Xander is watching every move Buffy makes as she trains for the nights patrol. He smiles as she manoeuvres Giles away from him and turns her body so he gets the view he likes the most
"Buffy! Would you please concentrate!" Giles roars at her. "The codex specifies that you and Glory will meet before the end of the month and a living death shall result' Now I for one do not want it to be yours!"
She pummels him into submission. "That better Giles? Or do you want me to kick your butt some more?"
He stands and limps to his seat. "Yes ... Well if you hade done that from the beginning I wouldn't have to berate you so!" Xander stands and hands her a towel. "Jeez Buff you really need to shower .... But you know what?... The whole sweaty, lycra sticking to ya effect really works for you."
She walks away from him. "Would you like to join me Xand?" She sees him blush then finishes him. "Oh darn that's right your not my boyfriend any longer.. Huh... Well I suppose I'll just have to make do with a loufa."
"God she can be such a...."
"I believe 'Bitch' is the word your looking For Mr.Harris." Olivia tells him as she enters the training area. "I was going to say tease but now you mention it...." Xander heads for the front room where Willow and Tara are researching the new books for information on Glory.
Willow looks up and grins at her friends discomfort. "Well you did dump her last year for no apparent reason Xand I think she's dealing with it a darn site better than I would have." He glances at his watch.
"Well I don't have time for this. Some of us have to get up early for a little thing we townies like to call work." Willow sniggers. "You call what you do work now huh?" She marks the page as he opens the front door. "You go into the construction site and order around a few lackeys then go into your airconditioned mobile office and bitch to your boss what a hard time you're having. My heart bleeds for you."
"Hey ! Someone has to be the foreman and I had to work my ass of to prove myself to them to get it!" His hand goes to the cross under his shirt. "You guys don't know how much I've given up for this 'Group' but some day you will." Willow is stunned by his outburst and it takes a warning from Tara to bring her to her senses. "I wouldn't push it Will ! He has given up so much for us that you can see the pain underneath all the clown make up."
"I know Tara ! I know what he gave up but don't you see that if he doesn't let go it will burn him up!" Willow sees Buffy move into the room looking for someone. "He's gone Buffy. He said that he had to get up early tomorrow ."
Buffy's fingers play with the cross under her top. "Yeah I know. I'll see him tomorrow when he comes by to help out with the research."
"Speaking of that ." Tara tells them. "I may have something on some being that managed to stop Glory and set her plans back four hundred years. This Magus also took out the patron Saint of Vampires at the same time."
Olivia looks into the room. "What book are your reading?" She demands as she walks over to the Wiccan. She picks it up and closes it. "This was meant for me ! How did you get it?"
"It was with the others." Tara meekly answers.
"Ask first before you take something as important as this!" She motions to Giles and he follows her into the other room. "That was close Rupert! If they found out before the first Blood Moon of the second Millennium all would have been lost!"
"I still think the council is wrong we should be using their strengths to aid us not push them away!" Giles begins to clean his glasses.
"You don't know the group's capabilities. You weren't there when we aided Buffy to achieve her full potential against Adam."
"Adam! He was but a circus act compared to Glorificus! And with just eleven days till the Blood Moon I suggest you get your group in gear and decipher the codex!"
Meanwhile Tara is telling Willow and Buffy about what she had read. "Well this being was a master Warlock they even called him the King of Wicca. He could conjure and caste without the need of spells or potions. In a battle that lasted three nights he defeated Vigeous the deadly, later to be honoured as Saint Vigeous patron saint of all Vampires!"
"Yeah we know all about St. Vigeous night Tara. That's when we first met Spike." Buffy tells her. "But did you know that on the first Blood Moon of the last Millennium he battled his protege' Glorificus, as she tried to make herself into a God?" She looked from one to the other.
"He was betrayed by her in her quest and she stole the Medallion of Saint Vigeous and cused him. Saying that anyone that held the Medallion held power over this being this Magus. Rather than let her have power over him he blocked her plans by choosing death over her." Buffy looks bored. "And the point your trying to make is..."
"It was foretold that he would return upon the eve of the first Blood Moon of the second Millennium which, if it's true, is just over a week away!"
"But if she still has the Medallion then ..."
"Upon his rebirth she gains control of a demi-god and we are history!"
Buffy undresses and forgoes her usual night clothes as she turns back the sheets of her bed and slides in. As soon as she enters the bed a pair of arms wrap around her and pull her into a loving hug. "Spike is that you ?"
"Spike? He had better not be in here! It's crowded enough as it is what with your ego and all!" Buffy turns in his arms and faces him.
"My Ego Hmph! Well Mr. She's mine and I've done everything but micro chip her' I wasn't the one that ran around for days telling everyone within hearing distance that Buffy Summers was MY girlfriend."
He kisses her then looks funny at her. "Hey I don't have to put up with this you know ! We are officially separated."
"Too late material guy. Your life ended that day 1 year ago next week when you drugged me and forced me into that little church outside of 'Frisco .I still don't know what came over me that day?" She shakes her head and holds up her ring finger admiring the glint of starlight as it bounced of the diamond wedding ring.
He snuggles up to her and begins to work his magic on her. "Oh GOD!" She moans. "Now I remember MR.Harris!"
He lets her up for air. "I'm so glad you do Mrs.Harris. And as I recall it you just about killed me in the rush down the aisle!"
Buffy wakes to Xander starring at her. "Creepy much?"
He runs a finger across her cheek to her lips. "Have I ever told you how sexy you are while you sleep?" She kisses him deep and strong an as she breaks from the kiss. "How about when I'm awake....." Suddenly she holds a hand to her mouth as she jumps from his arms and races to the bathroom.
"Hey I know I suffer a little from dragon breath first thing but jeez Buff a simple 'your mouth wash just ain't cutin' it ' ( done in his best Eastwood impression) would have been enough." When she doesn't answer he springs from the bed and runs into the ensuite where he finds her huddled over the toilet barfing her lungs up.
He gets a cloth and wets it with cold water applying it to her forehead and face as he scoops her hair away from the bowl. "It'll be all right Buffy. Maybe you had to much supper last night before you patrolled. Ya' know swimming ain't the only thing you shouldn't do on a full stomach."
Buffy flushes the toilet and rests with her back against him. "Kill me now!" She moans as he strokes her hair.
"Oh come on you big girly girl. It's just your food getting back at you for not worshiping it."
She turns her head to look at him. "Your nuts Xand and I mean that in the kindest possible way."
He hugs her closer to him. "I'm serious Buff! Look at me I can eat the south end of a horse going north but do I suffer the next morning? No way 'cuz I worship at the alter of ...' The great God Fastus Foodust' He is a just and kind god that looks after those that worship at his altars."
"I'll play along.. And where would these altars be oh wise one?"
"Where ever you see the golden arches or the mystical letters KFC or the Hut of the Pizza. ...." He stops when he sees her go pale. "Oh Oh ! Time for you to pray to him at the porcelain alter!"
Xander is sipping his coffee before he heads off to work as Buffy comes bouncing into the kitchen finishing her juice. "Boy what I wouldn't give for some of those Slayer healing powers of your."
She sits on his lap and begins to nibble on his toast. "Play your cards right and some of it may just rub off on you."
He wraps his arms around her waist and rests his head on her shoulder. "We shouldn't be this happy.. I shouldn't be this lucky! All my dreams and hopes to come true is just pushing the laws of God!"
Buffy smiles. "Xander look at it this way maybe we are each others reward for fighting the good fight." She looks down at their hands and sees the wedding bands. She brings his to her lips and kisses it. "Love you Husband."
He turns her hand around and kisses her band. "Love you wife." He kisses her then notices the time. "Oops got a book!" He kisses her again then turns to leave but stops when he remembers the ring. "I wish we didn't have to do this everyday." He tells her as he slips the ring through the chain of his cross and tucks it under his shirt.
"Only another two months three weeks..."
"Two days and four hours. I know Buff but it kills me everytime I have to take it off and pretend we're not in nirvana." She walks over to him and hugs him.
"The very second Faith walks through Giles's door my mouth will explode with the news seconds before I drag you off and..."
"Gee thanks for the visual Buffenator ! Now how the hell am I suppose to concentrate at work with those visions in my head?"
"Well it'll get you ready for tonight. I've still got the flier I found in your things."
He blanches. "You said you burnt that !"
She pouts. "How could I destroy a cherished memory of your road trip and our first night together 'Zorro'. Besides what would I show the grandchildren when they ask what first attracted me to you?" She kisses him. "You better go before we start something we can't finish and you lose your new job." She is proud of Xander's new found work ethic. Ever since he discovered he loved to work with his hands he had worked his way up the ladder and now he was the best site foreman his boss had ever seen.
"Oh crap I almost forgot! Uh your going to kill me for this but Dan is sending me to Aspen to oversee the renovations at the Hilton Ski lodge. I'll be gone for about two weeks."
She looks at him and crosses her arms. "It's my own damn fault! Still two weeks away from me." She grins. "I remember what you were like when you were gone for two days! Your right about my Slayer healing powers. I will need them after you get back!"
"Oh that reminds me could you tell Willow that I've booked the pay-per view for Sturday nights Smackdown '02 ? Tell her and Tara that they're throwing in the replays from 1999 onwards so they need to get here about midday."
Buffy brightens up . "Hey you know who would love to see that? Dawn ! Man she's been running around all week lifting her eyebrow just like the Crock."
"That's the Rock hun and if I didn't know better I'd swear you planned this!"
She places her arms around his neck. "How else am I going to cover my tracks? She's here and you know when you three get together to watch wrestling there's always a mess right? So me being the dutiful one I'll volunteer to stay behind and help you clean up and hey suddenly it's too late to go home and I guess I'll have to stay the night. Purely platonically though."
"Oh! Damn ! Well there goes my plan to seduce you blown all to heck!"
"That's okay lover! It leaves me free for my plan to drag you into the bedroom and ..." Xander has his fingers in his ears. "LA LALALALAL...I can't hear you 'cuz if I did I wouldn't be able to work today!" He pecks her on the nose and leaves.
Willow and Tara are studying for their Psych evaluation report when Buffy all but skips into the shop. "Hello my Wiccan warriors how goes today's battles?"
Willow grins. "Almost finished for the day oh Queen of Amazonian! Wow you really are chipper today. So who is he? Come on spill girlfriend what's the what?"
"Just because I'm in a good mood doesn't mean a man is involved Will. I'm just full of the spirit of Christmas cheer and good will to all mankind." She sits next to them. "So did you find out anything else about Maggots?"
"That's the Magus Buff and yeah did we!" She looks over to make sure Giles or Olivia weren't around. "This guy was one mean mutha' Buff. He was first written about in a little known script by Homer then he pops up in Roman times. Each time he does surface it's just before some great catastrophe occurs."
"What ? He's like some big bad ? And by the way Will I wish you'd stop watching gals in the Hood because on you it just looks Spaz."
"Sorry. But no he's some sort of apocalyptic saviour. Just before the doo do hits the fan he turns the fan off!"
"What he's like the worlds big brother or something?"
"Yeah and he's about due for a return engagement if what Tara read in that books correct." Willow shows her some print outs. "I spent the night surfing and came up with all these prophecies about the end of the world coming after the first Blood Moon of the second Millennia. Now would be about the right time for his return and since Glory has been laying low for some time our guess is that her quest for Godhood is the cause of it."
"Oh speaking of Godhood Xander phoned me and said to tell you and Tara that he's booked the Pay-Per-View Smackdown and to go to his place by noon Saturday if you want to watch it."
"YES !" Willow jumps up and punches her fist in the air. "I knew he'd cave! Did he say whether they were going to show last years as well?"
"Yeah from '99 on and you so need to get out more." Buffy heads on over to Giles for instructions on that nights patrol. "Hey Giles any news on old Glory?"
"Nope as quiet as the proverbial grave. And that worries me." He places his tea cup down. "From what I can gather she has at least fifteen warrior Vampires at her beck and call yet we've heard nothing from her since she killed her brother Ben."
"Maybe she's so guilt ridden she dusted herself." She smiles at his look. "Well we can live in hope."
"Yes well I'd rather live in Vancouver but then we can't have everything." He glances sideways at her. "Have you heard from Xander today?"
"Yeah I did actually why?" She is suddenly apprehensive.
"Well he was on the phone yesterday and I overheard him dealing with his cable company and I was wondering if he managed to secure the rights to view...."
Buffy's mouth opens in shock. "Oh my God Giles! You want to watch decadent American TV?"
He stutters. "Only for purely scientific purposes. There are certain moves that the rock does that could prove usfu.... Oh Sod It ! Can I come or what?"
"I'm sure he has more than enough room Giles... Not that I spend much time over there that is."
Willey was scared, hell he was always scared but this time he fidured there was now way he was walking out of these old caves at least not during the daylight. He'd been tricked into leaving his bar by Harmony Kendall, Spike's old girlfriend, after she told him he would be rewarded if he came. Little did he know at the time that she worked for Glory.
"Well Willey I suppose your wondering why I had you brought here?" Glory asked him rhetorically. "I want you to tell the Slayer, after she works her usual tricks on you, that I plan to attack her group as they prepare for the Christmass celebrations. Tell her I will be gathering my forces here at the old Fredrickson Cemetery just after Dusk."
"Of course Glory anything you say."
"Tell her I have only managed to raise fifteen Vampires to my standard and most of them are fledglings."
"Is that all ? Can I go now?" He scurries to the entrance but she calls out to him.
"Tell her anything but what I said and you will see your family gutted and drained before I suck out your eyes!"
She laughs as he runs from the caverns. Wilby asks. "If he tells her what good will it do us?"
Glory stands and they walk deeper into the cavern, past the new fledglings and into another cave where they see twenty five of the best fighting Vampires there were. "Simple Wilby. While she is deeling with the simpltons next door we will come around behind her trapping them against the ravine and put an end to the biggest pain in the ass I've ever known. Then,whilst her blood is still fresh in my mouth, we will pay her sister Dawn a little visit and I can commence my journey unto Godhood!"
Xander is sitting with the others researching the new books that the council had sent when he leans over to Willow. "Are you coming this Saturday Wills ?"
A devious glint appears in her eye. "Does the Rock kick Ass? Of course I will! What about Buffy will she be able to make it?"
"I don't know I haven't asked her yet." He looks over at Buffy and she winks at him. "She may be busy."
"Yeah I hear she's got a new boyfriend! I saw her talking to this new guy and she looked very interested."
His smile drops a bit but he carrys on. "Really good for her I'm glad she's found someone else."
"But wont the council get all uptight over it?"
"So what ! Faith gets out in four months time I'm sure they'll cut her some slack now." He picks the book up and starts to move away. "I'll see you at my place Saturday about noon we can start the excitement then and watch the replays till the new show comes on."
"Your just bad to the bone Willow!" Tara leans in. "That was just mean."
"Hey they want to cut me out of the loop then they suffer the ramifications." She smiles. "Besides I'm dying to see how he's going to explain her being there dateless on Saturday."
Buffy drifted slowly to a state of semi wakefullness when she sees Xander leaning his head on his arm watching her as she awoke. "This is starting to creep me out Xander?"
"Hell no! Creepy is when I do things while you still asleep." He wiggles his eyebrows at her. "I just like to see you sleep. To see the worry lines finally dissapear from your face as all your troubles hide away till you wake.."
She laces a hand to his face. "Love you husband."
He kisses the palm of her hand. "Love you wife."
They begin their morning ritual of trying to make out before the alarm goes off when Buffy grips her stomache. "Christ not again!" She pushes him away and just makes it to the bathroom. Xander hands her a washcloth and towell. "That's it I'm taking you to see Doc Johnson first thing this morning Buffy."
She spits and rinses. "You won't get an argument from me Honey. I'm getting quiet peeved at this myself." She dries her face then notices the time. "We better get showered and dressed. I have to go to Moms and you have to pick up the suit for Monday."
Xander slaps his head. "Jeez the trip ! I almost forgot. Hey there's no way I'm going to spend a week away from you till I know what's wrong with you."
"It's alright. I told you it's just a bug I must have picked up." she goes into the bedroom and takes out her clothes for the day. "Besides their not going to be able to tell anything till monday so you might as well go. I'll ring you as soon as I find out 'kay ?"
He shakes his head. "Okay but I'm telling your mom just so she gets you to see him on Monday."
"And what are you going to tell her? 'Oh by the way Mrs.Summers your daughter vomits everytime we wake up in the morning' Cool way to tell her your the third boyfriend she knew nothing of."
Xander opens the door to Willow and Tara. "Come on in Will's. Hi Tara nice dress."
Willow looks around for any signs of Buffy. "Buffy not here?"
"No she's probably still at her dorm. You know how she likes to sleep in on Saturdays. So Pepsi Max for you and a Sprite for the ever lovely Tara." He hands them a drink and a coaster as they sit down. He turns on the TV to the cable station and they begin to watch the re-runs of previous matches.
Willow looks around and nudges Tara as she see little things that meen a woman lives here rather than just a guy. "Could I use your bathroom?" She gently nudges Tara.
"Oh you had to say that... You don't have another one do you?" Tara asks as she hops from foot to foot.
"Yeah in the walk through wardrobe there's a spare bathroom in the masterbedroom." He sees Willow race into there as Tara goes to the normal one.
Xander gets up as he hears the doorbell again. "Hi Mrs.Summers."
Joyce is standing there with a bowl of something. "I hope you don't mind but Buffy insisted I come so I thought a nice bowl of chili dip for the crackers."
Buffy smirks at Xander. "Besides Xander has something he wants to..." She hears the toilets flush and stares at Xander.
"Oh that's just Willow and Tara. They both needed.. to you know."
Buffy smiles at his blush then a terrible thought strikes her. "Which one did Willow use?"
"Our.... One in the bedroom I ment to say why?" Then the look of terror on her face as she raced past him made him realize his mistake. "Crap!"
"Buffy's been here a lot then?" Joyce asks.
"Why?" Xander asks her his nervousness starting to show.
"Well not many people know where the onsuite is in a place that's not theirs and Buffy just ran straight to it."
Xander laughed. "Ugh it must be that darned slayers sixth sense I suppose."
Buffy entered the bedroom just as Willow had started to check the drawers. "Jeez it's a good thing Xander's place has two toilets huh!" She walks past her and closes the door behind her. She hears Willow leave. "Check and mate Miss Rosenburgh!"
Willow slumps down next to Joyce as Xander takes the chili into the kitchen. Tara sits next to Willow. "Any luck?"
"Nah Buffy came in too soon."
"If I know my daughter and she's bound to have left something of hers here." Joyce tells them. "I mean out of the blue she asks me if I wanted to see a wrestleing match of all things then pops up at eleven to bring Dawn and me over."
Dawn leans in. "And guess what car she was driving." She nods. "A red Chevy Charger with Xand1 plates."
Tara asks them. "Have you ever known Xander to wear high cut panties or sports bra's?"
"Spill !" Willow tells her.
"In the laundry there's two baskets one for colors and one for whites.Now I don't know much but if all men are like my family then they wouldn't waste time seperateing them. And that's where I found the girly things. While I was in there it looks like someone threw some magazines in the cupboard to get them out of the way."
"They could be Xander's" Dawn tells her.
Tara holds up one. "Since when did he start reading Cleo ?"
Xander walks in and everyone quietens down. He flicks on the TV and the WWF logo and anthem came on. "Munchies will be in a while." He sat down next to Willow and Dawn. "So what have you girls been up to ?"
Willow stutters. "Nothing much Xand, you ?"
"Oh I'm off to Aspen on Monday for a while but I hope to be back soon."
The Rock came on and the group were mesmerised for the next ten minutes as he demolished another competetor. Suddenly Dawn grabed Willow. "You'll never take the belt from me Sting!"
"I'll rip it from your cold dead hands Rock!" The two of them began re-enacting the fight while the others egged them on until Willow threw Dawn into the cabinet that housed Xander's Babylon 5 plates causing one to fall and shatter.
Joyce yells out. "Oh God no! I'm sos sorry Xander they will replace it!"
"Don't worry Joy... Mrs. Summers it's just a plate." Xander and Buffy pick up the pieces and Buffy is about to let rip until Xander grips her hand. "It's okay Buff things don't matter. It's people that matter not things." He dumps the pieces into the bin. "This all can be replaced but good friends and good times never can... Let's Get Ready To Ruuuummmbbblleee!!!!!" He jumped between Willow and Dawn.
"Hulk Hogan reclaims his belt by defeating the two upstarts!"
When they are seated Willow glanced at the remaining Plates and blushed. "Didn't you have more of them?"
Xander grins. "Yeah Anya broke two when she wanted me to join her in the Demon Vengance trade and I told her thanks but no thanks."
"What about the other two?" Xander blushed. "Uhh.. They were broke when ughh..." He blushes and glances at Buffy. "They were in the wrong place at the right time."
Dawn chirps up with a grin plastered on her face. "Yeah Buffy said she was picking pieces out of her butt for days afterwards."
Xander turns to Buffy. "You told her ?" He asks in disbelief.
"NO! I was talking to Willow."
"WHAT! Do you... I meen did you tell her everything we used to do?"
"Yeah she's a friend why shouldn't I? You probably told all your guy friends about bagging the Buffster."
"Unless you never noticed Buff I don't have friends outside the Gang and I doubt I could brag to Giles do you?"
Giles concentrates on the TV. "I wouldn't have listened anyway. As you young people say Eew! Now can you all shut up so I can watch this?"
Later on as they all begin to leave Buffy stays back to 'help Xander clean up'. As soon as they have left the room Xander drags her into a hug and she kisses him. "Well crises averted I'd say!"
"Yep they still have no idea and we have to keep this up for another two months three weeks two days...."
Buffy kisses him as she guides him into their room. "And eight hours..."
Willow is driving the four of them home in her car. "So hands up now anyone that still thinks they seperated when the council told them to." Willow asks.
"I think I know why they're doing it but why didn't they tell us?" Dawn looks at everyone then frowns. "Right we'd be to busy trying to 'help' them the council would be bound to find out."
Joyce smiles. "But while we wait for Faith's release it doesn't mean we can't twist the knife until they do tell us about their living in sin."
Willow smiles as they pull up to Joyce's "Oh you're going to make them pay arn't we."
"Why not ? Xander's the latest in a line of boyfriends she has chose not to tell me about. I think I deserve some retribution."
Buffy awoke to the unforgetable aroma of pancakes, coffee and juice as Xander placed the tray next to her then climed into bed. He pecked her cheek then asked her. "I hope your feeling well this morning?"
She sniffed the air and smacked her lips. "I feel great ! In fact I don't think you made enough !"
She pulled the tray over and began to demolish the stack ment for the two of them. As she beagn to fork the last of the stack into her mouth she told him. "No I'm serious ! You didn't make enough darling." She smilled at him then kissed him lightly on the lips. "Move your butt honey."
He grinned then realised it wasn't a joke as she started on her coffee. "More flap jacks coming up." He hopped out of bed and turned before leaving. "And I do mean that figurativly I hope."
Buffy grinned,sarcasticaly at him. "I'm fine ! In fact I feel like I could eat a horse." She placed her coffee down and gave him ' the look'. "You know after eating all these calories I'm going to have to burn them off some how but I just don't feel like getting up today. Do you have any idea of what I could do?"
Xander gulped. "How many do you want. . . Pancakes I mean ?"
Giles was on the phone as Olivia scowered the manuscrips for more information on Glory. She read a chapter in them about the only being able to defeat her. She took the book to the scanner and transfered it to the computer before replaceing the book in the stack as Giles finished. He walked back with a conserned look on his face. "That was Angel in LA he just told me the strangest thing."
She turns the monitor off so he couldn't see what she found so interesting. "What was that Rupert?"
He stopped, realisiing Olivia was still part of the council , and said. "Oh nothing that conscerns the council my dear it's just Cordelia has had a vision about Xander and I thought he should be told."
At the mention of Xander's name she gave him her full attention. "What of the boy?"
"Hardley a boy I think. She saw him fighting a host of vampires and then face Glory before Cordelia's vision ended."
"Where is this to happen and when?"
"That's just it she Knows it's in soon but the place is confused. She sees a bridge but no water and two cliffs faceing each other. It's there that he fights them and it's there that she sees Buffy crying. She sees her crying again in a white room with a single bed." He shakes his head. "But Angel says she's very confused as she can't see what happens to him."
Olivia walks up to a calender and circles the date and then the date seven days from it. "Well we have maybe days to find out what we can. Luckily he will be out of town for most of them."
Giles clicks his fingers. "Even longer if I can pull some strings!"
Buffy sat at the canteen table her food barely touched and her face white as a sheet when a irate Willow sat next to her. "Good afternoon Buffy. I do hope you liked our dorm?"
Buffy scrabbled to hide the report from Willow. "Wha. ." She coughed. "What are you talking about Willow?"
Willow slapped a letter down on the table and Tara tried to look anywhere but at Buffy and Willow. "Oh no need to read it I know it by heart. To Miss Summers and Miss Rosenburg. Due to your non occupation of room 27 for the minimum alowed period, and the severe lack of housing at SunnyDale USC, it has been the judgement of the Student Body to reassign your room to other students. Regards blah,blah, blah."
Buffy sighs. "Is that all?"
"What no denial? No ' Oh they're wrong'?"
"What's to deny ? I haven't lived there since Mom was sick and you left before then." Buffy stands up and picks up her book bag. "There's more important things in life than college Willow and I think it's about time you got your priorities right." She walked off leaving a look of puzzlement on Willow's face.
The two of them sat there stunned as a busboy started to clean the table. as he lifted Buffy's tray he found the report. "Uh is this yours?" He asks.
"No. . . Um wait it's probably Buffy's." Willow tells him. He hands it to her and she just holds it as they leave. "What has gotten into her Tara?"
Tara shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe it's some prophecy she hasn't told us about or some event that. . . ." She stops walking as soon as she realises Willow stopped. She looks back and sees her reading the letter Buffy had left. "Willow you shouldn't be reading that!"
"Yeah she's right Willow so hand it back!" Buffy's look scares ten years from Willow as she hands it back to her. "Your snooping in my life is starting to irritate me ! Now for the sake of our friendship BACK OFF!" Buffy stomps away leaving Willow speachless.
Willow looks stunned like a weight had fallen on her from a great height.
"Goddess save her !" She looked up as Tara read the report. "We have to tell Joyce!"
"Isn't that up to Buffy?"
"Are you kidding? She hasn't even told her about Xander yet!" The two of them head off for classes but the first thing they have planned for after is a quick trip to Joyce's place.
Giles finishes serving a customer at the front of the store while Olivia is finishing her report to the Council. "Yes sir Giles has organised for him to be out of town when the trouble hits so that should keep the prophecy back on line."
"Good, good there's still a few weeks before the first blood moon of the new millineum and I'd hate for anything to happen to our boy. Giles is still unaware ?"
"Yes sir I've kept him. . . . Ocupied and misled about that part of the prophecy. He still thinks it's the Harris boy that it talks about and not his projeny."
"So you still must not allow anything to happen to him until after he conscieves a male child."
"Yes sir. We believe he's seeing a girl from his place of work. We know he's being intimate with someone since he broke with The Chosen one. I had hoped he might re-unite with either the seer or the Witch but they both appear to be otherwise entangled."
"Yes a great pity about the Rosenburg child ! 7 years of effort gone to waste because of hormones! I suppose there's nothing that could be salvaged?"
"Not at this time sir. We've tried everything and we daren't use magic again. That dream we gave him about Willow and Tara after they defeated Adam only drove him further into the arms of the Demon Anya."
"Very well Olivia just keep him safe and keep trying. Maybe if we offered this seer Cordelia a fortune she might. . ."
"If we had tried that when we first heard of the prophecy she might have agreed but now. . . I think she'd go straight to Giles or the demon hunter Wesley and blow our cover."
Buffy has Hepburn's latest song blasting out on the radio as she cleans the apartment. She's wearing jeans and one of Xander's 'geek boy' shirts from his Sunnyhell High days as she vacumes the lounge. It takes her awhile to hear the doorbell and she begins to panick as she turns the radio and cleaner off to answer it. "Hello who is it?"
"It's your mother and Willow. Could you open the door please?"
Buffy unlocks the door and invites them in. "So to what do I owe the honor?" She asks as she removes her red bandana from her hair.
"Well you could start by telling us what your doing here cleaning your SUPPOSED ex- boyfriends place?" Joyce glares at her. "Or you could start by telling me why your things are gone from your dorm room and have magically appeared here? Or...."
Buffy looks up and down the hall before shutting the door. "Now look the only reason we've been sneaking around is so Giles could keep his Watchers job. And as soon as Faith is released from prison we were going to come clean."
Joyce begins to waiver. "But why couldn't you have told us?"
"Because I thought that just the two of us knowing was risk enough!" She turned and walked over to the mantel and took down a photo of the two of them. "Everytime he smilled at me or touched me I thought I'd just shout it out from the highest rooftop 'I Love Alexander Harris!' and then that would be the end of Giles. We both owed him so much that we figured this was the only way for him to keep the position he was destined for."
Willow asks. "And what was the test for? You know the one that we found on the canteen table?"
"I was sick for a while and Xander made me see a doctor. It turns out I'm fine." She turns to the sound of a key in the lock.
The door opens and Xander walks in but doesn't see Joyce and the others. "Honey I'm home! Boy you look good enough....." He drops his case and hugs her. As he turns her in his arms he finally sees the others and drops her. "Ugh! Ahh cleaning my home. Just what are you doing here Buffy I thought..."
Buffy places a finger against his lips. "Chill it Olivier they know."
"Oh! Ugh I have but one thing to say." He turns to Joyce and puts on a Ronald Coleman accent. "It is a far far better thing I do than I have ever done before. A far better resting place I go to than I have ever known."
"Xander I'm not going to kill you ! I'm just going to make yor life hell for the next twenty or thirty years!"
"Oh God it is true! Women are better at this whole revenge thingy."
"You'll be fine as long as you don't hide anything else from me?" She looks at Xander realising he's the weak link of the two.
He touches the ring attached to the cross "Well now that you mention it OWW!!!" Buffy kicks him in the ankle forgetting her slayer strength. "Uhh.. Buffy snores." Buffy holds her head as Joyce asks. "So you sleep with her too?"
He smiles. "Hell no! Sleeping's the last thing we do."
Buffy glares at him. "You lost that whole 'tact' thing while you were with Anya didn't ya sport!"
He grimaces. "I'm... shutting-up-guy now." His eyes plead with Buffy.
Willow grins at him. "Oh your so cut off!"
Buffy and Xander look at the others as Buffy tells them. "We don't care what you do just don't let Giles or Olivia find out till Faith returns." Buffy kisses Xander's cheek. "Not that I'm upset but I thought you were going to be gone for longer. And before I forget the super wanted to know what was in the chest you have downstairs so I had to sweat talk him until Giles could bring it upstairs. He wants to know just what the hell you had in it."
Xander hesitates. "Um remember when we snuck into the Initiative ? Well I kind of liberated some stuff after you left."
"Such as?"
"Five modified Claymore Mines, a Blaster and charger unit, an air powered rifle that fires a four inch wooden bolt, a few radios.."
"Did you leave anything behind?"
He blushes. "Not much from the experimental store. The radios are neat! Voice activated hidden mikes and speakers Cool as Bond gadgets Buff."
"Well I think Giles wants to borrow somethings from you."
"Fine by me it's not like I payed for 'em." He puts his bag down in the bedroom and tells them from there. "Yeah anyway they kept giving me more and more problems to fix at the site so I worked longer hours and pushed a bit harder till I was through." He had four bundles in his hands.
"While I was up there I picked up some extra presents." He hands Willow, Tara and Joyce theirs and they open them with a flourish.
Buffy sees the Spanish silver filigree bangles. "Wow ! They sure are something."
Joyce, Willow and Tara kiss him on the cheek. "There's one just like it for Dawn too. I was going to get you one Buff but I saw this and just had to get it for you."
He holds up a larger box and Buffy rips it open to expose a silver and gold arm band "It's based on an ancient Spartan design made for the female warriors. It's supposed to bring strength and courage in battle. But then the lady also said it's some kind of fertility design on the back."
He twists it around and the design changes to a figure of a woman and child. Willow says. "Hey that looks like Diana. She was the Greek Goddess of the war and fertility."
Joyce sees the look in Buffy's eyes and starts for the door. "I think we should leave now. I'll tell Dawn to expect a visit from you two later on so you can give her the present. And Buffy... This isn't over."
"Oh before I forget Mrs. Summers the new owners were so impressed with the speed and quality of the work they've given me a season pass to one of their chalet's. It sleeps six so I thought the next time we get a quiet period we could all head up for a holiday?"
She smiles at Buffy. "You know I'm begining to appreciate him more and more Buffy."
Buffy slips her arm through his. "He has his uses Mom."
When the others have left Buffy looks at the arm band again. "Do you like it?"
"Like it? Xander I love it only we don't need to worry about the fertility god." She places her head on his chest as she hugs him. "How do you feel about children?"
"Well I was one once and I really didn't like the experiance myself." His face looks haunted and Buffy is scared. "But I figure, having been shown the wrong way, I think I know what not to do." He smiles at her and hugs her knowing of the Slayer Curse. "But I want what you want Buff and if we can't have children then at least we have each other. But otherwise I think I would like to have five maybe six kids.
She stares up at him. "Well I hope it all works out for you and your other wives I'll be seing ya."
He grabs her arm and brings her lips to his. "Honey YOU are all I care about. We have kids or we don't. As long as your happy then I'm happy."
He snuggles up to her and nuzzles her neck. "Good because the way the Doctor was talking I think it's going to be twins."
Xander's eyes went wide. "ZOIKS!!"
Willow and Tara are pretending to read up on Glory's past deeds but are more intent on discovering more about The Magus , the Ancient ruler of all Magi and Wiccan practitioners , when Buffy staggered into the reading room of the shop. Willow and Tara glanced up from their studies and smiled at the state she was in.
Giles enters the room and comments on her looks. "Really Buffy you must try to get to bed more often."
Buffy glares at Willow as she whispers. "That's half the problem." Xander just about skips into the shop. Willow grins as Tara says. "And here's the other half of the problem."
"Hiya guys!" a goofy grin plastered on his face. "What's the what in demon land?"
"Ah Xander just the person I wanted to see." Giles tells him as he motions for him to approach. Xander glances at the Wiccan's and they shrug mouthing. "We don't know."
"Uh if it's about me not bringing you a bangle back Giles I'm sorry but I didn't know you were into that."
He looks confused at him before continuing. "Never mind, did Buffy tell you about the box we found in your store room?"
"Yeah I ment to tell you about them but when the whole Adam thing finished and then Anya left I sort of forgot all about it." He paled and then gulped. "Why? Your not angry at me are you?"
"What? No quite the opposite. What weapons did you secure ?" Giles pointed to a chair and Xander sat, telling him of the inventory.
"... And last but not least some really cool comunication devices that are hidden on the body and allow you to talk with people at long range why?" He was suddenly very protective of his little 'toys'.
"Because I fear we may need them. I just had a phone call from a source saying that Glory is planning to go on a 'recruitment drive' Saturday night. I don't know the exact time or place but we will need every advantage we can get to try and stop her."
Buffy tells them. "With only four more shopping days till Xmas the streets will be packed with happy meals busy with their own thoughts to worry about wierd things happening." She grabs her patrol outfit from the closet. "If it's as quiet as every other night I might just pay Wiley a visit on my patrol tonight."
Xander stands up. "Yeah maybe we should start the patrol earlier tonight and vary the route to throw off any spies that Glory may have out?"
"Chill Xand remember you have to go to Moms place to give a certain teenager her present? She's been nagging Mom all afternoon about it."
"I can race over and drop it off now while you get ready." He slips into his jacket and fishes the keys from his pocket as he leaves.
When the door shuts Buffy turns to Giles. "Good ! If I know my sis she'll keep him their half the night ! Now this is probably going to hurt him Giles but..."
He interupts her. "I don't want Xander involved in the fight Buffy."
"I have my reasons but why do you not want him involved ?"
"He's done enough for our fight against Glory, Buffy. He's now got a chance at a real life for once and I want to make sure that he has that chance."
"They were my reasons as well Giles." She heads of to the changing room. "So we have to find a way to keep him busy Saturday night but make him feel like he's involved in the fight."
Joyce smiles as she opens the door to Xander. "Hi Xander. She's been expecting you ever since I told her you were back."
"Hi Mrs.Summers !" He grins at her as he enters the home.
"Please Xander call me Joyce after all you are still dateing my daughter and after so long you feel like family."
His grin vanishes at her words. "Mrs...." He sees her glare. "...Joyce you and the others have made me feel more like a brother and part of a family than my own parents. Hell after I moved out I don't hear from them until dad wants a reference or a hand out!"
She places a hand on his shoulder. "Never mind Xander your home now!" She smiles at him and her heart grows full at the look he gives her.
"I think the day you moved here was both the best, and worst, decision you ever made." He moved into the lounge as he spoke.
"How do you mean ?"
"Well if you had'nt moved here I would never have met you or Buffy but because you did her fate as the Slayer was sealed. If ... I just want you to know Joyce that I would give my life to save her! If anything happened to her I just know she would'nt be alone for long."
Joyce realises just how deep his love for her daughter runs. "Xander you must promise me something?" She waits until he nods his agreement. "God forbid that anything should happen to her but if it does you must promise me that you won't do anything stupid. Promise me on your life Xander."
He thinks for a few secnds before standing . "I can promise you a lot of things Joyce but not that. Our souls are too tangled to just seperate like that. I believe that either way I will die rather than live without her."
Just then Dawn comes bounceing down the stairs. "I thought I heard your truck pull up." Dawn had gone from a gangleing teenager to a beautifull young girl in the short time she had been with the gang. A thing she knew Xander, and other boys, noticed and she used to full advantage.
"So when are you coming out of mourning for your failed romance with sis and going to ask me out?"
"DAWN !" Joyce exclaimed.
"What ? Mom if I wait for him to ask I'll be an old maid!" She whines. "Besides I'm 17 now and in just one more year I'll be the right age. not like someone else we know that just jumped in feet first .."
This time Joyce and Xander exclaimed. "DAWN !" Then Xander realised . "Oh you mean Buffy."
Dawn laughs. "Hey ! Take a chill pill I was just joking guys!" She walks up to Xander. "So I was told you have something for me?"
Xander shakes his head. "You definatly hung around Anya too much Dawn." He hands her his gift. "Now this isn't your Xmas present it's just an extra I picked up in Colorado."
Dawn pecks him on the cheek after he turns his head at the last moment. "Chicken! " She tells him. "I hung around with Anya so much because she had what I wanted."
Xander shakes his head. "And I always thought Faith was the blunt one !"
Dawn stares at the bracelet and watches as the fine silver and gold jewelry glinted in the light. "Oh my god Xander this is so cool! They're going to be so green at school on Monday!" She turns to Joyce. "I can wear it out to school can't I?"
"As long as your carefull I suppose you can."
"Great ! I'm going to ring Sandra ." With that she ran upstairs leaving the two to talk further.
Wiley is cleaning glasses, well moving the dirt around them , when he notices several ' customers' move away from the bar. "Hello Slayer ." He says without even looking up. "What can I get ya?"
Buffy slides her hand across the bar and grips his as he holds the glass untill it shatters. "Just a moment of your time Wiley. Glory's getting a party up and my invitation seems to have gotten lost .I need to know where to goand how many party goers are going to be there."
"I tell you and she kills me !"
"Is she here now?" Wiley shakes his head. "So who do you think you need to fear the most at this time?"
"Hemsley Park at the old Grant Mausoleum. She's got about 15 vamps together for the 'party '.About half an hour after dusk this Saturday." She releases his hand and turns to go. "Watch out Slayer she's royaly pissed at you and your Scooby's."
"Good! If she's angry she'll make mistakes." Buffy storms out and Wiley whispers . "Sorry Slayer. It's you or my family."
Buffy walks into the shop as Xander is showing Giles how to operate the radios. "And this fits in your ear like this." He places the bud in his ear and then hooks up the mike to his wrist. "There ya go ! Now you realy are a G-Man .. G-man."
Giles rubs the bridge of his nose. "I've asked you repeatedly not to call me that Xander."
"Hey Buff!" Xander smiles as he sees her.
"I need to talk to Giles about something Xander could you take the rest of the things into the armoury?"
"Sure thing Buffy." He walks out of the room carrying the sausage bag full of stolen equipment. He stops as he realises Giles still has the radio turned on and he smiles. He drops the bag and turns on the other radio.
"Wiley says it's tommorow night at Hemsley Park near the Grant Mausoleum. There'll be about fifteen Vamps plus Glory so I figure the four of us should handle it." He hears Buffy say "Four?"
"Yeah I don't want Xander involved Giles . He'll only get hurt , or worse, and I couldn't stand for that to happen. You Willow and Tara each have magic and other skills to fight with but Xander is just Joe Average and it's our job to protect the Normal people."
"I concur Buffy he should be protected at all costs."
"We get there before dusk and set up a welcome for them that they won't enjoy."
Xander flicks the radio off and stormed out carrying the bag and swept them onto the bed of his truck before driving off into the night. "God damn them! " He hit his hand against the steering wheel. "I risked my ass time and again for them and they still treat me like a kid that needs protecting!"
Xander drove around SunnyDale till his anger subsided . He found himself close to the new SunnyDale library and suddenly an idea struck him.He raced in and asked for the local map section then raced off .
He sat in his truck and waited till he saw Joyce pick Buffy up to take her home. "Sorry Buff but you have to do what you thinks best and so do I." He clambered out of the truck carrying rolled up maps of the Hemsley park area and a cup of Starbucks coffee.
He knocked on the door to make sure none of the others were there then let himself in and positioned the maps on the table.He then took out a red marker and circled the Grant Mausoleum. "Hm ... I hope you know what you're doing G- man. One way in or out." He takes a magnifying glass to the map. "Except for the footbridge over the ravine."
Xander searched through the maps for a more detailed view of the park. "Yep just as I thought! If the Queen bitch holds you at the Mausoleum while she brings up others via the footbridge you won't know what hit you till it's too late." He throws the pen down and holds his head.
His mind searched for a way around it and he kept coming back to the one way. "If I do it right they will be safe. If I'm wrong they'll have their wish and kept me out of the fight." Xander picked up the weapons bag and began to check the Claymores out before he stripped down the air gun , cleaning it then checking out the air cylinders. He looked at the clock then set the alarm for four. "Buffy and the others will be too busy to check here for me... If they even miss me."
Buffy keeps glancing at the door hopeing that Xander would walk in but each time the bells chimed it was only a customer and not her lover. Willow notices and tells her. "He probably got called into work Buff. I'm sure he'll be with us tonight."
"No he won't Will. He doesn't know it's tonight and that's how I want it. He's put himself on the line too often for us and this time I think it's going to be close."
"All the more reason for the whole gang to be there tonight."
"If things go wrong at least one of us should live Willow."
The usually quiet Tara speaks up. "And do you expect him to last long after your gone? I've seen the way he is Buffy and , if you fall , I feel he will fall not long after."
Buffy slams her fist into the punch bag. "Look I've made my decision and that's final!"
The door opens and Dawn walks in. "Hey everyone." She looks around the shop and her smile drops when she realises Xander's not there. "So is Xander coming here after work?"
Buffy punches the bag and yells out at her. "I don't care if he never comes here again! " She continues to pummel the bag and Dawn smiles.
"I'll be going then. See you at Moms for dinner tommorrow Buffy."
XANDER'S PLACE- 4.30.
Dawn arrives outside the apartment just as Xander throws a bag into the back of his truck then he goes back inside. "What the hell is he dressed up like G.I. Joe for?" She hurries over to the truck and tries to look into the back of it but she sees Xander walking over so she jumps up and hides under an olsd tarp he keeps there. "Maybe he's going to leave town because Buffy's mad at him? " She smiles. "Perfect time for an understanding woman to lend her support. "
After a while the trucks stops and she hears him get out so she pops her head up and sees him carry a jerry can into the local church. "What the heck is he doing?"
Xander hurries out hefting the full can into the back . Dawn just managed to get out of the way before he crushed her.The truck starts up and she starts to slide across the rear as he speeds off.
GRANT MAUSOLEUM.
Willow and Tara are preparing their spells as Giles hands Buffy a battle axe and takes a Sword for himself and helps Buffy fit the radio to her ear. "Now you just speak into the mike and you hear our reply through the earpiece. Willow tells them. " We should still call Xander and tell him."
"Just get yourselves ready cuz we don't have time for this crap Willow." Still she looks to Giles who shakes his head.
Meanwhile , in the woods above the footbridge , Dawn feels the 4x4 pull up and switch off. Then she hears Xander get out and take the bag out of the back and head away. She lifts up the tarp and then sneaks out of the back in time to see Xander take three objects from the bag . He places two near the bridge and walks over it to place the third before covering all three with leaves.
He looks up at the sky and Dawn does the same. "Only about a half hour till dusk." She looks at him as he walks back up the hill. "What the hell are you doing Harris? "
She hides behind a tree as he aproaches the truck. Xander places the bag down then takes out his radio , fitting the earpiece and hooking up the mike before turning the radio on. He then takes out a super soaker and fills it from the jerry can in the back of the truck. He places that on the hood before retrieving the blaster from the bag switching it on and placeing it on the front seat. He slips on a scabard that fits behind his head and slides an old Roman short sword into it. "If it comes down to useing you baby then it's time to kiss my ass goodbye!"
Suddenly a noise from behind him startles Xander. "What are you doing Xander?"
"Dawn! What the hell are you doing here?" He looks around for the others. "Are you by yourself?"
"Yeah I hid in the back before you left." She looks at the weaponry. "What gives ? You're not going postal are you?"
He checks his watch. "Shit there's not enough time to get you home and get back here!" He sees the look of concern on her face and makes a decision. "Come here." He takes the radio out and fits it to her. "Now listen to this and if you hear Buffy and the others are in trouble sound the horn. If you see I'm in trouble drive the hell out of here and go to the Grant Mausoleum. Do you know where that is?"
She points over her shoulder. "About two minutes walk that way."
"Good. Now I'm going to give you the blaster , you remember how to use it?"She nods then blushes as Xander takes off his shirt to get at his cross. He takes a gold band from it before hooking the chain around her neck. "I'll cover the truck in the remains of the holy water so that should give you some protection."
He shrugs into the top and picks up the super soaker and the air rifle. "Don't forget if you hear the others in trouble beep the horn and I'll come running but I kind of think Glory and her hoard are comming up this track and when they do I want you to radio Buffy and tell her it's a trap maybe they can get out of it if I can hold them here for long enough."
Dawn is suddenly very worried. "But how are you going to do that and get out yourself?" Her breath catches in her throat and tears begin to form. "Oh my God ! You don't plan on getting out do you?"
He grips Dawn in a hug. "If I fall it's no big loss but if Buffy dies then so dies the world." He slips the gold band onto his wedding finger and tells her. "Tell Buffy I love her more now than the first day I saw her and that if I ... get turned to remember what Giles told me 'The thing that looks like me is really just the demon that killed me' and that I want her to stake my undead ass!"
Xander hefts the rifle into a better position and begins to walk to his destiny. Dawn sits in the drivers seat and says. "I love you Xander Harris. Always have , always will."
Buffy and the others are easily dealing with the fledglings as Giles tells her. "Somethings not right Buffy! This is all too easy." He beheads yet another Demon before telling her. "It's as if they're just holding us here for something...."
Buffy looks at him as they come to the same conclusion. "It's a trap!"
They hear an explosion behind them and this startles the remaining Vampires. Buffy grabs one as the others flee. "What the hells going on?"
"It was supposed to be easy! We were just to hold you till Glory came up behind you and finished you off!" He grimaces then brakes from her grip. "They weren't supposed to take this long!" With that he ran to join the few that survived.
Xander settled in to his hidey hole and opened the tripod attatched to the barrel of the air rifle and placed the other two clips next to the gun. "Shouldn't be long now kiddo!"
He sees the sun go down and wonders if he will ever see another. "God if your listening , should I forget you in the coming fight please do not forget me."
He pulls the night goggles over his eyes as the darkness desends and sees a shadow move swiftly to the bridge. He de-activates the safety on the rifle and prepares himself. Then a line of creatures begin to move towards the bridge. "God dammit I hate it when I'm right about these things!"
He waites till the last demon is in range of his gun then begins to pick them off working his way from the rear to the front. He is on to his last clip before they realise someone is picking them off one by one. He counts them as they dive for cover. "Fifteen left . Not bad for a 'mere mortal'."
He takes out the remote detonator for the Claymores and takes them off safe then stands and walks towards the bridge. "Hey Glory ! I'm laughing at your superior inteligence!" He stands ten feet from the mines and shouts. "Come on or are you scared of a lone Human?"
She motions her forces forward. "Take him but leave him alive enough for me to turn."
He raises the gun up and tries a shot at Glory but she grabs Wilby and uses him as a shield. The bolt strikes him in the chest causeing him to scream in pain.Xander moves back and waits till they're close enough then triggers the second of the forward mines. The blast dusts three more and leaves two writhing on the ground as the others run back to the other side of the bridge.
"Give my regards to Dru assholes!" He triggers the third, and last of the mines and the force slaps him to the ground.
Just beyond the rise the gang hears the third blast and Buffy's radio crackles to life. "Buffy hurry up and get to the foot bridge ! They're killing him!"
She utters one word then moves at full Slayer speed. "Xander!"
Xander gets to his feet and drops the empty rifle and discards the ruined water gun. He pulls out the short sword and says. "Looks like it's just you an' me baby."
He moves up to the foot of the bridge, decapitateing the wounded demons as he goes. He stands at the foot of the bridge and his heart sinks when he sees there's still five Vampires and an unharmed Glory crossing the bridge.
He takes the stance Giles had taught him and shouts at Glory. "You lose again Gussy ! By now the Slayer's far away from here and safe from you while all you have is me!"
"You're head on a spike in front of her house will send her into a mental tizzy that will be her end Harris!" She walks forward as the first Vampire tackles Xander . He pays for his speed with his unlife as Xander blocks , then decapitates him.
"Or better still I'll turn you and before she has the nerve to kill you I'll have her Sister and be a God !" She shouts at the four remaining Vamps. "All at once you idiots! Jeez never turn jocks they're as thick as two short planks!"
Her plan works as they drag Xander to the ground and force him to release the blade. Two of them have him by either arm and lift him to his feet as she aproaches.She runs a hand down his cheek and purrs. "You will make an excellent General my young fool! You have only postponed your lovers fate."
Dawn is trying to get the blaster to work but it just keeps beeping every time she tries to fire it. "What's wrong with this stupid thing?" Buffy goes running by her in a streak of vengance. "Take it off safty Dawn and hand it to Giles."
As she gets closer she sees Glory talking to Xander and Glory calls Wilby to her .Glory digs out the four inch bolt ,causing Wilby to whimper in pain , she looks at it. "This toy you had hurts my people Harris!"
"Well if he hadn't of got in the way niether of you would have felt a thing." He smiles at her and she smiles back.
She rests the flat end on her palm and grips the other through her fingers. "I believe this belongs to you." She grins as she drives the bolt deep into his chest.
"Agh! God damn son of a Bitch!" Xander screams out.
She motions for the two Vamps to release him. "Any final words before I sign you up to our team?"
He looks at her through pain filled eyes and suddenly the words fill his mind as he swears an oath through gritted teath. "In this life or the next I will have my vengance Glorificus!"
She steps back and touches the medalion at her breast. "No! That's not possible!"
Buffy yells at Glory from several hundred yards away. "Leave him alone BITCH!"
In a burst of energy Xander grips Glory by her dress top. He inadvertantly also grabs the medalion. "Don't go just yet ! Someone wants to talk to you."
She grabs his shoulders and tears him from her , twisting him around as she does. "You want loverboy ? Then take him !" She twists his head in a short sharp movement and Buffy can hear the snap from where she was. "NO!"
Glory releases his body and it slumps bonelessly to the floor like a drunk on payday. "Oops ! Like to stay but I must be off ." The remaining Vamps help Wilby and Glory to escape and it isn't untill it's too late that she discovers the medalion missing. She stops and turns back . No! "She starts to go back for it but Wilby tells her. " It's too late Glory ! We'll have to think of something else."
She curses then smiles. "We may not need it anyway ."
Buffy hurrys to Xander's side as the others catch up.She sees the chest wound and tells him. "This ain't so bad Xand . You've had worse." She strips her top leaving just a singlet and bra. As she places it on his wound to try and stop the bleeding she tells him. "Come on Xand talk to me."
His eyes flicker open as she hears Giles phone for the para-medics. "Hey beautiful how's it goin' ?"
She wipes a tear from her eyes. "Oh you know same old same old. You mustn't talk Xander . Try to save your energy."
Xander laughs . "Me not talk ? Impossible Buffy . Ask me to do something else."
"Okay how about don't try any of these stupid hero stunts again?" He winces and she sees his foot start to jerk rythmicaly.
"The past year with you has been like a dream come true. I guess every dream has it's price and ,after seeing you safe , it's one I'm willing to pay." He tries to move but for some reason he can only talk. "I'm wearing your ring my love." His eyes begin to close as Willow , Tara and Dawn approach.
"No Xander you have to stay awake! Stay with me ... Please god stay with me!" She pleads to him.
"I never was smart Buffy but I sure kicked that bitches ass tonight huh?"
She wipes her eyes again and tells him. "You sure did Xander . All the way back to the rock she crawled out of."
"I was also smart enough to marry you." He feels her hand by his mouth and he kisses her palm as he feels himself begin to float away he tells her . "Love you wife."
Buffy sobs and rips her ring from around her neck and places it on her finger before kissing his ring. "Love you husband."
Giles kneels down to her as the others go into deep shock. He sees something glitter in Xander's hand and as he retrieves it the para-medics arrive. "We have to let the medics see to him Buffy. " He has to use all his strength to prise her away from him.
Buffy is as still as stone while the medics tend Xander's wounds but their words cut through her like a knife. "Stab wound to the upper left chest , possible internal injuries and a possible.. no make that probable spinal break at the neck."
By the time they all arrive Joyce is just minutes behind them and as she, Dawn and the others try to comfort her Joyce asks. "So married huh ?" Buffy nods. "I thought you might be. When did it happen ? While you went on that road trip with Xander before you ' split ' up?"
Buffy is talking like she's in another world. "We couldn't wait any longer and he figured we could always have the full deal when we got back. He wanted something that just the two of us had to share. then when we returned Giles was all excited about being asked to return to the COW so we had to pretend to split up."
Joyce tries to lighten her up. "Well at least there's nothing else for you to keep from me."
Buffy looks up at her and says. "Your going to be a Grandmother . Is that the nothing else you were thinking of?"
Olivia is more startled than the rest of them. "That's impossible Buffy! When a Slayer is chosen she exchanges certain powers for those of a Slayer the main one being the power to concieve."
Buffy glares at her. "I happen to think it has something to do with his bringing me back after the Master killed me all those years ago and the fact he is one strong minded son of a bitch."Buffy's anger peaks. "Plus the fact I'm two months pregnant would seem to negate any argument wouldn't you say?"
Giles kneels in front of her and tells her. "Buffy, Olivia and I have been on to the council and they're calling in some favours . To cut it short Faith will be here by tomorrow night so you can be with Xander for how ever...."
Buffy glares at him. "What Giles? For how ever long he has left?" She clenches her fists. "We did this for you ! So YOU could keep the job you wanted! If I had known this was going to happen I would have said to hell with you and the council and stayed in LA with my husband!"
Olivia makes a cursing sound then storms off and Giles follows shortly after.He catches up with her as she talks to someone on her phone. "Yes I know but the whelp's got her pregnant and we need the medalion now more than ever. I suggest we give Glory what she wants in exchange for the medalion. .... Yes I realize it means giving her the key but so what? She becomes a God and leaves this plain, we get the medalion and thereby control the Magus problem solved."
Giles backs off the weight of the medalion in his pocket suddenly felt a thousand times heavier. He has an idea and runs back to talk to Willow.He asks her to speak with him in private and she does. "What's up Giles? Can't you see Buffy needs us all now?"
He hands her the medalion. "I took this from Xander's..hand. Do you think Tara and yourself could make a resonable copy of it?"
Willow takes it and examines it. "It shouldn't take long Giles but the copy won't last long either."
"It only needs to last a week or two at the most. Until the first blood moon and by then I want you to have taken the real one to Angel and Wesley for safe keeping." Giles looks back and pushes the medalion into Willows pocket. "Tell no one of this."
"But I don't have time to take it to L.A. Giles ! In case you've forgotten my best friend's lying in a hospital bed possibly..." Her voice begins to break and her eyes mist over. "Dying and you want me to go to Los Angeles?"
"I fear that if you do not we may all die and his sacrifice will be for nought!" He turns his back on her as Olivia gets closer. "Don't trust Olivia !" He whispers.
Giles and the rest see the Doctor aproach them and head for Joyce. "Mrs.Harris?"
Buffy stood up on shakey legs. "Yes ?" *Please God tell me he lives!* She begs.
"Please sit down . " He gathers himself for the news he's about to give them. "Alexander has a chest injury that , thankfully, missed every major organ but his main injury is to his neck. There was a complete separation of the spinal cord and all the other central nervous systems. I'm sorry to have to tell you but even if Alexander survives he will be a quadraplegic." He sees her turn white .
She feels all the blood in her body drain away and she begins to shake. "But after a while he'll be back to normal?"
"I'm sorry Mrs.Harris but he'll remain in that state for the remainder of his life....."
She didn't hear anymore as her body shut down and fainted. As she began to waken she heard the Doctor saying. ".... Yes it's quiet normal Mrs.Summers . It's the bodies way of shutting down when it recieves to much negative information. But the tests reveal the babies are doing fine."
"And what about Xander?" Joyce asks him.
"If we're lucky he may lead a productive life . But he'll need specialist treatment for the rest of his life." He grips her hand. "The most important thing is that when he wakens he'll need all the love and support his family and friends can give. You must especially watch for suicidal tendancies."
"But he's paralized from the neck down!"
"Yes but it won't stop him from talking some one into aiding him."
Buffy sat at Xander's side as Faith and Joyce entered the room. "Hiya B . Has the hero woken yet?" Faith asked as she looked at Buffy's figure for any obvious signs of pregnancy.
She arranged his hair for the thousandth time and shook her head. "He just lays there not moving , letting the machines do all the work of keeping his body alive." She looks to her mom. "It's as if he doesn't want to be here but we wont let him go."
Joyce sits next to her. "It'll all work out just fine Buffy just wait and see." She looks deeply at the young man lying at deaths door and says. "Why don't you and Faith go to the canteen and grab some lunch? I'm sure you haven't eaten anything yet Buffy and you wouldn't want him worried about you , and my grandchildren's , health now would you?"
"Yeah B lets go see if the slops improved any since the last time I was here." She helps her friend up and see the small bump in her lap. She turns white and has to look away.
As soon as they get in the elevator Buffy turns to her. "So what's with all the looks?"
Faith grins sadly. "It's you B. You and your ' condition ' as Giles puts it."
Buffy strokes the small bump in her mid section and smiles. "My 'happy' condition Xander called it...." She chokes back a tear and Faith hugs her.
"Now B what's he going to think when he wakes up and sees you like this?" Buffy shakes her head.
"What if..." She looks at Faith. "What if he never wakes up? And worst of all what if he wakes up and can never move again?"
"Hey ! Xander will wake up when he's good and ready. Sheesh ! You've been with him for what ? A year ?" Buffy nods. "And have you ever known him to wake up when You want him to? Listen Girlfriend as soon as all that Twinkie and Ho-Ho junk that's floating around in his system is used up he will wake and scream the hospital down for more."
"Yeah!" Buffy smiles. "I remember once he came home from working a double shift and I had eaten his last Ho-Ho. Man I always thought I had anger ! I worked out that if we held back on the junk food and told him Glory had stolen all the Twinkies there were he'd have dusted her ass before we had even finished telling him."
Joyce is sitting beside her son in law talking about what they would do when he was released when Olivia walked in. "Oh! Sorry I thought he was alone."
Joyce had never liked Olivia , a thing her daughter's had picked up on and needled her about for some time. But iy wasn't because she envied her Gilse's affections. It was because she never trusted her from the very first time she met her.
"I have to go ..Powder my nose ... Could you stay and watch him till I'm through?" Joyce asked.
"Sure." Olivia told her and when she was far enough away Olivia lent over Xander and produced a small syringe filled with a iridescent yellow liquid. "Now Alexander honey this won't hurt a bit." She emptied the syring into his IV and waited for two minutes watching the door every second for Joyce's return.
"Now if the council is right and you are the Magus this should have some effect on you. And if not?... Well it was nice knowing you." She lifted his eyelids and checked his iris. "Besides there's always your progeny ."
Suddenly Xander's monitors began going haywire. The readouts bounced all over the screens sending off alarms at the nurses station just as Buffy and Faith passed it.
Buffy looked worried . "What's going on?" She yelled at a nurse as she ran past her. "Nothing Miss please go back to your room." The nurse shouted . But when she went into Xander's room pulling a large cart behind her Buffy knew something terrible had happened.
"XANDER!" She yelled but Faith held onto her useing every bit of her Slayer strength to keep Buffy from running in there after her.
"Let them do their job B ! We'll find out from your mom what's happened." Faith told her as they moved to Joyce.
Joyce was staring daggers at Olivia. "What happend?" Buffy asked her.
She turned and hugged Buffy. "I don't know Buffy. I left Olivia in the room with him for a few minutes and when I returned all hell was breaking loose." She glared at Olivia. "Just what in Gods name have you done Olivia?"
Olivia looked as innocent as she could. "Nothing! I just sat by his side and all of a sudden the machines went crazy!"
Before any further arguments could errupt Xander's Doctor came out of the room followed by most of the equipment. He walked over to the group as His bed was wheeled down the hall. "I'm afraid he's had a turn for the worse. All his vitals are at an incredibly high level and he's going through glucose drips like water poured onto a desert."
"That's bad right?" Buffy asked.
"Yes it is I'm afraid. We've had to return him to ICU until we can work out what's happened.You can stay but not in his room. I'm going to have to isolate him from everyone but medcal staff."
Buffy looks at him through the glass of the ICU ward. "What the hell's going on in that mind of your's Xand?"
Xander is standing in front of a modest four bedroom estate home looking at the young family . He sees Buffy and two beautifull twin girls as they play in the front yard. Buffy looks up and points past Xander. "Look daddy's home!"
Xander looks behind himself and ses a Lincoln Continental four wheel drive pull up and a slightly older version of himself step out carrying a briefcase and wearing a suit. "Hiya kids! Hello honey how was your day?"
Buffy shrugs. "Same old, same old. We had another violent runaway today but we manged to deal with her." She brushes back a lock of hair as he hugs her then kisses her. "A few more of these and it will all be forgotten." She smiles at him and strokes his cheek.
"Beautifull image isn't it Alexander?"
Xander jumps and turns around. "Who the hell are you and what's going on?"
He jumps back when he sees an image of himself aged by thirty or so years. "Now now Xander don't be frightened it's just me.Interesting thing the future . You know in this time line something happened to you and , together , you and your wife were able to defeat Glorificus. Buffy went onto finish her degree in Social Science while the company you worked for saw a spark within you that the halls of acedemia fanned into a raging fire . You became an architect for one of California's biggest construction firms. "
"That's all very Norman Rockwell but just what would you be called?"
"Many things in many times my inquisitive child. At one stage I was called The Magus, another the Merlin."
"Yeah an' I'm Bruce Campbell!" Xander jokes.
"I always said I had a good sense of humour. " He leans in. "And You will need it."
Giles strides up to Olivia who just smiles at him. "Hello Rupert so glad you arrived in time."
He grabs her by the arm and hauls her away. "What the bloody hell do you think you have done?"
She smiles at him. "Why darling I've proved your point." When she sees a confused look pass over him she continues. "You always said Xander was the Magus and now we know ." She jerks her arm from him and reaches for her cell phone. "And now I'm going to arrange a little trade with Glory."
Giles sighs and makes a hard descision. He puts his hand in his pocket and dangles the medalion in front of her face. "I'll make a deal . You can have this if you promise to leave Buffy and her children alone."
She reaches for it then hesitates. "What of the boy?"
"I asume when he changes he will no longer be 'Xander' ?" Giles asks.
"No he will be oh so much more." She takes on the look of a zealot. "When he rises from the ruin of this boys body he will be the savior of the world! A new messiah for a new religion. Nothing will stand against his powers."
"Yeah, yeah a new God for a new age big friggin' deal . " He gets in her face. "You will leave the others alone ? YES!"
She smirks. "Sure they're of no use to the council now anyway."She holds the medalion like it's a holy grail as she walks away.
Giles looks at Buffy as she stares at Xander's still form. "I only hope to God I've done the right thing."
Xander walked through a , now , darkened world. "What the heck happened?"
"Glory got hold of the key." The older Xander told him.
"But wasn't she supposed to become a God and leave this plain?"
"She was and did. The only thing was the handfull of Vampires that were there and got left behind when she changed were altered. They no longer were effected by sunlight and niether were the fledglings they created."
They walk into downtown Sunnydale and are greated by empty shops and broken windows. "So where is everyone?"
"The population of America is now 5 million vampires and 50 million 'cattle ' .The people are kept in ranches and treated like cattle with just the breeders left alone while the others are milked for their blood."
They come across a scenes that looks like a throw back to the old slave markets and on the block is. "Cordelia!" Xander exclaims. "What's happening?"
"She's being sold as a breeder... Just listen."
",,, Come on what am I offered for this fine breeder?" The auctioneer proclaims.
A large male examines her prodding at her flesh and checking her teeth while Cordy just stands there like a zombie. "Come on Henry ! She's used up , maybe two or three litters left in her."
"Ah but did you know she was once part of the infamous Scooby/Angel gang! Yes folks she is the last surviving member of the gang that last Slayer ran before Glorificus changed the world."
Xander is stunned and shakes his head. "What happened?"
"The old gang were fighting Vamps day and night now and it wore them down. Willow and Tara were the first to fall followed by Giles. Faith and Buffy fought on but with Buffy's condition it wasn't long before she fell . Then within a year Faith finally fell and from there on it was down hill for the human race."
Xander is white with rage . "What can I do to stop it?"
"You ? Nothing what so ever." He begins to walk away but stops. "However I can stop it . Stop it and so much more! All you have to do is stop fighting your destiny and give in."
Xander watches as the slave trader goes into overdrive extolling the virtues of a well bred Cordelia Chase.He lowers his head.
"When ? "
Xander , the elder , looks to the sky and hisses. "Yess!" He looks at Xander. "Friday just as the new Blood moon rises so do I."
Glory is walking towards the hospital as Wilby is at her side complaining. "But Glory we have to prepare more troops for the coming of The Magus!"
"Hush Wilby ! We are taking care of the Magus right now!" She enters the hospital. "Harris is the Magus you fool! Didn't you feel the power rise when he battled us?"
"So what do we do ?"
"I turn him before they have time to complete the ceremony then his power will be ours medalion or no medalion." They deal with the security and are standing outside of Xander's ICU room. "Hello lover do you have an ouchie? Let Mommy kiss it better." She vamps out and enters the room.
Olivia is standing in the middle of a circle of salt and she performs the incantation to call up the spirit of the Magus when she finishes SunnyDale experiances a brown out.
Buffy and Giles are walking towards the Hospital . "So where did Willow and Tara go again?"
"Ugh... Tara's Aunt in Los Angeles was sick so they went to cheer her up." Giles tried to remember if that was what he told her the last time she asked.
"So what did the Doctor tell you about Xander's condition?" Buffy was now very suspicious as Willow had said it was her Aunt only yesterday before they left.
She let Giles talk on about the remarkable things they were doing in genetic manipulation these days just to set him up for the kill. Before she could though all the lights dimmed then went out as they got close to the hospital.
"What on the world is going on now?" She looked around for someone to ask but then she noticed a small ball of light shinning from the window in Xander's room. "Is that Xander's room?" She pointed at it and the ball grew in brightness untill it almost blinded them.
"I've been to hospitals before Giles and THAT is not normal." Buffy picked up pace then she heard a womans scream that grew in pitch until it was suddenly silenced. "I know this song. I've danced to it before."
As they grew closer to the room they had to fight a tide of people as they sought to flee what ever was the cause.They turned the corner and the sight that be fell them was ghastly. The Security gaurds that Wilby and Glory had taken care of lay strewn across the passageway but in the viewing room were the burnt remains of a person trapped in the middle of a sacred circle.
Giles walked up to the remains and from it plucked the molten slag that was once a copy of the Medalion of Saint Vigeous.
"It's Olivia ! It appears she tried to call up the spirit of the Magus and used the copy to try and control him." He dropped the rapidly disolving metal onto the floor next to his ,now ,ex-lover.
The heat from Xander's room started to actually melt the glass window as the ball of energy expanded. From the room ran Glory , her dress smouldering and her hair smoking.
"Come on Wilby leave him it's too late !" She back peddled even more when she caught sight of Buffy. "Well Slayer at least you didn't get him either!" She was about to attack the visibly pregnant Buffy when Wilby came flying out of the room ,his body engulfed in flame , before he burst into a firestorm of dust.
"We'll finish this later bitch!" She grins at Buffy's condition. "The later I leave it the more juicy the victory feast." She ran off down the passageway as Buffy and Giles tried to look into the room.
All they saw was a room full of molten plastic as the monitors and machines melted down under the heat. In the middle of the room , floating just above the melting bed , was a small blue ball of intence light that grew until it winked out of existance .
The heat instantly died down to managable levels as they heard the sound of fire engines aproach the hospital. "Xander!" Buffy cried out.
She turned to the one man that all ways knew the answers but she realised all hope was lost as she saw him slump down the wall . His glasses cast aside as his body wracked with his sobs. "She did it ! She called up the Magus and it consumed them both!" He shouted a curse at the ashen remains of Olivia. "I hope you roast in hell you bitch!"
Angel's slamming of the phone made everyone in the room jump and look at him. He held his head in his hands till he worked out wht to tell the others.
Cordelia hesitantly asked. "What's happened now?"
Angel looked at their worried faces. "Giles sent Willow and Tara to us to deliver the Medalion of St Vigeous so the council couldn't miss use it. Before they left they made a copy, which Giles gave to Olivia to stop her tradeing Dawn to Glory for it. She then tried to call the Magus forth and use the medalion to control him but something went wrong and both she and the Magus perished."
Wesley asks. "What of Willow and Tara when did they leave SunnyDale?"
Angel glances at his watch. "Over five hours ago .So basically they're three hours late."
Cordelia fidgets with her hands, looking at her shoes she asks a question she dreads the answer to. "What about Xander is he any better?"
Angel gets up and moves towards her. "Cordy I'm so sorry...."
Her head snaps up shaking from side to side. "NO! He's alright!" She turns from them. "He and Buffy will live a long life and have lots of grandchildren and.....And.... It's just not fare!" She starts to cry , her body shaking from the sobs that rip through her. She slowly brings herself under control and wipes a tear from her cheek. "What about Buffy she must be taking this very hard?"
"Giles says she just sits there talking to her 'kids' telling them daddy will be back before they know it. He's worried as hell about her and the wicca twins.He wants us to begin searching for them. What with the trouble we've been having with the remains of Wolfram and Hart and Darla I think it best if we don't go out alone."
Willow and Tara are walking , hand in hand , through the ghetto section of LA after the car just died on them four blocks back.Tara turns to her lover and asks. "How come none of the phones work around here?"
A man steps out grinning at the pair. "we find it kinda hinders our fun if the pigs interfere."
They are quickly surrounded by six or seven other gang members of both sexes. Willow holds out her bag relieved at having placed the medalion in a money belt around her waist. "Here is this what you want? Take what you want and leave."
"Thanks for the invite but we really don't need your money honey." The stranger's Vamp out and begin to move in on them. One of the females tells him. "I want red." She licks her lips . "I haven't had a red head for years."
Willow and Tara hold up their crosses and the Vamps pick up pipes and pieces of wood from the ground. "Crosses? Please dudes! If you take it easy and relax it's quite a rush realy."
The girls back up till they're pressed against an alley wallwhen a small vortex opens between them and the closeing vamps. A ball of lightening appears and a form drops onto the concrete walkway. A vaguely humanoid shape begins to form until a nude male stands before them . He looks around at the scene in awe. "This is truely a wonderous time!" A black car zooms by and his eyes widen. "An automobile! I have memories of them but to see it up close...."
"Hey Rainman ! Get out of the way or you'll regret it."
The female bites a finger nail as she stares at him. "Hey Charles don't be in such a rush." She looks up at his face. "A man built like he is would be nice to have around. Never mind these brutes honey , let's me and you go back in the alley and party for a while hm?"
The stranger smiles at her. "I'd really like to 'party' with you but I have this rule about shaging the dead." His eyes glow white and several packing crates explode into daggers of wood. "The only things I stick inside them are made of wood."
He waves his hands and a maelstrom of wood implaes each and every Vamp in the alley. As the dust settles he turns to face the two wiccans shaking his head. "What have my people come to? When I was last upon this plain two Wiccans could have easily taken an army of these unclean things." He moves closer and Willow can't take her eyes off of him while Tara simply blushes.
She points at him. "Welll.. At least we wear clothing!"
He looks down at himself and smiles. "Oops ! It's the whole space time crap it doesn't allow inanimate material to pass through it. And that's were Glorificus is going to come unstuck." He waves a hand and he's suddenly clothed in a brown robe. "Better ?" He asks.
Tara relaxes her grip on Willow and slips a hand into hers. "Much ." Willow smiles.
He shakes his head. "Ugh you two arn't... " He pauses as they hold hands tighter. "God what a waste.. Well too each their own self be true."
Willow asks their savior. "So just who are you ? And do you always appear naked in front of your damsels in distress?"
"My name? Is not important at this time and some times apearing nude has it's advantages." He looks at them again and mutters. "Not that it was worth the trouble this time."
"The least we could do is offer a safe place to stay." She looks up and down the street. "If we knew how to get the Hyperion Hotel that is."
The being lifts his hands. "I could always..."
Willows eyes widen and she grips her dress . "NO ! No that's allright we'll walk . It'll do us good."
Cordelia's on the phone at the front desk. "Okay Kate thanks for the effort." She replaces the reciever and looks at Wesley. "A prowler car found Willow's wreck stripped down in East L A. It looks like one of the 'gangs' may have got to them ."
Wesley closes the book he was reading and says. "Smart move on Darla's part to turn the gangs in LA . Now she has a ready made army at her beck and call as well as one of the more agressive Law firms in the state."
Both of them turn as the double doors swing open to reveal Willow , Tara and a stranger dressed in a rough brown robe. Cordy jumps up and grabs Willow . "God Willow your alive!"
Cordelia's relationship with Willow had been strained ever since the whole 'kissing her boyfriend' saga back in high school but after the days news the sight of her made her a little happier.
"Great to be alive Cordelia, but if it wasn't for this guy we wouldn't be." She points to the monk and smiles.
Cordelia frowns at him . "So who's the monk and hasn't he heard of Niemen and Marcus?"
He looks at her and smiles. "My name is of no significants but you my dear are a cold glass of water to a man dying of thirst." He takes her hand and kisses the back of it. "My pleasure is to serve."
Cordelia grins and turns on her charm. "You know I have the company charge card we could always pop out for an hour or two to get you some proper clothes."
Angel walks into the room after hearing the comotion. "Down girl." He offers him his hand but the monk steps back and brings his palms together creating a ball of fire.
"Back unclean thing! Least I send your body to burn in the fires of hell!" The ball rises and heads towards Angel.
Willow and Tara chant a spell and the ball halts. The monk glares at them. "What! First I find my people have become a mockery of what they once were and now I find you defending one that you should be destroying. PAH! I have a good mind to ..."
Cordelia shouts out. "No he's a good ugly not a bad one!"
He turns to her. "Does he vex your mind? He is an undead beast and must perish in hell's eternal fire."
Wesley stands in front of Angel. "I have tried to be a man of honour all my life and I tell you I have yet to see a human with half this being's soul!"
The monk stares at Wesley and the others and the ball winks out of existance. "Do as you wish this tires me ." He turns to Willow and Tara. "So are all the Wiccans as you ? Or are there still red blooded Wiccans that still survive with their magic in tact?"
Tara is angry. "We are true Wiccans . We can make light from air , float free of the pull of Mother earths gravity, create fog from a few items..."
"But can you do all this at the speed of thought? Do you still need to speak words of power or can you just think them without the props and other paraphenalia?"
Willow blushes. "There are others more adept at it than us , Amy for one , but even they make mistakes ."
"Take me to this Amy then and ....What now?"
Tara stutters. "She's kind of ... Indisposed at the present."
Cordelia says in her usual style. "Amy? Oh you mean the rat Queen of Sunnydale high. " She looks questioningly at them. "What you have'nt changed her back yet?"
The monk glares at the Wiccans and Willow mutters. "She invoked Hecate not me ! Can I help it if we can't find the spell to undo it?"
The monk holds his hands up in disgust. "What a world I've come too. You mean she cast a morphing spell? On herself!"
"No ! She tried to cast it on Hansell and Grettal but it backfired on her and now we can't change her back."
"Incompetance ! " He turns away but stops. "I suppose she's like you two as well." He moves his hand from side to side.
Willow jumps at the remark. "HEY! As far as I knew she's straight. In fact she had this huge crush on Xander before she got turned into a rat." At the mention of his name Angel turns to the two girls.
"Um there's something you should both know. Earlier on this evening Olivia tried to call up THe Magus to take his place in this world but she had the copy of the medalion and ended up burning both herself and Xander to ashes."
Willow slumps into her seat and Tara tries to comfort her. "Not Xander. Please I call to all the Gods of this plain and the next please take unto you the soul of a great and good man."
All thought and purpose of the medalion left their minds as the Monk cast his head down and uttered some words from a long dead language.
"What about Glory ? Did they manage to make her pay?" Tara asks.
"No but she's alone now . It'll take her some time to create any more trouble." Angel tells her. "Why don't you three try to get some rest and we'll talk more in the morning.?"
Willow nods and Cordelia hands her a key to her room. Willow suddenly looks at Angel . "But the Magus isn't supposed to rise till the first blood moon of the new Mellinium. That's not till tommorow night?"
Cordelia shrugs. "Maybe that's why Olivia failed?" then she gives the Monk his key. As their hands touch Cordelia grips her head . "OW! Not again." And she collapses onto the floor.
The monk lifts her up as if she weighs nothing and places her on the couch. "She'll be fine ." Angel tells him. "She's just having a vision."
"Ah is that all ?" He looks at the two Wiccans. "Well I'm off to bed. I don't suppose either of you would..." He sees the daggers they glare at him. "Worth a shot. See you all in the morning then."
As the two girls drifted off into sleep the monk placed his hands upon their door and his eyes turned black as oil. When they returned to normal he smiled and whistled a happy tune as he made his way to his room.
Monk walks out of his room and down the stairs into the main lounge and sees Cordelia sitting by herself on the couch. He looks around and smiles at her. "Hi .. Cordelia is it? "
Cordy checks her hair. "yes Mr. Monk."
"Do you have a room here or something?" He grins and sees her mind slowly work things through.
She smiles. "No but being the Manager I can have any room I like." She stands and squeezes by him letting him know what he's instore for. She looks at the keys. "What's your fancy?"
He sidles up to her and whispers in her ear. "Any room your naked in."
Cordelia blushes but something about this man strikes a chord with her. "" Oh! That's a shame because it would mean you wouldn't be there."
Monk smiles. "I wouldn't count on it... So what was with the floor show last night?" He asks as he moves closer to her.
Cordy's heart begins beating faster and she has a sudden desire to drag him into a closet. "I have these visions and last night they were about a young girl being abducted and sold into slavery during the early hours of the morning. " He moves within arms length of her.
Cordy backs up to the counter and can move no further. "Uh Angel and Wesley have gone to deal with it... Oh God...."
They're lips locked and Cordy surrendered to her other self until her eyes widened and she pushed him away. "YOU ! I know that kiss!"
He runs his hands over her body. "And you remember every kiss you've ever had I suppose?"
She slaps him. "Good clothes and bad sex I never forget! Now what is your game Mr.Monk?"
Just then Angel helps Wesley into the Hotel from the sewer entrence and Cordy races to the back at his cry. "We haven't finished this chat!"
Angel helped Wesley into a chair and then went to get the first aid box. Monk looked over Cordy's shoulder at the deep long gash in Wesley's shoulder. "You should have gone to hospital Wes this is deep."
"And then fill in forms to explain how it happened? No thanks. At least we broke up the slave ring. " Wesley winced as Cordy placed some antiseptic on it. "It was that damned Darla and her gang."
Monk looks at the wound then places a finger over it. "Why not end her un-life?" He pushed Cordelia out of the way then ran the finger down the wound. Wesley choked back a scream as his shoulder felt like a blow torch was being used on it. "There you go! As good as new."
Wesley whimpered but slowley realised there was no more pain and the gash was gone leaving just a fresh line of skin where it used to be. "Again I ask you why not go to her camp and deal with her once and for all!"
Tara woke and found Willow wasn't in their bed but she heard the shower running. "God what a dream! " She moaned. "And I don't even own a leather corset!" She found that both herself and the bed was soaked in sweat. It was the most erotic dream she had ever had yet it seemed so real. Willow and herself were returning from an all night Hookers Ball when they encountered Xander in an ice-cream truck just like the one he used to drive, he gave them a lift to their dorm. But on the way back Willow and she began to fool around , heavily , in the back of the truck.
Tara noticed Xander watching them and stopped , she then sucked on her bottom lip and asked . "Would you like to join us? We find you... Interesting."
Xander quickly pulled over and it all became like some cheep porno movie from there on in. "I didn't even know you could do some of those things!" She muttered. Meanwhile in the shower Willow was in the same predicament only she was reliving the dreams she used to have about Xander before Oz came on the scene as well as the whole ' ice-cream truck 'O' love.
Tara showered and they both dressed , niether looking at the other unless they betrayed thier dreams to one another, then made thier way downstairs. They heard Monk and Angel argue over attacking Darla and then saw Monk storm out.
Willow glared at Angel. "Your just going to let him go?"
"He's a big boy Willow besides if you cared to check the time it's almost mid day and I have this fear of bursting into flames ."
Willow and Tara hurry out after him and Cordelia begins to tell Angel. "I think there's something wierd about this Monk guy." Angel looks at her. "He and I were .. Ah.. talking before you came and ... I'm sure he's Harris!" Cordelia blushes at the two mens quizical looks . "Allright we were kissing and he kisses exactly like Xander does... Did.. Whatever!"
Two burley security men stop Monk from going further than the reception room as Willow and Tara arrive behind him. "Look I told you once that we don't allow anyone past the front desk unless they have an appointment."
Monk smiled . "I heard you the first time . I was just giving you a second chance to leave in one piece."
The two men began laughing at him but with a waive of his hands they both fell clutching their throats and gagging. "Thank you for your co-operation." He steps over them then stops and says. "Have a nice day."
Deep in the bowells of the evil empire an alarm starts to ring out just before the building shakes. "Is that an earthquake?" Darla asks , not wanting to be trapped under the rubble of the building.
"Nah the alarm wouldn't have gone of before the quake." One of the flunkies told her just as the double doors burst open and the shards of wood impaled several of her gaurds. "Knock , Knock." Monk says as he saunters into the room. "Oh hello! " He looks closley at Darla. "My we are pretty arn't we?"
Her men move in front of her as she presses the intercom. "Security! SECURITY!! " Where the hell are those idiots?"
Monk looks concerned "Are you kooking for your other men?" He holds out his hand. "Here's some of them." He empties his hand of the dust he carried. "Sorry but that's all I could find."
Willow and Tara are behind him as Darla shouts. "Bring me his head!"
Monk holds up both hands and brings them together causing a shock wave of energy to leap towards the vamps. As the front of the wave strikes them they begin to glow then burst into flames leaving Darla all alone in the centre of the room.She looks at the remains of her once proud army and runs her fingers down the front of her dress , over the peaks of her breasts and down to her hip. "I don't suppose we could come to an agreement?" She nibbles at the corner of her mouth and smiles at him.
He looks at her and the look in his eyes is the same one she has seen in mens eyes for the past 260 years. "Why don't we go in back?" She sees a look of envy in Willow and Tara's faces. "You can bring tweedle dee and tweedle dumb if you like?"
He walks over to her and Darla kisses him then he faces the two Wiccans holding out a hand. "Care to join us? Oh come on loosen up a bit. What's to stop us from doing this? No one will ever know and hey you might even enjoy it." He begins to walk Darla towards them. "Sorry it's not an ice-cream truck but we can do so much better than that here I think."
He faces Darla. "Is there a bed big enough for the three of us here?"
"Bed? We don't need no stinking beds! " She devours his mouth as he holds an arm out for the others.
Willow hesitates before saying . "No ! Not with her or you!"
"Ah well your loss then." Monk is moaning at what Darla is doing to his body .
Darla smiles at Willow . "You lose again Red!"
Willow felt suddenly very afraid as the man they thought was an ally was being carresed by their enemy and appeared to enjoy it. He sees their confusion. "What? It's been over five hundred years ! You two weren't interested so I might as well try elswhere."
"So your going to turn your back on humanity for a roll in the hay?" Tara blurts out.
Darla laughs. "Ain't she cute ' roll in the hay ' I have'nt heard it called that for decades." She looks at the monks face. "Can I keep her?"
Tara blanches and holds Willows hand as the monk laughs and points at them. "You should have seen your faces ' click' Kodak moment or what?"
He straightens up then turns to Darla. "Sorry love." He blows his breath across his open hands and she screams her body slowly turning to dust.
Suddenly a heavilly armed Wesley and a darkly cloaked Angel burst into the room. "Well here's the cavelry. What ho! sport?"
Angel hurries over to the two Wiccans. "Are you all right? Where's everybody?"
Willow tells him. "You're standing in them."
He looks down and sure enough the entire floor is covered in a layer of ash. "He did this ?"
Willow nods. "He went through them like a dose of salts. Nothing they did , or tried , worked against him."
Angel turns and glares at him. "Okay I'm never one to look a gift horse in the mouth but ... Just who the hell are you ?"
The monk closes his eyes and walks as if searching for something . He stops and smiles then stamps his foot and the very foundations began to shake. "I suggest we take this elsewhere. This place is about to join it's masters."
The five of them just barely made it out as the building collapses and Angel turns on the monk. "As soon as we get back to the hotel you WILL tell me everything!"
The monk moved up to stand toe to toe with Angel and whispers. "Listen deadboy! Unless you want to join your mother I suggest you BACK THE FRIG OFF!"
The power of his voice forced Angel back several feet and by the time he recovered the monk and the two Wiccans had started towards the Hotel.
Wesley helped Angel up. "Um a small word of advice. Don't make the monk angry. With his powers we could rid not only California but indeed the world of the demons and devils that terrorise it."
"Then what? We start to dictate who's wrong or right? " Angel starts walking back to the car. "I'm not saying he's evil Wesley but what happens if he decides he knows what's best for the world? Who the hell could stop him." Angel starts the car and they drive off back to the hotel. "No I think it best that we find out just who he is and what we can do to control him."
Buffy is sitting in the front room of her home as Joyce talks to her. "Buffy it's been two weeks since... You need closure or you're going to just snap."
"I don't neeed closure mom my body carries all the closure I need." She rubs the large stomach. "It feels like I'm carrying the Lakers cheerleaders in there!"
"Oh it's going to get much worse Buffy. You're only three months gone you have another six months yet."
"Gah ! Are you trying to help me or what?" Buffy slowly stands up and moves over to the sink and pours a glass of water and drinks it.
Joyce is trying to gather her courage to tell her the news. "Buffy uh ..We ... That is Giles and I have arranged for a small ceremony to inter Xander's remains."
"No ! How can you bury someone that's not dead? How do you know he's dead? Did they ever find any remains ? No so how do you know he's dead?"
"We don't but surely if he was alive don't you think he would have contacted you by now?"
"He will be back for the birth of his children." Buffy smiles at them. "We know he will."
Giles is talking on the phone to a very worried Willey. "Yes Willey I'm sure she's real pissed at you. Yes that would help what do you know?" As Willey tells him Giles's eyes go wide. "Oh crap!"
Giles has just hung up when the phone rings again. "Hello Magic shop , we make your wishes come true... Hello Wesley." Giles turns white. "When did this Monk appear? And he did what?"......."
The monk is on his way to his room when the door to the Wiccan's room opens. "Hello Tara your up...." She drags him into the room.
Willow slams the door behind him. "We've been having.... thoughts about a certain person." The monk smiles as he sees them dressed in nothing but they're underthings.
"What kind of dreams?"
"Regular dreams . Well regular for skineplex!" Willow tells him as they push him towards the wall. "You're wearing far to much clothing are'nt you hot?"
He turns at Tara's touch and she burns his mouth with a kiss as Willow begins to slip his robe off. "We realy didn't get a good look at you the first time lover . But now we have all the time in the world."
Willow and Tara begin kissing him all over and a huge smile spreads across his face until he jerks . "No ! Not now!"
His blonde hair begins to darken as Willow pushes him onto the bed . "So over five hundred years huh! This should be real good."
"Yeah ." He grimaces and tries to hold back the beast he has trapped within. "Could we maybe have a raincheck on this.....Oh dear GOD that feels good!" He yells.
Willow looks up from doing what Oz had often begged her to do and is shocked to see his eyes change to a deep brown and his hair go black.
"No ! Stop it ! " The monk crawls away from the two girls as they moan for him to come back. "This is wrong! " He hits his fist against the wall and he's suddenly thrown back against the other wall.
As he picks himself up he screams. "You lied to me! This is not saving the worls ! This is rapeing two of my best friends!" He collapses into a heap as the two halves fight for control of the one body.
The spell is broken and they see Xander , as naked as they are , having a fit on the floor. Willow looks at Tara and they both begin crying. "What's happening?"
Willow throws on a dressing gown and moves over to the rapidly changing Monk as Tara dresses. She shakes his head. "Mr. Monk! What's going on ?"
On a field of green two people stand face to face. " Just what in God's name were you trying to do?' Xander asks.
"Hey kid they're my people and I thought they owed me a hell of a lot. And it's been a log time ... Avery long time since i..."
Xander holds up his hands. "I don't want to know. They are my best friends and you cast a spell on them just so you could..."
"Fuck some sense into them." His other self asks.
"Jesus what century are you in? " Xander calms down. "Okay I admit it at first what they did freaked me out but now I realise their love is as strong as Buffy's and mine. So as of now I'm calling an end to our deal your not interested in ' saving mankind' you just want to take what you can and be damned with everybody else."
"Well it's too late to back out now kiddo! Unless you've been asleep the whole time this is it and I'm not going anywhere!"
The body is now jerking so fast the human eye could barely follow it. Willow screams out. "Angel!"
Within seconds he was barging in the door and wondering what had been going on . "Some party ." He observes.
Somethings wrong with him." She points at the monks body as it begins to slow in it's movements.
Angel lifts the body onto Willow and Tara's bed and his senses pick up the scent of what was happening in the room. He made The Monk as comfortable as he could before turning to Willow. "Giles says you were sent to deliver a medallion."
Willow looks confused at him. "A medallion? I can't remember why we came here but I do know that it didn't involve any medallion."
Before Angel could speak a raspy voice was heard from the Monk. "Spell... To make forget.. Top draw ... Please hurry ... Don't know if I can hold him much..."
Angel went to the drawer and found an old money belt and took out a gold medallion. Willow was shocked . The voice sounded just like .... "Xander?" She held a hand to her mouth as the Monks image shifted to that of her childhood friend.
He looks her in the eyes. "Use it to bend him to your will if I can't defeat him in here you must do it out there . If worse comes to worse get him to touch the medallion but be as far away from him as you cannnnnn!!!! God it hurts....."
His visage begins to change and he leers at Willow. "Soon we will get to finish what we started ." He smells the air. "Mmmm you smell nice when your aroused.... God will you back of you little shit!"
The image changes to a green field through which Xander walked. He smelt the fresh clean air and smiled. "Nice isn't it? "
Xander's smile vanished. "Hello Mr. Magus."
"The Romans used to call this Elysium . The Greeks called it Olympus and the Scandinavians called it Asgard. All places where their warrior dead went to live out their eternal lives."
"And is this where you'll go once they've defeated you?"
"No sunshine this is your new home. I'm not going to let you interfere with my plans anymore."
Xander turns angry. "Plans? You were supposed to help them defeat Glory ! Instead I find you trying to rape my friends!"
The Magus brushes his protest away. "Pah ! Rape indeed! Did you not see what they were doing?" He smiles. "I hardly call trying to pleasure me rape BOY!"
"I see no difference in forcing someone to do that to bending their mind to your will to do it!" Xander looks like he has made his mind up. "If you think it's fine to make people do things against their will then.."
"Yet if I went into Glory's mind and made her do good instead of evil that's fine? " The Magus asks
Xander is confused. "Yes... No! Glory is evil while Willow and Tara merely refused to succumb to your advances . There's a hell of a difference. If someone is evil they will be dealt with by evil. Similarly good will be dealt with good. Using your powers the way you do is wrong."
"And I suppose if you hade my powers you would bend the world to your version of good?" The Magus motioned with his hands and they began to glow.
"No if I had your power I would make sure the innocent never suffered through another's actions. I'll leave sorting out right from wrong to God."
"You will have no choice in the matter!" The Magus moves to touch Xander but he ducks and punches him into the ground.He holds his head and suddenly he's in control of his body again.
Willow and Angel are talking about the medallion when Xander suddenly utters. "Willow !" She looks at him.
"Xander your back!" Her face explodes in a smile.
"No ! Please you must do this no matter what you think. Throw a spell around the medallion so it will land on my body when you are safe. It's the only way to stop him Wills. Do IT!"
Xander realises he's still paralysed so the Magus can't make him move unless he gets full control. He smiles and nods as the others flee while she casts the medallion. "Good bye Will."
She's too emotional to talk so she just nods and throws the medallion in the air and rushes to join the others. Xander grins as he sees the golden disk spin into view. "Good bye Buffy know I will love you in this world and the next."
A ghostly apparition appears and points a finger at the spinning disc. "Stop!" It freezes in position and the Magus smiles at Xander before touching his leg. Xander vanishes and the Monk appears before Angel and Co as they clamber into the Angel mobile.
Angel starts to get out to do battle with him but the Monk holds up his hand . "Hold on Deadboy I have a message for Rupert Giles. Tell him his boy is going to work out fine. He past the final test and will be rejoining you soon." As he vanishes the medallion appears in Willows hand. "Give that to the Slayer and tell her to have it framed. If he dares to disobey her she already knows how to punish him."
Willow's face creases in thought then she remembers . "He's cut off?"
The monk points a finger at her . "Got it in one." Then he disappears.
Buffy wakes up to the knocking on her door and as she lifts her head from the table she feels a photo stuck to her face. "Crap! Fell asleep on the table again. " She walks over to the door and looks through the security flap then shuts it and unlocks the door. "Hello Faith come in and share my happiness."
Faith walks over to the kitchen table and sees all the photo's of Buffy , Xander and friends spread over it. She lifts one up and sees it's one of the few that has her in it. "Jeez thanks for drooling all over one of the few good photo's of me." She wipes it on her jeans and returns it. "Fell asleep looking back again huh B."
Buffy looks terrible. "What do you want Faith ? I'm to tired and way too upset to be dealing with you tonight."
Faith shakes her head. "Wake up and smell the coffee Mary sunshine ! It's noon . Weren't you supposed to be at your Mom's at 9 ?"
Buffy hurry's over to her room and emerges with a change of clothes. "Don't tell me tell the Dalton twins here !" She pats her stomach before walking towards the bathroom. "God I wish I wasn't...." She stops and holds a hand to her mouth. "Dear god no ! What am I saying!"
Faith goes over and hugs her as Buffy sobs into her arms. "Why Faith? Why did he have to do it?"
"Because he loves you , and the others , more than he feared death. But mostly he feared living in a world where you were dead. It's not his fault and it's not yours . It's that bitch Glory's . And I mean to make her pay for every second of his life she took!"
Faith lifts Buffy's head up. "You do know he's probably looking down... Or up ... And saying ' Get on with it Buff! You have everything to live for now." She looks down at her hand on her belly. "Two kids that'll need looking after 24/7 and last but not least a group of friends that get you into almost as much trouble as I did. Now buck up and get in that shower girlfriend!"
Buffy smiles and makes her way to the bathroom. "Thanks Faith. You turned out to be a good friend after all. Xand always had faith in you."
Faith goes back to the table and finds her photo again and picks it up. "Xander Harris ! If only you knew you really had a power after all. Love, loyalty and the heart of a lion.She smirks." And a pair of brass ones the size of Nebraska!"
She looks back to the bathroom and then at her own stomach. "I only wish I had half your luck B ."
Buffy is at her moms by three and she's stunned to see everyone there to greet her. Even Willow , Tara and the others from LA are there. She doesn't know how Angel will feel when he sees her in this condition but she hopes he's happy for her. She looks around the room and sees her first love looking forlornly at her.
"Hey Angel. How are you doing?" She asks as soon as she can.
He keeps looking at her then glancing at her protruding belly. "Not as good as you look. " He places a hand on her 'bump' and smiles for the first time in a long while. "Well the chosen one with child. I bet there are a lot of Council members scurrying for their books!"
She looks sadly at her wedding band and sighs. "Yeah. And I'd give everything I had , or ever will have , just to see his face one more time." She begins to break down . "how can I go on without him? What can I say to his daughters when they ask me?"
Angel lifts her head up. "You will go on Buffy because if you don't it would mean he gave up his life for nothing and you wouldn't want it said he died a fool would you ?" She shakes her head. "And when their old enough to ask tell them he's in a place far from the one he's made safe waiting to see them but that he doesn't want to see any of you for a long long time."
Buffy places a hand on his chest and kisses his cheek. "thank you Angel you've always been a good friend." She moves away to speak to Giles and Willow stands next to him. "Why can't we tell her again?"
"You can see what she's like now can you imagine what she'd be like if it all fails?"
"Yes but at least she could spend what little time they have together." Willow tells him.
"My heart agrees but my mind tells me this is the better way for all concerned."
Giles checks his watch then looks for Angel. When he sees him he points to his watch and they both leave quickly and unseen to his car.
Giles draws a pentacle with salt then places a few objects in the middle of it before backing off to where Angel stood. "You're sure he will be controllable ? " Giles asks.
Angel tells him. "If he's Xander it should be fine but if it's this Magus guy .... Well I brought a little insurance just in case. " He holds up the medallion . "Just how does a Vampire King's charm control a Wiccan King anyway?"
"In the final stages of their battle Vigeous had his evil witches create a talisman that was supposed to protect him from the Magus's powers but upon his death the Medallion was changed by the PTB to enable it to control something as powerful as the Magus had become."
The air grew suddenly very cold and the static in the air began to increase. "It wasn't until a girl child that was his prot�g� turned against him that the PTB's realised he could be destroyed by a mortal.But when he 'died ' he actually became suspended in time just waiting for the right genes to produce his new shell."
Angel nodded. "And that was Xander?"
"Yes .Do you know he came to me shortly after the four of us were attacked by the first Slayer in our dreams and told me when he confronted his father about being ' the last of their line ' the bastard threw him out and said he was no son of his anyway and called him a damn freak.Of course he told everyone he left to move in ,with Anya, in his apartment "
"It's a wonder the boy turned out as good as he did." Angel tells him. "Had it been anyone else he would have made a formidable enemy."
They both shield their eyes as a ball of energy appears over the salt design. "Better get his clothes ready."
Angel steps over to a case and spreads the clothes out around the pentacle. A streak of lightening strikes the centre of the design of power and it is followed by a blinding flash of light. When the glare dies down they see the shape of a man shivering in it's centre.
Giles picks up a thick blanket and covers the man and as he stands he looks around his surroundings . "Great can't I ever get away from dark and depressing places to wake up in?"
Angel stands back the medallion held tightly in his hand as Giles passes Xander his clothes.
"Hey G-Man long time no see." He slips the red shirt on but pauses at the pants. "Leather? What is it with you? I bet Angel chose 'em. Mr.Broody in his 'oh look at me all sexed up in my cow hide cast off's ! Don't you have something against denim or even a nice pair of khaki cargo's?"
Angel smiles and replaces the medallion into it's holder. "yeah he's back."
Xander walks around as if looking for some one. "I give where is she?"
Angel tells him. "We thought it best that she not know of your return until after you defeat Glory." Angel looks to Giles.
"The Council of Watchers have told us that Glory is a God and upon her destruction a price will be demanded from the other Gods." Giles looks him straight in the ye as he tells him.
Xander snaps his fingers. "Let me guess ... Uh they cancel survivor 3? " He looks at them then slams his fist on the ornate table. "No one dies Giles ! We take this bitch down and then move on... Now once again, where's Buffy?"
Angel slowly walks towards the medallion but Xander sees him . At a flick of Xander's wrist Angel is lifted up and thrown against a wall. Xander looks at a chair and it shatters into several large pieces , one of which flies towards the struggling Vampire only to stop as it draws blood above his heart.
"Maybe after 250 odd years you're getting a trifle deaf. Let me clarify my question." He doesn't even see Giles as he makes his way towards the medallion. "G-Man if you take one more step I'll make you wish you were dead!"
He then smiles at Angel. "Where..Is... Buffy!" At each word the stake edges itself towards Angels still dead heart.
"Xander! Listen to me when you died your loss almost killed Buffy! It's only because of the children that she didn't do something stupid. Can you imagine if she were to lose you again?"
Xander's shoulders sag. "You know of the full prophecy then?"
Giles tells him. "Yes we do Xander. When she is vanquished her destroyer will go with her."
"Well then we best make sure I kill her then!" The stake drops and Angel sinks to his feet.Xander walks over and sits in a chair. "How is she?"
"I believe ' glowing' would best describe her." Giles tells him. "And the twins are doing fine. In fact they say that they're the healthiest they've seen. "
Xander looks downcast his head hangs between his hands. "Ya' know back before this all started I used to pray to God I would get a power . Any power just so I could help her. And now I have it I'd swap it for just five minutes with her."
Giles picks up the medallion and Xander smiles at him. "It's okay Giles. I'm not going to go psycho - boy on Ya'."
Xander looks at the ornate charm. "Did you know Vigeous had that created to control the Magus ? And that the Magus's own chosen one turned against him after he destroyed Vigeous?"
"Yes Xander we knew." Giles tells him.
"I suppose you knew that Glory was the chosen one of her generation ?"
Giles stopped gazing at the medallion. "What?"
"Yep she was the Slayer of her generation. She was also The Magus's apprentice before Vigeous turned her.At one time Glorificus and Ootha Nathrack a.k.a. The Magus also bumped uglies. She gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, just before Vigeous stepped in ."
Giles looks at Xander. "The books say nothing of this. How do you know?"
Xander taps his head. "Everything that the Magus knew is locked up here. Including the way he manipulated the gene pool to , eventually , produce me one thousand odd years later." He grins at Giles. "So in effect when I stand before Glory I'll be fighting not only my great, great whatever but also my lover. Half of me will be trying to revere her as an ancestor while the other half will be trying to get her in the sack!"
A look of disgust passes over Xander's face. "Eew! That would have to be the worse case of incest ever!" Xander stands up and pulls at the butt of his trousers. "Seriously though you guys I really need to get some proper trousers . These cling to my ass like ..."
"Looks good from where I stand though!"
Xander stops pulling at them and begs. "Please tell me that's not you Angel."
Giles and Angel back up towards Xander. "Ugh I thought your kind had to be invited Angel?" Giles asks .
"I own this place so Vampires don't need to be invited in."
Xander stands up straight and his face looks resolved. "So .. Your early." He turns and faces Glory.
"Hello lover so glad your back ." Glory tells him as she approaches them. "I hope you'll be more reasonable this time round?"
"Sorry Glorificus all bets were off when you were turned." Xander's voice took on a timber much older than he ever was. "All that remains is for us to finish this game and depart this plain." He moves closer to her and gazes at her . "Now I know why I always fancied blondes. It must be heredity."
Glory grins and holds her hair up. "At least mine didn't come from a bottle lover.Not like the little airhead that's carrying your current incarnations offspring." She looks at Angel and smiles.
"So did her liking for necrophilia rub off on you yet lover?" She moves closer as she sees her flunkeys gather by Giles's side.
Xander turns to the sound of Giles and Angel's struggles and moves to strike the intruders down. "Stop!" Glory shouts at him. "One more move and you'll be picking librarian and dust out of the carpet for months!"
Xander turns to her as she motions to her men. "What do you want Glory? I will never join you so get on with it!"
Giles tries to say something but a Vamp clamps his hand over his mouth.Glory steps up so she's toe to toe with Xander. "Just a kiss. Just one small reminder of what we once had my love is that too much to ask for the lives of your friends?."
Xander hesitates. "I suppose not.... But no tongue!" He wags a finger at her before he moves closer offering her his closed lips. She presses her lips to his then places her hand behind Xander's head locking him there as her mouth opens , her tongue touching every inch of his mouth like a scout before an army.
Angel watches as her other hand begins to stroke his leather clad behind before both of Xander's begin to roam over her body. "I think she likes him." Angel says. Giles is trying to tell Angel something but he can't speak.
Finally the two enemies separate and Glory sucks her bottom lip in. "Oh Gods you've gotten better my love." Xander uses the back of his hand to wipe his lips as Glory smiles. "You rubbin' it in or off?"
"It doesn't matter what we once had Glorificus . All we have now is the need to rid the world of each other so lets get to it!"
She steps away from him creating a vortex as she does. "Now , now lover ! Let's not be so hasty." She looks up and sees her henchman take the medallion from Giles. "Besides I do believe you will change your mind when we next meet. So till tomorrow then? CIO lover."
As she leaves Xander spits at the wall. "God does she have dragon breath or what?"
Giles fights off the vamp as they leave then screams out. "She has the medallion!"
Xander has to counter Glory's spell then races outside in time for him to see her spinning the medallion like a coin as she is surrounded by her men. "See you tomorrow lover." She starts to move away but stops and turns. "Oh and remember to bring your pregnant whore ! It's time we ended this incarnation crap!" She holds the Medallion up so he can see. "And that's an order not a request."
Xander slumped down into one of the few chairs that still survived in the Mansion. His eyes moved rapidly as he tried to work a way out of the situation. Giles tried his best to help. "Maybe we could try a frontal assault to try and take the medallion back?"
Xander shook his head. "Nah! She didn't last this long being totally stupid Giles. " He rubbed his brow. "I just wish there was some way to access the information the Magus had on her!"
Angel looks shocked. "But you are the Magus? Surely you could do it yourself?"
"No Angel actually I'm just the manifestation in this lifetime. I have the power but not all his memories." He looks at the pair. "If we can't figure out away around this I may have to give her Buffy . And you know that'll never happen...." His eyes light up. "What about if I simply go up to her and touch the damn medallion?"
"What will that do? Apart from kill you forever!" Giles tells him.
"I thought you said it was like a nuclear blast? Wouldn't it take her out as well?"
"It could but it may also give her enough energy that she won't need Dawn!"
Xander gets up and the chair is propelled backwards until it smashes against the wall. "Well what the hell else are we going to do then!"
Angel looks at him and he knows the boy he thought of as a pain in the ass and not worthy of ' his ' Buffy would gladly lie down his life for his friends but more so for Buffy. "Why not go to the party Giles? I mean if it all ends bad tomorrows at least they would have had one more night together?"
Xander looks over at him. "If I wanted to see her do you think there's anything you could do to stop me ?"
"Probably not but I'm willing to bet you would do the right thing Xander." Angel tells him.
Xander pleads with Giles. "G-Man I just want to look at her for possibly the last time." He slides down the wall. "We were going to spend the nine months choosing names for the twins."
Xander gets a flash of memory from the Magus's past. "They were lovers! She bore him two children so the love must have run deep!" He turns to Giles. "I think I may have a way to help her ascend without bringing on the next apocalypse !"
Xander stood outside the house and watched the party . Every time he saw Buffy moving through the crowd his heart beat a little faster and his resolve weakened just that much more. "She's as beautiful as ever Giles. I just want to hug and squeeze her forever and a day."
"Unless we can come up with a plan by this time tomorrow everyone maybe dead." Giles tells him. "Those that are may just be the lucky ones!"
Xander looks for one more view of his wife before leaving but all he can see is Faith and the others. "Okay let's ...."
Xander and Giles turn and look straight into the eyes of one pissed off Slayer. "You are so cut off HARRIS your god damned grandchildren won't be getting any!"
Xander holds up his hand in welcome as he squeaks out. "Hi honey ! I'm home."
Hellmouth... No matter how many times he sees it the ruins of the old library brings back more good memories than bad. Except on this day when it would bring nothing but death. Either his or Glory's Xander thought. Glory waived her hands to her minions to allow Xander entrance to her chosen ascension site. "You do know what happened to the last megalomaniac that tried to ascend here don't you?"
She smiles at him. "Yes , well he didn't have the cards I've been dealt did he now?" She looks past him . "And where are the other two... Oops that should be four really shouldn't it?"
Xander walks in closer to her and she pulls out the medallion and turns it so it catches the moonlight . "One more step and I'll command you to make her vanish from the memory of all who know her!"
Xander bows his head. "I had hoped for a little walk down memory lane before we started with all that violence and heartache."
Glory looks at him and he reminds her so much of Uther the pain begins again. "Remember the first time we met my love? "
She jumps at the sound of her first loves voice. "Yes Uther ! It was in my father's chambers in Tintagel Castle. "
Xander shrugs. "It was necessary for the prophecy to be fulfilled. But it was also the time of our bonding." Xander smiles in the genetic memory. "Our son Arthur was conceived that day , remember Arthur?"
"Yes ! He grew to be a mothers joy and a nations triumph. As did Sarah who was born one year later." Glory strokes her cheek as she remembers his life, then a single tear runs down her face at the memory of his death.
"His death hit me hard Uther!" She looks at him .
"It was a necessary death my love . With his death in battle with the darkness the age of enlightenment was secured." Xander moves closer. "And our daughter lived for centuries as the lady of the lake until she chose to surrender her immortality for that of motherhood."
"Yes Uther good times ... Until you chose to battle Vigeous! And he took his vengeance out upon me!"
"'Twas that or have his kind rule the earth my love. You must know I tried every spell at my command to reverse his unholy act." He is within arms length from her. "The pain you felt at his hands tore at my very soul Glorificus. I know it's not my place to beg a boon of you but... If I found a way for you to ascend without causing the loss of life and raising of hell would you do it? For the memory of our past love and the souls of our children ?"
Glory hesitates before asking him. "Tell me your solution and I will see."
"Giles inadvertently gave me the idea . Touch the medallion to me and it should release enough energy for you to open the gates with out keeping them open and allowing hell to invade."
"You would give up this life for these mortal fools? If they don't die now they will only squander their lives some other way."
"This boy loves the chosen one just as much as I loved you and if I could have done then , as he wishes to do for his love now , I would have done it in a flash!" Xander tells her.
There is a commotion from the entrance as Buffy, Faith and Giles fight their way into the ruins Buffy , surrounded by Faith and Giles , cries out to Xander. "No Xand don't do it we can find another way!"
Glory looks at her as the small group mange to fight their way closer. "She loves you ?"
"Hopefully as much as we did my love."
She looks at the pregnant Slayer and a wistful look crosses her face. "She looks ... Healthy."
Xander smiles and he grasps her hand. "She deserves to know the joys , and heartaches , of motherhood not the foul breath of some demon as she is devoured."
Glory smiles with him. "Will you be with me?"
"Until my last breath."
She holds the medallion to his chest. "Then we should do it." She peers over his shoulder and shouts at the Slayers and Giles. "Leave now lest you die!"
Xander turns and looks into Buffy's eyes. "Good bye again till our next lives my love." He grasps Glory's hand to his chest and she opens it, touching the medallion to him.
Faith and Giles have to drag Buffy backwards , out into the safety of the open fields. She fights them every step of the way. "NO! NO! Let me stay with him damn you Xander HARRIS... I hate you... I hate you!.... God I LOVE YOU please don't leave me to grieve again!"
They see a circle of light begin to spread from the centre of the ruins and make it's way to the outer edges of the Hellmouth. The ground rumbles , throwing them to the floor. Faith watches as the vampires flare at the touch of the light and burst into flames. "Wow ! Looks like we're not going to have a vampire problem for a while!"
Buffy has her face buried in Giles's chest as he tries to comfort her. They see the Hellmouth open , briefly as Glory ascends unto her godhood. She rises up high and her energy expands into the ether and as she does she looks down on the trio and is joined by the shade of Uther Nathrak , the Magus , she grips his hand as they move up into another plain.
Her voice booms over the landscape as the Hellmouth seals and the eruption of light ceases . "We await your coming Slayer Summers , both you and your loved one."
Giles is amazed. "He did it! The one the council said would be the doom of this world is gone and the rein of hell gone with her!"
Chain lightening crosses the field until it stops in front of them and it forms a large ball lightning that strikes close to them. The light expands then winks out leaving a naked Xander in it's wake. He quickly covers himself growling. "Great ! I wish there was another way to do this!"
Buffy struggles up and races over to him. As she gets close to him she slaps his arm. "Don't you ever do that again HARRIS! If you keep this up our children will be as insane as you are!" She almost crushes him in her hug.
He smiles and holds her closer , kissing the top of her head before realising the others were watching. He holds her hand then walks over to them. "Great to be back guys , and you too Faith... GAH!!!"
He realises he's naked and moves behind Buffy. "Chill out X-man ! Remember I've seen it before." She winks at Buffy as the group move off to find him some clothes.
Everyone is gathers at Joyce's to welcome Xander back to the fold. Willow and Tara move over to him and Willow asks. "So Xand how's it feel to be just a normal Joe again?"
"A relief Willow! I just don't know how you handle all your powers."
"Oh it's a burden Xand. But we have the maturity to handle it."
The two women turn to join the others and Willow knocks the shelf holding Xander's remaining Babylon 5 plates causing one to fall and smash on the floor.
"Oh my God ! I'm so sorry Xander." Willow cries out.
Xander tells her. "It's only an object Will. Friendship and love is all that matter."
The girls walk off amazed at Xander's maturity as Buffy hugs his side. "Wow I'm impressed Xander. You almost bit my head off when I broke the last one." Xander just smiles and motions with his hand . the plate reassembles on the shelf and is joined by all the others that were in the set.
Buffy looks at the plates then back to Xander. "This is going to be like living on the set of Bewitched isn't it?"
Xander twitches his nose and the lights go out followed by the sound of hot and heavy kissing.