The smell of burning materials and the stomach-churning stench of burning flesh assaulted Xander's senses, as he lay slumped against the wall of the apartment in the upper floors of the high rise. He could feel his life ebb as the world burned in a new hell created by the First Evil.
They had given it their best shot and failed, failed the young girls that had come to them for both protection and training, but most of all they had failed the world. Now hell had come to this blue world that circled a yellow sun. All through its all too brief history this world had not known true peace, only brief gaps from where the current head of the food chain surveyed it's realm and thought nothing could touch it.
For the Dinosaurs it was the coming of the killer comet, for their replacements it was the second ice age. For the human race it was the First's decision to no longer play by the rules set at the birth of mankind by the warring Gods themselves.
Xander sighed as the sounds of carnage reached even the heady heights of his apartment. He tried to stand for the tenth time but found he could no longer move, the claws of the newly corporeal First Evil had done the work they had been created for. Xander could only lay there and pray for a speedy demise as his ears were assaulted by the screams of his fellow man and the yells of triumph as another demon found an easy meal." Buffy." He whispered the name of the one being he would, and had; follow to the end of time.
He knew the 'Slayer' wouldn't be there to rescue him this time; she had been turned by Spike and then killed by Xander's own hand. He sighed; it seemed he wasn't as useless as the 'Powered Ones' had thought. Buffy, Willow, Dawn and even Anya, had fallen. Nothing was left now but to wait for his life's blood to pulse its last and listen to the sounds of defeat.
Suddenly he went red with rage and he beat his one good hand against the floor as he raged against the end of days." NO! Not like this, please God not like this! There has to be another way." He felt the hot tracks of his tears and felt the salty taste as they ran to the corners of his mouth." Not like this..." He lifted his face to the heavens." Okay, I give! Is this the way you want 'your' creation to end? Well is it! That double damned piece of shit can just abandon the rules and yet you just sit there and do nothing..." He paled as he felt a pain the like of which he had never felt before. His vision began to darken and he knew his end was near.
He ground his teeth together and drew on his last ounce of strength." Then DAMN YOU! Damn all you butchers! Damn all you Gods, old and new! I curse you all. To know...no...Peace..." His breath failed him and he shivered as a sudden cold consumed him." It shouldn't have been like this, if only...I wish..."
Suddenly a demon, Ansarak, a justice demon appeared and said just one word as she grinned evilly." DONE!"
Dawn looked over at Xander and began nibbling on the corner of her mouth as he went about repairing yet another window at Casa del Summers. She turned to the only one that seemed to listen to her, besides the carpenter, and asked." Does Xander seem...stranger than usual today?"
Emily looked up from her studies and glanced at the rear of Xander, a smile crossing her dark features." No he looks mighty fine to me."
Dawn looked at her and scrunched up her face." Eew! He's like my brother!"
Emily batted her eyes." Well he ain't mine and from the noise Anya made when they went down to 'check' on the basement I'm glad he's not!" She nudged Dawn's knee under the table." So is he seeing anyone or is he back with Anya?"
Dawn blushed as she remembered the reaction from the SIT's as they heard the noises from the basement and shook her head." Anya said it was closure sex, nothing more than that." She looked at Emily then told her." I think he's given up."
Emily looked shocked." On sex!"
Dawn shook her head and sighed." On everything." She moved the book away from her and expanded on her belief." It's as if he's given up on hope, on any thought of living on past our fight against the first."
Emily nods and leant closer to Dawn." I know he and Buffy got into a real screaming match last night after she came back from patrol." She saw the look on Dawn's face then went on." She thinks he doesn't trust her ability to lead and make the right decisions."
Dawn nods." Maybe he's right; Sis ain't exactly made to think. She's the 'kill first ask questions later, if at all 'kind of girl." She sighed." I just wish Giles was here, he could at least get through to her."
Just then the front door flew open and Giles came in followed by Kennedy, Willow and lastly Buffy. Giles's face was pale and was about to speak to them when he saw Xander and went even whiter. He motioned to the pair." Um I think you two should go join the others outside."
Emily nodded and closed the demonology books and left, but Dawn looked from one to the other until she saw a red stain on Buffy's jeans as the slayer walked past her. "Oh God! Who?" She turned to Giles and he lowered his head." Anya."
Dawn looked to Xander and she felt her heart flutter." Oh goddess no." She slumped back into her chair and shook her head." Why. What happened?"
Giles shrugged." She was trying to perform a spell..." She could tell he was trying to hold back and angry response." She was trying to make the first corporeal."
Dawn's eyes went wide." But Xander told her not to!"
Giles nods and glanced at Buffy." I know, but... "
Dawn was shocked then tugged at his arm." Don't tell him Buffy told her to try. We can't lose him."
Giles nods then walked over to Xander." Xander."
Xander turned and replaced the hammer to his belt." I'm going as fast as I can Giles. Maybe if you coughed up a little extra and went for bulletproof like I..." He saw Willow as she looked at her feet, her hand gripping Kennedy's. He then glanced over at Buffy as she sat at the 'war table' planning the next assault on the first.
Giles saw resignation wash across Xander's face and he turned and took the hammer from his belt. "I have to finish this off before night fall Giles." He began hammering the frame into place and Giles touched his arm. Xander snatched it away from his touch." Don't!"
Xander's mind was racing. He had changed what had happened and yet she still died, she still did as Buffy ordered and paid the ultimate price, just like before. He stopped hammering and hesitated." Did...Did she suffer?"
Giles was lost for words, how could he lie to this boy that he had thought of as a son and yet he had to." No, I'm sure it was quick."
"Liar."
His whispered word was like a dagger to Giles's heart." Xander, we didn't know she would do this."
Xander snorted." Same damned words! Same freaking lies..." His shoulders slumped and he dropped the hammer. The noise made Buffy look up from her papers and she felt her soul cry out to comfort him, but she knew if they were to win they all had to 'suck it up' and get on with it.
She watched him undo his tool belt and let it drop to the floor and she sighed." Now he's going to come over here and start up on me again." She stood as he approached her. "Look it was a good idea, had it worked we would be celebrating now. If she had done it right instead of screwing it up.."
The sound of the slap echoed through the still house and everyone waited for Buffy to return the strike. She moved her jaw." I'm impressed! All those years following me around paid off Xan." She sat down and went back to planning." If you're finished I suggest you go back to work."
Xander stood there and he just shook his head." Nothing you do will be of any worth Buffy. He'll still win and we'll be meat for the grill."
Buffy looked up at him." If I need information on how to fix something I'll ask you. Leave the real work for the experts Xander."
Xander nods and then sighs." Yeah, what made me think I could ever change anything?" He began moving away from her." Andrew was supposed to have been sacrificed to raise another Uber-Vamp.I thought grabbing my cell and taking his place to stop it would change things...But no she still tried that stupid spell you found and died for her troubles."
Dawn suddenly knew what he was going to do." Xander, don't go!"
His hand paused on the handle and he shook his head." I didn't do this the last time; maybe this is what will change the outcome." He whispered then opened the door." See ya round Dawnster."
The door closed gently behind him and he walked to his car and drove off.
Xander had the book open at the same spot he had found it when he walked into Anya's apartment. He could still see her bloodstains marking the page he now read." What did she do wrong? She had all the elements..." His eyes caught something revealed by the blood, just one word but it looked like there was more. "Blood..."
He picked up the phone and was about to dial Giles when he remembered the events of last week and dialed another number.
The phone rang and Wesley Wyndham-Price picked it up. "Hyperion Hotel..." He sighed." Ah Alexander, we uh heard what happened and let me..."
Xander cut him off." Look, Wes, I 'm having a little trouble with the Book of Rafaela."
Wes frowned." That book was stolen from the council libraries last..."
"Just chill Wes, we got it back and now I need some help with something I found." Xander hovered over the book." As you have probably been told Anya tried to make the First corporeal and uh..." Xander saw his hand begin to shake." Well anyway, I was looking through the enchantment and found that there's another part of the spell that's hidden, Anya's blood seems to have brought out a word... Blood... But it looks like there's more."
Wes nods." Yes the ancients were known to hide parts of the ceremony from the unbeliever in case their works were stolen." He rubbed his chin." I think that if you were to allow more blood to be applied to it..."The connection went dead and Wes held the phone in disbelief." Oh don't mention it Alexander, my pleasure, damned American..."
He saw Faith standing in the door and couldn't help but feel vulnerable." Uh Can I help you?"
"So what 'Damned American' yanked your chain this time tweed?" She asked with a mocking grin on her face.
"Alexander Harris! Despite what we were led to believe he's meddling in things he shouldn't again." Wesley brushed past her." I need to inform Angel of his actions before he does something to make things worse!"
Faith shook her head and grinned." All that education and he still doesn't know shit from shingles!" She went into the inner sanctum and waited for Angel to come storming in to ring Buffy." When will they learn never to underestimate him?"
"Underestimate who?" Fred asked.
Faith dropped the magazine and shrugged." Oh, life. It seems that people around here, and in Sunnyhell, seem to think if you ain't got the juice you're worse than useless." She smiles as Fred nods." One day it's going to bite them on the ass!"
Fred says." Is this about Sunnydale and the return of the First Evil?" Faith nods and Fred sighs." I thought that once we defeated the Beast we would get a break for a while, but from what Willow's been saying they need all the help they can up there in Sunnydale."
"Red would know considering she almost sucked the world down into the third level of hell." She shrugs." And yet they seem to have forgotten that it was Xander that stopped the unstoppable Black Witch."
Fred walks over to the desk and picks up a book." I think they've got a lot on their minds at the moment to worry about him, he left them after all."
Faith stands up and goes to leave." Yeah and something tells me I should get my shit packed and ready for a little road trip."
Dawn watched her sister as; little by little she lost control. One after another the slayers in training were being lost to the first in battles that even she could see were fought in the wrong place at the wrong time. Emily came into her room and stood before Dawn." Your sister.." Dawn looked up at her friend." Yeah?"
Emily went to the door and shut it before facing her again." I think she's losing it!"
Dawn snorted." Jeez what took ya?"
Emily shook her head and sat by her." No I mean, she's really losing it! She want's to bring Xander in."
Dawn smiled." She wants to ask him to come back?"
"No, bring him in as in 'dead or alive'! She thinks the reason none of her plans work is because he's turned traitor and joined the first."
Dawn sat up." What is her problem! He's the only one that had the guts to confront her when he thought she was wrong, now all she has is people that agree with her because they're too scared to say otherwise." She stood and moved for the door." She'll hurt him over my twitching body!"
Emily grabbed her arm." She's sent Spike to bring him in."
"Spike!" Dawn yelled." Does she want him dead?" Dawn began to worry." If Spike tries to bring him in Xander will try to resist and one or the other will die!" She swung open the door." I have to see Willow; we have to talk some sense into Buffy."
She stormed off down the hall and shook her head." Great timing Giles! What a time to decide to go to England and bring the remains of the watchers here!" She opens Willow's door to find Kennedy lying on her bed.
"Where is she?" Dawn asks. Kennedy shrugs. "She left early this morning. Something about seeing a man about a dog?"
Dawn prayed Willow knew what was going on and had made her decision to act on it some how." When she gets back could you ask her to see me?" Kennedy nods then asks." What do you think about Buffy sending the dark and the dork to go get Xander?" Dawn tries not to be angry." The last in a long line of stupid mistakes!"
Xander walked towards the front door, shrugging into his jacket and grabbing a small bag as he did. He opened it to see Spike and Andrew standing there." Sorry, we got all the crazy we need right now. Go sell it somewhere else."
Spike smiles." She wants you back droopy and I don't think she'll take no for an answer."
Xander shrugs and locks his door." What about an old fashioned 'go to hell' will that do?"
He starts to walk away when he feels a hand on his arm. Xander stops and glanced down at it then said." Fond of that hand? If you are I'd move it!" He looked up and saw Andrew baulk." Don't make me regret saving your ass!"
Suddenly he had help from a most alarming source as Spike jerked Andrew's hand from Xander's arm." She gone dappy kid, don't join the gang of followers." Spike turned to Xander." You have any idea how to beat this thing?"
Xander smiled at him." I doubted you for a long time Spi... William, until it was too late to do anything about it." He held out his hand and Spike took it." I have more than an idea; I know how to defeat it."
Andrew snorted." You? You know how to kill the first huh?" Andrew shook his head." The freaking bricklayer thinks he knows what all the others don't!"
Xander shook his head." You can't kill evil, Andrew, you can only hope to survive it and defeat it."
Spike looks at Xander for perhaps the first time." You're different. Strange, like you're here but you're not."
Xander smiles." Like a man out of time?" Xander slumped against the wall." I've lived this life once already, and believe me when I say I have no desire to see the same ending for this world."
Andrew laughed." You think you're Billy out of Slaughter House 5! So how do you die smart-ass? How do I die?"
Xander shrugged." You, I don't know now, see in the original line you were sacrificed to bring forth another Uber-Vamp by that demon that tried to skewer me. This time line I have no idea."
Spike nods." If you keep pissing me off though I think I can take a wild guess!" He sees Andrew step back then Spike asks." And you?"
Xander shrugs." I think mine is set in stone, foretold by a bald little bastard no one ever liked. I hope he gave the Mayor heart burn before he died."
Spike nods and tightens the grip on his duster." So what do we do now?"
Xander holds up the bag." I need to pay a visit to the seal beneath Principle Woods office."
Spike grins." Need someone to watch yer back mate?" Andrew is about to say something when Spike looks at him." I suggest you help sport, I still owe you for that damned camera trick!"
Willow paused outside of the hotel and struggled with her inner demons." You can do this. I hope!" She whispered then pushed the doors apart. She saw Angel talking with Wesley while Fred and Gunn were talking animatedly with Cordy." Looking for me?" Willow jumped as Faith walked out of the other room and into the foyer to join the others." I.. uh.. That is we..." Her eyes went wide when the dark slayer moved towards her." Come on Red spit it out we ain't got all night."
She looked at Angel." We need a Slayer."
Angel was suddenly very afraid." Is Buffy?"
"No. NO! She's ...having a hard time working things through." She sighed." What she is , is losing it. She's made a few bad decisions and ...and lost some people." She looks at Cordy." Xander."
"NO!" She expected that to come from her but was surprised when the shout had come from Faith. "Not Xander!"
Willow turned to see the Uber-cool slayer begin to lose it." No, he's not dead, not yet anyway, just left the group after Anya died. But Buffy thinks he's gone over to the First because it seems to know what she's going to do next."
Angel shook his head." Xander would never cross over, it's not in him, and he's got that whole 'white knight' thing going for him."
Faith and Willow both exclaimed." Excuse me?"
Angel grinned." Just say I remember everything that Angelus did and that I for one don't doubt he can do whatever he's set his mind to do." He looked at Faith." Are you going to be cool with this though? Technically you are still on the run from the law."
Faith shrugged." If this thing is so bad it takes two slayers to put it down then I'd say going back inside is the least of my worries." She looks at Willow." Besides I owe the Xandman, and I hate owing favors to people, especially guys."
Xander placed the bag to one side and took out two knives. He hands one to Spike then nods. Spike steps forward, holds his left hand over the seal and draws the blade across his palm." By the blood of the damned we command you!"
Xander watched the blood run onto the uncovered seal until he believed there was enough. He motioned for Spike to stand aside then took his place, holding the blade against his the palm of his right hand drawing it across his palm as he spoke." By the blood of the just we demand thee."
Xander knelt and mixed the two pools of blood as the pair chanted." By the power of the damned and the just we both command and demand thee to do our bidding." He dropped the knife and held out his left hand. Andrew placed a glass bulb in it then Xander scooped up the glowing iridescent green mix into the bulb, sealing it with a stopper.
He stood back as the ceremony drew to a close." We, thy humble servants, request thy aid in the coming battle. We beseech thee to empower us in our quest against thy enemy and the enemy of all creation."
The ground began to quake and Andrew edged towards the entrance." Can we go now? This place is like freaking death star!"
Spike glanced at him." Stay where you are Fry, I'm sure Bender will be here for you soon."
Andrew shrugs." What the hell was that supposed to mean?. Is that some kind of undead wanna be joke about me being some bumbling fool?"
Xander places the bottle in his pocket and walks out." Batman gets Batgirl Superman gets Lois. Me? I get the Sunnydale version of Laurel and Hardy."
Buffy is having a hard time fighting two Uber-Vamps at the same time. One lands a solid punch sending her spinning into a wall. She starts to get up as Spike hits one with a large crossbeam with little effect. It snaps in half and Spike backs away holding the broken spar in his hand." Uhh I hope you know I meant no harm there gramps...Shhhhiiittt!" The Uber-Vamp hits Spike with the other end of the crossbeam.
The two vampires grinned at each other and one growled out." And now. You die!"
No one heard the whistling of the deadly bolos as they span towards the leader and neatly severed it's head. Buffy looked around for the allies but couldn't see any one.
"How girl do that?" The remaining Uber-Vamp asked as it backed away from the fallen Slayer.
"Beats the hell outa me!" Buffy replied as she stood.
The vamp grunted." Okay!" It then moved towards her but stopped and began shaking." GRAHHH!!" It shook its head and began to move forward and was stopped again. "GRAHHH!!!!" It then collapsed to its knees where Buffy quickly took its head.
She glanced over the body and then looked up at Spike." I think the first needs to check his warranty policy, I think this one's defective."
Spike meanwhile looked into the darkened forest for any sign of the man he knew would be lurking inside its leafy cover.
"Yeah I'm sure he'll worry about that." He told her.
Buffy shrugged then told him." See I told you my plan would work. We take care of Xander and all of a sudden the First begins losing soldiers instead of us."
Spike nods." Well when you're right, you're right pet." He kept glancing around as if expecting someone to step out and then he smiled as he saw a figure move from one dark place to another." Well I think it best if we go back home and check up on the slayeretts."
Buffy nods then they both walked away from the fight and towards home." So was it hard?" She asked, as they grew closer to home. Spike looked confused." Was what hard?" Buffy walked up to the door and opened." Killing Xander."
He shrugged and said." It had to be done, you said so yourself pet..OOFFF!" Spike expelled an oath as something body checked him into the wall. He felt a stake pressing against his chest and if he could have he would have paled. "What the hell!"
Faith was pressing the wooden point harder against him and she looked into his eyes as she warned Buffy." One more step and wickless here becomes dusty." She glanced at Buffy and saw her back off as Willow glared at her.
"Talk!" Willow told her." The last thing you told me before I left was you were sending Spike to try and talk to him."
Buffy shrugged." Will, the man was leaking information like sieve." She stared at Faith." It was either him or us and I chose him." Faith looks at Spike in disgust." This one we kill, it is our job after all." She stares daggers at Buffy." As for you, if the council was still around we could send you into their caring hands." She quickly cold cocks Spike and allows him to drop like a sack to the floor then she turns to Buffy." So with then gone I guess it's up to us."
Buffy looks from Willow to Faith." Will? You're siding with this psycho?"
Willow blushes then glanced at Dawn." As apposed to you? Hell yes."
"You were wrong Buffy; Xander wasn't the leak, if there ever was one. Xander tried to tell you that your ideas were wrong. That they were strategically and morally inept."
Buffy sighed." So what are you going to do now? Pick Faith to run things and kill me?"
Willow shook her head." No we wait for Giles and the remnants of the watchers to arrive tonight."
Faith stalked towards Buffy." I got to warn you B, you're on borrowed time." She stood in front of her and continued." I came here to help, not you, not the rest of this motley crew but Xander! I came to help him because I owed it to him." Buffy saw the Dark Slayer come out to play." Seeing as how you took that away from me I'd say I now owe him a death!"
Willow watched the two Slayers as they eyed each other up. "Hey! Now I brought you here to help us not kill each other!"
Faith bumped Buffy's shoulder as she passed." That's copasetic Red, but just so's you know I will be sending B to keep Xand company."
"You mean try!" Buffy tells her back as Faith leaves the room. Buffy then helps Spike to his feet and tells him." We don't have much time before the First tries something else." She looks at the front door then says." I don't like strange things helping out, could be a friend, could be the first screwing with us again."
Spike nods." I'll find out what I can about our mystery guest."
Xander has the relief map of Sunnydale laid out on the large table with areas marked in red, green and yellow. Just as he moves his finger from a red area the set of bolos drop onto the map. He looks up and sees Spike." Shouldn't be leaving your toys lying around sport. The slayer's getting some smarts." He grins and slumps in a chair." She wants me to find her 'mystery' man." He cocks an eye at Xander." Hey there mystery man, what's cooking?"
Xander picks up the bolo and gingerly places it on the floor." I was surprised it worked actually." The souped up Initiative tazer I was sure would work, but the bolo?" He grinned." Who would have known military cutting wire would work so well against Turo-khan?"
"I'll get geek-boy to make some more when he gets back from the supply run."
Spike sighs." Not to put a downer on your plans but how do you know the buddy killer's not a sleeper?"
Xander looks at Spike." The same way I know you're not."
"Ah the old 'I've lived this life before' gambit, how tried and true." He leans in." I still don't know whether to trust you sport, but I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt till you screw up." He smiles." Oh by the by an old friend's dropped in to join in the festivities The Dark Slayer's back in town."
Xander looked up from his battle plan." On whose side?"
"Well at the moment she's wearing a white hat, even if she does want my dust in a doggy bag."
"She's not all that far gone then." He leans back and runs a hand through his dark hair." So, do we trust her? We need a Slayer for this plan to work, we both know we can't trust Buffy so the whacky thing is do we trust the Psycho Slayer to help more than hinder?"
Spike shrugs." The way she went for the Slayer when she found out I 'killed' you I'd have to say she's on the side of the angels..." Spike turns quickly to look at the door and holds a finger up." Yes. Well... Now we uh know." He walked towards the door and motioned for Xander to keep talking.
" Yes I suppose we should bring her on board about everything." Spike yanked the door open and Xander held the Tazer ready to stun anyone that came through the door.
Dawn started to pick herself up from the floor." Uh... I don't suppose you would be interested in Girl Scout cookies?" She moved her head so she could see who Spike had been talking to and her eyes went wide when she saw "XANDER!!!!"
The teen moved faster than a politician on voting day and had Xander in a bone crushing hug." God don't you EVER scare me like that again!" She stopped and berated him." What the hell do you think you were doing?"
Xander looked past her at Spike." Cool move Serpico! Who taught you stealth, Mr. Bean?" Spike checked the outer hall then shut the door and locked it." Hey just be grateful it wasn't the slayer or Red."
Dawn sighed and hugged Xander harder." You know I had given up on everything; I had this dread we were done for. And now." She grinned and locked her hand on his." I have this sudden flush of confidence."
Xander moved away from her and told her." My plan doesn't assure we'll win Dawn, Buffy maybe doing the right thing after all."
"Only if getting us all killed is part of her winning plan." She saw the bolo on the floor." I take it you're the stealth guy?" Xander nods." Her dying is not part of my plan, in fact if I succeed no one else..." He looks at Spike." Need die."
Dawn breaks away from him and salutes." Private Summers reporting for duty sah!" She does her best impression of a GI and Xander smirks." So what do I do? Make the coffee, do the donut run?"
Xander shakes his head." Those days are gone; they died when the first showed up. There are no more Zeppo's, just people willing to give their all to make sure the human race survives." He walks towards Dawn and holds her chin in his hand." Now I'm going to ask you to promise me that you will not tell ANY ONE and I mean any one about this."
"Cross my heart and hope ...well I promise." The teen grinned at him.
"Good enough." He looked over at Spike." You ready to take up your old job bleach boy?" Dawn saw Xander's eyes lose that sparkle." Now and after the fight?"
Spike nods." Count on it."
Dawn sits on one of the empty chairs. "This is like that guy. You know the knight guy and all his funky. Knights."
"I believe she means Arthur and his white knights." Spike tells them.
Xander jerks his thumb at Spike while looking at Dawn." Well he'd know kiddo, being as how he's older than dirt and all."
Spike smiled rather than rant against the insult. For the first time since they had started this thing Xander seemed happy and in Spike's books that was all that mattered." Hey If he can crack jokes like he used to then maybe we just might have a chance in hell of winning." Dawn told them.
Faith was walking from the counter and saw a familiar face walk into one of the cubicles." Jeez he's an easy guy find considering Spike and Andrew have spent over a week looking for him." She stands by the cubicle and uses her Slayer hearing to eavesdrop." So Mr. Harris what can we do for you today?" She hears Xander take something out of the folder he took in with him and explained." I want to change the beneficiary of my policy and have the changes to my will notarized."
Faith listened to the conversation and tried not to look too suspicious to the sixty-year-old guard on the door. When she heard then finish up she walked quickly to the doors and hid outside. Xander stepped from the bank and then made his way down the street until he came to his car." Oh just peachy!" Faith exclaimed as she scanned the area for either a cab or some means of transport.
Xander entered his apartment and placed the now empty folder on the counter before making himself a coffee and loosening the tie. He glanced at the phone/fax machine and saw several printouts waiting for his attention. He sipped on his cup and walked over past the fax, snatched up the sheets and continued to the lounge. He placed the cup down and made himself comfortable before reading them. He snorted as he read the first few lines." From City Council Planning Approval Office to Alexander Harris Chief representative of Jackman Construction. Please find copies of the approval notice to begin construction of Sunnydale Mall. Look forward to dealing with your company again."
Xander sighed and placed it on the table." Not once did any of them ever ask what it was I do for a living. 'Construction guy' was as close as Willow or Buffy ever got." Xander thought back to the days when he had first made foreman. He had raced over to tell them but the dynamic duo was too deep in conversation about their own lives to bother about his. So when he had made Company liaison/project wrangler he didn't even bother to say a word. By then Buffy was deep in her torrid affair with Spike and Willow was still mopey over Tara leaving her.
No one, with the exception of Dawn, questioned how he could have afforded two new cars the one Willow destroyed and its replacement. In fact with the exception of Dawn, none of the others even realized he no longer had to worry about tardiness or wearing work clothes any more. He had his foot firmly planted on the rungs of success and was on his way to upper management but none of that mattered anymore.
If things went the way they did in the original time line then no one would be around to live, let alone build anything. And if his plan worked, then he doubted very much he would be around to celebrate the victory. So far, apart from the time frame, people were still dying just as they did before only now it seemed to take longer. He knew all he was doing was delaying the inevitable, holding the line when all those around him fell by the wayside.
Faith was downstairs trying to both catch her breath and try to find a way into the high-rise apartment. She had dumped the borrowed bike in the bushes and checked the heavily secured door once more. Even using her strength she couldn't budge the heavy steel and glass door. She kicked it then glanced at the call buttons once more. Gone were the days of names next to apartment buzzers, these days you had to know who you were buzzing and what apartment they lived in.
She heard someone coming and then dived out of sight when she recognized the voice. Dawn walked around the corner talking to her cell." Yeah I know Kit but I'm like almost 18 now and I figure if it don't happen now it never will." Faith sees her grin and then say." Yeah well if I'm not in school tomorrow you'll know why." She rolls her eyes." Yes I know all about that Kit! Jeez like it's almost the only thing you ever seem to talk about."
She walks up to the building and Faith figures she knows someone inside, then it dawns on her." She's going to see Xander!" Faith whispers and grins." Wonder if Judge Buffy knows her sister knew where Xand was all the time?"
Dawn says her goodbyes then slips the phone into her bag, she takes out a brush and uses the glass as a mirror to primp her hair and Faith makes another discovery." She's got the hots for boy-toy!" The smile slipped from her face and she suddenly felt jealous of the teen and then she caught herself remembering the 'five minute fling' she had with him all those years ago. The guy was good, but you don't tell them that or they get all clingy and there's nothing worse for a slayer than a guy that won't stay away from her, even if it was for his own good.
She saw Dawn replace the brush and swipe the card in the electronic lock, the door buzzed and she pulled it open allowing it to slowly swing shut behind her. Faith jammed her hand between the door and the frame just before it closed and then pulled it back open. She waited while Dawn called the elevator using her card once more and Faith sighed, and then looked for the fire escape.
She saw the elevator stop on the 38th floor and cursed Xander for picking one so high up as she popped the lock on the fire escape and raced up the concrete stairs.
Xander had answered the faxes and the phone calls and had let his manager know they could start clearing the old Henderson warehouse ready for the first stage of the new complex on Monday. He placed the faxes in his case and then went to the wall safe and took out the vile of green liquid that he hoped would save the day. The liquid seemed to glow as he touched the vile, his body heat having some effect on the mixture he supposed.
He glanced at the calendar and his eyes were drawn to the date he had circled and prayed three days would be enough time to do what they had to, to end the First's plans and send it back to hell. He heard the knock and then the click of his door as it unlocked and he knew it could only be one person." Its all right Dawn come in." Dawn saw Xander at 'the round table' as she had started calling it and dropped her bag by the front door. She tugged her skirt and blouse so the creases were out then moved over to him and sat in front of him. She looked at him and waited for him to look up from the laptop to see how she looked. She waited as he asked how her day went and she used the opportunity to remind him how old she was." We're getting ready for the Prom this Friday." He nods his head then stops typing and looks up at her." Oh jeez I almost forgot!" He smiled. "So have anyone in mind, did that jock.. What's his name ask you yet?"
She snorts." Oh yeah he asked...but I'm waiting for some one else to ask.. If I go at all." Xander looked at her this time and she saw he finally realized what she had been hoping." Dawn, you Ahh...You've grown up before I even realized it."
She looked into his eyes and told him." All the boys at school are just so immature, I was hoping someone...Older might ask me to the Prom, If I go at all."
Xander broke eye contact as his mind reminded him just who this girl was." Dawn I'm sure there's someone your own age out there.."
He felt her hand cover his." Six years Xander, that's all there is between us but there's more than just years. You're the only one to care for me because I'm me and not because I'm some freak."
Xander wanted to remove his hand from under hers but found he couldn't." Spike.."
"Is a Vampire that was just doing Buffy a favor so he could get in her pants." She sighed." And once he had he stopped the caring act and got down to dehumanizing Buffy till she was down to his demonic level." She frowned." And now that she has made her feelings very clear about how she feels for me I could care less what he does to her."
Xander nods." I'm sure that once this battle is over she will get back to her normal self."
Dawn shakes her head." Until the next big bad comes along and we fall back into this 'I am the Law' routine." She sighs." Man I wish you had never brought that damned Sly Stallone movie home!"
She begins to run her thumb across the palm of his hand." Dawn. Look I realize you're all grown up and that you think you might have feelings for me but.."
Dawn narrowed her eyes." But what? You still love Buffy? She doesn't even see you as a man, for a start you have a pulse and compassion! You still look at me as a little girl and you should stop." She smirks and licks her top lip." 'Cuz I passed that stage a while ago, and I can make my own decisions and choices." She moves closer and he can smell the perfume behind her ears and fell the mint fresh breath as she speaks." I choose life.. I choose you."
She brushed his lips with hers and felt a tingle pass through her body as he began to respond to her desire. Xander tried to think but she didn't let him. Her lips pressed against his and he felt the tip of her tongue run across his teeth as it tried to gain entry. He opened his mouth to tell her no and she attacked. She never broke contact as she moved around the chair and onto his lap.
She eventually broke for air and he tried to stop her." Dawn.." She pressed herself closer to him just like Kit had told her and swung her right leg over then sat astride him. She pressed a finger to his lips." Don't talk, talking is over rated."
Faith had made her way from the hall window and across to the balcony. She pressed herself against the edge and then peered in and she grinned." Go Dawnie!" She saw the teen begin to unbutton Xander's shirt and run her hands against his chest, her legs wrapped around him and the chair he sat in forcing him to stay put as she seduced her best friend.
Something deep within the dark haired slayer cried out against what she saw and she felt something strange pass over her, something that stirred the darker half of her soul and showed itself in two words." He's mine!"
Faith pulled herself away from her voyeur act and tried to get hold of her emotions." Get a grip girl! You see Dawnie get some and you go all hormone." She glances back in and sees her pulling Xander towards what Faith can only think is the bedroom and she squeezes her eyes shut." Come on! He probably doesn't even know you're here and if he does he'll more than likely think you've come back to finish the job on him."
She could hear Xander trying to talk Dawn out of her seduction but Faith just grinned." Oh you don't know women at all do ya Xand? If she's got it in her head that you're hers then just enjoy the ride." Her eyes narrow." Until I come on the scene that is!"
Xander felt Dawn tug at her blouse and he soon felt the lace of her bra press against his chest." Dawn.. We can't!" She kissed him and used her now bare feet to push his jeans down over his hips." I want this Xander." She grinned as she felt him press against her ." And I'm darn sure you do as well."
"We can't. You don't know...There's no future for us.. For me.."
Dawn removed a hand from his back as she pressed against the door and her fingers searched for the handle and pushed the door open with her body." Now...All I care about is now! The future can go screw itself for all I care."
Xander kissed her and pushed her against the wall, her legs unwrapped themselves from him. Xander was almost at the stage where it would take an apocalypse to stop him from making love to this young woman but he still had enough strength to push her away and back up. He pulled his jeans up while Dawn tried to undress.
Xander watched her move to his bed and pull back the covers then sink into its softness. "Please. "She pleaded.
Xander sighed." Dawn, you need to calm down and think what you're about to do." He tried to calm his ardor and hoped the break would do the same for her." This is a big step and I don't want to screw you up for the rest of your life."
She looked him in the eyes and told him." You are my life."
Xander closed his eyes and told her." And if I were to tell you I wont be around when this fight is finished? What then."
She shrugs." I'll go with, natch."
Xander shook his head." Where I'm going I don't want any of my friends to join me."
Faith popped the lock on the sliding doors and eased herself into the apartment." Well no obvious sounds of sex, hopefully they stopped, or Xander's even quicker than I had thought." She grinned then the grin slid from her face as she heard what Xander was saying.
"The reason I seem to know what to do and what's going to happen next is..." He waved his hands around." All this...I've already lived through this once before." He blushed." Well not this but... What is the future for you is the past for me." He looked at Dawn as she sat up in his bed." Though this never happened before..."
Dawn tilted her head to one side." So this place your going that you don't want.." Her eyes went wide as she realized his meaning." No! I wont let it happen. You're not going to die Xander."
Xander held a hand up." Look I'm okay with it, as long as I'm the only one then I can live. Well not live with it actually. Each night I see my death, I'm alone with the First and he's corporeal. He's also ripped a fair sized chunk out of me and I can feel myself fading from this life. But now its different, I still die alone only now Buffy kills him as well." He looks confused." Only lately there's another."
They both turn as the door is pushed open and Xander yelps in surprise and fear. "Faith!" She looks at Dawn as she covers herself and then at Xander. "I can promise you one thing Xand, you wont die alone."
Xander clenches his hands into fists." Leave her alone Faith!" He moves towards her." Its me you want to kill not her."
Faith glances at the near naked teen and grins." Spank her yes but kill her? Not into that anymore X." She glances at his body." Though I can think of better ways to spend my time."
"HEY!" Dawn shouts at her." Just go back to Buffy and tell her I'm out! She hasn't treated me like her sister so she can go to hell and take Spike with her for all I care."
Faith grins as she sees Xander pick up a bat from beside the dresser. "Phone it in Dawnie." Faith sits in the chair by the door." Cuz I just decided to join Team Xander." She licks her lips and her eyes travel slowly up Xander's body." So what's next boss?"
Spike prayed that Buffy would realize her sister had not returned from school but Buffy just kept on training the remaining SITs until they were exhausted. She suddenly pointed to Spike and demanded." Have you found him yet? And what the hell happened to Andrew?"
Spike shrugged and told her." Droopy's just dropped off the radar briefly love, as for Andrew I think the less we see of him the better." He shrugged into his duster and told her." It's dark enough for me to go and search for Harris.." He paused at the door as he saw Giles pull up." True Brit's here, you want me to go or give support?"
Buffy sighs." Go, find Xander and 'deal' with him once and for all. And don't lie to me again! He had better be dealt with this time."
Emily looks at her." Why don't you say what you mean?" She glared at the Slayer." Why don't you just say your pet rat's going to kill Xander?"
Buffy grinned at her." Emily, Spike's just going to have a little talk with Xander and try to convince him to come back to the right side."
Giles was standing behind her." Right side? What's he done now?"
Buffy turned sharply and said." I'm glad you could spare us your time Giles! Not keeping you from any important books are we?"
Giles motioned for the three men to come in." These gentlemen are all that remain of the Watchers Council. Frank was in Australia searching for a potential that unfortunately never made it to the rendezvoused. Karl was Emily's watcher"
Emily ran over to him and threw her arms around him." Karl! I thought you were dead!"
Karl waited for his student to get over her emotional outburst then told her." I told you everything would work out. Have you been practicing everything I taught you?"
Emily backed away and stood up straight." Yes Karl, though I haven't had much time to practice." She glanced at Buffy then said." Now that an adult is back do we still have to follow everything SHE says?"
Giles saw Buffy's eyes narrow and he had seen that look before." I'm sure Buffy was only doing what she thought best Emily."
Emily turned to him." Oh and I suppose sending Spike out to kill Xander because he disagreed with her actions was right?"
Giles looked over to Buffy and he raised an eyebrow. Buffy shook her head." He was sending information over to the first!"
Giles took his glasses off and looked at the other potentials." How? How did he betray us to the first?"
Buffy was about to answer when Emily moved from Karl's side." He didn't! He would never betray us! She's just saying that to cover up her own incompetence!" She turned to Karl. "Xander tried to tell her that her plans were playing right into the Firsts hands but she wouldn't listen. Then when we began loosing girls she went psycho on us!"
Buffy shook her head." Never mind that! The problem is solved, the leaks as good as plugged. What we have to worry about now is loyalty, who do we trust and who do we kick to the curb?" She glared at Emily and the teen shrank behind Karl.
Karl smiled." Power is not what decides who is good and who is surplus to requirements my dear. Something you learn once you become an adult."
She places her hands on her hips." Yet there you are training young girls with the power to fight and die in your battles, hypocrite much?"
Giles steps forward and asks." So Xander has been passing on information to the first, do you know this for a fact? Or did you just assume it because your plans didn't work?"
Buffy sighed." Look I'm sick of going over my decisions like I'm talking to a five year old. Fist Xander, then Willow and Dawn, now you want in on the act. I do the fighting, been doing it for seven years now so I KNOW what to do!"
Karl smiles." There's more to the fight than might Miss Summers, a strong man can be beaten by a smart man almost every time." He turned to Giles." Did she not read the handbook?"
Giles sighed." Her first watcher didn't survive long enough to give her the book and I found the best way to deal with the unusual situation here was to play it on the fly." Giles turned to Buffy." I received a phone call from Willow, she spoke of bringing Faith back here, was she successful?"
Buffy nods." Yeah she brought Faith back from LA, although for all the help she's been she could have brought a block of Ghirardelli Chocolate instead."
Willow and Kennedy came down the stairs and she responded to the mention of her name." Faith's been doing her bit Buffy, but for every Uber-Vamp she kills there's two more to take its place."
Buffy jabs a finger at Willow." See! See what I have to put up with! All I get is excuses and complaints! Did you even find out who killed those two that attacked us last week? Or the dead bringers we've been finding on our patrols?"
"Andrew said he was on it."
Giles turns to Willow." Andrew?" Willow blushes." Let me get this straight, you have Spike running security and looking for Xander and you have Andrew checking on who's killing the First's minions?" He shook his head." Did every one suddenly lose their minds? You have two of the First's minions working in the inner sanctum!"
Buffy walked forward." Spike's okay, he's free of the first's control and Andrew has done no harm to us."
Karl nods." And no one has been able to find this Xander?"
"Why?" Emily asks.
Karl shrugs." Because whatever he's doing has got to be better than the circus that's on here."
Dawn had hurriedly dressed allowing Faith enough time to talk in private to Xander." So, cradle snatching huh. Boy you went downhill from the last time I saw you Boy toy."
Xander looks at his bedroom and sighs." She's a very determined girl."
Faith smiles. "Girl? From what I saw she's a lot older than her age." she sighs." I see I'm going to have my hands full keeping her from my stuff." Xander looks at her and she continues." You know makeup, clothes, shoes... Men."
Xander misses the signal and asks." So how much did Judge Buffy tell you?"
Faith spins a chair around and plops into it." Oh you know, you're a bad, bad boy, the word traitor was thrown around a couple of times as well." She looks up at Xander." She didn't have any idea who the mystery meat was that was hitting the First where it hurts though."
Xander shrugs." That's me, Mr. Mystery Meat."
Faith grins." Oh your meat holds no mystery for me boy toy."
Dawn is standing at the door." Good, then you can leave it alone then." She walked over to Xander and told him." We haven't finished Xander, just rain checked." Dawn sat in the chair next to Xander and glared at Faith." So what's your next plan Faith? Go along until it suits you then jump ship like the last time?"
Faith sighs." A girl makes one wrong choice and she's tainted for life." She looks at Xander." I'm here to help the gang defeat the First, end of story. And it looks like your team's the only one with a score on the board."
Xander looked deeply into her eyes trying to judge whether to trust her or not." I have a plan but it's not exactly a deal closer." He shook his head as he glanced at Dawn and then back to Faith." Look if I have to trust you then I also have to tell you this. I've lived through this once before, I've changed some events." He looked sad." But the deaths, even delayed, seem to stay the same." He lent back." I saw the end of times, we lost, and they won." He straightened and looked Faith in the eye." I can only swear that this time will be different, this time I intend our side to win."
Dawn smiled and placed her hand on Xander's." And we all live right...right?" Xander smiled at her and told her." We can only try Dawn, we can only try."
Faith saw the last rays of the sun wink out and she stood." Looks like its Patrol time." She looked around." I don't suppose you have any spare weapons lying around?"
Xander got up and motioned to the spare room. "If the ATF ever raided this place I'll spend the next 250 years making number plates." He showed her into his 'war room' and went to the metal cupboard. "I managed to snag a few of the Initiative Tazer's and I uhh..." He rubbed the back of his head." Managed to 'amp 'em up to 11' as they say." He smiles." The Uber-Vamps seem to get a big kick out of them."
She picks up a set of bolos and Xander warns her." Watch out! The wire is entwined with cutting wire, 9 out of ten Turo-khans lose their heads over it."
Faith uses the loop to attach it to her belt like Xander did with his." So boy toy tell me, if you think we're all getting out of this why change the beneficiary in your life policy?"
Xander slung a Tazer across his back. "I didn't say I was going to make it. Each night I dream of things the way they happened before and the way they happen now." He shrugged a coat on to cover the weapons." I die, a different way maybe but I still die." He buttoned the front then told her." But you know what? Each time the odds turn in our favor, eventually we will win and if it costs me my life then I figure it's a good trade."
"Screw that for a trade!" She pulls him close and kisses him then moves away towards the lounge." I ain't loosing you to no damned night crawler Harris!"
Xander could feel her lips still on his and he grinned." Why Slayer, if I didn't know any better I'd say you missed me."
Faith rotated the short sword in her hand." You know me Xand, I never miss." She exited the room and was followed by Xander who locked it afterwards." Okay then, you drop Dawn off while I get things set up for the next strike."
Dawn looked at Faith and the dark slayer grinned at her. Dawn glanced over at Xander." Don't I get a weapon?"
Faith slides the sword into the sheath on her back." Nervous?"
Dawn's reply was quick." Duh! You went psycho and tried to kill everyone and you don't look all that stable now."
Faith threaded her arm through the teens." Come on, we can compare notes."
Xander watched the pair leave and he shook his head." It's going to be a toss up between the First, Faith or Buffy who kills me." He shivered." My money's on Buffy if she finds out how close Dawn pushed my buttons." He glanced at the calendar and marked off another day." Three left and I still haven't found where the damned thing lives!"
Giles was talking with Karl and his charge. "So you really think Buffy's that far off?" Emily nods." Look I don't like speaking out of turn but...Man she's so lost it! Anyone that disagrees with her is stamped a traitor and given a choice, get out or take point on patrol."
Giles shook his head." I can't, won't believe she had Spike kill Xander!"
"She's changed." Willow told him as she moved closer to the three. "She's not the girl we've all followed since High school. Xander told her not to try the spell but Buffy forced Anya to try it. You were there Giles you saw what she was like before you left, she's ten times worse now."
Giles sighs." Maybe she's under the First's influence?" He turned to Karl. "We need to find out before it's too late." He watches as Spike returns briefly." I also suggest we find out if indeed Spike is free of the first's thrall."
Xander is walking down the halls of the abandoned mansion in search of any evidence of it being the Bringer's HQ. In his right hand he is spinning a WW1 vintage Marine issue trench warfare knife by the knuckle duster." So just how does a blind man fight as good as they do anyway?" He glanced back behind them." I mean they have their eyes gauged out and their mouths sown up so these guys are either mucho on the dedicated or Zippo on the smarts."
Faith grins as she remembers their banter from the old days." I don't know Xand, there's been certain times I wanted to gouge my eyes out."
Xander nods." Oh I can definitely agree with you there Faith." He shudders." Just seeing Spike kiss Buffy makes me want to yak up a lung and carve the sight from my eyes!"
Faith keeps walking but turns to see him." Now see that's where I just don't get it. First there was the whole Angel thing and I thought from the way he skipped town the princess would have got enough smarts to realize A) Dating a Vampire is not such a hot idea and B) It definitely says Slay the Vampire not Lay the Vampire."
Xander nods as Faith turns back to face forwards." See now I totally got the Wuthering Heights scenario with dead boy, hell I even had some respect for the guy as soon as he left Sunnyhell, but Spike?" He shrugged." It must be a girl thing Cuz I totally don't get how you could fall for the guy that for four years has tried every means possible to kill you and all your friends."
Faith blushes and tried not to show her fear." Well he could have changed for the better?"
Xander nods." Yeah he helped, when he wasn't trying to sell us out or make money off of us that is. And then she goes and gets the damned chip removed without asking our opinion or telling us after the fact! Jeez the guy's said on many an occasion that the chip was the only thing stopping him from killing us!"
"He has a soul now."
"Yeah? Well so did every nut job that went Lecter on some poor SOB.A soul doesn't make it a natch that you're on the side of the Angels ya know."
Faith didn't like the way this conversation was going at all and she hesitantly asked him." So then going by your rules there's no hope for me then?"
Xander stopped. "Hey! I spoke to Angel and Wes before I came out on this little trip Faith, I think between the pair of them they would be able to tell if you were putting on an act or not." He grinned." Besides I figure we've been alone for over four hours and you ain't hacked me up into bite size chunks yet so that's always a plus...."He paused and shuddered as he felt a strange sensation pass over him." Faith.. Get your bad ass hat on!"
He turned in time to see three Bringers come running down the hall he grinned." Oh its only you guys." His right hand swapped the knife over to his left hand and reached behind his back for the .45." See Uncle Rory was good for something besides Scotch!" He shot the three down without any effort then heard Faith go into action behind him.
He turned and watched her deal with the four in front of them and as she did Xander watched her every move." What is it with strong women and me? They're like a freaking aphrodisiac!"
She flipped one over her back and Xander's smile left him as he saw more racing down the hallway. He used the Bringer that was slowly getting to its feet as a springboard to catapult himself over Faith and the remaining Bringer and landed in front of the others. "Yippee kiyay mother.." He unloaded the GI issue pistol into the pact ranks and then ejected the empty clip, sliding his left hand through the duster grip of the blade and hitting the closest bringer on the jaw with all his might. As it fell he dragged the razor sharp blade across its throat and kicked the body towards the others." Honey!" He slammed a fresh clip into the gun and released the slide forward." We've got company."
Faith pulled the axe blade from the bringers back and then tugged at the bolo on her hip." My hair's a mess boy toy, tell them to call back later." She span the bolo's around her head and unleashed them at an Uber-Vamp as it turned the corner. As its head fell to the ground she asked Xander." Anybody would think they don't want us here lover."
Even more bringers charge at them and Xander drops the empty gun and draws the short sword from his hip." Been meaning to brush up on my close order combat skills." He slices through one and punches another with the trench knife but a third adds its weight to the throng and forces him to the ground.
Faith growls as she sees Xander go under and she redoubles her efforts as she let's her anger take over. Suddenly there are no more Bringers to fight and she turns to try and find Xander. She turns over several dead or dying bringers until she sees one lying on top of Xander, his red blood coloring the bringers blue." Xander!"
She kicks the dead bringer off of Xander and almost yells in anger when she sees his side covered in red human blood." Damn it Boy-toy, so help me if you've gotten hurt!"
He coughs and winces as she helps him up." I told you all ready Faith, I die separated from my friends." She leans him against the wall and then searches for his gun and sword. She tucks the gun in his pants and hands him the sword." I'm going to go do a snoop and poop, be back in five lover."
Xander nods." If ya find anything to eat, I'm feeling kind of peckish." He jokes as she runs down the hall the bringers had sprung from. Xander was slowly sliding down the wall as he waited for Faith to return when he suddenly felt the hot and cold flush come over him again." Now what?"
He shook his head as he saw a vague shadowy form move towards him and he suddenly knows what it is." Still to scared to show yourself to me huh!" Xander forced his body through the pain barrier and he stood away from the wall." Its not our time yet, when it is I hope I live long enough to see your black soul sucked back into hell!"
The image sharpened and became a solid." HEY! Is that any way to talk to your best buddy?"
Xander felt his heart begin to pound harder and he prayed Faith would soon return but the teen in front of him grinned." Oh she'll be a little longer." He looked down at his dead minions and stepped over the blood." They are weak but they serve their purposes." He looked at Xander." Just like my Judas goats."
Xander winced." You know you were a lot funnier when you were alive Jesse." He holds up a finger to the First." And I do know you're not Jesse so can you cut through the crap and get on with it?"
He morphs into Buffy and Xander stiffens as she walks towards him. "I know you want this body." She grins and then tilts her head to one side." But I never knew any Summers would do! "She waggles her finger at Xander." Now, now Xand you have to leave little sister alone or I'll get jealous." She growls. "Or even!" She is almost touching him." What do you suppose she would do if she knew the truth about you?"
Xander struggles to block out what she's telling him but then the voice changes." I know you had a thing for older women Xander but I never knew you liked 'em young." Joyce gently stepped over another body." First you wanted Buffy then Jenny and me and now you want my little baby girl." She looked down the hall and sighed." I guess this means an end to our talk Mr. Harris.." The form explodes in a gush of blood but the voice carries on. "Soon Mr. Harris, soon your line will end and with it the world you fought so hard to save will follow."
Xander gathered the last reserves of his strength and told it." Fuck you and the whore you rode in on!"
Faith was standing there with her hands on her hips." You got some mouth since I saw you last, you know that?"
Buffy was finishing her tour and showing the SIT's how to do their wind down exorcizes when Faith arrived." Well where the hell have you been?" Faith strode past her and shrugged." Busy." She saw Karl and Frank talking then asked. "Is Jeeves here?"
Emily nods." He's upstairs sorting out the new sleeping arrangements." Faith stopped and shook her head." We're facing the greatest evil ever and you've got him housekeeping?"
Buffy shrugged." What else is he good for? Can't talk to the Council, they're spread all over the English countryside. What else is he good for?"
Faith shook her head and continued upstairs." Oh I don't know Buff, how about planning a way to beat this shmuck before you get everybody killed?"
She could hear Giles cursing in one of the spare rooms and she kicked open the door." Hey Cinderfella! You want to kick this dog to the curb and start to make a difference?"
Giles sighed." I have to be here for her incase she.."
"What? Grows a brain and realizes she needs you? Ain't goin' to happen Jeeves." She closes the door not realizing Dawn is in the room as well." Xander was hurt when we hit the mansion."
"HE'S WHAT? IS HE ALL RIGHT?" Dawn shouts out causing both Faith and Giles to jump.
"Tell the whole freaking world why don't ya! If he was bad hurt do you think for one second I'd leave him alone?" Faith tells her.
Dawn leaves the room and Giles asks." Is it bad? Maybe I can help him?"
"I was counting on more Giles, we need your skills even if Miss Airhead 2003 can't see beyond her groin and treats you like her own servant!" She can see Giles hesitate." Listen Giles, the kids good but he needs everyone if we're to stop this thing. Buffy's in LALA land and won't be back till she, and the fools that follow her, are all dead. We hit the First hard tonight, I'd say we've pretty well taken care of the majority of the bringers and most of the super vamps."
She walks up to him and grips his arm." But we need you to defeat the First, cutting of the tail only makes the snake angry, we need to go for a head shot to end all this crap!"
Giles nods." I'll try and talk Karl into staying so she'll have at least someone with the knowledge here.." He looks past Faith to see Dawn standing there with an overnight bag and a medical case." We leave now while Buffy's too busy with her wannabe's to notice us gone." She looks at Faith." And do NOT try to stop me Slayer!"
Five hours later Xander begins to stir in his bed, he can feel the tight crepe bandages lashed around his wound and can even begin to feel better. He frowns when he can feel someone's steady breath on his neck and he turns to see Faith.. A very naked Faith lying spooned up against his equally naked form." Oh man I had better be dreaming!"
Dawn opens the bedroom door carrying a breakfast tray laden with food, she smiles." No, that'd be when you wake up with me next to you."She stopped then grinned."Oh no that'd be my dream."
Xander quickly covers his nakedness and blushes but Dawn smirks." Oh come on Xand! Who do you think undressed you? But I got to say I'm impressed, very impressed."
Giles and Willow were making their way to do their daily check on the Hellmouth only this time Willow had brought a fairly large case with her." If you don't mind me asking Willow, what's in the case?"
Willow smiled." Something we should have hooked up from day one. It's a remote camera and motion detector. See we hook the camera up so we have a 360 degree field of view of the Hellmouth then set the motion detectors to trigger an alarm back at Camp Slayer. Alarm goes off we scope it out with the remote and save the world." She grinned at him.
"Well...One wonders why we didn't think of it before now." Giles asks.
Willow shrugs." Lack of funding springs to mind, but now seeing as how you are the Council and you have access to the Councils funds life should be easier."
Giles nods as they get closer." Yes well I wonder if we can stretch them to sending Buffy to some sort of fast tracked military school." He hesitated then apologized." I'm sorry I should never have said that. Its my own fault for going away, if I had been here then maybe..."
He stops when Willow tilts her head at something in the corner." What is it?"
"CRAP!" Dawn exclaims then calls Faith over." Oh Faith I think we've been sprung!"
Faith saunters over and watches as Willow's face dominates the screen." And here I was thinking Godzilla looked ugly on the big screen. How long has she been at it?"
Dawn glances at the clock." They walked in about five minutes ago, I thought it was just their usual snoop an' poop but then she seemed to be looking for something and saw our candid camera."
Faith sighs." And when did Xander say he was going to be back from where ever it was he was going?"
"He didn't, he just said he might be a while. I did notice he had a fake A.T.F. I.D. badge though, what do you suppose that's all about?"
Faith shrugged." He's not a pillow talk kind of guy Dawn. But my best guess is if he's got a fake A.T.F. badge then he's probably going to scope us some gear." She narrowed her eyes as she saw Willow give up trying to detach the tiny camera." Now what's she going to do cuz no way in hell is she getting that baby down, not after all the effort it took me to get it in there."
They watched as Giles moved her out of the way then placed a rag he had found over the lens." Oh nice!" Dawn exclaims." Now what?"
Faith grabs the keys for her bike and says." Now I guess we have to either let red in on our secret army, something I'd rather not do seeing how chummy she is with B and all."
Giles and Willow had spent the last half hour placing their camera and hooking it up to the power source." We need to do this rather quickly before whoever planted the other camera decides to check up on the Hellmouth."
Willow nods and finishes up her work, she places some concrete dust around it to try and hide it from prying eyes." That should do." She picks up her things and goes to leave." Are you coming Giles?" Giles nods. "Don't wait for me I have other things to do." Willow nods and leaves and Giles waits till he's sure she's far enough away." I'm not built for this James Bond cra... GAH!" Giles spins around and holds up the crossbow but hesitates in firing as Faith steps into the light." Good god girl! I almost killed you!"
Faith walks in glancing from the camera and back to Giles." Oh I very much doubt that Jeeves."
She walks over to the camera and removes the cloth rag from it and blows a kiss into the lens. Giles rubs his chin." I don't know whether I can keep up this double agent act for too much longer. I feel bad about working against Buffy."
"Don't think of it as working against her; think of it more as working for victory."
"Yes but one wonders as to whose."
Faith shakes her head." Uhh Jeeves, been there and bought the T, boyfriend. I ain't ever going back to the wrong side of the tracks."
Giles looks at the camera then asks." I take it that its one of Xander's toys?" Faith nods." So I take it he's still recuperating?"
She shakes her head." Think again Jeeves, he's off collecting some new toys from some unsuspecting criminal." She sighs." I worry about him."
Giles nods." I fear for us all."
"About who'll win you mean?"
"No about what will happen when we do." Giles makes his way to the doorway." He was always there to control Buffy's hair trigger. Maybe when all is said and done he'll return to the fold." Faith bit the corner of her mouth in an effort to stifle a remark but Giles saw her effort." You think not?"
Faith nods." Having someone try to kill you has a somewhat unsettling effect on your friendship Jeeves." She saw the look on Giles's face." She more or less said so herself and Spike confirmed it."
Giles shook his head." Spike? I'd rather believe the first than believe him!"
"Andrew had said as much when I spoke to him about it, Buffy blew a fuse when Boy toy walked on her and she wasn't all that stable before either." Faith lowered her eyes." I guess you should know before you hear from one of the others." She looked him in the eyes." I'm with Xander." "Yes I know Faith, so am I."
"Eew! I meant as in the biblical sense, I sure hope you don't!" She saw Giles lose his stiff upper lip and she grinned." Okay, horrible mental image there for a sec but I'm glad we got that cleared up." Giles watched her closely and even though he had been assured by Wesley that the dark slayer had redeemed herself in his eyes, Giles still couldn't trust her 100%."If you hurt him I swear to god you will regret it!"
Faith blushed." I already hurt him once Giles, I'd die before I'd hurt him again." She pushed herself from the wall then pointed a finger at him." You keep that Psycho on a short leash because her headstone's still up on Cemetery Hill waiting for her and if she so much as looks at Xander the wrong way when this is over I will put her in it and fill her grave with concrete!"
Faith turned to leave." As much as I'd like to stay and chat I have to get back to the bat cave before I lose my spot to Hormone-girl." She smiled at her joke then exclaimed." Well at least one of the Summers girls has brains."
"Yes well, hopefully so has Xander, If he wants to stay out of prison that is."
"Oh please Jeeves! Buffy's first was a 250 year old Vampire and mine was... none of your business, I'd say a five year difference would be looked on as good news." She turned to look at him." Besides she's going to have to wait till I'm gone before she even thinks about trying out for team Xander again."
Giles shakes his head the sighs." Not so different from when I was a lad, but then again I was 'Ripper' scourge of the Mods!" Then his smile froze." You said you had spoken with Andrew?"
Faith stopped and nodded." Two days ago, why?"
"We haven't seen him for three days, we thought he had left town."
"Faith shook her head." No he was supposed to be chasing up some research on the first for Xander; he was going to use your books actually." Faith shrugged then kept walking." He'll turn up, he probably saw some stupid comic he hadn't read before or something lame like that."
Dawn heard the door unlock and turned to see Xander struggle in with a large backpack." Shopping for Christmas gifts a bit early aren't we Xand?"
Xander grunted as he took the heavy load to the weapons room." Damn thing weighs more than one of Buffy's makeup bags!" He placed it inside then locked the door and turned to see Dawn still watching him." A little surprise for the first's so called army."
Dawn nods then leans back in her chair as she looks Xander up and down." You look all sweaty, why don't we take a shower?"
Xander chuckles and shakes his head." Dawn there's no need to act like that, I know how you feel towards me and it doesn't do you justice to act like..."
"Faith? Buffy?" Dawn asks." If it's the only way to get your attention then why not go with what works?"
Xander walked up to her and knelt in front of her; he grasped her hand and tried to say the right words." Dawn you're an adult now and I think its time you were told something I wish someone had told me when I was a few years younger. Making ... love some kind of barometer of self-worth isn't right for anybody. ... When all is said and done, how you feel about yourself has to come from inside or you're going to spend your whole life begging people to love you. And if it's not possible then you'll end up begging them to fuck you. And screw that."
He cupped her chin and tilted her face to look at him." You're much better than that Dawn; you deserve some one much better than me." He stroked the ball of his thumb across her cheek as he continued." You deserve the best possible person that's out there waiting to meet the best possible person...In here." He touched the spot over her heart." I spent five years pining over some one that barely even knew I existed and it sucked big time."
Dawn nodded and lent into his touch and smiled as she looked deeply into his eyes." I can wait till the seas rise up and devour the land but one day Alexander Lavelle Harris, you will wake up to the fact this isn't some teenage angst filled romance. This is the real deal." She placed her hand over his and sighed." So get used to the fact that I will eventually wear down your defenses and get you to love me as much as I love you."
She wiped away a small tear that had gathered at the corner of her eye and then stood up." So then what's next?"
Xander sat in her chair and shrugged." As near as I can remember just after sundown tonight Buffy's going to take the remainder of the SIT's out for more training only their going to run into the First's trap."
Dawn nods." So we warn Buffy..."She sees his eyes flick away from her." We're going to warn her aren't we?"
Xander licked his lips." If we warn her then we risk having to fight them at a later date only then I won't know where or when."
Dawn places her hands on her hips." XANDER! As much as I dislike my sister at this point in time I don't want to see her, or any of the girls, dead!"
Xander holds up his hands." Neither do I Dawn, I happen to believe she is our only hope of defeating the First in the end. But if I warn her then we lose what little advantage we have." He motioned towards the weapons room." My little surprise will take out the Fuglies while Faith and Buffy's crew can take out the Bringers."
"And you plan on warning Buffy when?"
Faith walks in the apartment and asks." Warn Buffy about what?"
Xander turned to her and smiled." My shake 'n' bake surprise!"
Dawn sighs." You're not going to spill are you?"
Xander stood up and walked towards his room singing." I could but...I'll never tell."
Faith grinned and as she followed him she turned to Dawn." Wanna bet?"
Xander waited till he was sure the others were well on their way to joining Buffy and her potentials. He just prayed that his plan worked as he hefted the large bags into the back of his car.
He shut the trunk and patted it." Stay frosty guys and for once I hope those Chinese workers excelled themselves on this batch."
Dawn could hardly contain the grin as she saw Faith scowling at the others as they made their way to the beginning of the regular patrol route. Emily tapped her shoulder." What's the matter with Faith?"
Dawn's grin grew wider." Oh nothing much she just lost a bet is all." Dawn had a mischievous glint in her eyes." And not the last one either if I have my way."
Buffy held up her hand as she saw Spike." This is where we split up, Faith you take half the girls and patrol the east side."
Faith stopped in her tracks." What?" She looked at the others." I don't think splitting the group up is such a wise idea B."
Buffy glares at her." Hey if you want out then go, otherwise learn to follow orders little girl!" She looked at Kennedy." Ken take half the girls and patrol the east side, seems someone can't take the heat."
Faith was on a short fuse." Hey! Listen Princess, I can stand the heat it's the damn moron Chef that's pissing me off!"
Spike moved to the pair." Is there a problem here? I thought we were going to split up so we could cover more area quicker?"
Dawn saw him furtively glance to one side before checking his watch." Late for a date?"
Spike glared at her then smiled as if acting out a part." No, just worried we won't get back before sunrise, you know how easily I burn, nibblet."
She began to walk away from him and glanced back in time to see him having a one-sided argument with himself. She shook her head." That guy is a definite candidate for a rubber room!"
Kennedy and her crew began moving away towards the east side when suddenly Buffy and Faith stopped arguing and looked at the trees surrounding them. Faith slid the sword from the sheath at her side." I've got a bad feeling about this."
Before Buffy could agree Dawn saw lots of movement in the undergrowth." Kennedy! Bring the girls back now!"
As her warning echoed through out the park the swarm of Turok's attacked, followed by the remnants of the First's Bringers." Oh man I hate it when I'm right!"
Giles had just finished the last documents the three remaining watchers had found on the First, he lent back in his chair and slowly began to rub the bridge of his nose as Frank stood up." I think we deserve a nice cuppa!"
The remaining pair nodded in agreement just as someone knocked on the front door. Giles glanced at the clock." It's too early for the girls." He picked up the cross that hung by the front door and slowly opened it." Yes?"
Andrew shivered." Hey Giles, ya wanna let me in before I freeze my cohunes off?"
Giles sighs." Yes of course sorry Andrew." He held the door open and moved back inside but was puzzled when Andrew didn't follow." Don't just stand there then come..."He sighed and then sadly realized the truth." Ah but then you can't can you, not without an invitation."
He held out the cross and Andrew cowered." Hey dude! Way to be rude man." He backed off of the porch and glared at him." Now I was going to make this quick and semi-painless, not the fear fest Dr Evil wanted it to be, but oh no you have to get all macho about it." He changed to his vampiric form." It's time you people learnt the true meaning of power!"
He stepped back and motioned to the two bringers." After you." They barged past him, forcing Giles into the lounge." HEY! You forgot to invite me in, why does everyone ignore me!"
Buffy made to charge the ten Uber-vamps as they made to close off any chance of escape but Faith stopped her." Leave them Buffy; we need to help the others escape first!" She saw Buffy nod and move towards the last remaining bringers as they began to attack the SIT's. Faith drew a deep breath and sighed." I hope you can work your magic tonight Xand."
She joined Buffy and others but kept an eye on the Turok's-Kahn when the night sky above the encroaching super vampires was lit up like it was day. Kennedy turned from dealing with a Bringer." Oh great! Now what?"
Dawn saw Faith's smile." I think a friend's going to get rid of the Turok's once and for all." Faith winked at her and Dawn began searching the area for any sign of Xander.
Another flare burst above the vamps and even caused Spike to yelp in pain." What the hell are those things?" Buffy tried to see who, or what, was firing the flares but all she saw was the Turok's being herded by the glaring light away from the Scooby's and deeper into the woods." Don't know and I don't care as long as it keeps them away from us until we've dealt with the bringers!"
The first's vampires were wincing and mewing at the bright glare emanating from the flares even as the First threatened and cajoled them in an attempt to get them back in the fight. Just as they were about to rejoin the battle another flare ignited and kept them from joining up with their Bringer brethren.
"No fare trying to pike out guys, especially since I only just made it to this shindig."
The Turok's turned to see who this stupid creature was that taunted them so, what they saw was a humanoid shaped being dressed in a skintight blue uniform that seemed to shimmer before their eyes until it winked out of existence.
Or so they thought until one of the members on the outer edge just exploded into a volcanic eruption of flesh and charred bone. Xander moved as fast as the heavy backpack and equipment would permit. He waited for the Chinese rifle to get up to speed and prayed that all the bad things he had heard about their state of safety levels were wrong. He heard the backpack power supply chime it's readiness to discharge another pulse of compressed and superheated energy.
"What the hell did the guy think he was buying?" Xander asked himself." You could hardly go deer hunting with this thing, not unless you wanted your trophy deep fried and ready for the table in one hit anyway."
He quickly put aside any debate he had about the fall of the bamboo curtain and it's after effects on the soldiers and scientists this left unemployed in the Asian country and put his mind to making the two radical systems work as one. Xander felt the bottle of combined blood move against his chest and he wondered if not trusting it out of his sight was such a wise move after all.
He felt the neoprene suit tingle as it did it's best to keep him concealed from the heightened vision of the Turok's, but where ever the suit bunched up it caused Xander concern but none as much as his inner thigh area." I hope this doesn't mean any future mini-Xander are going to look like rejects from a Wes Craven blood fest!"
He raised the rifle and cooked another Turok." Two down and on the ground! Only eight more to fry and then I can dump this crotch cooker!"
Buffy, Faith and the others had almost dealt with the bringers when they heard the first of the Turok's explode behind the cover of the wooded tree line. Faith grinned." Some one's cooking with gas tonight B."
Buffy shrugged." Just so long as they're not a bigger source of trouble." She grimaced as her ears picked up the high pitched whine of Xander's gun discharging again." What the hell is that thing?" Faith dodged a blade and shrugged." Who cares as long as it works?"
Buffy paused." You seem to be pretty confident this thing is on our side and its winning? It could be that the Turok's are using this thing on whoever attacked them."
"Xander's not that..."She cursed herself for revealing the mystery player then tried to cover her mistake as Spike glanced from her and to the woods." Missing much...I bet he's still hiding from your bleached bulldog."
Buffy might have been many things in her short life but totally stupid was not one of them." Oh, so now he's not only running from us but he's also managed to piss off his new friends as well huh?" She points at Spike." End this, end it now or don't bother coming back!"
Dawn places a hand on Spike's arm." If it is Xander then he's obviously got some kind of weapon that can turn the Turok's into McNuggets, do you really want your best fighter walking into that?" Just as she finished they all heard the high pitched whine and scream that meant the demise of another Turok Kahn.
Buffy nodded." Good point Dawn." She turned to Spike." Wait until he's finished then take Faith and Kennedy and bring him back home."
Meanwhile Xander had almost finished his dance of death with the Turok when the power pack began overheating causing the gun to require longer recharging. He glanced at the wrist control panel as it flashed a warning at him." Man I knew I should have taken Chinese instead of French at high school!" He looked up to see the remaining two Turok's home in on the noises the energy weapon was now creating.
He raised the gun despite its bleeping protestations and fired it at the closest one. The Turok failed to explode into a thousand pieces but it die as did the gun, the back pack and his suite." Aw crap!"
Xander hit the quick release harness and both gun and back pack fell to the ground, his hand went to the bolos at his side and he began twirling them." Looks like we do this the old fashioned way kiddo." But just as he released the bolos the Turok threw itself flat to the ground and they whirled harmlessly over his head.
Xander glanced around for a quick way to draw the creature closer to the Scooby's and use them to help him finish off this last Turok but the Harris luck had finally caught up with him as he saw the creature shamble in to cut him off.
The creature ripped a large branch from a tree and smiled as it closed the gap between them. Xander jumped as he felt the familiar tingle up and down his spine that could only mean the First was close by." Thought I'd drop in and see your final moments Xander, old pal."
"No sweat dude, but I figure to die in bed of old age surrounded by my young wives, so I think you're about eighty years too soon." Xander kept his eyes on the Turok and tried his best to avoid its reach.
"I thought the very same thing...right up until the master drained me and opened my eyes to the real world." The shape of Jesse moved into Xander's line of sight." You know now you've placed me at a disadvantage I could really use an assist." It pointed two fingers at its throat and smiled." I should imagine a Turok childe with your knowledge and tenaciousness would be a weapon that could well send the buffster back to heaven."
Xander slid the old Colt .45 from the holster behind his back and casually flicked off the safety." We both know that's never going to happen."
Jesse laughed." Oh come on Xand! A gun against my mighty warrior? We both know that's a mute point."
Xander smiled as he placed the gun to his own head." Ya know each night I dream of the end and each time it just keeps getting better and better for our side." He glanced away from the Turok and looked into the first's eyes." For the past couple of nights they ended up winning and with less and less casualties."
He saw fear in the first's eyes as it warned him." But you could still survive, Xander."
He shrugged." I never said I wanted to." Even as the words left his mouth his mind flashed to the one thing he wanted and yet knew he could never have.
The first grinned and changed shape." Why Xander you really do have a thing for us Summers girls." She walked towards him." What if I told you Dawn had more than a teenage crush on you? What if I were to tell you she dreams of the day you make love to her and craves the joy of bearing your children?"
Xander thumbed back the hammer on the Colt and warned it." I'd say one more step and none of this shit will matter to me anymore."
Buffy held up her hands." Hey take a chill pill, I'd hate for Dawn to wear black before she wears white Xander." Buffy tilts her head as if thinking." Okay, here's the deal, you walk away and I give your current bed bunny and little sister a get out of jail free card." She showed the palms of her hands to him." No harm, no foul. You three can hump away your lives free from anything I have planned for this spinning rock. What do you say pal?"
Xander watched the Turok edge closer to him and he smiled." Nice imagery but I couldn't possibly hope to do that, not with the screams of billions of people echoing in my mind." He dropped his hand holding the gun and aimed it." So if you don't mind I think I'll use plan B thank you muchly."
He quickly shot the knee caps out of the Turok and ran past it towards where he had seen the bolos lay. He dropped the gun as the creature struggled to its feet and picked up the deadly bolos and span them over his head." Nice chatting to you Jess but I figure to see the real Jesse in about fifty or so years!"
He released the bolos at their apex and grinned as the first cried out." NO!" The headless torso of the Turok slumped to the ground and the First revealed its true form as it pointed a taloned finger at him." YOU! I shall make you beg for mercy as I make you watch everything you ever cared for succumb to my fury!"
Xander winced as he picked up his gun and replaced it in its holster." Don't you have any other tunes to sing big guy? That one's getting a little... stale." He turned as his ears finally picked up the warning tones from the backpack.
"Shit!" He exclaimed as he dived for cover, praying the Scooby's were not too close to the blast he knew was coming. As he landed on his side the last thing he felt was the bottle of iridescent green liquid crack against his ribs.
Giles surveyed the ruins of Buffy's lounge and rubbed the bridge of his nose as Karl entered the room hefting a heavy war axe." The last of them are gone Mr. Giles."
Giles nods." Yes but the questions still linger." He stopped rubbing his nose and turned to ask Karl." Just how did Andrew manage to get turned without any of us noticing? And just who or what turned him?"
Karl looked at the pile of ashes by the front door." Well it's a mute point now, maybe now we should bring the two groups together if we are to have any hope of winning?"
Just then Giles's cell phone rang and he quickly answered it." Hello? Yes Dawn, we had a little trouble over here but everything's..."Giles glanced over at Karl as he listened to Dawn's report." And he's fine?" He nods." Get him into bed and I'll be there as soon as I have can slip away." He shut down the phone and turned to Karl." Xander's trap worked, after a fashion, the device he... acquired exploded and knocked him out but Dawn says he looks fine." They both heard the two cars pull up in front of the house." We have to deal with their injuries but as soon as I can I need to check on Xander."
Xander's mind was racing with a billion thoughts and images as his body tried to cope with the new invader. Dawn, with Faith's help, had managed to sneak Xander away before the others had found him. Faith had left her after they had both brought him home and checked him over. As the had undressed him Dawn found shards of a broken bottle embedded in his side but the wounds they had caused had completely healed.
She leant over and wiped the sweat from his face and then kissed him." Don't you ever scare me like that again Xander!" She jumped as she felt him respond to the kiss, his arms enveloping her as his kisses drove her wild. She broke the kiss and moved her lips to his ears." It's just me Xand, little Dawnie." She felt his hands move her skirt higher up her legs until his fingers found her.
She gasped as he said." I know who you are." He flipped her over and began caressing her inner thigh, his fingers teasing her dampness." And I've never wanted you more than I do now my love."
It was as if Xander was looking down on himself as he made love to Dawn. He had wanted this for sometime and he knew she had desired it for even longer. He watched as she hurriedly disrobed, despite Xander's hands being everywhere at once, and then sighed as he kissed his way down her young body until he was guided by her hands to her very centre of desire.
Dawn tried to stifle the scream of carnal desire that burst from her lips as he began doing what she had, up till now, only read and dreamed of. Her hands fisted against his hair as he drove her wild, his tongue causing her to buck against his face as she cried out for more.
Xander slowly worked his way back up her body despite her protests at his stopping. He looked up into her loving eyes and vowed her first time would be far and away better than his.
Xander's mind swam slowly to the surface of his conscience and this first thing it registered was the warm tender body that was entwined with his. Suddenly the passions of the previous night came flooding back and his eyes snapped open to reveal Dawn's blue/green eyes gazing into his.
She frowns slightly as she tells him." Do you know you move around a lot in your sleep? I don't know if I like that in my man..."She blushes a delightful shade of scarlet then stutters." That is... you are my man right?" She bobs her head and looks up through her tussled hair into his eyes.
Xander felt all the fear of what the repercussions of the night might contain melt away by the seductive longing she held in such a passionate look. He drew her closer and felt her almost merge into his form as he smiled." Nothing this world has to offer could keep me from you." He lent in and placed a gentle kiss on the crown of her head, his nostrils flared as they took in the scent of apricots.
If Dawn could have she would have screamed her joy from the highest towers in Sunnydale, what she did was kiss his chest and work her way around till she straddled him. She flicked her long hair from her face and lay on top of him until her mouth was inches from his." I never want to leave this room...this bed."
She began to take up where she had left off mere hours before, as she aroused him into another state desire he couldn't help but glance at the large calendar with the date circled in red.*LAST DAY* his mind told him, just another hour? His body begged.
The sound of the front door banging open quelled both their passions as they hurriedly separated and Xander jumped up, pulling on his shorts that had somehow manage to hang themselves from the fan above the bed. He looked quizzically at Dawn and she grinned and shrugged." I was uhh worried about your injuries."
They both heard Faith's voice coming from the lounge." Okay you two go to your neutral corners I'm coming in."
Faith pushed open the bedroom door and took in the scene before smiling at a very ruffled Dawn." Hey kiddo, are you sure the monks took B's DNA to make you? Cuz you're more like me in sooo many ways." She picks up pieces of Dawn's clothes." See, want, take...Like?"
Dawn smiled." I don't know, why don't you go away for fifty or so years and I'll let you know." Dawn grinned mischievously at Xander.
Faith looked at Xander and sighed." And I suppose this means you're off the meat treat market then stud?"
Dawn sat up, pulling the sheet closer to her body." We owe you so much..."
Faith grinned and placed a hand on Xander's ass." I was hoping you'd say that little sister." She watched Dawn pout and Xander blush, and then laughed as she stood away from him." Boy your faces!" She sighed." It was a nice run Xand but you know me I'm more a wham bam thank you Sam kind of gal."
Faith walked over and sat on the chair by the door and held up a flyer one of the SIT's had swiped from a patrol car." Looks like the California Penal System has finally thought I might have come back to the scene of my crimes."
Xander took the wanted sheet from her hands." Believed highly dangerous do not attempt arrest without back up!" He screwed the sheet up and through it to one side." Jesus! Of all the times..." He stopped pacing and started thinking." Okay...First thing is we do a cut and dye on your hair, and then we tone down your dress sense, less Saturday night hooker look and more..."
"Little Miss Mary Sue?" Dawn suggested.
Xander nods, his eyes glancing at the date on the calendar." Okay I have a couple of things to deal with but I promise to be back before nightfall."
Faith pretended to shiver." Ooh I just love a take charge guy." She turns to look at Dawn." Sure you wouldn't like a little two on one?" She saw Dawn blush even more than before." Maybe later when the shine has worn off your new toy then."
Xander was almost dressed but hesitated to leave the two alone." You two aren't going to do anything drastic are you?"
Dawn shook her head." Not unless she keeps up the harlot act." She stood up and wrapped the sheet around her as she walked over to Xander and kissed him." Just be careful okay? Buffy's still got a hard on for your scalp and Spike..."She looked frightened." There's something not right with that guy, even more than usual."
Xander took in the scent of her hair once more before he kissed her back." Don't you worry about Spike, he'll do exactly what I expect when the time comes."
Faith coughed." Before you go stud, do you mind telling me just how you managed to pull through that whole thing last night without a scratch?"
Xander turned as he left the room and held up his hands." I'm just one lucky SOB I guess." The smile left his features as soon as he was out of sight." And I'd give my soul to live past tonight!"
Xander tapped Giles on the shoulder as the ex-watcher stood waiting for him." JESUS!" Giles jumped and span around." MR. HARRIS!" He slipped the stake back into his pocket and tried to calm down." If you wish to survive this day may I suggest you refrain from suicidal stunts like that..."He stopped his rant as he realized something." How did you get past me in the first place?"
Xander closed his eyes and sighed." I really need to talk to you about something Giles." He pulled his shirt up to expose the place where the bottle had smashed against his skin." Remember that mojo crap Andrew, Spike and me concocted?"
"To give form to the first so we could...No!" He all but stomped his foot." For the love of God don't tell me you had it with you!" He looked at Xander for an answer he already knew.
Xander spoke meekly in reply." Well I couldn't just leave it for anyone to trip over!" He tucked his shirt back in." Anyway I thought it would be safer if I had it on me at all times." He chuckled." So what do I do now, spit on him and hope it sticks?"
Giles shook his head." I have no idea of the consequences of your actions." He placed the back of his hand on Xander's forehead." You feel hot and flushed, do you feel all right?"
"Uh the hot and flushed maybe due to some...err extra curricular activity. But the other thing that's been happening is creeping me out."
"Like what...GAH!" Giles jumped back as Xander seemed to just fade before his eyes." Xander? Xan...JESUS!" Giles jumped and spun round again as Xander taped him on the back.
"That's the other thing I meant. I just keep zoning out then appearing somewhere else."
"Where do you go when you err zone out?"
Xander shrugs." I'm never there long enough to see, but it sure smells nice, kinda like Dawn's hair first thing in the morning."
Giles suddenly understood Xander's hesitance." You really love to live life on the edge." He stared into his eyes." You hurt her and no power on earth..."He threatened." Do we have an understanding?"
Xander snorts." Kind of a mute point after tonight but yeah we're copasetic, besides I think if anyone is going to be hurt it'll be me."
Giles nods." I'll find out what I can about the consequences of the mixture spilling on mortal flesh." Giles sighs as he remembers the sad events of last night." Andrew was killed last night."
Xander paled." I never saw that coming! I thought if I saved him he'd survive like the others."
"He was turned and in turn led an attack on Buffy's home whilst you, and the others, were otherwise engaged with the First." Giles took his glasses off." I suspect he was after curtailing Buffy's sources of knowledge."
"Did he?"
Giles shook his head as he replaced the freshly cleaned spectacles." No, everyone's okay but Andrew did taunt me with the name of who had turned him."
Dawn heard the door unlock and peered out from the kitchen, soup spoon in hand." Xander?"
Faith and Giles entered and Faith smiled as Dawn tried to hide the spoon." Practicing witchcraft or cookery D?"
Dawn shrugged and went back to her cooking." Someone's got to cook around here, all that fast food's bad for you."
Giles watched the pair as they verbally spared." Yes well as much as I enjoy a good spat could you tell me where Xander is? He was supposed to check back with me about something before now."
Faith slumped into her usual seat and felt something beneath her, she reached under and pulled out a white envelope with her name on it. She slit the edge and shook out two letters; one marked for her attention the other with Dawn's name on it." Whoa, hold the freaking phone!" She shook the letters at them." I don't like the looks of this."
She stood up and handed Dawn hers while she quickly read her own." That stupid son of a bitch!" She shook the letter at Giles." He says Spike came to him and told him he knew where the First was hiding. What kind of a demented brain dead idiot is he?"
Before Giles could say anything they both heard Dawn cry out as she slid down the wall gripping his note in her hands." No! Please God no!"
Giles lent over and took the note from her trembling hands and began to read it." Dawn, I'm sorry about everything I have ever done to hurt you and I realize this will be the worst thing possible but it has to be done. For the past few weeks I have been having dreams and last night proved to be one of the better ones. In it I saw the First's end only this time there was but one casualty, mine."
He looked at Dawn and he began to feel a lump in his throat." For the first time in my life I finally had a reason to live for, you are that lifeline Dawn, but if to secure the worlds survival and yours means my own death, then so be it. I do it with the one regret that I'll never know what it would be like to grow old with you, to live a life with you by my side no matter what the Gods should bring. Only know that I will be looking down on you from time to time to make sure you live a long and happy life. Love until the stars fail to shine, Alexander Harris."
Giles knelt by her and tried to comfort the crying woman." But I told him about Spike and yet he still went with him?"
Faith stood by them and held her letter out to Giles as she sat by Dawn letting her sob into her shoulder." He knew Giles; he was counting on Spike still being under the First's thrall. But what I don't get is how he thinks he can defeat the First?"
Giles reads her note and says." He's sent Buffy a message to meet him the first is hiding." He looks at the pair and then the clock." It's the Library at the high school; my guess is he has some plan to make the first become a viable target for Buffy." Giles screws up the letter and storms over to the phone." Willow? Do you know where Buffy has gone? Then damn it we need to know and quickly!"
Xander calmly walked behind Spike as he led him down into the bowels of the school." Who'd of thought he would have hidden right here under our own noses?"
Spike nods." Yeah, smug bugger had it all planed out, kill us and open the hellmouth to let all his pals out to play." He glanced back at Xander." So you brought the blood right? I mean it's pretty pointless us being down here if you don't."
Xander smiles." Yeah I got the gunk that'll send spanky back to hell." He touched the small crossbow on his hip." So, shame about Andrew being turned huh." He saw Spike's step falter." Is that what happened to the wanker? Wondered where he had gotten to."
Xander saw Spike grip the stake he was carrying a little tighter." Yeah well once we've dealt with the First we can look for what turned Andrew and take our revenge on the sick sorry creature." Spike stopped at an open door and nodded." Here we are then, lets do what we white hats do best ehh?"
Xander followed him in to the darkened room and he saw an image of the beast shimmering before them." Ahh the one who sees!" The creature nodded to Spike." You have done well my follower, none of the others know?"
Spike shook his head." Nope, they're as all as dumb as this one."
"Good, deal with him...make it slow so I can feel his pain." The first ordered and Spike threw the stake at Xander but Xander was ready for the betrayal and dodged out of its path. He brought the crossbow up and fired it at Spike but the vampire was even quicker and threw a knife under arm hitting Xander in the shoulder.
Spike followed up the strike and bulldogged Xander against the wall; he gripped the knife and twisted it." Well pup looks like you backed the wrong horse this time don't it?" He twisted it harder." Where's the blood?" He twisted it again." Come on hand it over and I promise to make it semi-quick."
Xander gritted his teeth." It broke! I had it on me when we attacked the Turok's and it damn well broke!"
The evil laughter echoed down the empty corridors and Xander turned to see Jesse standing there." So you thought you'd just come here to what? Swear at me in the hope I'd just go away?" He clasped his hands together in a mock prayer." Or maybe pray to your god to send me back?" He all but ran to Xander's side." I told you before; I don't play by his rules any more."
Xander smiled, then laughed and caused the first to frown." He's laughing...Why is he laughing Spike?"
"Cuz he's a bloody fool!" Spike licked the blood running from the edge of the blade." And he..."His eyes went wide and he opened his mouth to reveal his tongue beginning to sizzle. Spike backed away from Xander and pawed at his burning mouth.
Xander struggled to his feet." And the beast's lies shall burn the tongue of the traitor." Xander chuckled painfully." So it is written so shall it be done." Xander moved towards the image of his long dead friend." You are not the only one tired of the rules of engagement fallen one!"
Xander suddenly vanished and reappeared right next to him." Can you hear that noise?" Jesse shook its head." No? It's the sound of your defeat running ever closer!"
Xander straightened." Do you know what happens when the blood sacrifice of the three comes into contact with one who fights this war by choice and not because they were chosen?"
Jesse tries to back away but the wall forces him to stop. Xander disappears from where he was just as Buffy enters the room.
"They become the very elements themselves!" Xander becomes transparent and walks through Jesse causing the First to scream out in pain. The first tries to strike at Xander but his hand passes through him and hits the brick wall causing him to yell in pain. The First goes white with fear as he sees blood running from the cuts on his hand." NO!"
Xander smiles." Yes! You wanted to rule this world? You wanted to change the rules, so they have been changed!"
Xander circles Jesse as Buffy tries to make sense of what is being played out before her." SPIKE!" The first cries out." Kill him!"
Spike spits out the last of the foul tasting blood and grins." Be my pleasure mate!" He picks up the discarded knife from where it fell and moved towards Xander.
"Spike, what's going on?" Buffy asks him as she watches him stalk towards Xander.
"Nothing to worry your little head over pet, as soon as I've dealt with droops I'll come and help you understand the true meaning of power." Spike used his coat to clean the last of the blood from the blade and grinned at Xander." Should' a done for you way back when droops but I had to play it smart like 'is highness wanted." Spike glanced at the first in Jesse's form." So you going to stand there quivering or are you going to summon some help?"
Xander looked into Buffy's eyes." You see but love has blinkered your sight, if it is indeed love and not just a lust for death." Xander turns his gaze back to Spike." Spike, you really thought that the first would let one as easily manipulated as you actually live past his victory? What, you get a shiny new soul and your smarts just evaporated?"
Spike smiled at Xander." Oh I knew what he'd do once he had no more use for me, I figured to let you go through with your plan to make him corporeal and then watch you lot fight to the death..."
"And then turn the winner?" Xander finishes.
Spike grins ferraly." Yeah something along those lines." His grin turns sour." But now you had to go and spoil it, now I've got to do his dirty work once more before I can do my own!" He lunged at Xander who simple vanished before the blade could touch him.
Xander reappeared next to Buffy." And what of you princess? You just going to stand back and watch your world get sucked into the seventh level of hell just because Spike scratched an 'itch' in your pants?" He could see the real Buffy begin to take back her body." That's it girl you fight for your body, your soul...Your world!"
Jesse laughed out load." Of course!" He turned to Spike." He can't actually kill any of us." He returned his gaze to Xander." Can you blood boy!" Jesse picks up the crossbow Xander had dropped and armed it." You can't harm any creature with a soul, evil or good!"
Xander smiled at Jesse as he aimed the bolt at him." And you think I'm just going to stand by and give you a free shot?"
Jesse whirled and fired the bolt at Buffy knowing Xander would not, could not, stand by and watch her die." No I expect you to do your Boy Scout duty...and die!"
Xander vanished and reappeared in front of Buffy just as she became aware of her danger, she closed her eyes and tried to dodge the bolt but she knew she would never be fast enough. When the bolt failed to strike she opened her eyes to see Xander standing before her with a smile on his face.
"Xander I..."She was going to ask him what happened but then his lips parted to reveal blood stained teeth." Beat 'em again hey Buff." She dropped her eyes to his chest and saw the point of a crossbow bolt protruding from his shirt." No!" She held him and eased him to the ground.
Xander gripped her hand." Kick ass Buffy!" He saw the anger build in her features and he knew she would win. He watched her stand, her knuckles white with the need for vengeance, revenge for her and the fallen slayers in training. Xander could feel his blood pounding in his ears as he watched her literally drive the first's head through the brick basement wall ending the threat of the First once and for all.
Xander closed his eyes and vanished, reappearing huddled against a wall whilst the bloodied bolt fell to the ground by where he had lain. He watched Buffy as she strode towards Spike.
"I thought I loved you but I guess it was all part of your plan to bring me down!"
Spike smiled and shifted the knife from his left hand and into his right." A great demon once told me 'to kill her you first have to love her' only the old ponce never had the bottle to follow through. All hair gel and hot air, that's our Angelus!" Spike saw a glimmer of sadness in her eyes and tried his best to take advantage." Listen love, it wasn't me, if I had a choice I would've fought against my love for you and stayed away but him!" He points to the mangled remains of the first." He put this corrupt soul in me and I had no choice."
He kept watching her eyes as he crept closer, ready to plunge the blade into her body the second he saw a chance. Biding his time in the hope his back up plan would arrive soon, he glanced at the door at the sound of running feet and grinned, he straightened up and all pretence was gone.
"Well time to end this little game I think." He whistled." In here boys! Good help is so hard to turn these days, but I had lots of time to do it in while I was 'helping' you my love." He saw Buffy drop the stake she had in her hand." That's it love, give in nice an' easy like and I'll promise you all the happy meals you can drink when you wake."
Buffy stalked towards him." Oh I'm not giving up just yet Spike, I figure if I'm going to rip your head off the stake would just get in my way!"
Xander stood on shaky legs and tried to gather enough energy to help Buffy by keeping Spike's minions at bay for as long as he could. He never though that just standing could be so painful and yet he had to, he must if the others were to survive.
Just when he thought he was ready Faith, Giles, Dawn and the other SIT's burst into the room. "Is this where the party is?" Faith asked then saw Buffy and Spike begins to fight." Guess it is." She raided the crossbow and waited for the ideal opportunity to end the dance. She looked at Xander." Sorry we took so long but A) you didn't tell us where you were going and B) we ran into some Vamp flunkies down the hall."
As soon as Dawn entered the room her eyes sought out Xander, but when she saw him she almost lost all control." Xander!" She ran over to him, stepping over the body of Jesse and gripping him before he could collapse." Giles! Over here."
Karl took one look and quickly pulled out his cell phone and dialed emergency services. All the while Buffy and Spike were fighting each other to a standstill neither willing to yield to the other. Spike felt Buffy trip and he went to plunge the knife through the gap in her defenses but he suddenly felt something drive him back away from her. He glanced down and saw a bolt sticking out of his chest." Oh that's just not right!"
Faith dropped the empty crossbow and watched as Spike exploded in a cloud of dust." Life ain't far sweet cheeks, after two hundred years I would've thought you knew that by now."
Buffy watched the remains of her lover as they floated down to earth and felt Faiths arm on her shoulder." You really need to give this whole 'luvin the bad boy' deal a miss B, it's not good for you."
The paramedics had Xander strapped into a gurney and were about to load him onto the ambulance when Dawn refused to let go of his hand." Miss?" The paramedic asked." We need to get him to the hospital, though to tell you the truth the wound isn't all that bad."
Dawn glared at him." He's been stabbed and shot with a crossbow bolt..." She saw him look at the other paramedic and then he tried to calm her." It may have looked worse than it was back there in the basement Miss, but now it seems like the wounds were not as bad as we had thought."
Dawn looked from the IV that was keeping Xander medicated and then to the field dressing that covered his chest. The stain seemed to have stopped and it actually looked like it was getting smaller." What the heck?"
Faith was at her side while Buffy and Giles tried to get the others to leave." I'd say there's something of the good going on here Dawn, so I'd let it lay and just thank what ever god looks after fools that Xander's okay..."She shifted her gaze to the three patrol cars that arrived and had positioned themselves to block anybody leaving.
She cursed when she saw an unmarked car roll up and officer Stein, the Bain of their lives, get out. He saw her and pulled out his gun." Faith Wilkins! Hold it right there missy!" Faith saw the other cops pull down on her and she knew the way these cops shot, if she tried to escape everyone but she would be hit.
She held up her hands." Okay guys just lets ease up on the sphincter factor about ten points okay?" Faith watched Buffy and the others walk towards her and she wondered what they were going to do. Giles stood in front of Stein and demanded." What the hell is going on?"
"She's wanted for escaping from the California Women's Penal institute, and that my friend is a federal offence!" He started to walk towards Faith." You're looking at some hard time there Miz Wilkins."
Suddenly all the SIT'S moved in front of Faith and raised their hands." Are we in trouble officer?" Rhona asked. Stein tried to see past the throng and ordered." No just get out of the way girls!" When they had Faith had gone, the officers scanned the area and saw her running off down the road." God damn it! Get her!"
They pied into their cars and sped away leaving the group to gather their wits." Do you think she'll make it?" Buffy asked Giles. Giles shrugged." I very much doubt it Buffy."
Dawn jumped back as Xander's eyes snapped open, he calmly looked around him and then saw Dawn, he smiled and whispered." I'll be back." And then vanished before her eyes and she did what any one would have done.
Giles and Buffy turned at Dawn's scream and ran to her side." Xander just said." I'll be back and then he just vanished!"
Faith was tiring fast as she dodged yet another patrol car by diving down an alley but in doing so she wrenched her foot and now each step sent a shard of pain into her body." Goodbye freedom, hello lifetime of solitary!"
The cop saw a figure shambling down a side alley and shone his spot light at her; he picked up his mike as the driver sped off towards the figure." Mary 3, we have suspect cornered at the alley behind Foo's Chinese." He replaced the mike as the sped up." Don't lose her again Jack!"
The driver floored the accelerator and replied." The only place she's going is the slammer Frank!"
Faith saw the car speed up and she knew she had no where else to go so she just stopped and held her arms up but the car kept barreling towards her." Oh this is going to leave a mark!"
Suddenly Xander was in front of her and he growled." NO!" And tensed himself to be hit by the car. The cop tried to slam his foot on the brake but it didn't respond to his actions, he saw the steely look in Xander's eyes and began thinking of what he would put in his report about this latest fatality.
Faith cried out but both of them had no way to avoid being hit when she heard the car strike Xander. Her eyes went wide when the front of the car bent around him and came to a halt as if it had just struck a large metal pole.
Xander opened one eye and then the other, took a step back from the wrecked prowler car and then looked at his unharmed body. He felt Faiths arms around him as she tried to drag him away." I don't know what you are Harris but boy am I glad to see you! Now lets book before those guys wake up!" Xander shook the haze from his eyes and said." Man why couldn't that have worked with the bolt? That shit hurt!"
Frank pulled himself from the wreckage just in time to both hear and see the interaction." Harris? The dork from high school did this?" He plucked the mike from his shoulder and keyed it." Mary 3 to base we've lost the subject, she was aided by Alexander Harris...And uhh we need a tow."
The driver stood by him." A tow! We need a new freaking car dude! What the hell did we hit?"
Detective Stein pulled up and chomped down on his cigar." I want an APB put out on this Harris kid, aiding and abetting a fleeing felon, assault causing bodily harm and destruction of Police property! So help me this is the last time I want to deal with these...freaks! And now he's now at the top of my shit list!"
Dawn glanced out of the window for the hundredth time as she waited for Xander to return." Do you think they're all right?" She asked once more, to which Giles replied." I don't honestly know Dawn." He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder." But I do know they can take care of each other."
Dawn sighs." Yeah I know and that's what bothers me." Her mind played back every scenario and they all ended up with Xander fleeing Sunnydale with the dark slayer and becoming bed buddies. Another side of her berated her for even thinking so low about Xander, she knew he felt something for Faith but she prayed he felt even more for her.
Giles whispers." I think your sister needs you more than you need worry about Xander." Dawn turned and looked at her sister as she sat on the stairs surrounded by the remaining slayers in training. She saw the forlorn look that seemed to have aged her beyond her years and felt a lump in her throat." She's lost the creature she thought loved her and found out too late he was just using her to further his own plans."
"Don't be angry with her for her actions Dawn, I believe she was as much under his thrall as he was under the Firsts. I can never believe she would have willingly done what she did unless it was so, and neither can you Dawn, remember her as she was and not as she became under Spike's influence."
She looked from Buffy to him." And what do you think she's going to do when she finds out about Xander and me? I can just see her climbing on her high horse now and showering me with hypocrisies about how he's too old for me! This coming from a woman that's dated beings almost older than America!"
"This is why its better she should hear it from your mouth and not the hurtful whispers of others." He smiled." Besides I think I took the news rather well and you both are like daughters to me."
Dawn sighs." Okay Giles, you win." She turns and points a finger at him." I'll make nice with her but I swear the first time she bad mouths him so help me I will put her in hospital, slayer powers or not!"
Buffy looked up to find Dawn standing in front of her." Come to gloat like the others?"
Dawn shrugged." Maybe, then again just maybe I can see how much you're hurting and I hate to see you hurting sis." Dawn moved her aside and sat beside her." Well one good thing about all this..."
Buffy frowned." There's good?"
"Oh hell yeah!" She knocked her knee with hers." No more visits from the First as written by M. Night Shamalyn."
Buffy shivered." Man now I know why I hated the Sixth Sense, I've seen enough shades of dead people to last several lifetimes."
"Ahh but not only that." She glanced around secretively." I happen to know where Xander stashed all the Ben and Jerry chocolate chip."
Buffy smiled for the first time in ages." Got to love a guy that thinks ahead." She looks at Dawn." I'm not totally blonde ya know, I can sense normal things as well as the not so normal."
Dawn blushed and tried to hide it with a shrug." Such as?"
Buffy placed an arm around her shoulders and Dawn readied herself to run for her life." Like the way you keep looking at the kid that lives in Xander's block...What's his name? Kevin is it?"
She released a breath she didn't know she was holding." Kevin? The dweeb with glasses...Eew!"
"Yeah right! I know how girls think, I happen to have been one, a very long time ago; I see how you can't wait to go over to Xander's when you think I'm not looking. And the way looked when you came back from staying over." Now she knocked her knee." So do I have to have the same pep talk with you Mom gave me?" She waggled her head from side to side." The safest sex is no sex and a boy won't respect a girl that puts out blah ,blah blah, but here's a pill just in case."
Dawn was about to deny it again when the phone rang and she gripped Buffy's hand with all her might as Giles answered it. Buffy saw the fear in her eyes as she saw the ex-watcher talking to someone animatedly. Her slayer hearing picking up a barely whispered prayer." Please god let him be all right and I swear never to doubt your existence again."
Dawn jerked upright as Giles approached them, she jumped up and demanded." Was it him? Are they fine? Is he okay? When..."
Giles held up a hand." Calm down that was Faith." He glanced at Buffy then returned to look at Dawn." She was in a spot of trouble but Xander somehow managed to get her out of it, however..."
"Where are they now and is he hurt? The way he just vanished from my arms I don't whether to kiss him or hit him!"
Giles raised his voice." However it now appears he managed to tick off the SPD to the extent he is now wanted as much as Faith is, as much as Faith could understand it's something to do with aiding and abetting an escaped felon."
Dawn went over to the table and picked up Giles's keys." Where is he? I'll drive over and we can get out of town before those donut eating stumblebums even know he's gone." Giles snatched the keys from her." You'll be picked up for speeding before you even get to Spike's crypt."
Buffy could see Dawn was all but in tears and suddenly something fell into place." Xander? Xander is your mystery guy!"
Dawn pointed a finger at her." Don't you dare start! Not with the track record you've got with much older men missy!" She strode past Buffy and waited at the front door for Giles." Compared to your ex's, four years is a mere blip in time..." She dropped her anger and she looked deep into her eyes." I love him; I love him from the tips of my toes to the deepest reaches of my very soul. I lay awake dreading the thought of him being away from me and it's like I can only breathe again when I see his wonderful face once more."
Buffy nodded sadly." Yeah, first love's always a killer diller and no filler." She walked over and hugged her sister." I hope it turns out way better than mine did..."She holds her by the shoulders." I just don't want to even think about..."She shudders." All those stories Anya used to sprout off about him."
Dawn grins." Don't even come close to describing the real him."
Buffy sighs." You're sure this isn't just that crush thing you had on him for a while?"
"This is way more than any crush Buffy, this is more 'ta hell with everything else I got what I want in one neat and sexy six foot package'"
Buffy turned her around and pushed her towards Giles." Get her to him before I have a saccharine overload already." She grins." Just tell him if he hurts you I'll nail his Wang to our front fence."
Xander felt a twinge in his hip where the police cruiser collided with him and he turned to examine it." Man I have some bruise building up there."
Faith kept to the other side of the small crypt." Yeah? Well I hate to break this to ya boy toy but most people...most normal people that is, would just be another statistic in the ever growing list of dumb asses that step out into the path of a speeding car. Not standing around complaining of a ouch's on their hip."
Xander looked over to the dark haired slayer." Gee don't get all maudlin over it Faith, just a simple 'thanks for saving my ass Xander and sorry about the bruised hip' would have been enough."
He tugged the jeans back over his hip and then stopped." Shit!" He slapped his forehead and then turned to Faith." Giles never got back to me on just what that stuff would do..."She saw panic beginning to form in his eyes." Jesus! What if it's made me some kind of Demon?"
He began pacing." Does it mean I'm going to go all dark and brooding? Do I have to start bulk buying hair gel and valium?" He turned and leered evilly at her." Do I start raping and pillaging my way through the US...?" His eyes rolled back into his head and he stood on tip toe, his arms spread out." Until all kneel before the great evil given form and purpose...I...I Alexander the Great shall sweep through this mortal..."
Faith tugged the knife from her belt and eyed the door to the crypt, trying to figure if she could make it out before Xander attacked her. She edged closer to the door and then stopped as his eyes snapped to where she was standing.
Xander smiled and winked." Gotcha!"
Faith's temper was up." You fucking idiot! This not the time to be fucking around like that."
Xander hopped up on the sarcophagus and shrugged." What the hell else is there to do until the Brit comes to pick us up?"
Faith sheathed her knife and smiled at Xander." Well we could always reminisce about past performances and how we could have improved..."
Xander saw her out thrust hip and the way she brought her arms together to accentuate her breasts and he crossed his legs." I think you're forgetting someone."
Faith grins." You mean the schoolgirl? Nah, I figure she could watch and take notes for when you two are alone."
Xander shook his head." You know for all the posturing you do I happen to know for a fact you're just a frightened schoolgirl at heart." He sighed." But I still need to know what I am before I can even think of Dawn." He looked up at her." If I am...I don't want a repeat of the Angelus thing, don't hesitate for a second if you have a shot at taking me out."
Faith nods." I ain't B Xand, but I can't say if I could do it without some regrets."
Xander smiled at her." Some regrets, some? Man talk about deflating an ego."
She bats her eyes." Well I'll miss certain things like um...Mini Xander, and the thing you do with your tongue. I got to tell ya Harris three years inside and I had yet to find anyone that could..." "What thing and should I even ask?" Dawn is standing at the entrance to the crypt with her arms crossed over her chest.
Xander jumped off of the sarcophagus and moved towards her." I'll tell you later." He hugged her and she felt so right in his arms as she hugged him back.
"Tell? Damn Xand the least you could do is show her, you might as well get it done while you can." Faith smiles and walks past the lovers." So G-man you going to fit us all in the Britmobile or what?"
Giles glanced at Dawn and Xander then ushered Faith outside. Xander smiled at Giles and motioned his thanks with a dip of his head before returning to Dawn's eyes. He plucked at a strand of her hair and sighed." I wish I knew for sure what it was about you that makes me feel all nervous like a thirteen year on his first date." He, gently, ran the tip of his finger across her cheek." Is it those deep pools you have for eyes or maybe these cheeks that feel so smooth and blush at the first rising of passion?" Dawn closed her eyes and trembled as his finger caressed the lips of her slightly opened mouth." Or the full innocent lips that beg to be kissed. He removed his finger tip and brushed her lips with his.
Dawn almost whimpered at their touch and moved forward to capture his mouth with hers, she kissed him with all the love her body had in it and he returned both the kiss and the love with his own.
"Get a room!" Faith called out from the car." Or book adjoining cells, cuz if you two don't break it up the cop's sure will."
Dawn shuddered and her tongue licked her bottom lip before she sucked it into her mouth." God sometimes I wish we were the last two people left on earth."
Xander grinned." Talk about pressure! Adam and Eve- The sequel." He took her hand in his and their fingers entwined just like their souls had." I really need to find out what I am Dawn, before we can go on I need to know whether I should even be thinking about any girl this way."
Dawn held his hand tighter as they walked towards Giles's car." You're Alexander Harris and nothing can change what you are, a good and loyal friend one that would lay his life down before he'd see harm to one of his family."
Suddenly the sound of clapping broke the quiet night as if they were trumpets of doom." Oh nice Mr. Harris, very poetic." Stein saw Xander move and pointed at him." Are you faster than a speeding bullet Harris? Cuz if you ain't there's no telling which of your friends will have a few holes God didn't plan on them having."
Xander looked around and saw several tell tale red dots on his friends, he sighed and held up his hands." Okay Stein so you caught me, what are you booking me on? Accidentally stepping in front of a speeding cop car? And just how would you explain the damage to it and with me without a scratch?"
Stein hesitated." You...You aided an escaping felon and injured police in doing so punk!"
As he said the words a dark suited man stepped into the glare of the police lights." I'll take things from here Detective Stein."
Stein glared at him." And just who the hell are you?"
The man took out a badge and held it to his face." Colonel O'Rourke Department of Homeland Security." He replaced the badge back in his suit pocket and turned to Xander." Mr. Harris and Miss Williams now work for me." He saw Xander about to complain." Unless of course he'd like to go to jail...or worse." He looked at Dawn and Xander moved her behind him." You can't be everywhere at once Mr. Harris, despite what we have seen I believe there is a limit to your powers."
Giles stepped out of his car and came forward." And what was it you have seen exactly? Xander here is just a normal..."
O'Rourke chuckled." You call becoming invisible to both the naked eye and the most advanced detection devices we have normal Mr. Giles?" He moved towards Xander." Oh no we've had Miss Williams under constant surveillance ever since her jailbreak; we were planning on convincing her to join our ranks when we found ourselves a little bonus." He moved paceing as he talked." This country slept while others fought our battles for us but then 9/11 happened and we received a viscous wake up call. Not everyone likes to be made to do the right thing Mr. Harris, in fact some are down right testy about it. We have in this country enough nut jobs to keep us busy till the end of days let alone the Johnny come lately from overseas."
He took out a cigarette and lit it up drawing the poison deep into his lungs as he went on." You see not all terrorists wear rags on their heads and cry ALLAH! There are some that grip the bible and cover themselves in the flag that are just as deadly as any foreign terrorist could ever hope to be."
Giles smiles and Xander shudders at the look he gives O'Rourke." Yes well more power to you I say, but if you have been observing both Miss Williams and Mr. Harris you would have no doubt also seen the events of the past few weeks as they unfolded." He removed his glasses and stepped towards the man." And yet you did nothing! You stood by and watched innocents go to their doom and you have the bare faced cheek to stand there and talk of threats to this nation? My God man the creatures we deal with threaten mankind!"
O'Rourke shrugged." The events we saw do not fall under my jurisdiction, I am not a heartless man Mr. Giles, I am after all leaving you the first slayer and her Wicca friends to deal with any further problems with..."He glances at Stein and smiles." Gangs on PCP." He then drops the cigarette and rubs it out with the heel of his boot." This is not open for debate, Harris and Williams can consider themselves conscripted for the duration of our troubles, no further debate will be entered into and any..."He looked from Xander to Faith." ANY acts of insubordination and." He shrugged." We can not be held responsible for any 'accidents' that might befall your loved ones."
Giles paled." My God! It's true, when you fight the monster with all your soul you had better beware you don't become the monster!"
Xander's shoulders slumped and he moved towards O'Rourke." When you put it that way I guess I have no choice." But then he stared into O'Rourke's eyes." But I promise you one thing Mr. O'Rourke, anything, and I mean anything, happens to my friends and they'll be finding pieces of you and your men for years to come!"
O'Rourke smiles and holds out his hand." Then we have an understanding Mr. Harris." He turned to Faith as she looked on." You have been rather silent during all this Miss Williams."
Faith shrugged." What's to say? The way I look at it either you'll do something to piss Xand off and he'll off you in the blink of an eye or you'll carry through with your threat, either way we're screwed."
Dawn shook her head." And you think we're just going to stand by and let you do this?" Dawn shrugged off Xander's hand." No I mean it! I'm going to make such a freaking noise about this..."
Xander watched three red dots attach themselves to her body and he growled." O'Rourke! I meant what I said; you have my word on both counts." He moved in front of Dawn." Dawn, honey, it has to be this way or he'll do what he says." He hugged her and then said." Go back to Buffy and..."
"Oh no I'm afraid it's too late now Mr. Harris." He smiled at Xander as he turned to face him." You see if we bring her along we'll have control over you and she can be there to 'comfort' you after a successful mission. Screw the mission up and well...as I said accidents happen all the time."
Giles turned to Stein." You're not going to allow this surely? For the love of god man!"
"I think we'll take you along with us Mr. Giles, I hear you're quiet the wiz at research." O'Rourke smiles." And it never hurts to have a spare." He stops talking when he hears the click of a hammer being drawn back.
"I've put up with a lot of shit in my time, from Mayor Wilkins on down, but I ain't going to allow this Mr. O'Rourke." Stein turns to the others." Hamlin, Grady, pat him down and..."The front of Stein's chest explodes in a font of blood.
O'Rourke turns to face the two cops." I think you boys had best go and forget everything you've seen tonight or..."He let the threat hang as the red dots appeared on their chest.
Xander feels like all his hopes have evaporated as he realizes even if they do as O'Rourke tells them the only freedom any of them will ever know is in the arms of death. He turns to face Dawn and he looks behind her." This is probably going to hurt but I want you to know if there was any other way." He places his hands on her hips and she can see his eyes go white.
O'Rourke turns as he hears Dawn yell and sees her flung back and inside of the crypt. He motions to Xander but before the bullets can find their mark he's vanished. Faith pulls Giles down behind his car as bullets thunk into its body work. Giles can see a pained look cross Faith's features and at first he's worried she's been hit.
"He's about to take human life Giles, remember what you said about him being corrupted!"
Dawn moans as she begins to pick herself up." How does Buffy manage to do this every freaking week?" Her eyes snap open at the renewed sound of gunfire." Xander."
Xander blinks into existence behind one of the snipers and his hand hits the snipers head with all the force of a falling brick. He picks up the rifle and bends it like it was made of rubber." One down..."He closes his eyes and vanishes appearing in above the other and becomes stone again as he falls onto him." Two to go."
O'Rourke keys his mike." Red three, red three come in god damn it!" A sound of a single shot echoes through the cemetery." Red four...Red five, anybody talk to me!"
Xander appears in front of him and O'Rourke whips his gun to face him." Get back freak!"
Xander glares at him." You kill the people you're supposed to protect and you call me a freak?"
O'Rourke fires before Xander can fade and smiles when he sees him thrown back by the impact. He is about to fire again when.
"Put the gun down and assume the position Mr. O'Rourke!" Hamlin has his gun pointing at O'Rourke's back as he cocks back the hammer." I wont be telling you a second time bub!"
O'Rourke drops the gun and turns to face him with an incredulous look on his face." Do you have any idea who I am and who I work for?"
Hamlin glances at Grady who is knelt over Stein and Grady shakes his head. He turns back to face O'Rourke." Yeah, you're a cop killer! Cuff him Grady, and don't be too gentle with it." He takes the mike from his shoulder and keys it." This is One Adam 12 we need an ambulance and the coroners wagon out at the old Mackenzie Cemetery."
Dawn has made her way out of the crypt and moves over to where she sees Faith and Giles helping Xander sit up. She sees fresh blood on the front of his shirt and she pales.
Xander grimaces and looks up at her." Man I wish I could get this shit to work right before they hit something I need." He smiles." At this rate I'll be back to wearing my old high school stuff."
Hamlin goes over after they have O'Rourke secured in the back of the squad car. Giles asks." What will happen to him?" Hamlin shrugs." The man went above and beyond his duty and forgot what was wrong and right." He looked at Giles." Stein may have seemed like a fool to you people but the man was just going by the rules, he was a good man and there are not enough of them around these days."
Dawn nods." And we're glad you're one as well." She helped Xander stand." Come on Xander, we'd better go home and see if there's any red meat left in the house for you."
They hobbled over to Giles's car." Is Pizza red meat? I mean if we order a meat lover's from Pizza Hut."
Dawn got in the back with him as Giles and Faith got in the front." Yeah I might as well order you one good meal; I'm pretty sure Buffy wants to have a word or fifty with you about us."
Xander paled as Giles drove away." She knows!" He let his head hang back and hit the head rest." I am so dead, did she say anything?"
Dawn shrugged as she watched the wound in his chest just seal up as if it were never there, she placed her head on his shoulder." She did mention something about your Wang and our fence; I'll let her explain it when we arrive."
Xander placed his arm around her and breathed in the scent of her hair." It was worth it." He stared off into the night." I thought I was going to die in that hell hole with the first, just like in my dreams, alone and cursed to watch him win."
She gently kissed him and smiled." Never going to happen Xand." She placed her hand on his chest." You were never alone and now."She held his hand and turned his lips to meat hers,drawing him into a kiss."You never will be again."
Xander sighed and shook his head."Yeah but as soon as Buffy's out of this funk and realises I'm 'giving her baby sister a happy' little Xander'll be nailed to your fence before mpph..."Dawn kissed him again and then looked him in the eye."The operative word is giving me a happy Xand and if you think I'd let her,or anyone else, touch mini you then you don't know me at all." She kissed him again as the car sped off into the night and on to another adventure.