The Lies We Tell 
by Kylia 

Xander Harris turned off the coffee maker as he poured the final cup into his
mug. After adding creamer and sugar he took the mug and sat down at the table.
He began reading the Sunday comics and tried to concentrate.

His eyes kept diverting to the pile of mail sitting on one corner of the
table. It wasn't a large pile. Just three separate pieces. Two bills and a
bright orange envelope.

He had covered the orange envelope with the two bills in an effort to forget
about it. But its bright color was making it difficult. He had never opened
it, but he knew what was inside.

A single sheet of paper, with two words scrawled in his mother's handwriting.

They're coming.

He knew he couldn't avoid it forever, but he wanted to put it off for just a
little longer. He needed time. and a miracle.

"Xander? What do you want me to do with this?" Anya asked as she came out of
the bedroom carrying a cardboard box. "What is it?"

Xander jumped at the sound of the voice and then paled when he saw what she was
carrying. "Where did you get that?" He squeaked.

"At the bottom of the closet. Why? What's in here?" She looked from Xander to
the box in her arms and then back again.

"Nothing!" Xander snapped and took the box out of her arms. "I'll take that!"
He carried the box into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, clicking
the lock into place.

Once confident he was alone, Xander sighed and set the box on the counter. He
stared at it silently for a few minutes, half-expecting it to move on its own.
When nothing happened, Xander let out the breath he didn't know he had been
holding.

He took the lid off carefully and peeked his head inside. There was a small
metal box with an intricate design carved into the outside. He pulled it out
and stared at it for a second.

Finally deciding that staring wasn't doing anyone any good, least of all him,
he placed his thumb over a small diamond shaped whole in the front. He felt
more than saw the change.

The box seemed to glow for a second before the latch on the inside of the box
was released. The lid popped up and Xander opened it. Inside there was a small
amulet. It looked as though it was made of silver and tarnished.

Almost of their own accord, one of his hands reached in and picked it up,
causing the metal to glow a faint blue color, reacting to his own body
chemistry. Although it wasn't the first time it had happened, the action still
caused Xander to gasp and drop the amulet.

He closed the latch, and heard it clasp from the inside. Returning it to the
box, Xander closed the lid and closed his eyes. He didn't know how long he sat
there, his hands clasped tightly around the cardboard box that held the only
family heirloom he could lay claim to.

"Xander! Xander!"

The pounding on the bathroom door startled him more than he would ever admit
to. He had almost forgotten that he wasn't alone.

"Yeah?" He called out, really wishing Anya hadn't chosen today to decide that
it was spring, so they should do spring cleaning, like normal people.

Didn't she realize they weren't normal? That *he* wasn't normal, and never
would be? No, of course she didn't. That was his secret.

"You're mom's on the phone. She sounds strange. I think she's sober."

Xander stood up and leaned against the door, taking a couple of deep breaths.

"So it begins." He muttered under his breath.

****

Rebekkah Harris paced the length of her living room, stopping every few minutes
to look at the clock on the wall. She couldn't help but be concerned. Not only
wasn't her son here, yet, but she was beginning to feel as though he wasn't
coming.

She was afraid that he was going to ignore the warnings, pretend as though
there wasn't any reason to be concerned. When she knew there was.

And to make matters worse, her husband knew it too. She didn't know how the
imbecile had found out. Or how much exactly he knew. But he knew *something*
was coming. He knew enough to cause him to go into yet *another* drunken
stupor.

Maybe she'd be lucky and he wouldn't come out of this one. Maybe he'd die of
alcohol poisoning and save the Counsel of Elders the trouble. Because surely,
*that* would bring unwanted attention.

"Mom? Are you in here?" Xander Harris stepped into the darkened living room,
squinting, being momentarily blinded from the difference in light.

"In here, Alexander." Rebekkah called quietly. "What took you so long?"

Xander looked around the room carefully. "Where is he?" He asked cautiously,
not in any mood to deal with his stepfather.

Rebekkah shrugged. "Who knows? Probably at that place on the edge of town he
likes to frequent."

Xander relaxed slightly at this news. "Does he know they're coming?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Rebekkah answered truthfully. She stared at her only son
for a long moment. "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing." Xander answered, just as honestly.

"Nothing?" Rebekkah nearly shrieked. "Are you insane?" She started pacing
again.

Xander watched his mom move across the floor for a second before responding.
"Honestly? Maybe. But I don't see how running is going to help. They don't
even know who I am, or what I look like. Maybe they won't find me."

Rebekkah stopped and looked incredulously at her son. "That's just wishful
thinking, and you know it."

Xander shrugged.

"They may not be able to identify you, not that knowing what you look like would
help." She smiled wryly for a second before continuing, "But they will not give
up. You have to answer to them."

Xander grabbed his mom's arm on her next pass, his fingers gripping tightly. "I
don't have to answer to them for anything!" He hissed, his anger at the
situation causing him to lose his temper. "This is your mess. Yours and Dad's.
He's the one that left them. He's the one that made me a target. He's the one
that died."

"You don't think I know that?" Rebekkah asked quietly, feeling the guilt weigh
heavy on her heart. "You don't think that I haven't thought about this every
day for the past twenty years?"

She took a deep breath and continued, her voice sad. "Why do you think I
married that idiot to begin with? Do you think, for one second, I ever even
*liked* him? I did it to protect you."


Xander let his hand fall to his side. "I know, Mom. I know." He moved away
from his mother and towards the door. "Don't worry. I'll be okay."

Rebekkah watched her son leave and hoped he was right. She prayed that he knew
what he was doing. And not for the first time she wished she could turn back
the clock.

****

Xander left his parent's home and walked down the street, his anger growing.
And for once, he let it grow. He didn't stop it from escalating. He welcomed
the fury.

By the time he reached the edge of town, he was so furious he could hardly see
straight. He could feel the anger and fear coiling inside of him. Anger at
what he had been reduced to and fear of what he was about to do.

The bar sat at the end of the street, looking run down and abandoned. Xander
knew it wasn't. He knew that just beyond the doors, lay a room full of
dead-beat drunks, including the one he had come here for.

Pushing the door open, Xander let his unusual abilities spring forth, allowing
him anonymity. He felt his features shift, into something unrecognizable to
himself, and hopefully anyone who chose to look. He knew that if he had looked
in a mirror at that moment, they eyes that stared back at him would not be his
own.

It didn't matter. Not any more.

His sight zeroed in on his target and he walked swiftly to the barstool his
stepfather was hunched over on. He gripped the older man's forearm and pulled
him off of the seat.

"Come with me." He spoke quietly.

He wasn't even sure if the man had heard him or not. He didn't know if his
stepfather even knew he was moving, or where he was going. He didn't really
care either. The sooner he got out of the bar, the better.

Once they had made their way outside, Xander directed them into the side alley
next to the building. He leaned the older man against the wall and looked into
his eyes for a minute, searching for some sign that this was truly necessary.

The dark eyes stared into his own and a snarl twisted the familiar lips.

"You're him aren't you? My good-for-nothing son?" He snorted then. "Or, you'
re one of the others, like him? Come here to kill me?"

Xander's only reply was to stare at the man, reminding himself that this action
was necessary.

"Well, what are you waiting for, boy?"

Xander reached out and wound his fingers around the greasy neck, and squeezed.
"Nothing." He whispered as the life was drained away.

Once his stepfather had stopped breathing, he let the body fall to the ground.
Xander stared at it for a second, feeling an odd, disconnected feeling
throughout his body.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as he stepped away and disappeared down the street,
allowing his features to return to normal when he was far enough away.

****

tbc