Same problem as the others only in reverse. This takes place Buffy pre-series. Xander is like 14 in this one.


"Why the long face?" Xander asked as he stuffed yet another mini candy bar in his mouth. He had a large pile around him. He was too old to go trick or treating apparently but that didn't mean that he hadn't taken what was left of the candy that his parents had given him to give out in their place. His friend didn't answer just hide behind his longish bangs. The kid was shy, at least sometimes, sometimes he wouldn't shut up. Particularly when it came to homework. Normally when he started Xander let his two nerdy friends nerd out without him.

The kid shrugged and mostly looked at his feet. Xander frowned, he knew that the kid hadn't been able to join him, Willow and Jesse because he had a family thingy. But he had gotten back and even though it was late he had come over. Willow and Jesse had both already gone home. Jesse's parents had been nervous about him being out late and Willow was always an early to bed, early to rise kind of person. Pretty soon Xander's own parents were probably going to make the kid go home, unless they had gotten too drunk at that Halloween party they had gotten to or never made it home. If they did get home at all Xander would sent his friend home, just in case.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked. His friend, when he did talk, hardly talked about his family. Well- that wasn't true. He would talk his ear off about how cool his older brother was but what his father did or what his home life was like, usually only one-word sentences. He got it. It's not like he liked to talk about his parents either but he felt there was something more to it. Only the two had only known each other for like a month and he wasn't exactly the best at the whole caring and sharing thing. After a moment, the kid nodded and looked back down at the ground. Xander wasn't sure how to respond to that so he passed one of the mini candy bars to the kid.

The kid stared at the bar for a long moment before picking it off old the sea foam carpet. He seemed to consider it for a long time before popping it into his mouth.

"See, not so bad," Xander said encouragingly, but the kid just looked at the floor again looking lost. The kid wasn't really a kid. He was only two years younger than him but he only tried to or just succeeded in making himself look smaller.

"Seriously, what happened?" he finally broke down and asked. The kid looked up at him and then back down almost immediately after. The kid suddenly looked back up and the look that haunted his gaze ever since he had set foot in the room was overtaken by a sheepish smile.

"My brother made me watch a scary movie tonight," he laughed but it seemed rather fake to his ears. "Stupid, but it's like it's stuck in my head, and I'm still scared," he laughed again and this sounded less fake but more...bitter?

"Oh I get it, I can't watch IT without having nightmares," he commiserated. He hated clowns even since his childhood birthday party. Sam nodded.

"Yeah, I don't like clowns either," he said softly, Xander nodded. Clowns were creepy. He didn't get why few people seemed to get that. Xander didn't get how kids could even like them.

"Was it a clown movie?" Xander asked. After a moment, the kid nodded his head. Xander nodded in empathy. He didn't watch clown movies anymore. Good thing he was so unpopular, or he might be accidentally exposed to one at a party or something and then have nightmares for forever. He opened his mouth to commiserate more when he heard footsteps below them stomping around like a herd of elephants. He swallowed, they only sounded like that when they were intoxicated.

"That's my parents," he told his friend who nodded and got up from the floor. The kid fixed his plaid shirt and pants while Xander got to his feet. The kid didn't move right away, though, he seemed frozen on the spot, his brown bangs covering his eyes. The kid lifted his head and looked straight at him his hazel eyes suddenly intense.

"Xander, thanks for being a really good friend. Tell Willow and Jesse too," Before he could even blink, his friend darted out of the room and down the stairs.

"Sam! Sam!" he yelled at his friend's retreating back but he kept going. Going after him into the downstairs wasn't a good idea for either him or Sam, not with his drunk parents down there. They probably wouldn't bother Sam but if the two of them were arguing downstairs, it would probably go badly.

He would just have to ask him what he meant at school tomorrow. Only...there was something final about the way Sam had spoken... He said his Dad traveled a lot for work. Xander darted to the window just in time to see Sam exit his house and quickly walk out of view.

Xander's brows knitted in confusion. Sam wouldn't just leave, would he? Well, he had said something that sounded sort of like a goodbye statement but a single line did not a goodbye mean. He felt something in his gut, though, something that said that that's what it was. That the short sentence he had said was going to be the last thing said to him from Sam for a long time possibly for the rest of his life.

Xander shrunk down on his bed and barely winced as the fighting started downstairs, again. When they got drunk, this always was like all the little things they bottle up while they were sober came pouring out when they were drunk. But this time it wasn't in the forefront of his mind so much as the soundtrack.


Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Supernatural.