A Road Covered With Blood
Jul. 31st, 2007 12:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sevendeadlyfunPairing: Xander/?
Rating: NC-17 overall
A/N: Yadda, yadda, yackety-schmackety, etc, etc...Oh and a special thanks toclawofcat for her incredible and inadvertent contribution to this story. The surprise in this chapter? Yeah, I got from her...sort of.
“Do you know what he said to me?”
“No Buffy,” Xander yawned. “I have no idea what he said to you. Is there anything that even remotely resembles a caffeinated beverage around here? I gotta hit the road soon and I am not exactly the poster boy for wakefulness.”
Giles snorted and handed him a mug. Yuck, cold tea. What was wrong with coffee? Spike practically went into raptures when he found out Giles was brewing something brown and leafy named Assam. Seriously, when your toasty drink of choice sounds like a Bollywood character? It is time to pack it in. Still, the old thing about beggars applied so Xander began to chug.
“Really Xander,” Giles sighed. “That tea costs four dollars an ounce. Must you treat it like…”
For once, comparisons seemed to fail Giles and he lapsed into a disgruntled silence. Spike, happily sipping his own steaming cup, merely snorted and shook his head.
“Can’t expect these bloody Yanks to have any appreciation for a decent cuppa,” he commiserated with Giles. “It’s all that sugar water they drink.”
“He said,” Buffy growled, “WHAT are you? What, not who.”
“So, he was interested in your Slayerness,” Willow tossed in, always the optimist. “That’s always good, right? I mean, sharing common interests and childhood stories always a good relationship thing.”
“Somehow,” Buffy replied dryly, “ I don’t think it was so much a ‘sharing’ moment as a ‘let’s put the weird girl under a microscope and see what’s ticking’ moment.”
Xander nodded. He really was tired. First, the Gentlemen and their very ungentlemanly behavior regarding other people’s vital organs followed closely by another group of demons with an unhealthy fascination in ending the world. He’d forgotten how exhausting saving the world could be. Plus, his skin was buzzing.
It was sort of a low-grade hum, like he was sitting near an electrical wire. He shook his head, trying to stave off sleep and ignored the crawling sensation. Just his luck, he’d caught some kind of funky disease from those demons. That or constant exposure to the Hellmouth had some side effects they didn’t know about.
“Look,” Xander mumbled, “he’s a creep. Grade A, 100%, officially certified creep. Fighting evil is one thing, experimenting on it is another. I mean, I’m all for taking down the bad, but what they did to Spike? That’s just wrong.”
His vision dimmed, and he gasped for air. Everything swam fuzzily in front of him, people turning into bizarre Dali-inspired shapes. He tried desperately to fight the feeling of drowning, but his lungs were frozen and he couldn’t move.
Suddenly, everything snapped into focus. Buffy was crouched next to him, face filled with concern. He smiled weakly, waving a hand to ward her off.
“I’m fine,” he told her. “I guess I’m just more tired than I thought.”
She stepped back slightly, and smiled. “You work too hard, Xander. Maybe you should stay home tonight. I know Cordy needs you, but wrecking on the way to help a friend? Incredibly unhelpful.”
He nodded and said, “You’re right, Buffster. I just…she sounded kinda upset. I think I’ll just do the power nap thing before I take off.”
“Well, if you want,” Oz said, “I’m headed that way tonight. Gig in San Diego. I could drop you off.”
“Thanks, Oz,” Xander smiled. “That would be great.”
Even as he said the words, Xander felt slightly uneasy. He didn’t remember Oz being there a few minutes ago. In fact, he was pretty certain Oz had left Sunnydale in search of something for his wolf-self.
“So,” Xander threw out into the growing silence, “Riley’s officially off the date list?”
Buffy sighed, and nodded. Willow grimaced at him, and shook her head. He shrugged, uncertain what was going on.
“Hey, Xander,” Willow motioned him towards her. “How about you and I do some kitchen reconnaissance. Maybe we could find something that resembles drinkable out there!”
Xander rose from the couch as Giles told them, “Not the whiskey. I’m saving that for a special occasion.”
“Like what,” Xander retorted. “The next Apocalypse?”
Giles nodded distractedly and said, “Yes, actually. I have it on good authority that in six months, we’ll need two drams of Glenfiddich 1890 for the necessary repelling potion.”
Xander laughed. Only on the Hellmouth could booze be a crucial ingredient in saving the world. Of course, only on the Hellmouth could saving the world be an issue.
“Xander,” Willow hissed. “What the hell are you thinking?”
“I’m tired, kinda hungry, and where’s Spike because if we’re leaving he should be getting ready to go,” Xander replied promptly. “Why?”
“Have an apple,” Willow said contritely, handing him the fruit. “I mean about Riley?”
“Sorry,” Xander mumbled around a bite of apple. “I know she’s pissed, but she was just talking about it.”
“What? No,” Willow shook her head. “She’s more than pissed, Xan. She’s freaking out. Mentioning it not of the good.”
“Why freaking out? I know the guy’s a jackass, but it’s not worth Buffy losing it.”
“Did you get hit on the head?” Willow sighed. “I know my experiment gone wrong was traumatic, but making you a demon magnet can’t have affected your brain. Was there an accident at work?”
“Huh? No, and experiment?” Xander struggled to keep up. He knew he’d shifted to another reality, one with Oz in it apparently, but this was starting to worry him. He could feel himself changing. One minute he was himself and the next, this new Xander. Obviously, there was a memory lag because he had no idea what was going on.
“When Giles had me do ‘my will’.” Willow made air quotes. “Granted, it went kinda bad there, but it gave us so much information about The Initiative. Are you sure you didn’t get hit on the head?”
“Positive,” Xander assured her. “I’m just really tired. Brain lag and all that.”
Willow smiled and rubbed his arm. Good, an excuse that actually worked and was true. He loved it when a plan came together.
“So, we know all about The Initiative,” Xander prompted.
“Yeah, and that knowing including finding out their plans for Buffy,” Willow continued. “As in their ‘let’s take her apart and see how this Slayer thing works’ plan.”
“Oh,” Xander blinked. “OH. Not good.”
“He catches up,” Willow groused.
“Sorry,” Xander shrugged. “Tired. Hard to keep up with all you crazy college kids, you know?”
“Yeah, well us crazy college kids need your help in figuring out how to bust in to The Initiative. Also, bringing back some Angel-type help? Would not go amiss,” Willow pointed out.
“Sure,” Xander yawned. “Just hand me Spike and Oz and I’ll be on my way.”
“Spike’s off rounding up the rest of the team,” Willow said, leading him out of the kitchen.
She gave him a mock-shove onto Giles’ couch and he sank gratefully into it. He wasn’t sure how he ended up so tired. Maybe none of the Xander’s was getting any sleep. Of course, it could be that he hadn’t really gotten to sleep himself since he started this whole whiz-bang ride. Note to self, stop fixing things long enough to nap, he thought.
“The rest of the team,” he repeated. “Who’s that?”
“Anya and her girlfriend,” Giles told him, face still buried in a dusty-looking book. “They’re both extremely powerful magic users, and I think that between Willow, myself and the girls, we should be able to counter anything the Initiative cares to throw at us.”
“I’m sorry. “ Xander sat bolt upright, suddenly incredibly wide-awake. “Anya and her who?”
“Her girlfriend,” Buffy told him. “Uhm, I think the girl’s name is Tara. She’s pretty soft-spoken, but nice. I met her once on campus.”
“Anya and…Tara?” Xander couldn’t keep the shock off his face or out of his voice. “Well, that’s new and exciting.”
Rating: NC-17 overall
A/N: Yadda, yadda, yackety-schmackety, etc, etc...Oh and a special thanks to
clawofcat for her incredible and inadvertent contribution to this story. The surprise in this chapter? Yeah, I got from her...sort of.“Do you know what he said to me?”
“No Buffy,” Xander yawned. “I have no idea what he said to you. Is there anything that even remotely resembles a caffeinated beverage around here? I gotta hit the road soon and I am not exactly the poster boy for wakefulness.”
Giles snorted and handed him a mug. Yuck, cold tea. What was wrong with coffee? Spike practically went into raptures when he found out Giles was brewing something brown and leafy named Assam. Seriously, when your toasty drink of choice sounds like a Bollywood character? It is time to pack it in. Still, the old thing about beggars applied so Xander began to chug.
“Really Xander,” Giles sighed. “That tea costs four dollars an ounce. Must you treat it like…”
For once, comparisons seemed to fail Giles and he lapsed into a disgruntled silence. Spike, happily sipping his own steaming cup, merely snorted and shook his head.
“Can’t expect these bloody Yanks to have any appreciation for a decent cuppa,” he commiserated with Giles. “It’s all that sugar water they drink.”
“He said,” Buffy growled, “WHAT are you? What, not who.”
“So, he was interested in your Slayerness,” Willow tossed in, always the optimist. “That’s always good, right? I mean, sharing common interests and childhood stories always a good relationship thing.”
“Somehow,” Buffy replied dryly, “ I don’t think it was so much a ‘sharing’ moment as a ‘let’s put the weird girl under a microscope and see what’s ticking’ moment.”
Xander nodded. He really was tired. First, the Gentlemen and their very ungentlemanly behavior regarding other people’s vital organs followed closely by another group of demons with an unhealthy fascination in ending the world. He’d forgotten how exhausting saving the world could be. Plus, his skin was buzzing.
It was sort of a low-grade hum, like he was sitting near an electrical wire. He shook his head, trying to stave off sleep and ignored the crawling sensation. Just his luck, he’d caught some kind of funky disease from those demons. That or constant exposure to the Hellmouth had some side effects they didn’t know about.
“Look,” Xander mumbled, “he’s a creep. Grade A, 100%, officially certified creep. Fighting evil is one thing, experimenting on it is another. I mean, I’m all for taking down the bad, but what they did to Spike? That’s just wrong.”
His vision dimmed, and he gasped for air. Everything swam fuzzily in front of him, people turning into bizarre Dali-inspired shapes. He tried desperately to fight the feeling of drowning, but his lungs were frozen and he couldn’t move.
Suddenly, everything snapped into focus. Buffy was crouched next to him, face filled with concern. He smiled weakly, waving a hand to ward her off.
“I’m fine,” he told her. “I guess I’m just more tired than I thought.”
She stepped back slightly, and smiled. “You work too hard, Xander. Maybe you should stay home tonight. I know Cordy needs you, but wrecking on the way to help a friend? Incredibly unhelpful.”
He nodded and said, “You’re right, Buffster. I just…she sounded kinda upset. I think I’ll just do the power nap thing before I take off.”
“Well, if you want,” Oz said, “I’m headed that way tonight. Gig in San Diego. I could drop you off.”
“Thanks, Oz,” Xander smiled. “That would be great.”
Even as he said the words, Xander felt slightly uneasy. He didn’t remember Oz being there a few minutes ago. In fact, he was pretty certain Oz had left Sunnydale in search of something for his wolf-self.
“So,” Xander threw out into the growing silence, “Riley’s officially off the date list?”
Buffy sighed, and nodded. Willow grimaced at him, and shook her head. He shrugged, uncertain what was going on.
“Hey, Xander,” Willow motioned him towards her. “How about you and I do some kitchen reconnaissance. Maybe we could find something that resembles drinkable out there!”
Xander rose from the couch as Giles told them, “Not the whiskey. I’m saving that for a special occasion.”
“Like what,” Xander retorted. “The next Apocalypse?”
Giles nodded distractedly and said, “Yes, actually. I have it on good authority that in six months, we’ll need two drams of Glenfiddich 1890 for the necessary repelling potion.”
Xander laughed. Only on the Hellmouth could booze be a crucial ingredient in saving the world. Of course, only on the Hellmouth could saving the world be an issue.
“Xander,” Willow hissed. “What the hell are you thinking?”
“I’m tired, kinda hungry, and where’s Spike because if we’re leaving he should be getting ready to go,” Xander replied promptly. “Why?”
“Have an apple,” Willow said contritely, handing him the fruit. “I mean about Riley?”
“Sorry,” Xander mumbled around a bite of apple. “I know she’s pissed, but she was just talking about it.”
“What? No,” Willow shook her head. “She’s more than pissed, Xan. She’s freaking out. Mentioning it not of the good.”
“Why freaking out? I know the guy’s a jackass, but it’s not worth Buffy losing it.”
“Did you get hit on the head?” Willow sighed. “I know my experiment gone wrong was traumatic, but making you a demon magnet can’t have affected your brain. Was there an accident at work?”
“Huh? No, and experiment?” Xander struggled to keep up. He knew he’d shifted to another reality, one with Oz in it apparently, but this was starting to worry him. He could feel himself changing. One minute he was himself and the next, this new Xander. Obviously, there was a memory lag because he had no idea what was going on.
“When Giles had me do ‘my will’.” Willow made air quotes. “Granted, it went kinda bad there, but it gave us so much information about The Initiative. Are you sure you didn’t get hit on the head?”
“Positive,” Xander assured her. “I’m just really tired. Brain lag and all that.”
Willow smiled and rubbed his arm. Good, an excuse that actually worked and was true. He loved it when a plan came together.
“So, we know all about The Initiative,” Xander prompted.
“Yeah, and that knowing including finding out their plans for Buffy,” Willow continued. “As in their ‘let’s take her apart and see how this Slayer thing works’ plan.”
“Oh,” Xander blinked. “OH. Not good.”
“He catches up,” Willow groused.
“Sorry,” Xander shrugged. “Tired. Hard to keep up with all you crazy college kids, you know?”
“Yeah, well us crazy college kids need your help in figuring out how to bust in to The Initiative. Also, bringing back some Angel-type help? Would not go amiss,” Willow pointed out.
“Sure,” Xander yawned. “Just hand me Spike and Oz and I’ll be on my way.”
“Spike’s off rounding up the rest of the team,” Willow said, leading him out of the kitchen.
She gave him a mock-shove onto Giles’ couch and he sank gratefully into it. He wasn’t sure how he ended up so tired. Maybe none of the Xander’s was getting any sleep. Of course, it could be that he hadn’t really gotten to sleep himself since he started this whole whiz-bang ride. Note to self, stop fixing things long enough to nap, he thought.
“The rest of the team,” he repeated. “Who’s that?”
“Anya and her girlfriend,” Giles told him, face still buried in a dusty-looking book. “They’re both extremely powerful magic users, and I think that between Willow, myself and the girls, we should be able to counter anything the Initiative cares to throw at us.”
“I’m sorry. “ Xander sat bolt upright, suddenly incredibly wide-awake. “Anya and her who?”
“Her girlfriend,” Buffy told him. “Uhm, I think the girl’s name is Tara. She’s pretty soft-spoken, but nice. I met her once on campus.”
“Anya and…Tara?” Xander couldn’t keep the shock off his face or out of his voice. “Well, that’s new and exciting.”