Gingerbread: Micky Keeler
by Ben: The Vampire Hunter
b_church@yahoo.com
Feedback! Please!
Okay, a little explanation. Micky Keeler, as you may or may not
remember, was introduced formally in Sunnydale High School Drama
Presents, he was mentioned in The Bad Man Cometh. Now, also as you
may or may not remember, he was a Wiccan, and a Junior. Which means
he's still around in the 3rd season as a senior. Oh, and by the way,
I don't own these people. Now, on with the show!
"Hey Amy." Micky said, as she sat down at the lunchroom table.
"Willow."
"Hey." the two girls smiled. The three shared a special bond.
Beyond the fact that they were all seniors, and friends, they also
shared a knowledge in the darker aspects of the town they called home.
And they were all Witches.
The difference was that Micky's brand of magic was a tad
different than the two girls'. He practiced Wicca. Amy and Willow
practiced the Witchcraft that came to the minds of most people when
they thought of magic. Some, in fact most people, even some Witches
didn't see the difference between Witchcraft and Wiccan Magic. But
that was their right. He did have a rudimentary knowledge of other
arcane arts, such as the kind his companions used, his parents
insisted.
Xander and Oz soon joined them. Micky smiled, he'd really only
met Xander and Willow late last year, when Snyder had forced them to
participate in the school play. He'd known Amy and Oz longer.
"Haven't seen you all day." Oz said to Willow. "Where've you
been?"
"Not with me!" Xander insisted.
"Most people wait for an accusation before becoming defensive."
Micky grinned. It was really no secret what had gone on between Xander
and his childhood friend. But it was mostly all forgiven by now. But
then, Xander had always been a bit on the jumpy side.
The topic changed, on Oz's initiative, to Buffy's upcoming
birthday. Buffy was another girl Micky'd only met just recently, but
he'd gotten to know her a bit. At least he thought so. After all,
they'd been on crew together. He knew there was some big secret she
had, as well. He didn't know what, but he knew that Amy, Willow,
Xander, Oz, Mr. Giles, even Cordelia were in on it. He suspected it
had to do with the Undead population of Sunnydale. But he respected
the secret and didn't pry.
The topic abruptly ended when Buffy showed up. The small talk
of greetings ended quickly.
"What's up?" Xander asked casually.
"You mean you guys didn't hear?" she asked.
"Hear what?" Xander prompted.
"Murder. Two little kids were killed last night."
"Oh my God." Amy said, shocked.
Micky just shook his head sadly. "Damn Vampires." he thought.
"What were little kids doing outside after sundown?"
"They were like seven or eight."
Buffy went on to explain how her mother had been the one to
find the bodies, and why her mother had shown up while Buffy had been
on patrol.
Micky smiled inwardly. "Patrol huh?" he thought. "Another
piece of the puzzle fits into place." They seemed to have either
forgotten that he, an uninitiated one, was there, or they didn't feel
like excluding him. Either way, he didn't mind. Then Buffy's mom
showed up.
"Who's wigging?" Ms. Summers asked, coming up behind her
daughter.
Buffy leapt to her feet, anxious for damage control. "We all
are." she said quickly. "About what happened last night."
"Oh it was awful." Ms. Summers mourned. "I had bad dreams
about it all last night."
The two discussed the investigation, that apparently Mr. Giles
was leading. "And another piece." he thought. Then Buffy said
something that made Micky sit bolt upright.
"Giles thinks it might have been a ritual thing. A cult or
something."
"A cult? Like Witches?"
"No!" Micky said hastily, but Willow's loud cough drowned him
out. Or at least overwhelmed the vehemence of his denial.
"Oh," Ms. Summers said. "I'm sorry, I know you think it's
cool."
Micky started to say something, but Amy put a hand on his arm
and shook her head at him. He subsided, but he wasn't happy about it.
It wasn't "cool" to him. It was his religion. His faith. As real and
as good to him as Christianity, Judaism or Islam, or any other faith
was to others.
When Buffy and her mom left, the table erupted to life.
"Oh wow," Oz said. Which for him was a strong expletive.
"Oh wow is right." Amy sighed.
"Yeah." Micky agreed. "The last thing we need is for this to
spark some kind of witch hunt."
"Maybe we should try to find out who did it before that
happens." Amy suggested.
"That's what Buffy and the G Man are doing." Xander assured
them. "They've never let us down in the investigation department
before."
"I suppose you're right." Amy said. Micky was less sure, but
then, he hadn't really been in their group.
"Speaking of Witches and Buffy's birthday," Willow said,
combining the two topics. "I had an idea for Buffy's gift, at least
from me."
"What's that Will?" Xander asked.
"A protection spell."
Micky raised an eyebrow. An odd, but thoughtful gift.
Especially if what he suspected about Buffy's secret was even anywhere
near the truth.
"Micky, Amy," Willow said. "Could you guys help? I'm still
pretty new at this."
"Um," Micky said.
"Sure." Amy agreed readily.
"Did you have anything specific in mind?" Micky asked. "Or are
you just browsing?" He smiled.
"Huh?"
"Do you have a certain spell in mind?" he clarified. "I can
lend you some texts, maybe even lend a hand in the casting if it
requires help. But it's best to know exactly what you intend to do."
"I had one in mind actually." she said. "But I don't have all
the things I need." She produced two copies of a list. "If you could
bring whatever you have to Michael's house tonight, he's helping too
by the way, we can give Buffy her present, or at least prepare it,
since it might take more than one night to complete."
"No problem." Micky said, taking a list. Looking it over, he
saw a few things he could provide. The Human Skull bothered him a bit,
but he figured that as long as the human had been dead for a while, it
should be okay. "This doesn't look exactly like my kind of magic, but
I think I can help you out. Meet you there after the vigil?"
"You're going?" Amy asked, slightly surprised.
"Wouldn't miss it. My folks are probably gonna go too."
Micky thought it was a very nice speech Ms. Summers gave. And
he agreed with her most whole heartedly. Up until her last sentence.
"This isn't our town. It belongs to the Monsters, the Witches
and the Slayers. And it's time we adults took this town back."
"Uh oh." he thought. He felt a chill run down his spine. One
look at his folks told him they were thinking the same thing he was.
This could turn out to be very, VERY bad.
After the casting of the spell, Micky, Willow and Amy were
packing up to leave. Micky had worn a black robe that he wore at Ren.
Fairs.
To avoid possible, dangers, Micky offered to give the two girls
a ride home. Both, knowing the dangers he referred to, accepted
gratefully. After dropping Amy off, he headed for Willow's house.
"Willow," Micky said, as they got closer to her home. "Could
you do me a favor?"
"What's that?" she asked.
"This whole cult thing is really bothering me. I know you're
good at computers, I was wondering if you could, well, sneak a peek at
the autopsy reports on those kids?"
"You realize that, that's illegal."
"Yeah, I know. If you don't, you know that's cool but-"
"Don't worry." Willow reassured him. "It's no problem." And
it wasn't. She'd done it before.
That night, alone in her room, she hacked into the coroner's
office. What she found shocked her.
"Micky!" Willow called to him in the hallway the next day. He
turned, to find her rushing towards him.
"Willow, what's up?" he asked. "Did you find something?"
"You could say that." she answered. "There was no autopsy
report. There was no record of those kids reaching the coroner at
all."
Micky's thoughts reeled as he headed for his locker. On his
way he was intercepted by Michael and Amy.
"Watch your step today." Amy warned. "The natives are
restless."
"I almost got my face pounded." Michael said. "If Buffy hadn't
shown up...well it's starting to creep me out."
"Mr. Keeler!" the all too familiar voice of Principal Snyder
rang out. The three saw him bearing down on them. "My office! Now!"
"Why?" Micky asked.
"Don't you question me!" Snyder glared up at him.
Micky sighed. "See you guys later." he said.
"You searched my locker?!" Micky shouted indignantly. He
grabbed for the Notebook in Snyder's hand, but the man held it out of
his reach.
"I most certainly did. On executive order from the Mayor.
He's ordered a locker search. All Occult material is to be
confiscated, and all students found in possession of such material is to
be suspended until further notice."
"You can't do that!"
"I can. And I will."
"This is the United States not the Third Reich! When my
parents get home, maybe not even that long from now-"
"What, you'll sue me?"
"At the very least you stinking little Fascist! You'll be lucky
if you're crossing guard when we get through with you!"
He quickly snatched the book up from Snyder's desk, where the man had placed it.
"Discrimination and Invasion of Privacy. It's all in the Student
Handbook. This isn't over." He stormed out, dodging police who tried
to take his notebook. He saw Amy and Michael being herded into the Principal's office and
swore. Maybe his parents had been right.
"We're leaving." his father had said. "Just until this thing
blows over."
His parents had done their damnedest to convince him to leave
with them, but he had a bit more faith in the towns population than
they did. He'd told them he wouldn't leave, that he refused to run.
Now he was wondering if his decision had been too hasty.
"This is," Michael railed at Amy and Micky. "The most stupid,
degrading, illegal,"
"Frightening," Micky and Amy added.
"Frightening," Michael agreed. "Event to happen here."
They were in Michael's living room, discussing the suspension.
Or more to the point, stressing and bitching about it. Micky had lived
through numerous Vampire attacks, but never had he been so terrified
as he was now. He was wearing his "Never Again The Burning Times" T-
Shirt, as he had been the whole day. He was wondering if the words
would prove to be ironic before this thing was through.
He'd never really believed that this kind of thing could happen
in this country. Again anyway. Not in the days of political
correctness, and religious freedom. He realized that he'd never REALLY
understood the words on his shirt. Until now.
Michael's father came into the room. He looked grim.
"Michael, Amy, Micky," he said, almost sadly. He didn't say anything
else. He rushed forward towards them, and other men followed him,
Micky thought, in the rush, that they must have been hidden there for
quite a while. That was the last thing he thought before a man's fist
slammed into his face.
"Witch!" the man shouted. Amy was overwhelmed by her own
assailants, Michael broke away, his eye blackened and blood trickling
from his mouth, and jumped through the window. Another blow and
everything went black.
When he awoke, he wished he hadn't. He was tied to a stake in
the City Hall, and people with torches were looking at him with a dead
expression on their faces. Amy was beside him, also tied, and beside
her, were Willow and...Buffy? She was unconscious.
"Uh Amy?" he asked weakly. "Please tell me this isn't really
happening."
"Sorry." she said. "I can't lie."
"Shit." Sweat dripped down his face, and not from the heat
from the torches. Buffy woke, and she began to try to reason with the
angry mob. To no avail.
Amy tried a different tack. No one listened to her at first,
and they lit the books piled around them. Then she began to chant.
"Amy!" Micky shouted. "Put out the-!" She turned herself
into a rat. "Fire." Buffy and Willow began to threaten the crowd.
But they didn't listen.
In his panic, Micky looked up at the ceiling. "Why haven't
the sprinklers gone off?!"
"I shut them down." Snyder said. He was standing right in
front of the boy.
"Oh." He began to wriggle in his bonds, searching for some
way, any way to escape. He tried to scootch his way up the stake, but
he couldn't get any leverage. Then he tried to rock the stake back and
forth to loosen it. He thought he was making some progress, when he
saw Mr. Giles and Cordelia enter the room.
Cordy fended off the crowd with a fire hose while Giles said
something in German. He mainly ignored them, then he caught fire. He
began to try harder, partly to distract himself from the pain. "Ow ow
ow!" he shouted.
"Cordelia!" he dimly heard Buffy shout. "Put out the fire!"
"Yes!" Micky agreed. "Please!"
The pain stopped increasing in his leg, but didn't go away.
Which in a way was a good thing, which meant he didn't have a third
degree burn. Giles was still saying something in German, and he smashed a
bottle.
Somehow, he guessed it was some kind of magic, this made the
two small children, who had been goading the crowd on, to turn into a
large monster. At this moment, he succeeded in loosening the stake.
And he toppled, still tied, sideways. "Ow." he grunted, when he
landed.
"Did I get it?" he heard Buffy ask. He strained his neck
looking, but he finally saw the giant Demon impaled on Buffy's stake.
"Why didn't you do that before?" he asked. Then Oz and Xander fell
through the ceiling.
Oz looked around, and saw that the whole thing was pretty much
over. "We're here to save you." he said simply.
Two Days Later
"Are you sure you don't want to press charges?" Mr. Keeler
asked. "You were wrongfully suspended, your privacy was invaded, and
you were assaulted."
"Not to mention that they tried to kill you!" Mrs. Keeler
interjected.
"What would be the point?" Micky asked. "They weren't exactly
under their own power, and no one remembers it anyway." He grabbed the
book he'd been looking for and limped to the door.
"Look," he said. "It's not as if I'm okay with what happened.
I'm not. It might be a long time before I'm okay. But, I have to go.
Willow's having trouble turning Amy back and me and Michael are gonna
try to help her."
"Before you leave this house young man," Mrs. Keeler said. "I
need to know if you're going to be okay."
"I will be eventually, but for now, no. And if you do end up
insisting on a therapist, not Mrs. Rosenburg."
"Was that a joke?" Mr. Keeler said when Micky was gone.
"Told you he'd get over it." Mrs. Keeler smiled. "He just
needs time."
The End