See Part One for disclaimer and details. Greetings and salutations to you, our audience, and welcome to the latest chapter of the story! Thanks as always to everyone who's been reviewing and sending feedback lately – because of you, this story has finally cracked the triple digit review barrier! There was a time we weren't sure that would happen, to be honest with you. But that was then and this was now, so time to get on with what you all came here for – the second part of our latest two-parter. Just remember – three words. Tension. Conflict. Argument. The characters are not going to be playing nice here – and there will be character death as well...
Part Thirteen: Xanderhog Day, Part Two
Angel Investigations, Los Angeles
June 21st, 2004
A soft bell chimed, and the elevator opened with Xander walking out into the lobby. Something which, as soon as Faith noticed it, made her rush over to where he was standing. "Hey, what are you doing? You know you're not supposed to be-"
"Morning, Faith. Today's Monday, right?" Harris interrupted the brunette smoothly.
"Yeah, so?" Faith asked in confusion.
Xander nodded, heading for the main check-in counter as the Slayer followed him. "We've got a problem. We're stuck in a time loop."
"We're what?"
"Yep. Believe it or not, roughly every sixteen hours, it's Monday morning all over again. Hasn't been going for long, though; it's only the second do-over, as far as I'm concerned," Harris shrugged, as he grabbed a pen and a piece of paper. He wrote down where Andrew could be located, and gave Faith the paper. "Here. Take Vi and go pick up Andrew; he was kidnapped on Sunday and interrogated with some kind of mystical truth drug. Wesley said it was, uh – something Latin, I don't remember what right now. Anyway, you'll find him crawling on the street, and thinking that he's living in the Star Trek universe. Just ignore the guy if he starts ranting at you in Klingon; and if Andrew starts getting violent, knock him unconscious in the back seat of the car, and then bring him back here quick as you can."
"Huh?" Faith said, her jaw hanging open.
"Andrew. Needs rescuing. The world. Stuck in a time loop," Xander said slowly and clearly. "Ya know, it's weird – but you didn't seem to need this much convincing yesterday..."
"We've, uh, we've had this conversation before?" Faith was still struggling to come to grips with what she'd just heard, as her brain rebooted itself slightly.
"Yeah. Sort of. Okay – look, don't tell me what it is, but what's the first thing to come into your head about what would be the upside to this situation? Assuming for the sake of argument that I'm telling you the truth, which I totally am by the way."
"Uh...okay, done. But why did you wanna know?"
"Yesterday, my yesterday, you mentioned that it'd be groovy how you'll never have to worry about your breasts eventually succumbing to gravity. I figure odds are, exact same thought would occur to you today?" Xander asked with a slight smirk.
"Son of a bitch," Faith said in reply, looking at him in amazement. "You ain't kidding me, are you? Holy – we're neck-deep in some serious shit, it sounds like. And am I really that predictable?"
"Nah. It's just that I've got a really unfair advantage over you right now," Xander smirked again. "Anyway, you'd best get going. I'll see you when you get back, okay? Got to talk to Cordelia about this – again."
Xander leaned back on the counter and watched, as Faith grabbed Vi by the arm and the Slayers departed. A few seconds later Angel came out of Cordelia's office, spoke briefly with the blonde receptionist handling the phone lines, before he, too, exited the building. Taking that as his cue to visit the boss of Angel Investigations, Xander grabbed a broom and dustpan from behind the counter and knocked on Cordelia's door.
"Xander? What are you doing in here?" Cordelia demanded, after the guy walked in response to her summons. "And how did you know to bring that...?"
"Three things I need to tell you, Cor. One is, I've decided to stay here for a while, fix up this hotel properly – since the construction people you hired definitely skimped on quality work for some parts of the building. Two, Buffy and Willow and Giles are gonna show up later this morning, and based on prior experience? That meeting isn't gonna go well. And three, the world's stuck in a time loop, and far as I know, I'm the only one who can remember what's happened once the big reset takes place. So, you feeling okay after the big farewell scene with Angel?"
It wasn't often that Cordelia Chase had her thought processes completely derailed like this, and by Xander Harris of all people. But it had definitely happened now. "Wha – you – I – Angel...?"
"Yeah, see, you first told me what just happened in here two days ago, actually. Well, two days ago for me, anyway," Xander shrugged slightly, as he continued sweeping up the mess on the office floor. "Namely, Angel's gonna be leaving town soon, follow his son to the East Coast. Kinda funny, really; it's maybe the second thing the guy's ever done that's actually made me respect him."
"The second...?"
"First time was when Lord of the Brood finally realized he was causing the Buffster nothing but pain – and he split from Sunnydale, once and for all," Xander nodded, recalling that particular Thanksgiving well.
"He – Buffy – hang on, wait! Wait, wait, wait just a goddamn minute!" Cordelia shouted, trying to force her brain to start working properly again. "Damn it, Dweeb Boy, what the hell?! Stop. Rewind. And get rid of that damn smirk on your face!"
"What smirk?" Xander asked innocently, causing the brunette to growl – literally growl – at him. "Okay, fine. Totally smirk-free zone here. Cross my heart and – no, not gonna complete that sentence. Otherwise, you'd kick my ass on general principles for jinxing myself like that."
"Damn right I would! Grrf. Auugh!" Cordelia growled, resisting an urge to grab the lamp off her desk and hurl it at his head. She also resisted the urge to run over and kiss the annoying asshole senseless, after seeing his eyes crinkle at her that way she'd always loved. Taking a deep breath, the Seer said slowly, "Now start again. What was that about a time loop?!"
Xander stopped sweeping up the remains of the broken vase, and turned to face her. "Well, hey; you've seen Groundhog Day, haven't you? Wes mentioned something about it yesterday, anyhow. Again, my yesterday. So, think of me as the real-life version of Phil Connors for this particular episode of – what did Faith call it? Xanderhog Day?"
"Oh dear God." Cordelia looked at her former boyfriend in rapidly escalating horror. Her brain had started firing on all cylinders again by this point, and she suddenly believed her ex-boyfriend's story completely. Nothing else made any sense, right at the moment. "So, how the hell did this happen? Did Angel-?"
"Nope. Captain Hair-gel swore he had nothing to do with it, no repeat of that thing with those, uh, Oracles, or whatever the hell they were called," Xander interrupted. "And since we're here this morning having this conversation, again, I believe him."
"Oh, geez...this is giving me a headache! All right, we can contact Fred, she might-" Cordelia started to say.
"Sorry, Cor, but we already tried that yesterday as well. She was sans clue, and couldn't come up with anything by the time the clock reset itself to eight o'clock this morning. Personally, I kinda doubt an extra hour or two is gonna make any difference; even though I guess it couldn't hurt to try," Xander shrugged.
"AGGHHH!" Cordelia unleashed a soft scream. She suddenly glared at Harris, "Damn you, Xander! You're actually enjoying this, aren't you? You're getting off on telling me how my ideas are totally worthless! How long have we been trapped like this, anyway?"
"Not long. This is only the second go-around," Harris replied, his eyes narrowing. "And is that what you think I'm doing? I mean, I know you think I'm pretty much a dimwit sometimes – you've said it often enough – but Cordy, do you really think I'd do something like that? Take pleasure in something so stupid, and now of all times?"
"Well..." Cordelia studied him for a long while, while managing to calm down. "No, damn it. I guess not."
"Damn straight I wouldn't. And besides, I know you're kind of on edge right now," Xander said understandingly, astonishing the Vision Girl. He added, "So, headache. Can I get you some Advil? Or would you prefer a neck massage?"
"Neck massage," Cordelia decided immediately, sitting on the edge of her office chair. She had trained him how to do that properly back when they were dating, after all. "And don't take this the wrong way, but please don't say anything else until I've had a chance to think about what you've just told me, all right? To process, somehow. Okay?"
"Okey-dokey. And no problem; I like the quiet," Xander flashed her another quick smirk.
"Be a cold day in Hell before we actually get any in this city."
Main lobby, Angel Investigations
A while later
{ Oh, geez, } Xander thought to himself, as he watched Melissa depart the building now that her job here was over (again). The doctor had already examined him, pronounced him as healthy as a horse, and left the detective agency a short while ago. { My ass is totally doomed! }
Harris knew that Cordelia was watching him carefully, because they'd had a 'moment' in her office during the neck massage he'd been administering to her. And that was due to the fact that he'd failed to keep a lid on all the memories of that other life he'd have spent together with her, which his shaman acquaintance had given to him in Zanzibar. All it had taken was just one moment where his mental defenses were down – and nearly eight decades' worth of alien memories had flashed through his mind, almost overwhelming him.
Alien memories of Cordelia Chase-Harris –
He remembered her as a radiant-looking bride, wearing white on their wedding day. As a glowing, proud mother, holding their two children in her arms. As a grandmother, still energetic and bustling, happy to look after the various grandkids Jesse and Joyce had gifted them with. Even as a great-grandmother, kissing him goodbye as he lay on his deathbed, promising him that they would be together again soon...
{ So very, very doomed. }
Well, okay, Xander had to admit – the concept of spending his life with his former honey wasn't exactly...repulsive. Cordelia had always been a hottie, and had only gotten more beautiful with the passing of time. And since coming out of the coma, he had seen for himself how the rough edges during their teenage years had been smoothed away, leaving visible the good person that, deep down, had always been there.
But the reality was that they had broken up over five years ago, and moved on since high school. They hadn't been in contact since then, apart from the occasional letter and email. And Harris thought it might be a mistake for them to get back together now, just like that, simply because they could both remember what their lives would have been like under different circumstances –
{ Even though Dawn certainly doesn't seem to think that, } Xander thought ruefully, heading back to Cordelia's private office as she followed him close behind. { Betcha she really thinks I'm a complete idiot, right about now. }
"What are you thinking?" Cordelia's voice penetrated Xander's mind, once they were alone inside the office.
"Dawn," Xander replied, turning to face the Seer. "And the fact that she thinks I'm a complete ass."
"Gee, I wonder why she'd think that?" Cordelia raised a perfectly-plucked eyebrow.
"You know why," Xander replied, sending her an exasperated look. "Geez. Did you know that back in junior year, Dawnie told me that if I wasn't gonna marry her, that I should darn well marry you instead? Or at least, I remember her saying that," he said self-consciously. "It's real easy to forget how Dawn sorta just...popped into existence, four years ago. I..."
"What?" Cordelia asked, as Xander trailed off. "What's wrong?"
"There's something...I can't quite remember it, even though I've been trying my damnedest since the time loop started. I just know it's something important," Harris said vaguely, trying but failing to force himself to remember what it was.
"Well, I always knew you were deficient in some areas," the Seer smirked playfully at him.
"Me? I'm deficient? What about you?"
"ME?" In an instant, the playfulness was gone. "You mind explaining that crack, mister?"
"Well, you were dumb enough to buy into what that asshole Skip was trying to sell you that night, remember?" Xander shrugged. "I mean, that 'you've become a higher being' line he used on you? Yeah, right, as if..."
Cordelia was instantly enraged. "Why, you...you...prick!"
Xander simply couldn't help it; he slipped back into old habits just like that. "Well, at least I'm not a complete bitca, like someone we both know..."
"Freakin' asshole!"
"No-good snob!"
"You're a complete moron!"
"And you're a complete shrew!"
"Auugh! You, you two-timing dickhead!"
"Well, at least I'm not some brazen hussy!"
"You take that back, you lousy bastard!"
"Who, me? Have you forgotten that I was at my parents' wedding?"
"Uggh! You fuckwit!"
"Hey, now that's hitting below the belt! Because different circumstances, I would have worked in show biz long before you did!"
"You-! That never happened! Because you never came for me in L.A., the way you damn well should have!" Cordelia hissed at him. "I waited for nearly a month, after we parted company – but you. Never. Came!"
"Well, newsflash, honey; but you made it pretty damn clear you didn't want me to come looking for you, once my road trip was over! That our last conversation that summer was just that – our last conversation!" Harris yelled at her, all the amusement gone in an instant.
"Oh, sure, and you actually believed that? After we kept in touch by letters and even the occasional email, for years afterwards?" Cordelia snarled at him. "Oh ye gods, what the hell was I thinking? Deep down, you're still that pathetic acne-faced loser who was incredibly lucky that I ever let touch me!"
"And deep down you're still that stuck-up bitchy ice queen, who insisted on waiting 'til Prom Night before we had sex!"
"OOOH! Xander Harris, I hate you!" Cordelia's face tilted up slightly, so that she could glare directly into his eyes.
"I hate you too!" Xander yelled, not caring that his voice could probably be heard all the way out to the parking lot now.
And then, like what had happened long ago, in a basement that no longer existed – Harris abruptly surrendered to primal male instincts. He reached around Cordelia's waist and pulled her in close, and captured her lips with his own.
"Mmmph!" Cordelia stiffened in outrage for a brief, endless moment, but then she grabbed him tightly as well. Quickly opening her mouth, and attempting to mine for tonsils.
{ Oh geez, } Xander thought vaguely, { she always did kiss better when she was completely pissed off... }
It felt like the most natural thing in the world, too, memories of being together this way for decades guiding their actions as Cordelia's tongue worked frantically against his. Xander then picked her up with his hands cupped around her ass, and her legs instinctively went around his waist as he backed her up against the wall. They continued sucking face for many passionate minutes, groping and grunting and coming close to dry-humping, until...
"What the hell?!" Buffy's loud, surprised voice suddenly echoed throughout the office, as she, Willow and Giles entered the room – after getting tired of the lack of a response to their knocking on Cordelia's door.
Cordelia's office, Angel Investigations
A few moments later
"What in God's name are you doing in here?!" Cordelia abruptly yelled at the Slayer, after Xander let her down and she was standing on her own two feet again. Clothes wrinkled, hair mussed, and her cherry-red lipstick completely smudged, the head of Angel Investigations nonetheless still cut an imposing figure as she glared at the new arrivals. "What? You people have never heard of knocking before entering someone else's office?"
"Uh, we did. Knock, that is. More than once. But, but, but you didn't reply – and, uh, then we heard a weird noise, so we sorta just assumed..." Willow replied, looking horribly embarrassed.
"You assumed what?" Xander asked curiously.
"Well, certainly not this," Buffy said judgmentally, eyeing him up and down. "I mean, geez, Xander, you've been out of that coma for barely three days – and already, your hormones are in charge of your actions again?"
"HEY!" Cordelia growled at her automatically. "That's rich, coming from someone like you!"
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Buffy growled.
"Does the name 'The Immortal' ring any bells for you, Buffy? I mean, why else would any woman in her right mind want to date that creep?" Cordelia riposted.
"Ladies, c'mon, please! No need to fight like this," Xander said, trying to play peacemaker. "Besides, we've got other problems, remember?"
"Other problems?" Giles spoke up. "What, um, w-w-what are you talking about, son?"
"I'm not your 'son', Rupert," Xander sent him an unfriendly look, which stunned the Englishman. "For one thing, you're not my father – plus I don't work for you anymore, so you don't get to call me that. Truth is, your patronizing crap annoys the shit out of me. Always has, always will."
"Hey, don't you talk to Giles like that!" Buffy instinctively yelled at him, growing angry.
"Why not? 'Cause he fucked up, even though he was supposed to be older and wiser than the rest of us," Xander said with a slight growl, making the former librarian blanch. The annoyance suddenly skyrocketing, just like it had when he'd blurted out the truth regarding Angel's soul curse during the previous go-around, Harris added, "God damn it, Buffy, Giles lied to me about Cordelia. Directly to my face. Just like you. Just like Willow. Just like frickin' everybody, apart from Dawn!"
"But, but we were just trying to-" Willow started to say, tears in her eyes as Giles and Buffy looked aside uncomfortably.
"I KNOW! You wanted to protect me, thinking it was for my own good! Which, when I found out, pissed me off so much..." Xander groaned loudly, suddenly feeling drained. "Great googley-moogley, why doesn't this ever get any easier? It's the third time we've had this goddamn conversation, after all..."
"Er, what?" Giles said, still feeling off-balance from the unexpected rant.
"You tell 'em. I'm tapped," Xander asked Cordelia, going around the desk and sitting down in her chair.
"Hey! Feet off of my desk!" Cordelia crossly shoved at his legs, before turning back to face the new arrivals. "And what the big dweeb here means is that, apparently – well, we're caught up in some kinda time loop."
"Huh?" Willow demanded, before understanding what that meant a moment later. "Seriously?"
"Feels like it's Wednesday to me, the day keeps repeating every sixteen hours," Xander said succinctly. "And I'm the only one who remembers. Don't ask me why, I don't have a clue."
"Really?" Buffy said, looking doubtful.
"I don't suppose you, uh, you have any proof of all this, other than just your word on the, um, matter?" Giles asked hesitantly.
"Proof? No. But like I said, this is the third time we're having this conversation," Xander said, calming down a bit from the heated exchange a few seconds ago. "That's how I know you left Wesley's father in charge of the Council, even if you're not sure if that was the smartest course of action. That's how I know Buffy and Willow were planning to drag my ass back to England, even though there ain't a snowball's chance in Hell of that happening. And that's how I know Dawn doesn't have a clue you three have come to town, you weren't sure how she'd react to her sister's presence. How'm I doin' so far?"
"A, uh, a-a little too well," Giles replied, now convinced of the truth; just like Willow and Buffy. "Good Lord..."
The Slayer suddenly looked like she had an epiphany. "Oh! Wait – don't tell me Andrew's decided to relive his glory days as a member of the nerd herd? Uh, you haven't seen any evil mummy hands around here lately, have you?"
"What? And no, it isn't him," Cordelia replied, looking confused for a moment. "Well, at least not according to the doofus here, anyway."
"Yeah. Huh, kinda surprised Faith and Vi haven't come back with that guy yet," Xander mused, before looking at his watch. "Then again, it might have taken a while for good ol' Lieutenant Commander Wells to actually show up where I sent them..."
"What?" "Huh?" Buffy and Willow said in unison, looking at Harris like he'd grown an extra head.
"Xander said Andrew was kidnapped yesterday and interrogated with some kinda mystical drug that left him thinking he's Mr. Woof, or Mr. Wharf, or whatever his name is – that alien guy from Star Trek," Cordelia said with a slight shrug.
"Hey, don't look at me like that – it's not my fault what goes on inside Andrew's subconscious!" Xander defended himself, in response to the looks that the trio of new arrivals sent him.
"Yeah. Your subconscious has got its own problems, from what I saw when I was inside your head back then," Cordelia smirked.
Xander opened his mouth to reply – when yet again, he was struck by the feeling that there was something he ought to be able to remember, but couldn't. Something vital. The conversation continued without him, as Harris racked his brain to try to remember what it was – but without success.
All Harris could come up with was that it had something to do with...with Dawn –
Secret location, Los Angeles
Later that night
Xander groaned, feeling a lump on his head the size of a golf ball. { Oh geez. What the hell happened? }
The memories slowly started trickling back into his conscious mind. There had been talking – lots of talking with lots of different people, throughout the day.
Talking with Cordelia about where they now stood; and her sickening realization that if they couldn't fix the problem, then everything that had happened between them today would cease to exist, once the next go-around got started.
Talking with Willow about what was the what between him and Cordy, which had almost been a repeat of the late-night conversation they'd had yesterday.
Talking with Giles, who (in an attempt to make up for the whole 'son' thing) had come up with a theory that, since his soul had travelled to the Higher Realms in order to ask the Powers to save Cordelia from her fate, it might now be 'detachable' – in the sense that it could go back in time during every temporal reset, and carry his memories and consciousness with it.
Talking with Buffy, which had quickly degenerated into yet another argument. One that didn't end well for anyone concerned.
Talking with Wesley. Talking with Faith. Talking with Vi, Rona and Shannon. Damn, just about everyone within the detective agency seemed to be a complete chatterbox, during this particular go-around –
But most important of all, deciding to bite the bullet and go talk to Dawn.
"Xander? XANDER! Are you okay?" Dawn's voice almost thundered in his ear, making Harris flinch – before he suddenly realized he was lying spread-eagled on the ground beside her, hands and feet tied to four iron poles that had been pounded deep into the earth.
"Dawn-? Wha' happen?" Xander asked muzzily, still not completely awake yet.
"That's what I'd like to know," a male voice with a British accent said, its owner coming into view – which made Xander have a flashback to earlier that evening.
He remembered the British mage saying something in Latin, incanting some sort of spell – and then it was like the world simply didn't make sense anymore. To Xander's mind, it was as if he was seeing a different reality superimposed on the one he knew – he could see Cordelia and their children and their would-have-been residence in New York, even though at the same time he could also see Ethan attempting to drag the unconscious Dawn away.
Too bad his eyesight was so messed up from the two realities superimposed on one another that Rayne had easily been able to dodge the attempted punch to the head, and knock him out cold afterwards –
"Ah, hello again. We do seem to keep meeting in the oddest places, don't we Mr. Harris?" Ethan said, with that detestable, smarmy grin on his face. "And as I said, I'd like to know exactly what happened earlier on. How precisely did you manage to resist my clementia nigrum spell? No one's ever been able to do that before. Not even your charming little witch."
"You're talking about Willow, right?" Harris asked.
"Ah, yes, that's her name," Ethan nodded, before his eyes narrowed. "Hmm. So, tell me if I've guessed correctly – your left eye. When last I saw you in that hospital's coma ward, it was missing, and you were sporting quite the delightful Cyclopean look. Now it's back, albeit not in the same color as your right eye...ah. Am I correct in assuming that in addition to fixing the ocular damage, your ginger-haired friend decided to add in a few unexpected...surprises?"
"Probably not on purpose," Xander replied evenly. "But it wouldn't surprise me if you're right. Magic tends to have, uh, unexpected consequences around me; and Willow did have to use her mojo, at least somewhat, in order to do what she did."
"Ah. Well, I suppose that answers that. Lovely," Ethan nodded, the smarmy grin vanishing. "Unfortunately for you, however, that means there's no reason for me to keep you alive any longer. So I'd suggest you behave, until my work is done. Otherwise, it won't end well for you at all."
"What are you doing?" Dawn spoke up again at last, as Ethan started to paint his elaborate circle-seal design, with a six-point star circle inside. She tried to keep the fear out of her voice, but didn't succeed very well.
"My dear Key, what makes you think I'm going to act like a clichéd movie villain, and reveal my secrets to you?" Rayne asked her, with a small grin appearing on his lips. "So all I'll say is that H. Arthur Jones described it best: 'O God! Put back Thy universe, and give me yesterday'..."
At that moment, oddly enough, something in Xander's brain just went click.
He finally figured out what it was he'd been trying to remember since the time loop had started; that dream he'd had, just before the coma had ended, and which suddenly exploded into his conscious mind. That conversation with Shaman Bond, Jeeves and Dawn – or at least, something that had looked like them – suddenly started to make sense, at long last.
"It's you. You're the one responsible for all this!" Xander suddenly growled, as both Ethan and Dawn turned their heads to look at him. "You're planning some sort of time travel stunt, aren't you? Ethan Rayne. The Key. Time. What were you planning to do, bleed Dawnie to try to open up some sort of gateway to the past?"
"How did you know that?" Ethan asked him in a very still, quiet voice, as Dawn gasped in horror.
"I had a dream," Xander replied cryptically. "What I don't get is why, God damn it! What were you hoping to achieve by doing that?"
"Dream? Ah, interesting. And who else knows about this dream?" Ethan inquired, attempting to appear nonchalant and not answering the question.
"Everybody!" Dawn said defiantly, even as Xander opened his mouth to reply. "That's why my sister and my friends will figure out while you're up to, and be here soon to stop you. So you may as well just cut your losses, and run for it while you still can!"
Ethan cocked his head slightly, before unleashing a loud belly-laugh. "Oh, very good. You almost had me there for a moment, little miss! But unfortunately, that's not an option even if I did believe you. I'm just about out of time, after all."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Xander demanded.
Ethan looked back at him, studying him carefully. Deciding to abandon the whole secrecy thing, the Englishman eventually replied, "My soul shall soon cease to exist, thanks to a soul-scraping spell I performed in order to escape my prison, and afterwards I'll die. So my only chance is to travel back in time, you see, and prevent myself from ever becoming a prisoner of the Initiative in the first place. Or, failing that, go back to when I first fragmented my soul, and seek help from a certain shaman to prevent my untimely demise."
Xander stared at him, almost unable to believe what he'd heard. By this point in his life, while he was no expert on such things...he knew that any ritual capable of splitting a human soul was bad news. Make that horrible, ugly news. Such a thing was – had to be – even worse than those magicks which cursed a vampire with a soul!
His African friend, Mohamed, had once told him that a human being's soul was sacred; as it was the creation of Allah, or God, or whatever Name you cared to use. So you didn't mess around with it. You just didn't.
"The Initiative?" Xander eventually said, something abruptly bugging him about that part of it.
"Yes, you remember those people, don't you?" Ethan asked merrily. "If memory serves, your little group was quite friendly with one of them, the Slayer's oafish boyfriend-"
"You were the one who killed Riley in Anaheim, weren't you?" Xander cut him off, making an intuitive leap thanks to his subconscious working overtime on the subject.
"Oh dear, I'd best watch out. You're going to learn all my secrets, at this rate," Ethan tsk'ed in annoyance, ignoring Dawn's fresh gasp of horror.
"You wanna talk secrets, how about this one? It isn't gonna work," Harris said, maintaining eye contact with Rayne from his trapped position. "Pretty sure you won't believe me, but what you're planning to do with Dawn, it won't work."
Ignoring Ethan's look of increasingly impatient annoyance, Xander added, "What the hell, British guy, it didn't work-"
Unfortunately, the loud roar of a gunshot prevented Xander from saying anything else, as the entire universe exploded into agonizing pain before it suddenly went black.
Xander's room, Angel Investigations
June 21st, 2004
Xander woke up and bolted upright in bed, gasping loudly. He remembered getting shot, he remembered the pain from getting shot and killed by that goddamn bastard –
"All right, that's it," Xander growled to himself, leaping up out of bed and reaching for his clothes. { No more Mr. Nice Guy! }
The wheelchair banged hard into the wall thanks to a savage kick he delivered upon it, serving as a convenient outlet for Xander's anger. He quickly got dressed and left the room, but this time around, he took the stairs instead of using the elevator. No point in having Faith come rushing over once he reached the lobby, demanding to know why he wasn't sitting down and playing Roller Boy for everyone's peace of mind. Xander knew he was way too pissed off to play nice with the ignorant schlubs right now.
{ Low profile, damn it! Don't let anyone see you! }
By the time he arrived on the ground floor, luckily, he had mostly calmed down. Harris avoided the crowd of people in the lobby as he left the building via one of the side exits, before making his way to the parking lot up front. { Now then, what should I...ooh, me like! }
Deciding to help himself to someone's SUV, Xander was grateful to discover the keys hidden behind the sun visor. The motor came to life with a loud roar, before Harris quickly drove out of the lot and onto Osgood Boulevard, heading straight for Spike's apartment. Thanks to what he'd learned during one of the previous go-arounds, he knew that that was where Dawn was right now.
{ Okay. At least now we're getting somewhere, in terms of actually fixing this mess, } Xander cogitated to himself, increasing speed in order to get to his destination ASAP. { I know the who, the why, and the how. And I owe you for that lump on the back of my head, dude... }
So caught up was the young man in his revenge fantasies, that he paid no attention to the car which was attempting to run a red light at an intersection – before said vehicle slammed into the side of the SUV with a horrifying crunch, and a squeal of tires.
Xander's world momentarily dissolved into horrible, agonizing pain. Even worse than that from Ethan's gunshot. And then, once again, the entire universe went black –
Xander's room, Angel Investigations
June 21st, 2004
Xander woke up and bolted upright in bed, unleashing a loud yelp. "Oh, son of a bitch!"
He'd been killed. Again.
He'd failed. Again.
Head hurting with phantom pain, thanks to the memory of that Lincoln Town Car crashing into it, Xander then had the nightmarish feeling that, somehow, all this would never end.
That something would always go wrong, before he could stop the bad guy once and for all. That he would always fail, or screw up somehow. That Ethan fucking Rayne would always bleed Dawn in order to do that damn ritual of his, trapping them in this damned time loop forever –
{ There's always a way, sir. There are always options. The temptation will be there to simply give up. And I suspect there will come a point, when that will seem to you like the only choice left, } Jeeves' voice suddenly seemed to speak up in his mind, reminding Xander of their conversation within that black mindscape.
Reminding him of the subtle warning not to give into complete despair.
{ Okay, fine, } Xander then thought to himself, calming down and quickly pulling himself together. { I'm not gonna give up. Hey, even J.C. had his moment of doubt and pain way back when, right? Especially when the universe seems totally out to get you, the good old-fashioned way; sideways, and without lube! }
Harris exhaled, loudly. { Maybe I'm going about this all wrong? Trying to change too much, too quickly. Yeah, I bet that's it – Jeeves did say that 'subtlety is key', after all. Fate, or Destiny, or whatever you wanna call it...it responds like a PMS'ing Slayer when you try to fuck up its plans. So, maybe what I should do is just go with the flow, and focus. Like Jeeves said, all I gotta do is change one small, specific thing, and then all the other specifics can change as well. Only question is, what exactly should I change – and when? }
Suddenly, Alexander LaVelle Harris smiled. And it was not a nice smile...
TBC...