Disclaimer: See Chapter One. From here on, this will not be repeated.

Chapter Two

After the fall of the "First" and the cratering of the once suburban town known as "Sunnydale", the survivors moved on. Many had left before the final conflict, fleeing like rats from a sinking ship.

There was a small group of others that were the fighters and they were the ones that saw the last of town sink with the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign flipping in the wind. A couple of school buses were headed in the direction of Cleveland where the next "Hellmouth" became activated with the fall of this one.

It was a domino like chain reaction that happens with the closing of one Hellmouth and at the opening of another, which usually happens at a much slower pace than the cutesy game. But it was still a supernatural occurrence that the humans, among some other races still living on this planet, keep fighting and hoping to prevent the opening of another before the first is closed.

This was not something that they were aware in this dark game, but the gods and the 'powers that be' knew the score. There were other higher powers around that watched and played with humans like chess pieces. One is eliminated by the roll of a dice and another is re-animated by the turn of another wheel.

In the meantime, people moved on and moved away. That's just what Xander did because he needed to get away from the girls for the time being. They had made their plans expecting him to follow their ideas, leads and plans, but they were shocked when he said, "I'm sorry ladies, but I can't. I need to move out on my own for a bit."

"But why," Willow teared up at the thought that her best friend would no longer be around.

"Guys," he said. "You're making changes in your own lives and moving on. Aren't I allowed to do the same?"

After a bit of general grumbling and protestation that 'Of course, he's allowed to move on,' they made arrangements for communication times. He did have to veto the obligation to be the one calling every week because he didn't know when he'd get to a phone and he wasn't about to foot the bill for long distance chatter, not for anyone... not this time.

Giles looked at Xander and motioned him to follow him out of doors for some much needed air. "I don't know your plans, but you can always come to me if you need anything. I hope you know that?"

"Giles," the one-eyed man began. "I know that, it's just that I didn't want to burden you with extra, like the girls were and are doing. Why do you think I've been working for as long as I have? It's because I knew we needed the money for things and I don't know if you were ever aware, but I have been filling your till at the Magic Shop until Anya began to help you out."

"I knew there was extra money and I did remove it daily until she came in, then I found it in my book bag after that," Giles said. "I had my suspicions, but I never thanked you..."

"There is no need," Xander said interrupting. "I did it to ease your burden as a friend and don't think that one day I won't hit you up for something." He shrugged and then said, "I need to leave because I need to let the dead rest in my mind."

"You have a plan?"

"Yes," Xander replied. "I plan to look in on an inheritance somewhere in the UK. I don't know how that will affect me, but I think that I need to do this now."

"Very well," Giles said removing his glasses and polishing them for a bit. "You better keep in touch young man."

Xander smiled, nodded and then gathered the duffle bag that he had left in the bus. The girls were looking into a cheap warehouse rental for the time being and he was planning to leave them to it. If they wanted anything fixed they would have to do it themselves.

Giles was looking at him, like he didn't know where to begin to ask the other man to stay for a while, but he was pre-empted by a question about something that made him wonder just how Xander came across that information. He pretended that he missed the question and said, "What?"

Xander repeated his question," Have you ever heard of people or a sect of humans that could be considered Wizards or known as using some kind of magic that could be termed as 'wand-waver'?"

"Why would you ask such a question now," Giles asked, curious to learn where Xander had learned of that term.

"That answers me right there, G-man," Xander said, grinning his goofy smile that made the old watcher know and feel his age by the very fact that the boy he used know as a sophomore in high school, had laugh lines around his mouth and eyes.

"I guess it does," Giles said, smiling ruefully. "Yes I have, but it was not common for the Watchers to associate with those in the 'Wizarding World', as they like to call it. They're humans with that extra element in their bodies, which creates a magical core, but they never liked to mess with the Watchers Council. We have had treaties with them in the past in order to deal with the creatures that seemed to cross-over from their barriers into our world, but we also helped them with the demons that crossed over into theirs from time to time. May I ask how you've learned about the term?"

"I have… had… um… could possibly have a distant Uncle in that world from my mother's side," Xander said. "I was given a letter before that last battle and he said that my great-grandmother was a … well she was used by his grand-father or something just as bad. Well that old man sort of bound her core and any future offspring, but I don't know much else about it. I was just going to look up a few things and see if I couldn't find the place."

Giles shook his head and now knew that part of the demon magnetism that Xander had exhibited in his teen years could have been due to the binding on his own core, if he had one. He didn't voice his suspicions, as he was certain that the girls wouldn't be pleased with this fact.

It certainly would explain why the magics were so volatile around Xander; that was because they were not compatible to the magics that they had needed to use in order to vanquish the demons they found. Well, not unless the boy had been trained to use his own magics and it was obvious that now that they were free of that particular Hellmouth, Xander would need to have some training.

'I certainly hope that he can find it,' he thought.

"Giles," Xander said, calling him back from his musings. "I'm gonna go now. If you ever head back to your mother country, let me know and I'll look you up."

"I will do that," Giles said. "Don't be afraid to keep in touch either. A call is nothing nowadays, not compared to writing letters, but feel free to that too." They shook hands, which resulted in that manly pull into a hugging pat on the back.

There was something that was not natural pressing against his chest. He looked at Xander and then at the hidden outline of a necklace. "Xander?"

Xander pulled it out to give Giles a quick look. "Yeah," he said, showing the gawdy looking necklace that Spike had worn when he sacrificed himself for them and the world. "I took it from the hole in the ground with magic. There were a few other things on it, but I removed most of them before Spike had to wear it. I need it with me. Spike will be back, but if those spells had stayed on it, who knows where he'd have shown up."

"I see," Giles said. "I wish you luck."

Xander had only one thing left to say before he left. He couldn't help it when he said, "See you around G-man."

Giles shook his head and watched as Xander picked up his duffle bag, ambling away into the night. He turned and saw the sad faces of his girls, but knew that it was time to make a few big and difficult decisions. They needed some form of order and a set of tasks because there was going to be a lot of Slayers that were still waking up all over the world.

END