Grievances

They approached Jesse’s grave. Willow could see the plain grey headstone, marking the empty grave of their best friend. She could feel the tears begin to sting her eyes and Xander reached over to squeeze her hand. Willow looked over at him and smiled.

‘Three years. Where did the time go?’ he whispered softly. Xander placed the bouquet of vibrant tigerlilies on the grave. He smiled gently. ‘Jesse, my man. Sorry, I should have visited you more often. Anyway, things are good. Hey, we’re seniors! We have our senior rights. Never thought we’d get there, huh? We’ve always managed to do everything. Remember, the three musketeers? When we were kids, us three would do everything together. One for all, and all for one. Looks like we can’t do all for one anymore. Not now that-’ he broke off suddenly, distraught.

Xander felt the tears fall down his cheek, and he turned away from the grave. Willow half hugged him for a moment, then let go as she took a step closer to the gravestone. She cleared her throat with difficulty.

‘Jesse, it’s really hard to believe three years has passed. So much has happened to us. Fighting demons, teaching computer class, and serious dating. But when I think about it, there hasn’t been a day I haven’t missed you. I miss your silly stories and that happy smile, and I- I feel so sad that you can’t be with us as we grow older. You can’t laugh with us and meet our friends. I know you’d like Buffy and Giles. I want *so* much for you to be by our side all the time. I miss you.’ Willow bit down hard on her bottom lip. She walked over the flowers and ever so gently kneeled down to kiss the gravestone. Willow left a tear stain on the stone.

* * *

The two best friends walked away from the cemetery in sad silence.

‘Lets have a drink in remembrance of Jesse.’

‘Isn’t the legal age 21?’

‘Nah, I swear, it’s 18.’

‘I don’t think we should. It’s almost midnight...I don’t want to worry about anything else.’

‘Come on. We’re 18. We should exercise our rights. It’s just a drink.’

‘Ah. Famous last words.’

‘Well, I just want to - do *something*, as a sort of remembering thing for Jesse. I’ll buy you a soda. You don’t have to drink.’

Willow stopped Xander and cocked her head to one side, staring into his eyes. She slowly inhaled and sighed. ‘Ok.’

They stepped into the dark bar, with soft jazz music sounding from a set of speakers.

Approaching the bar, the barkeep put away a rag. Willow and Xander took seats at the bar.

‘What’ll it be, folks?’

‘I’ll have whiskey on the rocks with soda, and she’ll have just club.’

‘Actually, I’ll have the same.’ Xander raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

‘Have you *had* whiskey on the rocks before? And are you supposed to mix it with soda?’

He shrugged, and watched as the barkeep poured their drinks.

‘Here you go, folks.’

They took their drinks, and Xander held his up towards Willow.

‘To Jesse.’

‘To Jesse.’ she echoed.

They clinked glasses, then tilted their heads back and drank.

Willow almost spat hers out. She struggled and then swallowed. Xander tried not to laugh, but he couldn’t help it.

‘Too strong for you, Will?’

‘Nope.’ She bravely gulped down the rest of her drink, barely making a face.

‘Give her some more!’ Xander asked the barkeeper. He obliged, adding less soda and more whiskey. Willow took the drink and cradled it in her hands.

‘To Jesse, and all the good times, and the bad times.’ Xander clinked his glass against Willows. Bringing it to his lips again, he drank it down in gulps. Willow nodded with her body, and brought her glass from her mouth to the table again.

* * *

An hour later, the two best friends were still sitting at the bar. Twenty minutes ago they’d ditched their glasses and gone for the bottle instead. Willow hiccuped as she took a swig.

‘And remember the-the time. The time when Jethhe and me were daring each other to get the frisbee from the roof. I threw it to him, and so you made us both climb up. And then, and then I slipped and Jesse grabbed me before I fell off. Fell off onto ground.’ Xander nodded drunkenly, grabbing the bottle from Willow.

‘Yeah, Jesse was the best. The *best!*’ Willow agreed, rocking back and forth on her bar stool. She smiled at Xander.

‘Yeth sir ree!! Jesse the man, who saved my life. And then...then I took his...’ and Xander became a little boy suddenly. He recalled the death of his best friend, no, the *murder* of his best friend, at his *own* hands. It threw Xander off and he suddenly started to cry. He sort of crumpled up on his stool and let the bottle fall onto the bar.

‘Oh no Xand. No, no...it wasn’t your fault...’ she wrapped her arms around him tightly. ‘Shh shh there. It’s okay. It’s not your fault.’ Willow held him close, rocking him in a soothing rhythm.

‘No, I killed Jesse. I killed our best friend. I should be shot.’ He sobbed into Willow’s chest.

‘You didn’t kill him. Remember what Mr Caution Man said? You killed the thing that killed Jesse...’ she assured him with soothing sounds. ‘Shhh...shh...’

His sudden outburst of sobs subsided. Soon Xander was merely being held in the safe comfort of Willow’s arms. When he composed himself, he pulled away, sniffling.

Xander wiped his eyes. ‘I just - it’s hard. To remember.’

‘I know. I- I don’t think I can handle this yet. It’s been three years, but I still have a hard time thinking about this.’ Willow agreed, pouring out a drink in Xander’s glass. ‘But we can count on each other, to get ourselves through anything.’

‘Yep, we’re the two musketeers! All for one-’ Xander exclaimed

‘And one for all!’ Willow finished. She burst out laughing. ‘Let’s go. We can take on the world.’

Xander nodded eagerly. ‘Let’s go patrolling! Help the Buffster!’ He hopped off the stool and fished out a few bills from his pocket. Slamming them down on the bar, he helped Willow down. She grabbed the near empty bottle.

They slung their arms over each other’s shoulders and left the dark bar room. They entered the realm of dark, and dangerous night.

‘Nobody knows, the troub- bles I’ve seen. Nobody knows my sorrows....’ Willow sung softly as they made their way to the nearest graveyard.

‘Heh heh...hic...’ Xander replied.

* * *

It was fast approaching midnight as they stumbled into the graveyard. Willow struggled to stand up because for some reason, the floor was jumping away from her. She held her head and fell to her knees in the grass.

‘C’mon, get your stakes out. Let’s have a vampire barbecue.’ Xander fumbled to pull out his concealed whittled stake. He held it loosely with one hand while he extended the other for Willow to take. She tried twice before the found the real hand, and she pulled herself up.

‘My world is a spinning mass of lights and darkness. Hmm, that sounds familiar...’ Willow thought as she followed Xander through the stony cemetery path. He was trying to sneak in the darkness. Xander was unaware that his victim was an actual vampire accompanied by two hell demons.

‘Shhh! I’m gonna grab them and stake them in the heart just like Buffy. Watch this!’ He let go of Willow’s hand and jumped into the clearing.

‘Spinning lights... Ah! I remember. And darkness comes to enforce the punishment...’ Willow brightened. She saw a vampire turn around, his game face growling. Two demons with antennae and slimy fingers turned their attention to the gangly boy who made his presence known.

‘What is this?’ Mr Trick demanded, seeing Xander as he stood in an attacking stance. Well, a drunk attacking stance including hiccups and stumbling.

‘Wait! I remember the spinning lights!’ Willow laughed incoherently as a demon pounced on Xander. He flailed his stake uselessly and it fell to the ground.

‘Erasis oumi carlot hemamia, des reoul, reoul ec funali.’ Willow laughed as the magic words spilled from her numb lips. She slurred the odd word, and a bright light hit the two demons as she waved her right arm drunkenly. A flash and puff of smoke cleared to show two grasshoppers in the place of the demons. Xander burst out laughing and Willow rolled around on the ground.

Mr Trick stared at the two hysterical teens. Clicking his fingers, he realised they were the slayer’s friends. Their laughs were suddenly cut short as the alcohol claimed their consciousness, and they fell into a drunken sleep.

‘Ah, the Slayer shall once more be at my mercy...’ he concluded, formulating a plan. Mr Trick grinned at his own evil genius.

* * *

When Xander woke up, he wished he hadn’t. His head was pounding like it’d been stepped on a stampede of giant Moloch’s. Groaning, he pulled himself up and blinked a few times. Then he opened his eyes fully.

A large, dusty room with a high ceiling and fluorescent light was covered from wall to wall in large, open pipes. A single door was the only entrance and exit. Lying on the cold floor beside him was the limp body of his best friend.

‘Willow! Wake up! Please, wake up,’ he urged frantically. ‘Please be okay, Wills, please!’ He shook her shoulder gently.

‘Uhg...’ she moaned, but her eyes pried themselves open. She grabbed her head. ‘Oww...’ Xander made her sit up, and leaned her against him.

‘Willow, what happened? What are we doing here?’

Willow rubbed her eyes, and looked at her surrounds slowly. Taking in the pipes and chutes, she shrugged painfully. ‘Looks like some sort of abandoned factory. Ow my head.’

‘I can tell that, but why? Getting drunk isn’t usually associated with waking up in a foreign place.’ He paused. ‘Actually, it is.’ He looked down at himself. ‘Still wearing clothes, check!’

Willow pulled away from him with feigned annoyance, but she was more overwhelmed by the possible danger they were in. She was grateful that she didn’t feel like throwing up. Willow struggled, but managed to get up from the floor. Only then did she see the set of speakers on a table.

They were the sort attached to home entertainment units, but they were on the end of a pair of long wires. And they spoke.

‘Hello! Friends of the slayer, welcome to Mr Trick’s Waterworld, or as I like to call it, ‘Trick’s Underwater Fantasia’.’

Xander clambered up and took his place beside Willow. Mr Trick continued.

‘You have about thirty seconds before commencement, then a few minutes after, you’ll be struggling for air. Don’t worry, I’ve called the slayer. It’s just a matter of if she’ll find two drowned bodies, or two asphyxiated bodies.’

Chutes and pipes on either sides of the large room started to rumble. They exchanged worried glances, but strained to hear the voice of Mr Trick.

‘Have a wet ‘n’ wild time, kids.’

Suddenly, water burst out of each and every chute. It streamed out like twenty fire hydrants knocked down by farming trucks. Water spewed forth, and quickly covered the floor in seconds. Still the water rose and Willow scrambled to climb onto the wooden table. Xander leapt up, but he could keep up with the water. It rose to cover the table, loud splashing sounds filling their ears.

‘Remind you of waterworld, minus the fun?’ The level quickly rose to their knees. Willow scoured the walls quickly for an exit. Xander futiley rammed his shoulder against the door. One particular attempt sent him sprawling backwards into the water. He pulled himself up, completely soaked. Shoulder height wasn’t far.

‘What are we going to do?’ Willow bobbed up and down in the water. She shivered as the water soaked through all her clothes, reaching her warm skin. ‘We’ve going to get pneumonia, or drown!’

Xander couldn’t touch the ground anymore. He looked around for any windows, but the room was isolated, only a single electrical fluorescent light on the ceiling. He tried the door again, but he couldn’t reach if anymore. Instead, he focused on keeping Willow above water.

‘Gee, I didn’t think I’d ever want to be, but it’d be useful being a fish guy again.’ He grabbed Willow’s hand as the water kept rising at an alarming speed. The high ceiling was getting closer, and Xander tried not to let his panic show.

‘Don’t panic, don’t panic...’ he was swept up higher. Willow bobbed up with him, furiously turned her head to find any sort of overlooked exit. ‘Ok, *panic!* The ceiling seemed to be crashing down on them, or they were in a twelve metre deep spa. When there was only a few inches of air left, Willow shut her eyes and waited to drown. She squeezed Xander’s hand goodbye.

But he noticed that the freezing water suddenly stopped. With only enough room for their tilted faces to breathe, the water had stopped gushing and they struggled to cycle the water and maintain their position. His teeth trembled.

‘It’s stopped,’ Willow heard him exclaim. She opened her eyes and saw Xander was right. But it was very, very close. She was as cold as she was frightened. The chill penetrated her flesh and hit the very core of her bones. She shivered

. Xander pulled her close, sharing their body heat as they desperately tried to maintain their buoyancy.

‘What’s Mr Trick trying to get out of us?’ Willow wondered between clattering teeth.

‘Amusement,’ Xander spat. He hugged her close, drawing in a ragged breath. They were both freezing. ‘And we’re running out of air here.’

Willow tried to nod. The thin pocket of air was quickly getting stale. She knew that they didn’t have mush time left. She felt her legs go weak, and she fell under the water.

Willow sank in the darkness, falling. She needed to rest her weary legs and end the coldness. She closed her eyes...

...and felt strong arms grab her waist. It was Xander pulling her back up. He struggled, but managed to haul her back to the surface. She coughed up water, her wet, stringy hair covering her eyes.

‘Don’t, I can’t hold on...’ Willow breathed. He shook his held, and let her float on her back. She floated and Xander squeezed her arms.

‘Don’t *do* that! You scared the inner halibut outta me! Now, you stay put and I’m going to try the door again.’ He prepared to dive down. Xander took in a breathe of the stale air.

‘Xander!’ She straightened herself and gasped for the dead air. She hovered in the water again. ‘It’s too far down. I won’t let you!’ She pleaded with her eyes.

‘Listen, Will, Buffy and the gang are going to be here soon. Their isn’t enough air for the both of us. If I just hold my breath for long enough-’ Xander tried to explain. He could feel his limbs going numb in the cold. And he knew Willow’s were too.

‘No! This is insane! You’re going to die, and I won’t let you! Stay at the surface.’ She begged him, clutching his arm.

‘Will. Will! Look at me. Only one of us can use this air. And I’m damn myself if it were me.’ He pulled away from her grasp, but suddenly grabbed her chin with one hand. He caught her lips in a goodbye kiss and tore away. As he did, Xander dove down into the murky depths, swimming to the bottom of the huge room.

He reached the door and held onto the handle, struggling to push it out. He hit it with one shoulder, and a stream of bubbles escaped his mouth upon impact. He hit it again, the same result but he felt himself draw water into his lungs. With his last thought, he imagined Willow all by herself in tearful fear. Then he thought no more.

* * *

After getting the terrifying phone call from Mr Trick, Buffy and the other slayerettes dashed into the Ozmobile and sped down to the old filtering factory. At breakneck speed, Buffy burst in and saw the first door to the storage bay was locked. Water slowly seeped under the crack. She kicked the door with all her might, but she couldn’t break it.

‘There must be tonnes of water in weight on the other side. Break the lock first,’ Giles suggested. Buffy tore off the lock, then grabbed the handle, turned and pulled. Water shot out and carried the slayer and her watcher down the stairs. Oz and Cordelia were thigh high in water on the ground floor, and struggled to climb the stairs.

Buffy recovered quickly and raced into the storage bay. She saw a completely soaked Willow leaning over the limp, blue body of Xander. Both their lips were blue and their clothes were heavy with water. Tears fell from her cheeks onto his as she cried.

‘XANDER! Wake up! Don’t you *dare* die on me! You said it’d be okay. Don’t DIE!’ She screamed at the body of her best friend. She leaned down to pump huge breathfuls of air into him. Tears ran down her cheeks and into her mouth. Buffy ran up to help Willow.

The slayer crossed her hands and placed them over his chest, pumping it furiously. ‘C’mon, Xander. It’s my payback.’

Willow continued to exhale in his cold mouth. ‘Wake UP! Get up Xander! Don’t leave me like this now! Don’t...’ she struggled to control her sobbing as she tried to force air into his watery lungs.

Cordelia, Oz and Giles watched from a distance, their pain and sorrow tearing at their emotions. And the sight of Willow in her broken state left them feeling hollow.

* * *

Willow returned to the cemetery two days later. This time, she brought two bouquets of tigerlilies. She walked slowly towards the two gravestones.

‘Jesse, now you’ve got Xander with you. We’re still the best of friends, right guys? The three musketeers...’ she broke off, her heart breaking. She collapsed in front of the new gravestone.

‘Oh Xander,’ she clapped her hand over her mouth. Willow closed her eyes and wept.

Her tears made stains on the grey stone.

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