Dusk by Ruex  

Chapter One Xander fussed with the tie again, staring morosely through the window at the shifting scenery as train rolled on. He hated ties. And this one was green plaid. "Plaid makes me look fat..." He muttered sullently. And was rewarded with a soft giggle from his right. He looked down at the red head curled up in the seat between him and the window and watched absinthe green eyes turn back up to him. They sparked jubilantly. He was forced to smirk at seeing the obvious humor in his companion. "You don't look fat. And stop it." A pair of small hands slapped his away from the tie and began doing it up again. "Well I'm glad to know some one is enjoying themselves with this assignment, Lexine. You after all INSISTED on doing this assignment." Xander replied dryly, but his blue eyes sparkled just as much as Lex's green. "I can do this on my own...no need for you to inconvenience yourself." Lex replied, shifting in his seat. "Right, and let you get into a world of trouble. I think not." Xander replied with a look. Lex giggled. Xander looked him over in the school girl's uniform, with the same green plaid print in the knee length skirt and short tie. They were on their way to a boarding school upstate. A live in boarding school. Lex had begged Chaos for this particular case, they'd judged it as his need to get away from everyone else. But Xander couldn't let him do this alone. Still, a live in boarding school...that was going to be risky. Chaos had enrolled them both in the school as siblings. "Do we even look like high school students?" Xander asked softly. "Yeah, why not?" Lex replied with a shrug. "You don't look THAT much older then me, Xander..." He added with a smirk. Xander chuckled softly. "Thank you, I think." he looked down at the red headed fire elemental. Lex had changed so dramatically in the last eight months since Faal had vanished. There were times Xander was rather afraid for him. It hadn't been that long ago that Nate had found him in his apartment with his wrists slit. Even now, Lex was staring out the window at the scenery with a lost expression. Xander sighed softly and slipped an arm around Lex's shoulders. Things between them had greatly improved, but in a way, Xander wished it had been under better circumstances. Lex had stopped talking to Sands, and pretty much any one else, and had resorted to the idea that the only person he could talk to, was Xander. Xander didn't mind, at least the alluring red head was talking to some one, but it still worried him a great deal. Xander watched as the fire elemental turned slightly and leaned his head against Xander's shoulder. They'd returned to the unoffical status of adopted siblings when things had improved between them. But some times Xander wondered if he should be thinking of Lex as his little brother...or little sister... They stayed that way, the rest of the trip, Lex leaning against Xander. He napped that way for a while, Xander still holding him by the shoulders. Xander read his book or watched the scenery, his arm never leaving Lex's shoulders. It was late afternoon when the train pulled into the little station. Xander shut his book and looked down at Lex who was still asleep, curled up against him. "Lex...sweets. we're here..." Xander said softly, waking the fragile red head gently. Lex inhaled deeply, stretching with a yawn. He blinked sleepy eyes, looking out the window at the late afternoon sky. "There already?" He asked softly, looking back at Xander as Xander finally moved his arm to put his book in his bag. "Yep." Xander said with a slight smirk before standing to get the bags. He looked down at Lex as the red head sat forward, dragging his messenger bag from under his seat, throwing it over his shoulder and getting out of his seat. Xander had the bags and handed Lex his. They were the only two that got off the train. They looked around the empty platform, Xander noticed the sky was incredibly dark, the sun already being vanquished by dark clouds. He noticed Lex shiver, seeing the same thing. "Well, now what?" Xander asked softly. Lex dug in the pocket of his blazer and pulled out a slip of paper, directions to the school. How ever, Xander watched a limo pull up infront of the train station. The driver got out, and started their way. The man grabbed Lex's bag, just as Lex looked up from the paper. "Uh..." Lex started, but the man was carrying his bag back toward the limo. "Wait a second." Xander started after the man as he loaded Lex's bag in the trunk, then opened the back door, turning to them. "The Caine siblings?" The man asked. "Uh...yeah..." Xander blinked as Lex caught up. "I'll take you to the school." THe man said, motioning to the back of the limo. Xander glanced at Lex with a raised eyebrow, but Lex shrugged and Xander slipped in, waiting for the red head. The door closed behind them. "What kind of school sends a limo after new students..." Xander hissed looking around the posh back seat. "Expensive ones?" Lex muttered, settling into his seat as the limo pulled forward. "Okay, so lets review the case." Xander muttered, turning to face Lex, keeping his voice down. "Three deaths, no blood, pin holes in the neck..." "Bites." Lex corrected. "Right, sounds like we're dealing with a vampire. But how?" Xander asked with a look. "It IS a live in boarding school...I'm sure if the vampire is smart enough, he...or she has figured out something to keep out of the light..." Lex muttered. "Kinda worries me, that statement, smart enough...Did you stop to think we could be dealing with a really intelligent vampire, if not a master..." Xander said. "I doubt it would be a master vampire, why take pains in attacking a school?" Lex replied. "I never claimed to know how vampires think...the best I've ever gotten is taking guesses with Rue." Xander retorted with a gesture. The limo wound it's way up and up through hills and Lex could have sworn the sky was getting darker as they went. "Well fuck me..." Xander gave a whistle. "What?" Lex looked around at him and Xander pointed out his window. A very large and rather gothic looking mansion was beginning to come into sight. Lex racked his brain for any descriptions from the massive amount of books he'd read, that fit what he was seeing. He couldn't decide what fit best was the description in Wuthering Heights, or The House of Seven Gabels. "House of Seven Gabels." He said after a moment. "Wha?" Xander looked at Lex as the limo drew closer to the mansion. "Thats what it reminds me of, The House of Seven Gabels." Lex said softly, sitting back with wide eyes. "Never read that one...it was a romance..." Xander muttered. "It wasn't...totally...I mean yus, it had romance..." Lex shrugged. "No...ths place has more then Seven Gables. What else ya got?" Xander glanced back at Lex. "Um..." Lex begin to blush, and he wouldn't look at Xander. "Wuthering Heights..." He said in a whisper. Xander looked at him, then shook his head. "You're a hopeless romantic..." Lex swallowed, still blushing and didn't look at Xander. "Faal read it to me..." He muttered in a whisper. Xander winced. They didn't say anything as the limo pulled through the large stone and wroth iron gates, up toward the mansion.   When it stopped, Xander and Lex slipped out of the back of the limo and stood looking up at the massive gothic mansion as the driver removed their bags from the trunk and led the way into the grand foyer. The inside, Lex discovered, was just as gothic looking as the outside. To the left they could see the dinning hall, full of students. The driver led them up the grand stair case and down a hall, to an office, knocking. "Enter." The driver left them there with their bags and Xander glanced at Lex. Lex shrugged, grabbign his and opened the door, Xander followed him in. The headmaster was seated behind a large desk, the room was small but orderly, stacks of papers on the desk and book cases linning the walls. The man looked up, eyeing them both, and got right to the point. "The girls dorms are in the west wing, the boys in the east. Your'e classes begin at eight sharp, here are your schedules." He handed them two large index cards. "If you leave yuor bags here, they'll find their way to your rooms, dinner is being served now." The man went back to his work with that. Lex blinked and looked at Xander. Xander shrugged and sit his bag by the door, grabbing Lex's, then they quietly left. "Man, this place is already WEIRD." Xander muttered as they decended the stairs. "Why can't this be a NORMAL school..." "We don't do normal, remember..." Lex muttered, pausing out side the dinning hall and swallowing. "Well, little sis. LEts go." Xander gave Lex a gentle push forward. Lex shot him a look, but entered. The tables were already set for dinner, several little tables, food already on them plates and silverware. Xander snagged a table in the corner and pulled Lex into a chair, sitting down. They cast a look around the hall, at all the students chatting and eating, no one seemed to notice their arrival. All the students looked so normal. Lex let his green eyes linger on some for a moment. They all seemed so normal. Then his eyes fell on a group of four in a corner across from them. He blinked, there were two boys and two girls, their skin was pale. One boy's hair was a tawny brown, he was big, and muscular, handsome. The girl sitting next to him, had striking orange hair, cut short, she was small and slender, pixie-ish. Next to her, the other girl's hair was raven black. She was majestically beautiful, nobel looking. But it was the young man sitting at the end or head of the table that Lex stared at, his eyes widening. "Oh no..." He breathed, feeling his heart break a little more, his breathing increase. As if detecting Lex's response, the young man looked up, eyes locking with Lex and Lex inhaled sharply, before he was out of his chair and heading for the door. Xander looked up, "Lex?!" He called after him, "Lexine!" He turned to see what it was that had upset Lex so much and saw the young man and swore. The young man's long hair was ash blonde, and although his skin was paler, he was could have easily passed as Faal's twin. He saw the young man's eyebrow raised with confusion and frustration, watching Lex run from the room. Xander leapt up from his chair and ran after the red head. He caught up to him on the stair case. "Lexi." He grabbed his elbow and felt Lex stiffen, then submit, tears streaming down his cheeks. Xander leaned back against the wall of the stairs and pulled Lex in to a hug, holding him while he cried. He heard some of the students leaving and glanced at the dinning hall, as he held Lex. Then he saw Faal's twin, and the raven haired girl beginning to climb the steps. He studied them a moment, and found his eyes unnervingly drawn to the girl, who looked up toward him with deep green eyes. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as they climbed higher. Lex had sniffled and turned himself, to lean against Xander next to the wall, his head on his shoulder, staring at the steps, until he realized something had Xander's attention and he looked up at the ice elemental with confusion, before following his gaze. He inhaled sharply again, as his eyes met the young man's. His eyes were quiet the same shade of blue as Faal's had been, they were more icy. He was looking at Lex with obvious interesting and a touch of frustration as the two of them climbed the steps. But as they drew level with Lex and Xander, rather close, the young man's look turned to one of total malice and disgust, as if Lex were the nastiest thing ever. Lex couldn't tare his gaze away however, and felt a submissive fear ripple through him, eyes wide in innocent terror. The moment didn't pass until the two, followed by some other students, were at the top of the stairs and disappearing. Xander blinked and felt Lex trembling at his side, he looked down at the red head who was still staring after the two with the wide innocent and fearful eyes. Lex had NEVER seen a look like that before, not from Abandon, and definitely never from Faal, and it scared him. For the moment, they were the only two on the steps. "Lexi, are you alright?" Xander asked softly, his arm still around Lex's shoulders. Lex shook his head. "No..." He whimpered. "Because he looked so much like Faal?" Lex nodded, eyes closed. Xander sighed. "I should take you back home. I can finish this by myself." He said softly, kissing Lex on the top of his head. Lex shook his head, eyes still closed. "No...we're here now, we have a job to do..." He muttered. "Are you hungry at all?" Xander asked, glancing back at the dinning hall. Lex shook his head again. Xander sighed. "I'll take you up to your room then..." He said softly, guiding Lex up the stairs and down the west side. Lex's room was 36 B. Xander pushed open the door and glanced about with a raised eyebrow. It wasn't a big room, but it was richly furnished, a large four poster bed, with hanging draps, an antique writing desk in the corner, a vanity and an armor. The carpet was thick and soft and a dark green as was the hangings on the bed and the covers. Lex's bag sat next to the bed. The red head stepped into the room looking around. Xander leaned against the door frame, watching him. "Lexi..." he said softly. "You giong to be okay tonight?" He asked with earnest concern. Lex sighed, turning back to him. "Yus..." He answered softly after a while. Xander studied him a moment, then nodded. "I better get to my own room." He said, starting to pull away from the doorframe and grabbed the knob to pull the door shut. "Good night, Lexi." "Xander..." Lex's soft voice stopped him and he turned back. Lex moved over to the door as three young women came down the hall, one was the orange haired pixie from the dinning hall. Lex leaned up on his toes and kissed Xander on the cheek with a soft smile. "Love you big brother." Xander chuckled softly and peeked Lex on the forehead. "Love you too, little sis." He was aware the orange haired pixie had stopped, the other two girls going on. "Get some rest." Xander said softly, but seriously. Lex nodded and closed the door softly. Xander sighed and shook his head slightly, turning from the door. Only to find himself confronted by the tiny orange haired girl. "You're new here, are you not?" She asked, her voice musical and eloquent. Xander blinked. "Yeah...my little sister and I just arrived today." He said, it was time to further the story. "We transferred here from our old school outside of Boston." He watched the gold eyes flit to Lex's door. "And you're sister is taking it hard?" She asked. Xander took a breath. "A bit more complicated then that. Our...parents died in a car accident about eight months ago, she's still having trouble adjusting to that." "Oh, I'm so sorry..." There was honest sincerity in the girls voice, but suddenly she was around Xander's side and knocking on Lex's door. Xander hadn't even seen her move. Xander turned around. She moved with the grace of a dancer and was quiet attractive. Her knock on the door was soft. After a moment, Lex opened the door, having already changed into an oversized night shirt, hair hanging loose. Lex blinked, looking at the girl, then at Xander. The girl smiled brightly, friendly and charming. "I'm very sorry to intrude, but your brother just told me about your parents. I'm very sorry. My name is Alice Collins. And since you are new here, I would be very happy to show you are tomorrow." Lex blinked, but smiled shyly. "Thank you very much." He said softly, before adding. "My name is Lexine Caine, that's my brother, Alexander." Alice beamed. "Its very nice to meet you and I'll introduce you both to my brothers and sister tomorrow morning. Good night!" She said cheerfully with a wave and skipped off down the hall. Or did she dance...Xander couldn't be sure, but she moved with such grace, a ballerina would be jealous. Lex glanced at Xander, Xander shruged and Lex shook his head, before closing his door with a half hearted wave. Xander sighed and turned, heading for the east wing and his own room.   tbc....

 

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