Blizzard

"Come to me."

He mouthed over and over like a broken record.

The next few seconds came a bit as a blur to her.

Just as she stepped over, Xander appeared from nowhere and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back inside.

Her vision was hazy and unclear.

For the moment, only Xander's seemingly concerned yet indignant expression was visible.

♦

"Hello there sleeping beauty."

A familiar voice called the moment she opened her eyes.

"Xander?"

Xander strode to the bed, smirking teasingly. 

"I know you were expecting your prince charming, but he's out fighting for your life right now."

"What do you mean fighting?" Rena got up, concerned.

"Relax Red. He's probably doing better than you are right now."

Rena pulled a confused face.

"Meaning?"

Xander sat beside her.

"You're getting weaker Irene. At least, your body is."

"But, why?"

Xander looked away, as if regretting speaking the next words.

"Because the darkness in you is getting stronger."

An uncomfortable feeling crept up on her.

"So, what does this mean?"

"Let's leave that up to fate." He smiled assuredly.

"After all, nothing is set in stone, right?"

His rhetorical question left her mind in a daze.

Did he mean there was a possibility she could actually die?

"Where are we?" She asked him, trying to steer her mind away from those thoughts.

"Is this a... Cave?"

The place looked like an unimaginably huge cave, that evidently stretched out for miles on end. Its walls glistened with dark blue lights, and its floors were carpeted. The place also had a somewhat homey feel to it.

"A cave?" He laughed.

"No, Red. We... Are in hell." He smiled evilly as if trying to frighten her.

"Really?" She gasped in surprise.

"Well, not the deep darkest abyss of it, but definitely within its borders." His smile grew significantly.

"Why here...?" She suddenly asked. As far as she knew, they were supposed to be away from, not near the demons.

"What? You're not afraid?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"As long as you're here, not really." Her eyes continued to scan the 'cave', mesmerized.

Surprise flashed in Xander's eyes. He walked closer and sat next to her on the large bed.

"What reason do you have to trust me? You do realize that I could secretly be working with whoever's trying to get to you, right?"

Rena turned to him, unamused.

"Stop trying to frighten me, Xander. You're not good at it." She rolled her eyes.

"Besides, if Darien trusts you, then so do I."

Suddenly, a white puppy ran inside, instantly jumping onto Xander's lap, licking him affectionately.

Rena was stunned into silence for a while. Her thoughts drifted back to Darien.

"He really brought you here huh..." She exclaimed as she reached out to pet the little canine.

"What's his name?" She asked.

"Blizzard."

♦

Rena walked around the place, not getting enough of the unearthly beauty.

"Enjoying yourself yet?" Xander appeared.

"How long do we have to be here?" Rena queried. 

Xander smiled wittingly.

"Already missing your beloved husband I suppose?"

Rena paused in thought. She wondered whether or not to ask. "Can you..."

"Out with it Red. I don't have all night." Xander said impetuously.

"Wait... It's night?" Rena wondered.

"Yes, you slept like a log." A brief smile shone on his face.

"Now ask."

"Can you take me to see... Leo?" She pleaded.

"Please?"

Vinnie had texted her while she was still in the house, informing her of Leo's funeral.

Sandra on the other hand hadn't spoken to her at all, and Rena could guess why.

Xander seemed to consider her request for a minute.

"No."

He said blankly and walked away.

Rena hurriedly followed after him.

"What? Why not?"

"Because if something happens to you... Let's just say I want to live a couple more centuries." She heard him sigh.

"And your husband is known to be quite ruthless to our kind."

Rena didn't give up. She needed to leave and couldn't possibly do it alone...

"But you'll be with me—"

"I think you trust me too much Red." He cut her off.

"I think I trust you just enough." She contradicted.

"Fine." He sighed in resignation.

"Just don't expect me to act as some sort of bodyguard for you."

"Fair enough." She smiled

gratefully.

"Ready to leave now?" He asked.

Rena thought for a second.

"No... I need a change of cloth —"

She'd barely finished speaking when she heard a snap of a finger.

She blinked, and she was wearing a black sundress and a matching trench coat. 

She looked up at Xander confusedly.

"What? It's most fitting for the occasion."  He shrugged, then silently took her hand in his.

"Hold on, we don't want you getting lost in between Earth and Hell."

Instantaneously, Rena felt the world around her begin to spin uncontrollably, a bunch of different colors swirling around them.

She felt her hand begin to slip from Xander's, but he swiftly caught her other hand, keeping her in place.

♦

They stood a distance from the empty cemetery. The funeral had seemingly ended a while back.

"I saw him again..." Rena said absentmindedly.

"You do realize that wasn't him right?" Xander reminded.

"I know..." She said, her voice breaking significantly.

"Just... Seeing his face again..."

She took a deep breath and ultimately walked to his grave, flowers in hand.

Her legs gave way on seeing his name on the tombstone. The flowers dropped lightly beside her.

"Forgive me, Leo." She wept bitterly.

"It's all my fault... I'm sorry." 

At that moment, she realized, he was gone, for good.

"Please forgive me..." She repeated over and over again, her continuous tears falling to the ground below.

Sometime later, Xander walked over to her, kneeling beside her.

"We have to go now, Irene."

"No... I can't... I don't want to..."

Xander sighed knowingly.

"I know you're grieving right now. But you have to realize that those responsible for his death are still out there. And they'll come for you too soon if—"

"Then let them come! Let them take me as well—"

"IRENE!" Xander's voice was raised, an aggravated expression on his face.

"If you think they want to kill you then you're horribly mistaken! They want to use you— the darkness in you— to hurt the ones you care about, and many others!"

Irene looked at him, speechless.

She didn't think she'd ever seen him lose control of his emotions before...

"Don't you understand? You carry within you power so potent and ruinous, even the high-ranked demons are intimidated by. They would've killed you long ago if that was their actual goal." He stood, and looked away from her.

"But if they did, that dark power would lack a vessel, therefore getting released. They're keeping their hands off of you because they fear you might be able to control it. And if you can control it, then you can fight back."

He turned back to look at her with a derisive gaze. 

"But you can't even do that, can you?"

He turned and walked away, leaving her in dumbfounded silence.

...