Closing time...

TITLE: Tales of a Barman
AUTHOR: Methos (Methosivanhoe@hotmail.co.uk)
DISTRIBUTION: If ya want to host it somewhere else just tell me where ya putting it ok? ;)
DISCLAIMER: Ok, Xander belongs to Joss Whedon. Gil Grissom belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer television.


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It had been a quiet day at the bar; the usual customers had drifted in and out all day. The snow had really slowed down business for the last few days, that and all the reports on the news about a killer were keeping the customers inside.

Xander looked round the bar, he had maybe four customers left, they were all sat minding their own business so he went back to reading his newspaper. ‘Four teenage girls dead in local news, local police have asked the Las Vegas crime lab for help catching the killer.’

“Humph.” Xander let loose a snort of amusement, any killer running round Cleveland would run into the slayers soon enough. Let him see what he makes of girls with superhuman strength. Buffy and Faith would be out patrolling as well, making sure it wasn’t a demon or vampire killing their way through the city. He was interrupted when the door opened and someone walked in through the door, letting in the cold air and snow for a minute before closing it carefully.

“You got a phone in here I can use?” the man asked. He was old, well not old, sort of middle aged but the grey hair and beard gave him a distinguished look.

“Sure, just there by the disabled.” Xander said, motioning over to the payphone on the other side of the bar, screwed to the wall beside the entrance to the disabled toilet.

“Thanks.” The customer said walking by. “my car broke down about a block up the road, need to get someone out to pick it up, forgot to charge my cell before leaving and I’ve got some quite delicate instruments in there.”

“Sure thing, dial the number and drop the quarter when someone answers.” Xander smiled at him before going back to reading his newspaper.

The customer phoned the Auto national Rescue before hanging up and then dialing another number, there he asked for someone called Catherine. “Hey, what’s the name of this place?” he asked, calling across the room.”

“Nights, it’s on fifty third and fourth.” Xander grinned. He could tell from the accent this guy was from out of town. His friend probably was as well, she’d need directions how to get here.

“Thanks.” he went back to his phone call for a minute before hanging up and walking over to the bar. “Well rescue won’t get here until tomorrow, a friend is going to swing by and get my stuff out of my car then come here and pick me up. She might be while or so though, do you serve hot drinks as well or just alcohol?” he asked, pulling up a bar stool.

“Hot drinks as well,” Xander said, putting his newspaper away and smiling at the customer. “Hot chocolate, Coffee, tea… proper English stuff as well.”

The customer raised his eyebrows at that. What sort of bar stocks proper English tea?

“Don’t ask, we have a lot of people asking for it. It’s a long story, so… what can I get you?” Xander smiled at the customer, he was obviously a cop. Laminated badge around his neck and gun holstered at his side.

“Hot chocolate, please.” He said, smiling as he took off his coat and laid it on the back of the stool.

“Coming right up, so what brings you to this area? You’re obviously not a local, can tell that from your accent.” Xander grinned as he made the hot chocolate, steaming it before adding squirty cream on the top of the mug.

“Accent?” He asked, paying for the hot chocolate. “I wasn’t aware that I had one.”

“Yeah, it’s subtle but there. Guess I can spot it more because I’m not from around here.” Xander smiled, pouring himself a coke and watching the customer as he scraped off the cream with his finger and took a sip of the chocolate. “Xander.” He said, holding his hand out.

“Gil, Gil Grissom.” Smiling he took the offered hand and shook it. “May I ask where you are from then? I can pick up the accent but I’m having trouble placing it.”

“California, little place just down from LA.” Xander smiled and took a sip of his coke. “Sunnydale? Place that sank into the earth a year or so back.”

“Oh, right. I remember reading something about that in the scientific journals at the time; it was interesting that Sunnydale wasn’t on any sinkholes or seismic lines. A mystery to be unraveled.” Gil smiled; Sara had loved reading about that for months afterwards. It was sort of her pet project to try and find out what had happened to the town.

“Yeah, the local police investigated it but never found anything, just a mystery I guess. So what are you doing here? Police?” Xander said, carefully changing the subject.

“Forensic scientist.” Gill said. “The local boy’s called us in to help with a case they are working on.”

“Oh, you’re the crack Vegas team then? There was something in the paper about you this morning.” Xander said as he pulled the paper up onto the bar and found the page. “Here you go.”

“Hmm, so much for a quiet arrival.” Gil said, glancing at the paper that said that the team were coming to help with the murder investigation.

“You guys must be pretty good if they’re pulling you in from Vegas to help.” Xander noted how the paper had called them ‘an elite team of forensic scientists’.

“We’re just here to interpret the evidence, after that the case speaks for itself.” Gil hated it when his team was put under the spotlight; he worked best from the sidelines, keeping a low profile.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve got a group of friends like that; they help out with little things here and there in the city but try and stay away from the cameras. Something about not being able to be as effective when people are watching their every move.” Xander smiled, thinking back to the days in Sunnydale when they would go out patrolling every night.

“Exactly, we had a case like that a few months back when one of my team was kidnapped and buried alive. The media got hold of the story and made our job ten times harder by following us everywhere. We barely got to him in time.” Gil flinched at the memory. Nick was still having trouble sleeping at nights and had to see a therapist weekly.

“Buried alive huh? That happened to one of my friends, maybe we should get them together sometime, get them talking.” Xander grinned at the thought of seeing Buffy again; it had been too long since they had talked. She never came into the bar, it reminded her too much of the bar back in Sunnydale where he had sold her tainted beer.

“Did they catch they guy that did it?” Gil asked, straightening up in his chair. Being buried alive wasn’t a normal case, he could count on one hand how many cases he’d heard of that involved people being buried alive.

“Uh, yeah. Wasn’t that big a story, didn’t make it to the papers or anything. she was only buried for a couple of hours, managed to escape by digging her way back up to the surface.” It was the truth, technically. She had been dead when they buried her, she just revived in the coffin and dug her was out of her own grave.

“Still I would like to talk to her sometime, if you could give her my card I would be grateful.” Gil said, pulling a card out of his wallet and sliding it over the bar.

“Gil Grissom, Las Vegas crime lab.” Xander read aloud. “I’ll pass it along, can’t guarantee she’ll phone though. She doesn’t like to talk about it much.” Xander laid the card on the back of the bar. He had no intention of passing it on to Buffy, no reason to dig up old wounds.

“Thanks.” Gill smiled and drank some more of his hot chocolate.

“Damn bugs.” Xander shouted, stamping his foot down on something that was crawling behind the bar.

“May I see?” Gil said, leaning over to see if he could get a better look.

“Uh, sure.” Xander was a bit taken aback by this. It wasn’t every day that someone asked to see a bug he had just squished. Picking the body of the bug up he placed in on a napkin and laid in on the bar.

“Popillia japonica, it’s a Japanese beetle.” Gil said, examining the bug. “Quite a lovely specimen too. It’s a plant eater. You may have a nest of them in the plants here, or in the garden opposite. They probably just flew in here to escape the snow outside. They’re harmless though, may I?”

“Sure, knock yourself out.” Xander said as Gil folded the napkin up and placed in it a small plastic bag.

“I collect them, quite interesting really. Did you know the Japanese beetle has no natural predator in the United States? It has several in its native Japan but not over here.” Gil smiled, finishing off hit hot chocolate.

“Maybe it does have a predator and you guys just haven’t found it yet. Another?” Xander smiled, motioning to the empty cup.

“I doubt it. Scientific journals have studied ever species of predator that eats insets, none of the predators found in the United States specifically hunt this species of beetle. Yes please, thank you.” Gil smiled, it really was quite a comfortable bar and the barman was easy to talk to. Even with the eye patch he still seemed to have an open and honest face.

“Hey, it’s your hobby not mine. I just serve the drinks.” Xander grinned as he passed over the hot chocolate.

“It’s a science not a hobby, entomology is a recognized science.” Gil said, paying for his drink and sitting back on the stool.

“Cool,” Xander grinned as he waved goodbye to one of his regulars. Walking over he picked up the empty pint glass and turned up the volume on the television.

‘fifteen year old girl found dead in local park last night, the police are interested in speaking to anyone who knows these two woman’ the voice stopped and a picture came up showing a grainy CCTY image of Buffy and Faith walking into the park. ‘Who were seen entering the park late last night. Police are anxious to speak to anyone who has information regarding the whereabouts of these women.’

“Another one, damn.” Xander muttered as he turned the TV off, looking round he saw Gil looking round the bar with interest.

“Wasn’t that your two friends there?” Gil asked, motioning to the pictures of Faith and Buffy behind the bar.

“Dunno, didn’t get a good look at the image.” Xander lied smoothly.

“Well, when you see them would you ask them to come down to the station. It would help the investigation a lot if we could rule them out as suspects.” Gil could tell the kid was lying; he’d studied people for years.

“Sure, don’t know if it would help though.” Xander said as he started putting chairs on top of the empty tables.

“You never know what could help in an investigation like this, anything could help us. Are you closing up now? I can wait outside if you need.”

“Nah, I’m good. Besides it’s freezing out there, your friend could be a while yet. Just sit and enjoy your hot chocolate while I tidy up.” Xander grinned as he walked back behind the bar and started restocking the fridges.

It was an interesting bar, interesting barman. Gil looked around; the bar seemed quite old with the varnish flaking off the wood in some places. But in others the objects looked brand new; the televisions were definitely new technology, large flat screen with speakers mounted on the sides. The back bar was interesting too; there were pictures of people, obviously friends from the way they were autographed and then one of a man wearing ladies underwear. ‘Xander, don’t know how you found this photograph but I will repay the favor. Rupert Giles.” Was scrawled on the photo I nice flowing handwriting.
Beneath the pictures was a sword, quite an old one by the look of the hilt. It looked like it had been used, from the worn edges of the blade he would say that it had been used a lot.

“What’s with the sword?” He asked, causing Xander to look up from the bottles and take notice of him looking around.

“Oh that, some customer gave it to me for my trophy wall. Said it was a famous replica or something.” The practiced lie fell off his lips with ease. Ever since Methos had given him that sword, everyone who came in asked about it. He’d even had a few immortals ask where he got the thing from. “I collect things, you know if I have an interesting customer, or a weird one.” He said, grinning. “I ask them to donate something to the wall. Make’s a conversation piece for the locals.”

“I’ll bet, certainly an interesting collection of photos.” Gil said, drinking the last of the hot chocolate.

“Yeah, old friends from growing up, here’s one of them now.” Xander grinned as he motioned to the opening door. “Hey Will’s”

“Hi Xander. Oh, you still have customers. Is it too late for a Xander special?” Willow smiled, sitting down on a bar stool next to Gil and shaking her hair to relieve it of the snow.

“Never too late for you will’s.” Xander smiled, reaching for a glass and some spirits.

“Hi, Willow.” She smiled at the customer. “You new here? Don’t think I’ve seen you around.”

“Gil, Gill Grissom. I’m just passing through; Xander here was kind enough to let me use his phone when my car broke down. I was just waiting for my ride and admiring the photos.”

“Cool, yeah some nice ones of the old gang. See, that’s me right there.” Willow grinned, pointing up to the photo of her and Kennedy.

“Sister?” Gil asked, he was trying to watch as Xander made his cocktail. Blue Boll’s, Amaretto, and the willow had spoken, distracting him as he looked up at the photo.

“Girlfriend, ex Girlfriend. I’ll have to get you another picture sometime Xander. One that doesn’t have her in it.” Willow said, turning away from the photo. It had been hard on her when she had found out the Kennedy was cheating on her, Buffy had gone mad. Kicking Kennedy out of the school and telling her to get out before she did something she would regret. Willow still found herself crying at night, trying to forget the good times they had together.

“I’m sorry.” Gil said, he never was good with people. Insects yes, people no.

“It’s ok, you weren’t to know.” Willow said, forcing a smile on to her face.

“Here you go Will, one Xander special.” Smiling Xander slid the drink across to her.

“Thanks Xander. He makes the best cocktails in Cleveland, maybe even America. His special is to die for.” Willow smiled, taking a sip of her drink. It was a sweet cocktail that Xander had introduced her to a few months back. The taste reminded her of some sweets she used to eat when they were back at high school, she couldn’t place the name of them though.

“May I?” Gil smiled as she nodded, reaching for a straw out of one of the bar tidies he slid it into the purple and blue drink and took a sip. “Parma violets.” He said softly, smiling at her.

“Parma Violets!” Willow shouted, grinning. “I could never remember those.”

“I was more a fan of ‘pretzel flipz’ myself.” Gil said, looking at her. She had the most amazing green eyes, and short red hair that just accentuated her elfin looks.

“Pretzels and chocolate, that’s just wrong.” Xander grinned, pouring himself a pint of coke before taking the nozzle off the dispenser and dropping it into a jug of soda water.

“Says the man who likes bacon and nutella sandwiches.” Willow smiled as Xander stuck his tongue out at her.

“Bacon and nutella,” Gil mused, that was a new one. Sounds like something Nick would try though. “I’ve got a friend that might like that; I’ll have to mention it to him.”

They all turned as the door opened, letting another blast of cold air and snow into the warm bar.

“Catherine, hi.” Gil said, raising his mug and finishing off the hot chocolate. “Did you find it ok?”

“The car was right where you said it would be, come on Grissom we haven’t got time for this, we’ve got another crime scene to get too.” Catherine was obviously angry about something, and Gil, being the smart man that he was, wasn’t about to argue.

“Right, well thank you for the phone and the hot chocolates. I’ll be sure to bring my team back this way before we leave. Xander, Willow.” Gil nodded to each of them in turn before pulling his jacket back on and making his way over to Catherine. “Oh, don’t forget to give my card to your friend. I’d still be interested in speaking to her.”

“Sure will, have a good night you two.” Xander smiled, waving at them as they left the bar.

“Seemed like a nice man.” Willow said as she watched Xander move round the bar and lock the door. Bolting it tight and then turning the main light off.

“Yeah, he was one of the Vegas crime lab team that the police asked to come down and help with the killer.” Xander explained.

“Oh, that’s what I came to tell you. It wasn’t a human killer, Buffy and Faith found it last night. It was some sort of Ubilam demon; it takes the souls of young girls and uses them to feed its young. It had just killed another girl last night when they found it; they were too late for the girl though.” Willow grimaced; Buffy had told her about how they had found the demon killing the girl in the park. She chopped off its head spraying herself and Faith with all sorts of demon goo. Buffy had burned those clothes the same night; some demon goo just doesn’t come out.

“Cool, no more killings then. We’d better be on the watch for Gil and his team though. The newspaper said they were the best at what they do. If there is something left on the body, they’ll find it.” Xander said nervously as he sat down on the chair next to Willow.

“The only thing they will find is some demon goo on the body, I’d love to see them try and classify that.” Willow giggled at the thought of a forensic scientist running a DNA test on demon blood.

“Still… I think we’d better watch our backs while these guys are in town. The police didn’t get them to drive all the way from Vegas for nothing.” Xander said, taking a mouthful of his cola.

“Maybe, I’ll tell Buffy, Night Xander.” Willow said, finishing her drink she put on her coat and slipped out the back door.

“It’s going to be an interesting week.” Xander muttered to himself as he walked back behind the bar and started taking the beer nozzles off and placing them in the jug of soda. He was about finished when he noticed Gil’s card on the back of the bar. Picking it up, he grabbed a pin out of the box and pinned the card to the wall under Buffy’s photo. “Another one for the wall.” He grinned, as he turned off the lights and started up the stairs.


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AN: Ok, for those of you that want to know the cocktail I used for this fic... it’s quite a popular one where I live. I used to be a barman so I know my way around spirits quite well. 25ml Blue Bolls, 25ml Amaretto, filled up with lemonade and a dash f blackcurrant in the top. Don’t stir. :)

Well, another satisfied customer at Xander’s bar, next?

M