By Dave.Mycock Instincts
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or any of the other characters. They belong to Joss Weadon.

Xander/Tara

Summary: Faith didn't turn evil in season three and helped defeat the mayor; she joins Xander on his road trip however neither returns in season 4 but decide to stay in L.A. whilst their Xander begins to undergo a change. His senses become acute and he becomes much stronger than ever before, he also begins to act more on his instincts than anything else. Back in Sunnydale Willow meets Tara and gets her involved in the slaying and soon they both fall in love with each other however she seems to be hiding something from her friends.
Xander drove towards Sunnydale still feeling uncertain about seeing his friends again, his anger at their treatment of him still got at him. However he knew somewhere in the back of his mind that they only tried to keep him out of the slaying for his safety, as for the situation with Willow and Oz that would have to sorted out as well. He had already talked with Cordelia about the fluke when he and Faith had helped Angel and Wesley in one of their dealings with Wulfram and Heart. He looked in his mirror and smiled as he noticed Faith was laid out in the back seat asleep, he liked watching her sleep peacefully. During their talks she had told him about the constant nightmares that had plagued her since she was nine years old, since they had become friends those nightmares had vanished and like wise with his own. They had managed to help each other bury their horrid past so they could both move on and begin new lives. Granted they both still patrolled at night and fought any vampires or demons they came across, and helped Angel and his team when nessacarly.

Tara woke quickly as her senses found the scent that had attracted her attention the night before; she looked at her clock and noticed it was only nine thirty. Something inside her told her that whatever this scent was it was something familiar to her genes, similar to her in nearly every aspect. This both frightened and excited her, not since her real mother had died had she sensed something akin to kin. Her foster family the Mclays had never understood her; only her foster mother had treated her with any real care. She had also taught her how to use magic, having sensed she had the ability to use it with complete control. This had annoyed her foster father and brother even more; they believed magic was evil that they were demons. But her senses told her this wasn't true, she had felt nothing but lonely since her foster mother had died. That was until she had met Willow and her friends, they had welcomed her into their circle and her and Willow had even begun a relationship. But she had not told them anything about her differences from them, thus making sure they didn't become too disturbed by her. Buffy was already freaked about the fact that her senses were stronger than the slayers, Giles too was somewhat uneasy about this fact and she knew he was trying to find out what she was. She wondered if this scent that seemed to call to her blood would hold the answers to the questions she had, seen, as she didn't know what she was either.

"Hey" Faith said as she woke slowly

Xander smiled as he quickly looked back and gave her a smile before returning to watch the road "Hey" he returned

"How far are we from Sunnydale?" she inquired

"At least an" he began his voice quickly died as his senses came alert

Faith quickly noticed his fall off and climbed into the front seat, his face showed complete confusion and awe

"What is it Xan?" she asked

"I'm sensing something. It's like I know it and yet I don't remember what is it" he told her slowly "I can just barely remember feeling something like this when I was two," he added

"What does it feel like?" she asked

"Family" he replied giving her a confused look

'Family' that didn't make sense to Faith, the only family Xander had was two drunken abusive parents who had almost killed their own son. One other idea came to mind and that was what if Xander had been adopted, she decided when they arrived she'd have Willow check Xander's files. That way she may find an answer to help her friend.

"It's strong, I think it knows something has sensed it, something like it self," her friend continued

"Does it seem threatened?" Faith asked

"No, but it is scared and to be truthful so am I" he replied

This stunned Faith, ever since this change had begun in him Xander had not been scared on anything, no matter had bad the threat they faced nothing seemed to be able to make him afraid. However whatever this thing was this thing that seemed familiar to him had somehow frightened him. The change he had undergone had made him stronger although not as strong as a slayer, but it had made his senses and instincts stronger. This was just another extension of that change, but the possibility that there was someone like Xander in Sunnydale with similar traits gave her hope that the answers they sought would be helpful ones. But a small part of her also dreaded meeting this thing, in Sunnydale the likely hood was it could be something evil. She hoped that this wasn't the case.

Willow could tell her girlfriend was on edge for some reason as if she was waiting for something or someone to show up, she had never seen her like this since the day she met her. Granted she could by shy now and again especially when she had first become involved with the slaying, she was nervous around Buffy and Giles. Oz and Anya didn't seem to bother her too much but she hadn't been very talkative.

"Are you ready for the test?" she asked finally breaking the silence that had surrounded them since leaving the dorm.

Tara gave her a quick look and then nodded her head; she was too busy concentrating on the scent. It was getting closer, it had sensed her and she had noticed it had reacted the same way she had, both fearful and excited at the possibility of meeting someone like themselves.

"Tara what's wrong?" Willow tried again to get her girlfriend to talk

"I'm fine," she finally answered giving her another brief look

Willow sighed and decided to wait before asking her again, it was obvious she was too distracted to tell her anything.

Xander narrowed his eyes as he saw the outskirts of Sunnydale come into view; this wasn't going to be an easy homecoming. Neither he nor Faith had kept in contact with Buffy or any of the others. They had asked Angel not to mention they're staying in L.A. It was likely they'd both get a lot of crap about it especially from Willow.

"It'll be okay Xan" Faith said placing her arm around him

"I hope so, but in Sunnydale you never know what's going to happen," he reminded her

"I know, just try and keep and positive mind okay?" she asked giving him an encouraging smile

He looked at her and nodded his agreement, in Sunnydale he had learned you had to keep a positive view or you'd end up loosing focus and most likely get yourself killed. He may have got rid of a lot of his demons but he still had one or two left to deal with, but he was here to find answers and that was going to be his priority.

Faith watched Xander carefully as he battled with whatever he was feeling about returning to Sunnydale, she knew it wouldn't be easy for either of them especially when it came to Willow. She still hated Faith for sleeping with Xander during the re-opening of the hell mouth, that was another thing they had discussed a few times. She had apologised for kicking him out of the bed straight after they had finished, he had forgiven her saying he understood how she didn't like to get attached due to having such a bad history. She barely noticed the Sunnydale welcome sign as they entered the town, she wondered if they would go looking for Buffy and the gang now or wait until they were settled in. She turned to Xander to ask but he spoke before she could

"We'll go to Giles's tomorrow okay, lets just get used to been back and plus we can have a rest as well" he told her

"What you read minds now?" she joked feeling as if he had read her mind

"Not me, I just figured you'd wonder what we'd do when we arrived," he said with a smile

"Actually I wouldn't mind having a rest before we get into all this, I wouldn't be surprised to find them dealing with some big apocalypse deal" she shot back

He nodded "Like I said you never can tell what's going on in good old Sunnydale" he said

He pulled the car into the car park of the motel Faith had stayed in the last time she was here, they both got out and walked into the managers area and quickly got a room, they didn't mind sharing a bed as they had done it before a few times before they had found a flat with two bedrooms.

"Brings back some memories," she said smiling mischievously

He returned the smile and then decided to have some fun "Hey think positive, history might repeat itself" he said winking at her

"That would mean you getting kicked out again," she pointed out

"Damn, forgot about that" he pretended to curse as he opened the door, as Faith entered Xander sensed that the other presence was just across town. He frowned soon he hoped to come face to face with this presence and hopefully it would turn up some answers.