Xander walked into his company's haulage company with a travel permit to take the next flight out and home. * Home* He thought. * It's been six months since he was last in Sunnydale and even then it was a layover till they were ready to start the next job. The construction company he worked for thought that highly of his skills, and work ethic, that they would send him anywhere at anytime to help speed up construction time.
He went over to the front desk and anounced his arrival to the pretty blonde receptionist. She looked him up and down, a smile creeping across her face. " Ah Mr Harris we were expecting you later."
He grined at her. " I'm a bit anxious to get back and get away from this place." He sees her face freeze up." Yeah. There's only so much party, sun, surf and sand a body can take."
She grins back at him as she checks his passport and documents are in order. " You should have came here sooner Mr. Harris I'm sure we could have made it even more enjoyable."
Suddenly Xander thought to himself * She's flurting with you man ! Go for it!* He's about to go further when he remembers he's leaving the country in about three hours time. " I suppose it's too late to ask if you've had lunch yet?"
She looks at the clock then leans forward. " I get half an hour and you leave in three hours I think I can squeeze in a quick burger and coke."
Xander asks her where the toilets are and she tells him. " Just go through the frieght assembly area and it's the third door on your left. And I'm off in fifteen minutes." She flashes him one of the sexiest smiles he's seen as he goes into the warehouse.
"Third door down... Third door on the left... Man I have to stay clear of beer for a while!" The main supplier to the construction site had been so pleased with their orders he had thrown a real big party the night before and Xander had passed on his usual no alcohol policy in respect to the man.
As he passed one of the containers he noticed the strang letters on the side of the large container.He hurried over to the door and pushed it open to reveal a sparten toilet. " Ahh heaven on earth. "
Just as he finished he suddenly remembered where he had seen the writting before. Xander flushed and washed his hands before going back out. When he got near the container he paused and took note of the lettering and commited it to memory. He looked at the watch Buffy had bought him for his birthday last year and wondered what she was doing about now.
The large man flew across the headstone and landed with a thump against another Vamp that was heading for the short blond girl and her darker twin." Ooh that had to hurt B!"
"Yeah ? I give him four for degree of difficulty but only two for dismount." Buffy tells Faith as they stalk towards the two cowering Vamps.
"Hey Spike said you'd be cool with this!" The younger Vampire told them.
"And you believed him? So brainiac how much did you guys pay him ?" Faith asks.
"$350.00. He said you liked it rough just before you put out!"
Buffy and Faith nod as their stakes slide into their hands.Buffy stands over the older vampire while Faith copies her moves. " He was right we do like it rough before we put out honey." Buffy leans over him and purses his lips for a kiss. " The only thing is lover.... " The vamps eyes go wide before he turns to dust. " This is the only thing we put out these days!"
Faith's vampire vanishes in a cloud of dust just as Buffy stands up. They give each other high fives and begin to walk on." So now William the Bloody is now Billy da pimp ?"
Buffy grins. " Oh I think when we get through with him he'll be Dusty Bill -Rogue dust bunny."
They walk for a while but encounter no further demons. Just as they near the Majic shop Faith glances sideways to Buffy. " So anyone looming on your radar for the dance next Saturday B ?"
She twirls her stake like a baton." Nah ! Celibacy girl thy name is Buffy." She thinks back to 2001 and remembers Riley leaving her then seven short months later the man who she thought would never leave left to fullfill his life. " Nope and I have to admite that about now Willow and Tara are begining to look mighty sexy."
Faith grins. " You need to get back to basics girlfriend! You always seemed the meat and two veg type to me." She sees the string odf shops that Giles's store is part of and hurries herself. " So I hear the great man returns this week."
Buffy jumps and thinks. * Jeez mind drop much? * " Who?... Oh you mean Xander? " She shrugs. " Yeah I suppose he is. Why ?"
Faith nibbles at the side of her mouth. " 'Cuz.... Well... that is... If you were'nt goingtoaskhimouttoitIwas." She let out a breath and waited for her reply.
Buffy is shocked. " You want to ask him out ?"
"Yeah... Why not? I mean he's nice normal guy. . And a hell of a kisser by the way, besides being loaded now he has a really good job." She glances at her. " A girl could do a lot worse... Hell I know that for a fact!"
Buffy stops in her tracks as the words from just about every other person she knew came back to haunt her on the subject of one Alexander Harris. From Anya' ' You need to get a normal guy like Xander, but not MY Xander'. To the feelings she had for him when the council told her to drop the ' normal guy' from the group. As soon as Travers said the words she felt her hackles rise and had to fight back the urge to seperate his head from his body. Then there were the hidden feelings she had tried to supress when he first left Sunnydale to pursue the job he had now.
As Faith opened, then held it open waiting for her to snap out of it, Buffy smiled at her. " I think you may have some competition for Mr.Harris when he gets back."
Faith stares at her then sees Willow standing at the counter reading a book while Giles was talking to someone on the phone. " Oh no ! Not the geek ? Isn't she like Miss gay poster girl' or something?"
Buffy turns and tells her, as she walks backwards towards Giles, " Oow ! Close but no cigar." Then she smiles and stands by Willow. " Hey Wills! What's the what ?"
Willow is all hyper as she shows Buffy a page from the watcher's diary. " Oh! Buffy. " She squeels. " Xander's ringing from Sydney.."
Buffy's eyes light up. " Yeah!" She turns to Giles and shouts down the line.." Hey Xand! When ya' coming home?"
Giles glares at her and points for her to stand over by Faith." Yes Xander that was Buffy... No you may not! We have to figure this out..."
Buffy whispers to Willow as she nods to Giles. " What's with him ? His tweed to tight tonight?"
Willow points to a drawning of yet another mythical beast and tells her. " No ! Xander discovered this container that's leaving on the same flight as him. Written all over it were these wierd sybols that he said looked familiar. After checking through about a zillion books we found that they were a binding spell for a Chinese demon that's roughly translated to ' Eater of the dead'."
Both Buffy and Faith screw up their noses." Eew! " Buffy tells her." It should be right up Xander's alley. I mean I've seen him eat some wierd cra.." Buffy sees Giles hang up the phone. " HEY! Nice going Mr.Thoughtfull! There are other people here that would've liked to speak to the Xandman you know."
Willow looks quizically at Faith." Xandman?"
Faith whispers into her ear. " I think she's getting this 'thing' for him."
Willow jumps." Ooh ! Like a present for when he comes home? Can I chip in?"
Faith grins." I think he's the wrong sex for the gift she has in mind for you Will."
Willow blushes then smiles. " Well it's about time! Sheesh what's taken her so long?"
"I think it was the whole' he's normal guy' and not some brooding dead guy or a no-life GI Joe wanna be."
"Jealouse much?" Willow asks teasingly.
"Bet yer ass red! She didn't even think about him till I told her I was going for him!"
Giles walks from around the counter holding his glasses in his hand. " It appears, from Xander could find out, that Wolfram and Hart are the consignees. We fear they may have purchased this demon to deal with Angel." He checks his watch as the ear piece from his glasses moves to the corner of his mouth while he thinks.
Buffy tells him." Maybe we should meet Xan.... I mean the container at LAX and intercept this delivery?"
"Yes. My very thoughts Buffy.I need to get some things together so we can transfere the binding spell to suit our purposes then we should have about another eight hours before his flight gets in."
Willow grins. " Just eleven more hours and we get to see Xander !..." She looks at Buffy as her eyes grow wide." and his travelling companion that we need to stop of course!"
The receptionist smiled at the group of people as they approached the counter and she tried not to grin when the Blonde girl said. " Cordy did you not hear me when I said his flight arrives at 3.20 ? Or were you to caught up in Nieman maracas world?" Buffy jabs a finger at her watch. " It's now 4.15 ! I bet he's been patiently waiting for us and then gave up figuring we don't give a damn!"
Giles mumbles to him self as he stands at the counter. " If I hadn't bought that damn car I could have ran over to the B.A. counter and bought a one way ticket... to anywhere else!" He turns red when he realises she can hear him and asks her. " Hello we're wondering if Huntington Aircargo flight 27 from Sydney Australia has touched down yet?"
The receptionist smile freezes on her face and she says. " I..Uhh... I'll just go check for you sir." She hurries off into the back as Willow tells Buffy and Cordy. " Look would you stop sniping at one another! For gosh sakes I've had to put up with this ever since we left the Hyperion!" She waits till the shocked look passes from their faces. " He'll be here any moment now and you don't want his first impression to be that we still argue do you?"
Cordy glares at her for a moment then says. " Listen you reject from the politically correct brigade just because you don't give a damn how you look any more doesn't mean we all have to dress like an extra from some porno movie!"
Buffy raises her eyes to heaven. " Tell me again Giles why drop dead stupids here?"
Giles grabs both their arms and hauled them into a corner. " Now listen you two I don't know why your both in bitch mode but enough already! We have to greet Xander then distract the others while Wesley tries to get the demon away from here." He turns to Willow. " He does have the spell breaker on him doesn't he?"
"Yeah it's just a matter of removing some characters to allow the spell to free her." Willow tells him.
Both Cordelia and Buffy say at the same time." Her ?" And look at Willow.
"Yeah after reading more about the dramon demon we found out that she's a... I suppose you could call it a she?" She looks around and takes out a copy of the document. " It appears this demon doesn't actually eat the dead she kills the dead."
Giles tells them. " The demon is a throw back to a time before the watchers were formed to assist the slayers. She can read minds and adjust her features to best suit her purpose, as well as the usual Slayer abilities."
Cordy sneers at Buffy. " Seems to me little miss 'to big for her britches ' here got gypped !"
Before they can continue they see a truck followed by a new Jaguar pull up into the parking lot. " I don't like the look of this. That looks like Lindsey's car!"
The receptionist walks over to them and asks them to follow her into a private room where they meet several people in suites." Hi would you like a seat?" As they sat down the receptionist left, closing the door behind her. " Flight 27 ran into some abnormal weather conditions over the Pacific..."
Willow interrupts him. " So he's going to be arriving late? That's good because we got here late and..."
Buffy felt as though a hand gripped her heart." I don't think he's going to be late Will."
The man coughed and sipped some ice water. " Um... We lost contact with flight 27 about six hours out of Sydney when they reported an engine failure and a drop in hydraulic pressure."
Willow placed her head between her knees and kept telling them. " No... No this isn't happening! He's going to be flying in any minute now!"
The man held up his hands. " Now don't get too worried we have search and rescue from three countries out searching for them and the aircraft they were flying in has an admirable safety record. So I'm sure, in a couple of hours, we'll be hearing from them."
Xander is checking through his carry on until he finds the opal necklace he had bought for Buffy and checked the locket attached to it. He opened it up and rubbed the picture of the two of them inside it. " Hmm. She'll probably take it out and replace with one of her toys of the day ! But at least I'll know who bought it for her."
He glances over at the cargo hold when he hears the containers shifting about." I wish I knew more about the illegal immigrant in there!"
He sets the seat till he's more comfortable and tries to sleep. As he does he hears the cargo move even more violently than before.
He's shaken awake later by one of the flight crew. " Mr.Harris we need you to put on your life vest... Just as a precaution in case of..." The man is thrown violently across the passenger area and Xander gets up to check on him. He helps him up and he asks Xander if he would see if he could baton down some loose cargo while they dealt with some trouble up front.. Xander nods. " Anything to keep this thing more.... UP !"
Xander now hears a roar coming from the cargo area. " I think someone's complaining about the food... Or lack there of. " Xander mumbles to himself
The copilot opens a cabinet and takes out an emergency kit. " There's a flare gun in there but for god sake don't fire it unless you absolutely have to because we're basically a flying petrol tank!"
The copilot goes back into the cock pit leaving a half asleep Xander to deal with whatever was in the cargo hold. He sees the bulkhead buckle to the sound of something striking it." Ah you haven't got anything bigger have 'Ya?" He asks while loading the flare pistol.
The plane shudders like Xander's old car and the containers snap free breaking through the mesh retaining wall and hitting up against the bulkhead wall. From the darkened area an inhuman cry is heard followed by a human scream. Xander jumps up and snaps the flare gun shut as he moves towards the cargo bay door. " That's it ! Sounds like a girl trapped back there. " He shouts out to the flight crew.
Xander remembers the conversation with Giles about the possible contents of the container and how it could be a throw back to the original Slayers. Xander thinks of the only other Slayer's he knew. " I hope she's more like the Buffster and not like Faith !"
As Xander places the flare gun in his belt and opens the door he hears the copilot say. " Careful as you go kid. We're only supposed to be carrying freight but these days you never know!" Xander hears several alarms go off and the captain call out. " Mayday, Mayday this is Harrington Aircargo flight 27 declaring an emergency. We're...."
Xander shut the sound of the others from his mind as he entered the cargo bay holding the gun out in front of him like a cross. He unclipped the small maglight he always kept at his hip and flicked it on scanning the area for the thing banging about back here." Here kitty, kitty. Nice kitty cat come to pappaaaaaghghhh."
Xander jumped back and pointed the gun as he saw some kind of hairy ape looking animal trapped underneath of a broken container. " Hey monkey boy if I help you promise you won't like bite my head off?"
The beast whines and whimpers as Xander approached it. He saw how scared it was and replaced the gun in his belt and began to slowly stroke it's head as he moved closer. " Nice puppy, who's a pretty looking... thingy."
He tests the container's weight and prepares himself to heave it off the poor thing. " Right you probably have no idea what I'm saying but as soon as I lift it you have to move out of the way."
He places the maglight between his teeth and gets a good grip on the container. He tenses himself then mumbles. " ong ga conk og free... Un oo reeUGHHH!" He thinks he can hear his back pop but somehow he manages to lift it enough for the creature to squirm away from. He waits till it's free and drops the container. He clutches his side. " God damn it! " He pants and a tear forms at his eye. " Well I never wanted kids anyway!"
He turns to check on the creature and sees it licking it's leg." Here let me look. " He examined it's leg and found a deep gash. He walked to the wall and searched it for the first aid kit and returned to it patching it up. " There 'Ya go ! Keep off it for a few days and try not to eat anyone for a couple of years and you should be fine."
The whole plane jerked midair and he felt it begin to tilt down at an alarming degree. He looked at the thing and told it." Oh, Oh ! A plane pointing towards the earth is never a good sign !" He secures it to some webbing and tells it. " Stay here I'll be right back."
Xander moved outside and went to the cockpit to find it aglow with so many alarms he thought it was Xmas. " I take it things are not so good?"
"I got some bad news."
"Is it a 'how good can you fly news or can you swim news." Xander asks.
"We've lost two of the main engines and lost almost all hydraulic pressure to the control plains. We're going down and we're going to hit hard!" He guides him back and sits him down pushing a life vest at him. He then grabs the life raft and hands it to him. " Grip this like your life depended on it... Because it might just be true!" He taps the release valve. " Pull this and it will inflate. Do you still have the flare gun ?"
Xander pats his hip where he clipped it. " Damn ! It must have fallen off in the cargo bay."
"Well get it and this time glue it to your hand !" The copilot leaves him to do what he must. Xander grips the rolled up raft and re-entered the bay. He took out his torch and shone it across the floor until he saw the flare gun being held by the creature. " Well my luck is still holding I see!"
Xander walks over to the creature and kneels by it. " Boy I wish I didn't know what was going on..." Xander smiles and holds out his hand. " Give Xandy the big boom boom.. That's a good... Eater?" Xander takes the flare gun and hooks it onto his pants then stands up. He is flung back hitting his arm against a cargo door then he has to dodge as a container jerks free and slams against the spot where he just was. He looks up and sees the roof begin to buckle before he tries the door and finds it jammed shut." Crap !"
Suddenly his ears pick up the noise of rushing..." Water?" A wall of water slams him against the other wall and starts to fill the cargo bay until the roof splits open causing even more water rush in. He grabs the creature just before the water closed over his head and he forced they're way out of the hull and into the sea. His hand gripped the raft and he pulled the activation ring while holding onto the creature.
They both were pulled to the surface by the inflating raft and Xander pushed ' kitty ' into the raft before heaving himself into it. He pants and gets his breath before scanning the area. He sees a sea of debris and flames before seeing a wire control line snap from the sinking plane and whip out towards him. Before he can move he feels it slash against his forehead and cheek before a blinding white light engulfs him.
Xander is still unconsciuse as the demon paddles for all she's worth to try and make her way towards the land her senses felt lay to the north. Every now and then she would stop her frenzied efforts to check on the human male that saved her life. She peeled back the bandages and used her powers to feel his injury and when she felt that there was no change she resumed her efforts to seek dry land.
After 17 hours of non stop paddleing she had sight of land and let the currents take them in shore, beaching them against it's heavenly shores. She pulled the raft further up the beach until they reached the tree line then she checked once more on her patient.
She placed her hands to his forehead and closed her eyes. " I have to go deeper now hu-man...." She grimaces at his pain as she uses her mind as a nueral blocker causeing all the pain to cease. She shakes her head when she finally comes to trying to speed up his wound's recovery. " So much dam-age ! " She feels him struggle against her and she tries to calm him but cannot. " I have to find the form of someone you trust wid your life young one."
She searches and comes up with the one person Xander has trusted time and again. Her eyes grow wide. " You know the Slayer? " She shudders as her body commences to transform to that of Buffy Summers. She reaches deep into his mind to find out more but suddenly hits a barrier that even she can't breach. Not without causeing both of them pain.
She strokes his hair. " We'll leave that till later honey." She stops. " Honey ? Where did that come from?" She tries to think but her mind is a buzz with this new sensation that rips through her core.
"He loves the Slayer? Pah ! Slayer's cannot love ! They dare not ! " She looks at him as he mumbles some words in his fevered sleep. " But one such as he ? Even the heart of a Slayer would melt!"
She makes sure he's comfortable then procedes to investigate the island searching for any signs of life. She moves around the edge of the island and, within an hour, has found no other sign of human life. She then moves inland but pauses at a small lagoon of rain water. She drinks her fill then stops when she sees her reflection. She runs a hand down her cheek and smiles. " This Buffy is beautiful!" She thinks of Xander and picks up some cocoanuts and breaks them open. She then fills the husk with water and returns to his side.
She lifts his head up and trickles the water down his throat. He sips at the husk as he comes to. " What....? What happened ?" He tries to touch his eyes but the creature stops him. She alters her voice to match the Buffy of Xander's memories. " Don't touch that Xand."
Xander jolts up. " BUFFY! How did you get here?"
She rests her hand on his chest and tells him. " Lie back Xander your still very badley hurt! I came because you needed me and when you now longer need me I will leave."
He tries to touch his eyes but she stops him. " No Xander you musn't touch !" She takes his hands in hers and squeezes them lovingly. " Your eyes are damaged Xander and your on an island with no human life. I will keep you alive for as long as I can."
"My... My eyes? " He is staggered by the news but accepts them with his usual style. " Well I guess it's lucky that there's no TV here or I could be in trouble!"
Buffy is paceing up and down the small office as they waited for news. She turns to Giles as she neers him. " Giles. . His plane was supposed to have landed four hours ago... So how much fuel would they carry? I mean do they carry enough to last this long?"
Giles looks at his charge and then looks quickly away. " I'm sure they landed at another airport and he's coming here as quickly as he can.... " The arrival of two men from the company gives Giles a relief from his heart felt lies.
The older man introduces himself. " My name is Geofrey Harrington and Xander worked... works for my company." He hesitates then decides the best way is forward. " I'm sorry to have to tell you but... We lost contact with Xander's plane about seven hours ago. Dispite the efforts of the Australian, New Zealand and American air/sea rescue we haven't been able to locate it at this time."
Buffy's hands entwine and fight each other. " So he may have landed on another air strip.." The way the man looks at her almost breaks he heart but his next words sends her hopes to the bottom of the sea.
"The area where we lost contact was hundreds of miles from the nearest land... And their final transmission leaves little doubt about their chances I'm affraid." He is forced backwards as Buffy stalks up to him and demands to know everything.
"We have a copy from the FAA of the pilots last transmissions..." He walks over to a tape deck and places it in. " We have the families of four other employees to inform of this tragedy. " He turns to leave. " I'm so sorry about this... We are spareing no expence to assist the authorities in the search and rescue effort and we won't stop untill we have them back with us."
Harrington leaves as Buffy says. " One way or the other right?" She feels Giles and Willow hug her as they all try to comfort one another. After several minutes Buffy wipes the tears from her eyes and switches the recording on. They hear the sounds from a cock pitt then..
"This is Harrington flight 27 we have a multi systems failure here. Both radar and recieption have been knocked out so we don't even know if you're recieving this. At present we are..." The sound of cargo moving can be heard as the pilot turns to his co-pilot. " See if our passenger could see to that would you John? We have encountered unusual turbulance for the past two and a half hours and it's really knocking us about. "
Willow asks. " Could the Demon have caused this Giles?"
"Doubtfull Willow. She is just a throw back to the original Slayers. More powerfull than Buffy but not with any supernatural powers." He thinks for a second. " I may contact the Watchers council to try and find out if they know any more."
Buffy presses play again and stands by the tape willing things to be all right. " We are having difficulty keeping the nose up. " A roar can be heard over the tape. " Jesus! What the hell was that?" The fear intesifies in the pilots voice then another alarm starts up. " Christ we've just lost the starboard engine. Mayday Mayday this is Harrington Cargo flight 27 declairing an emergency ! We have no idea where we are and we've lost both main engines and Hydraulics! We're going Down! Jesus save us!..." Then nothing but static could be heard.
Buffy starts to cry. " He's not dead ! Please GOd he's not dead!"
Giles is standing over Buffy's chair as he watches her scan the news. " Buffy come on it's time."
Buffy doesn't even look up from the TV. " I told you Giles I'm not going ! It would be an insult ! He's not dead and I for one am NOT going to bury him!" She looks up at him. " And if you were any friend you wouldn't go either Giles." She looks back at the cable news channels." You'll see any minute now he's going to be on one of these channels safe and sound and demanding a Ho-Ho or Twinkie!"
Joyce walks up to him and tells him. " Leave her Giles she'll come around soon enough. "
Giles turns to Joyce. " But she's living in a fantacy world Joyce ! " He grabs Buffy and shakes her. " Listen Buffy... They found the wreckage and searched the area for survivors and found nothing! He's gone ! He would want you to let him go and live for his sake please..."
There's a flash and suddenly Anya appears before them." So you didn't think it important enough tell me that my lover was missing?"
Giles moves towards her. " We didn't know how to contact you..."
"Bullshit Giles! Once I regained my powers you feared me. " She points at Buffy. " And you forced Xander to choose the scooby's or me ! Hah that worked didn't it blondie! " She stalks over to her. " In the end he chose niether your group or me. Instead he chose to live his life elswhere. Well Bravo BITCh!" Anya strikes Buffy causing her to fly across the room. " Your petty wish to have him around you like some lost puppy that you could pat whenever you were lonely ended up getting him killed!"
Life on the island had improved slightly for Xander the pain of loosing his eyesight had faded away surprisingly quickly. The fact that Buffy magically appeared on the island had helped him both stay sane and alive. Each day she would hunt for them and supply all the fresh water she could manage.Each day he grew even more in love with her. From the school boy crush he had when they first met to the deep longing he had for her in the final months he stayed in Sunnydale his love out stripped his rational mind.
His mind touched on the fact of her being there but it would always brush it aside scared that if he looked into it o hard she would just vanish.His ears picked up her footfall and his nose picked up her scent. " Ya know it's true what they say about your other senses taking over when you lose one."
He lays back in th make shift bed as she sat down by his side she said. " I thought I saw a plane just now but it turned out to be a bird of some sort." Xander felt her cheek and gently stroked it.
"I'm glad I watched all those episodes of Gilligans Island. You never know when their survival tips would come in handy. "
"Yes but just how do you make a cocoa nut cream pie with just cocoa nuts and no cream, or flour or even an oven?" She leans in and their lips meet.
When they seperate Xander breaths heavily. " Wow! Ginger never kissed Gilligan like that! Screw the cocoa nut cream pies!"
Buffy is suddenly adjitated." I'm sorry ! I didn't mean to do that!"
"Hey ! No wories Buff ! I kinda liked it and it's non-fatening too!" Xander grins then winces gripping his head in pain. " God I'd kill for an Advil!"
Buffy massages his neck before placeing her hands on his temples. " Maybe I can help."
She delves deep into his mind and sorts through the confusion and pain that she finds there until she strikes the barrier once more. She pushes harder against the barrier but it would take even more than she was willing to do to break the barrier. She did find out something that shocked her. The barrier had all the hallmarks of being placed there by the Council of Watchers!
She tries to remain calm as she asks him. " There is that better."
"Oh God Buffy ! That's so.... Nummee! I could let you do that forever!" Xander tells her then places a palm frond over his lap. " I...uhh... I'm suddenly very cold.." He turns bright red in embaressment as 'Buffy ' grins.
She remembers something she found over the other side of the island. " Hey there's been people here before us ! I found an open cemetry with all sorts of old rusty armament and equipment."
Xander had decided he'd lied around for long enough. " Lets go look.... Uh feel at it ?"
She helps him up then he grabs his makeshift cane and he smiles, holding out his elbow. " Shall we go for a stroll milady ?"
Xander was getting quiet handy useing his senses to replace his sight and found the going not as bad as he first thought.When Buffy stopped he sniffed the air and asked her. " We're here huh ? Discribe what the scene looks like."
Buffy looks around and describes it to him. " Well the bodies lie haphasardly all over the place like they just fell down... There's a piece of raggedy cloth on a stick." She walks him over to it. " It's a mouldy white with a big red dot in the centre with..."
"Red lines coming from it ! Buff this is a Second world war battlefield!" Xander thinks back to all he knew of that war. " We have to be careful the Japanese used to booby trap their dead so they could kill souvenir hunters.What I don't understand is why these people haven't had a proper burial ? " He want's to explore more but he tells Buffy to take them away from the bodies." If there was a battle there had to be a victor and even survivors. How ever the Japanese had a code of war they called..."
"Bushido. " Buffy finishes. " They would rather die than surrender or disgrace the emporer. Maybe that's what happened they lost so they killed each other?"
Xander thinks for a while. " This must be midway between Australia and the old Japanese controlled Pacific. Maybe they were setting up an advance base when they were intercepted by allied forces. Are there any craters?"
Buffy sees several large holes that has both water and shrubery in it. " Yeah there's a lot why ?"
"Air attack ! They were bombed and straffed until.." He waives his hands around. " I think it's safe to say these guys can't hurt anyone ever again.But still we should be carefull till we leave the area."
Suddenly the sound of a boats fog horn makes them jump. " Jesus !" Xander exclaims." We have to get to the beach and fire off the flare gun."
"Can't we do it here?" Buffy looks up and sees there's not much folliage above them.
"Is there anything to stop it going off?" Buffy shakes her head then tells him no. " Then let 'er rip Miss Summers!"
She takes the gun from the clip and fired it into the air then steps back. " Xander's hearing picks up the noise of a rusty catch releasing. He instinctivly pushes her out of the way and tries to dodge the sound of something large coming their way.
The creature that looked like Buffy rolls out of the push and gets up in time to see a rusty sword attached to a sprung wire flash by Xander. " Xander ! " She cries out as he staggers back.
Xander feels for the wound in his stomache and his hand comes away slick with blood. " Oh Great ! My life must be a barrel of laughs for you guys!" He cries out at the heavens before toppleing forward.
The creature dragged Xander to the beach and tried to stop the bleeding till the motor launch from the large vessel in the bay came closer. She then hid from them as they gathered around Xander and rendered medical aid. While they were busy with him she hid amoungst the equipment in the boat until they docked and then smuggled herself aboard.
She hid until they left the medical room and she entered after hearing the medical officer say. " I don't think he's going to make it. The wound was too deep and the blade was full of bacteria. In fact i'd be surprised if he lasted the night."
"Who is he anyway ?"
The medic tells him. " Frank told me he was one of those guys that went down in that cargo plane about four months ago."
"Jeez Harry ! We're hundreds of miles from where they found the wreckage how in God's name did he make it here?"
The medic looks back at Xander as he struggles on the bed. " Maybe if he comes too long enough he might tell you."
She waites till they are out of sight before she sneeks in and moves up to him. " You must live my love, no matter what you will live!" She places her hands to his temples again then uses all her powers to heal his wound. As she does this she has to fight the barrier that stands between his living and dying. " We fight together Xander to life or death together!"
Her forhead is streaming with sweat as she concentrates on both speeding up his system and also breaking the barrier. When the barrier falls like an old wall the sight that she sees shocks her to her very soul. She quickly rebuilds the barrier so the horrible truth would forever be closed to him saving him from a life like her own.
When she's sure he'll live she strokes his hair and mutters to him. " I hope to see you again my love but I am bound to my masters by a chain stronger than any metal!"
She wipes a strange wetness from her eyes and holds the drop of water to her eyes and stares in wonderment at it. " A tear ! " She looked back at the room he was in. " Thank you for this gift Alexander Harris."
She hurries down the corridor and resumes hiding safe from prying eyes as she transforms back to her true form and a life of slavery.
ANYA has Buffy by the throat as she slams her into the wall. " YOU were the reason he didn't come with me ! I offered him immortality after D'Hoffryn gave me back my power centre ! He could have lived for ever by my side as my lover but nooo! You had to play your little power games with his mind !"
It takes all her strength to brake her hold." He made his own choices ! He chose to stay."
Anya's eyes glow with her hatred." Yeah that's why he took the first job that took him away from here. What did you do BITCH!"
"Nothing ! He just grew apart from me, us... This town! " Tears formed in her eyes as Anya made her relive all the pain in her life. " He stayed long enough to defeat Glory then, when he thought we no longer needed him, he accepted this job and just left us... ME !!!" Her heart broke all over again as she thought of his last hours on the plane.
"He found a peace that I longed for. Normality ! Just to be able to get up in the morning and go to work doing something he liked enough to travel the country, and then the world, for ! " She slumped to the ground grasping her head in her hands." If he only knew my heart had changed and realized what I had been missing. "
Anya sneered at her. " You don't love him ! You just love the idea of loving him! Leading a normal life with a wonderfull normal man in a so average home with 2.4 children and a mortgage. .That's what your in love with!" Anya felt her cheek. " Oh damn ! Now you've got me leaking again !"
"Your wrong about me Anya. I love him enough to want him as far away from this place as possible. Safe in a normal city where all you have to worry about is Human monsters.Instead he was coming back here and on his way he found out about a delivery of a Demon called a dramon...."
"Killer of the dead blah.... de... blah... blah... blah ! I had enough of this when I was mortal ! Yeah I know it's a Proto-Slayer more powerfull than you... so I guess there realy is a god then.... It can rip a memory from your mind and become what you most trust just before stakeing you!" She stopped walking around the room and glared at her. " Just what the hell was my ex doing anywhere near it ?"
"I already told you ! It was on the same cargo flight as him and it was destined for LA and an agency that was at war with Angel.He rang us after he read the symbols on the container it was bound to and we told him what it was. It was him that sudgested we intercept it but his plane... His plane crashed...." For the first time Buffy allows herself to believe what everyone had been telling her. She looked at Giles as the tears began to form. " He's really gone isn't he ? "
Anya stood by her side and hugged her. " At last ! It's time we both let him go Buffy. When Giles contacted me about the memorial day he had planned I thought this was the only way to break you out of the hysterical denial you were in."
Giles went to her. " It was my last choice. I had tried everything to make you realize he was gone. " Giles hugged her. " Come on they're all waiting for us."
They were gathered at a simple brass plaque enscribed with his name and the appropriate dates. Buffy knelt and placed her bracelet at the base of the plaque. " You bought this for my eighteenth Birthday Xand I'm giving it to you so you can find me where ever you are."
Buffy kisses her palm and places it against his name. " Good bye Xander always remember I loved you even if I never got the chance to tell you."
Willow places a Ho-Ho next to it and smiles, wiping a tear from her eyes. " Here Ya go Xand! Something to eat on the trip home. May the Goddess guide and protect you through your travels. "
She goes to stand by Buffy as Anya kneels and kisses the name and places her hand against it. " I swear that from now on I'll try to see the MANS side before I do horrible things to him."
The three girls hug each other as Giles and Joyce move up to it. " Well Xander you were like the son we never had. No matter what you did we were always proud to know you and to have had you in our lives." Giles and Joyce placed a copy of their marraige liscence on his memorial.
Anya pronounces. " If they say they're going to name their first child Alexander I'm going to barf!"
"Giles and my Mom making out ? I may just join you !" Buffy smiles for the first time in the months that followed Xander's dissapearence.
That left just Faith to say her farewells. " Hey X-man long time no see.. " She placed her favorite stake in the ground at the base and her finger traced his name. " Pity you left the game early man ! You would have died happy if you knew you had two slayers fighting over you."
Willow grins. " I think I can hear him screaming now!"
Anya hugs them all. " I have to go now...There's a man that likes his dog too well and I have to..." She sees the look on their faces. " Never mind. If ever you need me you know how to contact me."
Willow says. " Couldn't we get her to change things so...." Willow sees the reaction and remembers what happened the last time. " Never mind we'd probably be whisked to a world where we were Vampires and he was a vampire slayer."
Faith looks at her. " I don't know Wills but I think you'd look kinda sexy in leather."
Buffy watches as Giles and her mom walk towards. " Stop teasing the witch Faith remember the last time?"
"Yeah it was a bitch getting that crap out of my hair !"
"You were lucky she didn't turn you into a rat ! Ever since she and Tara de ratted Amy she's been dying to try out the spell again." Buffy grins as Willow pretends to start the curse and Faith backs off, yelling for Giles.
Buffy was at home with Willow studying for mid terms when Joyce and Giles came in. Joyce was laughing as they entered the kitchen area and Buffy looked up at them and smilled. She stopped her studies to observe them at play and Willow tapped her pencil against Buffy's head. " Penny for them Buff."
She looks at her witch friend and told her. " More like $1.50 these days Will... I was just thinking how wonderfull life can be."
Willow glanced over at Buffy's new dad and her mom. She thought it was about time those two found each other again. Now if only Buffy would find some one and move on. " See Buffy who would have thought Giles would ever find his one true love."
Buffy frowned. " Bah ! I've had my fill of one true's Will ! First Angel then Riley and Xander... Hell I didn't even get the chance to tell him I loved him before Fate...."
Willow rubbed Buffy's back and comforted her. " Nonsense Buffy! He loved you from day one and no matter what I bet he loved you till the last ! "
"Yes but he didn't know I Loved him ! Willow is there anyway to contact the dead? Safely I mean not like the last time."
"I'm sure we could find a way...." Willow is interupted by the phone ringing.
Buffy gets up and answers it before the two love birds had time to seperate. " Hello... Yes that would be me..." They watched her nod and then go as white as a sheet before collapseing to the floor.
Buffy vaguely heard what the doctor told them as she raced to Xander's room but the only words she had heard were his first. " He's alive and well.. Mostly." Before she began out pacing the group. Giles tried to warn her but she was into Xander's room before they could.
Buffy saw how haggard he looked but she also saw his face light up when he realized who had entered his room. " Buffy ! Oh God you don't know glad I am your here."
He held his arms out to her and she all but jumped into them covering him with her body. " Oh God Xand don't ever do that again!" She looks at his face closely for the first time and sees the dark glasses and the thin line that passes either side of the lenses.
She moves her hand to remove them and is shocked when he jumps at her touch almost as if he was...
"Blind Buffy!"
The words took a few seconds to sink in as Giles repeated them. " He's blind Buffy."
"No. I'm sure it's just a temporary thing right Doc?" Buffy pretends for a while that life wouldn't be so cruel to her best friend, and soon to be lover.
The doctor walks over to Xander as he tells her. " As A bat Buffster. I guess I can now use those disabled parking spots we've been complaining about huh guys."
"Xander how can you joke about this?" Buffy asks.
"What am I supposed to do Buff? Cry... Rip my hair out in anger.. Nah ! Not my style sweetie. When life hands you lemons you make lemonade. Ain't that right Doc?" He feels for Buffy's hand and then grips it for dear life. " Besides I have enough memories of the way you look Buffy to last a life time."
Buffy looks at the doctor and her look makes it clear he should talk. " He lost the retinas in the crash. As near as we can work out one of the lines sheared off and slashed him across the face destroying the retinas and any hope he had of sight."
" Then, some how, he managed to make it to a deserted island and survived there for over four months till a National Geographic ship that was in search of a missing Japanese regiment from world war 2 found him. Apparently he must have heard the ships horn then fired a flare before walking into a preset trap that one of the surviving soldiers must have left. It was a miricle he survived all this."
Xander grinned at them. " I guess fate had another use for me after all."
The Doctor looked at him and then Buffy. " Yes I can see now why he kept calling out your name Miss Summers."
Xander turns beet red. " Ah Doc ! Now you've gone and spoiled it!"
Xander releases Buffy's hand and tells her. " Buff all through this thing I had but one thought and that was you! I don't know how I could have survived without that one thought... That one hope that just maybe one day you would feel for me the way I do for you. But now I'm you know... I don't think I should burden you with a cripple..."
Buffy places a finger against his lips and then tells him. " I have feelings for you Alexander Harris! I have from the time you left it just took me longer to know what my heart already knew to be true." She kissed him then continued. " And your not a cripple Xander! Your just... Visually chalanged."
Xander looked over to where he thought Giles was. " Giles is it valentines day ? Cuz the last time she was like this she was under a spell !"
Before he can answer Xander turns back to Buffy. " I don't want your simpathy Buffy I hate Sympathy ! Hell I can't even see what the girls are wearing let alone see what your reaction is. I have to get Giles to describe what the pretty girls are wearing ! "
Buffy grips his hand. " Xander ? I hope you mean he will describe what I'm wearing ?"
"Natch Buff ! What else did you think ?" Xander grins and finally starts to believe she does have feelings for him.
It had been several weeks since Xander's return and events had gone the way of his dreams. Willow and Tara were trying every spell book they could find in search of a remedy for Xander's blindness but every one failed. Buffy still couldn't understand how he could be so unaffected by his loss of sight.
She was talking to Giles while Xander was out the front having Willow try to teach him brail." So Giles your a guy, kinda, is his attitude some kind of macho ' nuttin' hurts me ' or is it something else?"
Giles looks at him through the glass partition "and watches as he tries to let his fingers read for him." Buffy having known Xander for as long as you I have to say his attitude comes as no surprise to me. " He looks over to her. " When ever something terrible happens to him he always manages to brush it off with humour and an inner strength I only wish I had."
Their talk was interrupted by a phone call in his private office. Giles smiled at Buffy. " Probably your mother.... Hello Joy... Oh... Yes... No I'll be ready... Xander why... Okay good.." He looked at the receiver as the other party hung up. " Bye..."
"Wow Giles for a minute there I thought you were going to bow! " Buffy's smile vanished as he took no notice of her but instead he watched Xander and mumbled." Why would the head of the Council's research department want to meet Xander?"
Buffy shrugged. " Maybe he's heard of him and wants to meet him?" She picks up a glass framed Sunnydale news headline that proclaimed ' Local man survives plane crash and lives on deserted Island for over four months despite being blinded in crash! ' She reads further about how he was found and how the company paid a huge sum in compensation.
Giles walked over and placed the framed report back on the wall. " Yes but it wasn't a request Buffy it was an order."
Her look turns sour." Hey! They can try to order me around but not my honey!"
"Lets leave it up to Xander shall we?"
Xander hears Giles and Buffy start to walk over to them and he brings the spare pair of Giles's glasses up from under the table and puts them on top of his dark sunglasses. " Oh I say Miss Summers you look rather spectacular today. Would you like a cup of tea?"
They all laugh, except for Giles who merely harrumphs but before he can ask Xander looks into his eyes. " Yes Giles I will go with you to see Mrs. Hawthorn." Before going on with his studies.
Buffy is puzzled by Xander's remark. " Okay now I'm officially freaked. Giles.... did you tell him about Mrs Hawthorn by the Yoda method or what?"
"The what method?" Giles asks.
"Chill out Buff! I must have heard the conversation. You know, my hearing has taken up the slack from my eyes." Xander takes Giles's glasses off. " Why do you think she wants to see me? "
Sharon Harris went about her usual days work with out a care in the world. She had been worried about her son, even grieving for him until his recovery, but she knew better than be anywhere near him while cameras were around. After hiding out for so long it would have been stupid to be found out at this late a date. John was passed out on the lounge, as usual, but she couldn't really blame him after everything that had happened. He never even drank... Not before that day anyway.
Her heart nearly jumped out her throat when she heard a voice from her past. " Hello Sharon. We've been searching for you for a very long time my dear!"
She turned slowly and saw three men in black, one of them standing over John pointing a silenced pistol at his head. " Try any of that mind control crap and hubby never wakes up!"
A tear runs down her cheek as she nods. " Okay I'll do anything just don't hurt him." The man hands her a small green tablet and points to a glass.
She filled it with water and placed the tablet on her tongue. She drank the glass of water, grimacing at the taste, then opened her mouth to show she had swallowed the pill.
The room began to spin and as she collapsed she heard two things. The first was the sound of a spent cartridge hitting the wooden floor and as she turned to the noise she said. " Sorry John."
The second was the voice of her one time lover. " You should have had a girl child like you were ordered Shar!" She then fell into a big, deep, black hole.
Giles pulled up in his red BMW and turned to Buffy. " Now I'm not to sure this is a good idea. She asked to see Xander nobody else, especially not the one slayer they had lost control over in the long history of the Council."
Buffy jumped out of the back seat and opened Xander's door. As she did she told Giles. " Bite me!"
She guided Xander's arm till he was at the curb then he slipped it through hers.
He had a very bad feeling about this. " Uh Buff maybe you should wait here... I have some major bad vibes about this."
She continued to walk as she replied. " I let you go by yourself once Xander." She turned and stared at her reflection in his dark glasses. " I never intend to let you go again."
He stopped at the front door and asked her. " I hope your not saying that out of pity for the poor blind guy Buff. Cuz that would hurt more than you ignoring me like before."
"I don't feel pity for you Xander I feel... mad ! Mad at all the time we lost together just because I feared loseing you to some big bad.. But hey ! We're together now and, even though nothing's happened, I can wait for you to feel the same.... Again."
He pulled her close to him and ran his hand over her back as he kissed the top of her head. " I have never felt any less for you than I did that day out front of Sunnydale High.You will allways be my first true love..... And my last."
The door opened and a frail looking woman motioned them in. " Ah Mr.Harris, Mr.Giles oh... And Ms.Summers." She looked at Giles. " This is an unexpected surprise Mr.Giles."
She ushered the three in and bade them to sit down as she went off to make the tea." She's gone to make tea? How... British of her." Buffy whispered.
Xander shruged. " I only hope she's got scones.. i could kill for some scones and jam." He stops as he can sense the unspoken questions forming. " Or Twinkies... Twinkies would be nice... Okay already my Mom used to make them when I was little okay ? So sue me! I like freakin' scones and jam !"
Mrs.Hawthorn spoke up as she carried the tray into them. " I hoped you would remember that Alexander so I had some made for you." She placed the tray in front of her guests and poured the tea, handing each one their cup." Now drink up and we can begin our little chat."
Buffy sipped her tea and as she did she found it tasteing so much better than Giles's. " Mm this is nice ! "
Mrs.Hawthorn waited till Buffy had almost finished before saying. " Rupert you really shouldn't have brought her you know. What we have to do here today could be quiet upsetting for her."
Giles looked shocked but before he could answer Buffy fingers dropped the tea cup she was holding and slumped in her chair. " What in God's name have you done?"
Xander felt Buffy's hand and traced his way to her face. He felt her breath coming even and steady on the palm of his hand." Buffy... Buffy are you allright?"
She struggled with her words. " Yeah... Just can't move.."
Xander turned to where Mrs.Hawthorn sat. " What the hell is this ? Is this why you asked us here to extract some sick revenge against her?"
He turns to the sound of other people entering the room and his nose picks up the smell of gun oil and sweat. Giles jumps up but a strong hand forces him down. " Now Rupert behave or we get to call a new Slayer !"
Giles gasps. " Jaimeson! What on earth does the Council hit squad want now? Buffy?"
Mrs. Harris is brought into the room and forced to sit beside Mrs. Hawthorn. " The Slayer ? Oh no Rupert we've come to give the boy the TEST."
Mrs.Hawthorn smilled at Giles as he mocked them. " Your going to give a boy the test? Is this what the once mighty Council of Watchers has come to? " He looks at Xander. " He's a male child and blind at it of what possible use could the test be?"
Buffy tries to get up and turns to Giles." The test? "
Giles looks at her. " In the old days they used to test prospective Slayers by a simple test and if they passed it was wiped from their memories." He saw the next question as it formed on her lips. " And if they failed... They were never seen again."
Xander began to move and Mrs.Hawthorn was at his side with a sharp needle at his jugular. " This is called a Gom Jabbar my young friend something that has been passed down to sucseeding generations for a thousand years. Fail this test, or if anyone attemps to interupt it, and you will feel deaths sting. "
Mrs.Harris looks at him through the two way mirror. " And if you pass you will wish she had stuck you my son!"
One of the guards strikes her and tells her. " Quiet bitch! If you had done as you were ordered none of this would be necassary!"
She looks at the quizical faces Buffy and Xander have and sighs. " Okay I'll bring you up to speed.. Seing as how, if he passes, we will need your co-operation. And if he doesn't. " She shrugs. " We need a new Slayer anyway."
"For hundreds of years now we have been preparing the way for the coming of the MALE SLAYER ! One who will rid the world of all evil and go to the place no female dare go. Many times we had what we thought was he but in the end they all died, slow horrible deaths.The Council's research group have, from the begining of time, been experimenting with what they now call Genetic engeneering."
"Poppycock! I have never heard so much drivel since the last time Quinten Travers was in town! How is it I have never heard of this Male Slayer ?"
"Realy Giles did you think we would tell a young hot head like yourself all our secrets?" Mrs.Hawthorn told him. " If Sharon, the boys mother, had bore a female child, like we ordered her, then Alexis would have been matched with her male equivelent and their offspring may have been the prophecied one. As it is her foolish desire to appease her husbands wish for a male child cost him his life many years ago and will soon cost hers."
Xander had never felt much love for his mother but, as the saying goes, blood is thicker than water. Something Xander knew only too well.He glared at Mrs.Hawthorn and his words were filled with venom. " Know this, if any harm befalls any of my friends or family.. I will return from whatever hell you send me to and I Shall rip your cold black heart from your bodies!"
Jameson places Xander's hand into a small black box. " If they're right and you are just a normal kid then I'm sorry but if they're wrong and you are the one I will serve at your side till hell itself freezes over."
Mrs.HAwthorn taps the side of Xander's throat with the deadly needle. " Place your hand inside, the longer you hold it in there the more chances your friends have at a long life. Oh incase you were wondering how we knew... Lets just say an aquantence of yours from your holiday told her masters everything she knew !"
Xander turned, not careing about the needle, and glared at her. " What did you do to her?"
"WE did nothing my young friend, but her masters knew that she had knowledge and they wanted to make sure she gave them everything she knew. So another of her kind drained her mind. Of course the body didn't last that long after wards but the money we paid the triad more than compensated them." She pressed the needle once more. " Now put your damned hand into the box!"
Giles moves against the man holding him. " No! Xander don't do this for us!"
Xander's fingers jerk back from the box then he relaxes them. " For years I wanted nothing more than to be of some help to you and Buffy Giles. I fight for you... And I'd gladly die to protect you both. " He looks over to Buffy as she uses all her strength to fight the drugs in her body." If I take this test. . On your word of honor nothing will be done to them!"
Mrs.Hawthorn tells him. " On my honor young man they will be unharmed."
Xander looks into Buffy's eyes. " Take my glasses off would you ? "
She lifts the dark glasses and Buffy sees for the first time the damage done to them. Where once his lovely choclate brown eyes were there was now only a milky white putresence surrounded by blood red scarring to look upon." This is what I was too frightened to show you. If I cannot bare to think of you looking at them how could you even attempt to ?"
He slides his hand into the box as he deafens his ears to Buffy's cry. " No Xander I love you for what you are ! not what's wrong with you...."
His palm comes into contact with the centre and he grins. " Hey this ain't so bad Buff. In fact it kinda' tickles."
Willow comes running in and sees Joyce with Dawn and a customer. " Mrs.Summers... I mean Giles have you seen Xander anywhere?"
Joyce smiles at her. " No Willow not since he left here with Giles and Buffy I haven't why?"
Willow's worried look becomes infectious as she fidgets nervously. " It was just on the TV... The police found his dad shot to death in A GARBAGE DUMPMASTER ! And they can't find Mrs.Harris or Xander."
Joyce holds a hand to her mouth. " Oh dear God ! Hasn't that boy been put through enough ?" She moves to the phone and dials Giles's car phone. After a minute it disconects." He must be out of the car."
Willow nervously laughs. " I'm sure he's all right. Bad things never happen to Xander more than twice in one year. "
Joyce watches as Willow moves around the shelves gathering ingrediants. " But it couldn't hurt to know where he is!"
Dawn sniggers. " You couldn't find him the last time what makes you think you can now?" Willow glances at Dawn. " Hey Dawn we all apreciate how you saved your moms life last year but if you don't mind... I have a spell to cast!"
Dawn picks up the phone and dials another number. " Hey Pete... Yeah it's me Dawnie could you do me a little favor ? "
Mrs.Hawthorn grins at his false brovado as his expresion turns to one of surprise. " Okay now it tickles. " he grins then the grin freezes on his face. " Now... I think it hurts !" He has a look of concenteation. " Oh yeah it's official ! I'm in a bit of pain here."
Mrs.Hawthorn touches the side of his neck a little harder so he can feel the pinprick of the needle. " Don't take your hand out boy or else..... " She looks over to Buffy. " This is the test your first watcher, Merrick, refused to give you my child. Perhaps if he had it would have bridled some of your self centered attitudes!"
Giles can see the sweat build up on Xander's face but he also sees something... Impossible.... His eyes were... Changeing!
Xander had to take his mind off the pain that made his hand feel like it was being melted from the centre out. " What would Buffy do? " He looks at Mrs.Hawthorn and shakes his head carefully so the needle didn't scratch him. " Nah ! I don't think I could kick all their butts before I got zapped by the bride of frankenstien over here."
"Make jokes son it's all you've got left!" Mrs.Hawthorn tells him.She looks over at Giles. " He's already gone further than anyone else has."
Xander jerks as a new level of pain engulfs him. " Agh !!! JEZUS! " Now his whole arm feels like it's on fire. He prays she would hurry up and stab him just to stop the pain.From somewhere deep inside he gathers an inner peace, not unlike the time Jack O'Toole had him trapped in the boiler room with a bomb.
"I don't fear the long sleep, the long sleep has no hold over me. Death means nothing to those that are dead already!" He had felt this sensation before as he slipt past the barriers of both pain and emotion.
Buffy stills struggles against the drugs until she begins to get a tingleing sensation at the back of her neck. The tingle gets stronger and she feels a presence deep inside her mind, in the place her dreams came from. A figure emerged from the dark recesses of her mind and a voice whispered to her.
"Do not fight the drug Buffy use it against itself ! I shall show you." He held out his hand and in it was, what she thought, was the drug broken down into its parts. The man picked out two pieces of the chain and threw them away." It is now a stimulant."
Buffy's mind copied the man's actions and suddenly her body was all abuzz with new found power. The man smiled and she almost jumped from her skin as she recognised both the smile and the eyes.
Mrs.Hawthorn snaps out of her daze and replaces the dart in it's holder." You can look at your hand now young hu-man !"
Xander jumps at the use of the name." What happened to her?"
"She was disobediant and had to be made an example of." She stands and walks towards the door. " We terminated our contract with them. We draw the line at killing valuable assets young man."
Xander glares at her. " I have found, from past experiance, that people like you tend to dig their own grave and I for one will be only too willing to PUSH YOUR ASS INTO IT !" These last words Xander almost shouts at her in his anger.
Mrs.Hawthorn simply smiles at him and says. " Many have tried my young man and...."
She is interupted by a knocking on the door. " Jameson... Deal with it!"
Jameson places his gun behind his back and opens the door to two females. Willow smiles and tells him. " Light that binds, light that blinds, may the light be all you see!"
Jameson grabs for his gun and screams out as Dawn knees him in the groin. " Sometimes magic doesn't happen but a knee always does !"
Willow can't understand why her spell didn't work then she slaps her head." Of coarse ! Esperite et navidad."
A bright white light bursts into life in the centre of the room leaving everyone blind. Xander uses his senses and grabs Giles and Buffy's hands. " Come on guys we're in my world now!"
Joyce drove the Jeep like a woman possessed and as she took a corner on two wheels Buffy looks sideways at her. " Mom uhhhh... I'd like to thank you for the whole Bonnie and Clyde getaway but I think it's best if we get there in one piece. Joyce nods and then looks in the rear view mirror to make sure they weren't being followed. " Well we're not being followed. "
Dawn finishes checking Xander for any injuries. " What would be the point? They know where we all live anyway. They're probably waiting at our house right now!"
Joyce looks back at her in fear then slams the breaks on." Oh God I didn't think!"
Giles tells them." It might be best if we don't go anywhere that the council know of."
Xander can't bear for anyone to look at his arm so he slips a jacket over himself and almost screams out in pain. Giles sees him wince and it reminds him of the test. " Xander the box is basically a pain giver that's hooked into your nerve endings. There is no damage it was all induced pain."
Xander stares at him through ravaged eyes and Giles sees they have returned to their former state." I have a question though. Whilst you were under its influence I noticed your eyes began to return to normal..."
Xander snorts. " Yeah right Giles and I suppose Ed McMahan told you that after he dropped off my Clearance House cheque! "
Giles turns red as Dawn poked him in the ribs and warns him. " Don't you EVER joke about Xander again! Didn't you people learn anything from the last time?" She pulls his coat closed and pats his chest. " I'm not going to let them pull that crap on you ever again Xander."
Willow raises her eyebrow as she looks at Buffy who just shrugs and says. " Lighten up there Hormone girl! He's too old for you kid."
Dawn glares at her sister. " That's the pot calling the kettle black if ever I heard!" She looks at Xander. " He's what? 5 years older than me? Let me think... That gives him a 245-year break on YOUR first boyfriend! Who even if he weren't a vampire would still have been ten years older than you! "
Joyce turns around. " But you seem to forget that I never knew about them Dawn. Where as if Xander so much as dreams about you he'll be singing soprano get it? Good." She turns back around and asks. " So if we can't go anywhere they know about just where do we go?"
Dawn is sulking as she whispers. " Hell for I care now."
As the others try to decide on the best hiding place Dawn feels Xander's hand grip hers. " Listen Dawnee I know it feels bad now but believe me it gets better. You will find someone a million times better than me and in five or six hundred years you will have forgotten all about the duffus that got you in trouble but family.... Family goes on forever."
Dawn eventually grins. " Just how did you get so wise... And handsome?"
He slips his arm around her, then removes it after a glare from Buffy, " Well little lady the good looks came with the package but the smarts? They came with time... Time and a lot of heart break!" He looks to the front seat and at the back of Buffy's head.
He looks at her wishing he could see her face one last time as he thinks to himself... I owe her more than to let her, and the others, be chased all over creation for my sake.
Giles came out of the reception room carrying two keys. " They only had two doubles."
Dawn shouts out from the back. " I'll share with...." Buffy glares at her and she hits the seat in front of her. " The family... " She has an idea. " Do they have connecting doors?.... For safety... You know in case they find us or the place gets attacked by Vamps or maybe Xander goes into cardiac arrest and I have to perform CPR on him..."
Buffy leans over and closes her mouth. " Dawn nobody likes a babbler! Do they Wills?"
"What? I haven't done that since.... Oh her right... No Buffy no one likes one."
Later that night, while the rest of the Scooby's are asleep Xander steps out of his room and onto the car park. He looks from side to side then begins to walk away. " You do know it's quiet rude to leave without saying goodbye don't you."
Xander turns around and exclaims. " You know for an old British guy you move pretty quiet Giles."
He shrugs. " How else do you think we took half the world?" He walks up to Xander. " Besides how hard could it be to sneak up on a blind guy?"
Xander holds a finger up to where he thinks he is and almost growls. " You're not going to stop me. It's better if I go back and let them do what ever it is they want. That way you all go back to living normal lives... Well for you anyway."
Giles looks at him, contemplating the possible outcome of his actions." You do know they will hunt us down anyway? I assume you won't do anything you consider to be wrong Yes?" Xander shrugs. " So then they will grab Willow or Dawn or Joyce or Me or.... Buffy?" He sees Xander jump at her name. " Giving yourself up won't save her. If anything she'll probably die trying to rescue you."
Xander slumps down to the ground. " What the hell else can I do then?"
Giles kneels beside him. " They want you for a reason and if it has anything to do with what I saw today I'd say the council will back them 100%. You maybe a thing only spoken of in days gone by... The Quizach Haadarach!"
Xander was still slumped against the Jeep as Giles continued to try and talk him out of doing anything stupid. " Your best bet is to stay with us and let us defend you. " He walked closer to him. " We should inform Angel and the others as well."
Xander stared at his mentor with his dead eyes still uncovered. " Hey wait just a minute! I don't want Deadboy knowing my business! "
Giles waves his hands. " Don't you see it's perfect! We tell him and he tells Faith! The watchers won't dare do anything against you or they'll lose both the slayers! "
Xander slumped back against the Jeep. " you know Giles for a minute there I thought you had something." He sees the confused look on the watcher's face. " They think I'm some kind of wunderkind yeah? The result of hundreds of years of effort. So they kill the two slayers... Another is chosen, maybe one they can control easier and they get to keep this Quincy Shoulderpack!"
This time Giles sinks to the floor. " Yes.... Right I hadn't thought of that."
Xander sits there bumping his head against Joyce's Jeep then he suddenly stopped. " What if I died? Would they leave you all alone?"
Giles shrugged. " Probably... Yeah I think..."
" NO! " Both of them jumped at the words. Giles looked over at Buffy as she stormed towards them. She jerked Xander to his feet. " You! You can just get that dumb idea out of your head for starters! Do you know how much pain I went through the last time.. Hmm do you?"
Xander shrugged. " It'll be tough but hey.. You've ignored me before you'll get used to it."
By now the rest of the gang had gathered by the trio. Buffy blew up at Xander's words she gripped him by his shirtfront and pushed him against the car cracking the side window. " You selfish bastard! You don't know the hell I went through from the day you disappeared till you turned up again! "
" Why? Did little Miss Pout ' n ' Whine miss her crash test dummy?" Xander tried to tare himself from her but she pushed him back against the car.
Willow asks Joyce. " We should do something before she kills him."
Joyce holds her back and smiles. " I have an idea that all this energy has but one outcome."
Buffy gripped him harder. " Why you... You... " She struggled to find the words and gripped his head instead before she placed her lips over his and they kissed. "
Xander struggled for a second then gave into the most sensual kiss the group had ever seen. Dawn stood open mouthed unable to move at the horrific scene that unfolded before her. " We should do something about this! It's against all the laws of man and God!"
Joyce watched as the couple gave into the pent up emotions that had chocked their systems, Buffy's since he had vanished and Xander's since the first day he saw her. " You're right Dawn we do need to do something." She turned to Giles. " Giles your on the couch..." She points to her room and then turned to the other two." Willow, Dawn get inside now.... Dawn I meant OUR room!"
Dawn mumbled as she stomped into Joyce's room. " God damned stupid laws! You do know that the minute I turn 18 his ass is mine don't you?"
Joyce shakes her head as Giles wanders into the room in front of Dawn. " Yeah. Yeah! That's what I said about David Cassidy."
Dawn stops. " Who the hell is he? Ooh! Was he one of Xander's cousins?"
Joyce turns Dawn's head so she faced the room. " Just get inside Dawn... And take a cold shower!" When they were all inside she coughed then raised her voice. " Why don't you two go to Giles's room before you're arrested?"
Buffy broke the kiss and nodded as she gripped Xander's butt with both hands and raised him off the ground and carried him into the room slamming the door with her foot.
Joyce grins and turns red. " I think it's going to be ear plugs all round tonight!"
" Eew!!! MOM! Yuck much? "
Xander awoke to the feeling of a warm body moulded to his and he was in heaven. He felt her arm draped over his chest and her body pressed so close she was almost inside him. He inhaled the apricot sent from her hair and knew this was what awaited him if he ever made it to heaven. The grin on his face expressed the way his whole body felt... Happy, contented, safe and warm beside the only woman he had ever loved.
He closed his eyes and drifted off back to sleep trying to keep forever the feelings he now felt. But as his mind drifted he came to a high wall and a figure hidden in the darkened recess of his mind. A hand snapped out and pushed against the wall and Xander knew if it collapsed all his hopes and dreams would crash with it.
"NO! What in hell do you think you're doing?" He screamed at the wispy form.
"We do God's work here this day. This wall is all that separates a man from his destiny and once it is down we shall have a champion to fight the very Gods themselves for our rights!" Now the whole body could be seen and the others joined him.
The words choked in Xander's throat. " Jesse? But why.... "
Jesse turned to him and his anger grew. " Why? You son of a bitch! You had the power within you to save me..." He opened his arms to the mob that now pushed against the wall. " To save us all but did you? Did you hell! " He mocked Xander. " ooh but I'm just a normal geek what can I do?"
Jesse gripped Xander by the throat. " You had the damn power and did squat you freaking piece of.." He raised his hand to strike him but a word stopped him.
"Friend! " Ms.Callender walked from the mist and held Jesse's arm until he stopped and sobbed into her chest. " I had a life! And still would have if he..."
Ms.Callender stroked his back as he cried out the injustice onto her chest. " I know... I understand Jesse... But Xander has a right too you know."
She looked at him. " He will understand in time Alexander. But what of the others that will die just so you can sleep soundly in your bed? " She searched his face and smiled. " So you and she finally got together eh... Good I'm so pleased for you."
By now Xander was an emotional wreck as he sobbed to her. " But if I knew why didn't I do something? You and Giles would be together and all these people..."
Jenny released Jesse who was now walking of into the mists. " What's done is done Alexander." She pauses. " How fitting a name your birth mother chose for you.. Alexander -- Defender of man, protector of the faith. " She caressed his cheek as she began to walk away. " It's time for the sleeper to awake Alexander. You must...."
"Wake up… Xander! Wake up." Xander's eyes snapped open to see Buffy standing over him wearing the clothes from the night before. She grinned at him. " Boy talk about sleepy..." She suddenly backed up. " Giles! GILES! GET IN HERE! "
Xander sat up and asked groggily. " Jeez Buff! So I slept in what's...." He looked at her and then his hands. " I ah..." He waived them in front of his eyes and was amazed he could see them. " Holly shit I can see!"
He jumped up and rushed over to her. " I can see! " He lifted her high into the air despite her struggles. " I CAN SEE!!!! "
The others raced into the room and Giles asked. " What's wrong?" As he waived a cross about in front of him until he saw Xander spinning Buffy around. He smiled then he saw Xander's chocolate brown eyes. " Dear God!"
Xander, gently, placed Buffy back on the ground and he turned to the others. " I can see! " As Buffy turned bright red.
Joyce and Willow both exclaimed. " Oh God!" As they too saw his return to normalcy.
Dawn walked in the room and grinned. " WOW! "
Willow looked at her and said. " Yeah isn't it amazing?"
"I'll say! " Dawn smirked.
Joyce looked puzzled then noticed where her daughter was looking. She lifted Dawns chin with her hand so she was looking at Xander's face. " He can see now Dawn! " Joyce glared at Xander and he realised he was naked.
"He can see?" Dawn asked as she tried to check out his butt as he dived for the bed.
Buffy glared at Dawn. " Yeah jailbait! And so can I "
Giles brushes back his hair. " But how.... ? " He realised how it could of happened and asked everyone to leave. As they did Dawn turned and asked. " If you need a hand later on I.." She was jerked out of the room. " Aw MOM! "
Giles looked at Buffy as Xander dressed. " So now what do we do?"
Xander zipped up his fly and shrugged into his shirt. " Now it's their turn to run and hide! " He held out his hand and the yellow pages flew into it. He began to thumb through it in search of a name.
He spoke as he flipped through the book. " The days of us going into situations half cocked, with little or no information and piss all firepower is over Giles. "
He finds what he's been looking for and grins before he looks up at them. " It's Showtime! "
Xander, hesitantly, stepped into the diner and saw the other Scooby's sitting in a cubical with Giles holding a paper in front of him. Xander searched for Buffy and saw her at the counter. He smiled and walked behind her wrapping an arm around her waist. He was happy again when she turned and gripped him in a loving hug.
She pushed an errant strand of hair from her face. " Giles has some news. I think you should hear him first. "
They walk over to the cubicle and slide in. The smile on Xander's face melted at the look on everyone else's face. Giles looks somber as he tells him. " Your Mother is wanted in connection with a murder Xander."
"What? That's impossible! " He holds his head as Buffy comforts him." Jesus she wouldn't even fight back when dad hit her!"
"Um... That's just it... It's your father she's accused of killing." Giles places his hand over Xander's.
" We will always be here for you."
"I can't believe it... How?"
"She shot him while he slept."
Xander shot up." With what? She was always paranoid about guns! We didn't have any in the house."
Buffy gripped Xander's hands in hers. " We're all here for you Xander and we believe you when you say she didn't do this." He looks into her eyes and a small smile breaks out. " With all that's going on around us you still care for a woman that none of you even know."
Willow grins at him. " Hey we're family remember?"
"Yeah only my problems are really mounting up aren't they.... Maybe you would all be better off..." Xander is cut off by Dawn.
"What cut you loose? No way in hell big brother!" She smiles at him. " Family stick together. You stood by each and every one of us so why should we do any less? Besides if you go who will I moon after?"
Giles coughs and their attention is centered on him. " I have a thought. What if the council is involved in this? I mean it's pretty coincidental that they try to grab you at the same time your mother kills your father then vanishes?"
Xander' smile disappears. " I owe these people so much! But first I'm going to revenge the death of a friend before I try to payback the council for all they've done!"
Buffy turns in her seat to ask Willow once more. " Just what did he tell you he was going to do?"
Willow stopped biting her nails and looked nervously towards the building Xander had entered over half an hour ago. " After he had Tara an' me do the shielding spell he said he was going to make them an offer they couldn't refuse."
Buffy looked back at the office. " Just what are you up to Harris?"
Xander was sitting in the opulent office of Lindsey as he waited for the meeting to commence. He watched the small surveillance camera as it zoomed in on him for the hundredth time and smiled. " Watch all you like your fate was sealed the moment you brought 'her' into this."
Lindsey walked into the darkened room followed by two large vampires and Darla. " So Mr...." He looked at the pad in front of him." Harris is it? Just what can Wolfram and Hart do for you?"
Xander smiled as he felt Darla try to make sense of the presence she felt coming from Xander." Well, sir, I have this small problem. " He uncrossed his legs and looked at Darla. " You see about six months ago I was on a cargo plane that went down between Australia and Hawaii, the only two survivors were myself and a strange girl that was chained inside a cargo container."
Lindsey's face fell for a moment before the dark smile returned. He temples his hands in front of him and shrugged. " And you want us to what sue the airline for compensation?"
Xander brushed off some imaginary dust from his trousers and smiled back at him. " What I want?... Hmm let me think." He bobbed his head and ran a hand through his hair before he grinned at them. " Revenge springs to mind."
Darla spoke up. " You want revenge against the airline for what they did to you?"
Xander shook his head. " Against them? Hell no. I want revenge against the people that thought they owned her enough to treat her like a piece of property and when that property became unusable they eradicated it." He stood up, and with a motion of his hands, they were all struck as still as stone statues. " I want revenge for her not me! " He walked over to Lindsey. " I want their names." He dropped a sheet of paper on to the desk in front of Lindsey and Lindsey began writing all the information he had on the people he dealt with.
Xander looked into Darla's eyes. " If you, or any of your associates, ever even look cross eyed at my friends again... Well let's just say you wont live to regret it."
Xander picked up the paper and read the information before folding it an placing it in his pocket. " This should do.. For now." Xander walked over to the computer terminal and placed a hand onto it and closed his eyes. " Hm you WERE a very successful company with almost half a billion in assets and friends in very high, and low, places."
Xander sees the look of concern cross Lindsey's face and he smiles. " Never mind I'll make sure the assets are given to people that need them the most." He opens the door and goes to leave but stops and turns. " Oh and those 'friends' they all think you double crossed them so if I were you I'd find religion real fast and make peace with whatever Gods you worship. Tat ta for now."
As soon as Xander was out of the building they found that they could move. Darla threw a vase against the door. " That's it! We find out who this guy is then we kill him and everyone he's ever talked to or touched!"
Before Lindsay could say anything to try and calm her down an image of Xander floated into being in front of them. " I warned you." He pointed to the two vampires and they screamed as they turned to dust. " Be aware I can sense everything you do! Next time it wont be you're flunkies that die. I know Deadboy has feelings for you Darla so I'd hate myself for about three seconds if I had to dust you."
Xander opened his eyes and grinned as he began walking towards the car. He slid in beside Willow and told her. " I want you to find the survivors of anyone this company went against for me. I know money wont help them heal but the knowledge that these freaks will never harm another soul will begin the healing process."
Giles asks him as he drives off. " Just what was it you did?"
Xander shrugged. " Left them with a grand total of five cents in assets and planted the idea that Wolfram and Hart were their clients worst enemies in the minds of every demon and sick human they have ever dealt with."
Buffy grins. " Well Angel will be pleased." She turned " So what's next? We find your Mom?"
Xander shakes his head. "I think I know who has her and they will come to me." He takes out the slip of paper and opens it. " No I owe it to someone to free her people and make sure the bastards that killed her die a thousand times!"
Jameson replaces the receiver back into its cradle then turns to Mrs. Hawthorn. " That was Tanaka in New Provinces he says that the Dramon's are acting up like he's never seen before and wants us to help."
"NO! Can't you see what's happening? It's him the boy child! He's finding out about what we did and punishing those that hurt her! We will have nothing further to do with Tanaka and his ilk until we have the power to destroy the abomination! " She walks over to Xander's mother and slaps her face. " This is all your damned fault! If you had done as we ordered he would be ours to mould and control not some loose cannon doing as he pleased!"
Sharon rubs her face and smiles at her. " He will make you pay for all the evil you have done! What makes you think you can even touch him?'
Mrs. Hawthorn grins back and holds up a flask of what looks like water. " Did you think we would create a being so strong we couldn't control? Once he drinks of the Water of Life he will be ours. " Her eyes glow with the evil in her heart. " He will be ours or he will be dead!"
Buffy was talking to Angel and every time she mentioned Xander's name he could see a small, but heartfelt, smile cross her lips. "... And I don't think Wolfram and Hart will be bothering anyone for a long time."
Angel looked at her eyes and he saw the look that she once had for him shone out at every mention of 'the kid'. " So the Kid's all grown up now." He placed a hand over hers. " I'm glad you found someone Buff but to tell you the truth my greatest fear was you would pick him."
Before Buffy could react Angel smiled and told her. " Even as Angel I could sense something about him but it was when I turned that the being that laid beneath the boy shone out like a white light."
"Why didn't you say something when you returned?"
Angel looked to the floor as he answered. " I thought he should have told you but when he appeared not to know I thought you would eventually turn to him. " He looked up into her eyes. " And it appears you have."
Dawn grinned at the unlocked door then slowly opened it hoping to find Xander coming out of the shower or something equally as revealing, but what she saw frightened her. She raced over to the bed and waived her hand in front of his unblinking eyes." Xander... XANDER! " She began to shake him but he didn't move, not even blinking. She kept shaking him as she shouted. " BUFFY! "
Buffy and Giles ran into Xander's room to find Dawn stroking Xander's cheek. " Come on Xander! Please." She looked up and told them. "He's hardly breathing and I can't wake him up!"
Giles checks Xander's pulse but as Buffy got closer to him she felt like spiders were crawling through her mind until she felt Xander's presence deep in her subconscious. * XANDER! Is that you? *
She felt as though a hand caressed her and tried to calm her down * Yes my love. Have no fear I never plan to be far from you ever again. I'm repaying a debt to someone is all I'll be fine. *
Buffy tells them. " Don't worry he'll be fine. He's says he's just repaying a debt."
Tanaka desperately tried the number again but no one answered he slammed the phone down and reached for the pistol as he heard a noise from the outer office. The Dramon's had been very quiet for the last hour so he was sure the guards had managed to calm them down but you never could tell.
He radioed the guards but no one answered his call. He stood and cocked the pistol before he left the room and walked down to the detention cages where the triad had the last four remaining Dramon. As he entered the area he noticed the guards sitting or laying down on the ground. He also noticed all the doors were opened to the cages. " What is going on here?" He demanded of the guards but they still ignored him concentrating on something in the other room.
He looked at the four Dramon as they gathered around a young westerner with dark hair as he stroked and patted their hair. Tanaka pointed the gun at him. " You there back away from them or I'll shoot!"
Xander looked at him and smiled." Your days of giving orders are over Mr. Tanaka. These beings are, and will always, remain free from this day on" He motioned for them to go and they all ran down the hallway and up the stairs.
Tanaka tried to fire at them but he found he couldn't move. He begged the stranger. " Please don't let them go! They're a danger to humanity that is why we keep them locked up."
Xander glared at him and Tanaka wet himself when he saw the man float over to him. " They are no danger to mankind! If anything we are a danger to them! " He lent in and Tanaka could almost see through him. " I know what you have been making them do and if your people even think about tracking them down... So help me God you all will not last a second longer."
Xander touched the man's head and told him. " Feel some of their pain and remember my words!"
The now empty cage room echoed with his screams and those of the guards.
Xander blinked his eyes and felt a dry feeling at the back of his throat as he returned to his body. He also felt the pressure of another body against his. He turned his head to find Buffy spooned up to his side her clothes rumpled but a sleepy smile on her face as she yawned. " Good your back." She kissed his cheek." You had everyone worried Xand, next time tell someone before you go all David Copperfield on us 'Kay?"
Xander nodded and frowned as she got up and left the room. " I'll just tell the others you're okay then I'll be back." She grinned mischievously at him. " Then I'll tell them to go away for an hour or two."
As she made her way to the front of the hotel where the others waited on word of Xander she saw a blonde woman talking to Angel. Angel looked over to Buffy and she told them. " He's awake and healthy. I.. Ah was going to talk to him for a while so I thought I'd let you know he's fine and not to disturb him for an hour or two."
Angel smiled. " Kate was just telling us how there's been a rash of anonymous donations to victim support groups and other charities."
Kate turned to look at Buffy. " Also I came to warn you that there's been a warrant out for Xander. Apparently a Mrs. Henderson has convinced Sunnydale PD that she's his legal guardian and he's a patient of hers. They think he's a danger to the public and want him back under her care or locked up ASAP."
"That bitch! " Buffy turned to her mentor. " What can we do Giles?"
Giles told her. " I've finally managed to get through to the Council and they tell me Mrs. Henderson and her section have gone rogue so they have no control over her, or so they say. The only thing we can do for now is keep a low profile and try to build our resources till we can defeat her."
Buffy turns around and starts back upstairs." We'll just have to hope we can hide from them till we figure something out."
The black expedition sat idling outside the Hotel as Jameson radioed in. " yeah it was like our informant said she went straight to this Angel's Hotel. What do you want us to do?" As the leader listened to his orders he picked up a bottle of unopened Evian. "Are you sure you want me to do that?" He looked at the water again and shrugged. " Yeah I know control or kill but it seems a waste of resources to kill him before we've tried everything we can to bring him into the fold. Yes Mam I know I'll do it when it gets dark."
Xander and Buffy came running into the hotel slick with sweat from their run. Xander bent over double and rested his hands on his knees. ".... Jeez Buff! I'm not superman you know!"
Buffy stood there hardly out of breath as she looked at him. " Well that was to prove a point. That you're not invincible." She pats his head as he makes his way upstairs to his room and a nice hot shower.
Cordelia watches the two of them and she walks up to Buffy sipping from a cold bottle of water. " So super boy he isn't huh."
As soon as Xander is out of sight Buffy collapses and begins breathing hard. Cordelia is momentarily stunned then annoyed as Buffy grabs her drink and downs it in one gulp. She pants. " Thank god he left! I thought I was going to hurl there for a second."
Cordelia frowns as Buffy hands her back the empty bottle. " Gee thanks Slayer! Say just what did he do to tire you out anyway?"
Buffy blushes. " We ran Cordy..." Cordelia purses her lips and tells her. " Yeah right Hormone girl you seem to forget I dated Harris and the only thing he ever ran for was a fu..."
She saw Giles walk in. ".. N run. That's it a fun run! Yes sirree nothing he wouldn't do for a good fun run."
Buffy grins at her discomfort as Giles looks at her in confusion. " Cordelia since you left I've had to deal with Anya so absolutely nothing you could ever say would shock me now. " He looks at Buffy. " I take it there were no side effects to Xander's... journey?"
Buffy grins and pulls the tank top to stop it from clinging to her sweat covered body as she began to move away. " Nope everything's in tip top working order. So if you don't mind I'd like to shower and change before dinner."
Dawn came into the room searching for Giles. When she saw him she said. " Giles, Willow says she's found something on the net you should see." She watches him leave the room then looks over at Cordy and Dawn follows her gaze, as she watches Buffy climb the stairs to her room. " Sis always gets what she wants regardless of how others feel."
Cordelia stares at the teenager then grimaces. " What is it with him? Why does he always ignore how other people feel about him? It only started when she came to town. I always thought he was a looser till she came to school then... He looked different."
Dawn looks at her. " You mean you and Xander..."
Cordy grins. " Yep! We were closet couplers." She sighs. " I don't think there wasn't a confined space in good old Sunnyhell High we didn't..." Cordy blushes before going on. " He was just so damned infuriating! The only way I could get him to shut up was to kiss him."
Dawn sighed. " So all you two had was hormones... You know you'd argue then drag one another into a hidey hole and kiss."
Cordy snickers. " Kiss? " She remembered she was told the kid had a crush on the Zeppo." Ugh yeah that's all we did was kiss... We were kissing fools... Nothing else ever happened in those sessions." Cordelia heard Buffy squeal. " Lucky bitch!"
Meanwhile Giles had found Willow as she hovered over the computer. " Ah Giles just in time... I've found a site that may be of help to us. It deals with ancient prophecies and legends; one of the tales is of a group of priestesses that were trying to create a Godling that they would bend to their needs. " She opens the next page on the website and shows him the detailed reports on the progress of the group. " It appears these females were using Slayer's genetic codes, finding the mothers and cross breading them with males that they knew had some latent power that would assist them in their creation of a God."
Giles peers at the description of the first test in the three stages of Godhood. " Yes that was what she used on Xander at the safe house. " He scans the monitor. " What of the other two?"
Willow clicks on the mouse and another screen appears. " The next test was the killer. Out of the five known males to try "The Water of Life' none survived longer than a few micro seconds. Their minds exploded with the power."
Jameson walks the raven-haired girl into the room, his gun drawn and held to his side. The young woman looks at it then him. " Do you honestly think that popgun could stop me if I really wanted to frag your ass?"
Jameson steps back from her as Mrs. Henderson enters the room. " No but I'm sure the hits it scored before you did would put you down eventually Faith."
Faith sneers at him then turns to the old lady. " So? Not that I'm complaining or anything but just why would the Council spring my ass? After all you guys did to put me away why not just let me rot?"
Mrs. Henderson looked at the report in front of her then looked at the woman in front of her." You're smart, good looking and one of the best Slayers we ever had. " She taps the report. " What's more our scientist think you may be able to carry a child to full term, something no other Slayer in history has achieved. "
Faith shook her head. " Is this what it's all about? " She went red with rage. " I would 'do' any of the guards at the 'LA Hilton' yet you think I'm just going to lay back and let one of you're numb nuts do his thing? " She turned around to face Jameson. " Take me back to my cell ya limey pimp!"
Mrs. Henderson templed her hands. " What if I were to tell you the child you would carry was destined to rule this world? " She stood as Faith stopped walking. " What if he were to be less than a ruler and more like a GOD?"
Faith smirks. " I'd say give me whatever it is you've been smoking 'Cuz I really need a pick me up about now."
"No it's true Faith. The man we have in mind has already shown he has some of the powers needed and mix in your abilities with his and the offspring would have to be stronger than both parents." She could tell she almost had her. " Imagine being the mother of a God? The power and prestige that would bring! Nothing on the face of the earth, or beyond, would be out of your grasp."
Faith nibbled on a fingernail. " So I suppose this wunderkind is some butt ugly nerd that wouldn't know how to....?"
'Gotcha!'Mrs. Henderson thought. " On the contrary my dear Faith. In fact, from what I've been told, he knows his way around the 'curves' pretty well these days."
When Faith heard the term she jolted * Nah it couldn't be* She thought. " So just who is this stud muffin and how do you know he's up for a round of 'shag the Slayer'?"
"You've already 'known' him my dear and from our surveillance cameras it appears he can't get enough... Um of a certain Slayers.. Company shall we say." She threw her a photo of Xander taken while he jogged with Buffy.
Faith grinned. " So he finally got to bump uglies with Queen B huh?" She then realized something. " So you're saying Xander is..."
Mrs. Henderson held up a hand. " No, no! We're saying he maybe but his offspring WILL be. We only need him to pass the second test, and if he does we could slip you in and her out."
Jameson grinned. " So do you think you could... You know just for old times... And freedom?"
Faith grinned and threw the photo onto the table. " Oh I imagine I could give it the old college try." She looked at the photo of the two of them. " It might be kind of fun to take him from her." She picks the picture up again and grins mischievously. " Yeah! Paybacks a bitch and she's in heat!"