Suki Blue Fiction

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Chapter 22

 
“That was easily the cheesiest movie I’ve seen this year,” Xander said. There was popcorn stuck in his teeth and he was making a dozen strange faces trying to remove it with his tongue.

Buffy smiled at him. “What did we expect from a movie with the title Beverly Hills Ninja?”

“True. I still say The Relic would have been better.”

“Apart from the fact it’s an R,” Buffy reminded.

“R shmar,” Willow said. “We could have snuck in.”

Buffy looked at her in amazement. “When did sneaky become your middle name?”

“Since today,” Willow said with a firm nod. “And since I just had to sit though that crappy movie. So, who wants to sneak into the eight o’clock showing of The Relic?”

Xander was impressed. And also slightly concerned. This wasn’t like Willow at all. They hadn’t snuck into a movie together since they were kids. They’d gotten caught the first and only time they’d tried it and Willow had cried for a week.

“Nah, can’t,” Buffy said. “Patrol, remember? The Slayer’s work is never done.”

Willow looked hopefully to Xander. “Xand?”

That niggling feeling brushed by him again, but the urge to do something he shouldn’t burned too brightly to ignore. Plus, he really did want to see that movie. And he had a teeny tiny crush on Tom Sizemore.

“Sure! I’m game if you are. But don’t come crying to me if we get caught and your mom takes away your bike.”

Willow grinned at him. “Deal.”

“Okay, well I’m gonna hit patrol. Enjoy the horror, blood and screaming,” Buffy said chirpily.

Xander gave her a cheerful wave as she backed away. “You too.”

“I will, as long as it’s not me doing the screaming. Hey, I’ll come by after the movie. Wait for me and I’ll walk you both home.” With an affirmative nod from both Xander and Willow and a parting warning from Xander not to fall into any graves, Buffy turned and trotted down the street.

Even though it was spring and the days were long, the sky looked lower and greyer, signalling darkness was on the way. It would linger that way for a while longer, Xander thought, and then night would suddenly cover Sunnydale like a blanket. There wouldn’t be much warning. The day would almost seem to flicker like an old light bulb and then the daylight would blink out like someone had thrown a switch.

Xander often wondered if it was just Sunnydale or if night tagged day like that anywhere else. Maybe it was the Hellmouth that governed the exact time the darkness would descend. Who knew? But whatever the reason, it was damn deceptive and was probably the reason many people lost their lives: trapped by the dark in an instant with no chance of escape.

The line for tickets was probably getting long, so Xander ushered Willow inside. The guy selling the tickets looked new. Certainly Xander had never seen him before, and a quick conference with Willow revealed that she hadn’t either.

As Xander had suspected, the line was long and had even spilled sideways into more of a gathering than an honest-to-god straight line. Xander was pleased to note the new guy looked hassled and stressed. He wasn’t entirely sure why. The job looked easy enough. Take money, give ticket. Take money, give ticket. See? Easy as pie.

When their turn came up, Xander suddenly pushed Willow aside, smiling a discreet, apologetic smile at her as she stumbled sideways and shot him a confused look. Willow was too small. She definitely didn’t look seventeen. Maybe fifteen at most? But Xander had height on his side. He was definitely man-shaped and stood a much better chance of securing their tickets.

“Sorry about that,” he said when victory was his and they made their way back to get more popcorn.

“No problem,” Willow said, looking up at him. “I liked the deep voice.”

“Uh, yeah, thanks.” In hindsight, the deep voice had probably been a mistake. It had even caused ‘Jeff’ to give him a funny look as he handed over the two tickets. Xander was sure he’d wanted to take them back, but Xander’s grip had remained firm and, with only a small tug, they were his.

They got another jumbo bucket of popcorn to share and a Coke each and headed into the theatre, the attendant not even looking twice at them.

“That was exciting,” Willow leaned over and whispered when they were seated.

Obviously, excitement had different levels. Xander agreed anyway. Maybe it wasn’t exciting, but there was a little bit of a thrill because it was wrong. Not as wrong as dating a vampire, but there you go.

The film was passable and Xander enjoyed the senseless waste of human life, but he guessed the twist long before the end. Still, it had been worth it and Willow looked happy to have seen it, even though Xander was sure it really wasn’t her type of movie.

When the credits rolled up and people rose from their seats to leave, Xander and Willow stayed seated – to get their money’s worth, as was tradition – and finished up the popcorn.

“What do you think we would have done?” Willow asked out of the blue. “If, you know…if he hadn’t died.”

“The werewolf guy?”

Willow nodded, but Xander hadn’t needed the confirmation. He knew Willow well enough to know when she couldn’t let something go.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I get the feeling Giles had a plan.”

“Yeah, I got that too.” Willow put her hand in the bucket, her whole arm sinking inside due to its size. “It could happen again,” she said. “Oh, my god. What if it has?! What if Ray already bit someone?”

Xander paused, his hand halfway to the bucket. He thought about it for a moment, considering options and analysing data. Then he sunk his hand in the bucket and scooped up the dregs from the bottom. “If he has, then he has. Not much we can do about it now.”

“Xander!”

“Well, there isn’t. There’s no full moon, Wills, not until next month.” That reminded him, he needed to talk to Giles about borrowing some more books. The cycle of the moon was important – not just for werewolves, but for other things such as spell casting - and it would be handy to know more about it.

“I guess not.”

The lights came up and Xander pushed himself up from his seat and waited for Willow to do the same. “There’s nothing we can do except keep an eye out for hairy chests and howling in the shower at the next full moon.”

“Sounds like my dad,” Willow said.

They grinned at each other. “Mine, too.”

“How is your dad?” Willow asked once they were outside.

Xander looked up and down the street, looking for Buffy as he spoke. “Actually, he’s really great. Mom, too. This promotion he got is the best thing that could have happened to us.”

Willow looked pleased. “Good, I’m glad.”

“I know they’ve had rough patches and stuff. Last year was hard, but I really think things have turned around.”

Willow’s expression fell for a second before she visibly regained control. Xander couldn’t blame her for that. Last year had been hard, with his parents fighting almost continuously, and Willow had been his saviour, the one whose window he tapped on and whose floor he slept on. Without her, things would have felt a lot worse.

“It’s so much better, Wills, really. Take off your worry hat.” He ruffled her hair and looked around again. “Where’s the Buffster?” he asked, his question a valid one, but also a signal that their conversation was over and could they please start a new one?

Willow shrugged and moved out of the way when someone brushed passed her. The sidewalk was getting crowded now as a fresh batch of moviegoers spilled from the theatre showing Dante’s Peak. “I don’t know. Maybe she’s just late.”

A picture of Buffy grappling and punning with an unfortunate fledge entered Xander’s mind and he nodded. “A Slayer’s work is never done. Vampires, soiling and shopping. Vampires, soiling and shopping. It’s a vicious cycle that doesn’t leave much time for punctuality. Uh, when I said soiling, I meant the soiling of the clothes, not soiling of-”

Xander was saved from finishing the sentence he wished he’d never begun when Willow was knocked into him. “Hey!” he called after the asshat that had pushed her. “What’s the deal? Plenty of sidewalk for all. No need for shoving!”

The perpetrator stopped and turned around, causing the people near to skirt around him. “Harris. Thought I recognised the mouth.”

Xander’s heart dropped into his stomach and for a split second he wished he was dead. Why did it have to be Larry? Why couldn’t Larry watch where he was going? “Blaisdell. Thought I recognised the waddle and the thinning hair.” And why, oh why, couldn’t he keep his great big mouth shut?

“Oh, you are so dead, Harris.” Larry lunged forward, his face turning cherry red as rage took a hold and drove him on.

Instinctively and purely on reflex, Xander ducked back, pulling Willow back with him. She squeaked and clung to him, keeping herself between them. Either she was trying to protect him, Xander thought, or Willow had a death wish he didn’t know about.

“Hey!”

“Watch it!”

“What’s your damage, freak?”

Well, it seemed Willow and Xander weren’t the only ones who didn’t appreciate being pushed. They backed away as voices rose and an argument broke out. Larry, apparently, had his hands full.

“Would it unmanly if we ran away?” Xander asked in a whisper.

“For me: hopefully. For you? I’m thinking it would show maturity and good forward planning,” Willow whispered back.

“Okay, I’m convinced.” They turned and ran, ducking around the rest of the crowd, who were too busy trying to see the fight to notice them.

They pounded down the sidewalk, looking over their shoulders as they ran. The main bulk of visible people were clumped outside the theatre, either involved in the fight or squeezing in to get a good look.

When they were a good distance away, Xander slowed and grabbed Willow’s arm to stop her. “I think that’s far enough. For now,” he said.

Willow turned around and stood on tiptoes, apparently convinced the extra two inches would help her see the scrum better.

“I have two things to say,” Xander said. “Whoops and whoops.”

“Oh, Xand. You really shouldn’t have said those things.”

“Yeah, I know. I just can’t help myself. That guy is such a jerk.”

Willow looked sympathetic and annoyed at the same time. Xander was sure she wanted to tell him off, but instead she just sighed and tried to smile. “Never mind. It’s done now.”

And there it was. Why couldn’t she ever say what was really on her mind? If she wanted to give Xander a good ticking off, then why couldn’t she just do it? Maybe he should tell her that. Maybe that would make things better.

“I hear jocks have seventy two hour memory spans,” Xander said. “I’ll just avoid him for a few days.” He grinned just because he couldn’t help it.

And why couldn’t he tell her how he really felt?

And why was he suddenly facing the pavement?

It took Xander a moment to register that he probably hadn’t reached his destination all by himself, and for a horrible moment he thought Larry had caught up to him. A fanged face glared down at him and proved him wrong.

Xander shuffled backwards and frantically glanced around for Willow.

“Get off me! Get off!” She was putting up an enthusiastic fight and Xander would have taken a moment to be proud her if he wasn’t being slugged by his own attacker.

Spots danced in front of his eyes and Xander was completely convinced there were little blue birds tweeting merrily around his head. Ouch, that had really hurt.

Cold hands gripped his arms and pulled him along the ground. It was disorientating and Xander just couldn’t work out what was going on now. The sidewalk was in the air and the sky was…

Willow screeched and Xander turned to face the sound; his head got even fuzzier as his forehead was deliberately smacked into the ground. Things got even more confusing then.

Willow’s red hair swished past him and Xander was pretty sure he could see her legs kicking wildly in the air.

They were taking her. They were taking Willow!

Xander was pulled to his feet, where he swayed and wondered if this was what being drunk felt like. He heard the vampire holding him shout to his buddy, “Hey, how come you get the little one?”

“Because I had to drag the larger one last time,” came the annoyed response.

Xander’s vampire huffed and walked him into the dark alley. He was sure Willow was screaming, but it was hard to tell with the noise down the street and the thunder in his ears.

“Damn kids. They never got so tall back in the day.” Xander wasn’t sure which vampire had said that.

A cold, hard hand closed around his throat and if Xander had been a little more awake he would have panicked at the restriction.

“What day was that, then? Last Thursday?” Chuckle. Xander wasn’t sure which vampire that was, either.

He was being dragged again and his feet felt like clown feet and someone – probably Willow – was shouting his name.

“Shut your pie hole and come on. The Master will be…” Nope, still couldn’t tell.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” That could have been the vampire holding Willow. It was hard to be sure because Xander had a feeling that Willow was upside down and he just couldn’t quite work that out. Maybe he was upside down and Willow was…

“Well, well, what’s all this, then, eh? Got yourself a little treat or two, have you?” Ooh, a third voice and Xander would have grinned if he’d been able to work out how to do that.

“Spike,” one of the vampires greeted coldly.

Ah-ha! He knew it!

“Just something for the Master.”

Xander listened hard for Spike’s eyebrow. It should be rising anytime…now!

“Right.” There it was! “Well, I don’t think so. So if you’d both be so kind as to leave the boy…”

Spike stopped talking and Xander got the distinct impression that he, himself, was whining.

“Leave both your little treats here with me,” Spike amended, and Xander relaxed as much as he could with a totally crushed windpipe – which was possibly an exaggeration. “And fuck off,” Spike continued.

Wow, English people were so polite, Xander thought. He could see the blond of Spike’s hair and it would have been comforting if it hadn’t been dancing around so much and glowing pink and blue.

“Who the hell do you think you are? The Master isn’t going to put up with…” Xander was definitely, one hundred percent sure this was the vampire that was holding him. He had this thought from the ground and his vision cleared enough to see Spike doing his thing and beating the living hell out of-

“No!”

That was Willow, but Spike looked busy and Xander couldn’t let her be taken. He couldn’t survive without his Willow. She could look at him with doe-eyes and let him get away with murder all the time as long as she wasn’t taken away from him.

He got to his feet and wondered why the sky was still on the ground. And hey, it was going around and around. “Hey, undead guy!” he shouted instead because his feet were being more than useless and he didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. “I am so going to kick your pale ass! Just you wait until I get up!”

Willow was getting further away and Xander felt sick. There was a whoosh next to him and then a blur as Spike sped past. There was another whoosh and a squawk as Willow apparently fell to the ground.

Xander tried to sit up and it was easier when someone helped him. He smelled leather and he smiled. “Thanks.”

“You alright, luv?”

Cool fingers traced Xander’s face and poked his head. “Ow. Think so.”

“I gotta go, yeah? Jack and Jill are on their way.”

“Huh? What…?”

And then nothing. The fingers were gone and the smell of leather merely lingered.

“Xand! Are you okay?” Definitely Willow. “Buffy! Over here!”

“Oh, my god! I’m so sorry I’m late. What happened?” Definitely Buffy.

“Two vampires grabbed us. They hit Xander really hard. This guy saved us.”

“He looks concussed.” Deadboy. “We should get him to the ER…”

“No, no, no,” Xander said, fighting the urge to lie down on the ground and take a long overdue nap. “I’m good. Actually, I’m better than good. I’m late.”

“Late?” Buffy asked.

“Who’s late?” Xander asked.

“You’re late,” Buffy said. “Apparently.”

“No, I’m great,” Xander insisted with a flap of his hand. “You’re the one who’s late.” He struggled to get to his feet and was both grateful and unreasonably irritated when Angel helped him and refused to let go. “Hey, watch the goods.”

“Maybe ER isn’t…” Willow started. “…I think someone should just watch him.”

“I’m not late,” Xander insisted again. “And I’m not going to ER unless my lungs bounce up and exit through my ears. Do you know how big they are?”

“Your lungs or your ears?” Buffy asked with amusement in her voice.

Xander sighed and tried, ineffectively, to bat Angel away. “No. ER bills. Parentals will freak.”

“Now there’s a point,” Buffy said.

“Maybe take him to Giles?” Willow suggested.

“Or, Angel, could you watch him? Your place is closer.” Buffy asked.

Oh, okay, Xander could totally see what was going on here. Buffy only wanted Angel to take care of him so she’d have an excuse to come visit in the morning. How transparent.

“Me? Uh…well, I…”

Angel didn’t seem too happy and Xander was nearly offended. Luckily, just in time, Xander remembered the main reason Angel wasn’t too keen on the proposed plan. Spike.

Xander made sure to stop batting and he clung instead.

“Oh, look at him,” Willow said. “He can barely stand.”

“Please, Angel?” Buffy asked sweetly. “Xander’s our best friend.”

Heh, Angel was being double teamed. Good work, girls.

“Sure,” Angel caved. “I’ll take him back to the mansion.”

Xander felt himself being slowly escorted out of the alley. Sunnydale had too many alleys, he decided. But Sunnydale only had one Spike, and that one Spike had saved him again. Spike the not-quite-friendly vampire who had saved him and his best friend.

Xander held on to Angel and Buffy and tried not to smile.

TBC…