Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 339

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Andrew feels a little guilty about this entire scenario.
Word Count: 1696
Rating: Teen
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS

         Andrew just kind of...feels awful. Sure, he can serve as backup, for moral support and baked goods. That’s kind of what he’d been even when he’d been a hostage, and it’s nice, he takes pride in it, because hey he’s good at something and no one’s taking that from him. But here he is, and the thing that could help is chatting up a handsome guy, Officer Davidson, or, his first name, which he’d insisted on, Jasper. When Xander doesn’t get to do the same thing.
         Some of them were more surprised. Andrew wasn’t, really. The Scoobies, even Mr. Giles, didn’t exactly seem exactly heterosexual. Okay, yeah, Willow was, oddly enough, the odd one out, there, because from his frantic searching online he’d stumbled across the concept of sexual fluidity and given that he’s never heard her actually say anything about guys since he’s known her but apparently had crushes and dates with guys when she was younger, he thinks it applies. Not that he’s ever actually going to ask her. She might not be skinning people alive anymore, but Dark Willow will forever be a scary nightmare, and even if she’s not going to go there anymore ever, he doesn’t really want to spend a little time as a rat or anything else, either. Or be glared at. Her glare is kind of scary, too.
         But Mr. Giles had dated both. And Xander was given to the occasional appreciative comment about everyone, especially Spike (okay, he’d spent a little too long paying attention to Xander and the things he said because he thought the was the sexiest Scooby, aside from Spike, and maybe had a few fantasies, sue him). If anything, Andrew was kind of shocked it’d taken this long for Xander to actually say out loud, but then, maybe he’d been in denial or—
         Actually, it doesn’t have to be that dark or upsetting. Maybe it was just that he’d been dating and engaged to Anya, and before and after, he’d just kept ending up in situations where women took the initiative and asked him out. He wasn’t really a ‘take charge’ kind of guy, most of the time. Maybe if a guy actually took the initiative and asked him out, he would’ve said yes. Which makes him wonder, for a moment, what would’ve happened if he’d worked up the courage, back then, before he shoves that thought right back into the closet, because a few things belong in there and that is one of them. The timing sucked, and he would’ve just been a rebound, after Anya, so. It’s probably better for both of them it never went there.
         But he’s here. He’s getting to chat up a cute cop, when Buffy got attacked by the Siphon and Willow’s single again and Xander’s mom got a bunch of years of her life and returned in slightly less than the best shape, and Giles is feeling guilty about everything and brooding, and Angel is dead, and all these people he doesn’t know too well went through so much, and that’s not even mentioning Xander.
         Because just like the rest of his life, Xander’s been through so much. He’s completely blind, now, even though no one can figure out how that’s happening or fix it using magic (which in of itself Willow has taken entirely personally, and she might be diving a bit too much into the magic again, which makes Andrew specifically a little more nervous than the others). And somehow he’d been stabbed in the shoulder, and gotten a whole new family, and turned himself into an eldritch being, somehow, and been at the scene of a crime, and made new friends, and gotten a crush on a handsome Brit he can’t even talk to like Andrew’s getting to because the bloke has gone missing. And okay, yeah, so it’s not his fault. This time. He hasn’t summoned any demons or cast any spells, but it still feels like it’s his fault, somehow, that he’s having a good day and Xander—or Jojo, or Johan, or whatever—is having a terrible one. Even though that’s not how any of this works and he knows it. (And Xander simultaneously likes and will answer to any of the names, but feels weird about it, and no matter how much he tries to hide his pain behind smiles and quips he’s definitely in pain and maybe he’s fooling some people, but most of the people who know him well enough—no, no sir.)
         Which makes him feel, simultaneously, more and less relieved when Jasper actually looks a little serious and solemn when he meets him. No fun small talk, apparently, though it’s interesting that he’s less at ease now than when he was talking about a serial killer.
         Hopefully. Hopefully this isn’t another serial killer thing, because the last time that happened was enough for a lifetime, and this from a guy whose job it is dealing with the worst of the worst demons. From a distance, sure, but still. Humans are scary.
         His tired smile lights up a little when he sees Andrew, like that’s one of the only things keeping him upright through the exhaustion. Though maybe the look is half for the tea. Because Giles had given him a rather stern lecture about British hospitality and tea, and he’s been stationed in England long enough it’s pretty much second nature. Rather than Jasper’s usual teasing, he gets straight to the point. “The files I gave you? They’ve been filed as a Rainbow Case, so unless you specifically request my help, I’m reassigned.”
         He says that like it’s a term Andrew’s supposed to know. Maybe it had to do with his previous position as a contact for the old Watcher’s Council. Courage, he reminds himself. Because he’s pretty sure Xander wouldn’t want him to suffer here, too, even if there’s guilt and envy there. “I don’t actually know what that means,” he admits.
         It takes Jasper a moment to even process that before he laughs. “Of course, sorry. I’ll try to explain it like my superior did for me. We’re not supposed to solve them. I believe our American colleagues have a similar concept, though I don’t know if they retain the terminology. They’re cases we’re frankly not equipped to handle, leading to the loss of officers due to their involvement. A couple cases in West Midlands, Devon, and Greater London, are examples. Anything involving Wolfram & Hart. We turn over everything we have to you lot and let you sort it out, though if asked we can run legwork. Think they favor the Speedwagon Foundation in the Americas, but principles are the same. It does mean your friend Xander’s entirely off the hook. No blokes asking prying questions about what he was doing at the scene of a murder.”
         Andrew considers briefly. From the sound of it, he’s not even owed answers, but...it has to be bothering him, and he’s played things fairly straight (or not, as the case may be) with them so far. In the interests of fairness and continued good terms, he should maybe share what he knows. “If it helps, we’ve figured out most of that stuff so far, and the latest stuff is from America? The files you gave me were caused by a traumatized little girl using her power to replay previous tragedies in a location, but someone’s working on rehabilitating her apparently? The dead zoo guy was killed for the research he was doing for you.”
         Jasper takes a long sip and nods, like he’s been expecting that. He probably was, honestly. He’s needing the caffeine to stop from falling asleep in the chair, Andrew suspects. “One last thing—there’s been a recent rash of bathtub drownings, and most are Wolfram & Hart employees, so they’ve already been filed. It’s too consistent for them to not be related. Unlike the previous killings, water was found in their lungs, but my instincts say it’s the same perpetrator. I’ve taken the liberty of bringing the files, but I thought since I recognized one of the names of the deceased it’d be best to be prepared—interestingly, the only non-barrister of the lot.” He flips open the folder and taps at a name lethargically, and if Andrew has to get a little too close to actually read it right side up, he’s just doing his duty to keep the guy awake, right?
         Dr. Timothy Hawkins. Yep. That’s one of the coworkers, which means he’s probably the harpoon guy, even though he hadn’t given his name to Xander at the time. “Yeah, pretty sure that’s the guy.”
         Jasper sighs, staring, zoned out, at his hands. “I had this feeling before Watcher Butterworth warned me to stay out of it. That this is dangerous.” And Andrew can’t help but swallow, because he is very much not wrong, if all of this is any indication. If the attack on Wolfram & Hart or the fact that this might be the same guy who took out a bunch of Slayers and Witches mean anything. “Please, Andrew, take care. I don’t wish to start over with yet another Watcher.”
         “...You flirted with the other Watcher?” And as Jasper stares blankly, Andrew can’t help but hide his face in his hands, because he’d been doing so well, even if he had switched over to calling him Jasper like he wanted despite wanting that distance of the whole Officer Davidson thing.
         And then Jasper snorts hard enough to rattle the teacup in his hand. “No, and I wasn’t tempted to do so. You, on the other hand…”
         Go for it, Andrew, because you’ve seen you can’t just let a moment like this go, because you have no idea what will happen. “I, um. I promise. As long as you make a promise about a teahouse, or something.”
         “A date?” Jasper yawns, finishing the cup and then standing. “I think I can manage that.” He kisses Andrew’s hand, and then, the really unfair part, Andrew has to walk the guy back out. He’s pretty sure Buffy’s going to tease him—but it’s not the worst, he supposes.