Me and my crossovers. This one is in the very early stages and I have high hopes about continuing it.
I did take some creative liberties though. I know, for instance, that Amata's mother died when she was two. Here, I pushed it back to when she was eight.
Also, despite the fact that both fan bases are primarily male, I'd definitely like some female feedback on this. Mostly, because a significant portion of this is from Amata's P.O.V. and deals with her feelings.
Do enjoy and let me know your suggestions on how this should go.
Prologue: Life and Loss 101: Welcome to the Wasteland
“You can't!†a blonde shouted from a kneeling position, holding her wounded leg,
“I have to!†a male with an eye patch replied as he stood in front of a portal.
Wind was blowing everywhere. Dust and dirt was being kicked up and neither one could hardly keep their eyes open.
“Xander! You can't do this!†the blonde shouted.
“Sorry, Buffster, it's the only way,†he replied. He then turned and stepped into the portal.
-----
Alexander Harris sat up quickly in his bed, his face covered in a cold sweat.
The dreams were always so vivid, though the characters sometimes changed. At times there was a Buffy, others a Willow. Some even had a man named Giles, a lovestruck pre-teen named Dawn, a busty brunette named Cordelia, and a blonde with absolutely no verbal filter named Anya, and a shy loving young girl who had the purest soul to have ever existed named Tara. As far as he knew, he'd never met those people, had never seen them before in his life and yet... They were familiar and he always dreamed of them.
He made his way to the bathroom, shutting the door and then clicking the light on. There was no sense in waking his father after all if he could help it. He turned on the water to the sink faucet, letting it run a bit before cupping his hands, catching the water and throwing it on his face. He then took a towel and dabbed his face.
Once that was done, he took a look at himself. He was distinctly lacking in the scars of his dream and still had his eye, though admittedly, the eye patch did look bad-ass.
He sighed. “Why do I keep having these dreams?â€
Turning off the water and hanging up the towel, he shut off the light and tried to make is way back to his room unobtrusively.
“Again, Alexander?†asked the voice of his father.
“I didn't mean to wake you,†Xander replied. Only his dad called him Alexander. Most simply referred to him as Harris, though his friends called him Xander, a named bestowed upon him by the girl who became his best friend Amata.
“It's quite all right, son.†James told him in a soothing tone. “Though I wish you wouldn't try to hide them from me. Which one was it?â€
“The portal one,†Xander informed his father.
James nodded. “The one with that girl with the strange name?â€
“Buffy,†Xander supplied. “Why do I keep having these dreams?â€
“I don't know,†James told him with a frown. “Have you been taking those meds I gave you?â€
Xander shook his head. “I hate how they make me feel when I take them and I'd rather not run the chance of getting addicted to them.†He yawned. “I'm gonna try to get some more sleep, big day and all.â€
James smiled. “Your mother would be proud of you, you know.â€
“I know,†Xander said quietly.
“Have you given any thought to which career path you want to try for?†Xander's father asked.
“A little,†Xander shrugged. “Personally, I think security would suit me best, if it wasn't for the fact that all of them are a bunch of mindless drones.â€
“Xander...†James warned.
“I know...†Xander answered with a long suffering sigh. “I think I might go for maintenance.â€
“You're not so bad at the sciences, despite your grades stating otherwise,†James offered.
Xander smiled. “I'm okay, but I don't have a passion for them like you do. Maintenance might not be the most glorious of jobs- but it is something I could enjoy doing. Fixing things, working with my hands... It's my thing. Besides, I've picked up enough from you that I can do a quick patch job in case of something happening and I'm light years ahead of pretty much anyone else if I come across a programming problem.â€
“Fair enough. At least you won't be a garbage burner...†James conceded. “I'll let you get back to sleep.â€
“Thanks, dad,†Xander replied as he went back to his room. He sat on his bed and tiredly rubbed his eyes and running his hand through his hair. “I so do not want to get up this morning... Shame dad won't give me a pass on taking my G.O.A.T.â€
-----
Two Years Later...
Xander and Amata stood next to one another as the door to the vault opened.
“This is it, isn't it...†Amata said haltingly.
“Amata, I...†Xander began.
“Don't!†Amata replied forcefully, tears welling up in her eyes. “I don't have a clue as to what you're about to say and I don't care! The greatest friend a girl can have is leaving her behind and I have the right to be miserable.â€
“Come with me.â€
“What?†Amata asked in astonishment.
“Come with me,†Xander replied more forcefully.
“I... I can't!†Amata replied. “I can't...â€
“Amata...†Xander replied.
“This... This is where I need to be. My place is here, regardless of my personal feelings,†Amata replied, hardening her resolve. “But you were meant for more... So much more.â€
“More what?†Xander asked as he rolled his eyes. It was an old argument they'd had for years when he'd told her of his dreams. She seemed to believe very firmly that he was destined for greatness beyond all imagining. He thought otherwise, it was just about the only thing he and her father had ever agreed on.
“We'll just have to find out,†Amata replied with a watery smile. Suddenly the door behind them jerked, startling them both.
“Looks like your dad finally realized we bypassed everybody physically and electronically,†Xander stated, “I doubt it will hold too long though... It was a bit of a rush job.â€
Suddenly, reality turned on its' axis as Amata grabbed the lapels of his Tunnel Snake jacket, a gift from Butch for helping his mother deal with the rad roaches, and laid upon him a soul searing kiss.
“Wha-?†Xander replied unintelligibly.
“Go!†Amata replied, spinning him around and shoving him towards the open vault door. “GO!â€
Xander came to his senses when the door behind them came open and he immediately sprinted towards the vault exit. The two security guards completely ignored the heartbroken Amata as she watched the love of her life run off to parts unknown, taking the remnants of her heart with her.
She thought back to the many moments they had shared together, from the great to the not so great and even the truly dismal.
-----
Five year old Amata sat balling in her seat. She wasn't sure what to do or think. It was the first day of Kindergarten and that poopy-headed Christine Kendall broke all of her crayons!
'What am I gonna do!?' she despaired.
“You can share with me,†said a soothing gentle voice. Amata's tear stained face looked up hesitantly and there was the cutest boy she'd ever seen riding in like a gallant white knight, coming to her rescue bearing a bright yellow crayon. Despite knowing him forever, it was as if she was suddenly seeing him in a new light, as if she was suddenly waking up and seeing a brand new world that was previously unknown to her.
“R-really...!?â€
“Really, really,†he said with a smile that made Amata's stomach flutter in ways she'd never felt. Already she could feel her face heating up, but despite how uncomfortable he made her, she decided she liked those feelings.
“Thanks...â€
-----
Eight year old Amata sobbed into Xander's shoulders clutching him onto him desperately as if afraid he was going to disappear too. Off in the distance, Alphonse Almodovar, her father, stood impassively emotionless as James Harris, Xander's dad looked lost and helpless. Xander held onto her tightly as he rubbed her back in comfort.
“She's gone... She's gone!â€
-----
Nine year old Amata held onto Xander as he clutched himself to her, desperately seeking comfort after a night of dreaming of demons and eldritch horrors.
“Amata... I'm scared...â€
Xander, the fearless and brave White Knight, was scared.
Instead of knocking him off the pedestal she'd set him on, it endeared him to her further. Her hero was scared and it wasn't just anyone else he turned to in his time of need. None of the others from school, not an adult, not even his own father, but her, Amata, his best and oldest friend.
Just as always, Amata was a mess of emotions. Brewing from within was a tumultuous mess of feelings that only happened when she was with Xander. The flutters were there, holding him and being held was amongst the best feelings in the world for her. A Xander-hug was unlike any other and made her feel safe and protected in ways that others couldn't hope to replicate. She felt empowered and strengthened as well. She was the rock for the one who had always been her rock, steadying him against the sea of negativity that threatened to overwhelm him. And yet, there was a niggling doubt- a worry about her own intentions: self-doubt, a kernel of guilt at reveling in his pain- not in the pain itself, but in the fact that he'd come to her for comfort.
He'd come to her and she was elated that something had happened that caused him to come to her because HE came to HER.
She also felt the slightest bit of resentment for all of the conflicting emotions Alexander Harris unknowingly invoked in her with barely a thought and hardly a gesture.
And she felt guilt for that too.
'Why does everything have to be so hard?' She mentally grumbled as she rubbed his back like he'd done for her just short of a year prior.
-----
Ten year old Amata stood by nervously as Xander and his father came in. She'd spent so much time on setting up this party that she wouldn't know what she'd do if he said he hated everything.
“How do you like it?†Amata asked, amazed at her own ability to keep her voice steady and the smirk on her face. It was a silly question, she knew that logically. She knew him better than anyone, even his own dad. And yet, at the chance for even the slightest bit of approval, logic flew the coup. While, logically, she knew the question was beyond silly, his answer was anything but. Yet she played it cool. “Totally surprised you, huh?â€
“Totally,†Xander said with a wide grin. The expression then softened, something that happened when he was with her and only directed at her alone. “I love it, Amata. You did a great job.â€
Suddenly, she felt as if she could do anything: leap tall buildings in a single bound, shoot lasers from her eyes, and even power the entire vault all on her own.
She was invincible.
“Betcha never guess what I got you!†Amata challenged a playful smile on her face. It was something of a tradition between them to guess whatever each had gotten the other every birthday and Christmas. Unfortunately, he was up on her 6 to 4.
Xander took a thinking pose for a brief moment. “Hmmm... A date with Christine Kendall?â€
6 to 5.
And just like that her mood plummeted.
'Seriously!? 'Mean' Christine of all people!'
Still, she kept a tight grip on her emotions. Something she had endless amounts of practice doing in the last five years.
After a brief exchange and handing over the Issue #1 of Grognak the Barbarian that she'd managed to get from Freddy Gomez, she finally released the sigh she'd been holding back as she watched him mingle with some others.
“I just don't get what you see in him!†complained Susie Mack, a girl in their class.
Amata shrugged with a small smile on his face. “That's okay. If you did, you'd like him too.â€
Susie simply rolled her eyes in response. Suddenly, a ruckus from across the room drew their attention. “Better keep your White Knight from getting into too much trouble at his own party, Princess.â€
Amata sighed again. “I wish...â€
-----
For the first time in her life, Amata Almodovar, age 16, was utterly and truly terrified. She'd been getting strange vibes from Butch and his gang, Wally more than the other two, and now they had her cornered. She crossed her arms in a futile effort to protect herself, unsure of what she would or could do in this situation, all the while wondering where Mr. Brotch was...
In a move that elated, irritated, warmed, annoyed, emboldened and a mess of other things all at once, there Xander suddenly was, pulling back on Wally's jacket and slugging him in the face. Then, with a move that looked far too practiced, he ducked under Paul's fist and countered with a powerful haymaker, only to take a fist to the face from Butch. Unlike Paul or Wally, who each dropped like a stone, Xander remained standing and countered with a punch of his own, landing two and even three punches for every one of Butch's.
At once, both boys attempted to grapple one another as Paul and Wally began to get up. Amata stood there frozen, unable to act in any way.
“What's going on here?â€
Everyone froze.
In unison, Butch and Xander released each other.
“We're just horsein' 'round, honest,†replied Butch in his most convincing earnest voice. Which is to say, not at all. Mr. Brotch looked as unconvinced as Amata felt.
“Testosterone macho thing and all,†Xander replied. Neither he nor Butch took their eyes off one another.
“Uh-huh...†was Mr. Brotch's disbelieving reply. “Get to class. All of you.â€
“Yeah, yeah...†Butch grumbled as he made his way towards the classroom, Paul and Wally following close behind.
“We'll be there in a minute, Mr. Brotch,†Xander replied.
Edwin Brotch nodded. “Take your time, but not too much time.â€
“Thanks, but I could have handled that myself,†Amata snapped, sounding tough and vulnerable at the same time. “Assholes.â€
“You could have, but you don't have to. Not when I've got your back,†Xander replied.
Amata sighed, feeling like a total bitch. “I'm sorry... It's just...â€
“I get it. I do and I'm on your side. Always,†Xander assured her. She hated it when he said things like that. She'd spent the better part of the last three years trying to get over him and then he goes and says one thing and it starts all over again.
“What if you're not? What if one day you can't be there to stand up for me like you always do?†Amata asked in self-doubt.
“I will always be here for you, no matter what. Even if for some reason I can't be there for you physically, I will always be with you in spirit. Close your eyes and wish hard enough, and I'll overcome whatever obstacles I have to to make my way back and come to your rescue,†Xander vowed.
“My knight,†Amata replied with a smile.
“Your ever faithful servant, milady, Princess Amata,†Xander responded with a grin of his own.
She knew then, that what she felt was no simple crush. She'd fallen deeply, desperately and devastatingly in love with her brilliant, but oblivious, best friend.
-----
Eighteen year old Amata watched as Xander turned around as he made it to the end of the cave, her father's 10 mm gun in his hand, his old BB Gun strapped to his back, Butch's jacket on his shoulders, and his red baseball cap given to him by Officer Gomez. Their eyes met as the guards held a moment of indecision- to chase after Xander or not.
Finally, one of them huffed in derision. “You're dead out there anyway!â€
The other one moved to the control panel. Klaxons sounded as the vault door began to move back into place.
“I love you, My Knight...†Amata whispered.
Xander felt his heart sink as he was slowly cut off from everything he had ever known. He gripped the gun Amata had given him tightly. He felt like he was going to be sick as the lead that somehow made it into his stomach, threatened to bring him to his knees.
Only when the vault door sealed itself, did Xander finally succumb. “Good-bye, Princess...â€
He wept.
Xander was unsure how long he knelt there at the end of the cavern, but it had been at least a half hour. Not knowing what to expect, he at long last stepped into the open world, knowing from the Overseer's files that it wasn't as doom and gloom as they'd always made it out to be.
The world turned white and his eyes burned. He shut his eyes tightly against the onslaught of all natural sunlight.
It was a far cry different from the sunlamps utilized in the vault. He adjusted his hat and blinked his eyes rapidly trying to acclimate himself to the outside world.
As he surveyed the desolate wastes around him, he sighed in despair.
“Welcome to the Wasteland.â€
I did take some creative liberties though. I know, for instance, that Amata's mother died when she was two. Here, I pushed it back to when she was eight.
Also, despite the fact that both fan bases are primarily male, I'd definitely like some female feedback on this. Mostly, because a significant portion of this is from Amata's P.O.V. and deals with her feelings.
Do enjoy and let me know your suggestions on how this should go.
Prologue: Life and Loss 101: Welcome to the Wasteland
“You can't!†a blonde shouted from a kneeling position, holding her wounded leg,
“I have to!†a male with an eye patch replied as he stood in front of a portal.
Wind was blowing everywhere. Dust and dirt was being kicked up and neither one could hardly keep their eyes open.
“Xander! You can't do this!†the blonde shouted.
“Sorry, Buffster, it's the only way,†he replied. He then turned and stepped into the portal.
-----
Alexander Harris sat up quickly in his bed, his face covered in a cold sweat.
The dreams were always so vivid, though the characters sometimes changed. At times there was a Buffy, others a Willow. Some even had a man named Giles, a lovestruck pre-teen named Dawn, a busty brunette named Cordelia, and a blonde with absolutely no verbal filter named Anya, and a shy loving young girl who had the purest soul to have ever existed named Tara. As far as he knew, he'd never met those people, had never seen them before in his life and yet... They were familiar and he always dreamed of them.
He made his way to the bathroom, shutting the door and then clicking the light on. There was no sense in waking his father after all if he could help it. He turned on the water to the sink faucet, letting it run a bit before cupping his hands, catching the water and throwing it on his face. He then took a towel and dabbed his face.
Once that was done, he took a look at himself. He was distinctly lacking in the scars of his dream and still had his eye, though admittedly, the eye patch did look bad-ass.
He sighed. “Why do I keep having these dreams?â€
Turning off the water and hanging up the towel, he shut off the light and tried to make is way back to his room unobtrusively.
“Again, Alexander?†asked the voice of his father.
“I didn't mean to wake you,†Xander replied. Only his dad called him Alexander. Most simply referred to him as Harris, though his friends called him Xander, a named bestowed upon him by the girl who became his best friend Amata.
“It's quite all right, son.†James told him in a soothing tone. “Though I wish you wouldn't try to hide them from me. Which one was it?â€
“The portal one,†Xander informed his father.
James nodded. “The one with that girl with the strange name?â€
“Buffy,†Xander supplied. “Why do I keep having these dreams?â€
“I don't know,†James told him with a frown. “Have you been taking those meds I gave you?â€
Xander shook his head. “I hate how they make me feel when I take them and I'd rather not run the chance of getting addicted to them.†He yawned. “I'm gonna try to get some more sleep, big day and all.â€
James smiled. “Your mother would be proud of you, you know.â€
“I know,†Xander said quietly.
“Have you given any thought to which career path you want to try for?†Xander's father asked.
“A little,†Xander shrugged. “Personally, I think security would suit me best, if it wasn't for the fact that all of them are a bunch of mindless drones.â€
“Xander...†James warned.
“I know...†Xander answered with a long suffering sigh. “I think I might go for maintenance.â€
“You're not so bad at the sciences, despite your grades stating otherwise,†James offered.
Xander smiled. “I'm okay, but I don't have a passion for them like you do. Maintenance might not be the most glorious of jobs- but it is something I could enjoy doing. Fixing things, working with my hands... It's my thing. Besides, I've picked up enough from you that I can do a quick patch job in case of something happening and I'm light years ahead of pretty much anyone else if I come across a programming problem.â€
“Fair enough. At least you won't be a garbage burner...†James conceded. “I'll let you get back to sleep.â€
“Thanks, dad,†Xander replied as he went back to his room. He sat on his bed and tiredly rubbed his eyes and running his hand through his hair. “I so do not want to get up this morning... Shame dad won't give me a pass on taking my G.O.A.T.â€
-----
Two Years Later...
Xander and Amata stood next to one another as the door to the vault opened.
“This is it, isn't it...†Amata said haltingly.
“Amata, I...†Xander began.
“Don't!†Amata replied forcefully, tears welling up in her eyes. “I don't have a clue as to what you're about to say and I don't care! The greatest friend a girl can have is leaving her behind and I have the right to be miserable.â€
“Come with me.â€
“What?†Amata asked in astonishment.
“Come with me,†Xander replied more forcefully.
“I... I can't!†Amata replied. “I can't...â€
“Amata...†Xander replied.
“This... This is where I need to be. My place is here, regardless of my personal feelings,†Amata replied, hardening her resolve. “But you were meant for more... So much more.â€
“More what?†Xander asked as he rolled his eyes. It was an old argument they'd had for years when he'd told her of his dreams. She seemed to believe very firmly that he was destined for greatness beyond all imagining. He thought otherwise, it was just about the only thing he and her father had ever agreed on.
“We'll just have to find out,†Amata replied with a watery smile. Suddenly the door behind them jerked, startling them both.
“Looks like your dad finally realized we bypassed everybody physically and electronically,†Xander stated, “I doubt it will hold too long though... It was a bit of a rush job.â€
Suddenly, reality turned on its' axis as Amata grabbed the lapels of his Tunnel Snake jacket, a gift from Butch for helping his mother deal with the rad roaches, and laid upon him a soul searing kiss.
“Wha-?†Xander replied unintelligibly.
“Go!†Amata replied, spinning him around and shoving him towards the open vault door. “GO!â€
Xander came to his senses when the door behind them came open and he immediately sprinted towards the vault exit. The two security guards completely ignored the heartbroken Amata as she watched the love of her life run off to parts unknown, taking the remnants of her heart with her.
She thought back to the many moments they had shared together, from the great to the not so great and even the truly dismal.
-----
Five year old Amata sat balling in her seat. She wasn't sure what to do or think. It was the first day of Kindergarten and that poopy-headed Christine Kendall broke all of her crayons!
'What am I gonna do!?' she despaired.
“You can share with me,†said a soothing gentle voice. Amata's tear stained face looked up hesitantly and there was the cutest boy she'd ever seen riding in like a gallant white knight, coming to her rescue bearing a bright yellow crayon. Despite knowing him forever, it was as if she was suddenly seeing him in a new light, as if she was suddenly waking up and seeing a brand new world that was previously unknown to her.
“R-really...!?â€
“Really, really,†he said with a smile that made Amata's stomach flutter in ways she'd never felt. Already she could feel her face heating up, but despite how uncomfortable he made her, she decided she liked those feelings.
“Thanks...â€
-----
Eight year old Amata sobbed into Xander's shoulders clutching him onto him desperately as if afraid he was going to disappear too. Off in the distance, Alphonse Almodovar, her father, stood impassively emotionless as James Harris, Xander's dad looked lost and helpless. Xander held onto her tightly as he rubbed her back in comfort.
“She's gone... She's gone!â€
-----
Nine year old Amata held onto Xander as he clutched himself to her, desperately seeking comfort after a night of dreaming of demons and eldritch horrors.
“Amata... I'm scared...â€
Xander, the fearless and brave White Knight, was scared.
Instead of knocking him off the pedestal she'd set him on, it endeared him to her further. Her hero was scared and it wasn't just anyone else he turned to in his time of need. None of the others from school, not an adult, not even his own father, but her, Amata, his best and oldest friend.
Just as always, Amata was a mess of emotions. Brewing from within was a tumultuous mess of feelings that only happened when she was with Xander. The flutters were there, holding him and being held was amongst the best feelings in the world for her. A Xander-hug was unlike any other and made her feel safe and protected in ways that others couldn't hope to replicate. She felt empowered and strengthened as well. She was the rock for the one who had always been her rock, steadying him against the sea of negativity that threatened to overwhelm him. And yet, there was a niggling doubt- a worry about her own intentions: self-doubt, a kernel of guilt at reveling in his pain- not in the pain itself, but in the fact that he'd come to her for comfort.
He'd come to her and she was elated that something had happened that caused him to come to her because HE came to HER.
She also felt the slightest bit of resentment for all of the conflicting emotions Alexander Harris unknowingly invoked in her with barely a thought and hardly a gesture.
And she felt guilt for that too.
'Why does everything have to be so hard?' She mentally grumbled as she rubbed his back like he'd done for her just short of a year prior.
-----
Ten year old Amata stood by nervously as Xander and his father came in. She'd spent so much time on setting up this party that she wouldn't know what she'd do if he said he hated everything.
“How do you like it?†Amata asked, amazed at her own ability to keep her voice steady and the smirk on her face. It was a silly question, she knew that logically. She knew him better than anyone, even his own dad. And yet, at the chance for even the slightest bit of approval, logic flew the coup. While, logically, she knew the question was beyond silly, his answer was anything but. Yet she played it cool. “Totally surprised you, huh?â€
“Totally,†Xander said with a wide grin. The expression then softened, something that happened when he was with her and only directed at her alone. “I love it, Amata. You did a great job.â€
Suddenly, she felt as if she could do anything: leap tall buildings in a single bound, shoot lasers from her eyes, and even power the entire vault all on her own.
She was invincible.
“Betcha never guess what I got you!†Amata challenged a playful smile on her face. It was something of a tradition between them to guess whatever each had gotten the other every birthday and Christmas. Unfortunately, he was up on her 6 to 4.
Xander took a thinking pose for a brief moment. “Hmmm... A date with Christine Kendall?â€
6 to 5.
And just like that her mood plummeted.
'Seriously!? 'Mean' Christine of all people!'
Still, she kept a tight grip on her emotions. Something she had endless amounts of practice doing in the last five years.
After a brief exchange and handing over the Issue #1 of Grognak the Barbarian that she'd managed to get from Freddy Gomez, she finally released the sigh she'd been holding back as she watched him mingle with some others.
“I just don't get what you see in him!†complained Susie Mack, a girl in their class.
Amata shrugged with a small smile on his face. “That's okay. If you did, you'd like him too.â€
Susie simply rolled her eyes in response. Suddenly, a ruckus from across the room drew their attention. “Better keep your White Knight from getting into too much trouble at his own party, Princess.â€
Amata sighed again. “I wish...â€
-----
For the first time in her life, Amata Almodovar, age 16, was utterly and truly terrified. She'd been getting strange vibes from Butch and his gang, Wally more than the other two, and now they had her cornered. She crossed her arms in a futile effort to protect herself, unsure of what she would or could do in this situation, all the while wondering where Mr. Brotch was...
In a move that elated, irritated, warmed, annoyed, emboldened and a mess of other things all at once, there Xander suddenly was, pulling back on Wally's jacket and slugging him in the face. Then, with a move that looked far too practiced, he ducked under Paul's fist and countered with a powerful haymaker, only to take a fist to the face from Butch. Unlike Paul or Wally, who each dropped like a stone, Xander remained standing and countered with a punch of his own, landing two and even three punches for every one of Butch's.
At once, both boys attempted to grapple one another as Paul and Wally began to get up. Amata stood there frozen, unable to act in any way.
“What's going on here?â€
Everyone froze.
In unison, Butch and Xander released each other.
“We're just horsein' 'round, honest,†replied Butch in his most convincing earnest voice. Which is to say, not at all. Mr. Brotch looked as unconvinced as Amata felt.
“Testosterone macho thing and all,†Xander replied. Neither he nor Butch took their eyes off one another.
“Uh-huh...†was Mr. Brotch's disbelieving reply. “Get to class. All of you.â€
“Yeah, yeah...†Butch grumbled as he made his way towards the classroom, Paul and Wally following close behind.
“We'll be there in a minute, Mr. Brotch,†Xander replied.
Edwin Brotch nodded. “Take your time, but not too much time.â€
“Thanks, but I could have handled that myself,†Amata snapped, sounding tough and vulnerable at the same time. “Assholes.â€
“You could have, but you don't have to. Not when I've got your back,†Xander replied.
Amata sighed, feeling like a total bitch. “I'm sorry... It's just...â€
“I get it. I do and I'm on your side. Always,†Xander assured her. She hated it when he said things like that. She'd spent the better part of the last three years trying to get over him and then he goes and says one thing and it starts all over again.
“What if you're not? What if one day you can't be there to stand up for me like you always do?†Amata asked in self-doubt.
“I will always be here for you, no matter what. Even if for some reason I can't be there for you physically, I will always be with you in spirit. Close your eyes and wish hard enough, and I'll overcome whatever obstacles I have to to make my way back and come to your rescue,†Xander vowed.
“My knight,†Amata replied with a smile.
“Your ever faithful servant, milady, Princess Amata,†Xander responded with a grin of his own.
She knew then, that what she felt was no simple crush. She'd fallen deeply, desperately and devastatingly in love with her brilliant, but oblivious, best friend.
-----
Eighteen year old Amata watched as Xander turned around as he made it to the end of the cave, her father's 10 mm gun in his hand, his old BB Gun strapped to his back, Butch's jacket on his shoulders, and his red baseball cap given to him by Officer Gomez. Their eyes met as the guards held a moment of indecision- to chase after Xander or not.
Finally, one of them huffed in derision. “You're dead out there anyway!â€
The other one moved to the control panel. Klaxons sounded as the vault door began to move back into place.
“I love you, My Knight...†Amata whispered.
Xander felt his heart sink as he was slowly cut off from everything he had ever known. He gripped the gun Amata had given him tightly. He felt like he was going to be sick as the lead that somehow made it into his stomach, threatened to bring him to his knees.
Only when the vault door sealed itself, did Xander finally succumb. “Good-bye, Princess...â€
He wept.
Xander was unsure how long he knelt there at the end of the cavern, but it had been at least a half hour. Not knowing what to expect, he at long last stepped into the open world, knowing from the Overseer's files that it wasn't as doom and gloom as they'd always made it out to be.
The world turned white and his eyes burned. He shut his eyes tightly against the onslaught of all natural sunlight.
It was a far cry different from the sunlamps utilized in the vault. He adjusted his hat and blinked his eyes rapidly trying to acclimate himself to the outside world.
As he surveyed the desolate wastes around him, he sighed in despair.
“Welcome to the Wasteland.â€