entrancelogs | Dazed and Confused

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Entry tags:

Dazed and Confused

Who: Xander Harris (

theheartpart), Rupert Giles (

throughthedark), Cordelia Chase (

tact)
Where: Out and About
When: June 17, 2013; backdated
Rating: PG
Summary: Xander and his shadow are bound to be tortured by friends!
The Story:
Was nothing in Wonderland pleasant and different? Xander had appreciated the pie, felt pretty good to know there were crazy old dudes always out to protect the youngin's, and he could definitely find something good to say about the people. But none of that was happening as long as he was stuck with that shadow.

"Look, all I'm saying is that you're not that original, man."

"Of course I'm not," the shadow replied, clearly exasperated. "I never said I was the original, I said I was your shadow. There's a difference, numbskull."

Harris balked. "Hey, if I'm a numbskull, then you're the... the numbskulliest, because you're not even that good of a copy, so ha!"

The shadow came to step and held up a hand. "Not a copy. Not a clone. Not a duplicate. I am your shadow. And I find the fact that we're associated to be entirely opposite of the point. Plus gross. You suck, Harris."

Xander sighed dramatically. "Oh, boy. Everyone's a critic these days."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Cordelia couldn't stay in her room for too long. Her shadow was yapping her ear off. And while Cordelia was a fan of her own voice, she wasn't fond of hearing it slurring out insults to herself. There was something ironic in all of this, she was sure of it. She found herself back in the gardens again, where she had originally wound up when she first found out she was, in fact, not in another hell dimension where there was a good possibility she'd be named ruler, but in Wonderland.

All throughout the mansion, regardless of where she went, Cordelia couldn't outrun her shadow. It followed her, exactly as it was meant to, and she found herself growing so irritated she broke out into a run to the grounds.

Before long, she came to a quick, hurried walk, but it's voice continued to follow her.

"They've forgotten about you already, you know. How does it feel to have met your expiry date? Without those useful visions, you're no longer necessary," it was saying. She could feel the smile - or was it a smirk? - around its lips.

"Shut -"

It must be fate that she, and her shadow, happen to walk upon someone who only resided in her memories. Cordelia's eager walk slowed down until she stopped completely, crossing her arms over her chest. The smile on her face was a side-effect of being harassed by her shadow all day. She wasn't thrilled to see Xander Harris at all. Except her heart seemed to beat quicker at seeing someone she used to call a friend in secret.

"- Up."

But she was surprised. Taking a few steps, Cordelia approached Xander casually, as if the situation at hand didn't include a copy of either of them. One Xander was enough.

"Did you know the first sign of insanity is talking to yourself?" She cocked her head to the side, unthreading her arms briefly to shove her shadow before it could even utter a word to ruin the moment. "So, since you're already insane, what does that make you?"

She stopped. He stopped. The world stopped.

For as long as he was processing her words, Xander's body was screaming at him to execute, execute, execute. Jokes, sarcastic comments, triumphant comebacks, whatever it took to distract him from the facts, because something big was coming out of nowhere and if he didn't have his Mighty Shield of Comedic Relief™ at the ready, he was going to be completely bowled over. Perhaps even left for dead (a victim of fashion, perhaps?)

He blinked. Once. Twice. Still, no words could escape him. Harris had been effectively alone for more than a month, and while he'd managed to make some friends, it was feeling a bit hard to belong.

"Wow, Cordelia, you are looking—" The shadow, yellow eyes wide, was a lot more interested in expression than his counterpart.

"Bup-bup-bup!" Xander grabbed his shadow's shoulder and pulled him back behind him, his eyes locked on Chase the whole time. He was breathless and his heart was threatening to make an exit through his chest. It was her. Cordelia Chase. His ex. And she was most certainly looking fine, not that he could think of anything but just how happy he was to see her (surprisingly enough).

"Cordy..." Harris smiled, stepped forward, and damn the consequences, he reached out and pulled her into a hug. "I finally made it to see you in L.A. Surprise?" Okay, one little joke couldn't hurt.

"Bup-bup-bup isn't smoking hot, dumbass." The shadow was at the corner of her eye, but she ignored it. She figured if she paid it no mind, it would simply fade away. (It was, so far, not working, but Cordelia had all the time in the world to wait.)

Cordelia was taken aback by the fact that Xander Harris had willingly pulled her into a hug. She wasn't sure if she was even more surprised (if that was even possible) by the fact that she was returning it, albeit a little stunned, with awkward pats on the back. "Took you long enough, lunkhead," she said, once her hand had stopped patting him awkwardly on the back and simply held onto him. Xander wouldn't be Xander without his jokes, and she hadn't realised she had missed them until this very moment.

"Although, am I hugging your shadow? I don't remember Xander being this hands on." She pulled away, but kept a hand on his shoulder. "And while it's a nice surprise, even if it's a few years too late, the bad timing doesn't take away the fact that it's really good to see you again." With a glance over towards his shadow, her brows knitted together, "Even if there's two of you."

As if realizing the error of his ways, Harris went so far as to take a step back from Cordelia, even if she'd taken the necessary steps to separate them. Can't look too eager, right? They were supposed to be bitter enemies... or something.

"Aw, who are you kidding, guy? Don't act like you're not thrilled to see this extra-rawr tigeress babe," the shadow chided. He was grinning, clearly aware of their past history, clearly aware he could rain down pain on Xander if he wanted to really mess things up. For now, though, the shadow holds just the same fondness for Chase, and even advances on her shadow to hug it out (because the other two got to, so why not? Plus, being pressed against boobs is totally the place to be).

"She already knows how pathetic you can be, Xander, her opinion can't get much worse if you admit you were actually really lonely. Even a half-blind guy could see that."

Harris smiled through his pain and pressed his palms together as he addressed Cordelia proper. "Trust me, if homicide were an option, I'd add that to 'pathetic and lonely'. As it is, though, we're stuck as semi-model citizens — entandre, make yours a double — and unless you've got a gag or two, I'm thinking we're going to get really sick of saying 'shut up.'" He sighed and shrugged. "So, yeah. Welcome to Wonderland, where nine out of ten situations end in awful. I think I got lucky this time." Nope, he most certainly couldn't keep the fondness out of his voice, nope, nope. Not yet, at least.

Cordelia frowned at Xander - the real one, the actual, likeable one that she remembered rather fondly, despite him being a royal dumbass to her many a times - when he took a step back. While she wasn't his number one fan, and he had created a I Hate Cordelia fan club with his little minions, he was someone she cared about greatly. Even with all the years spanning between them, that was one thing Sunnydale!Cordelia had let linger in the new, improved Cordelia. She found she didn't mind it one bit.

"Sounds a lot like a place we both know very well," she said, frowning at his shadow. She honestly didn't know who to direct the look to - real!Xander or the uglier side of him. She decided to give the glares to his shadow. His tone sounded very familiar; condescending and judging. Didn't she used to sound like that?

"While I'm very fond of the compliments, Xander two-point-oh, they're kind of unnecessary. You are actually aware your type is petite and blonde and holds a stake in her hand?" She cocked her eyebrow. Perhaps that would put shadow!Xander in his place, or perhaps it would make the entire situation even worse. Knowing the way things were panning out in Wonderland, it wouldn't end on such a wonderful note.

Her shadow rolled its eyes. "You're always going to be second best to the Slayer, Cordy," she smirked. Her shadow hugged his, too. If only to be a pest - and rub it in that shadow!Cordelia didn't have the cooties real!Cordelia apparently did.

With her lip curled slightly, Cordelia glanced to Xander. "Is it creepy if I say get a room?"

"It might be creepier if you don't," he informed her, expression bordering too-serious. In all fairness, he was a guy and the idea actually intrigued him enough to consider a Xander-Cordy-Xander-Cordy sandwich, minus the extra Xander (not because he hated himself, but because he couldn't decide it it was mastu— No, nevermind. Back to the task at hand.

The shadow scoffed. "I'd like to turn it into a Xander-Cordy-Xander-Cordy sand—"

But Harris managed to cut his shadow off before he could complete vocalizing the shared thought. He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, almost hissing out his displeasure.

"Geez, they'll program one of these meaty clones to say anything these days. Wish they'd teach him to do laundry and pay taxes, too," he finished as he allowed the shadow to speak once more and returned to maintaining some amount of personal space.

"That would make me a much more eligible non-bachelor," the shadow quipped, a half-wicked grin on his face.

Yeah.

Thank god for small favours, like Xander knowing himself way better than anyone (as in, Cordelia) had originally thought.

But she continued to eye him as though he had grown another head among the two he currently possessed. "And make things easier on us? Pfft, please. We wouldn't be in this gig if everything was as easy as making your evil self do all your chores while you're out saving the world." It was a dream, however, and she wished that Xander was right, for once in his life.

"Or dying. Being useless. There's a whole list of things." Her shadow cocked its head to the side. "Should I count them off of my fingers?"

Cordelia turned to her shadow. "I'm about to give you a finger to count." She turned her gaze back to Xander desperately. It was one thing she never would've thought she'd do, turning to Xander as if he was a potential white knight on a white horse coming in to save the day. Stranger things had happened. "Has this ever happened before? There has to be a way of getting rid of these things."

Xander scoffed "I wish." His exasperated tone matched the look on his face as he eyes his shadow. "You know, generally I'm not particular interested in putting myself in harm's way, but today? Today, I think I can make an exception." The young man's expression changed and he let out a sigh. Why the hell did they have to have their own shadows? It seemed to Harris that having someone else's shadow would be marginally more appealing, especially if they were the kind to gossip. Instead, he was trapped with a version of himself that wasn't afraid to say anything, especially when it's about himself.

"You think you're sooooo clever," the other Xander mocked. If he was trying to be witty or original, it was clear he fell well short of the mark. It wasn't as if he was a direct copy of Harris (minus the filters). This Xander seemed just as flawed, but perhaps in different ways thanks to the honesty and the totally judgmental nature.

"Look, man, why don't you go chase your tail or something. The big kids are talking." Xander shooed at his shadow before casting a glance at Chase and her companion. "Sheesh. It's like that guy never learns."

Cordelia simply looked at Xander. "I wonder where he got that from," she said with a smile. Watching Xander bicker with himself, while a little unsettling, was kind of amusing.

But considering Xander was one to always hide his feelings and thoughts and what have you behind his humour, which was one of his thickest and best defences, Cordelia thought to take advantage of it. She remembered her conversation with George, of something she had mentioned in a way to identify who Cordelia was in Xander's life. If Xander wasn't going to give her a proper answer, perhaps his shadow would.

"So, while it's great that we're talking about versions of ourselves that don't exactly take priority when it comes to us living our lives, when did you - real you, or even the less well-dressed version of you - get a demonic fiancé?"

This was the most appropriate time ever for a record scratch. Unfortunately, Xander only looked like an idiot as his eyes shifted back and forth like one of those wall clocks shaped like a cat. He looked to his shadow who averted his eyes and Xander felt a bit like biting his fist.

"Oh, that." He realized immediately how idiotic that sounded and tried to cover a little. "Well, see— Before we— There was a lot going on when—"

The shadow rolled his eyes and slapped the other Xander on the shoulder. "This is painful. I'm out of here." And he nodded to Cordelia's shadow as if to entice her. They needed a private moment anyway, right?

Harris dipped his head. "It's a pretty new development," he admitted, feeling a little flush. "Anya and me."

If this shadow stuff didn't disappear when it was expected to, Cordelia knew she'd be seeing a lot more of Xander - if only to simply rid herself of her shadow for a few minutes or hours. Cordelia's shadow seemed to respond positively to Xander's shadow, taking that as a sign to exit.

Cordelia watched the shadow selves walk away before returning her attention to Xander. Her eyes narrowed a little. Why didn't she hear about this engagement? Why wasn't she invited? "So new you are engaged? Or are we talking more about this being a new development for a very old, long-lasting romance between you and a demon?"

"Eeeehhh, probably more the second, but technically she hasn't exactly said yes, so..." Xander pursed his lips, his head dipped, and he realized he felt incredibly sheepish. He was counting on the world to not cease to be, because there was a good chance that if they all survived, he'd be getting married to someone he loved and someone who loved him.

And suddenly he was having all of those feelings associated with being in love. He was wondering when he'd see her again, aching to be nearby, hoping time really stopped back home because if he got back and she's moved on, Harris will commit himself to never dating ever again. Heh. Ironically enough. Despite all of that, he managed to look at least somewhat typical, instead of appearing as if some kind of fool. Or... any more a fool than normal, at least.

His tone softened and he pressed his hands together, shoulders automatically raising. "We were staring down the end of the world and she didn't want to say yes until after we survived it. I feel like I get the wisdom behind her reason a little better now that I'm here. Especially if time doesn't stop back there like everyone's been saying."

Don't turn into the girl that you are on her now, Xander.

"Apparently it does," she said. Cordelia found herself wanting to pull a pep-talk on him, to make Xander see that time does stop while they're here, because someone out of this damn group of unfortunate misfits needed a happy ending.

"And if it doesn't, hopefully she'll wake up and realise that putting it off for one more day isn't going to end well for her. Take it from the expert. Putting an apocalypse before yourself? Generally never ends well."

Her chance with Angel was done the moment she had hesitated in declining Skip's offer on ascension. Cordelia, for as selfish as Xander may remember her, had turned into a selfless dumbass, and that selflessness had almost destroyed her best friend's life. It's something she didn't know if she could forgive herself for, even if the gang had already done that act in regards to all the misgivings she had done against them.

"I was staring down the end of the world and I didn't take the one chance to be completely selfish and happy. And we deserve it, Xander. No matter how short or long it may be, that happiness deserves to be had."

She grinned. "And I better be invited."

Friends? As if.

Except, they were friends. Old friends. Actually, still friends, but also old exes. There had been a time when he'd trusted Cordelia with his most important secret which, at the time, was the fact that he was dating Cordelia, but who's really keeping score these days? Seriously, he couldn't officially deny a soft heart for Chase.

Xander looked on, his expression softening quite a bit. "Sounds like experience talking." Which meant that Harris was instantly feeling a bit better about not really telling her. You know, because neither of them know everything about each other. "I'm not sure how we all learned to live such separate lives," he admitted. They all used to be so close. Death tends to do that to people, right? This was different, though. Cordelia wasn't just a friend or a Scoobie Mate, she was someone he loved. And loves still, as a person always does when they've shared something... mutual. Come to think of it, it wasn't the best relationship — all his fault — but he thought fondly (to himself) when he looked back.

"You know, I've really missed you, so you can come, but only if you promise to sit on the Groom's side."

"And sit all by myself?" she grinned. She'd sit on his side, perhaps not right up the front, as that was more reserved for family, but she'd be there — and warn the future Mrs Harris that she had quite the resume in demon slaying and if he lost one hair on his head, no one would find her body.

Of course, only if you excuse the fact that Cordelia Chase was already long since living. But it was the thought that mattered, right? Cordelia wanted to be there for the happy moments — since there were so few in Los Angeles.

Cordelia frowned, raising her finger as she pointed at him, "If you're getting married to a demon, does that mean you're wedding will be a rainbow one?" From green-skinned demons to red-skinned, Cordelia would definitely not be out of place if she brought Lorne as her date. "Do demons even have friends? Lorne's never really introduced me to any of his demon buddies."

"Are we really going to take a walk? Are you really taking a rest from beating your head against the wall to go outside?"

"You wouldn't shut up about it, so yes. We're taking a walk and going outside."

"Excellent. Research is all well and good, but you know you're not going to find anything. You just don't have any other coping mechanism for a crises. There's no point in disdaining physical exercise just because you can't fight your way out of a wet sack as you are now. Or fresh air. Buffy isn't here to be impressed at your dedication."

Giles was good at dealing with strange occurrences. After a few days of this, he'd started to actually get used to his yellow-eyed shadow. It really didn't seem to mean him any harm. It just seemed to disapprove of him and his life choices to a degree that would put his father to shame.

Partly to shut it up, and partly because he'd turned up nothing in the library or in any of his inquiries over the journals that could stop this, Giles was taking a walk to try and clear his head. His shadow wasn't making it easy to clear his head, since it wouldn't shut up. 'Getting things out in the open', it said.

However, thoughts of fixing this or figuring this out or even just looking for that dragon all flew completely out of Giles' head when he turned the corner and there stood Xander Harris. Even his shadow was surprised enough to fall silent.

For a moment, at least. When, panicking, Giles hastily made to turn away, it stepped forward. Its voice was sharper than he'd ever heard it.

"Oh, no. Just because you're a coward, you are not just...ignoring him. Xander!" The shadow even waved to get Xander's attention.

Giles just...stopped, then, putting his head in his hands from mingled anxiety and embarrassment. Please don't turn around, he thinks. Please don't really be a Xander who's so young he still has two eyes.

Well, to be fair, when a guy hears his own name, he's not too apt to walk away without investigating. And even if he were the type, Xander's shadow was not.

"That's me. Um. Us. That's us," the shadow said, taking in the young man in front of them (and the back of another). He stepped forward, his hand coming out to tug the actual Xander along with him, as if the shadow was calling the shots. "We weren't expecting the Children of the Corn," he added, and if it was a bit cruel, he seemed oblivious to that fact.

Harris grumbled and reached out to give his shadow a push, effectively freeing himself from his twin's grip. "You have the worst sense of humor," he accused pointedly before returning his attention to the obvious shadow version of this kid. "Hey, don't listen to him, okay? The Children of the Corn were way scarier." He gestured vaguely, completely unaware he was talking to a man in a child's body. "You're hardly scary at all."

The shadow nearly gasped. "I have the worst sense of humor, huh? That was pathetic!"

"It wasn't a joke," Harris snapped.

"You're a joke."

"Just shut up and let me talk to these kids, okay? Why don't you go somewhere else?"

"It's one kid, you idiot. A kid and his shadow, and you're obviously half blind if you can't see that this isn't just any kid!"

Xander glared, but there was a marked expression of confusion creeping on to his face. What the hell did that mean? Of course it was a kid and his shadow, but why wasn't he just any kid? He stared for a long moment at the shadow in front of him and then snapped his fingers.

"Got it! You're a young Woody Allen, aren't you?"

Of all the responses he'd been expecting...Giles realized he should have expected that one, but didn't. It had been a while, after all. So he surprised himself by chuckling. It was a strange feeling, and he barely recognized his own voice. There had been so few opportunities for humor over the last...week? Had it really been a week? Good Lord.

"And, once more, I pride myself on having absolutely no idea who you're talking about." Ah, pop culture references. They'd gone over his head even when he'd been taller, and that had never really changed. The feeling was almost nostalgiac.

"He really does. Sentiment is utterly irrational, that way, and he has missed you all."

Giles took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves, and forced himself to look up at Xander. It wasn't as though he was unaware of time travel being a possibility, here, after his talk with Cordelia. But it was still the strangest thing, seeing Xander with two eyes. The universe at large seemed to agree with him, if Xander's shadow was any indication. The boy had a yellow-eyed doppelganger of his own, and Giles was immediately sympathetic.

But, first thing's first.

"You don't recognize me. That's fine. I...wouldn't expect you to."

"Even if I hate you calling me a child. But I'm Giles, Xander. Rupert Giles. Buffy's Watcher. A few years older, even if I look just the opposite."

For a second, just that second, Giles was grateful to his shadow for figuring out a way to introduce himself.

Of all the responses he'd been expecting... Xander realized he should have expected that one, but didn't. Giles? How could that short little be-spectacled dude be Buffy's Watcher? He sounded like Giles, sure. And he actually looked like Giles, too. Add in the fact that he knew his own name, and Buffy's, and it was (tragically) enough for Harris to take his word.

"You? You hate that I'm actually stating a fact? Maybe you aren't Giles," he joked, somewhere between nervous and giddy. Xander didn't know why the former librarian was so young and so small, but he was thanking some malevolent being for allowing the spell or curse or whatever to last long enough that he could have a couple laughs at the staunch man's expense.

"Don't be ridiculous," his shadow piped in. "You want to hug that guy and you want to hug him until he's six feet tall. Don't lie to yourself. It's Giles, he can see right through you."

Harris shook his head slowly, his jaw working a bit. "Remind me to put that guy in a closet and not let him out." Of course, none of that really mattered at the moment, because Xander was stepping forward to hug that little guy, and damn the possibility of awkwardness. "Did you bring a mini-Buff with you, too?"

"Of course I am."

The disbelief, even if it was a joke, hurt more than he expected. But, most things did, these days. Damn body with all its damn emotions running out of control. It still felt so alien, and that only made it harder to keep control of himself during...moments like this.

He wanted to be six feet tall. He wanted to be old. And Xander's shadow was right, but only because it was kind of nice to see Xander like this - before things started falling to bits.

He was expecting a lot of different things, after that. He was not expecting a hug. Giles rarely did, though.

It was awkward, just because...well, hugs generally were, in his experience, and that had been when he was taller than most of the people around him. This just drove home how different he was from how Xander must have last seen him. All the same, Giles hugged him back. It had been a while, after all. And at least Xander knew him at all.

"Um...n-no, I'm afraid not. I arrived alone, and a day or so before Cordelia."

"I haven't seen Buffy in a long time. It's better that way."

Suspicion strikes, and Giles asks: "...and you?"

No Buffy. And that meant no Willow because Giles wasn't the type to include Cordy but leave Willow out. Besides, Xander would have known, right? Like some sort of BFF radar. It was truly absurd and entirely impossible, but Harris liked to think it was possible. For him, at least. Let the boy dream.

"One hundred percent Slayer-free. Unfortunately." Xander looked down at the miniature Giles and for almost a whole half second, he didn't think it made that much difference. And then it inevitably occurred to him that Giles would need a step stool to reach the top shelf in the pantry and it all came crashing down around him.

"She was sacrificing herself. Again. You know, how she always does. Glory. Remember her?" It was, in fact, the very moment before all hell broke loose on an epic level for Xander and the rest. For him, he didn't know Anya would be hurt and Buffy would be dead in a matter of minutes. Which is why it was of more consequence to his shadow than Xander himself.

Xander pushed his shadow away a bit. "I was getting to that, geez, hold your horses, okay?" And then he turned his eyes back to Giles and his shadow and added, tongue-in-cheek, "Someone needs to learn a little patience." Humor at his own expense.

This time, at least, Giles wasn't in any fit state to notice how short he was, and how obvious that was. What Xander's shadow said just after that proved a very good distraction that immediately took up his attention.

Stunned, Giles looked from Xander to his shadow, eyes wide, briefly speechless. When he found his voice again, all he could manage was: "...Glory?"

He'd known that Xander was from in the past, but suddenly hearing it, hearing him talk about Glory like she was still a threat, threw Giles for a loop. For a second, he could only gape.

"And that's one question answered that you should have thought to ask yourself. Thank you, Xander. Are you going to tell him that Glory is dead and Buffy comes back to life, or are you going to make him guess?"

"For god's sake, be quiet!" he snapped at it, nerves frayed enough that snapping at his own shadow seemed a perfectly logical response. It held up its hands and took a step back. Giles took a deep breath, trying to calm down, before looking back up at Xander in embarrassment.

"...as it said. Glory was, um, a while ago for me."

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Suddenly the small fries were saying too many words and Harris found his head spinning. Same old Giles, eh? It's not uncommon for Xander to be left confused after an info bomb like that, but this seemed to go a little beyond those cartoon bombs. We're talking nuclear here.

"Glory is dead and Buffy comes back to life? The two Xanders asked in unison, both equally flabbergasted. The regular Xander stepped forward, concern written on his features. He knew that whole situation had been pretty sketchy, and they were always life-or-death one way or another, but to hear Giles insinuate that Buffy was killed? It was just too soon.

"She comes back to life, though," the shadow assured, thought it's perhaps unclear if he was reminding himself or his counterpart.

The other Xander ran a hand through his hair, suddenly feeling pale. As he approached Giles, he wiped at his upper lip. "How— How far into the future are we talking here? So far that the future's turned around and come back again making as all younger as the years pass?" Good guess, Xander. Temporal paradoxes are definitely the kind of thing you have a complete grasp on.

Giles, in turn, found himself flabbergasted that this was news to the boy. Really, for all that Glory had tormented them, the Hell Goddess had become inextricably linked in his mind with two things - Buffy's death, and Ben's. Especially now, with Dawn gone from his mind, that entire wretched year seemed to turn on that night, with everything else just...lesser, compared to that. Glory caused her death. That was how Giles remembered her.

"...she comes back to life, yes." He didn't fault Xander or his shadow for needing to hear that a second time. It was something that Giles found himself having to say just to reassure himself, remembering that night. She died, yes. But she came back, and the world was better for it.

It was a fact he'd held on to for a long time. That, and the fact that Glory was really, truly dead.

"And Glory is dead. I'm...very positive of this." He had been the one to kill her, after all. So Giles was very, very grateful for an excuse to move on, even if the news wasn't about to get any better.

"Years. It...good lord, it must be over five years, since then." Half a decade. It felt like a lifetime ago that Sunnydale had been an actual town that existed, and not a smoking crater. "I'm older, Xander, even if I don't look it. I feel confident in saying that you all probably are as well. But I'm...something of a special case, at the moment."

Actually feeling a little lightheaded from...well, everything, Giles found himself saying: "Do you want to know how long it's been? Angel and Faith are living in my house in London and we're all working together to save the world. That's how long it's been."

If that didn't drive home the point, Giles didn't know what would. It sounded utterly ridiculous even as he said it. He almost, almost laughed.

"We're all quite friendly now," Giles' shadow added, in a voice of acid. That sobered the real Giles right up. "I'm still not sure how I feel about that, but to be fair, I haven't really had time to think about it."

At least it hadn't said why.

"Why?" Of course he would ask. They were both asking, because neither of them could possibly see how Giles, Faith, and Angel all worked into the game equation without a lot of threats of deaths and or actual deaths. If it had been him, he might have considered some measures to make that situation not commonplace.

The two men, shadow and his counterpart, looked on at Giles and it felt like they'd never hear an answer. Harris found his mind racing over all those words, trying his best to cope with the change in his life that felt as sudden and hurtful and shocking as the first time Buffy walked out of their lives. He's never really liked change, but at least he can tolerate it enough to believe Rupert's from some far-away time.

Why not, right? He believed in Wonderland. He believe in this life with strangers and magic closets, in this life with scary black dragons and creeper shadows that can't help speaking his mind when he doesn't speak it himself.

Xander felt like his head was spinning. He pressed his eyes closed and made a face.

"You're not all playing house, are you? Mommy Faith and Daddy Angel and their son-like ward, Giles?" Please say that wasn't the case...

"No!"

"No!"

But if they sounded appalled, it was more at the way Xander described the situation than the implications of the situation - that they were not only amicable, they were downright friendly with one another. Adding Giles' great-aunts into the mix, and the house was more full than it had been in years.

"In point of fact, we were working together in yet another attempt to save the world."

It was more complicated than that, of course. It was Faith's house, and she'd let Angel stay with her, and for the last year or so they'd been trying to bring him back, and it was hard to hate someone with all of their memories crammed into your head...

...but Giles didn't want to torture Xander any more than he already had and, thankfully, his shadow seemed to agree. Xander knew where Giles was coming from. That should be enough.

Even by Xander's time, apocalypses were routine.

"I was literally on my way with them to do just that, when I found myself here!"

At this, however, Giles and his shadow both relaxed a bit. If nothing else, Xander's presence here answered a worry that had been nagging at his mind for a while. "But since I don't remember you disappearing for...however long you've been here, I suppose I won't miss much until I find my way back." There wasn't much he could do when the fight finally came, but he'd just figured out how to do something, and to have that denied had been tormenting him.

This... was a lot. Xander felt like he'd been turned up-side-down, and if he didn't know better, he'd say he was a little bit sick for it, too. What was it about this place that could take something harmless and make it something worth watching from over his shoulder. He swallowed down a sigh.

"Yeah, I... think I've reached the end of my coping skills for the night. If nothing happens, then good. But for now, I'm just going to be glad you're here. And lay down because this is giving me one hell of a headache. I'll call you later, Giles. But if you need me..." It's said in such a way that his meaning ought to be clear.

But the shadow was willing to fill in the details. "Just call. Because we're dumbfounded, but he cares."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Dazed and Confused

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I'm sorry for the delay! <3 I am so awestruck, jsyk.

Oh, that's okay! As long as you're still having fun <3 .

Yes, absolutely! Just IRL tugging me all directions. <33 I love Giles SO MUCH. T____T

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