DISCLAIMER:Once again: Smallville or Buffy are so not mine.
A.N. I sort of take you around the bend in this one, but I promise to start charting out chapters instead of just writing what comes to mind. For those of you who asked, Lex will make his way to Sunnydale. In this chapter, the phone conversations (more? yes, sorry) are one way.
THE MAGIC BOX, early afternoon.
“And where, pray tell, were you this morning? I called the house on my break and I got no answer,” Buffy asked, walking in from her early shift at the DoubleMeat palace.
“I went to Clem’s,” answered her younger sister, already at work organizing and dusting.
“Dawn, I know he’s nice, but I don’t like you visiting cemeteries alone, even when it’s daytime. You need new friends. Human friends,” she insisted.
“I have human friends, I just don’t… Like them very much. Anyway, he said to keep an eye out. He heard vampires are mobilizing.”
“Against what?”
“Well, last night word spread that there’s this robot walking around only one of them insists he was a person, but he was impervious, or invincible or something.”
“Vampires tend to dramatize. Which one was it?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do we do?” Asked the slayer, pulling up a chair.
“Isn’t this your department?”
“Vampires are scared of someone who is way too strong?”
“I guess,” replied the younger, shrugging.
“Like a God?”
“When I asked him what’s going on, that’s what he answered, vampires are mobilizing,” she insisted, polishing the cash register.
“Damn! Why did you have to go over there? Now it’s going to bother me all day!”
Dawn knew Buffy wasn’t mad; she just didn’t like not being in the loop. “I’m sorry. He borrowed my ‘Get over it’, ‘Bring it on’ and ‘Crazy/Beautiful’ tapes. I had to get them back sooner or later.”
“So, Clem has a thing for Kirsten Dunst, huh?”
“I don’t know. He said he doesn’t like tight skin, but maybe she’s the exception. Anyway, he had my Harry Potter books and I wanted to read Azkaban again.”
“Wait a minute! Did you say Bring it on’????” Questioned the slayer, looking shocked.
Dawn wasn’t fazed. “She’s not Faith, Buffy. And it’s a funny movie.”
“First of all: Cheerleading?”
“Hey, you were a cheerleader!” She reminded her sister.
“Back when most of my brain cells were on a break!”
“I like it,” Dawn stated, while removing the jewelry from the display case to clean them off.
“Dawn, Glory kidnapped you, used you to open a portal and I died.”
“I know,” she replied curtly.
“Then why the hell would you want to watch a movie with a Glory clone in it?”
“She’s funny. She calls this little girl and ‘evil hure’. She can’t pronounce ‘hore’. And her hair is not nearly as nice as Glory’s was... Anyway, I bought it before and I hadn't thought about it so…”
“Are we having this conversation?” Buffy asked, finally getting the message that this was not something they should be talking about.
“No. Forget it. I’ll throw it away. I just like Jesse Bradford okay?”
“Okay.”
Buffy tied a handkerchief in her hair and rolled up her sleeves. The reparations to the store were now done, thanks to team sweet buns, as she had once called them. All they needed to do now was to paint the new wall and ceiling, get everything clean and the displaced merchandise back on the new shelves. Also the books had to go back into their respective sections, alphabetized, and they had to incorporate the last two weeks shipments, still in their boxes, into their right sections. And do a quick inventory, and clean out the basement… At least help was on the way.
Clark was walking to the Magic Box, a little earlier than he had expected. His aunt and uncle were spending the day at home, and he was a little uncomfortable staying there. The thought appealed to him even less if they wanted him to eat with them. He stopped by the store to buy a pint of cold milk, and hoped Buffy had brought back a sufficient amount of DoubleMeat’s burgers and fries. He was really beginning to dig those.
His phone rang an obnoxious song and he answered.
“Hello.”
“Hi Chloe, got the ‘Planet’ this morning: Very impressive.”
“Really, so have you got something?”
“That many?”
“The murder capital of the WORLD? You’ve got to be joking!”
“Unexplained occurrences, like Smallville unexplained or-”
“What’s exsanguination?”
“Eww. How in the heck would that happen?”
“Did you just say vampires? Oh, come on, there’s got to be a more logical explanation than that…”
“I’ll look around, call you if I find anything.”
“Great! Bye.” Clark was smiling. Only his friend Chloe would think of something like vampires and other supernatural phenomena as the most plausible explanation. She had been so excited at all she found; Clark was afraid she would want to move to Sunnydale to investigate.
So he thought, and thought and thought on his long walk. < Vampires, hihi, vampires, exsanguinations, people paranoid about the night, way too many cemeteries and churches, those welcome mats that say 'Stay Out', that ugly guy saying he was hungry when I saved that girl Toni… >
He looked around as he walked. The place looked so peaceful, so quaint in the light of day. He didn’t see any street gangs, yet they were supposedly a constant threat. Why would they only come out at night? He almost passed the Magic Box.
“Hey Clark! You’re early,” said the older Summers as he walked in. “Are you hungry?”
“I am,” Clark replied in stereo.
Willow was standing behind him with his boss, who was always in the mood for food. They all sat down at the table to eat and discuss what needed to be done.
The phone rang halfway though their meal and Willow, who wasn’t eating, got the phone. She brightened. “It’s Giles!” She told everyone.
Xander leaned over to Clark to explain.
“Giles was our High School librarian. He also owns this place. He lives in England now.”
“Okay,” Clark said, not entirely comprehending the fuss the girls were making to get the phone.
“All of us are orphans, literally, or figuratively. He’s been our father,” Xander clarified.
Clark was saddened by the idea his friends didn’t have parents to lean on. He was so blessed in that aspect. He didn’t know what to say, so he kept on eating his fries.
Willow was at the other end of the room, practically whispering, but Clark could hear her crystal clearly. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t control his hearing that well yet, especially in a silent room.
“I swear I’m alright.”
“No, Giles, we’ve got it under control. We put bandages and cream on them during the day and we ice them after it happens. I’m kind of grateful for a little pain. Reminds me where I am.”
“Giles, please don’t be concerned. I owe my life to you and Xander. The world is still here. Sometimes I still wish it would just go away, but then I remember Tara, and Jesse and Joyce. And I remember you and Xander and Buffy and Dawn.”
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t want to sound redundant, because we talk every day, but Gods Giles. What I did to you, and Xander and Buffy… and Dawnie, what I wanted to do to her…”
“I will never forget,” she promised solemnly, whipping her tears.
“I love you too.”
“Thank you for that.”
Willow walked over to the table shakily, handed the phone to Dawn and sat on Xander, hugging him, and sobbing quietly in his neck.
Clark was perplexed, but he was more curious then ever.
Dawn got up, moving away from the sight of Willow.
“It’s Dawn.”
“I’ve got summer school in a week, but other than that, I’m okay.”
“I’m getting better with it, but I can hit a target 30 feet away with a crossbow. And I really like the sword you gave me.”
“I know. I know. I’ve got cramps in my arms from making stakes yesterday. We got 500 made, give or take, should last us a while.”
“So do you miss us?”
“Good.”
“Yeah, I like helping Buffy. Hey, did you know Anya’s letting me work here?”
“I’m not growing up fast enough, if you ask me!”
“If we win the lottery, can we come visit you?”
“Cool,” she smiled, walking up behind Buffy.
“Here’s Buffy. Bye!”
Buffy herself got up and walked off, leaving Clark feeling bad for being in the way. He felt even worse that he could hear everything.
“I manage.”
“She’s getting good fast, you know. Really. Reminds me of me at that age.”
“I don’t know. They made her out of me, Giles. We have the same blood. Do you think that means that she’s kind of a slayer too?”
“Okay, but don’t attract any attention. I don’t want the council snooping around us again. Ever.”
“I’ll check her healing time, should have done that awhile ago. Her strength too.”
“Really? Is she cute?”
“Hey, I just want everyone to be happy. Now that your brood of misfit teens is out of their teens, maybe you could fall in love, get married and have some babies… If not her, I’m sure some woman would take pity on you, you’re not completely icky,” she teased.
“I miss you too... except I actually mean it.”
“We’re finishing it up right now. We’ve got a lot to do, though.”
“Hey, keep an ear out for Sunnydale gossip. We’re hearing rumblings of something going down, but nothing concrete.”
“You heard that too? Do you think it’s true?”
“Anya told us too. She also said…”
“Yeah, isn’t that weird? Cordelia of all people! How did you know?”
“I’m so jealous. Anya can visit you anytime she wants!”
“I’ll tell her to call first next time!” She laughed. “No, she’s not here; she hasn’t been here all that much lately, but Xander’s here.”
She passed the phone.
“G-Man!” He laughed. “I just wanted to say hi, and we’re taking good care of each other.”
“Yeah, I’m here with my friend Clark, he’s helping.”
“Okay, everyone sends their love. Bye.” He hung up.
THE MAGIC BOX, sunset.
Everyone was sweaty and grubby; they were coughing. Well, everyone except Clark of course. Clark Kent felt like he had entered the twilight zone. A place where everyone knew something he didn’t. A place where he wasn’t in on it.
The painting was done, and they were dusting. As they went about cleaning and laughing and talking, Clark took in his surroundings. For the first time after working there for weeks he paid attention. He was in a magic shop.
At first glance he had only seen the incense, the candles, the crystal balls, the Celtic and gothic looking jewelry. He had taken in the brightly colored Wicca books, and then the general pagan and the spirituality books. He had seen the Tarot section and the rune section and the Fairy posters. Now, he was seeing something completely different. Holy water caught his eye first. Old spell books written in languages he had never seen. Demonology books. Diaries. Restricted areas. Weapons.
He knew he didn’t know everything about his new friends; he didn’t know everything about his old friends either. He now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was more to them than meets the eye.
Xander was boxing up a pile of dark old musty books; the same books that had been sitting there since before his first visit. Books that were curiously blank and that they all avoided mentioning or touching. Xander looked deep in though. Hesitant even.
Willow was no longer working. She just watched him nervously. Buffy and Dawn looked like they didn’t know what to do.
He didn’t know what to do. What would you do?
Ask about it? Try and get them to tell you? Pretend like you know more than you do?
For an alien from Smallville, it wasn’t that simple.
He walked over to wash the storefront window.
What did he really know, and who was he to say anything about anything? he mused.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of light. Everyone jumped a little, and then he heard a woman’s voice.
“Wow, I didn’t expect you would be finished.”
“That’s cause we’re not, An,” replied Xander.
“Well, I’d love to help but I just came here to… to count the money. Yes that’s it. Right,” she said with fake, nervous cheer, as she teleported behind the counter.
Clark heard Willow, Buffy and Dawn trying to say something, but Xander cut them off.
“Have you been avoiding me?”
“Yes.”
“Oh; why?”
“Because Xander. Just… I… no. I’m fine, I’m happy. I’m working two jobs… Everything’s fine. Is there a reason i whould be avoiding you?”
The former couple looked at each other for a long time.
Clark could feel eyes boring into him as well, and doubled his efforts on the window, trying to look busy.
Dawn spoke up: “You haven’t met our friend Clark.”
Unfortunately, Anya had said: “Did you know there was a gang of vampires outside?” more loudly.
When Xander and the Summers sisters shushed the new arrival, she shrugged nonchalantly:
“Why are you so concerned? It's not like he’s human.”
