In the chilled light night air of one of the many Sunnydale cemeteries Buffy and Willow were vigorously arguing with their long time friend Xander Harris. Just minutes earlier Willow had inadvertently stated how sorry she was that the soul restoration curse she had tried to perform on Angelus she had cast had failed. Buffy of course was shocked that the curse was tried and the fact that Xander had lied to her that fateful night was suddenly brought to the forefront of their heated debate.
"Why'd you do it Xander?" Buffy screeched. "What were you still hung up on me? Still jealous of what Angel and I had? You son of a bitch you sent him to hell!" The tiny slayer yelled at the normally jovial young man.
"Buff it had to be done. If you knew that Wills was trying the spell again you wouldn't have fought to your fullest and then what? Angelus would have won and the world would have been sucked into hell! that's what! I'm sorry Buffy but this is just as much Angel's fault as it is mine! I know if I was cursed I sure as hell would have found out every thing there was about my curse and I wouldn't have been careless enough to let that monster Angelus back out on the planet! And now that I'm thinking about it, if you hadn't gone and got pelvic with him none of this would have happened.!" Xander yells back in his defense.
"You basterd! I'll kill you!" the slayer screams and launches a vicious kick at Xander's chest which connects with a sickening crunch as several ribs are shattered and the hapless young man collapses in a heap on the cold damp ground. The slayer stalks over to where Xander fell and continues to kick the fallen youth in the ribs and as he tries to roll away she kicks him one last time in the back and then walks away in revulsion for her former friend.
"Willow help me please call an ambulance." Xander weakly moans out and then coughs up a large glut of blood.
"I cant believe you Xander! I hope you rot in a special place in hell for what you did!." The witch growls into the injured young man's face then she slaps him harshly and stalks off to find Buffy.
As Xander's vision started to blur, and he knew that he was dieing, a column of swirling white lights appeared next to his broken body and an ethereal being formed in front of him.
"Well I guess it's official then, I'm dieing." Xander croaked out.
"Shh... you're not gonna die just be still for a minute." The being quietly whispered to him as he placed his hands on the fallen teen. A golden glow enveloped the beings hands and Xander felt his bones and internal injuries miraculously heal.
When the being stood back away from Xander the young man sat up and looked closely at his savior.
"Thanks man for the save." Xander meekly states. "And not to sound un- grateful or any thing but, what do I have to do now to repay you or who ever is responsible for me still living?"
"Well you don't have to do anything. Your life is your own." The stranger starts. "But we would like you to appear at an upcoming trial and to also offer you a job."
"Ok first before I give you an answer, who are you and specifically what are you? And Second a job? If its working for evil then the answer is not a chance in hell."
"Oh pardon my manners for not introducing myself first." The stranger blushed. "My name is Leo Wyatt and I'm a Whitelighter."
At Xander's blank expression Leo continues. "A Whitelighter is a guardian angel for witches. I was on my way to meet my newest charge when she kinda like slapped you and disregarded you cry for help. Now she's gonna have to be re-evaluated to see if she qualifies for a Whitelighter."
"O...K?" Xander squeaks out. "That tells me who you are, now the job offer."
"My bosses, the Elders and the Powers that Be, have decided that we need a new branch of warrior to fight the good fight. They have decided that depending on hormonally unstable young girls for their warriors wasn't the brightest thing they've ever done. So they want to start a new branch. like the Slayer, but with a man in charge instead of an emotionally charged young teen girl. They want you to be the first White Knight. And with the formation of the White Knight the Slayer will become subservient to that position."
Leo sees the mischievous smirk that crosses Xander's face. "Ok what type of back up does the new position have? I wont tolerate a Watcher's Council type deal or the PTB's showing up every other day to tell me to go kill some thing or an other." Xander plainly states. "Oh and the fights alone crap the Slayer's have always had to put up with isn't gonna happen."
The whitelighter smiles. He knows Xander has already made his desicision and pulls new warrior up by his hand.
"I guess the easiest way to do this is to take you to meet the bosses." Leo states and as Xander nods his consent the pair disappear in a swirl of lights.
"Can you believe that asshole? Why did he do it Willow? Why couldn't he just tell me the truth!" Buffy cried out when the pair of young women entered the slayer's bedroom.
"I don't know Buff. I do know I wont ever forgive him for this though. I mean he sent Angel to hell for no reason. I sent him to tell you to stall for time not kick his ass." The young witch exclaimed.
"If I ever see Xander again it'll be too soon! Damn him!" The slayer seethed thru clenched teeth.
A sudden clap of thunder interrupts the girls ranting and three figures in robes appear before Buffy and Willow.
"Buffy Anne Summers, Slayer, you are here by found guilty of forsaking your sacred duties and using your powers to exact revenge on a fellow warrior of light. Willow Marie Rosenberg, Witch, you are here by found guilty of being an accomplice in the fore mentioned crime and found guilty of the damnation of an innocent soul. Both of you will now come with us to face your punishment." The robed figure in the middle read from a scroll.
Buffy tried to charge the figures in her room when she and Willow were suddenly enveloped in a blinding blue flash of light that froze them in place. Then as quickly as the robed men appeared they were gone taking the confused and frightened young girls with them.
Xander and Leo materialized in a large court yard filled with people all dressed in golden robes. A small contingent of the gathered throng notice the pair's arrival and walked over to the newcomers.
"Ah… Leo I see you have brought young master Harris to us." A distinguished elderly man states as lays his hand on Xander's shoulder. "So am I to understand you have accepted our offer?" The gentleman asks the young man.
"Well sir Xander has some questions first." Leo answers for him.
"Well go ahead young Alexander, ask away." The Elder smiles at him.
"Ok… I wont have to answer to any council will I? And this business about the Slayer working under me what's that all about? Oh and I wont be asked to do your bidding at every turn will I? Cause that would get old real quick." Xander rattles off.
The Elder lets loose with a heartfelt laugh that cheers Xander to his very soul. "No Alexander you wont have to answer to anyone if you stay on the side of light. This all has to do with free will. We wont interfere with you as long as you fight the good fight. And the Slayers have been found to be a tad bit unstable as you have personally found out tonight. She needs a keeper equal to, if not stronger then herself to answer to. We will set in motion a means of nullifying the Watchers Council's influence so they wont interfere with you acquiring the role of her keeper."
"Ok I accept your offer. Now about this hearing thing when is that going to happen?" Xander asks.
"I'm glad you asked Alexander, the judgment hearing is just now starting." The Elder replied with a smirk.
Buffy and Willow materialize bound in place before a large semi- circle table with 12 robed figures sitting at the table. The Elder sitting dead center of the table strikes a gavel three times.
"We are here today to pass sentencing on one Buffy Anne Summers and one Willow Marie Rosenberg." The apparent judge starts. "We all know and witnessed their crimes and their guilt is not in question. The question before this panel is what, if any, punishment shall befall these two warriors who disgraced their calling. We will now hear from the two guilty parties and see through their eyes their justification for their actions."
Willow and Buffy look at each other then Willow turns towards the court and begins. "I don't understand why I'm here. I mean I'm not a warrior or anything and I don't remember damning anyone's soul either." Willow states to the court.
"Did you or did you not consciously choose to fight against the darkness?" The elder judge asks her.
"Umm… yeah I did but that doesn't make me a warrior." She meekly replied.
"So you chose this fight without thinking any consequences would befall your actions. No your choice made you a warrior of light. Now as to the other charge of damning a soul. Did you not cast the soul restoration spell on the demon Angelus? Well you childish little girl, you researched that curse long and hard and with testimony given to you by none other then Angel himself you knew that the demon wasn't the one cursed but the innocent soul you put back into that monster's body. If you hadn't interfered then Liam would have found peace in the afterlife but now his soul is tormented in hell. And it is your dabbling in magic's you do not understand and your arrogance that put him there!"
"Now Slayer your crimes are just as egregious as the witches. You didn't do your sacred duty and slay Angelus on several occasions. Did you think there were no ramifications to your actions? Sixty-seven people died at the hands of Angelus after you refused to stake him in the incident involving the Judge. That's sixty-seven lives your inaction killed! The blood of those innocent lives are on your hands Slayer and no one else's."
Buffy didn't respond she just lowered her gaze and stared at the floor.
The lead judge continued. "These crimes you both are guilty of would have gone un-punished if that was all there was to this matter. But tonight you both struck down and left for dead a fellow warrior of light. The only one in your little group that had the fortitude to act in humanities sake. This individual with out the benefit of super strength or speed, or the use of magic or sorcery has fought for the survival of the world and for the destruction of evil where ever he found it and you two tried to extinguish his life for doing what was needed. He protected the planet once again from evil. So with that said we will now move on to the punishment faze of this hearing."
"Willow Marie Rosenberg, Witch, your punishment is the binding of all of your magical abilities. You are too cavalier to wield magic. You make decisions rashly and without proper thought. There fore it is our judgment that you receive a whitelighter to guide you on all of your life decisions and until he reports you capable you will remain powerless."
"Buffy Anne Summers, Slayer, a decision has been made and you have a choice. Your line will no longer work alone you will have a partner to help fight the evils that plague the Earth. But you will no longer be the authoritive voice you will be subservient to your new partner. They will decide on what action you will take and how you will do it. If you do not accept this decision the only other option will be that we strip you of your Slayer essence and wipe your name from all records of your deeds. Your actions will be listed only under the name of Slayer. You will once again be a normal girl without the aide of your powers and you will remember everything that goes bump in the night. Those are your two choices so decide on your punishment." The judge finishes.
"Um… I really want to continue to be the Slayer." Buffy starts. "Who is my new partner? Will I have to hunt for them or what?"
"Your decision has been made. So shall it be written. Bring forth the new White Night." The judge announces with a bang of the gavel.
"Not partner Buff, your new boss." Buffy hears behind her. She turns and her jaw drops as she sees Xander standing there with a huge grin on his face.