See Prologue for disclaimer and details. Hello, everyone, and welcome to the latest chapter! Sorry it's come a bit later than what we were planning, but things got a bit out of hand and then we couldn't log into the site, and, well, suffice it to say better late than never! Just wanted to say thanks again to everyone who's sent reviews and PMs about the story, and now we present to you...


Part Eleven: Facing The Music

Chase Manor, Sunnydale

May, 1997

"You just found them doing what?!"

Julia Chase was glad that she had chosen the library to break the news to her husband; otherwise everyone in the house would have heard him scream like that. "Please calm down, dear."

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? You're kidding, right? I mean, you just come in here and tell me that Cordelia and Alexander are kissing in his bedroom, and you expect me to be calm about it?" David Chase looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel. Hanging Xander from the highest yardarm was also something featuring vividly in his mind.

"For heaven's sake, David. Don't yell like that! It's not going to solve anything," Mrs. Chase said in annoyance.

Mr. Chase made a visible attempt to regain his equilibrium. He barked out, "I want to speak to that boy, right the hell now!"

"Yes, I know. But you need to calm down first," Julia said firmly, and she sat down on the armrest next to her better half. "And you know I'm right, sweetheart. Otherwise, you might just say and do something that you'll later regret."

The millionaire inhaled, knowing that his wife was right. He'd just been thrown one hell of a curve ball, and he needed all of his faculties at his disposal to try and deal with this revelation. Slowly David said, "Julia. Everything I've been working for over the last two years is at risk now! The local party leaders have told me that I'm a sure thing for the November elections. Hell, even the Mayor has given me his endorsement. But if this comes out – oh God, how can I get elected if my sixteen-year-old daughter is pregnant by the boy who's practically her step-brother?"

"Cordelia isn't having a baby, dear," Julia shook her head in annoyance at the paternal overreaction. "She swore to me that she's still a virgin. Even if the silly young thing was planning otherwise, during her birthday."

"WHAT? You mean, she and Alexander...this has been going on for that long?" Mr. Chase demanded. ( What, have I been completely blind in my own house for all that time? )

"Not exactly. But I knew that something was going on between them, even then. A mother knows these things," Mrs. Chase smirked for barely a fraction of a second.

"Unbelievable. Why didn't you mention anything to me about it?" Mr. Chase demanded.

"Because I knew exactly how you'd react, dear. Besides, it's not like I had any proof. And if you'd started accusing Alexander of something like that back then, what do you think the odds are that he'd have run away and taken Dawn with him?" Julia asked softly.

David thought about it and repressed a shudder. Obviously, his wife was a lot smarter than he'd given her credit for. "You're right, damn it. Okay, okay. I know when I'm out of my league. So how do you suggest we deal with this?"

"Calmly and rationally, dear," Julia said, as she went over and opened the library door. "Cordelia, could you please come inside?"

David watched as his firstborn came in, defiance along with concern present on her face. His blood pressure soared again as he got up from the chair, "Well?"

"Well what, Daddy?" his little girl replied, raising her chin as the defiance factor automatically increased.

"What have you got to say for yourself?" her father growled.

Cordelia seemed to think about it for a moment. "I've done nothing to be ashamed of because I, I love Xander. I...I'm in love with him," she finally replied, a look of wonder briefly appearing on her face as the girl finally articulated the feeling.

David openly scoffed at the idea. "Cordelia, you're just a teenager, a high school student. You're not actually serious, are you? You're not old enough yet to even know what love is!"

Cordelia narrowed her eyes immediately. "Well I'm old enough to know that you and Mom love Cassandra more than me, aren't I?"

Julia leaned forward at once, as David gaped at that accusation. "Cordelia, that's not true!"

"Isn't it? Sorry Mom, but I'm not blind y'know. She's your favorite, and always has been. And I'm pretty sure all three of us in here know it," Cordelia said stonily.

Julia hesitated for just a moment too long. It was true that she and her husband thought that Cassandra was the nicer of their children, as they'd learned from the mistakes they'd made in spoiling their first daughter that way. But Mrs. Chase hadn't suspected that her offspring had thought herself so unwanted in her parents' eyes. "We love you both equally and we just want what's best for you, sweetheart-"

"So you think that Xander isn't what's best for me? That he's just someone you took in out of pity, he's unworthy trash that's not allowed to get close to a Chase?" the young woman cut her off.

"Of course not," "No," David and Julia said together.

"Then what's the problem here?" Cordy asked politely, wearing a victorious smile.

Mr. Chase tried to keep a tight hold on his temper. "Cordelia, Dawn is your sister now. And her brother is practically-"

"Don't say it! Dad, that's just...ick!"

"And yet, that doesn't stop it being true. Cordelia, your father and I have every right to be concerned about that part of it," Julia said.

"Well, don't be. Cassandra may think of Xander as a brother, but not me. Not once. Ever! Not even when we finally stopped hating each other," Queen C said firmly.

"And that's something else I wanted to know. Just how long has this thing between you two been going on?" David demanded.

Cordelia looked like she'd just sucked on a lemon. Reluctantly she said, "It's been over a year since we first kissed."

"How long?!" Both Mr. and Mrs. Chase looked shocked at hearing that one.

"March 12th, 1996. I'll never forget that Tuesday! And to think, Xander never even got me anything for our first anniversary a few months ago," the cheerleader stated angrily, with a dose of Cordelia logic.

David was suddenly unsure if all this was a nightmare. "And all this time, you two have been...?"

"Well, no. I mean, Xander said that what happened that day was just a, a fluke and the guy backed off at once. It was last summer in La Paz that we definitely became more than friends. But Xander broke it off again as soon as we all came home. He was terrified about how you two would react if you found out," Cordelia said sadly.

( Very wise of him, ) Julia noted as she saw her husband's face go red yet again. "So what changed?"

"Everything." Cordelia was going to tell them all about the real world with demons and vampires, but suddenly decided against it. ( It's like they don't need to hear about that stuff right now! ) "In a nutshell though. This girl, Buffy Summers? I blame her for it all."

David wasn't in the mood to hear some story about female competition over a boy whom he'd respected and liked, and after the last two years had almost begun to think of as his own son. "Get Alexander in here. I want to talk to him."

Julia obediently went over and called Xander in from where he was waiting outside. The male teen was simultaneously relieved and worried; relieved because the questions from Dawn and Cassandra would now end, but worried because the ones from David and Julia would begin in their place.

Cordelia rushed over and grabbed Xander's arm, melting into his side at once. "Hey."

"Cordy..." Xander muttered nervously, staring at her parents.

Mrs. Chase came up to the young couple after a glance from her husband. She said to her daughter, "Come on. Your father and Alexander need to talk privately."

"No! I'm not leaving him in here to face the firing squad all alone," Cordelia protested at once.

"Young lady, don't push your luck. Not anymore, not today. One more word out of you, and I'm cancelling all your credit cards!" her father growled.

Unfortunately, Mr. Chase's words were just like waving a red flag in front of an enraged bull. Because whatever else she was, Cordelia Chase was no one to ever accept being threatened that way. She opened her mouth, but luckily Xander slapped a hand over it before she could say anything. He turned her around and said, "Please, Cordy. It's okay. Trust me, all right?"

Fortunately for her, she couldn't resist those big chocolate-brown puppy dog eyes. So Miss Chase allowed herself to be led out by her mother. When Xander turned back to face her dad, he found the middle-aged man much closer than he'd expected.

"What have you been doing with my daughter?" Mr. Chase hissed in no uncertain terms.

Xander gulped. "Uh, I'm not sure what...could you be a bit more specific, sir?"

David wasn't amused. "Are you two sleeping together?"

"No, Mr. Chase," Xander replied at once.

The older man calmed down a lot after hearing that. He knew Xander well enough to believe the odds were that the boy wasn't a liar. "All right, I've heard Cordelia's version of events. Now let's hear yours, how did all this happen?"

Slowly, hesitantly, Xander began to tell his tale. He didn't mention anything about what had happened in his bedroom with Cordy last January, but everything else was free game. So Mr. Chase said at the end, "Are you honestly telling me that you and my little girl have never even gone beyond, ah...second base?"

"Yes, sir."

David exhaled in relief, visions of disastrous scandal finally receding from his mind. But suddenly there was one question he just had to ask. "Do you really care about Cordelia?"

"Yes sir, I do. Cordy, Dawn and Cassandra mean the whole world to me," was Xander's response.

"No, I didn't mean like that. Look, you're still just children, even though Cordelia thinks she's in love with you. But, do you feel the same way about her that she does about you?"

Xander squirmed a bit. "I don't know, sir. I mean, I-I used to hate her. But now I really like her. Well, most of the time. I, I care about Cordy a lot, and I don't want to hurt her. And I..."

"What?" Mr. Chase demanded when Xander trailed off.

"I...I want for us to be together." The teenager looked like he'd just had an epiphany, and was honestly astounded at hearing his own conclusions.

The husband and father didn't look happy about that. He called in both Julia and Cordelia, and said roughly to both teens, "All right, now you two listen to me very carefully. This thing between you, I want it to end right now!"

"Daddy!" Cordelia exclaimed at once. "That's not fair! And I won't do it."

"You'll do it, young lady, or else," David blustered.

"Does that mean you want me to pack my things and get out of your house, sir?" Xander asked quietly, his eyes full of pain. This had been his one of his greatest fears right from the start.

"No, of course not!" Julia said at once, with a warning look towards Mr. Chase. "Alexander, you're part of this family. And you always will be, now that your sister's our daughter just as much as Cordelia and Cassandra." The blonde woman added, "Seriously, I mean it. The idea of you leaving us never even crossed our minds."

David nodded, that was true enough. Kicking Xander out was impossible at this point, not after he and his wife had adopted Dawn. Not only would his newest daughter be forever pissed at him, the possible voter backlash over that kind of family scandal was far too much of a risk to contemplate that avenue of action. "Absolutely, Alexander. That wasn't what I had in mind at all."

"Then what? I should just pretend that I don't feel the way I feel about Xander? Sorry, Daddy, but I don't think that's gonna work. We live in the same house, we go to the same school, we see each other every day. Unless you put us under twenty-four hour surveillance or whatever, you can't split us up that way," Cordelia said angrily.

Mr. Chase again tried to keep his temper. "Then what do you suggest?"

"Would it make it any easier if I offered to move out to the pool house, sir? If that's what you and Mrs. Chase want, I can live with that," Xander said uncertainly. He didn't like it, as if a vampire should ever get into the main house he wouldn't be there to kill it, but if there was no other choice...

"No way! Xander, you can't be serious. You're not going to live in, like, the servants' quarters! You're practically a Chase now, how would that look to everyone?" Cordy said in exasperation.

"I agree. That simply wouldn't be right. And we'd never hear the end of it from Dawn and Cassandra," Mrs. Chase sighed.

"Then what?" Xander asked.

Mr. Chase massaged his temples, feeling an oncoming migraine. "I want you to promise me something, Alexander. And that is, from this point on you and Cordelia are on your best behavior. I want your word that no matter what happens behind closed doors, the public sees only a pair of happy, well-adjusted teenagers. Agreed?"

"Yes, sir!" Xander said promptly.

Chase went on. "And another thing. There will be no secret midnight rendezvous while you two kids are living here together, understand? In eighteen months, I plan to be in Washington as a duly-elected member of Congress. Good, traditional family values are a major part of my platform and I cannot afford to have a sex scandal or illegitimate grandchild, thanks to you two getting up to any sort of shenanigans. It will not happen. Is that understood?"

( Yeah, as if I'm gonna be stupid enough to let anything like that happen. ) Cordelia said out loud though, "So, Dad. What happens after I turn eighteen years old and I can do whatever the hell I want?"

Xander cringed at the sight of Mr. Chase's facial expression, the head of the household looked as if someone was pulling his teeth out without the aid of anaesthetic. Finally David said in a strangled voice, "If...and I do mean if...you two still feel this way in about two years, then we'll discuss options at that time. But for now, both of you go to your rooms. And since I'm sure Dawn and Cassandra are currently listening at the door, tell them to stay behind. Julia and I will want to speak to them next."

Both Xander and Cordy promptly filed out and Mr. Chase collapsed back into his personal chair. "Christ almighty, how did we get here?" the man asked his wife wearily.

"That's life, I'm afraid. But if life hands you lemons, just make lemonade. You taught me that, dear," Mrs. Chase said with a small shrug. "Well, you did the right thing in not forbidding them outright to be together; otherwise, I'm sure Cordelia would have soon done something completely stupid. And who knows, maybe this was inevitable right from the start. The way they used to fight all the time..."

David suddenly looked as if he'd remembered something. "Two years ago, when we decided to take in Dawn and her brother. You said it wouldn't surprise you if Alexander and Cordelia started dating one day...oh my God, Julia, if there was ever a time I wish you'd been wrong!"

Mrs. Chase remembered that day as well. "Oh yes, I did say that, didn't I? How very prescient of me. Now come on, David, cheer up. Look at it this way; our little girl could actually end up marrying that boy one day. After all, we've seen for ourselves how he's a decent young man, today's shocks notwithstanding. Cordelia could do a lot worse than him."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mr. Chase now looked as if he was experiencing an ulcer. "Dear Lord, I haven't felt this stressed since the company nearly went under ten years ago. And thank God I didn't let my accountant pull that tax dodge, or else my political career would have been over before it even began!"

"As you say, dear. I'll go get Dawn and Cassandra." Julia headed for the door.

"Right. Oh, after that gather all the hired help together as well. I'm sure they'll eventually find out about this, so I want 'em to know from the start if any of them breathe a word to anyone outside this house, they'll all be fired at once. No excuses, and no exceptions."


Chase Manor garage, Sunnydale

A while later

"Oh my God! This is so huge. I mean, did you have any idea my sister and your brother had gotten...y'know, snugly?"

"None at all! I swear, it just blows my mind. And hey, no wonder Xander didn't want to be adopted! Yeah, it all makes so much sense now..."

Cassandra and Dawn continued chatting away, not noticing Harris approach them. He had been enlisted to do so by Julia, after she had failed to find the two girls. "So, you think this is serious between them?" Cassandra asked.

"Oh, sure. I mean, as if Xander has a lot of girls interested in him!" Dawn snorted.

( Thank you for that, Dawnie. Way to boost the old ego! ) Xander thought in annoyance. Then he heard Cassandra say doubtfully, "Didn't you say there was someone else once, though? I'm pretty sure, anyway."

Dawn frowned, before a look of comprehension came to her. "Oh, you mean Buffy Summers? Yeah, one time at the mall Xander and I bumped into her and her mom. And Mrs. Summers was a pretty nice lady. But he hasn't ever mentioned anything about Buffy since then, so I'm pretty sure she's out of the picture by now."

"You mean, like we knew Cordelia was in the picture?" Cassandra sounded cynical.

"Good point."

"As a matter of fact, Buffy has a boyfriend who's not me."

The two girls yelped in surprise, as they shot up off the floor of the secluded garage corner. Both brunettes turned to stare and Dawn said, "Xander! What are you doing here?"

"Eavesdropping on a pair of gossipping little girls. You two oughta start a sewing circle or something," Harris said sarcastically.

"Hey!" the two chorused.

"Spare me. Mr. and Mrs. Chase want to see you both, so let's go," Xander ordered.

Sullenly, the female duo obeyed his commands. "So, are you and Cordy boinking nowadays?" Cassandra suddenly asked.

Xander stopped dead, as did the other two. "Please don't ask that ever again, Cassie. It's not even remotely funny!"

"It's just a polite question. I mean, the way we saw you with your shirt off and your tongue in her mouth earlier," Dawn said sweetly.

Silently, the youth counted to ten. And if he was Giles, no doubt he would have started polishing a pair of glasses at that moment. "I am not having sex with Cordelia. Satisfied?"

"But you want to, right?" Dawn kept probing.

"Are you guys gonna get married when you're old enough?" That was Cassandra.

"Oh! I call chief bridesmaid!" Miss Harris-Chase instantly exclaimed.

"Hey! I was the one who first mentioned it, and she's my sister!"

"She's my sister now too!"

"Yeah, but still. I'm older!"

"Well, I'm prettier!"

"You are not! Xander, tell her," Cassandra fumed.

Harris was just shaking his head in disbelief at the female antics. "You two, leave me the hell out of this girl-talk wedding insanity. And just for the record, hey; does it look to either of you like I'm thinking even remotely that far ahead?"

"Xander, please. Don't you know anything? What does it matter what the guy thinks, if Cordelia wants you to marry her then it's gonna happen. And there's nothing you can do about it!" Cassandra said pityingly.

Dawn nodded, the minor quarrel with her best friend already forgotten in the name of female solidarity. "Absolutely." She turned to Cassandra, "He is so innocent, isn't he?"

"Completely naïve. Cordelia really has her work cut out for her," Cassandra shook her head.

"Well, that's her problem and not ours. We're going to have our hands full organizing everything, especially..." Dawn trailed off and turned to her brother. "Oh! What about the bachelor party. Who's going to be your best man? That Angel guy I met once?"

Xander groaned, briefly wondering if this was how Mr. Chase had felt less than half an hour ago. "Dawn, Cassandra, listen to me very carefully. There is no best man. There is no bachelor party. And there is definitely no wedding! Understand? Now get your asses in gear, pronto!"

Again reluctantly, the two girls began to follow him to the library. "We so need to talk to Cordelia about this," Dawn said sotto voce.

"Absolutely. It's gotta be like completely embarrassing for her, getting caught out like that. I'm thinking, a week's worth of kissy noises?" the fourteen-year-old said in reply.

"No way, two at least!"

Xander again stifled a groan, wondering if maybe he'd have been better off just letting Mr. Chase shoot him instead.


City Hall, Sunnydale

A few days later

Mayor Richard Wilkins the Third (and the First, and the Second) sat at his desk that night, going through various reports. He had eyes and ears everywhere, as the last hundred years had allowed him a lot of opportunities to set up contacts in the town he'd created.

One such report concerned the activities of David Chase and his plans to become Mr. Elected Representative. Richard wasn't really too concerned about that. After some thought, he had even decided to back that particular horse. He had been well aware of the other man's ambitions, and decided that putting Mr. Chase's nose in Washington was the best way to ensure it stayed out of local politics.

But basically, he didn't care as long as he was left alone for another two years. Then his Ascension would finally be at hand, and his Honor the Mayor could cease to care about the little things.

No, what Wilkins was truly concerned about right now involved the Slayer and that so-called Master, Heinrich Joseph Nest. According to the Manifesto, the old buzzard was prophesised to kill that particular little girl and finally escape from his underground prison, and so the Mayor had arranged for Miss Summers to come here to his domain and die for the cause. Once Nest was loose, Richard knew he'd be able to get rid of the undead pest and put an end to that particular threat to his plans.

But the Codex was now apparently in the hands of the Slayer's Watcher, according to tonight's report from an informed source. And while everything in that book was supposed to inevitably come to pass, the Mayor had been around long enough to know that prophecies didn't tell you everything. Nothing was ever truly certain; that annoying thing about human free will meant that the British man might do something that would be a detriment to Wilkins's plans.

( Well, golly. Guess we'll just have to cross that particular bridge when we come to it, won't we? ) Richard smiled to himself, as he leaned back in his chair.

It was too bad for the Mayor that he couldn't detect Robe Boy standing right there in his office and staring at him, after the mage had breached the wards protecting City Hall with almost effortless ease. It was likewise too bad for Wilkins that this servant of a higher power (the same power who, by this point, had eliminated the one who would have called herself 'Jasmine') had no intention of letting the politician live long enough to achieve Ascension, roughly two years from now.

( Soon, ) Robe Boy thought to himself, greatly disliking the soulless human seated before him on a personal level. But Wilkins still had a role to play in taking care of the Master, and so he couldn't be exterminated just yet. Once that was done, though, Mayor Tricky Dick would definitely have to go – before the guardian of the Key eventually killed off the human vessel containing Glorificus, in another city some years hence.

( One thing at a time, though, ) Robe Boy thought to himself, before he vanished out of City Hall. ( That trapped vampire needs to be eliminated, first and foremost. )

To Be Concluded...