Trust

by Rob Sorenson

Chapter Twenty-seven

******Los Angeles International Airport 8:00pm******

The landmark main terminal building of LAX glowed in the night. The distinctive criss-crossing arches – surely a sci-fi author’s vision of a future that will never come to pass – stood tall, bathed in ghostly azure. 60 million souls traveled in and out of Southern California through this gateway every year, making it one of the busiest on earth. Citizens from virtually every culture (human and otherwise) landed in the City of Angels. Some came for professional reasons, some just for fun; a goodly number considered providing the latter their business.

Most went about their lives with a self-involved casualness, moving with little thought of the world around them. That hadn’t always been the case, of course; there had been short periods in history when the illusion of safety had been stripped away…and the world became the frightening and uncertain place it truly was. Generally, though, the populace always settled back into a comfortable routine…because they had to. They bemoaned the mundane in their lives, but deep down they longed for the dreary. In that way lay sanity…or at least the appearance of it.

There were, however, a certain few who were forced to live with the knowledge that every day, someone - or something - was plotting nothing less than Armageddon.

That certain few were comprised of a small group of brave and gifted creatures who had often been denied the simple freedom of pursuing a normal life. Their business was protecting the masses from untold forces who wanted to destroy them all…forces that the world’s governments couldn’t even begin to understand, however much they may have tried in the past.

The Department of Homeland Security (to the best of anyone’s knowledge) had no contingency plan for the most unimaginable terror of all: the end of life as we know it in this dimension.

Which brings us to our story…

Once upon a time, there was a young girl who possessed the power to unlock the doors between what we know…and what should never be known, if humankind were to survive. Evil had tried to breach the walls between dimensions, using nothing less than her very flesh and blood. However, through selfless heroism, and devastating sacrifice, that crisis had been averted.

It had only been the beginning of a long and painful chain of events that had changed the world…and more importantly, the lives of those who had sworn to protect it.

Now, it seemed those events had come full circle; once again the forces of Darkness were attempting a breach. This time, however, they weren’t even bothering with the pretense of obtaining a Key. No…this time they’d been invited to the Earth’s doorstep. Either the doors were going to be kicked in, or they’d be forever reinforced so that the people of Earth could create their own destiny.

The time had come to finish it.

Now, a few of the aforementioned soldiers of Good were traveling slowly through the confines of the airport’s grounds, preparing to undertake a dangerous mission to gather infor-

“This sucks.”

Fred jerked in surprise, looking up from her journal. Dawn was in the front, assuming her trademark pose of the Folded Arms.

“What does?”

“I hate these things.”

Riley sighed from the driver’s seat. “Dawn, give it a rest, ok?”

“Do you have any idea how much gas these things burn? They’re horrible for the environment.”

“Humvees have a specific purpose. They’re designed to-“

“I know what they’re designed for, Riley. We’re in an airport terminal. Not much off-roading required here.”

“Your sister drives an Escalade. Hello?”

Dawn half-turned to face him. “Ok, number one: these monstrosities are much worse than any other street-legal SUV. Secondly, I happen to drive a Corolla.”

“I like your Corolla,” Fred interjected, hoping to ease the tension. She was rewarded with a cold stare from both occupants in the front seat, causing her to shift uncomfortably. “Well…I do. The color’s pretty.”

“Fred, you’re a scientist. Back me up here. Hummers are an abomination, right?”

Riley gripped the steering wheel a little harder. “Dawn, I came into the country on short notice. This is a loaner from a friend. Next time, I’ll try to track down one of those hybrids that can’t outrun a motorized shopping cart, ok?”

Dawn turned back to her original position, even refolding her arms. “I always thought you were different!”

There was a protracted silence, which made Fred profoundly grateful. Just let it go, she thought silently. Please…

“Just what exactly was that supposed to mean?”

Fred closed her eyes.

“Forget it,” Dawn said, waving her hand dismissively.

The tires screeched slightly as Riley made a quick turn. “No, really…I want to hear this.”

“No, you really don’t.”

“Dawn…”

“I just thought maybe you were one of those rare guys who didn’t measure their manhood by the size and speed of their vehicle.”

Riley cut his eyes toward her. “Excuse me?!” The soldier shook his head. “I don’t know who fed these thoughts into-“

“My thoughts are my own, Riley.” Dawn’s complexion was rapidly reddening.

“Well then, maybe you should open your mind to some new ones.”

That got her to turn toward him again. “Maybe you should read the statistics about the finite resources we have on this planet!”

The Hummer made one more turn into a parking space. Once Riley turned off the engine, he leaned back into his seat.

“Maybe this is a mistake.”

Dawn’s eyes widened. “Huh?”

Riley sighed deeply. “I think this whole thing tonight is asking too much of you.”

“Guys,” Fred offered quietly.

“Asking too…where is this coming from?”

“You know the guy I borrowed this from? Used to work with him in Belize. One of the best demon hunters I ever worked with in Special Forces.”

“So he’s retired?”

“You could say that.”

Dawn pointed an accusing finger at him. “A-ha! Then why the need to drive this gas hog-”

“More like a medical discharge than a retirement, though. Guy’s 23 years old. Got cornered by a pair of Edulis demons with a shorted-out taser blaster. What do you know about the Edulis, Dawn?”

She shifted slightly in her seat. “Never saw one, just read a little-“

“Let me round out your education. Edulis is Latin for edible…which they are most definitely not. It’s the opposite, actually. The Edulis feed on animal flesh, and humans are the rarest delicacy. Naturally, when they can get us, they take their time to savor such a special treat.”

Again Fred spoke softly. “I think-“

“The lucky part – if you want to call it that – was the ‘savor’ part. By the time we tracked him, the demons had only eaten three fingers and a foot.”

There was silence in the vehicle until Riley continued, turning to look out his side window.

“We managed to medivac him fast enough to save his life, but they couldn’t re-attach anything. When he was well enough to travel, we gave him a medal – the kind he can’t wear in public, naturally - and rolled him on to a C-130 bound for Edwards Air Force Base. Until four days ago, I hadn’t seen him since.”

He turned back to face Dawn.

“You know how he spends a big chunk of the $1800 a month his little accident qualified him for? Making payments on this ‘monstrosity,’ as you call it. Now, I could tell you he earned the right to drive whatever the hell vehicle he wants, and that oughta be good enough…but that’s not why he bought it. He uses this thing to track demons on his own…works strictly freelance. With five fingers, two thumbs and a prosthetic foot he fights to save people whenever he can, because he can’t just sit at home collecting checks for the rest of his life.”

“Riley-“

“Maybe you didn’t notice, but demons don’t always run on smooth highways. Tough to track certain breeds in a Corolla.”

Dawn sighed. “Ok, I get-“

“No, I don’t think you do. Dawn, you’re mature beyond your years, and God knows you’ve been through more than most. Maybe that’s why you seem to have this desperate need to prove something…to someone. Here’s the thing: you’re still 19 years old. Well, physically. We know better, though, don’t we?”

Dawn stiffened, but Riley plowed on, heedless of her reaction.

“You wanted to show me how big and bad you’ve gotten. Ok, I’ve seen it. In that training room, I felt it. I think I’ve already said how proud I am of just how far you’ve come. If I didn’t truly believe that, we wouldn’t be sitting here tonight. I’d like to think you could show me just an ounce of respect, but if not, that’s cool. Mission comes first…but don’t you dare think you have the right to judge me, or anyone like me. No one here - not you, Angel, Spike, or even Buffy – has that right. You know nothing of where I’ve been and what I’ve seen. Maybe if you took yourself off the defensive every now and then, you’d learn something.”

Dawn’s eye twitched in anger. “Fine. If I ever need tips on how to run away from my problems or get sucked off by vamps for cash, I’ll look you up-“

“ENOUGH!!”

Fred’s outburst shocked both of them into silence. She leaned forward.

“You want to talk about learning? Let’s learn how to deal with our fear without lashing out at one another. I guess no one has noticed, but I’m a little on edge back here myself. I don’t even like escalators, yet I’ve been spending the last couple of days hanging by a little cable from ten stories up. So if you could just stop this childish arguing, I’d be really grateful. I’m depending on both of you to guide me through this, and right now you aren’t exactly sources of comfort or inspiration.”

She paused to take a deep breath, looking from Dawn to Riley.

“Now, can we please go over the plan again? I think that might be a more useful way to pass the time.”

**********************************

“Don’t have a picture to show or anything. Little bit taller than me. Brown eyes. Fairly good lookin’ bloke, if you overlook the hair.”

“Ummm…there are a lot of people here who would fit that description.”

Spike sighed. “Right, then. Mind if I take a look about the place, see if he’s around?”

The proprietor of Becky’s Graphic Artist’s Emporium looked at him blankly.

“Well, seeing that we’re open for business, I’d say I’m ok with that.”

Spike gave him a slight squint before turning to face the shelves.

“Is there anything in particular you might be interested in?”

“I just told you-“

“Collectibles, back issues, new stuff? We have everything. Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, you name it. Action figures are to your left-“

Spike turned around, holding up a hand. “Look friend, thanks for tryin’ to help, but I’m just lookin’ for someone.”

Becky’s eyes widened. “Oh, I get it. You’re on your way to Comic Con, aren’t you? In character and everything?”

“What the hell are you-“

“Say no more. I’m coming too, as soon as I close up for the evening.”

Spike decided to just go with it, nodding gravely.

“Right. See you there. Really have to run now, if you don’t-“

“Of course.” Becky ran a thumb and forefinger across her lips. Spike gave her a half nod and a smile before ducking hurriedly behind a shelf. After a cursory glance through the stacks of comics and action figures (including a life-size cardboard cutout of Batman that he very nearly punched in surprise after turning a corner), Spike found no one who looked remotely like Xander. He made sure his admirer wasn’t waiting for him at the front of the store before slipping out. Two more, he thought, glancing at his list.

*************************************

“Ma’am? Can I help you find anything?”

Faith turned from the seemingly endless row of barbecue grills, forcing a polite grin.

“Actually, yeah. I’m lookin’ for a guy.”

The Home Depot sales assistant nodded sagely.

“Ah. Well, obviously I’m on duty right now, but if you wanna hang for an hour or so…”

Despite her worry, Faith couldn’t help but smile a little. “Sorry. Guy in question’s my husband.”

“Oh. Um…right. Say, why don’t I just page him-“

“No, that isn’t necessary,” Faith said hurriedly. She wasn’t sure where he’d gone exactly, but her instincts said Xander would bolt if he knew she was looking for him. “If he’s around, it’s usually by the building supplies.”

The attendant waved his hand toward an aisle. “Well, that works out. I’m headed that way now. Come with me, I know a short cut. Not using the power saws, though.” He flashed a goofy grin. “Get it? Short cut? Saws?”

Faith just raised an eyebrow.

“Right. Not batting a thousand on the humor meter, obviously.”

They walked beneath a seemingly endless sea of ceiling fan fixtures overhead as he spoke.

“Ok, just so that I’m not fired, sued or beaten senseless by your husband, I really was joking back there. You know that, right?”

“I think we can forgive the short cut thing.”

“I meant-“

“I know. Relax.”

“Thank you. So…any particular section? Bathroom, kitchen, paints?”

“Well…he mainly dealt in bigger stuff.”

“Could you be a little more specific?”

“Um…he builds things for a living.”

“Oh, he’s a carpenter?”

“Yeah, but…more like a contractor these days.”

“I see. Well, you’re in luck. Contractor Sales happens to be my department. Come on.”

They walked further back into the store. “So…what’s your husband working on?”

“The new LA Coliseum.”

The man stopped. “Wait a second. That’s the HarrisBerg project.”

“Yeah. My husband is Xan…Alex Harris,” Faith corrected herself, nearly forgetting his professional name.

“Well, hell…you must be the Faith I hear so much about!”

Faith blinked in surprise. “That’s me, yeah.”

The salesman smiled broadly. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

She shrugged, slightly embarrassed. “Uh…sure. You too.”

“I can’t believe he’d come without calling first. Last I knew, he was off for the holiday weekend. Haven’t heard from him since. I thought maybe the miracle finally happened.”

“Miracle?”

“Yeah, the miracle of Alex Harris actually taking an extended vacation. The man just doesn’t stop. Guess you’d know that better than anyone.”

Faith forced another smile, choosing to say nothing. The man cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Right. Anyway, like I said, he always calls before coming. That way I can have whatever he needs ready to go.”

“Makes sense.”

“So…are you sure paging him won’t-“

“He talks about me?”

“Say again?”.

“Alex. I mean, you said you’ve heard about me a lot.”

The man shrugged nervously. “Alex Harris generally talks about two things: building supplies and you. Not necessarily in that order. God, now that I actually look at you I feel like such an idiot.”

Faith flashed her wicked grin. “I look that good, huh?”

“God, yes.” His eyes widened. “I mean that in the most respectful and platonic way possible, of course…” he trailed off, blushing furiously. “Um, where was I?”

“Feeling like an idiot.”

“Right. I do that well. What I meant was, I’ve seen a picture of you he keeps in his wallet, so I should have recognized you right away. You had a pointy hat on.”

Faith sighed, rolling her eyes. The infamous birthday picture.

“He promised to burn that.”

“You seemed awfully happy.”

Faith looked away.

“I’m sorry. Did I say-“

“Nah, it’s cool. Christ, this place is huge.”

“We give new guys a map and compass.”

She gave him a polite chuckle to spare his feelings. After they negotiated a few hairpin turns around some granite counter tops, the man began to chuckle to himself.

“What?” Faith frowned.

“Sorry.”

“What’s funny?”

“Something Alex said once.”

“Such as?”

“It’s nothing. Guy humor.”

Faith tilted her head, re-flashing the babble-inducing smile. “I can handle guy humor. Hit me.”

The man looked at his shoes. “Ummm…well…he said he had other pictures of you, but no one else gets to see those.”

Faith laughed, unable to help herself. “Yeah, that’s Xander, all right.”

“Xander?”

“Family nickname.”

“I thought I’d heard Willow call him that, but I was usually too busy to ask. She comes here every once in a while with him. Super nice lady.”

“Yeah.” Faith’s smile faded; suddenly she had to look away again. The man shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

“Seriously, if something is wrong-”

Faith cleared her throat and looked back at him. “Look, I gotta go, ok?”

“Are you sure? We haven’t even-“

“You were right the first time. He isn’t here. Listen, could you do me a favor?”

“Name it.”

“It’s a big one.”

“Ok, now I’m curious.”

“If Xander happens to come by, could you tell him I’m lookin’ for him?”

“That’s the big favor?”

“No. I also need you to tell him I love him.”

There was a brief hesitation. “Ok. I guess. Umm, can I at least do that part quietly so the other guys around don’t hear?”

Faith nodded. “Fair enough.”

“In return, could you please never tell Alex Harris I hit on his wife, even in jest? He’s pretty crazy about you.”

The Slayer held out her hand. “You got a deal…hey, I never caught your name. Don’t you have to wear a tag?”

“I’m not a name tag person. They let it go ‘cause I’m union. Can’t get rid of me. You have a helluva firm handshake.”

Faith couldn’t help herself. “The least of my talents.”

He held up both hands. “I don’t want to know. Well, ok, I do, but…” They exchanged a smile. “It was an honor meeting you, Faith. Xander’s going to be ok.”

He turned away. Faith began to leave, but stopped and turned back to call after him.

“What do you mean he’s going to be ok? I never said anything about-“

“Trust me.”

“Wait, you still didn’t give me your name!”

The man stopped, speaking with his back to her.

“I’m Rob. Anything you guys need, I’m there. Always remember that.”

Faith was staring after him when the cell phone in her pocket beeped.

***************************************

Angel sighed patiently.

“I really don’t have time.”

The 10 year old spoke in pleading tones. “But I’m paying! Please?”

“I’m sorry…really. Not here to play. Just looking for-“

“It’ll just take a minute.”

The vampire sighed again. All three of the arcades on Cordy’s list had been within a mile of the Hyperion (he’d never realized – or cared - just how many there were in the immediate area). None of them had contained Xander, leaving him with nothing to do at the moment.

“It’s not that hard,” the boy said. “I’ll show you. Come on, someone’s going to take the last two spots!”

Angel rolled his eyes. What the hell. “All right…one time…and one time only, ok?”

“Cool!”

The kid hopped into position, motioning for Angel to join him.

“Ok, you sit over here.”

Angel put his palms over the handles; they resembled the kind that were used on bicycles.

“How exactly does this work?”

“Watch,” the boy said as he inserted eight quarters. The screen lit up, providing what appeared to be a series of choices.

“Ok, what am I deciding here?”

“Hang on a sec.”

“According to this clock up here, I only have ten. How do I…”

“Ok, you’re set.”

“I am? I didn’t choose anything.”

“No problem. We’ve all chosen our racer and character. You get what’s left.”

Angel frowned. “What? I wanted to be Anakin.”

The boy rolled his eyes. “Please. Rookies can’t be Anakin.”

Angel glowered at him. “Fine. Who am I?”

“Sebulba.”

Angel squinted at the screen. “Who?”

The boy pointed.

“Aw, I don’t want to be that guy.”

“Don’t worry, he’s perfect for you.”

Angel turned to face the kid. “What do you-“

“Race is starting!”

“Already?! Wait, you never said how-“

Angel’s animated pod racer sat still as the others took off, accompanied by the roar of a digitally created Tattooine stadium crowd.

“Hey! How do I-“

“Watch me!” The boy hollered. “Push forward on the handles!”

Angel’s eyes widened as he did what he was told. “Whoa, here we go! Ok…um, what does this blue button on the steering wheel do?”

“It gives you a burst of speed!”

“Got it!” Angel hit the button, feeling a slight sensation of dizziness as the screen blurred to create the illusion of hyperspeed. He smiled despite himself.

“All right, I’m moving…wait, how do you-“

He winced as the pod racer hit a wall, causing a jolt in his seat.

“-turn?”

*********************************

Buffy had agreed with every possible destination for Xander, and had fully intended to follow one of the leads…but Faith, Angel and Spike had grabbed assignments before she could.

That left two choices: watch Willow perform a locator spell – not exactly the kind of proactive behavior the Slayer favored; or improvise. Soon after she went out the hotel door, Buffy had a burst of inspiration.

There was one other choice Xander might make…one they hadn’t considered as a group.

At first, she’d come up with no better results than the others, choking her way through a pair of smoke-infested dives (ignoring a couple of inappropriate remarks along the way, naturally. Men.) that actually made her a little nostalgic.

Of course, Willy’s was pristine compared to these joints, she’d thought.

Her third attempt was a marginally nicer place, catering to the sports fan. There had to be over a hundred televisions inside, jogging a memory of a conversation with Willow about such establishments.

“All these tvs,” she’d said, “would be Orwell’s dream. Big Brother everywhere you look.”

Ever since, Buffy had found sports bars to be mildly unsettling. Thanks loads, Will.

After taking a cursory glance around, she’d decided to go back to the hotel. Just as Buffy turned to leave, she spotted him in the window’s reflection. Xander had occupied a corner table, clearly isolating himself as much as possible from other patrons. Without thinking, she walked quickly to his table and stood, hands on hips. Instead of the surprised reaction she was expecting, Xander gave her a lazy grin.

“Hey, Buff. You thirsty too?”

***************************************

Riley pulled items out of a large duffel bag as he spoke in a neutral tone of voice.

“You need to make sure you have a good hold with the suction cup before starting in with the glass cutters.”

Fred raised her hand; Riley couldn’t help but smile.

“Don’t think we need to worry about classroom etiquette in here. What do you want to know?”

“Why do we need the suction cup anyway? If you’re going to bring their motion sensors offline-“

“Insurance.” Dawn supplied the answer before Riley could. “If, for some reason, he doesn’t get it done, the glass would set off the alarm.”

Fred’s eyes widened. “How are we supposed to do this if he doesn’t-“

“We’ll improvise if we have to-” Dawn found Riley’s eyes. “-but we won’t. He’ll get it done.”

They held each other’s gaze for a moment, until Riley cleared his throat.

“Ok, once the window is out of the way, the glass will drop. Can’t avoid the sound that’ll make when it hits, so you’ll have to get out of sight pretty fast in case security picks up on it. Hopefully they’ll be distracted by the alarm malfunction at that particular moment.”

He held up two screwdrivers. “That’s when these come into play. The grating that covers the vent system should be simple enough to remove.”

“One for each of us?” Fred asked. Riley grinned shamefacedly.

“Well…no. Actually, I don’t know if the screws require a Phillips or a Flathead. Covering all bases.”

“Ah. Ok. Remind me again why we can’t just cut right into Lilah’s office?”

“We have to assume they post guards by her door. You and Dawn might be able to take them out with the element of surprise, but there’s too much of a chance they’ll call for backup in the meantime. Getting uninterrupted time with Lilah’s files is the priority. On the bright side, there’s a recently abandoned office within 100 feet of hers. Belonged to an associate who was…relieved of his duties.”

Dawn grimaced. “Do I want to know specifics?”

Riley shook his head. “The point is, it’s a fairly short crawl from there to Lilah’s.”

Fred sighed. “I’d forgotten just how small these air ducts are going to be.”

Dawn frowned. “You’re not claustrophobic, are you? Little late to tell us now.”

“No, nothing like that…but I just had a big dinner.”

That got Dawn to chuckle. “Yeah, right. I was noticing how totally bloated you are.”

Fred gave her a little grin in return. “I’m sorry. Just trying to be thorough.”

“Smart thing to do,” Riley reassured. “No such thing as a dumb question-” He paused as the sound of rapidly turning rotors reached his ears. “I think our guy’s here.” He checked his watch. “Right on time.”

Dawn raised her voice as the noise increased. “A thought occurs to me. If we’re worried about the sound of a shattering window, shouldn’t we be thinking about how much noise this thing makes?”

She pointed at the helicopter as it landed. Riley shook his head with a smile.

“That’s taken care of.”

“How?” Fred asked.

“You’ll see. Let me go greet the guy. Xander says he likes to be paid in advance.”

He stepped out of the vehicle. Fred exchanged a glance with Dawn.

“Is it a good sign that a pilot wants money up front?”

“I guess, if he carries the cash with him.”

Fred considered a moment.

“Yeah, that works.”

Dawn sighed heavily, bending over to put her face in her hands.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Fred put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re nervous.”

“I guess. I’m sor-“

“For what? This is hard for you.”

Dawn straightened herself up. “I’ll have it together when we’re out there. I promise.”

“If I doubted that, really wouldn’t be here. Trust me.”

They shared a quick smile. Dawn nodded toward the pad in Fred’s lap.

“Whatcha writing?”

Fred closed it quickly. “Nothing.”

“Aw, come on. Lemme see.” Dawn reached, but Fred snatched the notebook from her grasp.

“Dawn, we don’t have time.”

“Sure we do. Military guys always take a minute to compare battle scars and stuff. Like dogs sniffing each other. At least tell me what it is.”

“Dawn-“

“Pleeease?”

Fred rolled her eyes. “It’s sort of a journal, ok? I write sometimes.”

“Is it private?”

“Well…not strictly speaking. It’s just some thoughts, but-”

“May I read it?”

Fred’s eyes narrowed. “Promise not to laugh?”

Dawn grew somber. “Cross my heart and hope-“

“Let’s not use the second part of that phrase right now.” Fred handed the notebook over. Dawn turned away, settling back in her seat while Fred shifted nervously in hers. Neither spoke for a few seconds.

“Ghostly azure?”

“You said you wouldn’t laugh.”

“I’m not. I’m asking a question.”

“It’s a color-“

“I know what it is, Fred.”

“Well, look at it.”

Dawn craned her neck slightly; the main terminal stood roughly a mile to the south.

“I wonder if it’s the same guy who designed those McDonald’s arches?”

“I highly doubt that.”

“I don’t know. They’re bathed in ghostly golden.”

“All right, give it back-“

“Sorry, sorry. No more comments, I promise.”

“You’re the worst beta ever,” Fred grumbled.

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Just hurry up; I think the male bonding session is starting to break up.”

Dawn turned her attention back to the notebook.

*********************************

Spike rolled his eyes. “For the last time, I’m NOT going to any con!! When I wanted to take somethin’ from people, I didn’t need to con em’. Just took it and left ‘em layin’, all right? I haven’t even read a sodding comic in fifty years!”

“Of course,” the clerk gave him a knowing wink. “I understand.”

The vampire hung his head in defeat. “How does Xander stand the lot of you? Honestly.”

“So what can I do for you?”

“Nothing. Just want to look around.”

“Of course. Say, have you seen our newest release? ‘Astonishing X-Men’ just came out, and guess who’s writing it?”

“Some wanker with nothin’ better to do, I’d wager. Look mate, I’m just taking a little look-see. Don’t need any plastic Jangoes, limited edition ceramic Hagrids or anatomically correct Catwoman sketches. I simply want-“

“Right. You know nothing about comic stores though, right? Dude, you’re breaking character.”

Spike spoke very slowly, fighting to keep his voice even. “This is my third visit to one of these places tonight. Aside from that, I’d know nothing of your miserable little excuse for an existence. Now, if I may, I’d like to take a look-“

“That wasn’t very polite,” a deep voice said from behind him. Spike turned around to make a snide remark, but stopped. The man stood six feet six inches tall, and easily weighed in excess of three hundred perfectly sculpted pounds.

That wasn’t, however, what shocked Spike into silence. It was the fact that the man wore nothing more than a small section of what had once been corduroy slacks, somehow shredded into ratty cutoffs.

If that wasn’t enough, he was painted in green from head to bare feet. Spike blinked a few times.

“Let me guess…Kermit the Frog?”

The man squinted. “You think you’re funny?”

“Right. Seriously, mate, might want to be careful around here. Man who looks like you could be mistaken for something else.”

The man looked down at Spike, clearly unamused. “I allowed that crack about the X-men, but you’re taking character too far when you call us miserable.”

“It’s not….a bloody…character. This is who I am.”

The huge man said nothing. Spike held out his hands.

“Which, lookin’ back on it, probably doesn’t make you feel any better. Look, friend, I don’t want any trouble. Just tryin’ to track down a friend.”

“You don’t have any in here.”

Spike began to make his way toward the shelves. “Getting that feeling. If I could just have a quick look around, I’ll be on my-“

His forward progress was stopped as a huge hand caught his shoulder in an iron grip. “I think it’s time for skinny little assholes like you to hit the road.”

Spike glanced down at the enormous green appendage. “Two problems with that. One, I have to take a quick peek about this place. Two, your hand is on me. Luckily, I’m a problem solver. Question is, how do we go about it?”

He put his hand over the fake Hulk’s wrist and gave a mild squeeze, causing his shoulder to be released immediately. The huge man’s eyes widened in surprise. Spike spoke softly.

“Right, then. One problem out of the way. Now, I’ll do what I came here to do and be on my way.”

The man reached for Spike’s throat with his other hand, but the vampire caught it with ease. “Easy there, Rafael…or Leonardo. Whoever you’re supposed to be.” After a moment, the man dropped to his knees, making him almost eye to eye with Spike. The vampire leaned in closely.

“Please don’t make me angry.” He very briefly morphed into his game face, causing a high-pitched squeak of terror from the deep-voiced man. “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”

The man nodded quickly.

“Right then. Be only a moment.” (This is very cool)

After Spike took a cursory glance around the shop – finding no Xander in sight – he strode back to the front, finding both the men he’d encountered in the exact same position.

“Get up already. You’re gonna get paint all over the floor.”

The big man stared. Spike rolled his eyes.

“Not gonna hurt you, all right? I got what I needed.”

He headed for the front door…then stopped and turned around.

“Look…I’ve been judged unfairly a time or two myself. Probably shouldn’t be doin’ it to anyone else. Been running around all night long. Didn’t mean to be all shirty about things.” He pointed at the Hulk, looking him up and down. “Enjoy your little…er…well, whatever it is you’re doin’.”

He went out the door. The cashier exchanged wide-eyed looks with his friend.

“What was that with his face-“

Spike poked his head back in the door.

“By the way, what character do I look like?”

***********************************

“Ok, here we go.”

Angel’s brows were knitted in concentration. They were coming to a narrow canyon, and he was finally neck and neck with Anakin’s land speeder. He adjusted very slightly, preparing to enter at full speed.

Steady….steady…

“Hey, Sebulba.”

Angel said nothing to the boy next to him, maintaining his focus.

“See you later.”

That got Angel’s attention. “What do you-“

There was a jolt as Anakin rammed his speeder to the right, knocking Angel’s machine directly into the side wall of the canyon.

“So long, suckerrr!!”

“You little…” Angel stopped, barely able to keep from going into vamp face. He managed to get started, but the delay had run him out of time. The screen read:

THE CROWD IS FURIOUS WITH YOUR SLOW RACING!!

Angel went into a slow burn as the kid laughed.

“Nice race…not.”

“We’re not done yet.”

“Sorry dude. I don’t have any more-“

Angel held up a finger as he reached for his wallet. “I do.”

“Ok.”

*****Twenty Three Dollars Later*****

“I almost had you that time.”

“Yeah, right,” the kid said, rolling his eyes. “You used your blue buttons too early again. How many times do I have to remind you to wait for the straightaways?”

“I’m getting there.”

The boy shook his head. “Let’s face facts. You’ll never have what it takes to beat me. You gave it your best shot.”

Angel nodded. “Maybe not. Maybe you and your friends have too much power for just one man. I know the odds will always be against me. I know one pod-racer can’t possibly win compared to the resources of every other pit crew in Tattooine. Still, that doesn’t mean I’m just giving up. As long as I have a dollar’s worth of quarters, I can keep fighting. Those who accept things as they are may as well be dust. Therefore I will continue to pod-race, because free will is the one thing you can’t take away.”

The boy stared at him. “Ummm…my Mom is coming to pick me up soon.”

“Right. Let me get some more change.”

The cashier shook her head. “Sir, we’re closing in two minutes.”

“No! You can’t close! I think I’ve found a way to beat him.”

“Sir, are you all right?”

“Look, just let us play one more game, ok?”

“I’m sorry-“

“Wait.” Angel reached into his wallet and slid a bill across the counter with a conspiratorial grin. “Maybe Mr. Hamilton can change your mind?”

The cashier sighed heavily. “Mr. Hamilton can’t stop the machines from turning off automatically at 9pm.”

Angel’s shoulders slumped. “Ok.” He walked back to the machine slowly, finding the little blonde boy smiling softly.

“Too late for quarters, right?”

“This isn’t over.”

The boy stood. “It is for now.”

“I’ll be back. With quarters.”

“I’ll be looking for you.”

**********************************

“I can’t believe you just took off without saying a word…again!”

Xander shrugged. “Just one of the hard-earned privileges of adulthood.” He nodded toward the empty side of the booth. “Have a seat.”

“We’re going back-“

“You might be. I’m not. Not yet, at least.”

Buffy’s voice lowered dangerously. “Xander-“

“What’s your hurry?”

The Slayer was incredulous. “My hurry? My hurry?! We’ve been looking for you all night!”

“Why, did someone break a window?”

“Cut the crap, Xander. Don’t you understand how dangerous this is?”

He made a show of looking into his glass. “Huh. Looks like simple bourbon to me. Now, say, if I were driving, you may have a point.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

He sighed. “Ok, Buff. I’m officially chastened by taking off after Faith without telling you. That better? Are you feeling superior enough?”

Buffy’s face was still. “We are going back to the hotel. Now.”

Xander matched her gaze. “You gonna knock me out and hoist me over your shoulder, Slayer? ‘Cause that’s the only way it’ll happen.”

“You think I won’t?”

“I think I can put up just enough of a fight to get all kinds of attention you don’t want. Might get in the way of our little suicide mission tomorrow, don’t you think?”

“Xander-“

“Go ahead. I’ll catch up.”

“Not if the bad guys find you first.”

Xander frowned. “That’s tomorrow-“

“Oh, and you suddenly believe Evil’s going to play fair? Xander, you have to be there. That’s the deal. What happens if you can’t?”

His face cleared. “I see. The old ‘weak link in the chain’ concept.”

Buffy’s face softened. “More like ‘divide and conquer.’ Now would you please come on?”

“Answer me this: would you go out for a drink on your own right now?”

There was a moment’s hesitation. “I don’t even like to drink that much-“

“An artful dodge there, Buff. Let me rephrase. Would you go to the Mall by yourself? The Bronze? The gym? A Beastie Boys concert?”

“It’s different with me. You know that.”

“Yeah. That it is.” Xander took a swallow from his glass, and leaned around Buffy to get the waitress’s attention. Buffy moved in front of his waving hand.

“What is up with you?”

“My glass is empty.”

She spoke through gritted teeth. “Xander…”

“Buff, if it’s so important to you, have a seat. Next round’s on me. I’ve got all kinds of money, did you know that? No time to enjoy it, of course. How’s about we consider this night to be a down payment on future indulgence. A future we probably don’t have, but hey.”

The Slayer shook her head. “Ok. Fine. You win.” She slid into the booth and placed an elbow on the table, cupping her chin in her hand. “Can I ask two favors?”

“Sure.”

“Can you possibly dispense with the self-pity party? It gets boring.”

Xander looked up sharply. Buffy gave him a small grin. After a moment, Xander broke out into a chuckle.

“We’ll do what we can. What’s number two?”

“Call your wife and tell her where you are. She’s worried sick.”

He looked away again. “Didn’t bring my phone.”

“Nahhh…really?” Buffy shook her head, pulling her cell out of her purse. “Conveniently, I happen to have one right here.”

Xander hesitated a moment, then took it just as the waitress arrived.

“Give me another double. Buff?”

“Diet Pepsi-“

“Oh, for Christ’s sake. We could be dead tomorrow. Get a real drink.”

Her eyes widened in warning before turning a polite smile toward the waitress.

“Whatever your house white zinfandel is.”

“Got it.” The waitress walked off as Xander slowly dialed.

“How many of those have you had, Xand?”

“Enough to make me speak my mind.”

“Like you don’t already?”

“You’d be amazed what I hold back.” He hit “End” on Buffy’s phone. “Voicemail.”

Buffy frowned. “Are you sure?”

“I’m not that far gone, Buff. Dial for yourself.”

He rolled his eyes when she actually did it. “That’s odd. Why would she turn it off?”

“Maybe she wanted to be alone. Lucky girl.”

Buffy squinted as the drinks arrived. “You know better than that. If she thinks you’re in any kind of danger…”

“Yeah, I know.” Xander took a sip of bourbon, staring into the mirror behind the bar. When had he started looking so old?

“So what brought on this little bender, if I may ask?”

“Only someone who went through multiple death slash apocalypses could ask that question. Hello? Certain death, right around the corner.”

“Stop thinking that way. Seriously. We’re going to be-“

“Babies. I keep thinking about babies.”

Buffy lost her train of thought. Xander took another sip before continuing.

“We hadn’t talked about them at all. Not once. Honestly, I think I’d have been ok with that. My history being what it is…Harrises aren’t exactly father of the year material, as you may remember. Sorry if that qualifies as self-pity, by the way. Just remember who’s paying for the drinks.”

“I seem to recall having this discussion with you before. Xander, you are not-“

“My father. I know that. Things like that don’t imprint in your mind overnight, Buff. Things aren’t that simple. No worries, though: I have done what I do best. I’ve found the funny.”

He paused to take a noticeably larger swallow.

“I’m the father of your child, and missed all the good parts. The old Harris luck shines through again.” Buffy couldn’t help but smile a little. Xander nodded knowingly. “See? The funny. At least I got to kiss Willow back in the day.”

“I seem to recall you could have done a lot more than that if your timing didn’t suck.”

“Yeah, well. Details. Point is, you and I never got it on…not even a little. All those fantasies I had involving the two of us back then-“

“Must we go there?”

Xander finished his drink. “I pictured us with, like, 5 kids. Smart-alecky little guys and girls with a devotion to Twinkies and shopping malls. Really funny and smart, like you. Big house with the white picket fence…and a guy to mow our lawn. I hate yard work, you know. We’d have easy jobs, with plenty of time for marathon sex sessions, of course.”

“Naturally.”

“Most importantly, I’d proven myself to you in my vision. Whenever the bad guys would come for the Slayer, I’d be there to help take ‘em out. You’d never have to get hurt again, ‘cause Xander Harris, Demon Fighter Extraordinaire, was on the case.”

He raised his empty glass to the waitress and shook it. “Funny shit, huh?”

Buffy didn’t know what to say. “I never really…”

Xander chucked ruefully. “Thought about it? Why should you? Lemme guess, when you did take a moment to dwell, you assumed it was juvenile sex stuff. Don’t worry, that factored in most of the time. Still a card-carrying guy over here.”

Buffy opened her mouth to respond, but the bourbon arrived before she could start. The waitress gave her a smile. “Another glass of white zin?”

“Haven’t started on this one yet. Sorry.”

“The answers are in here somewhere,” Xander mused, staring at the amber liquid in his glass. “My whole family says so.”

“Really? Faith said that? Or was it Willow? I know I didn’t.”

He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter which family in the long run. Considering there isn’t going to be one.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I was an average fighter at best, Buff. You know this. Now I’m way less than that. And don’t tell me that’s self-pity, either. Facts don’t count.”

There was a protracted silence. Buffy leaned toward him.

“You’ll stay behind me, just like always. Watch my back.”

“Until I turn to Jello and you die because you’re trying to protect my hapless, prone form. There’s a rousing plan.”

“We don’t know how you’ll-“

“Oh yes, we do, Buff. Ask my wife.”

Buffy stiffened. “Did she say something-“

“It’s funny that we’ve never talked about why I hated Angel so damn much.”

The Slayer blinked. “Xander-“

“Here’s the thing: I hated vamps because they made me kill Jesse. Simple enough on the surface, right? Problem was, I was in love with you. Not simple teenage lust; I’d been through that a bunch of times. No, this was full blown wear-my-ring-and-I’ll-never-look-at-another-woman-again love. The way you made me laugh, the way you thought about things. All that power you had, but never treated me like a loser. You were so strong, but I saw how much stuff could get to you. I wanted to hold you and tell you everything would be ok…and I thought someday you’d believe me. Stupid.”

He shook his head.

“Point is, you chose Angel to do those things, and I knew – KNEW – that I could give you more of a life than him. Didn’t matter, though; a woman feels what she feels, right? It killed me, though. God, did it kill me.”

Buffy sat back in her seat. “I don’t know what you want me to-“

“Wasn’t Angel’s fault. Truth is, he never did anything to me…not soul-inclusive Angel, at least. He was just the one for you, and I wasn’t. Took me years to get that. I remember on Graduation Day, when I thought I was gonna die. I saw how much pain you were in, with Angel leaving. I’d never fallen out of love with you, and couldn’t do a thing to make the pain go away. So I made a little pledge to myself: someday I’d make a woman as happy as I wanted to make you.”

He smiled. “Wanna know the funniest part? I finally got the chance with Faith…and totally blew it.”

“That’s not true-”

“I’m not even home half the time. What does it matter if we can’t have children? I’d be the guy with prematurely graying hair who stopped in on weekends.”

Buffy’s mouth was open to speak, but no sound came out for a moment. Xander looked down, twirling the rocks in his whiskey.

“Oh, Xander. Are you saying…”

“Yeah.”

She reached across and took his hand. He gave her a weak smile.

“No need to feel sorry for me. I’m gonna be a daddy, remember?”

“I don’t…” Buffy took a deep breath. “You’re leaving me speechless a lot tonight.”

“I have that effect on women.”

“Is Faith…she’s never said anything…”

“She buried it. That’s what she does. Hell, that’s what both of us do. We’re used to it.”

Buffy’s eyes misted. “Oh, God…what this whole deal must be doing to her.”

“I’d guess so. Plus, if I may be so bold, there’s the imminent death of me to think about.”

“And you’re here,” Buffy said, pulling her hand away. “Getting drunk.”

“Now you’re starting to catch on.”

“So instead of facing your problems and helping Faith with hers…”

“You know, I loved Cordy. Still do. I loved Anya, but I never had it in me to take the plunge. I just felt scared instead of committed, and tried to force it. When it comes down to it, only one woman makes me feel the way I felt about you…and I’ve failed her. Look at tonight as a celebration of that. I’m officially a Harris.”

Buffy said nothing for a long moment, then surprised him by breaking into a laugh.

“Umm…the celebration thing was actually sarcasm-“

“Who do you think you’re talking to?”

“What?”

“Seriously. You thought I was going to buy this crap?”

Xander frowned in annoyance.

“You know what? Let’s just forget it.”

He reached for his drink, but Buffy caught his hand.

“Uh-uh. It’s my turn, and you’re going to listen instead of suck down booze. I’ve been thinking a lot about this baby we’re about to have…most of it’s been pretty freaksome, as you might imagine. You want to know the one thing that’s comforted me? Knowing you’re a part of it. We were connected, Xander Harris. I know how you feel about all of us. I’ve literally been inside your head, and felt the things you felt. When we did that spell together, we were bonded in a way that Spike and Faith will probably never grasp. We don’t talk about it, but three of us know that.”

Xander tried to pull his hand away, but she squeezed hard enough to make it sting, even through his alcoholic haze.

“Everything you’ve done in the last year was for Faith. You knew what she’d never had – the fancy house, nice car and all that - and busted your ass to make sure she had it. Then the seizures came, and you said nothing because she shouldn’t have to worry. Am I right so far?”

He shrugged. Buffy nodded.

“So typical. God, Xander…the way to make things easier for Faith is letting her in. Not avoiding stuff or trying to drink it away and blame your family history. Your family isn’t doing this. You are.”

Xander closed his eyes. “She doesn’t let me in either…I don’t know what to do.”

“Yes you do. Just find it in that heart of yours. I’ll say this much: when you tell me things are going to be ok, I believe you. She will, too.”

“I’m sorry. About taking off…I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s ok.”

“I might cry soon.”

“Please don’t. If you do, I know I will.”

“Ok…in that case I might throw up.”

“Doubt B’s gonna like that option any better,” Faith said as she approached the table.

*******************************

“Soldiers of Good,” Dawn mused. “That’s nice.”

“Really? You like it?”

“Who wouldn’t like being called that?”

“I thought it was a little overwritten.”

“I have a rule of thumb: if I’m bored, it’s too long. I never got bored.”

“Thank you.”

Dawn handed it back to her. “Thank you for letting me read it. I needed the distraction.”

Riley opened the door to the Hummer. “Ok, we’re good to go.”

Fred forced down the bile that had made its way into her throat. She took a deep breath and got out the back. Riley was holding the door.

“You’re going to be great. Ok?”

She nodded firmly. “Let’s do it.”

Fred stepped into the helicopter just as the rotors began to slowly spin to life.

“She’s tougher than I am,” Dawn said. Riley turned in surprise; he hadn’t even heard her move next to him.

“Doubt that.”

“I’m sorry.”

He looked at her. “Me too. I shouldn’t have gone off like that.”

“The ancient history stuff I brought up was way out of line. I was upset, and lashed out.” She looked at the ground. “Guess I’m scared, maybe.”

“You should be. If you’re scared, you’ll concentrate. Just make sure your fear is focused on the proper thing.”

Dawn frowned. “What does that mean?”

Riley checked the gear in her backpack one last time as he spoke.

“I’m just saying, distraction is dangerous.”

“How can I be distracted if I’m scared shitless?”

Riley froze. Dawn looked over her shoulder. “Sorry. I’m allowed to swear now, you know.”

“Of course. Just threw me for a second. Where was I?”

“Discussing my lack of shit due to overwhelming fear.”

“Right. My point was, make sure you use the fear to your advantage.”

“Is my gear all set? The pilot’s giving me a funny look.”

Riley chuckled slightly. “He’s a funny guy. Yeah, you’re set. Give me one hour from now, and I’ll have that alarm down for you.”

Dawn embraced him. “I love you, Riley. I’ve missed you.”

“Me, too. Do me a favor?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t get hurt. I mean, not even a scratch.”

“I won’t if you won’t.”

Riley just nodded. Dawn ducked slightly and climbed into the helicopter. Fred leaned over, raising her voice loud enough to be heard.

“I’m an idiot!”

“What?!”

“I should’ve understood what’s wrong with you! I’m sorry!”

“Don’t worry! We’re going to be in and out in no time!”

“That’s not what I mean!”

**********************************

Lilah opened her apartment door with a wicked grin.

“Come on in.”

Wesley walked in, favoring Lilah with a slight smile. “I appreciate your having me over on such short notice.”

She walked up to him, stopping inches from his body. “So…what would you like to have?”

Wes glanced at the empty dining room. “I thought we were staying in for dinner.”

“We are.”

“I see nothing to eat.”

Lilah backed away slowly, sliding on to the table.

“Look again.”

- End Chapter Twenty-seven -