Xander grinned as he looked down at the cover. On it was a grave, a cross and a stylishly draped eye patch. Above was his name (or at any rate his nickname) "Xander Harris" and the title "Surviving the Hellmouth". It looked set to become a best seller. Xander found it hilarious that he would write a book, let alone one set to be so successful. In fact, it was a best seller on pre orders alone. To think so many people wanted to read about him, Xander Harris. But he was a celebrity now; they all were since the truth came out.
The clues had all been there. In LA the sun was blacked out. Then the people of the town became fixated by a woman with God like powers. On live TV a monster emerged from her (although widely believed to be special effects). Suicide rates went through the roof as people were unable to withstand withdrawal.
Not long after a town fell into an earthquake made pit. Completely vanished. It didn't even show up on the Richter scale a few miles outside the city boundaries. And how did the town's people know to get out beforehand?
Across the world girls died by the same method, previously unconnected until a policeman went on holiday and found the town, a country away, had deaths of the same type. All around it emerged people had been dying through blood loss and puncture holes in the neck but it had been hushed up in an attempt to prevent copycats.
At first it was just a few websites. They speculated that horror stories were real, that there was a great conspiracy. Tabloids picked it up. They billed it as signs of lunacy but had the same curiosity in them. Investigative reporters were sent out. Some of the bodies were never found but conspiracy rumours worked overtime. But if so this was BIG. People looking into this were vanishing the world over. Eventually the news stations could ignore it no longer, not with so many people vanishing who were investigating the same thing. These took protection. And they caught the first evidence of vampires.
At first it was widely believed to be a hoax. But more and more people ran the story, the evidence mounted up. It was out.
So the world knew. Vampires existed, demons killed their victims. There was an underground scene that really was underground. But the two biggest mysteries remained. The first was LA. People came to the conclusion that that was all connected, it was too big a coincidence otherwise. And the only followable bit of evidence was the hotel where she stayed. It belonged to a private investigating firm, Angel Investigates. But no one there was talking.
Simultaneously Sunnydale was more closely looked at. And the people who once lived there had a tale to tell. Many spoke of their encounters, they had not come forward before because they would be branded as loony. But know they revealed how their life had been saved by a petite woman and her friends. Her name was revealed; Buffy Summers.
The Scoobies and the AI crew met. They decided to set the record straight. They held a press conference at the hotel and told all. Instant celebrities.
Faith got a pardon and counselling. She, Buffy and all other slayers who were to continue fighting got given support. The military became their back up, the Demon Destroyers as they were known now able to proudly state what they were doing. It was THE unit to be in, although many fought demons now the slayer back up was the Holy Grail of commissions. Giles, Wesley and Fred became The Three. They were the ones you went to for information; they led the research teams but were revered for it.
Angel was hated by many but became a simple for others. He was used as a poster child to show they people could reform that there was a future. Had he wanted he would never have to buy blood again there were so many offers. He trained people to fight and then left. He wanted seclusion so he took Cordelia's body (she had never woken up) and went to a Buddest Temple. He found peace.
Willow was revered. A lot of people were scared of her but as more witches came out it became clear she was one of the most powerful I the world. She opened up a school to reform misguided witches then went and hid away from the attention. She said power wasn't enough, you needed control and at the moment she didn't have that. She couldn't in this media circus.
There were many innocent demons killed. People could not get the message that they weren't all bad. Eventually things settled down and Lorne became a spokesperson for them. He also got his own music show. A new form of Nazis had appeared.
Andrew became a cult hero, the nerd who made good. He became a producer of horror movies and demon documentaries but chose a quiet life for himself. He hadn't been fighting long enough to be considered a real star, not like the other scoobies.
Gunn arranged things so that the 'hoods got back up. His old stomping ground was almost cleared of vampires and he ended up leading AI. He didn't like the attention but he didn't object to the money.
And Xander? He was considered by many to be the real hero. He was the one without training, without power yet he still fought. He may not have saved as many lives as the others but he was reachable. He showed anyone could be a hero. The first scoobies were considered the real heroes. And Xander the biggest of the all.