By David Mycock The Darkest Road
Walking the Path
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the vampire slayer or any other of the characters in this story they belong to Joss Whedon and whoever else created the characters used in this story. Any characters I created I own.
Pairing: Janna Kalderdash/Xander Harris (There will be other relationships in this story but this is the main one)
Summary: Xander and his friends continue their journey before finally heading to the Romany clans to challenge for control of the Lavelle Clan and finding answers to long buried secrets.
(Sunnydale)
Xander pushed himself as hard as he could as he ran through the park trying to keep the pace he was setting, it had been one and a half months since he, Lilith and Tara had been retrieved from their journey through alternate dimensions and whilst things had settled down they were still some problems which had come from that journey.
His and Janna's relationship had gone through some very rough patches after the revelations about his bonding to Tara, Janna had not been happy about how important Tara had become in his life and the powerful connection she now shared with him.
There was also the fact that a small romantic attachment had surfaced between him and Tara which had come to light when Tara had almost been killed during a patrol with Kendra and Adrian, this had really caused trouble within the group and after a lot of arguments and stress things had settled down and Janna had excepted that his relationship with Tara could not be altered and would have to except it if she wanted to keep their own relationship going as well as rising their child when he was born.
Then there was also the small fact that Alucard had stated that the bonding ritual itself was the purist form of marriage there was, it had been used centuries ago when magic users were everywhere and had the power to use it in a group. This had ended the argument between him and Janna and after a few days she had come to except it as she did not want him to be cruel to Tara for things outside her control or choice.
They had stayed in Sunnydale to rest and continue their training; he had been surprised by the fact that Alucard and his master Sir Integra had decided to stay to help.
He had to smile as he recalled how annoyed Janna had become when she was told she would have to start taking it easier due to her been pregnant, her training was restricted to learning magic and weapons usage. Tara had begun learning to use not only the sword she had been given in middle earth and the weapons the Hellsing organisation used in the fight. Lilith had continued along with her father to teach them the ancient magic of the Romany people. He stopped running as he almost ran straight into Buffy and Willow, he had stayed away from them for the time being not wanting to aggravate the situation between them.
His journey through dimensions had reminded him of some of the better times he'd had when he'd been friends with them and it had also shown him that maybe it was possible to re-forge their friendships even if it took a long time, he had not been expecting to run into them today and he was unsure how to react.
"What are you doing back here Xander?" Buffy demanded to know instantly angry at seeing the person who had killed Angelus and in so doing made sure there was no way to save Angel
Xander was about to shout back when he stopped and pulled in his own anger, something which had become easier thanks to his bond to Tara and Lilith's meditation methods. He knew reacting angry would only worsen things and so he decided to try and stay as calm as possible
"We've been back for a month and a half Buffy" he started "We tracked a cult here who was trying to do a ritual which would of resulted in a lot of deaths" he continued deciding not to give them the full truth yet about what the cult had done "We managed to stop them and we decided to stay and rest for a bit, we've been quite busy since we left" he also decided not to tell them the cult had been killed as he knew Buffy would never except it for any reason
"You have some nerve thinking you can hang around here after what you did" Buffy spat not really caring what had brought him and his group back to Sunnydale
"You don't own this town Buffy which means anyone including me can come here and stay" he replied a little annoyed at her statement "You need to remember Buffy I didn't kill Angelus to spite you or the others I did it to save countless lives and I destroyed the soul spell to save anyone from sacrificing their soul to bring Angel back something which I do not believe Angel would of wanted you to do" he added
"How dare you" Buffy started to say before Willow cut her off
"Buffy stop" the red head almost shouted sick of the argument already even if Xander had responded in a calm manner "Continuing to be angry is going to do no good, he may have a point" she continued "I've read up on the soul spell since Angelus died and so has Giles and we've both found out if I or Miss Calendar had done the spell we would have corrupted our souls with black magic and become as evil as Angelus in seconds" she finished "We didn't tell you because we knew you wouldn't listen but considering Xander and his group are back you might as well know and I cannot believe Angel would want you to sacrifice you friends to save him" she finished
Buffy stared at her friend for a few seconds before turning and storming away, she couldn't believe what Willow had told her. Willow watched with a sigh as her friend stormed off, this is one of the reasons she and Giles had not tried to tell the slayer what they had found out as they knew she would just get even angrier. She turned and faced her former best friend and noticed he was watching her closely to see what she would do next
"You may have been right Xander but still you could have waited until we could have found the same answer and made sure Buffy knew it as well" she finally told him
"We had no more time Willow you know that" Xander replied "Too many people had died as it was; Janna almost died at his hands and with her our unborn child" he continued "Buffy refused time and again to kill him so I did what ever I had to make sure she, and the rest of Sunnydale including you guys were safe from him and his childes" he added with a little heat in his voice "I didn't make that decision easily Willow because I knew it would destroy any hopes of savaging our friendship but I knew I had to do it" he went on hoping to get through to her "You know saving the lives of people means more to me than almost anything" he finished
Willow stared at Xander as he finished speaking and thought deeply over everything that had happened since the love spell which had started everything, she knew he was not a vindictive person and would not have tried to kill Angelus and destroy the soul spell just to hurt Buffy. She also knew that since Jessie had died when they first became friends with the blond slayer he had done everything he could to save as many lives as he could, that he had felt devastated when they did fail to save the lives of those who didn't even know that vampires and demons were real.
But could she ignore the damage that had been done during the Angelus crisis, their friendship had been damaged deeply as she had sided with Buffy refusing to listen to any of the arguments he and Miss Calendar had pushed forward and she had to admit she had been wrong to do so, she had no right to ignore the danger Angelus represented just because his destruction might hurt Buffy. She didn't know what to do really and so she decided to have a long talk with Giles before she did anything else and maybe Oz and Cordelia as well
"I need to talk to the others Xander, I'm confused as to what to do" she finally admitted "I know you had your reasons for doing what you did and a part of me agrees with what you did, but another part me thinks you should of done things differently especially in regards to Buffy" she went on "I'll come and see you and let you know what've we decide, I take it you're back at the Hellsing mansion right?" she asked
"We are" Xander replied "But don't take too long Willow, we will be heading out soon to continue our journey, I would like to go knowing we've repaired at least some of the problems between us and maybe I can share some of what's happened since I've been gone, I think you would find it interesting" he informed her with a small smile before turning and running back towards the mansion
Willow watched him leave and thought over what had been said and she couldn't help but acknowledge a part of her did want to rebuild her friendship with Xander, she sighed and then turned and headed for the school knowing Giles would be there working hoping he could help her sort through her muddled thoughts.
(Other Realm)
Cassandra watched the rather tense meeting between Alexander and his former friends; she was not surprised with the blond slayer's reaction as she was still consumed with herself at this point. However she was pleased to see the red head was beginning to see the error of her ways and if she had heard correctly maybe there was hope for Rupert Giles as well.
She looked up as her lord, Tanith and Jonas the new joint leaders of the powers that be walked into the room. The reconstruction of the powers that be was still on going after the events surrounding Malek's betrayal and Alexander and Lilith's trip through dimensions even if the trip itself had helped them more than it had hindered them.
"It would seem my lord that not all of the blond slayer's group is completely lost" Cassandra reported "Willow and Rupert Giles both seem to have seen the error's they have made and realised that Alexander and Janna were correct about the soul spell" she added
"Good, they may be some help in the future" their lord replied as he came to a stop near the viewing pool "I believe Alexander's last stage of his journey will be his and his friends most difficult" he added with a frown
"How so my lord?" Jonas inquired
"They still have much to do before they head to the Romany tribes to finish their journey and I believe it is during this period they will face there most difficult challenges" their lord answered
"I take it my lord their period of rest is almost over?" Cassandra asked
"It is Cassandra" their lord agreed "They have at least a few more days before fate once more catches up to them" he continued with a small smile
"I hope Willow and Rupert Giles come to a decision before Alexander leaves, I believe it will help him greatly to know he has patched up some of his destroyed friendships" Cassandra stated
The others nodded their heads in agreement with her statement before turning to the viewing pool to watch Alexander re-enter the Hellsing mansion
(Sunnydale)
Xander entered the mansion still thinking heavily over his meeting with Willow and Buffy, he really hoped that Willow would come around and maybe bring Giles with her. He looked around and noticed Janna in the living room with his mother and Amy, he quickly joined them kiss Janna deeply before taking a seat next to her
"Is anything wrong?" he asked as he settled next to Janna
"We were just discussing what's going to happen when we're ready to re-start our journey" Amy replied with a smile guessing her friend had been a little concerned at first
"We have quite a few things to do before we go after Radrik" Xander stated as he recalled all he, Lilith and Tara had learned on their journey through dimensions
"You've told us quite a bit about what you experienced Alex, but you didn't tell us what you had planned" Janna told him as she leant her head on his shoulder
"One of the first things we need to do is find the charmed ones and try and make sure their eldest sister Prue survives an attack which will happen in a few months as well as find their lost half sister Paige" Xander explained to them "I gave my word to the sisters we met in the alternate dimension we would do everything in our power to make this happen and I will not just forget it" he added
The three women shared a small smile between themselves as Alexander once again showed why they cared and loved him so much, he was willing to risk his life and those of his group to save the life of a woman he had never met to honour the word he had given to her sister's in another reality. They had all seen how much his trip through different dimensions had affected him and Lilith as well; they were both different than they had been before they had been ambushed. From what they had been told Tara too had been changed since she had joined them in the first dimension they had visited.
"And once that's done Alexander?" Sarah inquired interested in what else her son had planned
"We have to check in on Harry and his friends, they're in a war for their very lives and if they loose Voldemort and his followers will poor into our world and wreck havoc" Xander answered as he recalled everything Harry and Dumbledore had told him when they had visited Hogwarts and stopping Voldemort from attacking the normal world was one of his primary goals "Harry is a good kid who's just recently excepted been one of the leaders of his side and he needs all the help he can get and there is no telling what's happened since me and Lilith left them" he continued "Me and Lilith both pushed him to take his destiny into his own hands and we owe it to him to help him take down Voldemort so he can live his life as he wants to" he finished
"We understand Alex" Janna assured him again pleased with his response as he again refused to ignore his responsibilities and his loyalties to his friends "We'll be with you all the way" she added as she kissed him
She was quite happy now that their relationship was back on track since she found out the truth about his bond with Tara and then the revelation that he also had a romantic interest in her and her him as well after she was almost killed.
She had been very angry at first but after Alucard had basically stated that the bonding ritual was also the purist form of marriage there was it had left her with little to say.
She couldn't ask Alexander to stop seeing Tara because that would have been cruel to the young witch especially in light of the fact she had been given the task of trying to keep Alexander's dark side from consuming him, this as well as the fact they had become so close during their journey through dimensions made it clear she would have to except it if she wanted to maintain her own relationship with him.
So she finally gave them both her blessing to try and build their own relationship, since then her own relationship with him had strengthened and grown and that was all she wanted and she was willing to share to keep her relationship going.
"Hopefully after we've done that we can then head to the Romany tribes and deal with Radrik and end our quest" Xander said with a smile "Of course other things might get in our way between now and then which would not surprise me in the least giving what's happened before" he added with a laugh
"What about your idea for forging an alliance?" Sarah asked pleased to see her son in good spirits
"I haven't forgotten about that believe me" Xander answered "Once we've helped the charmed ones and Harry then I'll try and forge the alliance" he went on "Somehow I think that will be one of the hardest things to do" he finished with a sigh
"I believe you would be correct" Alucard stated as he walked into the room "Many have tried before you to forge an alliance and failed, hopefully due to the fact you serve no one organisation you may succeed where they failed" he added
"We can only hope they listen because if they don't they'll just keep helping the demons and vampires we fight by not presenting a unified front against them" Xander shot back frustrated as he thought over what Sam Sabuto had told him when he first learned of the other organisations beside the watchers council who fought the darkness
"Something else bothers you Alexander" Alucard stated as he noticed most of the others entering the room
Lilith and Adrian sat across from them whilst Tara headed straight for the empty seat next to Xander and Janna and leaned against him, Sir Integra and Seras stood behind him. He knew exactly what was on Xander's mind thanks to the link they shared and he believed it would help to tell the others especially Janna and his mother
"I bumped into Buffy and Willow whilst I was out running" Xander finally began to speak after a slight mental poke from Alucard over the link
"So they finally know we're back in Sunnydale" Janna growled as she thought of their former friends
"Yes they do" Xander agreed knowing Janna was not going to welcome what he was about to say "Whilst Buffy was as nasty as when we left Willow and maybe Giles have come around and realised the mistakes they made before we left" he continued "Willow stated she and Giles had researched the soul spell and realised we were telling the truth when we told them of the dangers of using it, I tried to remind her that the only reason I did what I did was to save lives and not as some kind of slight against Buffy or them" he went on "She left quite confused but told me she'd speak to Giles and would get back to me, I hope she'll come round before we leave" he finished
"You can't be series Alexander" Janna almost shouted incensed he could be so forgiving after everything Buffy and her group had done to them and almost cost them and everyone else in Sunnydale "They betrayed us and helped Buffy almost get us killed" she added
"I know that Janna believe me I haven't forgotten" Xander responded "However during our trip through dimensions we visited two dimensions where we met different versions of the gang at different time periods" he tried to explain "I began to remember all the good times we had when we were friends and what we were capable off, I also saw in one of those dimensions the fact that I went dark and helped kill Buffy and corrupt Willow and bring the people of Sunnydale and LA to their knee's"" he continued "The fact that the Giles in that universe didn't order me dead as soon as I entered their base is a testament to his intelligence and I know our Giles is just as good, he's just made some bad calls lately that doesn't make him evil Janna" he stated "I'm hoping by rebuilding our friendships if that's possible we'll strengthen our forces and make it harder for us to be killed" he finished hoping she and the others would understand
Janna still looked very unsure but instead of arguing the point further she just put he head back on his shoulder and sighed, the others shared a few glances between themselves before nodding their heads hoping he was correct that it was possible to rebuild some of the friendships he'd had with Willow and the others
(Other Realm)
Cassandra watched with mix emotions as Xander first laid out his plans and then told and what he wished to accomplish with trying to rebuild his friendships with Willow and maybe Giles. She too shared some of Janna's doubts after everything that had happened during the Angelus crisis but she couldn't fault Alexander's optimism or hope for the future. She also couldn't deny that if he managed to rebuild those friendships it may help somewhere in the future and that was the most important thing right now planning for the future.
"His plans are good and he is not ignoring the fact that anything could happen" Tanith stated with a smile "He has indeed learned much since leaving Sunnydale" he added
"Agreed" their lord nodded "As with everyone else the events of ones life shapes who you become" he continued
"Do you really think he can rebuild his friendships with the watcher and the red head?" Jonas inquired
"I think it is possible, they just have to be willing to draw the slayer's wrath to do it" their lord answered
"I think my lord that no matter what happens right at this moment Alexander will try again if he has too because he believes it's the right thing to do" Cassandra finally joined the conversation
The others looked at one another for a few seconds before nodding in agreement that was indeed what Alexander would do. They again turned to watch events in the viewing pool
(Sunnydale)
Willow entered the school still trying to think through everything that had happened over the last couple of months, she was confused, angry and depressed that things had degenerated so badly. She knew Xander was not a spiteful or hateful person and none of what he had done had been intended to hurt them or Buffy even if that was what had happened but she was still sure they could have been another way of dealing with the situation. She looked around the library as she entered and noticed Giles talking heatedly with Buffy and sighed knowing this conversation was going to get worse.
She quickly walked over and noticed Buffy's eyes spat to where she now stood and could tell she'd been arguing with the watcher over what she had told her in the park, she felt a little sorry for Giles but she just couldn't hold it in anymore and she had hoped Buffy had calmed down enough about the Angelus situation to hear it obviously she had been dead wrong.
"So what else did he have to say?" Buffy demanded to know after a few seconds
"Quite a bit" she replied "It left me confused because I could tell he wasn't lying about anything he was saying and I know what he is like inside and what he said connected with what I know of his personality" she added "He said he didn't kill Angelus to spite you or us but to safeguard the lives of Miss Calendar, their unborn child and the lives of everyone else in Sunnydale including us" she went on
"And you believed him?" Buffy almost spat in anger unable to believe what Willow was saying
"It fits with the Xander I've known all my life" Willow shot back feeling a little angry herself and wondered if she and the others were responsible for allowing Buffy to fall so far to believe everything she said and did was right and that no one was allowed to disagree with her "And we know for a fact he was correct about using the soul spell, if me or Miss Calendar had used it we would have been corrupted by the dark magic it contained and for Miss Calendar that meant it might have killed her unborn child" she pressed on hoping to get through to her friend "Even you Buffy would not be willing to sacrifice a unborn baby just to get Angel back would you?" she asked
Buffy stared at Willow for a few seconds as the question reverberated inside her, she shook her head because she knew that her friend was correct she wouldn't risk an unborn baby even for Angel. She sat down suddenly feeling drained as she allowed the anger and hate she had harboured since Angelus's destruction to dissipate, what was she doing she wondered.
She had been so consumed since she lost Angel that nothing else had mattered except to get him back, after the love spell incident she had cut herself off from Xander as had Willow and the others and then when she learned he and Miss Calendar had the soul curse she had not even listened to them about the dangers of the spell. All she had thought about was she could have Angel back quickly and had even been willing to put Willow at risk to accomplish that goal, how could she become so blind so quickly.
Then their was the fact she had kept trying to force Miss Calendar or Xander to hand over the spell ignoring their warnings and she had become even more angered when Xander called Kendra and her watcher to Sunnydale and had done all she could to disrupt their plans, she wondered what would have happened if Xander, Miss Calendar, Kendra and her watcher had died instead.
Would she have finally woken up then and done her duty or would she have even cared, she didn't like to think about the answer. She then had to remember she and Giles were only alive now because Xander, Mr Sabuto and the rest of their group had ganged up on the head of the watcher's council to force him to allow her to make up for her mistakes and she had to concede that these weren't the actions of a self centered individual. She looked back to where her two friends now sat and she could see their concern and worry in their eyes and she sighed again
"You're right Willow I wouldn't sacrifice an unborn baby even for Angel" she finally spoke "I feel like I'm just waking up from a horrible nightmare" she added "I've allowed myself to be so consumed with hate and anger I never saw the danger I was putting all of us in, I risked all of us just because I had become obsessed in getting Angel back" she went on "As for Xander I know somewhere inside me he didn't do any of what he did to hurt me, he was still trying to protect me and everyone else and I refused to see it" she continued "I need sometime alone to think everything through before we go see him and try and sort things out okay?" she told them
"Take your time but not too much Xander said he'd soon have to leave again" Willow said relived to see her friend begin to see the truth and let go of her anger and hate
"I'll see you later" Buffy said before leaving deep in thought
"Do you think she'll be okay Giles?" she asked the silent watcher
"I think so given time" Giles spoke having watched the argument between the two friends in complete silence and was pleased to see that finally someone had gotten through to the slayer "Maybe once she's thought things through without her anger and hate clouding her judgement she'll come to the same conclusion we did and that is we made a huge mistake in how we dealt with Xander and Jenny and the whole Angelus situation" he added with a small smile
"Let's hope so" Willow sighed before deciding to stay and help Giles catalogue some new books
(Sunnydale)
Xander pushed himself up and then back down as he continued his exercises alongside Adrian and Seras, his training was going well in all areas but he was really excelling in the physical department. He was a lot fitter than he had ever been, Tara sometimes joined him when she was not with Lilith and Adrian learning to control the ancient Romany magic which she now had access to thanks to their bond.
Finally he reached one hundred and stopped his push ups, he smiled as he leaned up against the wall and recovered catching the bottle of water Amy passed him as she entered the room.
"How's it going Xan?" she asked as she sat down next to Seras who was now talking with Adrian
"I can now do a hundred push ups without too much effort which is good" Xander replied "How's your own training going?" he asked in return as he drank deeply from the bottle of water
"We've just finished" Amy replied "I think we've learnt a hell of a lot since you got back, Sarah is much more powerful now and has a larger list of spells she can do whilst Janna has grown in strength and I've noticed she can also cast for a longer period than before" she informed him
"Good to hear, I think we're going to need all the edge we can get for this final leg of our journey" Xander said with a frown "I just feel it" he added
"As does Tara" Alucard stated as he entered followed by Tara and Lilith "She too feels that what we will be faced with will be far more of a challenge than what went before" he added
"It seems Alexander your bond with Tara is growing and the ability to sense danger is growing with it" Lilith commented
Xander thought over what both of them had said as Tara settled in next to him, he felt her calming voice over the bond and smiled as he could see no down side to this in fact he found it more helpful to what they faced
"How is she doing in learning how to control the ancient Romany magic?" he asked as he pulled Tara closer to him and she nestled her head against his shoulder
"She is catching up to you very quickly most likely due to the bond as well" Lilith replied with a smile "Soon you'll be training together" she added
"She has done well to understand how dangerous this magic is to the magic she is use to using" Alucard told them "I believe due to the bond she will also be able to wield my sword if needs be" he added with a grin
"Really?" Xander asked "I thought only Romany could wield it?" he asked again
"True but considering how the bond has allowed you both to tap into each other's powers and abilities it is possible she will be able to also wield it because you can" Alucard explained
"How's your sword training going Tara?" Xander asked her
"Not so bad I guess" Tara replied as she listened to what everyone was saying "I can do better than last time that's for sure" she added
"She has a point Alex" Adrian finally spoke up "She has indeed advanced in learning to use our weapons to a point where she will be of great help if her magic is unavailable" he added
Xander nodded pleased to hear that, Tara and Janna's greatest weakness had been their dependency on their magic and so he had insisted that they spend more time learning to use as many of the weapons they had as possible and it finally seemed to be paying off.
"I think we should call it a day for now Kendra and Mr Sabuto will be over soon to begin patrol" Sir Integra stated as she walked briskly into the room
"Then I better have a shower first" Xander said in reply standing up as Tara leaned away from him and headed to his bedroom
(Other Realm)
Cassandra was pleased to see that Alexander and the rest of his group's training was advancing and that they were all learning things they would need to survive, she was also pleased to see that there was no more arguments between Janna, Alexander and Tara and everything seemed to be settled.
She was somewhat surprised to see that the blond slayer seemed to have finally seen how stupid she had been during the Angelus crisis and just how much she had damaged her friendships with the others as well as endangering them at the same time. She had not expected Willow and Giles to get through to her for a very long time but by using Alexander and Janna's unborn baby they had managed to get through the anger and hate and make her realise the truth.
"What do you think will happen between the blond haired slayer's group and Alexander's my lord?" Tanith asked curiosity in his tone
"There will be another argument I am sure when they first come together especially if Kendra and her watcher are there" their lord answered with a thoughtful look "However seen as Alexander is determined to leave Sunnydale with their forces intact and with a clear line of communication I believe that will quickly end and they will finally deal with what happened during Angelus rain of terror" he added with a smile
"I agree my lord, he is quite determined to repair some of the problems between the two groups so it will be easier for them all to work together" Jonas put in "If he manages to help Buffy and Kendra put aside their problems or deal with them then they will become a powerful team" he continued looking pleased at the idea
"Alexander has begun thinking about long term plans since he returned" Cassandra finally spoke up "Everything he saw during their trip has convinced him they need solid plans in place as they go, his hope for an alliance between the champions and the different organisations burns inside him and he is continually thinking of ways to bring them together" she went on "He has listened to the advice Vlad and Sir Integra have offered knowing they have years of experience at hand especially in dealing with the other organisations especially the watcher's council" she added "He has also taken on board the advice of Lilith, Adrian and Seras in matters such as leadership, battle, Investigation and Intelligence" she told them with a smile "He knows he needs all the help he and the others can get and will not refuse advice when it is offered unlike some of the other champions" he finally finished
The others looked between themselves before nodding in agreement with Cassandra's point of view. They all knew the events that had happened so far to Alexander and his group had changed them all and would continue to mould them as their journey progressed. They again returned their attention to the viewing pool to watch events unfold
(Sunnydale)
Xander walked slowly through the graveyard next to Kendra and Tara, Adrian and Lilith were behind them along with Seras and Amy. The others had stayed behind to begin packing supplies for when they began the next stage of their journey, he had informed both Kendra and Mr Sabuto about his meeting with Buffy and Willow and what he hoped would come of it and whilst both were somewhat sceptical about the results they were willing to hear them out if they decided to come and talk and it would be helpful in having a unified team.
The night was cool and there was a gentle breeze in the air and Xander found it quite refreshing. They had run across three vampires and a demon so far but had encountered nothing series, with the presence of Team Shadow and the Hellsing team things on the hellmouth were a lot more quiter. However he knew better than to get complacent considering this was the hellmouth and dangerous things came here all the time, things always tended to get worse here when you started to relax and so he kept his attention focused on his surroundings.
"Wait, something is coming" Kendra suddenly whispered as he hefted her short sword
"I sense it too" Adrian said as he pulled his hand cannon from its holster "It sounds big" he added
"Do you have any idea where it's coming from?" Xander asked as he pulled Vlad's sword from its scabbard and relaxed a bit as he felt the familiar magic run through his fingers
"No" Kendra and Adrian replied at the same time
"Stand in a circle then and keep a close eye out" Xander ordered as Lilith and Tara both moved to his sides and started to look around for whatever Kendra and Adrian had sensed
The others quickly followed suit and prepared for a fight, suddenly a huge demon stepped out of the shadow of a near by tomb. Xander was a little surprised by the shear size of the thing and he guessed it was also pretty damn strong too.
"I have come for you human, I have been ordered to kill you" the demon growled
"By who?" Xander asked somewhat not surprised to learn he was the target considering what had happened before
"By the first's order" the demon responded a hint of respect in its voice when it mentioned the first one of the three leaders of hell
"Oh crap" Xander sighed as he recalled what Lilith had told him about the first and the other leaders of the low powers
(Other Realm)
Cassandra frowned as the demon informed Alexander and his friends who had sent him; it was quite disturbing to learn that Alexander had attracted the attention of the first Evil. She had known it was always a possibility but she had thought it would happen further down the line when he was closer to finishing his journey, Alexander and his friends would have to be careful as she guessed this demon would be difficult to kill
"This may present them a real challenge" Jonas stated with a frown at what was unfolding
"True" their lord replied "We knew somewhere along the way they would attract the lower powers attention I just assumed it would happen later on in their quest" he added
"As did I my lord" Cassandra responded "However it has happened and now they will have to deal with it as they go" she added trying to keep her fear for Alexander interfering with her duties
"I am sure they will succeed even if it takes them longer than normal" Tanith finally spoke having considered all the options this situation brought up
They all turned back to the viewing pool to watch the opening of the fight.
(Sunnydale)
Alexander edged a little closer to the demon trying to keep out of Tara's line of sight so she could bring her magic into the fray whilst Kendra and Lilith slowly followed him whilst Adrian tried to get a line of sight for his hand cannon as Seras and Amy tried to move behind the demon who remained where he was watching them
'Be very careful Alexander this demon reeks of magic' Alucard's voice suddenly said over their link "It is also powerful as befitting an assassin of the first, keep it busy until I arrive and stay together do not get separated' he added before the voice vanished
"Stay together and be careful this thing can use magic" Xander warned the others but kept quite about Alucard coming to aid them so as not to tip off the demon
The demon growled low in it's throat before leaping at Xander who just barely managed to roll out of its way, Tara tried to hit it with a flame spell but the demon shrugged it off easily and knocked her out with a solid punch angering Xander, he flinched as he lost his contact with Tara over the bond but kept his distance as he remembered what happened last time he lost his temper during a patrol which had almost cost him his life. He fainted a move to the left and then swung his sword at the demons right side but the demon jumped out of range laughing as it did.
Adrian finally let off a shot with his hand cannon but the demon just jumped out of the way straight at Lilith who backhanded it knocking it to the floor but the demon quickly recovered. Lilith jumped at the demon with her sword catching it in the side before been thrown into a nearby tree at a tremendous speed taking her out of the fight for a short while.
Adrian snarled as he saw his sister taken down and quickly dropped his hand cannon and charged the demon nailing it with a hard right hand and quickly followed it up with a left as Seras joined him taking it's legs out from under it but before either could follow up they were blasted of their feet by a wave of magic the demon released as it jumped back to its feet and launched itself at Xander again who brought his sword down catching the demon in its upper chest before been knocked off his feet by the demon's momentum.
Adrian and Seras quickly jumped back up to their feet as Amy unleashed one of her own spells which again the demon blocked as, Kendra charged straight at the demon who just side stepped her and rammed her into a tombstone knocking her out with ease. Xander shook his head as he rolled to his feet and backed up closer to the others, as he suspected and as Alucard had warned him this demon was very tough and an expert magic user. Just as the demon was about to attack again Alucard appeared alongside Sir Integra, Alucard snarled as he noticed his daughter was lying against a tree with blood running down the side of her head and charged the demon with murder on his mind
The demon was flung backwards into the near by tomb but quickly got back up and charged back only to be again flung into the tomb as Alucard caught him with a wicked right hand, the demon growled as he was cut deeply by some of jagged pieces of stone. He quickly raised his hand and launched a huge waved of fire which Alucard avoided by turning into a bat and flying out of range before transforming back into himself as the demon climbed back to its feet, the others dived for cover as the wave approached them and splashed against another tomb behind them.
"This thing is tough" Amy stated as she watched Alucard and the demon fought on
"Alucard warned me it would be" Xander replied as he ran over to check on Lilith and Tara who were next to each other "Are you okay Lilith" Angered by the wound his friend had suffered
"I will be fine Alexander" Lilith replied "I am already beginning to heal" she added "Tara has a steady pulse as well so she should recover as well, she'll wake up with a blinding headache" she continued "How is Kendra?" she asked
"Her pulse is strong as well but she won't be up and around for awhile" Sir Integra replied as she checked the slayer out "She took a real hit when she was smashed against that tombstone" she explained
"Do we try and help the master?" Seras asked as she watched Alucard pick up the demon and fling it into a tree before running and ramming his knee into its chest and then bringing his elbow down into its neck knocking it down to the ground
"Not at the moment, we'd just get in the way" Adrian replied with a grim smile as he knelt next to his sister "Father is in a very bad mood at the moment" he added as he felt his fathers anger over their physic bond
"Considering what he did to Lilith I am not surprised" Xander said as Tara suddenly moaned and began to wake "Easy Tara, you took a heavy knock" he added as he picked her up slowly and leaned her head against his chest "Just rest" he added
Alucard stumbled backwards as the demon caught him with a surmised uppercut but quickly recovered as he caught the demon's follow up punch and again brought his knee into its chest before head butting the demon cutting it over the eye. He raised his arm and unleashed a torrent of magic which sent the demon back into the tomb
"Alexander my sword" Alucard commanded and Xander quickly threw the sword to the undead king who caught it and slowly approached the demon who was having trouble rising "Time to die demon and let you be a message to the first not to bother next time" he spat as he suddenly lunged forward and impaled the demon who tried to release another burst of magic
The demon screamed in agony as Alucard twisted the sword upwards before pulling it out and allowing it to drop to its knees
"There will be others" the demon gasped as it coughed up blood
"And they will die just as you do now" Alucard growled in response and he brought the sword up and quickly beheaded the demon and using the magic of the sword to incinerate the remains
"Thank you Alexander" Alucard said as he handed the sword back to Xander before picking Lilith up "Adrian pick Kendra up, Alexander help Tara and let us quickly return to the mansion" he ordered
Adrian quickly recovered his hand cannon and Kendra's sword before he picked the unconscious slayer up and followed his father as Xander put his sword back into its scabbard before scooping Tara carefully into his arms and slowly followed next to Amy and Sir Integra whilst Seras watched their backs, Lilith tried to protest been carried by her father but he ignored her and she slowly settled down knowing her father was just making sure she was okay.
(Other Realm)
Cassandra let out a long breathe she had been holding as her husband finally dispatched the demon, she was still concerned about the demon stating that others would come to try and kill Alexander and his friends but for now she was just glad he and the others were okay. The fact that Lilith, Adrian and Seras had trouble dealing with the demon was unsettling considering how powerful Nosferatu vampires were in comparison to normal vampires and still they had a lot of trouble with this demon.
She was in no way surprised at seeing her husband destroy the demon especially after seeing that it had hurt her step daughter, she knew once someone hurt his children then no matter how long it took that individual could count themselves dead. She looked at the faces of her lord and Tanith and Jonas and noticed they all seemed relived that the demon had been disposed off
"This may become a problem my lord" Cassandra stated "That demon almost over powers them all, and he managed to survive both Tara and Amy's magical attacks" she added with a frown
"True" their lord nodded in agreement "However I am sure they will learn how to take demons of this power down as they go, Tara must learn not to hesitate to tap into the ancient magic of the Romany as she did this time and Alexander must also try and learn to combine his magic with his physical attacks" he explained
"Agreed my lord, if they manage to learn from this attack then it can only help them in the future" Tanith responded to their lord's views
"Still it is troubling that Alexander and his group have come to the attention of the first so fast, we will have to keep a close eye on how this evolves" their lord went on with a frown as he watched Alucard lead the group back into the mansion in the viewing pool
(Sunnydale)
Janna, Sarah and Mr Sabuto both stood as the door the mansion opened and a few seconds later Alucard walked inside carrying Lilith who he set down on one of the near by chairs, Xander followed carrying Tara who looked like she had taken a beating and Adrian who was carrying an unconscious Kendra followed with Seras, Amy and Sir Integra behind him. Mr Sabuto quickly went to check of his charges condition after Adrian placed her on the couch, he sighed as he realised she was just unconscious and sat decided to sit next to her to keep an eye on her.
Xander took the main chair and placed Tara on his lap, Tara herself was fighting to keep herself awake as she had been bade to by Sir Integra, Janna and Sarah made there way over to check on them both relieved to see that for the most part they seemed okay and not to badly hurt. Alucard placed Lilith down and check her wound which was quickly healing now before leaning against the wall and looking at the others
"What happened?" Janna asked
"Why did you and Sir Integra rush out of here so fast without an explanation and what happened to Tara, Kendra and Lilith?" Sarah asked
"Alexander and the others were attacked by a high ranking demon sent by the first Evil" Alucard answered "It was sent to assassinate Alexander and most likely to kill his companions" he added with a frown "The demon stated before I killed it that there would be others sent" he finished with a growl
"It went through us like we were nothing, it shrugged off the magical attacks Tara and Amy tried on it" Xander informed the others "It took Tara out of the fight; it injured Lilith enough that she was incapacitated and then took advantage of Kendra's charge to take her out as well" he went on "Adrian, Seras and I could barely wound it before Alucard turned up and began to take it apart, if he hadn't have shown up we would have lost it was too strong" he sighed as he finished.
"Even the strongest enemy has a weakness Alexander" Sir Integra reminded him "You just have to find it, if you can't you retreat until you have" she added
"You also have to use tactics against them instead of trying to just go one of one or even two on one, sometimes its not numbers which matter but what strategy you use instead" Seras picked up
"They are correct Alexander, tactics and strategy are of great help when dealing with a superior adversary" Alucard advised him "Remember you have learned much but not how to deal with everything" he said with an amused smile
Xander thought over what the three had said and couldn't find any fault with anything they had told him and nodded in agreement. He looked down and noticed Tara had a more awake look around her and began to calm down now that the situation was dealt with and whilst Kendra was still unconscious everyone was alive. Janna watched as he checked Tara and noted how he relaxed when he found no lasting harm to her; she was still getting used to the fact that she had to share Alex with Tara and couldn't fault him for his concern for the young witch which showed on his face.
She was also concerned about what Alucard had told them about other demons as powerful as the one that had attacked would be coming for them especially Alex however as they others had said with the right strategy and tactics they could deal with them it was just a question of finding the right balance of what to use.
"We should alert both Team Shadow and our own team about what happened tonight so they are not caught unprepared" Sir Integra suggested
"Good idea, we don't know when any more of these kind of demons will show up" Xander agreed before another thought came to him "We better also warn Buffy and the gang tomorrow, they need to be warned as well" he told them "I know I said I'd give them time to think but this changes things and we need to react appropriately" he added
The others all nodded in agreement including Janna as even she couldn't leave Buffy and her group to fend for themselves against something so powerful and considering Alex's plans to reforge their friendships or at least their working relationship it was the right thing to do.
(Lower Realm)
The first evil shook its head as it watched its servant destroyed by the undead king, it was no shock considering how powerful Dracula was. It was a shame the undead king was no longer one of his own servants, it remembered the brutality Dracula had shown when he had first taken on the mantle of king of the undead when his first wife was murdered. Then after many years of faithful service he was captured by the Hellsing family and somehow turned back into a warrior for the light one which it had lost countless warriors to.
It tried to follow the boy and his group back to their headquarters but found a powerful series of spells which stopped it, obviously the higher powers were determined to keep these champions as safe as possible. It was of no matter it would send another soon enough once it had managed to gain more Intelligence on the boy and his group's capabilities.
(Sunnydale)
Xander walked straight into the school library the next night followed by the not just his group but Kendra and Mr Sabuto and both Team Shadow and the Hellsing team, Buffy and her own group looked up in shock at seeing their former friend re-enter the library
"Xander what's going on why are you here?" Willow asked surprised he had come here when he had told her he would wait for her response to what they had talked about and then there was the fact he had brought his own group along as well
"We had some trouble last night which you need to know about" Xander replied as he took the seat across from them smiling a little as he did so as he remembered better times
"What happened?" Buffy inquired trying to keep herself from saying anything which may start an argument which surprised Cordelia and Oz who had not yet been told of Xander's return and the talk he had with Buffy and Willow and then Willow and Giles had with Buffy
"We were on a normal patrol when we encountered a demon the likes we haven't encountered before it waded through us like paper" Xander explained "It shrugged off the magic Amy and Tara hit it with like it did nothing more than irritate it, and then it Knocked out or incapacitated most of the rest of us and if not for Alucard turning up when he did we would be dead" he continued
"Did you just say Alucard?" Giles asked paling as he recognised the name
"What's wrong Giles?" Cordelia inquired with a frown "Who is Alucard?" she asked a second later
"Alucard is another name from the vampire Dracula and he is not just any normal vampire he is a Nosferatu vampire" Giles explained
"You mean the real Dracula?" Buffy asked her own face paling a little
"Indeed Buffy, Alucard is the name he goes by in this century" Giles replied
"You're working with a vampire after everything you went through to get rid of Angel?" Oz asked a little surprised by this
Buffy did everything she could to not react with any anger until Xander had explained himself, it took a lot for her to put aside the urge to just start shouting but managed to keep her voice level
"Why?" she asked
"Alucard works for the Hellsing organisation Buffy as does his son, daughter and fledging" Xander explained "The Hellsing organisation is one of many organisations which fight the same fight we do just by different means, Alucard his children and his fledging have souls as they never lost them you see Nosferatu vampires are true vampires in every sense of the word Buffy and are as different as the demonic vampires we are used to fighting as night is from day" he informed the group
"Quite correct" Giles stammered a little shocked at Xander for explaining himself so well "The records of the watchers council clearly state that all four of the vampires are currently working for the Hellsing organisation and should be left alone" he added
Buffy shared a few glances with Willow and the others as they assimilated this information; it was quite a lot to take it and sat to think things through. Xander and his group seemed content to let them think
"Giles, why have you never mentioned these other organisations?" Willow asked her mind working overtime as it processed everything she had been told
"They are not allowed to tell you Willow by order of the council" Xander answered before Giles could
"How do you know that?" Giles asked surprised
"To answer that Giles I would have to inform you of what has happened since I left Sunnydale" Xander replied "Which would also explain why this demon showed up and why more will come" he added "But keep it mind it's a long story and I would ask that you don't ask any questions until I finished" he continued
"Please Xander I think it would help a lot if you tell us what's been going on since we last saw each other" Buffy was the one who finally spoke after share a long look with Willow again keeping her voice level and calm
"Very well but keep a very open mind" Xander replied as the others all took seats where they could and Xander launched into their story
(Other Realm)
Cassandra and the others watched closely as Xander began to explain everything that had happened since he had left Sunnydale after the Angelus crisis with help from the others who brought their own experiences and views especially those who were not sent through the portal.
She was surprised but pleased the blond slayer and her group were been reasonable and was listening to everything that they were been told even after learning they were in the presence of four Nosferatu vampires including the legendary Dracula. The blond slayer was showing remarkable restraint which almost convinced her that maybe Alexander was correct in his hopes of rebuilding his friendship with the girl.
"Both the blond slayer and the watcher are finally beginning to show their true worth" Tanith stated with a smile pleased to see both of them acting responsible
"Indeed finally they are beginning to remember who they truly are and maybe after learning of their alternate selves and what they have gone through maybe it will awaken them further" their lord responded with his own smile
"How do you think they will take Alexander's tale?" Jonas inquired
"They will take some time to think about it and a course discuss it between themselves before saying anything and once the watcher informs the group that dimensional portals can be created it should stop any quick objections to it" their lord replied
"Let us hope the watcher keeps his mind wide open then, because it is on him the validity of their tale rest on" Cassandra told them straight
"I believe he will" Tanith responded "I think he has realised what a fool he has been in the past and will think this thing through fully
As one they turned and again watched as Buffy's group moved into the watcher's office to discuss what they had been told whilst Xander and the others remained in the library talking quietly between themselves
(Sunnydale)
Buffy sat next to Willow and listened as the others talked between themselves about what Xander and his friends had told them, somewhat of seemed so far fetched but Giles had stated quite clearly that dimensional portals were possible to create and that people could go through them and that had made the story more acceptable as had the fact that he had used a spell to check the aura of Tara and noted that it was different than everyone else's as stated by Xander and his group.
Cordelia and Oz had not been a little upset that they hadn't told them that Xander and his group had returned nor had they told them about the fact that Willow and Giles had discovered that Xander and Janna had been right about the soul spell and it's dangers as well as the doubts they'd begun to have about what had happened during the Angelus crisis.
Once they had gotten past that small problem they had began to talk about everything they had learned about Xander and his group and what they had done since leaving Sunnydale, Buffy was listening to everything that was been said whilst she continued to go through it in her head. It was clear to her now that the Xander who had returned to Sunnydale was not the same as the one who had left, he was harder and more serious than before and yet she could still see glimpses of his humour every now and again which relieved her.
She could also see he had gained the respect of most if not all of the people he now seemed to be involved with and this fact really brought home how far their friendship had fallen as she had not been there to see this transformation due to her own short sightedness and obsession concerning Angel. She had been thinking long and hard since her talk with Willow and Giles and she could now see how stupid she had been, she had lost a very good friend because she had been unwilling to see the truth and she had paid the price for that mistake but she now had hope that she could rebuild some type of relationship with Xander after what he told her.
"Buffy what do you think?" Cordelia asked having noted the blond slayer's long silence
"I believe them" she replied after a few seconds "I could hear the sincerity in their voices as they talked and I could detect no signs of them lying" she added "It's been pushed home quite clearly we made a huge mistake in breaking ties with Xander and Miss Calendar for Angelus and I know I am more responsible for this than anyone but it's clear now it was a mistake" she went on knowing Cordelia and Oz would be quite shocked by what she was saying "We should have listened to them and dealt with Angelus, I convinced you not to because I was obsessed and it's taken a long time for me to see what I almost brought down on our heads but I see it now and I can admit I was wrong" she finished
Willow and Giles both smiled as Buffy made her confession whilst Oz and Cordelia stared at the blond slayer in shock both having never believed she would say anything of the sought especially concerning Angel. They could tell that Willow and Giles both agreed with Buffy's new stance and after a few minutes thought could admit they too agreed with it, they had messed up in not dealing with Angelus sooner because of Buffy's feelings.
"So what happens now?" Oz inquired with a raised eyebrow
"I am going to apologise and hope we can try and begin rebuilding our friendships with them as well as developing ties with Xander and Kendra's new allies" Buffy answered "It would also be nice to rebuild my partnership with Kendra especially during crisis's" she added with a small smile
"Do you think that's even possible considering everything that happened with Angelus?" Cordelia asked
"Before the ambush that sent him and his friend Lilith through dimensions I would of have said no chance but hid encounters we our counterparts there seemed to have really shook him up and blunted some of the anger he felt for us" Willow cut in before Buffy could answer "Those encounters seemed to have reminded him what good friends we used to be before we made our mistakes" she added
"I tend to agree with Willow" Giles put in removing his glasses and cleaning them as he spoke "Xander has grown up quite quickly due the events he has gone through recently guided by his new friends and I also believe this bonding ritual also had an effect which has made him into a more respectable person that before he left" he explained
"I have to agree, the way he acts and speaks is completely different than before" Buffy cut in "You can tell he's different in his very stance" she said a second later
"If you think it's the best thing to do Buffy then lets do it" Cordelia finally said after a few minutes silence "It can't really hurt can it especially in dealing with the demons and vampires" she added
"I tend to agree with Cordy" Oz stated "We need all the help we can get and if we can rebuild our friendships or failing that some kind of partnership that we should do it" he went on
"Then lets go do it" Buffy told them pleased that they had not argued about this
They re-entered the library and sat down noting the silence that quickly descended, Buffy could see Xander was curious as what they would say whilst Miss Calendar seemed to think they had already condemned them which wasn't too surprising she guessed.
"So Buffy, what did you guys decide?" Xander inquired
"We believe you Xan" Buffy responded "I could tell you weren't lying by the tone of your voice and the look in your eye" she added "It's hard especially for me to admit but you were right I made a mistake in my dealings with Angel and Angelus and it cost people their lives" she went on taking a few minutes silence to compose herself "You did what you had to do to safeguard yourself, Miss Calendar and your unborn child and everyone else in Sunnydale including your mother and us even after what we put you through and for that Xander I am sorry" she continued "I never saw it I was too busy been obsessed in bringing Angel back that I couldn't see the harm I was doing, or the betrayal I was committing to my calling, all I can do is hope to make up for those errors" she pushed on "The others followed my call and it's because of that they too had to pay the price of those mistakes" she finished
Most of the library sat in surprise or outright shock at Buffy's speech Janna especially could hardly believe the blond slayer had finally seen what she had brought down on herself and her friends.
Xander himself felt relieved that Buffy had chosen to acknowledge her own mistakes as Tara's Buffy had done in her dimension, it also meant that his hopes for rebuilding their friendship or at least some kind of partnership could be achieved. He listened to Tara's voice over the bond telling him she was proud of his belief in reforging their lines and not giving in to anger or disbelief, he knew Janna was shocked by the look on her face as was Amy and he almost laughed at their expressions.
"I'm happy to hear you can finally except that what I did was out of a desire to protect as many people as I could and not an effort to spite you or the others" Xander finally replied "I know it will take time to rebuild our relationships but I hope it can be done" he added "Maybe this time things will be better, stronger than before" he continued
"We can hope" Buffy responded "If what you stated happened in the two dimensions concerning Angel coming back and this Faith then I can see where my short sightedness can lead us and I refuse to allow it to happen here" she told them "If Angel comes back I will rebuild my working relationship with him but I will not allow my feelings for him to get in the way again, they destroyed my friendship with you and cost us Miss Calendar's aid and also my partnership with Kendra all because I allowed my feelings to come first" she informed them
"Just one things Buffy in my dimension as well as the second dimension where we met your doubles things happened along the same pattern during the Angelus crisis and ended with his soul returned and been sent to hell" Tara told her "According to Alex things happened differently here and Angelus was sent to hell without his soul and this may make it impossible for the powers to bring him back and use him" she added
"Unless they choose to give him back his soul themselves if they are determined to have him as one their champions" Lilith stated following Tara's train of thought
"We'll keep on our guard" Giles promised "And as for this Faith hopefully we'll never have to deal with her for a very long time as we have no plans to see either Buffy or Kendra die anytime soon" he went on with a small smile "And it's clear how quickly things can go down hill considering the history of the two dimensions you visited concerning our doubles we'll just have to be more careful" he finished
"Hopefully Kendra and I can repair our partnership as well" Buffy broke back in "And we can start patrolling with Team Shadow and the Hellsing team as well and begin to build some bridges there" she added with a hopeful smile
"I would like to try Buffy, it will take time but I think we can make it work" Kendra replied after thinking things through for a few minutes
"And I am sure Mr Giles and myself can share our resources and information as well" Sam Sabuto said pleased to see some reason from the blond slayer and her group and he was sure the council would be pleased by it too
"We'll help you keep the hellmouth shut and the demonic population down but as for trust that will take a lot of time with us considering what Jack reported you did during the fight with the scourge of Europe" Vincent Wilson put in with frown not really trusting the blond slayer apology just yet but the kid was correct in stating they had to pull their forces together and he was willing to try and so added "Once you've proved to me that you can be trusted to watch my men's back then we can build some bridges" he finished and Buffy nodded seeing as she was properly grateful to get that
"My orders are to help either group to contain any situation on the hellmouth and I intent to carry them out, so if you want to start combining our patrols then I am okay with it" William Blake the leader of the Hellsing team added
"I will add one stipulation to your orders Blake and that is to keep an eye on Miss Summers especially if Angelus returns and make sure she doesn't make the same mistakes" Sir Integra decided to make the blond slayer aware she would be watched for a time until she could be fully trusted "No offence Miss Summers but I have to make sure my people have the best chances for survival and when it comes to allies I always want them to be truly trustworthy and whilst Alexander seems to believe your apology I am more unsure to just forget what actions you've taken in the past" she finished
"It's okay I can understand why you are unsure about me after what I have done" Buffy replied seeing she'd have a long way to go to gain the trust of the Vatican and Hellsing teams "Especially considering you're the leader of the Hellsing Organisation according to Giles I understand you been worried about your people" she added "Hopefully in time I can urn that trust" she finished
"We shall see" was all Sir Integra replied with still not sure what to make of the blond slayer yet
"Now that we seem to have dealt with a lot of the problems we had between us and you've brought us up to date on what has happened since you left maybe we can get back to dealing with the arrival of this demon which was sent by the first evil" Giles finally broke the silence that descended after the tough woman's response
"A good idea" Alucard finally spoke having stayed quite through most of the night's discussion except to add a few observations he had made during the journey to retrieve Alexander and Lilith "This demon was an assassin of the first who's primary goal was to kill Alexander and most likely then to kill his allies" he continued "Just before I removed it's head from it's body it stated others would come and I would assume that anyone who is allies with Alexander could be a target" he pressed on "These demons are some of the most powerful in the underworld and should not be underestimated" he warned them all
"Any easy way to take them down considering it went through a slayer three Nosferatu, two witches and Alexander who was armed with your sword?" Vincent inquired a little disturbed by the power this showed these demons had
"As we advised Alexander after we got back from that patrol the best way to deal with these demons is a good use of strategy and tactics" Alucard replied "And a good combination of weapons might help" he added "Magic might help if it's powerful enough as Vincent reminded us this demon shrugged off the attacks from Tara and Amy" he informed them "Now Tara's normal magic did not even faze this thing however due to her bond with Alexander she can tap into a more powerful source of magic which I would bet could kill these things" he finished
"However we have no one trained in such magic's in any of the groups guarding the hellmouth" Willow pointed out
"Correct" Alucard agreed "However I have another childe stationed in Europe who can be sent here to assist you if you are willing to work with a Nosferatu?" Alucard informed them
"In the interest of keeping us alive and the hellmouth shut we agree" Giles replied after having quick word with the others
"That's fine with us especially if you're right and this magic he can do will hurt these things" Vincent added happy to hear they'd have another asset to assist in keeping the hellmouth shut and them alive
"Another Hellsing operative will be helpful" William Blake spoke up "Especially a magic user" he added
"Excellent then I will have him come immediately so we can brief him on the situation before we leave" Alucard stated "His name is Varsik and apart from Seras is the only childe of mine I still have any contact with" he told them "He can be trusted to assist you, but be warned he has a temper so do not try and order him around to much" he added with a wicked smile
Buffy and the group shared a look which stated they would heed the warning especially in light of how powerful the Nosferatu were to normal demonic vampires
"When are you leaving Xander?" Willow asked when she remembered what Alucard had said
"A week maybe two" Xander replied "We have a lot to do Willow and we need to get moving but I would like to at least have started to repair our friendships before we go" he added with a smile
"Then tomorrow we can start on that, and also start patrolling together agreed?" Buffy asked
"Agreed Buffy I think that would be a good idea to start things off" Xander answered "Now I think we should all get some rest we've been talking for two hours now" he added "Good night" he told them before he got up and lead his group out of the library followed by the Vatican and Hellsing teams
"What about patrol Giles?" Oz asked
"I think in light of the situation we should leave it for tonight and tomorrow we can plan our patrols better especially if we are going to encounter any of these demon assassins" Giles replied
"Then we'll see you tomorrow Giles goodnight" Buffy replied before leading the small group out of the library followed a few minutes later by the watcher who locked up the school before going home.
(Other Realm)
Cassandra was in the end very surprised by the blond slayer's apology and acceptance of her own mistakes even going so far as to try and take the blame off her friends for agreeing to her wishes, she was also not offended by the way Sir Hellsing and the Vatican replied to her hopes of building some bridges straight away and it was now very clear that the blond slayer and her group was finally waking up to their own follies.
The plans they had put in place should their lord and the powers decide to bring Angelus back from his confiment in hell and re-imbue his soul so he would again become Angel were quite impressive especially if Buffy Summers could keep her promise and keep any romantic feelings at bay and keep their relationship purely professional. The plans they had also put forward should one of the slayers die and force the calling of Faith the slayer who had gone rogue in two of the dimensions Alexander, Lilith and Tara had visited.
She looked up to find Tanith and Jonas already discussing what they had witnessed obviously pleased to see the blond slayer's group finally back on the right track, she turned to see what her lord thought of things and noted he too seemed impressed by the proceedings and happy that finally things were looking up for the Sunnydale team now that they had admitted their failures.
"This is good" their lord finally spoke our forces in Sunnydale will finally be working as one and will have another new ally in Alucard's childe and the anger and hatred shown especially by Summer's has finally been dealt with" he continued with a smile on his face "Her apology was unexpected but was helpful in putting the old problems to rest and helped stop Janna and Sarah's disbelief and unease as they did not believe Summer's would ever see her mistake" he added
"I must admit my lord I too shared their views until then, she has obviously learned a lesson after she was forced by her friends to really think about her actions" Cassandra admitted "It was now clear she intends not to make the same mistakes again and she is hopeful of rebuilding her relationships with Kendra and Xander in time" she went on still even if she was still surprised this had happened "She didn't even get angry when Sir Hellsing and the Vatican team were almost hostile in their reply's to her" she finished
"Indeed my lord it would seem she has been forced to try and reel in her emotions and keep them under better control" Jonas put in his view "I think this stance can only help her in the long run" he added a second later with a small grin
"It can only help them all in the long run Jonas especially when it comes time for Alexander to try and start building his alliance as everyone involved will need clear heads" Tanith stated
The others all nodded their agreement as that would be one of Alexander's biggest trials and they all believed one the hardest to complete.
(Sunnydale Two weeks later)
Xander looked around the airport runway which was quite empty except for the small group who had come to see him and his group off consisting of Buffy and her group, Kendra and Sam Sabuto, Vincent and William Blake.
In the last two weeks Xander had done all he could to start the rebuilding of his relationship with Buffy and the rest of his former friends and while at first it had been rocky things now looked more promising. They had not encountered another of the demon assassins whilst on patrolled but they knew eventually they would come, Alucard's childe Varsik had arrived a day after his master's summons and had settled down quickly. Xander had found he had a wicked sense of humour but as he had been warned a horrible temper as was shown when Buffy pushed him a bit too hard.
The working relationship between Buffy, Kendra, the Vatican and Hellsing teams also started rocky but quickly picked up as they went and Buffy proved she could be as dedicated to her calling as Kendra could be, Xander was pleased to see she had put the past behind her and was intent on the future now as he knew this would help her build the trust between the three groups.
"Are you sure you have to go now?" Willow asked breaking into his thoughts
"I sorry Willow but we have too" he replied as he took hold of Janna and Tara's hands in his "We still have so much to do and time maybe not be on our side" he added "But we'll be back" he promised
"We'll hold you to that" Buffy put in pleased by how far things had progressed in rebuilding their friendships
"You guys keep an eye out, there is no telling when things will go south" Xander warned them
"Or when one of those assassins might turn up" Janna added a second later
"We'll be on our guard I assure you" Giles said "Well I guess for now this is it, have a safe a journey as you can Alexander and please call if you need our help" he added shaking the young man's hand
"We will G-man" Xander replied unable to stop himself for a small taunt which caused the watch to just shake his head
After all the goodbyes were exchanged the group slowly boarded the Hellsing jet and left Sunnydale again leaving Buffy and the others to continue to guard the Hellmouth.