Xander walked down the darkened highway with a quick pace. He had a bad feeling about this night. One he didn't want to have to deal with. Unfortunately he was the only Scooby around. Besides, he had dealt with this problem before. He saw the parked Dodge Pickup as he went and thought he saw two people in the cab. With quick steps he moved forward and knocked on the window. Dawn turned her head toward the glass and gasped in shock and fear.
"Get out of the truck and get to the house. NOW!" Xander screamed with an angry voice. Dawn quickly buttoned her shirt and jumped out of the truck. She ran quickly down the road toward her house. Xander looked into the truck and saw the driver. A man that didn't know how bad he had just screwed up.
"You! Get the fuck out of the truck."
"Nothing happened man." The guy said quickly holding up his hands. Xander looked at him for a moment before speaking.
"Two seconds. That's how much time you have to get out of this truck. If your not out in two seconds I'm going to drag your ass out." The growl that was uttered was not something the man could run from. He slowly opened his door and stepped out. Xander walked around the front of the truck and came face to face with a man that stood about his height.
"You don't know it buddy but you fucked up. How old are you?" Xander was angry, every movement stiff, every world ground out.
"Seventeen." The guy answered quickly. Xander smirked.
"That's funny. MIKE. The last time I talked with you ,you said you were twenty four and mad that your wife left you." Xander's words made the man freeze.
"I don't remembe..." That was as far as the young adult got as Xander lashed out with a right hook knocking the man against his truck. As the man bounced off the front fender Xander threw a left cross slamming a closed fist into the man's jaw hard enough for the guys baseball hat to go flying off, landing in the center of the road. Xander didn't stop his attack as he lashed out with a foot that connected solidly with the mans mid section. He then slammed his right hand down on the back of the mans neck sending him to the ground.
"What the hell?!" Amanda, Dawns friend yelled as she and another young man walked up to the truck.
"Go to the house Amanda." Xander said with a clear and angry voice that made the young girl run as fast as possible toward her friends house. Xander watched as the young man he knew as Mike stood and started to lift his head. Xander still angry with adrenalin pumping through his veins began to walk toward the man who was backing away.
"Ya know Mike," Xander started with an almost friendly voice," I thought I was an asshole, I've done some things in my life that weren't noble, But I've never tried to take advantage of a sixteen year old girl."
"I didn't.." Mike started till Xander open hand slapped him with his right hand.
"I don't care, so shut up." Xander said and continued to walk toward Mike who was backing up.
"I don't want to fight you." Mike said with a clear and slightly whining voice.
"You know how to avoid a fight Mike?," Xander asked but continued without receiving an answer, "Don't fuck with somebody." Xander finished the words as he swung with another right hitting Mike in the left eye and knocking the young man to the pavement once again.
"That's enough man." Mike's friend yelled from afar. Xander didn't look away from the man on the ground at his feet as he answered.
"Do you want this instead!!?" Xander screamed and no more words were heard from the other man. Xander turned and looked down at Mike.
"You bleeding?" Xander asked with no feeling.
"Yes sir." The man on the ground answered.
"Really? Your lip, your eye, and your nose?" Xander asked still no emotion present.
"Yes sir."
"Do you think your bleeding enough?" Again no emotion could be heard. The voice was flat and unreadable.
"Yes..sir." The man answered. Xander stepped back and watched as Mike stood to his feet.
"You and your buddy over there get in your truck and leave, before I beat both your asses. If I see you anywhere, the mall, the pool hall, fucking recess at the local elementary school, you'll be a lot worse than you are now." Xander said as the young man began walking toward the truck.
"Can I get my hat?" Mike asked. Xander didn't laugh.
"Hell no you can't get your hat. Get the fuck out of here." The young man nodded and both men opened the truck doors, sat in the seat, started the truck and left. Xander watched them leave before he looked toward his new destination. The Summers home.
Xander walked in the front door finally noticing that his hand was bleeding. He looked at Dawn and Amanda who sat on the couch both teenagers crying. Both young women looked at Xander's hand and looked suddenly ashamed. The crying increased. Xander moved to the kitchen quickly and opened the cabinet that housed all the first aid equipment in the house. Taking a bottle of peroxide he quickly cleaned the cut on his smallest knuckle and put a large Band-Aid there to stop the blood flow. After he had a talk with Dawn and Amanda he would bandage it better. He moved and stood across from the two sitting girls.
"Ya know, I was scared shitless when I checked the bedroom and neither of you were there." Xander started speaking mostly to Dawn.
"That guy was at least two years older than me damnit. Did either of you even think?"
"He said he was seventeen." Dawn said with a tremble in her voice, "Besides nothing happened, I told him no."
"Yeah, you said no, then why did you have to button your shirt before you got out of the truck?" Xander asked with an angry look on his face.
"Dawn, you have to learn some responsibility. Your grounded, for as long as I see fit, and I swear I will not be as lenient as Buffy." Xander was angry, very very angry. Dawn looked up quickly and locked eyes with the young man. Then she saw the disappointment in his brown orbs and looked down fresh tears beginning to fall. Xander did not fold.
"And you," He said as changing his shift to Amanda," Your parents will hear about this. As will Buffy." Xander stated before turning and beginning to walk from the room.
"Don't move from that spot till Buffy gets back from patrol." Xander stated with a cold voice that spoke volumes to both girls who continued to cry.
The next day was decidedly cold in nature, not the weather, but the atmosphere surrounding Xander was certainly chilled. Dawn had tried to speak with the young man only succeeding in getting him to walk away from her. It was a surprise for the young girl when heard the door to her home open and Xander walked in.
"Xander..." Dawn started hoping to get enough time to say all the sorrys in the world. In different languages even. Xander simply held his hand up silencing her.
"You disappointed me Dawn. WE had a conversation along these lines not six months ago. You let me down Dawn Patrol, and I'm not sure I will ever trust you again." Xander was saddened as he spoke the words he had been dwelling on since Buffy's scream fest the night before.
"The only reason the idiots not in jail right now is because I'd be going to. I lost my temper and I assaulted him, rightly so, at least in my eyes." Xander stated quickly.
"I wasn't kidding about the grounding either. Buffy said the rest of your life so I'm saying until you get your wings."
"I'm sorry Xander." Dawn said with pure emotion.
"You can say sorry a million times Dawnie, it doesn't amount to anything." Xander turned and walked through the door knowing that in a few months all this would be behind them. The entire episode would be in the past and maybe Dawn will have matured enough to have some responsibility and common sense. He knew that it was all be a moot point in the distant future. But, Xander Harris had never thought that far ahead. For now, Dawn could sweat that she lost his friendship, when the only thing she really lost was his respect. And respect could always be re-attand.
NO SEQUEL (I hope)
A/N: This took roughly fifteen minutes to write, sorry had to get it out of my head.