Title: Blood of Xander (Story One)
Author: tohonomike
Email: All characters belong to their rightful owners...the Joss/ME characters, and any other characters are clearly not mine. NO money is involved.
Summary: Somebody had a story idea earlier today.
Not Beta-ed.
"Okay," Oz nodded as he went through an older book, "Killer of the Dead. That's our boy, and here's a vamp that walked away from it."
"Does it talk about the cure?" Willow asked as Buffy and Xander looked up from their research. Oz handed her the book.
"Oh, the only known cure seems to be in this book we found from Miss Calendar's," Willow continued as she skimmed, "It talks about the Killer of the Dead, a Romany poison designed against the undead and used over the centuries, and their speculation about it. Apparently they tried it on several nasty vampires, and apparently experimented on it in case Angelus became a problem again. The cure results in some type of binding between the two, or some such result. Then they destroyed the vampires in question. Ah! The only three instances of cure involved blood from one of the following: one who had survived multiple possessions, such as a shaman, a channeler or a necromancer; or one born of the clan, and preferably family that had created the poison, meaning Kalderash in this case; or of the same clan or family as created the magics cast that create a bond to the creature, Angel in this case. The Clan is again Kalderash, and the family is …"
Buffy worried as Willow's face paled and lost expression for a moment, "What is it Willow?"
Xander rolled his eyes, "Yeah, Willow, the suspense is killing Angel?"
The redhead looked directly into the eyes of her oldest friend, and wondered aloud, "Xander, the family name is Lavelle."
"Poor Angel," Xander replied, closing his research book and starting to tidy up as Buffy, Oz and Willow watched him in silence for a moment. As he started to get up as though to leave, Willow finally said something.
"Xander, you can save Angel…"
"Does it mention how much blood, Willow?"
"Um, not exactly, it just says drain…"
"As unto death…when we use 'drain' in sentences, it involves biting and being near dead or dead," Xander responded, then looked at Buffy, "If all it specifically said was that a pint was needed, we could whip out a syringe. Drain? I'd give my life for any of you living people. Keep researching, I have to talk to Giles."
"But you can save him," Buffy pressed, "We need him for tomorrow."
"In the day time? Come up with something better, Buff. Even I might take a few vamps down with me tomorrow. Angel would be a crispy critter."
"But—"
"I'm not going to be drained by a vampire, and especially when it won't save any more lives than I can…I'm going to see Giles. Find something else."
"You're correct, Xander," the former Watcher told him, remembering Jenny, "there are just too many variables involved to take the risk. We'll figure something out. Though I find it fascinating that you fit all three categories for a cure."
"Huh? Oh, I guess you're right, but I doubt that means only a third the blood, right?"
"Probably not, or else as desperate as things look, we'd need to consider it."
"Something about the demon?"
"The local villagers near the volcano site made reference to the legend of Ollokai. Might be a bastardization of Olvikan."
"Who's Olvikan?"
"I know it's a demon, a very old one. Might have a picture…oh dear."
Xander unfolds a page, twice, "We're going to need a bigger boat. And if you think it will do any real good and not kill me, take a look at the frickin' gypsy book."
An hour later, Buffy had managed to get Angel to the hospital, the only place Xander would agree to do this. Giles had discovered that there would probably be an eclipse at the time of the Ascension, which would allow Angel to participate in the fight. And so a very unhappy Xander Harris had agreed to do this, and only by a blood transfusion, in a hospital and with no one but Giles and a coerced doctor in the room. Buffy had opened her mouth to protest, but Xander held up his hand and gave her the look he'd threatened her with when Willow was kidnapped by the Anointed One.
After Giles performed the ritual, the transfusion began, taking a while since Angel was to receive only enough to cure him without Xander's death or major impairment. Angel was instantly in pain, his body feeling scourged from the inside as the poison was converted into something … fascinating, as all three cures resulted in an extremely strong magic taking place. As Xander also began to feel pain, Giles strapped the young man down, and Xander's eyes flashed green spooking the doctor. He and Angel seemed to average out the pain and delirium, Xander screaming out about 'Charlie on their six' and 'those things are after us' then began speaking in Romany, his eyes flashing green within the complete blackness as little yellow and blood red bolts flashed all over the two of them, Angel experiencing the light show but not the speaking in tongues. Giles went to the door and yelled through it for the others to stay out of it.
Finally, both collapsed in exhaustion.
Xander looked up and made eye contact, too tired to vocalize anything, but could think it, 'Hey asshole, you better be better after all that shit.'
'I am, and how can you be in my mind? Even Buffy couldn't when that demon aspect infected her.'
'Must be part of the binding…' Xander thought back, and mentally tossed the Romany book at the vamp, who as Giles noticed on the way to the door winced at Xander.
'Oh…' the vampire replied without enthusiasm, causing Xander to recollect.
'Crap…at least I'm in charge,' Xander grimaced distastefully at the vamp as Buffy ran into the room and over to embrace Angel, oblivious to all else.
'Bitch, not even a frickin' 'are both of you okay?' as she runs to hug you,' Xander mentally spat, Angel picking up on it, 'Looks like I'm definitely heading to LA with ya, Minion, after our road trip.'
'Minion?' Angel thought in horror, 'Road trip?'
'Your car, and I plan to see a few sites before we settle in somewhere.'
"—Angel, Angel, are you listening to me," Buffy asked, "Why are you looking like you're afraid of Xander?"
"Because he's my minion now, Buff," Xander smiled, "And we're taking his car and seeing the country together and killing bad things if we survive tomorrow."
"When would you come back?"
"Couple years, maybe never," he told her seriously, 'since no human is even worth a thank you.' Having thought that he knew he wouldn't stay away, but damn it, it sure felt good to think it, he smiled.
'Xander…' Angel frowned.
"Oh," she relied quietly, "so why are you staring at each other.
"Because, Buff, I can apparently do the telepathy with Captain Minion, here," Xander replied as the others came in, the doctor gone, "Giles, it looks like I got all three side effects of the spell, though I'm not letting vamps suck on my neck to find out."
"What do you mean?" Willow asked with Willowesque concern, "What effects?"
"If you'd read the book, Will," Xander replied, shaking his head as he got up and adjusted his shirt, "The poison guy saving Giles has his blood have big time Killer of the Dead effect on vampires, the caster guy has the whole ability to draw on Angel for the vampire effects like healing speed and stuff if he's nearby, maybe the unaging thing. And the possessor type guy can control both the demon and the soul, including the body, so that's where the mind link comes in. Usually you get some of it, but since I was all three categories…"
"Good Lord."
"And so there you have it. And now, I'm taking the Minion, registered trademark all rights reserved, to go get Faith and secure her until we leave tomorrow afternoon."
Buffy nodded, "I—"
"—will stay with the others and research and protect them, as this is not a search and murder mission, and I want to vomit when you kiss Minion-Boy."
And thus Xander the Normal-Plus Guy, Angel the Minion ™ and Faith Wilkins, began a big West Coast vacation before something inexorably pulled them back to the good fight in LA. Though because a show of proof was required to convince Faith of his sincerity about something private, Xander did do a little dancing in Oxnard, and no power on this earth will reveal that part of the story. As for changes to events in LA? Other than Seattle resulted in a big espresso machine being set up in the office, with endless coffee being sent over by grateful execs of a certain big-time chain, and Cordelia blessedly unable to work it…who can say?
