Learning   
by Ruex

"Alexander! Get a move on! We've got somewhere to be!" Rue yelled from the front room. Xander pulled his head back from the window, hearing footsteps moving down toward his bedroom and glanced at the clock. It was only seven pm. He had no idea what Rue was so antsy about. Grabbing his trench coat, the other hand closing the window, he looked up at Rue opened the door. She was decked out in a long black dress, her red hair pulled high. The dress was slit high, revealing those incredible legs. Xander let his dark blue eyes travel over her curving frame appreciatively. "As much as I enjoy your appreciation for my body, Xander, LETS GO!" Rue stressed, grabbing his hand. "Jus' where are you dragging me off to now?" Xander asked, pulling on his coat as she dragged him down the hall. "You'll find out soon enough." Rue replied evasively. "Have fun." Jasmine called from the kitchen and Xander cast her a weary look which Jasmine only returned with a smirk. Rue kept the knowledge of the location to herself through the entire drive, so Xander eyed the little art gallery with a roll of his eyes as she parked. "Oh, I see, I get to play boy toy again..." He remarked with a half amused look. The things this woman dragged him into. He glanced at the gallery and noticed it was closed. Rue shut off the engine of her jaguar and turned to look at him. Then she surprised him by leaning across the seat and kissing him softly. "Nope, tonight's all about you, Xander. Come on." She gave him a nudge to get out of the car and opened her own door, meeting him as he got out, still wearing the surprised expression. "What do ya mean it's all about me?" He asked raising an eyebrow. "You'll see." Rue said with a grin, taking a key from her purse and grabbing his arm. She led him up to the door and unlocked it, opening the door and gesturing for him to enter. He eyed her suspiciously and slid past her into the dark gallery. With the lights off, it was impossible to see any of the paintings really. Xander cast a look around the wide room, several different size canvases on the wall. "Not this room." Rue said, taking his arm again after she'd closed the door and she led him toward a stair case. "Rue, what are you up to?" Xander asked, suddenly uneasy. He wasn't used to this kind of attention. Rue laughed softly, hugging his arm. "You'll see, Xander. And I promise you'll like it." "That depends..." Xander answered honestly, casting a look at her. But Rue just returned the look with a smile. "I take it Jasmine knows..." "Of course." Rue answered as they came off the last step into another dark room. Rue led him to the middle of the room. "Now just stay put." She told him, before going back toward the staircase. Xander glanced around, this room was even darker and he could only make out a portion of the canvases on the wall. He knew Rue had no problem seeing, being a half vampire, but some times he rather regretted not being able to see better in the dark himself. Then there was a snap and the lights came on in the room. Xander's eyes widened and he turned in his spot, looking at every canvase in the room, every painting he knew by heart, every brush stroke like the back of his hand. They were his own paintings, right down to the Phoenix in the middle of the wall in front of him. He heard Rue walking back toward him, or was that his heart beat? He didn't know how...Xander smacked himself on the forehead. Of course, Jasmine! "Jasmine arranged this, I take it?" He finally asked when he managed to find his voice, although it sounded a bit breathless. Rue stopped beside him, laughing softly again as she gazed about at the paintings. "Jasmine AND I arranged this. The gallery, which is owned by a friend, will show case your work for three weeks. The Grand Opening and Unveiling is tomorrow night." She replied, turning to look at him. Xander stared at her, unsure what to say or even think. He'd never had any of his work publicly displayed, let alone had any interest shown in it. Except Jasmine and Sylvie, but that was different. This was...this was unreal. "Why?" He finally asked. "Why?" Rue echoed with a laugh. "Good Lord Xander, some times you can be more naive then Lexine." She turned and gestured to the phoenix painting. "This is why, Xander. You're good, you're very good. You've got talent, and it should be seen." She moved away from him, taking in each painting. She stopped at the wall of the paintings of everyone he knew. Nate and Eire as pirates, "I like this one..." She commented with a smirk. "It fits them...especially Eire." "They'll kill me..." Xander moaned. Rue shot him a look. "I doubt it. K will definitely like the one you did of her...Not sure what Auron will think of it..." Rue said with a chuckle turning back to gothic vixen that was Lady Chaos. She moved to the very classical and imposing painting of Jasmine. Xander watched her nervously, it seemed she was looking at this group for the first time. And she was. She stopped infront of the painting of Sylvie. A mediaeval princess. There was a certian quality about it, a certain degree of care to it. Rue titled her head to the side, considering it and smiled warmly, before glancing at Xander. "You really do love her, don't you?" She asked softly and watched Xander blush, and shuffle his feet. "Yes..." He muttered. "Good." She replied still smiling, before moving to the next, Aiyla as a water nymph. "Fitting, Xander...I'm sure Nate will love it." She said with a chuckle. She turned her head and spotted the firey red and gold tones of the portrait next to it. The wide eyed innocent, yet seductive expression on the face of the portrait. It was so close to perfect, it was almost scary. But it was a completely alluring and seductive image. The absinthe green eyes only stood out so much more against the reds and golds. Rue had to laugh softly, and cast a glance at Xander who looked rather embarrassed. "These two... Sylvie and this one, they're your best. Lex might feel a bit scandalized, but you captured that look of his perfectly." "He's gonna hate me..." Xander muttered, looking at the painting himself. "Oh, I doubt it...you two have come to an understanding of sorts, I know." She looked back up and down the line of portraits, before looking at him. "I've just got one question, Xander." He looked back at her. "What?" "How come you never did one of me?" She asked with a mock pout. Xander blinked, before looking around the room. Then he spotted it in another corner, by it's self. "I did." He answered, pointing. Rue turned to look. It was done in dark colors, and she approached the painting. As she did, her smile only increased. It looked like a black and white still from an old detective movie, with the tinest hints of color, such as her dark red hair and green eyes. She was depicted, dressed in a thirties or forties outfit, complete with fur stole and veiled hat, looking everything for a vixen, except there was a certain something that said she was more the reliable, loyal secretary to a PI and indeed, in the background, just over her shoulder under the lamp post was a shadowy figure in a trench coat and fedora, head inclined and smoking a cigarette. There was a title at the bottom of the painting and Rue leaned forward to read it. 'Our Girl, Friday.' Rue laughed out right in a purely delighted way, before turning to Xander. She threw her arms around him, hugging him, still laughing. "I love it! You have no idea what good memories it conjures up." She said, letting him go with a smile. "The question now..." She said coyly, looking back at the painting. "Is that Jack, or is that Boggy?" "The clues are there..." Xander said with a smirk, leaning forward and with his left hand, pointed. Rue looked closer and saw the ring on the figure's own left hand, that held the cigarette and she laughed delightedly again, her eyes going from the painting to the ring on Xander's own hand. The ring she'd given him for his birthday. The ruby and diamond ring identical to the one Humphry Boggart owned. She laid a hand on his arm, with a smile "I suppose the title should have given it away as well...Our Girl Friday." She chuckled. Xander looked at her. "Well, if it wasn't for you, Rue...You've been just that, our girl Friday." "I knew a long time ago, you weren't who you claimed to be, Xander. You just had to realize that for yourself." Rue replied. "And you are, you're learning just to be you. Sylvie's a lucky woman." She added with a smile. Xander blushed slightly. "Couldn't have done it with out your friendship, Rue." "That's what friends are for, Xander. Come on. We have to make some more arrangements and I think this calls for a drink." She said, taking his arm, leading him back toward the stairs. Xander cast a look over his shoulder as she flipped off the lights. "Ya know something...Friday." "Hmm?" Her tone was amused. "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship." Rue's laughter echoed in the room, even after they vanished down the stairs.

 

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  Skye, Ruex, Sage, Washu & Miss Frost .
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