A/N: I want to start by saying happy Thanksgiving . Whether you're all psycho crazy about it like Buffy, or think it's a sham like Willow (I'm with ya Will), Or come down with various diseases like Poor Xander, Perhaps you plan to stalk your ex like Angel (Creepy but whatever floats your boat :)) Or maybe you're getting tied up like dear old spike (you dog you!) Whatever the case have a good one.

So apparently this story has already developed a mind of its own and decided to have a time skip. Yeah… I went to go change it but it just was not as good. So there you have it.

I want to apologize now for badly written crime scenes. I am not a cop, forensic scientist, mortician, ECT. I am simply a sixteen year old girl who does her best by getting her knowledge from books, fiction and non, and TV fiction and non. Also I am not a thief or any sort of criminal (I swear unless you count that one time I stole my friends cookie when I was 6) I gain my knowledge once again from, books, TV and my delinquent of a friend (the one, oddly enough, that I steal cookies from). But hey I'll do my best :).

I want to thank: LIGHTNSHADOWS, AC, aclassicistkitten, Black-Rose23, and Takaouto for the reviews you guys made my day :).

On with the chapter!


ONE YEAR LATER:

"It's like the Heimlich, with stripes." Xander said tilting his head a curious look on his face.

"Your mind must be a terrifying place." Cordelia Chase said as they turned away from the Zebra pit to head towards the crime scene.

"At times." Xander admitted as they ducked under the tape "But nothing compared to this." He said as they stared at the body lying on the ground of the Hyena pit.

"Damn" Cordy muttered "Are we positive the Hyena's didn't get to the guy? Looks like he's been mauled."

"There'd be a hell of a lot less of this guy if they had." Xander said looking at the body closely. He looked up to see Cordy giving him a raised eyebrow "What? So I paid attention to field trips every once and awhile. Sue me." He went back to looking at the body while Cordy fished through his pocket.

"Whatever this was it wasn't a robbery. Still has his wallet. Lance Lincoln, sixteen years old." She said holding up the wallet "Credit card, money, star bucks gift card. Whatever this was for it wasn't for material possessions."

Xander nodded when something caught his eye "Hey Cordy what does this look like to you?"

Cordelia came to kneel beside him to look at the victims neck "Like… oh Eeeeuuw a tooth… and not a Hyena one."

Xander held back a laugh, a year of seeing dead bodies and they still squicked his partner and one of his closest friends out. "We'll send it down to the lab. See what Tara can dig up." Xander said "As for the body Wes can get more off of it than we ever could. As soon as we're done we'll send it down to him." Xander stood up and began looked down at the floor.

"And I suppose we better go visit the poor kids parents and- Xander?" she stopped when she saw he was once again kneeling on the floor. Smelling something on his hand.

"Move the body." He muttered "Now. And come somebody tell me where to go so I can get a bird's eye view of the ground." An officer pointed him to a set of stairs as others began to carefully move the body. Xander took off towards the stairs Cordeila behind him.

"Xander what's going-"

"The floor, there was something underneath him. A design of some sort."

"Maybe it was decoration for the exibi-"

Xander held up his hand to show red smear "Fresh. And I don't know about you but my gut is telling me this" he raised his hand a little higher "Isn't paint."

They reached the balcony Cordelia took an intake of breath "Well…. Shit."

"Yeah…. That's a word for it."


"Up and at 'em Romeo." Came the husky voice of his friend and sometimes accomplice Faith Lehane, followed by something hitting him in the head. "Take those covers off your head Blondie wake up see the sun, hear the birds chirp, smell the roses, feel the grass underneath your feet. Come on now don't-"

"Shut up you dozy bint!" Spike shouted throwing the covers off his head he looked around to see what had hit him in the head "A bloody newspaper?" he asked holding it up glaring at her, though it lost much of the menace due the large yawn that followed.

"So about your Julliet-"

"Xander." Spike corrected tersly. Ever since he had gotten back from his traditional 'Taunt The Fed's' Trail six months ago he had been searching for any lead one the dark haired agent he had seen in front of the headquarters that day. Of course he didn't have much to go on. And short of getting contacts to hack into the FBI mainframe to search for him,which yes he could do but there was only one person he trusted to do the job and not turn him over to the feds for thier own gain. And then he'd have to deal with questions... and then mocking. He could manage it himself on a good day but considering how fustrated he was he could slip up and get detected and caught. No boy was worth that. Needless to say Spike was not in a good mood and Faith's constant teasing of him and Xander being Romeo and Julliet living a real life forbidden romance was not helping.

"Yeah whatever" Faith said as she opened Spikes fridge taking out his orange juice and drinking from the carton.

"Sure help yourself." Spike muttered

"So anyway Julliet, tall, cutie, big brown puppy dog eyes, shaggy hair, broad shoulders, innocent look about him? All in all completley and absolutly fuckable?" The brunet asked as she hoisted herself up on Spike's counter

"Yes. Stop repeating me." Spike said irritably

"Oh please Romeo if I was repeating you I'd still be going on and on about his eyes. No Blondie I'm agreeing with ya." she took another gulp from the juice carton. "Your boy is front page news Willy-Boy"

Spike spared her a quick glare before unrolling the newspaper in his hands and sure enough there in the background was the boy next to the fashion model agent from that day a year ago.

"I thought you were exagerating but I think maybe you didn't give the boy enough credit." Fiath was saying "There's a black and white close up of 'im if ya flip a few."

Spike did just that and sure enough there was Xander or rather as the caption under picture said 'Specail Agent Alexander Harris'. Spike smiled, he had a name.

"'Oh thanks Faith'" Faith said in purpously awful british accent "Oh no problem Spike it was nothin' what are friends for? 'No really I know I've been a right bloody pain in the arse these past few months mopin about and what not. Oh and I'm sory for callin' Ya a dozy bint.' Nah really it's fine Five by Five it's not as if I've been giving up any spare time I may have to help you like the loyal best friend I am. Not to mention combing through newspapers for any mention of your Julliet for the past two fucking months... oh wait..."

"Thank you pet." Spike said a smirk on his face "You're still a fucking dozy bint... But thank you. Tell ya wot," he said as he began flipping through the newspaper "I'll get ya a pressie shall I?" He stopped flipping and smiled "How about this?"he threw the paper to her "Smithsonian's openin' a new exhibit apparently".

He watched as the brunets face lit up with a smile "Awww Spike how thoughtful." she said turning it around and putting the picture of a rather expensive looking knife right next to her face. "And look at that, it even matches my eyes."


A/N: I hope you liked it! I think I did pretty good... then again it had Faith there for I like it lol.

Once again happy thanksgiving and don't make a bear!

Reviews are craved. Tell me if you loved it or not. Constructive critisim is deffititly welcome.