Chapter 3

The day progressed like any other Monday for the most part. But instead of being bored by the teachers due lack of interest, now Xander was bored in class due to already knowing all of the material being covered. History was particularly painful for Xander. Buffy and Willow were passing notes back and forth behind him, since he was in the front row with Cordelia and a couple of others. Xander propped his head on his fist as he idly listened to the teacher quiz the students on the French king Louis XVI. Listening to the comments of a bunch of American teenagers as they talked about the life of the common people in France 200 years ago and why the French Revolution succeeded was so absurd it was actually kind of funny. Of course he had an unfair advantage since he remembered speaking with those who'd either fought in or fled from the French Revolution and listening to their firsthand accounts of what had happened and why.

Since he was basically ignoring the teacher anyway, Xander decided to practice his meditative exercises. The day before he'd actually managed to achieve the necessary state for a moment, giving him a chance for a quick scan of his surroundings before it faded. 'Hopefully I'll be able to hold it this time.' He thought to himself before he began to regulate his breathing. After a few minutes of concentration Xander actually achieved the hyper aware state that the Brotherhood had come to call eagle vision. Quickly glancing around the room he got a good look at everyone in the room before losing it. His head pounding from the unaccustomed thought process necessary to achieve the hyper awareness, Xander contemplated what he'd seen. Most of the people in the room, including the teacher were washed out and colorless…meaning that they were innocents and didn't have either information or aid to provide, but they weren't targets or enemies either. However three of the students in the room stood out. Willow shown with the blue of an ally streaked with a pulsing unhealthy shade of lime green that none of Xander's memories had ever seen before. Buffy was also the blue of an ally, but streaked with silver and black. While Cordelia shown as the blue of an ally but covered in little sparks of royal purple. The dark haired teen was drawn out of his musings by the voice of the teacher asking a question as she came up behind him.

"Well, it seems like Louis XVI was just sort of a weak king." One of the jocks commented.

"That's fair enough," the teacher replied as she reached the front of the class and turned to face them before continuing, "What other impressions did you guys get from the reading?"

"I just don't see why everyone's always picking on Marie Antoinette. She was such a sweet woman." The dulcet tones of Cordelia Chase said from the desk next to Xander's. The beautiful brunette continued as he turned his head to look at her. "I can so relate to her. She worked really hard to look that good, and people just don't seem to appreciate that kind of effort." She said as she looked around to make sure she was the focus of everyone's attention.

"And I know the peasants were all depressed…"

"I think you mean 'oppressed'." Xander chimed in.

"Whatever. They were cranky…So they're like, 'Let's lose some heads'. Ughh! Like that's fair. And, and Marie Antoinette cared about them so much. It wasn't like there was anything she could do though. She was a woman and an Austrian in France and it was the 1700's. It's not like she had any kind of political power, and women's lib didn't happen until 200 years later!" She ranted. "And don't even get me started on that whole 'let them eat cake crap'…she never said that! It was a line written by some French scholar guy before she even hit puberty."

As the resident popularity queen of Sunnydale High ranted, Xander was thinking to himself. 'Yup, she definitely kept the memories of whoever possessed her. She's talking about the French Queen as if she actually knew her. I wonder who she dressed as?'

"Um, that's a very interesting perspective. Would anyone else like to comment?" The teacher asked just as the bell rang.

After trying to catch Cordelia's attention and being pointedly ignored, Xander joined up with Buffy and Willow as they exited the classroom.

"I don't know. I don't thinks so. They seemed pretty friendly." Buffy said in response to whatever the last note Willow had passed her.

"Who's friendly?" Xander asked, hoping to catch up on what his two 'friends' had been discussing.

"No one." Buffy answered in a definitive voice.

"Angel and a girl." Willow chimed in at the same time.

"Willow, do we have to be in total share mode?" Buffy asked in exasperation.

Xander smiled goofily while the trio walked into the student lounge. As they made their way towards the couches he commented. "Hey, it's me. If Angel's doing somethin wrong, I wanna know. Cuz it gives me a happy."

"I'm glad someone has a happy." Buffy idly commented.

"Aw, you just need cheering up. And I know just the thing!" He exclaims as he performs a weird dance move. "Crazed dance party at the Bronze!"

As she collapsed down on to one of the sofas in the lounge with Willow sitting in the middle next to her, Buffy crossed her arms with a depressed look on her face and said. "I dunno."

"Very calm dance party at the Bronze?" Receiving a glum look from the blonde Chosen one he continued as plopped down next to Willow. "Moping at the Bronze it is."

"I'd suggest a box of Oreos dunked in apple juice, but maybe she's over that phase." A male voice commented from behind them.

Spinning around Buffy let out a squeal before lunging at the dark haired teen that Willow didn't recognize and Xander only recognized thanks to Desmond's memories.

"FORD!"

"Hey, Summers! How ya been?" He asked in a cheerful voice with a big grin on his face as the vertically challenged blonde attempted to crush his ribcage in a huge hug.

"Ford? What are you doing here?" Dawn asked as she walked into the lounge.

"Uh, matriculating Dawn." He answered as he weasels out of Buffy's hug and keeps hold of her hand.

"Huh?" Buffy asked intelligently.

"Dad got transferred. I'm finishing my senior year here."

"This is great!" Buffy said enthusiastically.

"I'm glad you think so." Ford commented. With everyone's eyes on the new guy, only Dawn noticed a strange look on Xander's face. As Buffy and Ford continued to banter back and forth Dawn shot Xander a questioning look. Seeing it, he mouthed later to her and turned his attention back to Buffy and her childhood friend.

"So I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that you're an old friend from L.A.?" Xander commented to the new teen in a mildly sarcastic and questioning tone.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Um, this is Ford!" Buffy said as she turned away from her childhood friend and back to her fellow Scoobies. "Uh, Billy Fordham, this is Xander and Willow."

As Ford moved to sit on the couch across from the trio, Buffy got up and joined him, while Dawn stole Buffy's previous seat.

Once everyone had finished playing musical chairs and gotten comfortable, Willow greeted the new guy. "Hey. Nice to meet you!" Willow chirped as Xander sent the him a wave.

With Buffy beginning to babble about the Divynls song 'I touch myself', Xander tuned her out while he tried to remember the specifics of the episode in Desmond's memories. 'Ok, so he's dying and wants to be turned into a vamp. But there was something else…uhm. Oh yeah, the ritual to get Drusilla back to full power. A vamp steals a book from Giles and he lets her get away.' He thought to himself.

When Buffy and Ford stand up Xander returned his attention to them in time to hear Buffy say, "I'll see you guys later in French, but first I want to take him to the office."

Smiling at both of them as they leave, Xander turns to Willow and Dawn just as Willow's face turns bright red.

"Oh, that's what that song is about?!"

When Xander and Dawn crack up at her question, Willow made an excuse and left.

"Ok, now what was with the look Xan?" Dawn asked.

The lanky teen made sure to look around so that they didn't have any eavesdroppers before he answered. After seeing that the coast was clear, Xander filled the pretty freshman in on Desmond's questionable taste in television entertainment.

"So we're a TV show?" She asked incredulously.

"He's a video game character…it could be worse. We could be a cartoon." He said with a goofy grin as he tried to get his friend to look on the bright side.

"Okay, and from the look you had earlier I'm guessing you recognized something from an episode."

"Yeah, Ford's dying of brain cancer. He wants to be turned into a vamp and figures offering up your sister will be enough of a bribe to get somebody to do it."

"What?!" She exclaimed.

"I'm sorry Dawnie…I know he was your friend."

"Actually I never liked him. He always wigged me out, I just never knew why." She said. "Buffy's gonna be ok though right?"

"She was in the episode, and since I know more than the Xander Harris on the show I'd say she's gonna be extra fine now." He replied with a smirk.

The slender teen slapped her crush on the shoulder, while she gave him the exasperated look all women give men when they say something cheesy.

"Anyways, there's something I need to talk to you about Dawnmeister." Xander said while looking directly into her blue eyes.

"Why do I have a bad feeling all of a sudden?"

"Cuz you're way more intuitive then most people give you credit for?"

"Xander!" She said in exasperation. "What's wrong?"

"Uhm, there's something else that I remember from the TV show that concerns you…but I'm not sure if it's accurate cuz the timeline seems to be a little screwy." He said in trepidation.

"Now you're making me nervous. Spit it out!"

"There is a possibility that you aren't who you think you are…only you are kinda…"

"…" Having no idea how to respond to that sentence she stared at her friend in confusion.

"Okay, in the show your character didn't show up until the 5th season…to give you an idea we're about a third of the way through the second right now. Dawn Summers was six years younger than Buffy and she wasn't her biological sister. She was a mystical energy field that was given human form by some monks to hide it from a Hellgod and sent to the slayer for protection."

"Wait…what!?"

"I'm not sure if this is true for you because there are some major differences in the timeline. The character of Dawn was created and inserted into the life of the Slayer to protect reality. The energy field was called the Key and if it was ever used reality would implode. Basically what I'm saying is you might want to get with Ms. Calendar after school and have her do a mojo check to see if you are who you think you are." He paused as he put his arm around her in comfort as she looked like she was about to cry. "Hey, no matter what you're my Dawnie and nothing is ever gonna change that. I'm just saying that it would be a good idea to know if we're gonna have a god coming after us."

After taking a few moments to compose herself Dawn realized he was right. "Okay Xan, I'll talk to her after school." She said as she stood up and got ready to head to her next class.

"K. Later." He walked her out of the lounge and waved as they headed in separate directions down the hall.

Finishing out the afternoon was just as boring as the morning had been. Fortunately Xander was able to get Cordelia alone just before last period and grill her on her Halloween possession. Just before last period, Xander spotted the cheerleader without her usual gaggle of minions for the first time all day. He called upon the stealth techniques of the Brotherhood to sneak up behind and then herd the gorgeous brunette into a nearby broom closet.

"HEY! What is your damage dweeb?" She exclaimed in surprise before she continued. "And just what do you think you're doing trapping me in here? If you think for even one second that just because you're not wearing one of those hideous shirts, and that you look good in a Speedo I'm go…"

"Cordy! Chill…I just wanted to ask you something and I doubt your rep could survive the hit if you were seen talking to me."

"Oh…well, thanks…" She said sheepishly. "Wait…I'm Cordelia Chase, my rep can survive anything."

"Wait you think I look good in a Speedo?" He asked with a cheeky grin.

"Shut up doofus! That is sooo not the point. Now hurry up and ask whatever it is so I can get out of here." She said in a forcibly calm tone.

"Okay…Were you possessed on Halloween? What do you remember from your possession? Did you keep any powers or memories? Who did you dress up as?" He fired off.

"Yes. Everything. I don't know, I've been too busy freaking out and trying to repress to experiment." She rattled off right back. She visibly steeled herself before answering the final question in a quiet voice. "Amanda Darieux."

"Who?" He asked. The name sounded familiar but he couldn't place where he'd heard it before.

"After Partytown sold my cat costume I wasn't going to spend daddy's hard earned money there let me tell you. So I went to this new store named Ethan's and that creepazoid owner sold me this Persian belly dancer costume. He said it was for a TV show that was canceled before the character was ever filmed. I was like whatever, cuz the costume made me look hot. It was all crimson and gold, flowing, and sexy under this to-die-for red shear robe…Nobody could take their eyes off me all night. Anyways, I ended up getting the memories of a 1,200 year old Immortal thief."

"Wow…so like from Highlander? That Amanda?"

"What's Highlander?"

"Crap…well it's a TV show that Jesse and I used to watch about an Immortal named Duncan MacLeod…"

"Oooh I remember him." She interrupted. "Amanda and he were off and on for over 300 years. That was one incredible hunk of salty goodness." Cordelia said in a dreamy voice.

"Right. Well Amanda was a part time character in that show before it was cancelled but she was only in like 3 episodes so I don't know much about her other than she was an incredible thief, very beautiful, and REALLY old. Hey wait, does this mean you're Immortal now?"

After giving him a furious look for taking a crack at her age, Cordy replied. "She was born in Normandy in the 9th century and travelled the world ever since. She was amazing." The beautiful teen defended. "As far as I know I'm either a pre-immortal or still mortal. I cut my leg shaving over the weekend and it didn't heal immediately."

"Huh…" He absently said as he was lost in thought.

"So what about you and the others?"

"Well, Willow was a ghost version of herself, so no new memories. Buffy went as an 18th century noblewoman to impress Angel. She spent the night screaming 'Demon' at everything and fainted a lot. I went as Desmond Miles, who before you ask was a member of the Hashshashin."

"Wait…the Hashshashin that worked to stop the Templars from taking over the world? Hid the Seeds of Knowledge and the pieces of Eden. THAT HASSHASHIN!?"

"So you've heard of them."

"Yeah…Amanda was a member in the 15th century. She ran a brothel in Florence using the name Paola and helped train a guy named Ezio after his dad was murdered. She also helped get the Apple of Eden from Rodrigo Borgia."

"Wow…that's just weird. I remember Paola but she didn't look anything like the actress that played Amanda on the Highlander TV show."

"Wait what do you mean you remember Paola?"

"The guy I dressed up as was kidnapped by Templars and put into a machine that made him relive the genetic memories of his ancestors. Desmond was a direct descendant of Ezio Auditore so I have all of Desmond's memories, along with everybody who's memories that machine made him relive…including Ezio's, and two others." He said uncomfortably, not wanting to admit just what all he'd retained. She may have been his girlfriend for a year on the show but it hadn't happened yet and he wasn't sure if he wanted it too. While he knew that in the original timeline she grew into a strong woman of deep conviction, right now she was a shallow cheerleader with delusions of actresshood. Even if she WAS a super hottie.

"So wait you're a killer now?" She asked incredulously.

"Are you? I mean you've got the memories of what…1,200 years worth of beheadings."

Just then the bell rang to indicate that they were running late to their last class of the day.

"Crap. Finish this after school?"

"Where?"

"Library. Might as well fill Giles in on some of it." Xander replied. "Just tell him you remember how to speak French fluently and maybe how to pick a lock or some historical facts or something but that other than that it's all fuzzy. I'll explain why later."

After giving him a confused look, Cordelia decided to humor the doofus. "Alright."

"I'll stop by. Now let me outta here dweeb before somebody catches us."

Slipping out of the broom closet after making sure the coast was clear; the two students went their separate ways. The final class of the day came to a close with Xander having managed to talk to both of his targets. 'So while not a perfect day, since it was incredibly boring it was also rather productive. And I can't believe I just used a 3 syllable word in a sentence. I've got to watch that, or Willow at least will catch on that something's up for sure. But since Ford is here I've got more proof that Desmond's memories of the show were accurate.' He mused to himself as the teen made his way to the library.

After walking in to the library, Xander walked over to Giles' office to pick up the materials they'd discussed that morning before heading into the stacks and grabbing some history books. As he went over the material, Cordelia joined Giles in his office to discuss what had happened to her over Halloween. Then she left.

After proving to himself that the memories of his Assassin possessor were mostly accurate in broad strokes as far as the timeline went, Xander got to work checking out his language skills. French, Spanish, Italian, and Mohwak were all part of his skill set now. Along with languages such as Latin, French, Farsi, Urdu, and German from the Middle Ages. Xander then did some research on what all would be necessary to become emancipated, as Desmond's emancipation took place in New York and California has different statutes. Having spent several hours after school researching all of this while Buffy worked out and Willow and Giles discussed demonic history, they broke apart to go home and get ready for the Bronze.