can help you?"
"Who else is here?"
"Well, there's lots of people who could do a better job at this. Not that I don't wanna help, but getting something back from a thief isn't really my forte or anything. Hey, do you need a new bookcase? I can build you one of those!" He raised his brows.
"Stop talking foolish. You will help me... and I will help you. I can free you from her."
Xander knitted his brows together in pure confusion now. "Are you talking about Faith again? Because I need to tell you, I REALLY don't wanna be free from her."
The woman reached across the table and gently slapped Xander with surprising speed. "Why do you insult me! I see her... even now. I hear her." She covered her ears. "I can free you from it... or - ohhhh. Yes, dearie. I can bring her back, even. Yes I can."
Xander had his hand on his face, in total shock at her action of slapping him. But he didn't yelp or do anything to show pain. The words that had come out of her mouth pretty much stopped him dead from doing anything. "Y-You're not talking about Faith, are you? You're talking about... A-Anya? But how did you know?"
"Oh, I know... I see her, I hear her. Anya... she misses you. She wants to be free. That's why she appears," the woman told him in a whisper. "If you help me just a little, I'll bring her back to you."
Staring at the old woman as if she had sprouted Smurfs in her hair, he leaned in a little. "Um, I-I'm sorry. Did you just say that Anya wants to be free? Can you see her? I mean, bringing back people isn't really... I've done it. Not fun, and isn't right. But if she's asking ..."
"She is. She begs and pleads," the woman confided. "I can help her... and I can help you. If you help me."
He thought about it. He never thought he'd be put in this situation again - to bring back someone who was supposed to be gone. But... it wasn't unlike Buffy back then. Buffy didn't appear to them. Anya was currently making her rounds, and he didn't understand why. But this woman seemed to. If Anya wanted to be "free," to be where she was supposed to be - alive and human - Xander owed her at least THAT much. He glanced back to where Faith sat then glanced back at the woman. "Are you sure you can bring her back? Because if you do, I'll do whatever you want."
The woman chuckled and patted Xander's cheek. "Never doubt an old woman's promise," she told him. "Bring me what I want and I'll give you what you want."
"Wait, are we back to getting that piece of jewelry again?" He took a deep breath. For Anya. The least he could do for the time that he couldn't help her. "Okay. Where do I go?"
Still smiling, she gave him the address of a house not all that far from the greasy spoon restaurant. "Go there... you will know what I want. But be careful. The owner is very tricky... and very dangerous."
He swallowed hard. "Dangerous, huh?" He met her eyes again. "So we have an agreement then? I bring this... thing back, you bring Anya back?"
"Just as you say."
Xander stood up. "Okay, then," he said with a nod. "Where do I meet you once I get the thing? Here?"
"I'm sure I'll find you, dearie."
"Oh... kay..." He turned to go back to the booth, then wondered how he was going to go about this without telling Faith. Maybe he should tell her the sitch, but then again... He came up to the booth and sat down. "Hey," he said. "Food's not out yet?"
"Nah..." Faith leaned back, sipping on her Coke. "What'd you do, fall down the toilet or something?"
He laughed, kind of nervously. "Yeah. Those darn alligators wouldn't let me come back up, though. Had to find a different route back." He shifted in seat, feeling the woman's eyes on him. Somehow he needed to get out of there to the address. The sooner, the better. He took his drink and began to gulp it down. He glanced at his watch. "Oh, I forgot to make a phone call," he suddenly said.
"Right. Phone call." Faith gave Xander an annoyed look. "Admit it. I know what's going on."
He looked up, eyes wide. "What? What's going on?"
"You're cheating on me."
"What? Why in the hell would I cheat on YOU?" He reached out and grabbed her hand. "If you haven't noticed, there's really no one I could find that I'd even want to cheat on you with... um, not that ever crossed my mind." He patted her hand. "Faith, you've got me. I'm yours. Plus, there's the fear of cheating, getting caught, and getting my ass kicked back to 10th grade."
"More like pre-school," Faith said. "Dude, I was kidding, you know..." Although his reaction to all of this convinced her something was going on. Xander was a shitty-ass liar. Another Anya sighting?
He gave her hand a squeeze. "Seriously, I gotta make a quick call."
"All right. Don't get lost."
He stood up slightly and leaned in and kissed her. "Promise." He grinned and moved towards the front of the restaurant, glancing at the old woman before leaving the place totally.