Some stories have their beginnings in the stories of others. Some realities are created and destroyed at the whim of powerful creatures. Some vary from others in minor details. Others in major ways. In one reality two slayers meet and combine arms for a short amount of time. In a neighboring reality the same two slayers meet and things play out differently. Here is the story of one such world...
Xander Harris had seen some weird stuff in the past year and a half but the weirdest had just happened. He had been trapped in Buffy Summer's basement with the school queen Cordelia Chase by a man who turned into a giant swarm of bugs. When almost everything had fallen apart Cordelia started to yell about this being his entire fault. Thinking back on his response brought a smile to his face.
"I can't believe that I'm stuck in a basement with a worthless loser like you. It's almost like you planned for this to happen. Another thing is that this is all your fault."
"Cordy not to be rude or anything but can you shut the hell up for one second and try to help me concentrate on trying to find a way outa here." At this Xander started to pick up various items around the basement looking for an oversized can of insecticide.
As the two teens returned to the Library, Xander tried to lighten the mood in the room with his usual jokes. Hey G-man it seems our friendly enemies have decided to include a bug man to have fun. As he said this a strange girl that he hadn't seen before walked out of Giles's office.
"Identify yourself." She said, picking him up by his shirt.
"Making with the Terminator dialogue, that's just plain creepy." Xander replied. "Giles, what's going on here?"
"Xander, this is Kendra, the Slayer."
"Two slayers? I knew it I knew it, this I'm the only one thing was just an attention grabber." Xander joked. Extending his hand to the new slayer Xander introduced himself. "I'm Xander your first Scooby."
"What is a Scooby?" Kendra looked to Giles. "I've never heard of them before."
"Uhh Kendra right. Anyway the Scoobies are what I call our little gang of friends. We help out Buffy with her Slayage and since your here the Scoobies should help you out to." As Kendra reacted to this Xander looked at Giles. "Uhh G-man she is staying here right I mean hello it is a hellmouth after all? We could use all the help we can get."
Giles took his glasses off and rubbed them while he considered the young man's words. "I'll have to see about that Xander, but in the meantime I think that we should find Kendra a place to stay."
"She should stay at my place, Buffy's had an assassin around and Willows folks are holding all sorts of meetings in their house. By the way the assassin seemed to be a bug person." He added the last part on as Cordelia left the room screaming for a shower.
"You and bug people Xander, what's up with that?" Buffy joined the conversation from the stacks of the library. She walked out carrying some books that Giles had asked her to get for research.
"That's were your wrong Buf this was a man made of bugs not a bug who was a man. And I have no idea what I just said." Xander said as he started the long process of looking through some books.
"So why exactly have you been sent to Sunnydale again Kendra?" Giles asked for about the tenth time. After hearing her say that her watcher had told her to come to Sunnydale to prevent a dark power from rising Giles decided that his glasses weren't clean enough, even though he had cleaned them many times in the last two hours. During that time he had given Xander a book to look through which had relieved the identity of the assassin that ambushed him and Cordelia.
"So Giles since this guy can only be killed when he is a bunch of bugs how exactly can we keep him apart for it to work? I still say that we try to use Raid or something like that. They didn't have that back when the book was made it might work." Xander said from the doorway. Giles looked up and reached for his glasses, he had just noticed a rather irritating speck of dust on them.
Fitting the glasses back on his nose he replied, "While that might work Xander it would be best if we could come up with another way to stop him. You could glue him to the floor and stomp on the pieces."
"G-man telling jokes, that's gotta be a sign of an impending disaster. Although that just might work if my bug spray doesn't. Now I'm going to run to the store. Would you like to join me Kendra?" While Kendra looked to Giles to see what she should do Xander grabbed her arm and guided her out of the room. "Sorry about dragging you out of their but I think that was the tenth time he's asked you that question. I got tired of hearing it and I thought that you were also."
So it has begun?" The figure told her brother.
"Yes the slayers have been brought together and the boy has begun to befriend the second. Now what needs to be done will be done." With that the brother vanished into the mortal realm.
"Yes brother it needs done I just wish that there was another way to keep the second slayer there."
Xander and Kendra had returned from the store with supplies for the night. Xander had bought about a couple cans of Raid and some two-way radios. He handed one to Kendra. "This is for when we find the site of the ritual since you will probably be out with Buffy. This way we know were you two are and can get there ASAP."
"Th..thank you sir. I'll keep this with me." They returned to find the Scooby Gang was assembled in the library looking for the sight of the ritual to restore Drusilla to health. Buffy was just leaving to go find out were from Willy where Spike had taken Angel. Kendra decided to go with Buffy to help.
At the bar Kendra had stood back and watched as her sister slayer tried to get information from the snitch. At one point she had almost jumped in and started to beat the skinny man up. Buffy had seen this and used it to her advantage. Willy had agreed to show Buffy where Angel was. "Buffy we need to go to the Watcher first." Kendra told Buffy.
Why so this whole thing can go down and we can be no were near it? No way you go if you want to but I'm going to save my boyfriend." Buffy snapped back while she pushed Willy out the door.
"She is blinded by her love for him. I need to go tell the group were they go." Kendra muttered to herself as she walked out the door.
She heard the radio crackle to life "Kendra this is Xander were are you?" Since she was in contact with her temporary watcher see decided to follow Buffy incase she got in trouble.
"Xander I am following Buffy and Willy. They appear to be heading towards the Church about two miles away from the School." The radio was silent for a few seconds while the group at the library talked it over.
"Kendra keep following them but if Buffy gets in trouble you need to help her. We'll be there in about five minutes." Kendra keeps Willy in site until he leads Buffy into a trap. Seeing this see finds another way into the Church and waits until she is needed. After all a true slayer is not stupid. When the assassin had pulled a gun on Buffy she jumped into the middle of them and the brawl was on.
Kendra had staked about three vampires and Buffy had been fighting Spike and the Gun toting assassin, when the Scoobies entered the building. The bug seeing Xander followed him away from the group. "So this is what a bunch of worms look like when they aren't eating dirt." With that said Xander pulled out a couple cans of Raid and started spraying it on the man's face. As the insecticide hit him he turned into his bug form. After a couple minutes of spraying the cans Xander stopped to look around him. "Guess that's that." He shrugged and went back to see if he could help any in the big fight.
As he returned the fight in the church was almost over. The two slayers were manhandling spike and the scoobs had the other assassin under control. After a couple of hard hits by Buffy and Kendra spike was tossed into a table with lit candles that fell onto curtains and started a fire. As the fire grew the Scoobies began to leave the sanctuary leaving only Buffy, Kendra and Xander left in there. Xander watched as Buffy knocked Spike across the room into the organ, causing it to collapse onto the vampire. With that she picked up the unconscious form of her boyfriend and pulled him out of the church.
Xander walked over to Kendra to see if she was injured but was relieved to see that she wasn't. As he was walking out she said, "We need to make sure that Spike doesn't leave here." She walked over to the fire and grabbed a lose board from it. She carried it over to the remains of the organ and pushed it into the pile. After a couple of seconds the whole area were spike was had gone up,
Xander watching the scene could only smile with the feeling that some terrible fate had been avoided. "Well now we know are going to need a dust buster for this place. Come on let's get back to the library." With that the two walked out of the church with out looking behind them.
"You may have killed my Spike Kitten, but I'm better now. You'll hear from me soon." A voice from the Shadows whispered.
Giles was having his morning tea trying to understand all that had happened in the past couple of days when Xander knocked on the door. "Yes Xander come in please." Since it was daylight outside he gave the invitation freely.
"Giles I spent most of last night thinking about what happened last night. The book said that the bug man could only be killed in its disassembled state right? Xander asked.
"Yes the books did say that. Why do you ask?"
"Because last night I didn't kill him when he was dissembled he was mostly in his human form. What happens when we come across something that people back then couldn't kill?"
"What exactly are you asking me Xander?" Giles was beginning to see were the young man was heading with his questions.
"Giles I want to try to find more modern weapons to help us fight. Maybe this way I could be somewhat more useful to the group. I came to ask permission to do that. I'll do it anyway but I'd rather have your support when Buffy and Willow find out about it."
Seeing the purpose behind the young man's eyes Giles thought for a minute. "Xander if it will held to keep Buffy alive you can do whatever you want." Xander smiles when he hears this. "Thanks D… Giles. Believe me I'm trying to keep us all alive." Xander leaves while thinking of things that might work in the fight against the dark.
After Xander had left Giles had went and found a book that he hadn't read in a while. Giles was interrupted from his reading by the sound of his phone ringing. "Hello Rupert Giles speaking. Yes I understand. Thank you, I shall pass the news onto her. Yes, goodbye sir." Giles hung up the phone in a slight state of shock. He took a few minutes to digest the news of what he had just heard. Now all he had to do was tell his new slayer that the only man she had known for a father had died of a stroke.
"So the first act has been played then?"
"Yes my brother it has, the results are close to what we expected. The boy has shown himself to be more imaginative than the others." His sister replied with a little knowing grin. "Besides I have decided to make things a little more interesting for him and his mate."
"You haven't been taking peeks into realities that aren't our responsibilities again have you? The consequences of the last time you did that are still manifesting themselves in that place. And what do you mean more interesting. They are our charges and were supposed to guide them not do harm to them."
As the "Oh relax brother, I haven't been peeking just talking to the other overseers. And I thought that you had forgiven me for that, it's not my fault that the asteroid didn't wipe out the dinosaurs. Besides I never said that what I had planned was harmful just interesting."
The street was full of people hurrying to get home to their homes before the sun set. In a town that was full of vampires and demons this was a good idea. In a town that sat on top of a hellmouth it was am extremely good idea. Xander Harris knew both of these facts and still walked down the street without fear. He was walking with Kendra, the Slayer that had been called when Buffy had died in the Master's Cave. Giles had called him earlier and had Xander bring Kendra over to his apartment. Apparently something important had happened that concerned Kendra.
As they walked up the door to G-man's apartment Xander was just finishing the story of Buffy's first days in Sunnydale. "So anyway after we got away from the vampires in the cemetery we met in the library to find that Jesse wasn't there. Willow did some of her magic on the computer and Buffy went back to find Jesse. Since at the time I couldn't really read Latin I decided that I would help Buffy. That and the fact that Jesse was like a brother to me." Xander really didn't know how to finish this part so he paused to get his thoughts together.
"I would like to meet this Jesse, but if he was as a brother to you why isn't he here still?" Kendra asked before she really thought of what could have happened.
Xander looked at Kendra about to say something harsh holding back his answer for a couple seconds so his answer wasn't made from anger. "Yeah, he would have liked to meet you also, anyway Buffy and me found him down in the sewers tied up. After we had freed him, vamps surrounded us and he led us down a couple tunnels and a couple minutes later straight into a dead end. Buffy was trying to close the door when he stopped her. That's when we saw that he was a vamp. My brother was turned into a damned vampire it really sucked. Anyway we're at Giles I'll try to tell the rest later, but right now I think G-man is waiting for us."
Xander knocked on the door and waited for Giles to answer. While they waited Kendra looked at Xander. "I'm sorry about your friend, but I do think that he would be proud of what you have done. Are you fighting for his memory?"
Xander stared at Kendra for a couple seconds. "In a way I am. I'm fighting more so that someone doesn't have to kill their own brother with a piece of wood." She had been asking him more questions about why he fought than Giles or Buffy ever had. Slowly Xander Harris was falling for the new Slayer and what slight feelings of love he still had for Buffy Summers were being extinguished.
Giles answered the door to find Xander and Kendra on his porch. He had spent most of the last night cleaning his house and preparing a room for Kendra. Since she was now his Slayer he felt a responsibility to ensure her a safe place to rest at night. His appearance was slightly worn and Xander picked up on this almost immediately. Giles you look like you've been up all night studying a prophecy again." The young man was extremely observant when he wanted to be.
"No Xander no prophecy today. However I received some news from the Council last evening that concerns Kendra. Since you suggested that she remain here and help us guard the hellmouth I thought you might want to be here when she was told. Kendra the council has decided that having two Slayers in Sunnydale is one of the safest courses to follow." Giles finished telling Kendra while he thought Forgive me for the lie that I just told you but I will tell you the other reason later. "I have a room her that hopefully will prove to your liking. Xander thank you for bringing Kendra over here. I do believe that you should be getting home now it's almost dark.
Kendra watched Xander walk back towards his house before she came back inside to check her new room out. "Mr. Giles the room you have provided is very satisfactory. When should I start patrolling Sunnydale?"
"Kendra I was not completely honest with you but with Xander here earlier I thought it best to tell you this without him around. There is another reason that the Council asked that you stay in Sunnydale. Mr. Zabuto had a stroke two days ago. I'm afraid that he didn't make to the hospital. I'm sorry about your loss. I will attempt to help you in anyway you need." As Giles spoke Kendra had hardened her face as she attempted to cope with the news.
Kendra was trying to accept that her first watcher was dead. As she did she swore to herself that her current watcher would not take advantage of her the way her first had. As soon as she was called as the Slayer he had called the council and used her to secure himself a promotion in the Watchers. "Mr. Giles do we know who my new watcher will be?"
"Kendra I'm your new watcher I have been assigned to both you and Buffy now. Though my superiors have told me that I should spend more time with you because of Mr. Zabuto's death." Giles looked at his new slayer with pride she was taking her watcher's death better than he had anticipated. Now he had to begin her training to she how much she knew. What she said next though surprised him as much as it did her.
"Giles could we go get Xander?" Kendra had no idea why she had just asked that. She thought about it a little and decided that she needed to talk with someone who wasn't a watcher but was a friend. Besides she wanted to hear more about what Buffy and her friends had done in her first days in this strange town.
"I thought you said that you had something interesting planned for them today sister?"
"I said that I had something interesting planned. I didn't say when it was going to occur. In fact it is just starting to occur." His sister was really starting to get on his nerves but since they had been assigned to this reality she had pick up on pulling little pranks on the ones they were tasked to watch.
"Hopefully you don't screw it up to much sister. I rather enjoy our current assignment. Now lets see what your little prank is shall we."
"Brother who said this was a prank? I sent them some help, otherwise I don't think either could survive what's coming for them." Grateful that he hadn't been the one to receive the gift of future sight he just nodded his head and hoped that his sister was doing the right thing.
On his way home from Giles Xander was taking a shortcut through on of the many cemeteries in Sunnydale. Since the sun had set five minutes ago he wanted to get through as fast as he could. Being careful to make sure that no one snuck up on him Xander walked through the park thinking about everything that had happened in the past few days. The discovery of a second Slayer, the Order of Tereka, the fact that Kendra would be staying in Sunnydale, and he getting permission from Giles to search for more modern ways to fight the darkness. Buffy had been her typical self and done stupid things to save her precious Angel.
A shoot distracted him from his internal musings as Xander tried to figure which way it came from. Judging the sound to come from north of him he ran that way to see if he could help whoever was in trouble. What he found was not what he had expected. Standing in the middle of a circular of fire was a man who had a dangerous smile on his face. Looking at the mans black clothes and black hat Xander jumped to the wrong conclusion and attacked him. The man avoided all of Xander's attacks and kept grinning. "Not bad kid you have spirit. I guess that's why I've been sent to give you some advice."
Xander paused in his attack. "What in the hell do you mean by that? Don't give me any of that cryptic guy bullshit answers either."
The man just smiled and backhanded Xander. "First I'd watch your mouth it might get you killed one day. Second, I was sent here to give you a gift." Pulling a box out of his pockets and tossing it to Xander. The man looked to the sky. "There I've done what has been asked of me. Now let my spirit rest in peace. Oh kid, I've been told about what goes on here and I think that with what you fight you need to be better trained. Talk to your new Slayer friend, she should be willing to help." With this said the man's figure started to blur into nothingness.
Xander stared at the spot were the man had vanished for a minutes and started to walk back towards his house. As he stepped onto his porch he heard a voice from the shadows. "She's still alive and is hunting for you Harris." Looking around he found no one around, but to be on the safe side he stepped inside his doorway. As soon as he did he wished he hadn't. His parents had been so drunk that they didn't even pause to think when they invited in the nice traveling alcohol sellers. Or at least that's what he thought from all suitcases loaded with whiskey and vodka. Xander looked around the room and saw that the bodies had been pointed at his father's old desk. He walked over to the desk. On top of the desk written in the blood of his parents were the words "Soon Kitten."
Giles and Kendra pulled up to the house to find Xander in a state of shock. Almost immediately they both moved in to see what they could do to help the young man. "Xander what's happened? Are you okay?" Xander didn't respond verbally but pointed to the inside with on hand. Kendra walked into the house to see what could shake her first friend so badly. Seeing the bodies of those she assumed were his parents Kendra went back outside and gave Xander a hug.
"I'm sorry for your lose. You need to come with Mr. Giles and me for tonight at least." Giles in the meantime walked in to see what happened. He looked through the room seeing if there were any clues that could help them track the monster that did this. When he came to the desk he knew immediately who was responsible. "When we find you Drusilla I will personally hold you while Xander stakes you or if he wants to cuts of pieces of your stomach with a spoon."
"You saw this coming didn't you? I hope that you knew this was coming." The brother had a slightly worried look on his face.
"I did brother. Why do you think the visitor that he had kept him there long enough for him to survive? Now brother I think that one of your charges is in need of your services tonight. Maybe both of them."
"What will happen to the boy? Will he be sent away by the state because of the loss of both parents?" With his worry let loss the figure started to concentrate on healing the dreams of a pair of young warriors.
Giles had spent his second night in a row awake. At this point though he really didn't care about the lack of sleep. What he did care about was the fact that he had to notify the authorities about the death of Xander's parents. Then he would have to insure that the boy would be allowed to stay in Sunnydale if that was what he wished. More important was the worry he had for the sanity of the boy. It seemed that Drusilla was attempting to dislodge the boy's sanity. Getting out of the chair that he had been in for the majority of the night Giles went to check on both his charges.
Kendra had offered Xander her room for the night. Xander had refused her offers until she told him that they would both be in the same room. So when Giles entered the room he was shocked to see both his charges asleep on the bed. One had tears for a friend who had lost his parents to the darkness that she fought. The other mourned for the loss of more people that he loved because of the evil of the Town.
Giles finding that both had managed to fall asleep walked over to one of the windows and watched the sun rise. After seeing the sun come out Giles hoped that Buffy would be by within a couple of hours. He had planned on having Buffy and Kendra go out on patrol that night to get Kendra familiar with the town and her sister Slayer. Now that he knew Drusilla was still alive and apparently stronger he planned to have the Scooby Gang together to prevent more attacks on the group.
After dealing with the police, and discovering the fact that the case was quickly classified as an animal attack, Giles placed the call to Social Services to notify them about Xander's current situation. After asking what the options were he received two different options to keep Xander in Sunnydale. First, he could become an emancipated minor. Second, Giles could apply for temporary guardianship of Xander until his eighteenth birthday. Deciding that he would ask Xander which option he preferred he waited until his charges came out of their room.
Giles had been waiting most of the day for Buffy to come in, but around noon he had falling asleep on his couch. This is the sight that greeted Buffy and Willow when they finally got over to Giles's apartment. Seeing her watcher asleep on the couch Buffy decided to wait for him to wake up and sat down in the chair to wait while Willow went into the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat.
After about ten minutes Buffy got tired of waiting and tried to wake up Giles by talking loudly. While this didn't have the effect Buffy intended it woke up both Kendra and Xander. Kendra hearing Buffy outside went to see what was going on. She was so sure that something worse had happened while she had been sleeping. "Hello Buffy is there a problem?"
"Other than the fact that my watcher is sleeping on the job, no there isn't a problem. What are you still doing here? I thought that you were going back home" Willow walked back in to find both of them talking about the Slayer thing. Willow was more observant than Buffy was though. She saw the tear tracks on Kendra's face.
"Kendra, you've been crying. What happened to make you do that?" Willow had to know what would cause the emotionally closed off slayer to cry.
"I am staying in Sunnydale because my watcher died of a stroke, and one of my friends has suffered a devastating loss. I cried more for my friends loss." Kendra explained what happened the last night. Buffy couldn't believe what had happened to one of her friend's parents and Willow was desperate to know were Xander was.
"Xander's right here Willow" Xander spoke as he walked out of his door. Buffy noticed that Xander had been crying more than Kendra was. She also noticed that his usually bright mood had faded into a cold mask of pain and anger.
"Xander your friends are here for you, if you need anything we'll try to help."
"Thanks Willow, but right now I need time to think." With that said Xander went back into the room he had spent the night in. Looking around he saw what he had been looking for. The box the man in black had given him. "I don't know who you are, but you probably saved my life last night. Thank you for that small favor. Now let's see what's in here." Opening the box Xander saw inside a piece of paper and what looked like a wooden tipped bullet.
Deciding to read the piece of paper first Xander picked it up.
Alexander Harris,
As you read this you are have suffered a great loss. Unfortunately, there is nothing that my brother or I could do to prevent what happened to your parents. However, inside the container is an item that we think will help you in your coming battles.
One item as you have probably figured out by now is a wooden tipped bullet. With this it should make your vampire hunting easier and allow more innocent lives to be saved. It will be your job to pick out what weapon should be used to fire this. We could only help you so much without the darkness responding in kind.
If by now you have guessed that the encounter you had last night wasn't by random chance, but a deliberately set meeting you would be right. Another such meeting will not happen again. I do recommend that you be in the vicinity of the Bronze tonight around 10:30 pm tonight. If not your coming tasks are infinitely more difficult. I leave you with the knowledge that your parents have gone onto the afterlife they earned and that they are sorry for how the treated you while they were around.
Picking up the bullet Xander looked at it closely. It looked professionally made. Well he should be able to get a couple more of these made up pretty fast. In fact he had already picked out his first test subject. "First, I lose my brother to you bastards now I lose my parents. Drusilla your going to pay for what you did to my parents." Xander said under his breath. "Then the rest of you damn bloodsuckers are next."
"So brother do you like my little gift for the boy?" His sister was smiling as she walked around the room.
"Sister you came very close to forcing the darkness to respond in kind. Do you know what that could have caused? Just what errand did you send him on tonight anyway?"
"An important one, I just hope that he's up to what needs to be done. If not I fear for our future."
Giles was awakened from his rest by the voices of the Scooby Gang and Buffy's mother. Buffy and Willow had decided with what happened to Xander's parents that they could not afford to keep their parents in the dark about vampires anymore. Since Willow's parents were out of town at another convention Willow would have the group tell them when they returned. For now the important thing was that Joyce knew about the dangers living in Sunnydale had. For her safety as well as for Dawn's.
Giles looked around to find that his slayers had carried him into his bedroom. Listening to the conversation he knew that Joyce was not taking the news well. She was talking about having Buffy and her friends committed to an institution. But for now she didn't seem to be following her words with actions. Deciding that the best way for Joyce to believe was to show her proof he spoke up. "Ms. Summers I know what your daughter and her friends are telling you is a little far fetched, but I'm asking you to preserve your judgment until later. Buffy if I could talk with you alone for a second."
Giles led her into the kitchen to get answers to why Joyce was sitting in his living room being told about vampires and demons. Hearing the reason he nodded, "That's a very good reason Buffy, it's a shame that we did not think of it before last night. You do know that your mother will demand proof that what you say is true?"
"I was getting that feeling Giles. But how do I show her proof without her getting hurt?"
"Simple we all go out and patrol tonight. I feel that having two slayers and the rest of us it will be safer than if we all were separate. Especially with Drusilla out there."
"How do you know that she is still out there? I thought she was dusted in the church." Buffy had decided that since she didn't see Drusilla around when the church had collapsed that she had been inside.
"Who else do you think knows enough about us to attack Xander's parents and leave a message for him to find? If it were only this fact I wouldn't be so concerned however the note said 'Soon Kitten'. It can only be Drusilla, Buffy." Giles snapped back at his first slayer amazed at her assumptions.
Kendra walked out of the room that Xander was in. Xander had finished telling her the story about Buffy's first days in Sunnydale. "Giles, I'm worried for Xander. This is the second time that he has lost someone close to him by vampires. What if he does something foolish? He might hurt himself."
"Yes, he could very well do something rash. On second thought I thing that he should remain here with either Buffy or Kendra. The rest of the group will patrol starting with the graveyards and getting near the bronze close to closing time. This way I believe that we will at least encounter enough vampires to provide Joyce the proof that Vampires exist."
As Giles returned to his room to get changed out of the clothes he had worn for the past thirty hours Buffy turned to Kendra. "Ok, I know that his parents weren't that close to Xander because he never really talked that much about them. So assuming that they count in what you just said he has lost someone else close to him. Who was it and why didn't I find out about it before now?"
"You really don't know do you? Xander had a friend who was as a brother to him that was turned in your first days here. He had to stake him during the harvest. In order to help you save the world he had to stake the brother of his heart. Could you do the same if your tame vampire Angelus ever turned bad?"
Kendra's words had been loud enough for Willow to hear in the living room. As Kendra finished her rant at Buffy Willow whispered one word, "Jesse."
Unknown to the people in the rest of the apartment Xander was in the process of leaving the bedroom via a window. After he made his escape he went over the things he wanted to do. 'First,' he thought, 'I'm going to find Drusilla and see how effective this little bullet is. If its crap I'll just shoot to cripple her. I have to do that before I get to the bronze tonight. Wonder what I'll find there?'
As he neared what used to be his home he stopped at the back entrance. Changing his mind he went into the shed to get the gun that Darla had tried to kill Buffy with. "You may have tried to kill one of my friends with this Darla, but I'll use it to wipe out your kind." He said with an insane smile on his face.
"This is not good, the boy is starting to be driven to his own death." The brother looked at his sister. "What can we do to help the boy?"
"My brother there are many things that can be done, but the most significant one that can be done is being done tonight. Our boss has decided to replace someone important to the boy that was lost."
"My sister you mean that He has gotten personally involved in this reality. That hasn't happened for nearly two thousand years."
After preparing a dinner for themselves the Scooby Gang noticed that Xander hadn't left his room to get any food yet. Kendra went to the bedroom to check on him and to tell him that they had food. When she went in she noticed that Xander was not there she immediately told the others and left to start looking for him. Since she didn't know the town that well she went to areas that she had been before. One of those places included Xander's house.
When she got there Kendra noticed that no one was inside the house but there was a light on in the shed. Knocking on the door she yelled "Xander are you in here. It's almost dark and the group is getting ready for a patrol." Xander opened the door as she was turning to walk away.
"I know that the group is patrolling tonight. I have some personal business to deal with though."
"Your going to go after Drusilla aren't you? Xander she'll kill you like she did your parents. Worse she could turn you. Is that what you really want?" Kendra knew that the longer they talked outside the longer it would take to return to Giles apartment. If it was dark before they got back the chances of running into vampires was almost certain.
"Kendra, I need to go after her. What if she decides that my parents weren't enough? What if she tries to go after my friends, or some innocent that knows nothing of this fight? I need to be out there trying to finish it before she decides to finish it for me. One way or another this game of hers ends tonight."
"Fine you will finish this tonight, but you will take me with you. I don't want my first friend to die. I'll make sure that she dies regardless of what happens between the two of you. Now go inside and grab some clothes."
"What for?"
"Because the others know that you left the apartment and would wonder where you had gone. This way you have an alibi and they don't find out that we are hunting tonight."
After they returned to Giles apartment the group was just about to start their own search for Xander. Seeing that the young man had gone for some more of his clothes Giles relaxed slightly. It wasn't as if he was going out looking for Drusilla. Having Kendra volunteer to stay with Xander while the rest of them were out proving to Joyce that vampires existed was a help to the group. So the Scoobs minus Xander and Kendra left to give Joyce the proof she needed. After about ten minutes Xander looked at Kendra. "Can we go yet? It has been almost ten minutes yet."
"Yes where should we go first? This is your hunt, I'm just your bodyguard."
"Kendra did you just tell a joke?" Xander started laughing as he finished asking. "Thanks for that. I needed it. And as for where we go first we go to the bronze. That's where I think she'll be tonight."
"The Bronze it is. Now lets go find your prey." With that the hunters left Giles apartment and started towards the bronze.
Drusilla was in a good mood her kitten's parents had been extremely drunk when she drank from them. Now as the effects of the alcohol from their blood finally wore off she was looking for more food and plotting what she could do to hurt the murderer of Spike. Without Spike to help ground her, the more exotic of her tastes were allowed to play. Tonight she would turn a couple of students from Kitten's class and use them to torture him mentally just like daddy did to her. Then when he broke she would turn him.
But tonight she had a to choose who she should turn. The boy that she had talked to earlier would do nicely. She thought that his name was Jonathan. Yes, he would do nicely. Now all she had to do was get him alone.
Xander and Kendra had taken the long way to the Bronze. At one point in time they had almost ran into Buffy's group. After that close call Xander decided that the two of them should head to the Bronze faster. "The way they were going it should take them about thirty minutes to get there. If we hurry we can get there in five."
Not looking to see if Kendra was following him Xander started towards the Bronze at a run. Now that he had a target he wouldn't stop until he caught his prey. As he got near the Bronze a couple of vamps were waiting near the entrance. "Hey blood bag thanks for the delivery." Xander didn't waste his time with a comeback and tackled the first vamp and staked him before the second could react.
As the second started to make his move towards Xander, Kendra attacked it from behind. Xander seeing that Kendra was fighting to kill yelled, "Don't kill him yet! He might know were Drusilla is."
With that Kendra kicked the vampire in the kneecaps and dislocated his arms. "Tell him what he wants to know and I'll release you." As she said this she slowly pulled the creatures arms higher behind its back.
"She's in the Club looking for people to turn." The vamp gave up the information as fast as he could remember it. After he finished he looked at Xander. "You promised that I would be released when I told you all I knew and I just did."
Xander pulled a stake from his coat pocket and shoved it into the vamps heart. "I release the soul inside your body to its afterlife, and condemn your demon back to hell." As he finished the vamp burst into a pile of ashes. "Now we go get her and finish this." Entering the bronze they started to look for Drusilla.
Drusilla was pleased she had finally managed to get somewhere secluded from most of the people in the club. There were a couple of people still in the room and she needed to get rid of them though. Since she could afford to wait she looked around the club. As she did she saw that annoying new slayer looking around the club. As she continued to search the club she saw Xander. However as she looked at him he turned and looked right at her. The look she received from him scared Miss Edith. Now her only goal was to get away from here as fast as possible.
Xander noticed Drusilla turning towards the exit and quickly followed her outside. Kendra watched them both leave and had exited herself when she saw two more vampires turn to follow Xander. Running as fast as she could to catch up she managed to stake one before it even knew it was being hunted. The other reacting to his friends dusting attacked with an uppercut that she easily sidestepped. As the vamp tried to regain its balance she swept its legs out from under him and staked him before he could get on his feet. During this time however Xander had ran out of sight. She followed the way she thought they had run, hoping that Xander didn't need her help before she could find him.
Xander was chasing Drusilla as fast as he could however the vampiress was faster than him. Thinking of a way he could slow her down he pulled the gun out from his pocket and aimed as best he could at her back. As he took the shot his arm dropped slightly and luckily the shot hit Drusilla in the knee. This slowed her down to allow him to catch up with Drusilla. Taking his time for the second shot he aimed at her other knee. His third shot was the wooden- tipped bullet that he had been given. "Drusilla you have any last words?"
"I always knew you were a killer, kitten. You've made mommy proud." With that Drusilla tried to attack Xander. Since he had been about ten feet from where Drusilla was she never got close enough to injure him when the third shot found her undead heart.
Kendra had heard three gunshots and knew immediately that Xander had caught up with Drusilla. It would take her about a minute to get to where she thought the shots came from, but she had to get their incase Xander wasn't the winner.
As Drusilla burst into dust Xander slid to the ground. "Mom and dad I got her for you. I just wish that I felt better about it though." As Xander said this he felt a hand on his shoulder. Jumping onto his feet he had the gun aimed before he had noticed that he had aimed at a naked man. Since this was weird even for Sunnydale, Xander didn't fire. Once he recognized the person he was to shocked to shoot, "Jesse?"
"Hey Xand, you wanna give me some clothes before your girlfriend gets an eyeful?"
"He brought back his boyhood friend?" The figure looked at his sister with a look of shock on his face.
"Yes he did, hopefully the friendship the two shared will be rebuilt and both will live up to the greatness they are destined for. As for the Slayer she will come to realize that she was wrong about the boy and the help he gave the group. The boys mate will take time to realize her feeling for him, but it is inevitable."
"So the two of you risked your lives last night while the rest of the group was proving to miss Summers that vampires and demons exist. Also in the course of events you managed to destroy three vampires including Drusilla, and Xander had two minions. Is that correct?" Giles was asking Xander and Kendra about what they had done last night. Now that they had told him he wished they hadn't.
"Yes, Mr. Giles that is correct however I did get three vampires and Xander two but Xander was the one who killed Drusilla. The is one other thing that you need to know though." Kendra and Xander had decided to reveal Jesse's resurrection to Giles when the four of them were alone and this was the first opportunity to do that.
"And what would that be Kendra?" Giles was relieved that Drusilla and Spike were now dust in the wind, but he had to know everything that happened last night.
"Well, Giles it seems that someone upstairs is looking out after us. Last night we actually had a miracle happen." Xander wasn't quite sure how to tell Giles. "Jesse, you can come out now."
"Xander, Jesse perished over a year ago, there is no way he could come out here."
"That's were your wrong Giles." Came a voice from over his shoulder. Turning around Giles looked at the young man that had been turned and dusted the night of the harvest. "I got asked if I wanted to come back and help. Care to guess what I said?"
On the Mouth of hell
Three shall rise to fight
One a Slayer
One a Man
One resurrected
Once united the darkness shall tremble
And the Light shall shine brighter