Chiana let out a strangled sigh as she stalked through the corridors of Moya, her fists clenched in frustration. Everyone was in Command, looking at some spatial distortion Pilot found. John was excited, thinking it could be a wormhole. Zhaan was curious, D'Argo was cautious and Aeryn was suspicious. Chiana was a mixture of all of those things, but she wasn't in Command. Because she wasn't needed there. Wasn't wanted there. "Why don't you stay here, Chiana," she said, mimicking D'Argo. "Why don't you kiss my pale white ass," she growled. But the sound turned into a sob, and she could feel tears starting to form in her eyes.
Chiana kept walking until she was in the hanger bay. She always came here when she wanted to be alone. There were enough places to hide so that she wouldn't be found until she wanted to be. This time she climbed into Aeryn's Prowler. She curled up into a ball and let the tears come.
Her whole life she had been an outcast. Her own people had infected her with a disease and sent her out into the universe to spread it. All she ever wanted was to find her place. Find people who would accept her, care about her. A family.
She thought she had found that aboard Moya, but everyday she seemed less and less sure. She always felt like she only ever had one thing to offer, and that one thing had been the conveyor of the disease. Lord knows how many people she has condemned to death. It wasn't until she came aboard this ship, and met John Crichton, that she started to feel like maybe there was more. He made her feel like she was more, and she thought that maybe she had finally found that home that she had been searching for.
But now she wasn't so sure anymore, about that or herself. Everyone on Moya had a job, a skill, a specialty. Zhaan knew about science and spirituality, Rygel knew about diplomacy and negotiation, Pilot knew every inch of Moya, Aeryn and D'Argo were the warriors, and John was like the glue that held them all together.
But what did Chiana bring to the table? What was her job, her skill?
She was the one they rescued. The one who got in trouble and had to be bailed out.
And now that her and D'Argo had found each other, she couldn't help but wonder if she had been right the whole time. Maybe sex was all she was good for. She loved him, she did, and she was pretty sure he loved her. But still, it hurt.
"Frell!" she exclaimed, banging her fist on the console in front of her. It lit up and hummed to life. Chiana looked up, wiping the tears from her eyes. She could hear the engines starting. Somehow she had activated the preflight sequence on the Prowler. She tried to stop it, but the computer wouldn't accept any of her commands. "Hey, stop!" she shouted desperately. But the ship didn't respond, it just started to lift off. "Oh, frell," she whined.
John Crichton stood on the Command level, looking at the swirling mass of colors before him. "Pilot, tell me what I want to hear," he said.
"The readings Moya is receiving do seem to match those of the wormhole that brought you here, John," Pilot answered. John smiled. "However there does seem to be something additional about this distortion," Pilot added.
"What is it?" Aeryn asked.
"There is a temporal variance between the event horizon and the destination point," Pilot answered.
John's face fell as he turned to face Pilot's image. "How much?"
"Roughly fifteen cycles," Pilot answered. "I'm sorry John."
"You mean that wormhole leads fifteen cycles into the past?" D'Argo asked.
"Fifteen years," John said. "Let's see, that would put it around the turn of the millennium. That's not that bad, I could live in the year 2000. Just stay out of Australia, make sure I don't run into myself." John turned to see everyone else staring at him. "What?!"
"John, you know you can't do that," Zhaan said. "You could seriously damage the timeline. Maybe even cause a paradox."
"She's right John," D'Argo said.
"I know, I know," John said. He blew a breath through his lips as he turned to face the image of the wormhole again, putting his hands on his hips. "Damn," he muttered to himself. "So close, yet so far." What he didn't notice was the look Aeryn was burning into the back of his head. They all stood in silence for a moment before John saw something on the screen. "What the hell is that?" he asked.
"It appears that a craft has launched from Moya's hanger bay," Pilot said, looking down at his controls. "It's Officer Sun's Prowler."
"What!" Aeryn exclaimed.
"Pilot, can you open communications?" John asked.
"I can try," Pilot said.
A moment later the comm channel opened. "HEEEEEEEELP! Somebody stop this thing!"
"Chiana?" Aeryn asked. "What the frell are you doing?"
"Getting kidnapped by this frelling piece of Peace Keeper dren!" Chiana answered. "The controls are locked out, this thing has a mind of it's own."
Everyone turned to Aeryn. "She must have triggered the auto-launch sequence," she said. "Chiana, what were you doing in my Prowler in the first place?"
"Better question, how do we turn it off?" John asked.
"You have to turn off the autopilot," Aeryn said. "But it's keyed to my voice command."
"Can you do it over the comm channel?" Zhaan asked.
"I might be able to," Aeryn said.
At that moment, a burst of static came over the line. "I'm afraid it's too late," Pilot said. "Radiation from the wormhole is interfering with communications." He paused. "And it's gravity is drawing the Prowler in."
"Can we position Moya between Chiana and the wormhole?" D'Argo asked.
"I'm afraid not," Pilot answered. "The gravity is too strong, if we get any closer Moya will be drawn in as well."
The five of them just stood there helplessly and watched as the Prowler disappeared into the wormhole. "I'm going after her," D'Argo said, turning to head down to the hanger.
"D'Argo, no, that's a bad idea," John said, going after him. He put a hand on D'Argo's shoulder. D'Argo growled and whirled around, picking John up by his shirt and pinning him against the wall.
"I will not let Chiana die!" he yelled.
"Listen to me, big guy," John said calmingly. "You walking around on Earth in the 21st Century is a very bad idea. Don't you remember what happened last time?" D'Argo just looked at him oddly. "No, of course you don't," John said. "That wasn't real. Just, trust me, it would be bad. You'll just get yourself killed, and that's not going to help Chiana."
D'Argo let go of him. "What do you propose?" he asked.
"Aeryn and I will go," John said.
"Me?" Aeryn objected.
"Do you see anyone else here that would pass for human?" John asked. "Besides, somebody has to fly your Prowler back. Assuming it doesn't crash."
"It won't," Aeryn said. "There's an automatic landing sequence too. If it's still in autopilot, it'll look for a space port."
"There are no space port's on Earth," John said.
"Trust me," Aeryn said. "It'll land."
"Okay, we better get going," John said. "Bring your sidearm, but only your sidearm. I don't want to draw too much attention."
"John, please be careful," Zhaan said. "This is your own past remember."
"Don't worry, the Farscape project didn't even exist fifteen years ago," John said.
"All the same, it could be very dangerous," Zhaan implored.
"I'll try not to cause any paradoxes."
"John," D'Argo said. "You said that it would be dangerous for me on your world. What about Chiana?"
"We'll bring her back safe D'Argo, I promise," John said. "Pilot, how long until the wormhole closes?"
"According to the energy dissipation rate, I estimate 37 arns," Pilot answered.
"That should be enough time," John said. "Depending on where she lands." John walked over to Zhaan. "I want you to keep an eye on the wormhole," he said. He lowered his voice. "And if we don't make it back in time, don't let D'Argo go after us." Zhaan just nodded. John turned back to Aeryn. "Let's go." Aeryn nodded.
They were halfway down the corridor when John spoke again. "Trust me, it'll land," he said, repeating Aeryn's earlier words. "What did you mean?"
"I didn't want to say anything in front of D'Argo," Aeryn said. "But there isn't enough fuel aboard for the Prowler to maintain orbit. It will have to land."
"And what happens when it doesn't find a space port?"
Aeryn frowned. "There is a programming glitch in the landing sequence," she said. "It finds a space port by scanning for power signatures. If it doesn't find anything that matches, it just picks the largest energy source it can find and assumes that it's a space port."
"You mean the Peace Keepers knew about this glitch and they never fixed it?" John asked, shocked.
"It wasn't a top priority," Aeryn said. "It wasn't exactly something that happened very often."
John reached up and wiped his face. "Oh, god," he said.
"What?" Aeryn asked.
"I just had a mental image of Chiana crashing into a nuclear reactor," John said. "A nuclear disaster wouldn't alter the timeline too much, would it?" John asked sarcastically.
"We'd better hurry," Aeryn said.
The Prowler careened through space and the upper atmosphere of a blue and green world known to the natives as Earth, Chiana screaming the whole way. "Great, this is just great!" she complained to no one. "I know I wasn't exactly happy about my life, but that doesn't mean that I wanted it to end!"
The Prowler broke through the clouds and Chiana looked out to see the ground rushing up, very quickly. She instinctively braced herself and clenched her eyes shut, and she waited. She waited, and waited, but nothing happened. All she could hear was...the engines powering down. She tentatively opened her eyes and looked out to see that she was on the ground. The Prowler had landed itself. "I'm alive?" she said, almost like a question. "I'm alive," said again, more confident, with a smile forming on her lips.
She opened the hatch and stumbled out onto the ground. She looked around and saw that she was standing in the middle of a pile of rubble. Around her were the ruins of a building, and above her through a gaping whole in the roof, the night sky shone unfamiliar stars. "I don't know where I am, but I'm alive." She looked over the Prowler and saw that it looked undamaged. She briefly wondered if her landing had caused the destruction that she saw around her, but there was just too much damage to be done just from the small ship. It looked more like the building had exploded.
She reached up and touched the communicator pin on her shirt. "Pilot, do you read me," she said. "D'Argo? John? Zhaan? Anybody?" But all she got was static. "Great," she mumbled again. "This day just keeps getting better and better." She looked around some more and started walking. She walked through burnt and broken corridors until she reached a doorway that led out into the open. She looked around her. There were trees, and what looked like roads and some kind of ground vehicles. But mostly it looked deserted. "Where the frell am I?" she asked aloud. "I don't remember us being near any planets."
"That's an interesting language you've got there."
Chiana whirled around at the sound of the voice. Before her stood what looked like a Peace Keeper. Short, with blonde hair, and carrying what looked like a sharpened stick. Chiana took a few steps backward.
"I don't think I've ever killed a demon like you before," she said.
"Demon? No, whatever that is, I'm definitely not one," Chiana said. "I'm Nebari. Then again, maybe I shouldn't tell you that," she said sheepishly. "My people aren't exactly the most popular in the galaxy, but I swear to you, I'm not exactly their biggest fan either."
"Ah, I'm sorry but I don't speak demon," the girl said.
"What?" Chiana said in confusion. "You mean, you can't understand me? What kind of Peace Keeper doesn't have translator microbes? Of course, you're not exactly dressed like a Peace Keeper. I guess that means you're not a Peace Keeper. A Sebacean colony then?" The girl kept approaching, in a battle stance with her stick at the ready. Chiana kept backing up. "Look, I'm not your enemy, I swear. Oh frell, five microts on this planet and already somebody is trying to kill me. That's got to be a new record, even for me. Oh..." And that's when Chiana passed out.
"I'm worried Giles, she's usually back from patrol by now," Riley said.
"Riley, I'm sure everything's fine," Giles said.
"Yeah, missing a date with you hardly qualifies as an emergency," Xander added. He ignored the look Riley shot him.
"She probably just had a slow night and decided to check for nests," Willow said from the couch.
"The mansion, the factory..." Xander started.
"Sunnydale High." Everyone turned to the door to see Buffy coming in carrying an unconscious woman with chalk white skin. "A little help please."
"Buffy," Giles said, moving to help her. "What happened? Who is this creature?" Willow stood and she and Xander cleared off the couch and they laid her down.
"I was hoping you would know," Buffy said. "I found her wandering around Sunnydale High."
"Why didn't you just kill her?" Riley asked.
Buffy shot him a look. "She didn't attack me. And when I made a move, she passed out. She looked so scared. She just kept talking."
"What did she say?" Giles asked.
"I don't know, she wasn't speaking English," Buffy answered. She sighed. "I don't know, it just didn't feel right. I've never seen a demon act scared like that before. I don't think she's evil."
"She's a demon, of course she's evil," Riley said.
"Well, maybe she's not a demon," Xander said. "Maybe she's human and she just fell into a vat of baby powder."
"And not all demons are evil, Riley," Buffy said.
"Well, there's one way to tell," Willow said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pouch. She pulled out a pinch of powder and sprinkled it over the woman's body. "Cast Detect Evil," she said in a commanding voice.
"You've been playing too much D&D, Wills," Xander said.
Willow smiled. "Hey, all witchcraft and no RPGs make Willow a dull Wiccan," she replied. Xander and Buffy both smiled, Riley just looked confused. The power drifted down through the air and landed on the woman's midsection. Nothing happened. "Well, she's not evil," Willow said. "Maybe she's a balancing demon."
"So, we're just going to discount my baby powder theory?" Xander asked. Xander's eyes lit up. "Wait a minute, where did you say you found her?"
"She was walking out of what was left of Sunnydale High," Buffy said. "Why?"
"There was a report on the news tonight about weird lights in the sky. A few eye witnesses said it was a UFO, and they said that it looked like whatever it was crashed, on the South side of town."
"Get real, Xander," Riley said. "There's no such thing as little green men from outer space."
"What about petite, chalk-white women?" Xander asked. Riley just rolled his eyes. "And if a year ago someone had told you that vampires were real, what would you have said?"
"Perhaps this does bare investigating," Giles said.
"I'll go back to the school, see if something did crash," Buffy said.
"I'll go with you," Riley said.
"I'll grab Tara and we'll see if there are any balancing demon species that look like her," Willow said.
"Where is Tara?" Xander asked.
"She's babysitting for Dawn," Willow answered. "I'll just grab some books and we'll research at Buffy's place. If that's okay, Buffy?"
"Sure," Buffy said. "Dawn would love to help, and this doesn't seem too dangerous. Hey Xander, where's Anya tonight?"
"Oh, she said something about having something better to do," Xander said.
Giles grabbed his jacket. "I'll give you a lift, Willow. We can stop by the Magic Box and pick up a few books."
Willow nodded and headed for the door with Giles. Buffy and Riley also started to go. Then, all at once they stopped, and turned to look at Xander, and the strange woman on the couch. "Go," Xander said. "I'll hold down the fort." Giles looked reluctant. "Come on, G-man. What's the worst that could happen?"
"Is that a rhetorical question?" Giles asked. Xander just shot him a look.
"It's okay Giles," Buffy said. "She's harmless enough."
Giles nodded. "Very well, then," he said. "We'll be back shortly, Xander." And with that, they were gone.
Xander just sat down in the chair across from the couch, looking at the woman who lay there still unconscious. "Harmless," he echoed in a whisper. "Just like Xander. Harmless, useless..." he paused. "Worthless." His eyes drifted to the woman's face. She was quite beautiful, he thought. Her features were so delicate, almost angelic. Maybe she was an angel. Maybe she was his angel, come to take him away from all of this. Just his luck, she would run into Buffy first and pass out. He laughed at that. A sad, defeated laugh. Xander leaned forward in the chair and put his chin in his hands, looking at her more closely. "Who are you?" he whispered.
John piloted the transport through the wormhole, Aeryn by his side. When they exited on the Earth-side, John found himself staring at the blue and green planet below them. He smiled. "I'd forgotten how beautiful it looked from space," he said.
"Looks like every other planet to me," Aeryn said.
"Well, not to me," John said. "To me it looks like home."
"Well, don't get too excited. We're not staying, remember?"
"I remember," John said sadly. "I'm putting us in a high orbit. We won't run into any communications satellites that way, and we won't be spotted. Any sign of your Prowler?"
"None," Aeryn answered looking at her console. "It isn't in orbit, and I'm not picking up anything from the surface even close. That means it either landed and powered down, or..." she paused. "It crashed."
John and Aeryn both looked at each other. "Scan for the largest power source," John said.
Aeryn nodded and turned back to her console. After a second her brow scrunched in confusion. "How technologically advanced was Earth during this period?" she asked.
"Compared to your galaxy, not very. We're about a few years before the International Space Station, and they're still using rockets to break free of the planet's gravity. Why?"
"I'm picking up a very unusual power signature, it's unlike anything I've ever seen before. And it's very strong. It doesn't seem to match any of the other power plant technology on the planet. The energy it's putting out almost resembles a dimensional disturbance, but there's not nearly enough radiation."
"A closed dimensional tear, maybe," John suggested. "Still leaking energy."
"Possibly," Aeryn said. "But wouldn't someone notice? Is their anything in Earth's past about a dimensional tear?"
"Not that I remember hearing about," John said. "But they don't have the technology to detect it."
"Still, with the energy this is putting out, there would be side effects to the immediate area surrounding it. Mutations, all kinds of weird phenomena. They'd have to be blind not to notice."
"This has to be the only town where a space ship can crash land and nobody even notices," Buffy said as she and Riley stood looking a strange looking ship sitting in the ruble of Sunnydale High where the library used to be.
"What about Roswell, New Mexico?" Riley said.
"What about it?" Buffy asked.
"Ah, never mind," Riley covered. "Besides, I don't think this ship crashed. I think it landed. It doesn't look like there's any damage."
"Aliens, great," Buffy said. "Like we don't have enough to worry about. Come on, we'd better go find Giles."
"Ah, you go on ahead," Riley said. "I want to check this out some more. I'll catch up with you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine."
"Okay, be careful," Buffy said. She leaned up and kissed her boyfriend. "I'll see you soon."
Riley nodded and watched as Buffy walked down the hall and disappeared around the corner. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, dialing a number by memory. "Graham, it's Riley." Pause. "Yeah, I'm still in Sunnydale." Pause. "Graham...Graham, you can rag on me later, okay. I need your help. I've got something here that your superiors might be interested in."
When Chiana opened her eyes, she found herself in a strange room, lying on a couch. She sat up slowly, her memories of what happened floating back to the surface of her mind. The Prowler landed on some planet, and she ran into some Sebacean woman who threatened to kill her. She called her something, what was it. Demot? Demon? Something like that. Whatever it was, it was clear that these Sebaceans didn't like them. But then what happened? She must have passed out. Well then why hadn't that woman killed her? And where was she now?
"Oh, you're awake."
Chiana whirled around to see a Sebacean man entering from an adjacent room. He was tall, with dark hair and dark eyes, and he was carrying a small yellow object in his hand. Chiana jumped up from the couch and started backing away slowly.
"No, it's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," the man said, holding his hands up. "You're safe, nobody's going to hurt you now."
Chiana looked skeptically. She'd never seen a Sebacean act like this before. He was trying to calm her down, reassure her. Usually they just acted all superior, especially with prisoners. Was she a prisoner? She looked at the object in his hand, trying to discern what it was.
"This?" the man said, pointing to the object he held when he saw Chiana looking at it. "It's okay, it's just a Twinkie." She still looked puzzled. "Twin-kie" he over enunciated it. "Why do I feel like Tarzan all of a sudden?" he mumbled. "Look, it's okay. You passed out, and Buffy brought you here. We didn't really know what else to do with you. We're still not exactly sure what you are."
"Who's Buffy?" Chiana asked. "Is she the woman I met earlier? She didn't seem too concerned for my well-being at the time."
"Oh, that's right. Buffy said that you didn't speak English."
"Oh, that's right. No translator microbes. You can't understand me, but I can understand you."
Seeing that she was calm now, Xander put his hands down. "Um, I'm not sure what to say. You wouldn't understand me anyhow I guess. Buffy and Riley went looking where she found you, and Willow, Giles and Tara are researching. Giles still thinks you're a demon but I think you're an alien. Well, actually I had this whole baby-powder theory, but now that I've heard you speak, I know that there aren't any languages that sound like that on this planet, so I guess you must be an alien. Maybe I should call them. No, I can handle this, I don't need there help. I'm not completely useless after all." He looked up to Chiana and saw her staring at him. "Great, now I'm babbling. Willow must be rubbing off on me." He took a bite of his Twinkie, and again Chiana looked on with curiosity. "You want one? I could get you one."
He disappeared into the kitchen and Chiana sat back down on the couch she had woken up on. "Great, I was scared of a guy eating his dinner. That makes me feel so much better." She let out a sigh. "If John or Aeryn were here, they'd know what to do. Or D'Argo, or Zhaan, or even Rygel probably. But not me. I get stuck on some backward Sebacean colony that doesn't have translator microbes, and doesn't even know that they're not alone in the universe, and what happens? I get so scared, I faint. Once again, it looks like I sit here and wait to be rescued. Not from anything dangerous," she said, looking around. "But from my own stupidity. Typical Chiana, just typical."
Xander returned to the living room and sat down in the chair across form the couch. He handed her a Twinkie and she took it. She looked at it carefully, before looking back up to Xander who was taking another bite of his own. She shrugged, and moved to take a bite. "Ah, wait," Xander said, getting up from his chair. "You have to take the plastic off first," he said, taking the Twinkie and unwrapping it for her. "Sorry."
Chiana nodded. She took the Twinkie back and took a bite. It was delicious. "Well, any planet that makes these can't be all bad," she said with a smile. "Thank you." She took another bite as she remembered that he couldn't understand her. She pointed to the Twinkie and smiled, nodding her head.
"Oh, you're welcome," Xander said. He watched her as she ate the Twinkie. When she was finished she started licking the cream from her fingers. She must have been very hungry. Xander took the opportunity to just look at her again. She was so beautiful. "Why are all the really beautiful women always aliens, or demons, or giant bugs, or...well, Cordelia?" Chiana looked up at him, a smudge of cream on the side of her mouth. Xander resisted the temptation to wipe it off himself, instead he just made a motion to his own mouth. She looked at him a moment longer before reaching up and wiping her mouth. She smiled at him again. Her movements were very cat-like. She seemed cautious, but no longer frightened, like she was used to being in strange and unfamiliar surroundings. Xander wondered what would happen to her. If someone would coming looking for her. It seemed a reasonable assessment, considering that she didn't seem very distressed. "I'm Xander," he said pointing to himself. "Xan-der. God, now I really do feel like Tarzan," he muttered. "Do you have a name?"
"I do, but I don't think you'd be able to understand me," Chiana said.
"Huh, that's kind of long. How about I just call you, 'Hey you'."
Chiana smiled a little again. They both sat in silence for a few moments before Xander spoke again.
"I wonder what it's like to travel through space," Xander mused aloud. She looked up at him. "To go to different planets, meet strange aliens. It must be incredible, one adventure after another."
"You can say that again," Chiana said. "More often than not it's just a pain in the ass, though. What I wouldn't give to be able to stay in one place. To have a home, a real family."
"Of course, I have my share of adventures staying right here, and it's not exactly that great," Xander said. He heard Chiana speak, but since he couldn't understand her, he just kept talking like he was talking to himself. "But if you don't like where you are, you can just leave. Fly away and find someplace new."
"I tried that, actually," Chiana said sadly. "I still haven't found what I'm looking for. I mean, I thought I did. But I'm not so sure anymore."
"Me, I'm stuck here. Don't get me wrong, it's not so bad here. I have friends, I have a purpose." Xander paused. "Well, I used to think so. I'm not so sure anymore. In fact it seems like everyone has a purpose except for me. Buffy is the slayer, Willow and Tara are the witches, Giles is the watcher, Riley is soldier boy." He paused again. "I used to be soldier boy you know," he mumbled. "Hell, even Anya was helpful. Being over 1100 years old, it's hard not to be helpful. I think she knew more about magic and demons than Willow and Giles put together. But she didn't care about any of that. She cared about me. At least I thought she did. But she left me too, on to bigger and better things. And I'm left trying to think of a way to tell my friends so that I can save a little face, and not become a total loser in their eyes." He paused again. "Then again, maybe it's already too late for that. I mean, nowadays it seems that they don't trust me to do anything more difficult than fetch donuts. And now I'm on guard duty. I mean, no offense, you're a very nice alien, you haven't tried to suck my brain out of my head or anything like that, which is always a plus." Chiana smiled at that. Xander didn't notice. "But even trusting me with watching you, they were hesitant about it. I mean, am I really that much of a screw-up? Have I become totally useless? Why do they even bother to keep me around at all? Do they just feel sorry for me?" Chiana just stared at Xander with a little bit of shock. Xander looked up and caught her gaze, misinterpreting it as puzzlement. "I'm sorry," said. "You don't even understand a word I'm saying."
"Oh, I understand," Chiana said. "Believe me, I understand."
John and Aeryn walked out of the woods at the South end of Sunnydale. "Thank god, civilization," John said. "I was beginning to think we'd never find it."
"You were the one who insisted on landing so far from the coordinates," Aeryn said. She looked around. "You call this civilization?"
"It's a road, that's close enough," John said. "And if we had landed any closer we would have been spotted." John climbed over the guardrail that separated the woods from the road, Aeryn followed. He looked up at the sign that he now stood in front of. "Welcome to Sunnydale," he read.
"So now what do we do?"
"We keep walking," John said. He wore his usual black outfit with a leather coat over it to cover Winona, the blaster he kept clipped to his belt. Aeryn wore a similar outfit and was also carrying a sidearm. "According to the sensor readings we took, we've got about another click.
Aeryn blew a frustrated breath between her lips. "Lead on," she said. John started walked, Aeryn followed. "When we find Chiana, I'm going to kill her," she said.
"Come on Aeryn, this wasn't her fault."
"Oh, of course not, nothing's ever her fault," Aeryn said sarcastically. "She gets herself in these situations, time and time again, and we end up having to save her scrawny Nebari butt."
"And how many times has she saved our butts," John rebutted. "You just don't understand, Aeryn. We're a group, we're supposed to be there for each other. That's where or strength comes from. Individually, we'd have all been dead a hundred times over by now."
"And *you* don't understand that a group is only as strong as it's weakest member," Aeryn said.
John stopped walking and turned to face her. "Boy, you can take the Sebacean out of the Peace Keepers but you can't take the Peace Keeper out of the Sebacean."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that Chiana is not weak. She has her strengths, just like we all do. Just because her strengths and yours aren't the same, doesn't make her weak. It means that you're still thinking like a Peace Keeper, and contrary to what they taught you, strength doesn't come from the barrel of a blaster. It comes from here," he said, pointing to his head. "And here," he said, putting his hand on his chest over his heart.
"So how should I be thinking then?"
"I don't know. How about like a person." And with that, John started walking again, leaving Aeryn standing there for a moment. She frowned and jogged to catch up.
"You guys can stop researching," Buffy said as she walked in the front door of her house. She walked in the living room and saw Giles, Willow, Tara and Dawn sitting around and reading from several old looking texts. "I don't think you're going to find anything in any of those books."
"What have you found?" Giles asked.
"It looks like Xander was right," Buffy said. "We found a space ship. It looks like it landed, not crashed."
"Where was it exactly?" Giles asked.
"Where the library used to be."
"Close to the Hellmouth?"
"Right on top of it, come to think of it."
"Well, I doubt that that's a coincidence," Giles said.
"Good thing they boarded that hole over, or it would have crashed," Willow said. "I guess demons aren't the only thing that the Hellmouth attracts. Where's Riley?"
"He stayed to check it out. You know guys and space ships," Buffy said.
"No," Giles said, taking his glasses off and looking concerned. "But I do know how the government feels about them."
"You don't think..." Buffy trailed off. "No, Riley wouldn't do that."
"That son of a bitch," Xander mumbled as he looked out the window. There was a convoy of military vehicles heading down Giles' street. They were heading south, toward the high school. "Damn it, Riley. I should have known."
"What is it?" Chiana asked. Xander turned from the window and looked at her, but didn't say anything. Chiana rushed to the window and looked out herself. "Oh, that doesn't look good."
"We have to get out of here, it won't be safe," Xander said, stepping away from the window. "I still remember enough about military procedure to know that they wouldn't come barging down the door looking for aliens on the word of a disgraced former agent."
"Military? You mean like Peace Keepers? I was afraid you were going to say that."
Xander headed for Giles' hall closet. Pushing through it he found a long coat and a man's hat. He tossed them out into the living room. "But, if they found something at the high school, then his credibility is going to go way up."
"Aeryn's Prowler, frell!"
Xander closed the closet door and went back into the living room. "Put..." He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw that Chiana had already put on the coat and hat. "Right, good."
"Yeah, well, I understand the concept of running and hiding very well," she said.
Xander couldn't understand her words, but he could hear her tone, and he could tell that she was scared. "Hey, it's going to be okay," he said, stepping forward and putting his hand on her arm. He was trying to reassure her with his tone and body language, since he didn't think she understood him. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you." He reached up and cupped her cheek. He didn't know why he did it, but for some reason it just felt right. "I promise."
Chiana just nodded slowly.
"Okay, we'd better get moving," he said, motioning for her to follow him. "I'll take you to my place until I can think of someplace better where they won't find you."
"I just hope my friends can still find me," Chiana said. "At least I still have my communicator pin."
"Chiana, do you read me? Pip, come in," John said, tapping on his communicator pin. But all that came over the channel was static. "There's too much interference."
"Probably from that dimensional tear," Aeryn said. "We should be getting closer." The pair was walking through downtown Sunnydale, trying to act as inconspicuous as possible. John was walking ahead when he rounded the next corner, and turned back so fast that he bumped into Aeryn. "What is it?"
"Well, I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is, I think I found your Prowler."
"And the bad news?"
Just at that moment, a large camouflage truck rolled by. "They found it first," John said.
Aeryn turned and watched the truck drive away. "Frell!" She turned back to John. "Do I even want to ask who they would be?"
"The military," John answered. Aeryn threw her arms up. "Aeryn, you have to understand, humans don't know anything about aliens. They're cautious, they're scared, they're..."
"Stupid," Aeryn supplied. John just grimaced. Not so much upset by what she said, but by that it was true.
"Well, at least they didn't get Chiana," John said.
"How do you know that?"
"Because there would be a bio-hazard truck or something to transport her," he said, looking around the corner again. Aeryn followed his gaze and for the first time saw the group of trucks and military personal gathered around a building that looked to be in ruins.
"Oh, frell! Look at that building."
"Your Prowler couldn't have done that much damage."
"Unless the crash caused some other kind of explosion."
"We don't even know that it crashed. If the power source that we're reading is a closed dimensional tear, then it wouldn't have had any effect on the Prowler, it would have just landed."
"John, look at that building. It's obvious that something blew up. Maybe the reason they didn't find Chiana is because she was blown to bits."
"They didn't call in a truck that big unless your Prowler was still in one piece," John replied. "And take a look at that building and tell me what you don't see."
"What are you talking about?"
"There's no fire, no smoke, no heat distortion. Something in that building did explode, but it didn't happen tonight. It couldn't have cooled down that fast." Aeryn just frowned and nodded slightly, her way of telling John that he was right. "Chiana probably took off when she heard the trucks. Smart girl."
"She always was one for self-preservation, I'll give her that."
"Come on, she couldn't have gotten far. She's probably hiding in someone's backyard," John said. He started forward again, heading for the next block so he could double back without the military seeing him.
"Wait a minute, what about my Prowler?" Aeryn insisted, pointing in the opposite direction where the truck that drove by them was heading.
John gave her a look. "Chiana first, then your Prowler."
Aeryn gave a defeated look and sighed. "Fine, let's go."
Buffy was rounding the opposite corner when she caught sight of the high school and stopped dead in her tracks. Giles, Willow, and Tara nearly ran into her from behind. They all stared slack-jawed at the sight before them. Buffy hardly noticed the man and woman in black brushing past them on the sidewalk. "I don't believe him!" Buffy growled.
She started toward the high school with anger burning in her eyes. Giles stopped her with a hand on his shoulder. "Buffy, wait. I don't think barging up to them and demanding answers is a good idea. Freedom of Information Act withstanding, the military doesn't tend to be too forthcoming with things like this."
"There's only one person I want answers from right now," Buffy said. She turned and stalked towards the high school, Giles, Willow and Tara close at her heels.
A soldier who looked to be on guard duty stepped up when he spotted Buffy and the others coming. "I'm sorry Miss, but this is a restricted areAAAHHHH!" His cry of pain came when Buffy grabbed his outstretched arm and wrenched it up behind his back. She tossed him aside, hard enough to cause him to roll about ten feet away. Buffy kept going without even looking back.
"Sorry," Willow said to the soldier before following after Buffy again.
She spotted Riley standing next to a truck talking to someone, who from the look of his uniform, appeared to be the one in charge here. "Riley!" she shouted with enough venom in her voice to make a grown man wet himself.
Riley turned. He turned back to offer some explanation before heading over to Buffy and the others. "Buffy," he said.
"What the hell is going on here?" Buffy asked.
"A recovery operation," Riley answered.
"After everything we've been through with these people, how could you call them here?"
"This isn't the Initiative Buffy, this is the Army. They've had extra terrestrial contact protocols before either of us even knew what a demon was. I thought they would be better suited to handle this."
"You call this circus 'handling it'? Why don't you just declare martial law?"
"What would you have done? Buffy, this is an alien, not a demon. It isn't your job to handle it."
"Who the hell are you to tell me what my job is! You had no right to do this!"
"What was I supposed to do! Follow you around and be your sidekick! I'm sorry Buffy, but I can't do that anymore."
"So that's what this is about," Buffy said. "You still can't deal with the fact that I'm stronger than you. Well, you're supposed to be my boyfriend, not my sidekick. I never asked for you help."
"But you never acknowledged it either, Buffy. You never acknowledge anyone's help, or anyone's sacrifice. Do you know what I gave up to stay in Sunnydale?"
"I never asked you to sacrifice anything for me!"
"Don't you get it, Buffy? That's the problem. You never asked me for anything. You never needed me. Not as a sidekick, and not as a boyfriend." He paused. "The closer I try to get, the more you push me away. You never let me in."
"I gave you everything I had to give," Buffy said. "If that's not enough..."
"Don't turn this on me, Buffy," Riley interrupted, his voice oddly calm. Like a weight had been lifted from him. "This is your decision. Either you want me in your life, or you don't." He paused. "Either you love me, or you don't."
The silence that followed was palpable. Giles, Willow and Tara seemed very interested in their shoes and had been since the argument became personal. Riley had said what he had to say, and seemed to be waiting for Buffy to reply. Waiting for the words that he had yet to hear. Buffy was just in shock. Riley's words sinking in, and her own mind asking her questions that she had thought she already knew the answers too. But suddenly now she wasn't so sure.
"What did you do with her?" Buffy asked after a moment, deciding to go back to the original topic.
"Who? The alien?" Riley said. "They're sending a bio-containment truck to transport it."
"You told them where she was!"
"Yes. Buffy, you don't know anything about this creature. She could be dangerous."
"What exactly about her is dangerous? The way she passed out from fright, or the way she laid on Giles couch, unconscious? I would have thought that you'd be a little more open-minded by now, Riley. Not everything that looks different than us is evil." She turned to Giles and the others. "We'd better hurry, maybe we can beat them back."
Buffy walked away without looking back, Giles and the others followed her. Riley turned and started walking back to the officer he had been talking to.
"What was that about?" the officer asked when Riley walked back up to him.
"Nothing, Colonel," Riley said. "Just some civilians." He paused, looking back at the departing Buffy. "Nothing you need to worry about," he lied.
"Buffy," Giles said, trying to catch up with her as they headed back to Giles' apartment. "You know, Riley may be right."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Buffy said. She stopped and looked at Giles suddenly. "About what exactly?"
"About the alien, of course."
"Oh, of course."
"She could be dangerous, Buffy. We really don't know anything about her."
"I know," Buffy said. "But I just have a feeling." She paused, like she was having trouble explaining. "It's just, there are two kinds of beings in this world, or out of this world as the case may be. Those I fight, and those I protect. I just can't shake the feeling that she's someone that I should be protecting. I just hope it's not too late."
"Xander's with her," Tara said.
"That's right," Willow said. "He'll protect her."
"But what if he can't?" Buffy said.
Xander walked down the sidewalk, putting himself in between the street and Chiana, to keep the passing cars from seeing her. Thankfully it was getting late, and the streets weren't very crowded. A million thoughts ran through Xander's mind. What if he couldn't protect her? What if Riley found her and they had her dissected? He couldn't protect her from an entire army. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to her. It was odd, he didn't even really know her, yet he felt strangely protective of her. She reminded him of himself a little bit, as weird as that sounded. The way she carried herself, body language said a lot. She was brave, even if a little scared. There was something in the way she looked at him, almost like she understood him. It was something Xander wasn't used to, people understanding him. Usually no one bothered to take the time.
Chiana walked down the sidewalk, hiding behind Xander every time a car passed, and wondering again who this man was. She had never seen a Sebacean so concerned for someone else, especially a non-Sebacean. She had never seen one who was so caring, so vulnerable and yet so brave. The predicament he had described to her earlier, about being the 'Omega' of his particular group of friends, it seemed to describe her own situation in a way that she never could before. The feeling of uselessness, the fear. Fear of staying, fear of leaving. Fear of her feelings for her friends, fear of the feelings they have for her, or a lack there of. But he pressed on. He didn't leave them, something inside of him wouldn't let himself abandon them, even if they didn't need him. He was there because he loved them, and that was enough. But why couldn't his friends see him? Why couldn't they see how special he was, how much he cared about them, how much he would risk for them? That kind of loyalty alone should be worth more recognition than apparently he had received. Admittedly, there were still a lot of things that Chiana didn't understand, like what exactly this group of people did. But she understood Xander. And the more she thought about it, the more she understood her own situation as well.
Chiana was lost in thought when she glanced up and saw something that caught her eye. There, hanging from a pole attached to a nearby building, was a large cloth. It had red and white stripes, and a square of blue in the corner, covered in white stars. She stopped dead in her tracks as the realization hit her as to where she had seen that before. On the side of Crichton's module, and the sleeve of his flight suit. "Oh, I am such a frelling moron!" she whined to herself. "The wormhole. I was so busy screaming I forgot about it completely. This isn't a Sebacean colony, it's Earth." She turned to Xander who was looking at her strangely. "And that's why you're so nice, you're not Sebacean, you're human. Oh god, John. That means that he's home, he made it. Dren! I mean, I'm happy for him, but I don't want him to leave. He's my friend, and he's important to us, all of us. Aeryn is going to be crushed. What am I saying, this is Aeryn I'm talking about. She'll probably either go with him, or kill him." Xander just kept staring at her as she kept pacing and talking to herself. He was trying to get her to keep moving, but she wasn't paying any attention to him. Finally, she whirled around so fast that Xander jumped. "Oh frell! That means that those weren't Peace Keepers, they were Earth's military. Which from what John told me, is even worse. At least for those of us who like to keep our internal organs internal."
"Look, I'm sure whatever it is you're talking about is very fascinating, but we have to keep moving. We're vulnerable as long as we're on the street like this," Xander said.
"Right, of course, I'm coming," Chiana said, following Xander again.
Xander just nodded and continued to lead the way. They rounded the next corner together and came almost face to face with a very large truck as it was coming down the street, flanked by several jeeps. "Shit!" Xander exclaimed. He grabbed Chiana and pulled her into the doorway of a nearby storefront. The small convoy turned the corner and continued on it's way. Xander watched it, making sure it was out of sight before they moved out of their hiding place. "That's a big truck," he said to himself.
"Aeryn's Prowler," Chiana said. "Frell! Now she's really going to kill me."
"Okay, new plan," Xander said. "We need someplace that Riley doesn't know about, or at least someplace that he won't tell them about." Xander seemed to think for a moment. "Okay, let's go."
Buffy busted through Giles' door. "Xander, we have to...Xander?" She looked around the living room to find it totally empty. No Xander, no unconscious alien on the couch. Giles, Willow, and Tara jogged up behind her as Buffy looked in the kitchen.
"You know Giles, you have a car, why do we still have to walk everywhere?" Willow asked, out of breath.
Giles seemed to think about it for a minute, catching his own breath. "Bloody hell," he muttered to himself.
Buffy walked back in the living room from the kitchen. "They're gone," she said.
"Do you think we're too late?" Tara asked.
"I don't think so," Buffy said. "Xander wouldn't have gone without a fight, and there aren't any signs of a struggle. He probably heard the trucks and decided to take her someplace else. I hope she woke up, otherwise he'd have to carry her."
"But where would he go?"
"We'll try his place first," Buffy said.
"I'll stay here," Giles said. "No sense in letting the Army wreck my flat looking for an alien who isn't here. Call me if anything happens."
"Right," Buffy said. "Let's go."
Willow sighed. "Great, more walking."
"Dawn."
"Xander, what are you doing here?"
"It's kind of a long story, can we come in?"
Dawn paused. "Why, do you have to be invited?" she asked. She'd been wary when it came to issuing invitations ever since the incident with Harmony.
"No, Dawn. I'm not a vampire," Xander said, stepping inside. "And she's not a demon, she's an alien."
"I knew it!" Dawn exclaimed, looking at the chalk white woman as Xander ushered her inside and closed the door behind them. "I knew you were right, Xander. Because you're always right. Well, that and because Buffy told us that they found a space ship."
"That must have been what was in that truck," Xander said. "I figured as much, there's probably a Hasmet team walking through Giles' apartment with giger counters as we speak."
"What's going on?"
"Riley called in the cavalry," Xander said. "I guess he missed his old buddies."
"That's what Giles said he would do," Dawn said. "Oh, Buffy must be real pissed."
"Where is Buffy?"
"They went looking for Riley."
"And they left you alone?"
"Hey, I don't need a babysitter. I'm not a kid anymore, you know."
"I know, Dawn. Look, I just need to stay here a little while. I'm betting that Riley has enough class not to hand over his own girlfriend to the ET brigade out there." He glanced at Chiana. "I'm hoping she'll be safe here."
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"I think I'm picking up a signal," Aeryn said as she and John walked down the sidewalk through the small residential neighborhood they found close to the building where they assumed Aeryn's Prowler had landed.
"I thought there was too much interference," John said.
"There was, but the closer we get to Chiana the stronger the signal is."
"So you're saying she's close."
"Very," Aeryn said, looking at the sensor device she was carrying. "I'd say...she's in that building right there." Aeryn started for the building when John stopped her.
"Whoa, Aeryn, slow down. You don't speak English, remember? What are you going to do, kick the door in?"
"Something like that."
"Why don't you let me handle it, okay."
Aeryn grimaced and motioned for him to go ahead. John walked up to the front door, Aeryn standing right behind him, and knocked. The door opened to reveal a man with dark hair and dark eyes, and a small- framed girl standing behind him.
"Yes?" the man asked.
"Uh, hi," John started. "We were just looking for a friend of ours. She uh, broke down not to far from here and we think she might have stopped her to uh, use your phone or something."
The man just looked at John strangely. "No, sorry," he said.
"Are you sure? She has white hair and she's uh, really pale."
The man's eyes got wider when he said that, but he didn't say anything at first. "Sorry, I haven't seen anyone like that."
"All right, my turn," Aeryn said, drawing her blaster. Xander didn't understand her words but he knew a weapon when he saw one. She pushed her way inside.
"Hey!" Xander protested.
"Well, at least we know they're not vampires," Dawn muttered.
John looked at her oddly as he entered as well. "I'm sorry about this," he said to Xander. "We just came to get our friend, and we'll be on our way."
"Right, your 'friend'," Xander said. "Do I look stupid to you? Riley sent you, didn't he? I guess I over-estimated his decency. Well, I'm not going to let you hurt her."
John and Aeryn exchanged puzzled glances. Xander looked determined. Dawn just looked scared. "I don't know who Riley is, but I assure you, we don't want to hurt her. We're her friends," John said. He turned to Aeryn. "Aeryn, put your blaster away."
Aeryn grumbled and re-holstered her weapon. "I don't understand, I thought you said that humans of this era were frightened of anything different than them, why would he be protecting her?"
"As a group, they tend to be panicky and paranoid, but individually," John paused and smiled. "They just might surprise you."
Xander looked back and forth between Aeryn and John, but especially at Aeryn. Her language wasn't the same as his alien, but it definitely didn't sound like anything of this world. And if she wasn't human, then there was a good chance that they were telling the truth. "You're an alien too, aren't you?" Xander said, looking at Aeryn. He turned back to John. "What about you?"
"I'm human," John answered. He held his hand out. "John Crichton."
Xander paused a moment, thinking about his options. Then he reached out and shook John's hand. "Xander Harris. I'm sure there's a real interesting story to go along with all of this. I'd like to hear it."
"I'd like to tell you, but how about you tell us where our friend is first."
Xander thought for a moment, then glanced sideways to Dawn. "I guess I don't really have a choice," Xander said. They were armed, and he wasn't. He knew that he wouldn't be able to stop them from searching the house and finding her. Xander walked over to the hall closet and opened it.
Chiana walked out of the closet timidly until she saw John, then her whole face lit up. "John!" She ran to him and jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him.
John laughed as he staggered back a few steps. Aeryn just frowned and rolled her eyes. "It's good to see you too, Pip," John said.
"Oh, I thought I might never see you again! Then when I realized this was Earth I thought I was dead for sure, especially with the military out there chasing me. But Xander hid me and he took me here and..."
"Whoa, slow down there," John said, letting her down. "Start at the beginning, what happened?"
"The Prowler landed in some bombed out building, and when I tried to figure out where I was, I ran into this woman and I...well, I passed out. When I woke up, I was with him," she said, indicating Xander. "Then the army showed up and he said they would be looking for me. I thought they were Peacekeepers, I didn't even realize I was on Earth until I saw a flag on the street like the one on your ship, I thought it was a Sebacean colony or something. I'm going to miss you by the way, but I'm glad you're home."
"Not exactly, Pip. Turns out that that wormhole has a time distortion. This isn't my Earth, and I'm not staying."
"Really!" Chiana said excitedly. "I mean, oh, I'm sorry John."
"It's okay," John said. "I'll get there someday."
Xander looked on, first with a smile, then with a shocked expression as something began to dawn on him. "I guess they really are friends," Dawn said.
"I guess so," Xander muttered. "Uh, excuse me, if I may interrupt," Xander said, addressing John. "You can understand her?"
"Yeah."
"And she can understand you?"
"Right again," John said. "We have what we call translator microbes in our brains, it let's us talk to each other even though we're not speaking the same language."
"John, are you sure it's wise to tell him that. What about not alternating the timeline?"
"I think it's a little late to hide things from him," John said. "Besides, I'm on the other side of the planet in this time, so there's really no chance of me causing a paradox."
"Back to the translator thingamabobs," Xander interrupted. "You mean, she could understand me the whole time?" John just nodded. Xander looked at Chiana and she smiled at him. He suddenly found his face turning very red. "Oh, god, that is so embarrassing."
"No," Chiana said. "John, translate for me." John nodded and Chiana stepped forward and took Xander's hand in both of hers. "Xander, I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. I'm a total stranger to you, and yet you risked your life to help me. There aren't many people in the universe like that, believe me. And I want you to know that I understand how you feel, more than you could know. I feel like that sometimes too, like I'm the most useless member of the group, like I don't have anything to contribute and that I'm never appreciated when I do. But thanks to you I've come to understand something, and you have to understand it too. You have to know, that no matter how they treat you, and no matter what they say or don't say to you, that you are special. You are valuable. And if they can't see that, they you have to show them that. Demand their respect, because you've more than earned it."
Xander looked at Chiana while John translated her words. John's own tone seemed to change, as he too was thinking about what she was saying. But Xander didn't really notice, he's eyes were locked on Chiana as his mind absorbed the words. "I don't know what to say," Xander finally said.
"Then don't say anything," Chiana said. John translated, and Chiana leaned forward and gave Xander a gentle, sweet kiss on his lips. "Thank you," she said again, softly.
"What's your name?" Xander asked.
"Chiana," John said.
"Thank you, Chiana," Xander said softly. After a moment or two, he turned to John. There was a twinge of sadness in his voice as he spoke again. "So, I guess you guys will be leaving now."
"Not just yet," John said. "There's the small matter of the Army having something that belongs to us."
"A ship," Xander said with realization. "I thought as much."
Chiana turned to Aeryn at that moment, expecting to see anger in her eyes, but instead she saw something else. "Aeryn," she said in greeting.
"Chiana," Aeryn returned. Her voice was flat, but not stern like it usually was. It was almost...thoughtful. "I want you to know," she paused. "That I'm glad you're all right."
"You are? You mean, you're not mad at me?"
"Oh, I'm mad," Aeryn corrected, her voice showing anger for a moment, but only a moment. "But uh, I'm glad you're alive."
Chiana was speechless for a moment. "Thanks," she said finally. "I'm kind of happy about it too."
John looked on, smiling. "Imagine that," he muttered to himself.
Xander and Dawn just looked on with puzzlement. "Uh, okay. I'll take your word for it," Xander said. "So, about that interesting story you were going to tell me."
"Okay, here's the short version. I'm an astronaut from the future. I got shot through a wormhole and ended up on the other side of the galaxy. I ended up aboard a living ship, helping a group of fugitives escape from a tyrannical group that call themselves Peacekeepers, who happen to look just like humans. We escaped, and now we're running through an area of space called the uncharted territories. I'm also being hunted by an insane military commander who's after the wormhole technology that got me there in the first place. I've been there for about two years now, and I'd like to go home."
"This is the short version?" Dawn asked.
John smiled. "We found a wormhole that led us here, unfortunately this isn't my time so I can't stay, or I'll run the risk of changing the timeline and causing a paradox. Chiana accidentally launched one of our smaller craft and got drawn into the wormhole, and crashed here. We came looking for her, and I think you know the rest."
Xander nodded. "And now the Army has your ship," Xander finished. "You're going to need help getting it back."
"Okay, now I've got a few questions," John said. "How is it that you don't seem at all shocked by that wild story I just told you?"
"In this town, nothing shocks me anymore."
"Vampires are real, you know," Dawn said.
John looked puzzled. "It's kind of a long story," Xander said. "That's the short version. Anymore questions?"
"How did you end up with Chiana? What exactly happened?"
"My friend Buffy saw her outside of where she crashed," Xander started. "She scared her, and Chiana passed out. We thought she was... well, a demon. But we figured out she was an alien and Buffy's boyfriend who used to be with the military, called in the Army. So I brought her here, this is Buffy's house. I'm hoping that dickless won't turn in his own girlfriend. Ooh, Dawn, do me a favor and don't tell Buffy I called him that."
"Called him what?" Dawn said with a smile.
Xander smiled too. "Good girl."
"So, can you help us get our ship back?" John asked.
And that was when the door burst open.
"Xander!"
"Buffy!"
Buffy glanced around the room, confused at the scene before her. "Who are you?" Buffy asked, looking at John. She noticed Aeryn standing behind him, her hand on her hip, looking tense. And she noticed Chiana, looking slightly frightened. She immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion. "You stay away from her!" Buffy said, rushing forward and trying to put herself in between John and Chiana.
"Buffy, wait a second!" Xander called out.
Chiana stayed behind John as Buffy tried to circle around him. Xander rushed to Buffy, to try to explain. John was trying to explain too, but Buffy wasn't listening. Willow and Tara rushed in through the door, a few seconds behind Buffy. It was all happening so fast, everyone was shouting, even Dawn.
"I'm not going to let you take her!"
"Buffy, it's okay!"
"Dawn, get upstairs! Xander, get out of my way!"
"I'm not who you think I am, just calm down a second!"
What happened next made everyone stop dead. Buffy grabbed the front of John's coat, and Aeryn pulled her blaster. She was standing behind John, and she held the weapon out over his shoulder with one hand, pointed directly at Buffy's face. Chiana was still half behind John, next to Aeryn. Xander instinctively pushed Dawn behind him, looking back and forth between Buffy and Aeryn. Buffy was as still as a statue. Willow and Tara stood in the doorway still, afraid to move. The silence stretched on for several seconds. Xander spoke first.
"Okay, everybody just breathe, and calm down. Buffy, let go of him." Buffy cast him a sideways glance that seemed to say 'what, are you crazy?' "He's not going to hurt Chiana. They're not from the military, they're her friends. They've come to take her home, and they need our help."
Buffy looked forward again and her eyes locked with Aeryn's. They were cold and determined, and Buffy had no doubt that she would shoot her in a heartbeat. She let go of John and raised her hands slowly. Aeryn pulled her arm back, pointing the blaster up. "Okay, I repeat," Buffy said much more calmly. "Who are you?"
"Name's Crichton, John Crichton. This is Aeryn, and you already know Chiana," he said indicating his friends.
Buffy turned to Xander. "It's kind of a long story, Buff. But they are her friends, she told me."
"She told you?" Buffy asked, confused. "Wait, then why does she look so scared?"
Xander hesitated. "I think that would be because of you. You were going to kill her at one point, remember," he answered.
"I didn't mean...well, I wasn't really going to...I thought..." Buffy sighed, suddenly feeling very foolish. She looked to Chiana, who was still standing behind John. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't know."
Chiana nodded and said something that Buffy didn't understand. "She said it's okay," John said. "And that any friend of Xander's is a friend of hers."
Buffy cast a glance at Xander, who blushed slightly and changed the subject. "So what's the what, Buff?"
"Riley sold us out," Buffy answered. "The Army is out right now looking for...Chiana," she said, testing the name on her lips. "They're probably not too far behind us."
"We spotted them when we checked your place, Xand," Willow said, her and Tara finally stepping further inside.
"Oh, great," Xander said. "The Army rummaging through my apartment, just what I need. If they break just *one* of my Babylon 5 plates, I'm going to be very upset."
"I think we have bigger problems than that, Xander," Buffy said. "Unless you guys want her to get dissected like a frog, I'd suggest you get a move on."
"We can't," John said. "The Army still has one of our ships."
"Well, no offense but what's more important here? I'd say you cut your losses and motor."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple. You see, in addition to being from space, we're also from the future. And if our being here changes what happened originally, it could change the future, and cause a paradox."
"And, that would be bad, right?" Buffy asked.
"Very," Willow piped up. "It would basically mean the end of the universe as we know it. But, that would only happen if something you changed prevented you from coming back to change it in the first place."
"Well, if they get their hands on that ship and reverse engineer it's technology, that is exactly what will happen. The advance in technology would mean that the mission I flew that got me sucked into that wormhole would become unnecessary, or happen years before. No wormhole then means no wormhole now, and I never would have been here to cause this in the first place."
"But you didn't cause this John, Chiana did," Aeryn said.
"Yeah, but if it wasn't for John, I wouldn't be aboard Moya. I'd be in a Nebari prison, or dead, or mind cleansed," Chiana said.
"Exactly," John said.
Buffy pushed her confusion aside, making a mental note to grill Xander later. "Okay, we'll help you," Buffy said. "We just need to figure out where they took your ship...and, well, bust in to a military installation and steal it back. I mean, how hard could it be?"
"Maybe Riley could help you," Dawn said. She paused and frowned. "Oh, right, never mind."
"McHenry Air Force Base," Xander said. Everyone turned and looked at him. "That's where they would have taken it. They have the most sophisticated reverse engineering lab in the state, and it's only about twenty miles from here."
"Xander, how do you know that?" Buffy asked.
"I still remember a thing or two from when I was soldier boy. Plus, I read about it in my Alien Conspiracies newsletter."
"Okay, that takes care of where, now we just need how."
"I can get us in, Buffy," Xander said. "I know that you have a couple of those Initiative pulse rifles lying around, between the two of us and the two of them," he said indicating John and Aeryn. "With those blasters that they're packing, we can do this." Buffy looked skeptical. All eyes seemed to be on her and Xander. "Buffy, please, trust me. I can do this, just...let me show you. I'm not as useless as you think I am."
Buffy opened her mouth to respond, but she didn't get a chance. "Uh, guys, it looks like we have company," Tara said from the window next to the front door.
Buffy rushed to the window and looked out. She saw several Army jeeps and a large truck with a biohazard symbol on the side. Riley was getting out of one jeep, followed by the officer that she saw him talking to earlier. "Shit," she muttered under her breath. She turned back around. "Okay, we have to hide you guys, I have a plan. Dawn, take them upstairs." Dawn nodded and headed upstairs, Chiana and Aeryn following. John was about to follow too when Buffy put a hand on his arm. "Not you, I'm going to need your help. All of you, listen to me closely. We don't have much time."
Riley and the Colonel stood on Buffy's doorstep, flanked by soldiers. Riley knocked on the door. "The alien has to be here, Sir," Riley said. "We've looked everywhere else," he mumbled. It was true. They had checked Giles', Xander's, The Bronze, the old factory, the mansion. Riley was hoping that it wouldn't come to this, that he wouldn't have to lead the army to Buffy's front door.
"It better be Finn, for your sake. I don't appreciate being lead on a wild goose chase."
"It isn't, Sir. I assure you." The door opened to reveal Buffy standing on the other side. Behind her stood Xander, Willow, Tara, and a man Riley had never seen before. They seemed to be chatting amicably, like they were at a cocktail party.
"Can I help you?" Buffy asked, glancing side to side at the soldiers that stood before her.
"I'm sorry about this Buffy, but you've left me no choice," Riley said.
"We want the alien, Miss," the Colonel said. "We know that you know where it is, if you cooperate with us there won't be a problem."
"What alien? What are you talking about?"
"Buffy, don't do this, please," Riley said. "They will search the house if they have to."
"What is this Riley? We have a fight so you lead the Army to my door?" Buffy said. "Look, I'm sorry that you've been feeling emasculated lately, but that doesn't give you the right to come barging in here looking for imaginary aliens so you can look all big in front of your Army buddies."
The Colonel looked at Riley dangerously, and Riley remembered that he had witnessed he and Buffy's fight. "Imaginary, no...no, not imaginary, very real," Riley babbled, looking back and forth between Buffy and the Colonel in a very panicky fashion. "About 5'2", chalk white skin and hair, small frame, female." He turned to the Colonel again. "She brought her back from her patrol, she found her outside the high school."
"Oh, her!" Buffy said with realization. "She wasn't an alien," she said with a laugh. "She was a demon."
"A demon?" The Colonel said.
"Why don't you come in and we can clear this up," Buffy said. "They can stay outside though," she said, indicating the soldiers.
The Colonel seemed to consider it a moment before nodding. "Very well," he said. He and Riley stepped in and Buffy closed the door.
"Who is he?" Riley asked, pointing at John.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you that it's impolite to talk about people in the third person when they're standing right in front of you?" John said. He extended his hand. "John Crichton, freelance demon hunter."
Riley shook his hand, eyeing him suspiciously. "Demon hunter?"
"John got here a couple hours ago, when Xander was watching her."
"So, you were in custody of the creature?" The Colonel asked.
"Yeah, I found her outside the high school on my regular patrol. We weren't sure what she was, and she didn't seem very dangerous."
"Appearances can be deceiving...Colonel, is it," John said, looking at the man's uniform. "I'd been tracking her for the last two months. I almost had her in Seattle, but she slipped away. I suspected that she was heading for a demon brothel in LA, looking for work. That's when I found out about the Hellmouth here in Sunnydale, so I decided to check it out first. Good thing, too."
"What kind of demon is she?" Riley asked, skeptically.
"A Chiana demon, a real nasty one too," John answered. "They're a breed of succubus, using their feminine wiles to prey on men. She may have looked sweet and innocent, but that all changes once she has you in her grasp. It wasn't an easy fight, but thanks to the slayer here, we got the job done."
"What about the spell that Willow cast?" Riley asked. "She said she wasn't evil."
"That's part of a succubus' power," John said. "To trick men in order to lure them in, they have to appear to be something they're not. The result is that they also manage to fool simple spells like that."
"You're saying that she's dead, then?" the Colonel asked. John nodded. "We'd like to see the body."
"Sorry, Chiana demons turn to vapor when they're killed."
"Oh, well isn't that convenient," Riley said. "Colonel, they're lying, they have to be. It can't be just a coincidence that she was found in front of the building where the space craft was found."
"You guys found a space ship!" John exclaimed like an excited child. "Cool!"
"No, of course not, there's no such thing as flying saucers. Don't be silly," the Colonel said rather knee-jerk, casting a glare at Riley. Riley just hung his head.
"Actually, it probably is just a coincidence," Buffy said. "Demons are naturally drawn to the Hellmouth."
"Colonel, you have to..." Riley started.
"Finn, may I speak with you privately please," the Colonel hissed, moving off to the side of the room. Riley followed like a whipped dog. The Colonel lowered his voice as he spoke. "Barring for a moment your breech in protocol by mentioning the find in front of civilians, I'm finding your conduct here to be most unprofessional." Riley opened his mouth to protest, but the Colonel continued. "Now, I may not know much about demons, but I understand that you do. Tell me, in your completely *objective* opinion, is the explanation that they've offered possible?"
Riley sighed as he thought about the facts as he knew them. In his gut, he knew that they were lying, that they were protecting the alien. But he didn't know who that man was. He had no proof that that creature was an alien and not a demon. "It's *possible*, yes Sir."
The Colonel nodded. "All right, I see no reason to continue with this then."
"But Sir..."
"But nothing, Finn. We're finished here. I know about the failure of the Initiative program, and I'm inclined not to make the same mistake they did and interfere with the demon population of this town. We'll leave that to these people, they seem to know what they're doing. Besides, it's extra-terrestrials that we're interested in here, not sub-terrestrials." He paused. "Now I know that you're a good soldier Riley, Agent Miller has vouched for you, and I'm thankful that you brought this situation to our attention. We have come into possession of the craft, so this operation has been a success. I still think there's a place for you in the military, but I think you have a lot of personal problems that you need to work out first."
"Yes, Sir."
"We're headed to McHenry now, and I want you with us. But it's your decision."
Riley cast a glance across the room at Buffy. She was talking to the others. She caught his eye, and in her gaze, Riley found his answer. There was no going back now. And Riley found himself wondering whether he would want to go back to the way things were, even if he could. Perhaps it was for the best. "You can count on me, Sir," he answered.
"Good," The Colonel said. He turned back to Buffy and the others. "Miss Summers, Mr. Crichton, we apologize for the inconvenience and we thank you for your time."
John reached out and shook his hand. "Not a problem Colonel, happy we could help."
The Colonel nodded and headed for the door, Riley followed. Buffy followed too. "I'll be there in a moment, Sir," Riley said at the door. The Colonel just nodded and walked back to the jeep. Riley turned back to Buffy. "Why did you do this Buffy?" he asked. "Why did you embarrass me like that?"
"I'm sorry Riley," Buffy said coldly. "But you left me no choice." And with that, she shut the door in his face.
Buffy stayed by the window until the trucks pulled away and disappeared around the corner. "Okay, they're gone." She turned around to see Dawn bounding own the steps, Aeryn and Chiana close behind her.
"That was so cool!" Dawn exclaimed. Buffy just rolled her eyes at her younger sister's exuberance.
Chiana came down and poked a finger at John. "Using their feminine wiles to prey on men. She may look sweet and innocent, but that all changes once she has you in her grasp, huh?" she said, repeating his earlier words.
John just smiled. "You know what they say Pip, every good lie has a grain of truth in it."
"Oh, very funny," Chiana said, swatting him on the arm. She tried to look mad, but she couldn't help the corners of her mouth from curling up. John just laughed.
"Can we focus on the task at hand here," Aeryn interrupted.
"So, what's the move Buff?" Xander asked.
"You were right Xander, they are going to McHenry, I could here them talking. We have to move tonight if we have any hope of pulling this off."
"Right, security will be doubled by the time the morning duty shift comes on," Xander said.
"Willow and Tara, head over to Giles'. He has a pulse rifle in his weapons' closet, and I keep one here. Grab the rifle and any magic supplies you can think of, tell Giles what's going on, borrow his car and head back here," Buffy said. Willow and Tara both nodded. "Xander..."
"I know, head home, get geared up, grab my car and head back here," Xander said, already heading for the door.
"What about me, what can I do?" Dawn asked.
"You can go to bed," Buffy answered.
"Ah, come on Buffy, you never let me help," Dawn whined.
"This is mom's first art buying trip since the surgery. If she finds out I put you in danger, she'll never trust me to leave again."
"Dawn, I have something you can do," Xander said. Dawn perked up. "We need a blueprint for McHenry Air Force Base, do you think you could find one on the Internet."
"No sweat," Dawn said with a smile, turning and running back upstairs to where her computer was. Buffy just gave Xander a thankful smile, which he returned before turning to leave again.
"Xander," Buffy called out before he reached the door. He stopped and turned around. "You do have a plan, right?"
Xander smiled. "Have I ever let you down before?" he said. And with that, he headed out the door, followed shortly by Willow and Tara.
And that's when Buffy realized something, with some small measure of surprise. He was right, Xander had never let her down before.
Willow and Tara arrived back in about twenty minutes with Giles car, and Xander wasn't too far behind. When he walked in, everyone did a double take. He was wearing green camouflage fatigue pants with a plain black tee shirt that seemed awfully tight over his chest and arms, and black combat boots with a knife sheathed on his right ankle. He was carrying a black duffel bag, which he set down as he came in. "Corporal Harris reporting for duty Ma'am," he said with a wry smile.
"That's great Xander, but this is an Air Force base, remember. Not an Army base," Buffy said. She was also dressed for battle, all in black, and she was looking over her weapons.
"Yeah, but that recovery team was Army, so I'm guessing that I'm not going to look too out of place."
Buffy nodded. Willow, who was standing by the window, turned to face Xander. "Hey Xand, can I ask you something? We all know you're Joe Cool and all, but what's with the car? Why did you get one so much like your old one?"
Xander put on an over-exaggerated look of shock before speaking. "That fine piece of machinery is nothing like that rusted- out old shit-box Uncle Rory sold me. For one, it's green, not blue. Plus it's a Cadillac, how can you go wrong with that. Okay, so I have a soft spot for late-model convertibles, but I was lucky to have found it for the price I did. The guy I bought it off of said it used to belong to a cop in Toronto, took real good care of it. Plus, it has the most trunk space of any car built in the last forty years."
Willow looked puzzled. "Okay, I'm not going to ask how or why you know that."
"The guy I bought it from told me, I guess he thought it was a selling point. I never knew it would come in handy."
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.
"You'll see in a minute," Xander answered. "Okay, everyone's here, we should get started." He motioned for everyone to gather around the coffee table, and they did so. Buffy, Willow, Tara, John, Aeryn, and Chiana. "Where's Dawn?" Xander asked.
"Coming," Dawn called from the stairs. She jogged down them, blueprints in hand. "Here you go, Xander," she said, handing them over.
Xander offered her a smile as he took them and unrolled them on the table. "These are very detailed, where did you find these Dawnster?" he asked as he looked the blueprints over.
"I have my ways," Dawn said with a smile. "Let's just say that Willow is an excellent teacher."
"Well, you are an excellent student," Willow said with a measure of pride in her voice.
"Wills, for future reference, don't teach her anything illegal, okay," Buffy piped in.
"Aw, Buffy, you're no fun," Dawn whined.
Xander looked over the blueprints a little bit longer before he began. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. Willow, Tara, and Chiana will be in Giles car, here," he said, pointing to a spot on the paper. "On the street outside the main gate, out of site of the guard booth. You'll be our back up should something go wrong. Just keep your eye on the gate in case we need to move out fast, and have a few non-lethal spells ready to use in case you need to fight." He looked up at the two witches. "But it won't come to that, I'm sure. The rest of us will be in my car, Buffy and me in the front, John and Aeryn in the trunk."
"Oh, fun," John muttered.
"I'll pull the same shtick I did with Cordelia when we were swiping the rocket launcher. Buffy's my girlfriend and she wants to see all the shiny airplanes, and I forgot my ID."
"Do you really think that will work?" John asked. "There's bound to be extra security with the ship and all."
"I'm betting that we get there before they have a chance to call in extra personal, so we're talking standard night shift. Plus, the higher the security clearance, the less the grunts know. The guard at the gate probably won't know squat about your ship. And if he doesn't fall for it, we'll have our pulse rifles on the floor in the back seat, we'll just knock him out.
"Okay, so depending on what happens at the guard booth, we'll have anywhere between three to ten minutes before the general alarm is sounded. Now, the Reverse Engineering lab has to be..." he paused, looking over the blueprints. "Here."
"That just looks like a hanger, how do you know that's where the lab will be?" Buffy asked.
"Take a look, it's the only hanger that doesn't face the airstrip, it faces the desert. The airspace above that area is restricted, it's generally believed that it's used to test experimental aircraft. Plus it's the only area on the base large enough and restricted enough to keep the ship. We'll take the Caddy to here," Xander said, pointing at the map. "And enter the building here. I think we should split up, come at the lab from two different directions. Buffy and I will go this way," he said, drawing a route on the blueprint. "And John and Aeryn will go around this way. What do you guys think?"
"Sounds good," John said. "We should keep in contact in case we run into trouble, though." He reached across the table and took the pin off of Chiana's shirt, handing it to Xander. "Take this with you, it's a communicator."
Xander nodded, examining the pin closely. "Those blasters you carry have a stun setting, right?" he asked. John nodded. "Good, I don't want anybody getting killed.
"Now, once we get to the hanger, there's going to be at least ten or twenty soldiers there, and other assorted members of the recovery team, helping to secure the ship. We can count on twice that once the alarm sounds and they know what we're after." Xander paused. "This is the hard part. Getting in is a piece of cake compared to getting back out. We have to move as quickly as possible." He turned to John. "How many people are we going to be able to fit in that ship when we make our escape?"
"That's going to be a problem," Aeryn said.
John turned to her. "What do you mean?"
"There isn't enough fuel left to take off."
"What!"
"I told you that there wasn't enough fuel for the autopilot to maintain orbit, that's why it landed in the first place. I'll need to siphon some from our transport before we leave."
John's expression told the others that something was wrong. "What is it?" Buffy asked.
"It's a no-go, there's not enough fuel left for it to take off."
"Shit," Xander muttered. "Well, scratch that idea. Someone would have had to go back for my car anyway." Xander looked down at the blueprint again, staring at it intensely. "There's only one road that leads to the base, and that comes right off the highway. It's mostly surrounded by desert. If we can't fly out, they're not going to have a hard time following us even if we do manage to escape. The only way to move the ship now is to steal the truck it's on, and that will just make us even more conspicuous and easy to track."
"All we have to do is get it far enough away to buy us enough time to get our transport to it and fuel it up again, then we can take off," John said.
Xander seemed to think again for a few moments, then he smiled. "Dawn, get me that road atlas, will you?" Dawn nodded and went to get it. "Okay, here's what we're going to do...
Willow sat behind the wheel of Giles' car, on the side of the road a few hundred yards from the front gate of McHenry Air Force Base. She was drumming her fingers on the wheel nervously as she watched Xander pull his green Cadillac up to the guard booth. Tara sat in the passenger seat next to her, looking through a musty old book, which rested on her lap. Chiana sat in the backseat, her eyes on Xander's car along with Willow. Tara glanced up at her girlfriend as she heard her blow a nervous breath out between her teeth.
"Are you worried about the plan?"
"A little," Willow said. "It's pretty risky, I just hope they can pull this off without getting hurt."
"I'll second that," Chiana said from the backseat. Willow and Tara both glanced at her. They knew that she could understand them, but they still couldn't understand her.
"Are you working on that spell that Xander asked you about?" Willow asked, looking at the book Tara was holding.
"No, I have that one ready already. This is something else." Willow nodded and looked back toward the guard booth. She let out another sigh. "They'll be okay," Tara said. "This is Buffy and Xander we're talking about, they can do anything. They've gone into worse situations before, you all have."
Willow smiled and nodded a little. "It's weird, I've never seen Xander take charge like he did tonight. It reminded me though, of all the times that he's come through for us. I guess we tend not to notice him sometimes because he doesn't have any special powers, but the truth is he's helped out a lot." Tara just nodded and turned away. "What?" Willow asked.
"It's just...well, I know how he feels, I guess. I mean, before I met you and became a part of the Scooby Gang, I felt like that. Like I didn't really belong, like no one really noticed me. I saw that with Xander too, except he never let it show that it bothered him, he never let it interfere with being part of the group and helping you guys." She paused. "I always thought that was pretty amazing."
This time Willow looked away, as she realized that Tara was right. All the times they had ignored Xander, or pushed him away. But he never complained, he never showed that it hurt. Maybe that's why she hadn't realized how much they had hurt him until now. "Yeah, Xander's a pretty amazing guy."
"Yeah," Chiana agreed from the back. "He is."
When the convertible pulled up to the gate, the top was down. Xander sat at attention behind the wheel, and Buffy sat on the passenger's side, chewing bubblegum and twirling her hair. She was wearing a light sundress, concealing the simple black pants and top she wore underneath. The guard looked the pair over suspiciously. "Can I help you?"
"Riley Finn, US Army," Xander said. "I got separated from my unit, I understand that they're inside."
"An Army unit did pass through here," the guard said. "I'll need to see your identification."
"That's the problem, you see I left my ID on the truck before I got separated."
"I see," the guard said skeptically. He cast another glance at Buffy, who just gave him a little wink in return. "And who might you be Miss?"
Xander answered. "This is my girlfriend. I just wanted to show her around a bit."
"The base is on Security Alert, high level clearance only," the guard said. "I'll have to call ahead and check on your status Agent Finn, but I'm afraid I can't let her enter. And I will need to see some kind of identification that proves that you are who you say you are."
"I understand. I should have something around here..." Xander trailed off as he patted himself, looking around the car like he was looking for his wallet or something. "Ah, here we are," he said, reaching around behind him into the backseat. When he came back up he had a pulse rifle in his hand. He fired a shot before the guard even had a chance to react. A bolt of energy shot out and struck him in the chest, sending him back against the wall of the booth. He slumped down, unconscious.
Xander put his foot on the gas and the car lurched forward, crashing through the wooden barrier arm just beyond the guard booth. He made his way through the complex at breakneck speed, heading for the entry point that they had already planned. Buffy spit her gum out onto the ground, and pushed her hair back, securing it in a ponytail. She lifted the dress up over her head and tossed it into the backseat. Grabbing her own rifle, she checked it briefly before Xander spun the Caddy around swiftly. The car skidded to a screeching halt in front of the building, facing back the way they came.
"What did you do that for?" Buffy asked.
"It'll save time during the escape, won't have to turn the car around," Xander answered, already climbing out of the car, not bothering with the door. Buffy did the same and followed him around to the back where he opened the trunk.
John and Aeryn were pushed to one side of the trunk by the spin, and were currently trying to untangle themselves from each other. "Where the frell did you learn to drive!" John exclaimed as he climbed out, shaking his head clear.
"Dukes of Hazard reruns," Xander answered, pulling a duffel bag out of the trunk as well and slinging it over his shoulder. "Sorry. You ready?"
John helped Aeryn out and they both drew their blasters. "Ready," John answered.
"All right, let's do this. I'll take point," Xander said, leading the way into the building. Buffy went next, followed closely by John and Aeryn. They entered the building to find an empty corridor. No alarms had been sounded yet, and considering the hour, the place was pretty empty. Xander took the communicator that John had given him out of his pocket and attached it to his shirt. The four of them moved through the quiet halls like a precision military team. It was several moments of intense quiet before they heard footsteps in the distance on the hard tile floor. "Weapons on stun," Xander reminded them with a whisper.
Meanwhile some unsuspecting airman rounded the corner ahead of them and caught an energy bolt in the chest. He hit the ground unconscious, barely making a sound. Not a half a second later, an alarm sounded throughout the building.
"Shit!" Xander cursed.
"Frell!" added John.
Xander rounded the corner in time to see half a dozen men scrambling away. Probably going for weapons. They must have seen their friend go down and sounded the alarm. Xander waved for the others to follow him as he jogged down the corridor. No longer moving slowly, afraid of making noise or arousing attention, the four of them moved quickly. They made it to the break in the corridor where they had planned to split up.
"This is where we part ways, good luck," Xander said.
"Keep in touch," John said, tapping his own communicator pin. "See you in the hanger." He and Aeryn dashed down the one corridor, each holding their blasters in a two handed stance, pointed down slightly, but at the ready.
Xander and Buffy headed down the other hall, their weapons also at the ready. The alarm klaxons were ringing loudly in their ears. Xander could hear weapons fire in the distance, from what he assumed was the other corridor where John and Aeryn were. It was the sound of energy weapons mixed with gunfire. Xander and Buffy exchanged a look at the sound. They both knew what it meant. These soldiers didn't have pulse rifles, they were using live rounds. And by the sound of it, they didn't share Buffy and Xander's concern for the lives of their enemies.
Buffy and Xander rounded the next corner and saw a soldier rounding the next corner ten feet down the hall. Xander raised his rifle, ready to fire, but stopped when he got a closer look at the man in front of him. The soldier was holding a Glock in a two-handed stance, pointed at Xander. But he didn't fire.
"Shit," Xander muttered.
"Riley!" Buffy said.
John and Aeryn were pinned down, taking cover in adjacent doorways across the hall from each other. They found themselves under fire not too long after they split up with Buffy and Xander. "What the frell are those weapons they're using?" Aeryn asked.
"Firearms," John answered. "They use a chemical reaction to project small pellets of lead."
"How quaint," she said, hugging the wall tighter as another bullet whizzed by. "Do you have a shot?"
"Not without losing my head in the process," John answered. He tried peeking out from the doorway, but a close ricochet made him pull back. "Well, this is certainly fun."
"You're the one who was homesick for this place," Aeryn reminded him.
"Well believe me, I'm feeling a little homesick for Moya right about now."
"Why don't you just talk to them, human to human. I'm sure they're just as understanding and compassionate as you claim humans to be."
"Will you just stick it! I don't have time for your superior Sebacean attitude right now, okay. In case you haven't noticed, we're in a bit of a jam here."
"*My* superior attitude! You've got some nerve! You're the one with the attitude, ever since we landed on this god-forsaken rock. If you're that unhappy aboard Moya then why don't you just leave!"
"What are you talking about, I never said I was unhappy aboard Moya?" John said, confused.
More gunfire made it's way down the corridor. "Surrender your weapons and come out with your hands above your head!" somebody shouted.
"You didn't have to say it," Aeryn said, ignoring the soldier's words. "You've been gushing over this planet since we got here, and criticizing me for thinking like a Peace Keeper. Well I'm sorry John, but that's what I am, like it or not. I can't change that overnight just because my people don't want me anymore. I may have pointed out that Sebaceans are physically superior to humans, but I never claimed were morally superior to anyone. So you can just take your self-righteous dren and...stick it!"
John paused. "Aeryn, I'm...wait, that's it. I have an idea, I need that physically superior eyesight of yours. When I say now, come out shooting, okay?" Aeryn just nodded. John raised his blaster and aimed it at the ceiling in the corridor. He fired, breaking up a section of the drywall and sending plaster dust everywhere. "Now!"
Aeryn held her breath to keep from breathing in any of the dust as she moved into the corridor and took aim at the soldiers at the end of the hall. She fired, picking them off one by one, and leaving them in an unconscious heap on the floor.
John stepped out, waving his hand in front of his face and coughing slightly. "Good shot," he said. "I knew they wouldn't be able to get a clear shot through all that dust."
"Quick thinking," Aeryn said. "Come on, we'd better hurry."
"Buffy! What the hell are you doing here?"
"It's kind of a long story, I need you to let us pass."
"I can't do that," Riley said, still not lowering his gun. Xander held his rifle up, but he didn't say anything.
"You don't understand what's at stake here. If we don't get that ship back to it's rightful owner, it'll cause a time para-something. The universe could be destroyed!"
"That ship belongs to the US Army now, I can't let you have it."
"Damn it, Riley! Will you think for a second! Did you hear what I just said, the universe could be destroyed! We don't have time for your macho soldier bullshit right now!"
"And when have you ever had time for me! What am I suppose to do Buffy, just put my whole life aside because it's inconvenient for you, give up everything I ever was because you don't like it? Well, that's what I've been doing, and I can't do it anymore."
"I never asked you to give up who you were, leaving the Initiative was your choice. And considering what happened, I would think you would be grateful if I pushed you toward it."
"This isn't about the Initiative, it's about you not letting me into your life. It wasn't me you wanted, it was just the idea of me."
"I never..."
"Hey!" Xander interrupted with a shout. "This is all very interesting but can you two have this argument later, time is of the essence here."
"I'm not going to let you past, and if you don't want to get arrested or worse, I suggest you get the hell out of here now while you can," Riley said.
"Is that a threat?" Buffy asked, her voice taking a dangerous tone.
Xander held up a hand to Buffy to tell her to stop. "Riley, listen to me, okay. I know what it's like for you right now, believe me."
"How could you possibly know anything!" Riley spat.
"You think you're the first person to fight evil on the Hellmouth and not get noticed for it!" Xander returned forcefully. "You think you're the first person to be ignored by your friends because there are more important things to deal with, like saving the world! I've been fighting along side Buffy for a lot longer than you have, and I've risked my life practically every night that I've lived in this god-forsaken hellhole! I don't do it to get any kind of reward, that's not what this is about.
"Let me tell you something, soldier to soldier. Something that I think you already know. This is a war. And it isn't the kind of war that you get a parade for when you come home. In fact, the people you're fighting for don't even know what's going on around them. But at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself why it is that you fight. Is it for recognition, for a pat on the head and a 'job well done'? Or do you fight because it's something worth fighting for, because it's the right thing to do, because you want to. If it's recognition you're looking for, then you're fighting the wrong war."
"The only recognition I ever wanted was..." Riley paused and glanced at Buffy. "Was to know that she loved me. That...somehow I mattered to her. And that maybe, just maybe, I meant as much to her as she did to me." He paused again. "But I don't. I know that now. I think I've known it for a while, I was just too afraid to admit it. Because I didn't want to lose her," he finished in a sad voice.
"Believe me buddy, I've been there. I know how easy it is to fall in love with her." Xander paused, glancing sideways at Buffy. "And how hard it can be too, if she doesn't share your feelings. It's up to you to decide whether or not what she can give you, is enough."
Riley locked eyes with Buffy, who herself was staring back and forth between him and Xander. He nodded sadly. "You're right," he said softly. "It is up to me. Buffy, I know that I said it was your decision. Whether you wanted me in your life or not." He paused. "Whether you love me or not. But I already know the answer to that."
"I'm sorry, Riley," Buffy said, a tear threatening in her voice.
"I know," Riley said softly. "So am I."
A burst of static crackled over Xander's communicator pin, and the voice of John Crichton came through. "Xander, we're under fire here, where the hell are you guys!" he shouted. The sound of gun and blaster fire could be heard over the line as well.
Xander turned to Riley again. "All personal issues aside big guy, you have to know that Buffy knows what she's doing here, and that she would never lie to you. We have to get that ship out of here, or it will cause a time paradox that could destroy the universe."
Riley didn't take his eyes of Buffy. "Go. Just...go."
Xander was down the corridor in a second. Buffy lingered a moment longer, giving Riley one last apologetic glance before rushing to catch up with Xander.
Xander touched the pin on his shirt. "John, we're on our way."
When Buffy and Xander got to the hanger, they couldn't see John and Aeryn, but they could tell where they were. The group of soldiers laying down cover fire in the corner of the hanger adjacent to them was a clue. The massive room was littered with unconscious bodies and busted equipment. The walls were marred with bullet holes and burn marks from John and Aeryn's energy weapons. In the center of the room was the truck that Xander had seen on the road earlier that night. The back of the truck was open and he could see that it did indeed contain a ship.
Between the noise and the focus on John and Aeryn, no one noticed Buffy and Xander's entrance. "They must have already blocked the other entrance, otherwise they'd be taking fire from behind," Xander said, referring to their comrades. "We have to block this door and find some cover, then we can set up a crossfire."
Buffy nodded and looked around. "There," she said, spotting a large piece of equipment that looked like a cross between a tool chest and a diagnostic machine that you might see in a auto mechanic's garage. But it was on wheels, so it was fairly easy to move to block the double doors that they had entered through.
Xander set down his duffel bag and helped Buffy push the machine into place. Then they pushed it over onto it's side in front of the door, creating a large bang. But no one noticed the sound through the gunfire. Buffy pushed the machine up against the door, then climbed up on top to make sure the door was bolted closed as well. "This won't hold them long," she said.
Xander nodded. "Hopefully long enough." He started looking around again. They were standing in a small piece of hallway just beyond the door, out of site from the rest of the hanger. "You stay here, this corner should be enough cover. I'll get behind the truck."
Buffy nodded and Xander made his way over to the truck as quietly as he could. He tapped the pin on his shirt and spoke into it. "John, we're here. Get ready to set up a crossfire. Buffy's across from you along the back wall and I'm behind the truck."
"Copy, just hurry up," John's voice came over. "We're not going to last much longer like this."
Xander's response was to open fire. He hit three soldiers in the back before the first one even turned around. Bolts of white energy flew across the hanger as Buffy joined in, and the soldiers started scrambling to find cover from two directions. Soon bolts of red energy joined in, as the fire the soldiers were laying down against John and Aeryn lessened enough for them to return fire again. Xander managed to pick off anyone who came too close to his or Buffy's position, while Buffy concentrated on those who were still firing on John and Aeryn.
It wasn't long before the sound of gunfire was no more, and Xander couldn't spot a soldier or a scientist who wasn't unconscious. He crept out from behind his cover and saw John across the hanger doing the same. They caught each other's gaze and nodded. Xander checked the cab of the truck, under the truck, and in the back of the truck. No one. John checked behind all the equipment on the other side of the room that the soldiers had been using for cover. No one. No one conscious anyway. "It looks like we're clear," John said.
Buffy and Aeryn both came out, both with their weapons still at the ready. Aeryn had a trickle of blood running down her right arm, and there was a piece of camouflage cloth tied around her bicep. "You're hit," Xander said to her.
"It's just a flesh wound, I'll be fine," Aeryn said.
"She just got nicked," John translated. "She'll be okay."
Xander nodded. "Okay, we have to hurry. John, make sure that they're all still unconscious, and take their weapons in case they wake up. Kick them down to the other side of the hanger, by the door. Buffy, help me drag these guys back some. I don't want any of them getting hurt. And grab my bag over there, would you."
Buffy and John both nodded. John turned to Aeryn. "Check your Prowler, make sure it's okay," he said. Aeryn holstered her blaster and climbed into the back of the truck to check on her ship. Buffy and Xander started dragging unconscious soldiers and scientists closer to the back of the room and away from the hanger doors. John started going through the weapons of the fallen soldiers and throwing them across the room, closer to the hanger doors. Buffy handed Xander his duffel bag and he unzipped it, pulling out a red plastic gas can. Xander unscrewed the cap off the can and started walking back toward the hanger doors.
"Xander, are you sure about this?" Buffy asked as Xander started spreading the gasoline around on the floor in front of the hanger door and on the lower part of the door itself.
Xander nodded. "It'll be enough of a distraction to cover your escape. Plus, my guess would be that most of the people outside of this room don't even know about the ship, so they won't know anything is missing until you're long gone." Xander spread the gasoline on the walls around the hanger door a little more until he was satisfied. He hit the control to raise the door before heading back for the truck, throwing the gas can and the duffel bag in the back next to Aeryn. Xander turned to John. "Are you sure you can drive without the headlights, it's pitch black out there."
John pulled something out of the inside of his coat and slipped it onto his head. It had a blue eyepiece, which he adjusted into place. "I'll be fine, don't worry."
"And you know where you're going?"
"I do," John said. "We'll see you in a few." He reached out and shook Xander's hand. "Good luck."
"You too," Xander returned.
"Xander, why don't you come with us? You're running a big risk just to go back for your car," Buffy said.
"I have to, it would be too easy to trace it back to me if I left it. Besides, Willow and Tara have my back. I'll see you in a few Buffy, I promise." Just then, they could hear activity in the hallway. People shouting and pushing at the doors to try and get in. "Go, now," Xander said.
Buffy climbed up into the truck cab quickly, followed by John who took the driver's seat. Xander went back to the back of the truck as John started it. He lifted the large tailgate up. Aeryn helped him pull it closed from her position in the back of the truck. "Good luck," Xander said. Aeryn just nodded.
Xander banged his hand on the tailgate twice to let John know he was ready. The engine revved slightly and the truck started pulling away. Xander ran back to the unconscious soldiers. Looking over, he spotted one and ran over to him. "You look about my size," he said to himself as he grabbed him under the arms and dragged him to the side of the hanger. He quickly took the soldier's shirt and helmet and put them on. He slung his rifle back over his shoulder just in time to hear the door bust open. He hit the ground fast, playing unconscious. Glancing back toward the hanger door, he could see the truck gaining distance, and he could just make out the form of Aeryn Sun in the back, lifting her blaster and taking aim. Xander ducked his head down again, preparing himself.
Aeryn fired her blaster and ignited the gasoline. The explosion rocked the hanger. Xander could feel the heat and the shockwave at his back. He opened his eyes again and looked back to see the front of the hanger engulfed in flames. Looking back to the soldiers he could see them scrambling back for the doors. Some of the unconscious were starting to wake up, and the others were being carried out before the fire could spread. Xander got to his feet and started for the door himself. He picked up a nearby soldier in a fireman's carry and helped out into the hallway. Once there he set him done again and checked to make sure he was still breathing before he continued back down the corridor they had come from.
The base seemed in chaos now, and the alert sirens had been replaced with a standard fire alarm. Xander rushed down the hall, keeping his head low to avoid making eye contact with anyone coming in the other direction. He made it to the door rather quickly and went outside to where his car was still parked. No one seemed to be paying him or the car any attention, they were too busy trying to contain the fire or looking for the intruders. Xander knew that they would never see the truck in the middle of the desert without it's lights on, unless the used a helicopter. And by the time they realized what had been taken, it would be too late for even that.
Xander took his helmet off and threw it aside. Taking the rifle off his shoulder, he threw it in the backseat of his car and climbed in on the passenger side, walking on the seat to the driver's side and sliding down. He started the car, slammed it into drive and hit the gas. The base was much more active now then it had been when they arrived, so Xander had to drive with more caution to avoid hitting anyone. He didn't however drive with much less speed. This was drawing attention of course, and it wasn't very long before Xander noticed that he had been made and was being chased. He just prayed that Tara was ready with the spell he had asked her about.
"I found it!" Tara exclaimed excitedly from the passenger seat of Giles car.
Willow took her eyes of the Air Force base to turn to her girlfriend. "What?"
"Watch," Tara said as she turned in her seat to face Chiana in the back. She sat on her knees with the book open on her lap and motioned for Chiana to sit up closer. "I promise this won't hurt Chiana, I just want to try something."
Chiana looked a little apprehensive, but she complied. Willow looked on curiously.
Tara pulled as small leather drawstring pouch out of her pocket and opened it. Reaching inside with two fingers, she brought out a pinch of powder and rubbed it onto her left palm with her right index finger. She began reading an incantation from the book. "Admitto ceptum ab anima sodes."
And with that, she blew onto her hand, sending the powder up into the air, and into Chiana's face. The powder seemed to glow magically for a moment, as Chiana recoiled a little and blinked her eyes several times. Tara looked on expectantly, like she was waiting for something. Chiana shook her head a little and her nose twitched. She inhaled sharply, and sneezed. Tara smiled.
"Bless you," Willow said.
"Thank you," Chiana said. "What the frell was that stuff?"
Tara's grin widened and Willow's mouth fell open. "Just some enchanted herbs, and a little eye of newt."
Chiana's eyes widened. "You can understand me now?"
Tara nodded. "Translation spell," she said. "It will only last a few hours, but it's enough time to say goodbye."
Chiana smiled. "Thank you."
Tara just smiled. Just then there was the sound of an explosion. The three of them turned back in time to see a brief flash of light and a column of black smoke rising into the air.
"That's our cue," Willow said, starting the car. "Get ready."
Tara nodded and put the book she was holding back down at her feet. She picked up another one and turned quickly to a page that had already been marked. She looked over it for a moment before looking up again. She glanced over to Willow, who still looked a little nervous. She reached out and took her hand for a second, giving it a squeeze. Willow looked over and smiled warmly.
Not even a second later there was the sound of wood breaking and tires screeching as Xander's green Caddy flew out of the front gate of the Air Force base. It skidded as Xander jerked the wheel sharply, and took off again as he gunned the gas.
Willow hit the gas as soon as she saw the car emerge, trying to get between Xander and the pursuing soldiers. A few soldiers on foot followed out of the gate with guns drawn, taking shots at the Cadillac. Willow swerved a little as she drove past, causing most of them to jump out of the way, afraid that she would hit them. She glanced over briefly and saw two jeeps coming out of the gate, the soldiers on the back brandishing nasty looking machine guns.
Tara grabbed on to the back of her seat as she turned around to face the soldiers now behind them. She held up her hand and shouted an incantation. "Reproba monstrum prodeo!"
Chiana looked on as she crouched down in the backseat. A beam of white light shot out of Tara's hand and broke into a large, bright flash right before it reached the soldiers. Chiana shielded her eyes for a moment, and when she looked back, there was a large creature standing in front of the soldiers. It was at least ten feet tall, with horns on top of it's head, and large clawed hands. It roared, and the soldiers turned and ran the other way. The two jeeps skidded to a stop so fast that they nearly collided with each other, coming to a stop directly in front of the monster. Willow was driving so fast that it was hard to see what happened next, but the soldiers certainly lost interest in chasing after them, that was clear.
"What the frell is that thing?" Chiana asked.
"Ra'Kella demon," Tara answered. "I thought it would provide an adequate distraction for our escape."
"You mean you conjured that thing?"
"Oh, goddess no," Tara said. "Conjuring takes a lot more power than that. That isn't actually a Ra'Kella demon, it's just an illusion. It isn't even solid, though I doubt anyone will get close enough to discover that. It will snarl and roar like that for another ten minutes or so before it disappears."
"Cool," Chiana said. "So now what happens?"
Willow was about to answer when she was interrupted by Xander's voice, screaming across the desert night. "YEEEE-HAW!"
The three of them just smiled. "Now, you can go home," Willow answered.
Chiana smiled again as she thought of that word, of what it meant to her. "Home."
Xander got back on the highway, knowing that even if they were still being followed somehow, that they'd lose them in the traffic. He drove to the next exit, Willow close behind, and took a series of side roads that lead them to an old dirt fire road that hadn't been in use for decades. They drove for nearly an hour until they came across the others. They were literally in the middle of nowhere; the road and the desert were the only things for miles around. The truck was parked perpendicular to the road. Buffy was sitting on the hood Indian style, her chin resting in her hands and a worried expression on her face. John and Aeryn stood off to the side, talking.
Buffy jumped down from the truck when she saw Xander's car approaching. Xander stopped the car just in front of the truck, Willow stopped Giles' car just behind him. Buffy rushed to Xander as he was getting out of the car and hugged him. "You made it," she said with a smile.
"Of course," Xander said, hugging Buffy back. "You doubted me?" he said, flashing his trademark grin. Buffy just smiled back and turned to Willow, giving her a hug too.
"We're you followed?" John asked, he and Aeryn walking up to Xander.
"No," Xander said. "Tara's illusion spell worked like a charm. What about you guys?"
"Nope, the explosion was very distracting. Your plan worked great."
"It wasn't exactly *my* plan," Xander said.
"The majority of it was," John answered.
"What about your other ship?" Xander changed the subject.
"I sent for it remotely, it's already on it's way here. We'll be out of your hair in no time."
Xander just smiled. That's when he heard someone behind him say his name. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it immediately. When he turned around he saw Chiana standing there, smiling at him. Willow and Tara were smiling too. "Chiana?" Xander asked in amazement.
Chiana nodded with a smile. "That's right, it's me," she said.
"How?"
"Tara cast some kind of a spell," Chiana answered.
Xander looked to Tara who just smiled in return. Willow was ushering Buffy back to the truck, as well as John and Aeryn.
"I just wanted to say goodbye," Chiana said once they were alone. "And to say thank you for all you've done."
"Not a problem."
"Xander, I mean it. You risked your life for a complete stranger, and from what I've seen it's something that you do a lot. You shouldn't dismiss that just because you don't think you have any special abilities. Because from what I've seen tonight, you have a lot of special abilities. And I think that maybe your friends are starting to see that again."
"I want to thank you too, for what you said earlier. It made me realize that maybe I was seeing myself the way I thought others saw me. You made me realize that I can believe in myself, and make them believe. The things I did tonight, I don't think I would have had the confidence to pull them off before. I owe that to you."
Chiana leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Xander in a hug, nestling her face in his shoulder. Xander returned the embrace tightly. Chiana pulled back a little and looked up at Xander. "When I first came here, I was depressed, feeling a little useless, just like you were. But I'm not useless either, and I want to thank you for helping me see that." Chiana paused, her expression becoming sad. "If things were different..."
Xander nodded, his face looking sad too. "I know," he said. "I wish things could have been different."
"So do I." Chiana looked into Xander's eyes a moment longer before leaning up and touching her lips to his gently. The kiss was slow and sweet, gradually becoming more passionate. Xander's hands slid up her back, and Chiana's hands started winding into his hair. Neither of them noticed the others watching them, or the transport as it flew closer and hovered overhead. Xander put his hands on Chiana's hips and pulled away slowly, their eyes remaining locked.
"I think your ride's here," Xander said, not moving his eyes. He paused. "I guess this is goodbye."
"I guess so," Chiana said simply. "I hate goodbyes."
"So do I," Xander agreed. "So, we won't say goodbye. We'll just say... until next we meet."
"We probably won't meet again."
"I know."
Chiana nodded. "Until next we meet," she said. The hugged again briefly, and started walking toward the transport where it landed next to the truck.
John and Aeryn were already fueling up the Prowler, and it looked like they were ready to go. Chiana stood in the entranceway of the transport while John was putting away the fuel line. He reached out and shook Xander's hand. "Thank you again for all your help, all of you," he said. He shook Buffy's hand too, and gave Willow and Tara a friendly smile.
"Not a problem," Xander said. He took the pin off of his shirt and handed it back to John. "I believe this is yours."
John was about to take it back, but he stopped. He turned and looked at Chiana, then back to Xander. "No," he said. "You keep it. To remember us by."
Xander closed his fingers around the communicator. "If you ever make it back to Earth, look me up," he said with a kind of sad expression on his face. "We'll have a beer or something."
John smiled. "Count on it."
John headed for the door of the transport where Chiana still stood. She and Xander locked gazes for a moment more, before she finally turned and went inside. John followed, giving Xander and the others one last wave, and motioning for them to stand back.
They stood back and watched as both ships ascended into the night sky, and took off. Disappearing into the stars. Buffy wasn't sure over the noise, but she thought that her slayer hearing picked out Xander's voice, saying, "Goodbye." She turned to Xander when the ships were out of sight, but he wasn't standing next to her anymore. The three girls looked down the road at the only sign of him, a cloud of dust and the familiar taillights of a late model Cadillac.
John, Aeryn and Chiana made it back through the wormhole and to Moya without any problems, none of them worse for wear. In fact, Chiana seemed a little more upbeat since the experience. John made a mental note to talk to her later. Some of the things that she had said about feeling useless had disturbed him, but it seemed like she and Xander had both helped each other in that respect. She was currently in Command, talking with the others.
John walked onto the hanger deck and spotted Aeryn, next to her Prowler leaned over the cockpit. He walked over to her slowly, his footsteps echoing throughout the chamber. He stopped next to her. "Hey," he said simply.
Aeryn stood from where she was leaning over, a tool of some kind in her hand. She just looked at John for a moment before responding. "Hey," she said, before returning to her work.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm installing a few more security protocols on the take off sequence. I've also disabled the auto-landing sequence until I can fix that programming glitch," Aeryn answered.
"Good," John said, shuffling his feet a little. He looked nervous. "Look, I think we need to talk," he finally said.
"Do you now?" Aeryn returned, going back to what she was doing. "About what?"
"About...Earth." John paused, then let out a frustrated sigh. He was clearly irritated with himself for not being able to say what he wanted. "Look, Aeryn, I never wanted you to be anything you're not. I know that you're a Peace Keeper, and that you can't change that. And, if I ever made you feel bad for that, then...well, I'm sorry."
Aeryn looked up at that. "And what does that have to do with Earth?"
"Things are different now then they were when I first came aboard Moya. I just wanted you to know that...well..." John drifted off as he blew another frustrated breath out between his teeth. "Earth is important to me, and I can't change that any more then you can change who you are. But the reason it's important to me is because it was my home, it was everything I knew. But lately I've been thinking about an old human expression. 'Home is where people love you.' And I've realized that Moya is my home now. And I just wanted to tell you, that if I ever do find a way back to Earth. I...well, I..."
"I understand John," Aeryn said, still trying to pretend like she didn't care. "And you don't have to explain anything to me."
"But I want to. I want you to know..."
"I do."
"No Aeryn, I..."
"John," Aeryn interrupted. "I know. Moya is my home now, too," she said more slowly. "I understand."
John just looked at her for a moment. There was something in her eyes, something that her lips could never say. And for now, that was enough.
"I've got work to do," Aeryn said breaking the silence. She paused. "I could use a hand."
John smiled. "Sure thing."
Xander was sitting on the roof of his apartment building, watching the sun come up, and thinking about Chiana. He was thinking about how it seemed like every time he started to have feelings for someone, they were ripped away from him violently. Maybe it was his masochistic subconscious, forcing him to fall for all the unattainable women. The slayers and the demons and the aliens from other galaxies. And it forced him to sabotage the relationships that were going good. The fluke with Willow was a masterstroke, he managed to kill and chance he had with Willow and with Cordelia all at the same time. Willow went running back to Oz, and Cordy went running to LA. In the end he managed to keep both their friendships, though god knows how. But then came Anya, and for the first time in his life, Xander was in a mature, adult relationship. It made him feel like maybe his curse with women was over, like maybe he had finally grown up, and it was his turn to be happy finally. But she was ripped from him too. She left, unable to face life as a mortal, and bored with the idea of a human relationship. Bored with Xander.
Oh well, at least the sex had been good. Xander smiled at that thought. And that's when he realized, that despite the drudging up of bad memories he was doing, despite his seemingly endless streak of bad luck with women, he was in a pretty good mood. This night had started with him feeling sorry for himself, feeling useless and under appreciated. And it ended with him proving himself, to his friends and to himself. With him realizing that he didn't do what he did for recognition, or to impress anyone, or even to prove himself. He did it because he wanted to, because he thought it was the right thing to do. And that made him feel better about himself. And as he looked out over the town of Sunnydale, with the sky filling with shades of red and orange, the first rays of sunlight bringing the new day, he smiled.
Xander heard the heavy, steel door to the roof open behind him. And footsteps on the gravel. He didn't turn until he saw a figure in his peripheral vision. It was Buffy. She hoped up and sat on the ledge next to him, facing the roof where Xander faced away from it. "Hey," she said with a reassuring smile.
"Hey," Xander returned, smiling too to let her know that he was okay. "How did you know I was up here?"
"Willow told me that when you need to think, you go someplace high. I took a chance."
Xander nodded, turning back to the eastern sky. "I like watching the sun rise," he said after a moment. "Especially after nights like tonight. I started doing it years ago. The first time was after the Harvest actually, when I...when Jesse died. I sat on the roof outside my bedroom window all night, just thinking. And when I watched the sunrise, I felt a little bit better. It reminds me that there's still light in the world, that what we do night after night means something. That evil has been defeated for one more day." He turned and looked at Buffy again. "It's corny, I know."
"No," Buffy said. "I don't think it's corny at all." Buffy turned around on the ledge so that she was facing the sun too. "I've never told anyone this before, but I used to cry every night when I came home from patrol." Xander turned to look at her, concern in his eyes. "It's okay, it was a long time ago. When I was first called, and a little after we first moved to Sunnydale." She paused. "I just felt so...overwhelmed. Once I learned how much evil there really was in the world, and that I was the one responsible for destroying it, I was scared. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to do it. I kept thinking of all the people that I couldn't save, and how little power I really had. But then I realized something. I realized that there wasn't anything I could do about the things that I couldn't do. And I realized that I do make a difference. That every person I save, and every demon I kill, means something. That I am the chosen one for a reason, and as long as I do the best I can, I'm fulfilling my destiny. You want to know how I learned all that?"
"How?"
"From you. And Willow, and Giles. The friendship, and the love that you've given me, even with all of my faults, has shown me that I'm worth something." Buffy smiled. "Of course, sometimes I forget, but I've always got you guys to remind me. To recharge me, and to remind me that destiny or no, I do what I do because I want to. Because it's the right thing to do." Xander smiled at that. "And I owe a large part of that to you."
"Thank you, Buffy," Xander said.
Buffy scooted closer to him and leaned against him, putting her head on his shoulder. Xander put his arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry about Anya," she said.
"How did you know about that?"
"Chiana told Willow," Buffy answered.
Xander nodded. "It's okay, I think it was a long time coming. She was just having too much trouble adjusting to being human again. Besides, I don't think she really loved me."
"Did you love her?"
"I thought I did." Xander paused. "I guess I'm not so sure maybe. Maybe I was more in love with the idea of her."
"The idea of a former man-hating vengeance demon?"
"The idea of a normal relationship, as odd as that sounds. Someone to cuddle up with at night. I guess that's what I'll miss the most, the intimacy. Not the sex necessarily, but the closeness." Xander paused and smiled. "The sex was incredible though."
"TMI, Xan."
"Sorry," Xander said, still smiling a little. "I'm sorry about Riley."
"Don't be, it's better this way," Buffy said. "He was right, I don't love him. I guess I didn't even realize it until he said it, that I had never said those words. I think it's like you said, I was more in love with the idea of him. A normal guy. A normal relationship." She let out a sigh. "But I wasn't being fair to him. I want to thank you for what you said to him at the base."
"Don't mention it, I just said what had to be said."
"And I want to apologize."
"For what?"
"For ignoring you. For treating you...the way we treated you. You mean so much to us...to me, and I haven't been fair to you either. You've always been there for me, and I guess I just thought that you always would. I took you for granted, and I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Buffy."
"No, it isn't."
"Yes, it really is," Xander said, giving her a smile. "It's like I said to Riley, it comes down to motivation. Why you do what you do. And I don't do what I do for recognition." Xander paused. "I will admit, I've been hurt a little, feeling like I don't matter to you guys. That, you've moved on without me. But that's okay. I know that there's no room for bruised feelings when you're trying to save the world, I understand that. You're the slayer, one of the greatest that has ever lived. You have a destiny, a sacred duty. I can't let my fragile ego interfere with that."
"No, Xander, it isn't okay. I know that you don't do what you do for recognition, but that doesn't mean that you don't deserve it. Especially from your friends. It doesn't mean that we have a right to ignore you, or belittle you. And whether or not I've been a great slayer, I don't know. But I've been a pretty lousy friend." She paused. "Something I said to Giles tonight got me thinking. I said that there are only two kinds of people in this world, those I protect, and those I fight. But I was wrong, there's a third kind too. Those who help me. Those brave and noble few who risk their lives night after night, not for duty and destiny, but out of friendship and love. Out of the goodness of their hearts. Xander, I know you think that you don't have any special abilities like the rest of us, but that isn't true. You have a super heart. It's the biggest one I've ever seen in fact. And it's so filled with love, and bravery, and self-sacrifice. You, Xander Harris, are a great man. And I'm proud to call you my friend. And I'm sorry that I haven't been treating you like one."
Xander looked down at Buffy, tears threatening to come. He had never gotten that kind of affirmation before. And he had waited so long. So long, wondering if what he was doing mattered. If he truly was an asset, or a liability. So long, to feel the kind of love that he felt right now. The love that he realized had been there all along, just forgotten. And he realized that a family isn't the people who share your last name, they're the people who share your life. And this, these people, truly were family. "Thank you," he said, his voice a little choked up. They both leaned together and hugged each other tightly. Xander laughed a little. "I feel a little like a hypocrite. Talking about how I don't need recognition, and then you say all those...beautiful things, and I get all weepy."
Buffy smiled. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Xander chuckled again, his arm around Buffy's shoulder and her leaning against him. "Thanks Buff, you're all heart." After that, they just sat there, looking at the morning sky. Xander found himself thinking about Chiana again, and about the future. About what it would bring. "So what happens now?" he asked, somewhat rhetorical.
"It's a new day," Buffy said, motioning toward the morning sky. "The possibilities are endless."