Many, many thanks to Salamander Hanzo, Quathis, salamander, calileane, Rivana and Calmest Card for their reviews on the 6th chapter. I am really happy that you liked it.

A special thanks to Quathis for the awesome and quick beta reading. Thank you. Thank you, thank you.

On with the story…

~~~ LEGACY HOUSE ~~~

Derek pushed the chair back and started pacing nervously. Normally the sight of his boss pacing would send Nick in full red alert, but considering that the older man has been at it for the best part of the week told Nick that there wasn't any apocalyptic event in their near future and that Derek would talk to him when he was ready.

"I don't get it!" exclaimed the Percept. "On the outside Sunnydale is a nice little Californian town, but you dig a little deeper and you get animal attacks, exsanguinations and missing bodies from the morg - not to talk about the death rate."

"You checking on Xander?"

"No, not specifically. I looked up the entire town."

"And?"

"For a little town it sure has a lot of gangs on PCP. Something is fishy there."

"Hu-huh."

"Hu-huh? This is all you have to say? Hu-huh!" Derek asked disbelievingly, than noticing Nick's expression, he narrowed his eyes. "What are you not telling me?"

"Maybe I have an answer to the mystery that's Sunnydale," said Nick after a few seconds of consideration. "When I saw the stats of the town I too got a little curious so I dug in the towns past and guess what I found?"

Nick typed a couple of words on his keyboard and the research on Sunnydale, also known as La Boca del Infierno, popped out on the main screen.

"Dear God, Xander is living on an active Hellmouth! Why the hell didn't you tell me? We just sent him back to a place crawling with demons that can't wait to munch or mate with him. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that he lived in that place since he was a kid and he is still alive."

When he saw Derek was about to protest he stopped him. "And that he has back up."

"Back up? What kind of back up would he have? There is no Legacy house there!"

Nick shook his head. His boss was one of the more intelligent people he ever met. He spoke a ton of dead languages, he was a great strategist and a solid fighter, but when it came to the Legacy he was a little blindfolded.

"I wasn't talking about the Legacy."

"Then what?"

Nick keyed another word and the picture of a blond girl appeared on the screen

"Meet Elizabeth 'Buffy' Summers. An airheaded blond cheerleader on the outside, a troubled, tormented girl on the inside. She burned down her previous school gym right in the middle of the school dance before being transferred to Sunnydale high, where she keeps collecting trouble after trouble after trouble," he said clicking some of the more spectacular charges on the screen.

"Great, Xander is running with the town trouble maker. I still don't see how this is supposed to make me feel better."

"Wait. I am not done yet. Next up is a Mr. Rupert Giles, school librarian that before being employed by our educational system worked as a curator at the British museum in London. He transferred there soon after miss. Summers posted her application to the local high school."

"Wait! Did you just say Rupert Giles?"

"You know him?"

"You could say that. He was a close friend of someone I knew. He's bad… wait! Are you suggesting that he is a Watcher and that Buffy girl is the Slayer?"

"Ding-ding-ding."

Derek glared at him making Nick raise his arms in surrender. "Sorry, not the place or time… but yes, that's what I am suggesting.

"Dear God."

"Seems like the fight against the dark forces runs in the family," remarked Nick. "So what are you going to do?"

"No, you don't understand. I have been having visions for the past couple of weeks. I saw scenes of Xander fighting demons and vampires at his graduation ceremony. It never made sense, until now."

"Do you think that something big is coming?"

Thinking back to the enormous snake like creature that he saw in his vision he nodded. "Definitely something big."

"What do you want to do? The hellmouth is Watchers territory. They won't be happy if you storm all over it."

"Then they should have thought twice about involving my underage nephew into their fight! Get all the equipment ready. We are leaving in one hour for Sunnydale."

"But the graduation is in a couple of days," protested Nick.

"All the better. I will have time to have a couple of choice words with our friendly Watcher."

~~~ SUNNYDALE LIBRARY ~~~

Xander leaned back in his chair, away from the book he had been pretending to read, and took a moment to study the people in the library. His companions.

Willow and Giles were hunched over a dusty looking book, discussing animatedly about something or other and a short distance away Buffy was drooling all over one of G-mans precious books.

He sighed. Things were finally falling back to normal, or as normal as apocalypse week can be. His father had settled down, he was getting used to the idea that maybe he was a little psychic and the tsunami that was caused by Anya's revelation about the ascension died down to waves.

If he was honest, her leaving Sunnydale had hurt him. On the other hand he could understand how she felt. Sometimes he wondered himself why he stays. Then his gaze traveled to the girls and Giles and he knew the answer. He could never abandon them. They were his choice family, not connected by blood, but by something equally powerful.

"Buffy, for the love of Gods!"

Xander grinned. Giles had finally noticed his precious volume getting drooled on.

"Where, what?"

"Buffy if you are not in the mood for research you can always make a quick sweep of the cemeteries."

"But Giles, there aren't any vampires around, this being the pre-apocalypse time of the year, the quiet before the tempest and all that."

Giles seemed on the point of blowing a fuse so Xander intervened.

"And this is why I am going to patrol with you. What demon or vampire could resist all this?" he said pointing at his body. "Come on Buffster, we have vampires to dust and demons to slay!"

Before anyone could protest, he grabbed Buffy for the elbow and dragged her out of the house.

As soon as the two were out of the door, Giles run to the wounded book and lovingly clean it up with a handkerchief.

"Giles, did it ever occur to you that your love for the books borders a little to the pathological side?"

"I'll have you know that that was a very valuable 16th century book that was being corroded by bodily fluids!"

"Eww! When you say it like that it's even worse," protested Willow, making a disgusted face.

"Yes, well…as I was saying before, there is a vague reference to the ascension in this book…"

"But it doesn't really tell us anything," sighed Willow.

"No I am afraid not," concurred Giles, tiredly wiping his glasses.

"I suggest we take five minutes."

"Quite. I will make us some tea. Maybe taking our thoughts on other matters for a while will help us find the solution."

"Speaking on changing the subject…" trailed off Willow and Giles didn't have to be special Watcher trained to know he had just walked into a well planed trap. "What's up with Xander?"

"Whatever you mean?"

"I mean since he has come back from San Fran he has been behaving strangely. Had something happened to him while he was there?"

"Shouldn't you be asking him that?"

"I tried, believe me I tried, but he doesn't want to talk about it, whatever 'it' is, but he seemed very chummy with you these last couple of weeks. So what gives?" she pierced him with intense green eyes.

"I think that you will have to talk to Xander about it."

"But I already told you that he doesn't want to talk to me!" she whined.

"Then maybe you should respect his whishes."

"I know! But he is my best friend. We share everything and suddenly 'Bam' he doesn't talk to me anymore and I worry! Maybe he is ill and dying, or he has being impregnated by a she-demon or something equally disturbing."

"Willow, let me assure you that nothing of the kind had happened. It's nothing catastrophic or life threatening. It's … a change. A possible, not yet confirmed change."

Willow looked at him like he was crazy. "A change."

"Yes, quite."

Willow continued to stare at him for awhile, before her eyes suddenly got bigger and rounder and her mouth formed a perfect little 'O'.

"Ah a change," she said nodding sagely, before returning to the books and leaving Giles with two cups of streaming tea and no clue of what Willow meant.

~~~ SUNNYDALE CEMETARY ~~~

Xander and Buffy were walking in silence looking for possible disturbance in the peaceful night when suddenly Buffy broke the silence.

"So, what's up with you? You have been acting wired ever since you came back."

"It's all this end of the world crap, you know and coupled with the fact that this is the last year of high school and I have no clue what to do after I return from my trip…"

"Bull!"

"What?"

"I said that's bull. Something happened on your family trip. Something big."

"Look Buffy…"

"Is something I should be concerned with?"

"What?"

"I am your friend and I worry about you, but I am also a Slayer and I need to know if this is something I should worry about."

Buffy cast a glance at her friend afraid that she had offended him in some way. He didn't seem angry or hurt but she added a "Sorry." at the end just to be safe.

"Don't be sorry. I understand what you are saying. Soldier boy here – remember?" he grinned. "And to answer your question – no. It's nothing to worry about, just some personal stuff that I have to sort through, before I share it with you and Willow."

"But you shared it with Giles?"

"Uh yeah, I needed a grown-up opinion. Like when you talk to your mom."

"Gotcha! Hey I see movement. Maybe we didn't come out here for nothing."

And just like that she was gone, leaving Xander alone in the middle of the cemetery. He tried to run after her, but she was fast, way faster then him and at the end he gave up and rendezvous to their meeting point.

He was almost there when a hot breath on his neck made him stop dead. "Uhmm Buffy, please say it's you," he pleaded.

"No such luck pumpkin," said a hissing voice.

Xander first reaction was to run away as fast as he could, before deciding against it. The demon was way to close to him for a successful escape.

After a quick consideration of his options he grabbed the stake that he always carried with him and swiftly turned around slamming the weapon home.

When the thing didn't dust, dissolve in goo or scream in pain he knew he was in trouble.

"A wooden stake, young one?" the thing laughed. "My, aren't we old fashioned?"

Instead of retaliating the she-demon (there was no denying it anymore) hugged him tightly and caressed his cheek with her long slimly tongue. "Umm, but I wouldn't be adverse to the real thing," she murmured into his ear.

"Uhmm yeah, no. Thank you but no. I am just a little busy right now," he stammered, all the while thinking 'Buffy where the hell are you?'.

"Are you sure? Our coupling would be very, very pleasurable," she insisted, her hands begging to roam downward, cupping his ass.

"No!" he squeaked despite the fact that his neither regions were screaming Yes! Yes!

He so needed a girlfriend…

"You say that, but your body disagrees."

"Stop…" he moaned, unable to prevent himself from trusting his hips against hers.

"Hey ugly!" came an annoyed voice. "Get your hands off of him!"

"Oh look who is here. The big bad Slayer has arrived. I'm shaking!" the thing mocked her.

On the plus side she let go of Xander. Or was it a plus side? Xander's brain hadn't decided yet on the matter. All he knew was that without the support of the demon he wasn't able to stand up anymore and he collapsed on the ground.

"Xander? You okay?"

When no response was forthcoming she turned to the thing. "What did you do to him?" she demanded.

"Nothing…yet. We were just getting to the really interesting parts."

"Oh, so you are another she-demon that wants to mate with him."

"Demon!" the thing hissed. "I am no filthy demon!"

"Well if it qucks like a duck and it walks like a duck…."

"You children! What do the Watchers teach you these days, not even being able to recognize a Spirit when you see one."

"Aren't you a little bit too … solid to be a spirit?"

"Not that kind of spirit, little girl." The creature hissed, taking a menacing step toward the Slayer.

"In a minute it won't matter what kind of Spirit you are, because you will be history."

"Feisty little thing, aren't you? Well you are lucky, today I don't feel like fighting, Slayer. Good-bye and darling," it said turning to Xander. "I will see you soon."

And just like that the spirit/demon disappeared into tin air.

Buffy hurried to Xanders side and helped him up. "You okay?"

When she received only a groan in replay she began to worry. "Where are you hurt?"

"Not hurt," he managed to hiss.

"Then what…" she said before properly looking at him. "Oh… that's not a stake in your pants is it?"

"Uhmm…Giles…wash…off…now!"

"Did she just aphrodisiaced you?"

At the affirmative nod she relaxed a little. "Good, that's good. I was beginning to worry that you were starting to reciprocate the demon attraction thing."

"Buffy!" he moaned.

"Right, right. Less talking, more walking. Do you need help?"

Xander looked at her considering. Accepting Buffy's help would mean reaching Giles house much faster. On the other hand her proximity to him could cause embarrassing incidents.

The decision was taken from his hand when she just grabbed his arm and began to half carry him toward their destination. "Let's go."

While she was pulling him along certain parts of his body rubbed against her. Closing his eyes he prayed. 'Gods and Goddesses please let the hellmouth open beneath me and swallow me whole.'

Same time – Giles house

Giles and Willow were just going over one of the books when the door bell rung. The two exchanged a look and then moved in synchronism. Willow picked up a baseball bat while Giles chose a short sword that he could easily hide under his jacket.

Carefully they approached the door and with a last glance at each other, to make sure they were ready, Giles opened the door only to come face to face with the Precept of the San Francisco Legacy house.

"Mr. Giles," said Derek dryly, and it wasn't a question.

"Dr. Rayne," responded Giles in the same tone of voice.

"Mind if we came in?"

Giles was tempted to say no and close the door in the man's face, just to scratch that rebellious itch that still rose its ugly head from time to time. But then after studying the newcomers decided against it.

First of all it was childish and second of all judging from their stormy faces he doubted that they would react peacefully. Sighing loudly he stepped aside and motioned them inside.

Derek went in first with Nick right behind him with his hand on the gun, looking for possible threats.

As soon as he entered he begun to scan the room only to froze when his eyes settled on the other occupant of the room. Of all the possible and imaginable dangers lurking around, he never, in a million years, expected to see a pixie red-head brandishing a baseball bat.

The two stared at each other for what seemed eternity, then Willow begun to swing the bat counting each swing: 997, 998, 999 and 1000. Woo that was some hard work!"

When she noticed that everyone including Giles was staring at her she did what she normally do in this kind of situations. She began to babble.

"I was training for the school softball team. Only not, 'cause we still don't have one, but we might have one in the future and if or when there is one I am definitely in it! Playing."

"Willow!" shouted Giles, than continued more calmly. "It's okay. Why don't you go to the basement and try to find that book that we were talking about."

"The book?" Willow looked confused, then her eyes widened and she smiled. "The book, of course."

As soon as she was gone Derek turned to Giles. "A very lively girl."

"Yes, she is, but I doubt that you came all the way here because you wanted to talk about her. Shall we?" he asked motioning toward the sofa in the living room.

Derek sat on the couch while Nick preferred to remain standing behind him, keeping one watchful eye on the room, in case any unexpected dangers should arose.

"Can I offer you anything to drink?"

"No thank you. If it's all right with you I would like to directly tackle the reason why we are here. From your lack of reaction I wager that you remember me and that you know more or less why we are here?"

"If I have to guess I would say that it had something to do with Xander and his involvement with me."

"Right to the point, but then you were always a very direct person," said Derek, watching the Watchers face slowly gaining color.

"Yes well, that was a long time ago and I am a different person now. I paid for my sins in full and then same more."

"And yet you let my underage nephew and his friend, get involved in the supernatural. Not a very responsible action, if you ask me."

"Mr. Rayne if you know anything about your nephew then you understand that with him it's not so much about letting him do something as not being able to prevent him from involving himself. He is a very stubborn young man and once he found out about the dangers of this town he decided to do something about it.

"Frankly, if I have to choose between him running around town fighting by himself and in the dark or fighting with friends and with valid information's, I would choose the later."

Derek carefully studied the Watcher. He had come here with certain expectations about how this conversation will go and never in a million years had he imagined a rational and realistic explanation. To tell the truth he was a little stunned by the direction of the discussion.

There was no pompous superiority that he had learned to expect from all Council members and no wild, reckless arrogance that he associated to the younger version of the Watcher.

"But they are still kids and you send them everyday to a war that they are not equipped to fight, physically or mentally," said Nick, eyes blazing.

Giles only looked at him with sad eyes and shook his head. "Believe me I am well aware of that and if there was something, anything that I could do to stop them from daily risking their lives I would have done it a long time ago. As it is now all I can do is prepare them the best that I can."

"So you pat them on the back, give them same advice and send them out, while you sit here safe and sound!"

"Now look here…" started Giles, but was interrupted by a loud bang of the door opening and Xander running past them not even noticing the presence of his uncle, followed by Buffy who strolled in, in a more sedate pace, managing to even close the door behind her.

Giles, being used by now to the kids manners merely looked disapprovingly at Buffy, their guest on the other hand were startled by the sudden incursion. Derek rose from the couch ready to face the intruder, while Nick shifted into a fighting position, his hand disappearing into the jacked obviously going for the gun.

"Hey Giles, we are back and you wouldn't believe what happened to Xan…" she stopped in the middle of the sentence only then noticing the presence of the two unknown man, one of which screamed 'hunter' to her Slayer-senses.

Placing herself in the best position to attack if necessary she asked Giles, "Friends of yours?" all the while kipping an eye on her targets.

"Actually they are Xander's relatives from San Francisco."

"Oh, the ones living in the castle."

The elderly of the two man stepped around the couch and approached her with an extended hand, smiling. "Hi I am Derek Rayne, Xander's uncle and this is my associate Nick Boyle."

After throwing another questioning look at Giles she shook the offered hand, "Buffy, Xander's friend."

"Nice to meet you. Now what were you saying about Xander?"

"Huh? Oh Xander, yes. We were walking and he suddenly fell into a muddy puddle and got all dirty. That's why he run upstairs so quickly, to wash up all the icky mud. I hope it's all right with you Giles if Xander uses your bathroom," she asked the Watcher, distancing herself from the man and his associate. Xander's uncle or not, the man was making her nervous.

"Yes it's quite all right."

"A puddle huh? That's strange considering it hasn't rained for weeks," said Nick.

"Yes well someone must have spilled some water there recently."

"And he just happened to stumble into it?" snorted Nick.

"Yeah well that's our Xander."

"Cut the crap!"

"Excuse me?" shrieked Buffy.

"Really Mr. Boyle."

"Nick!"

And then things shot really to hell. With people shouting at one another and menacing painful bodily injuries. Willow alarmed by all the commotion raced toward the living room only to find it descended into complete chaos.

After listening to the flying insults for what appeared to be hours she had it enough and closing her eyes she concentrated on her power and shouted, "Silencio!" efficiently silencing the entire room.

The Legacy members looked at each other in utter surprise at their loose of voice while Giles and Buffy immediately focused their attention on Willow.

"That's better! Now if you'll promise to act like civilized adults and calmly talk about what's bothering you I will lift the spell and…."

"Willow? What's going on?" asked Xander.

Willow whirled around and came face to face with a puzzled Xander, but before she could respond his gaze traveled to the other end of the room where his uncle and Nick were furiously trying to speak.

"Derek? What are you doing here?" he asked surprised and when all he got for an answer was some pretty wild hand signs he once again turned to his oldest friend.

"Willow, what did you do?"

"Nothing," she said defensively, crossing her arms under her chest.

"Willow…"

"It was just a tiny tiny silencing spell. You should have heard them screaming and threatening…"

Xander just looked at her with one of his rare stern expressions and Willow capitulated. "Okay, okay I will end it," she huffed and concentrated once again, meanwhile Xander took the chance to study the newcomers.

He knew the day they left San Francisco that he hadn't heard the last from his uncle, but in a million years he didn't imagine that he was going to see them this soon or in person for that matter.

Sighing heavily he massaged his forehead. This was not good. If before his uncle was worried about him and magic now, after Willow's display, he was afraid to imagine what his reaction was gonna be once he was able to speak again.

Suddenly a gentle warm breeze swopped the room and the silence was broken.

"What the hell!" shouted Nick. "What are you playing at?"

"Well it's your fault! Try acting like a grown up."

Seeing the potential of this becoming another shouting match Giles intervened before anymore magic could cast or before Nick lost his temper and started shooting.

"Kids, that's enough!" he shouted, making Willow and Nick freeze on the spot. "Buffy, can you accompany Willow home? I think that we are done for today."

The Slayer wanted to protest but the she saw his serious explosion and nodded obediently. "Come on Willow, let's go," she said grabbing the girl for the arm.

"But Xander…."

"He will stay here, with his relatives… from San Francisco."

Willow's eyes grow bigger and rounder as she looked at the guests, surprised.

"They…" she managed to stutter.

"Yes."

"Here…"

"Yes."

"But… they know?"

"I guess. Come on. We can talk on our way home. Xander? We are going to TALK tomorrow before school at the library! Don't be late," she said in a commending voice, before dragging poor Willow out of the door.

Xander watched them go feeling a shiver dancing up and down his spine. He was soo screwed! As the door closed behind them he turned around only to be pierced with Derek's sharp eyes. Forget screwed, he was deader than a vampire.

"Uhm… Hi uncle Derek, Nick. What are you doing here? Vacation?" he tried with his most innocent smile.

Xander stormed through the night hoping, for a change, that something would attack him. He had just spent the last two hours sitting on the couch, watching his uncle and Giles verbally going at it.

For two stuffy elder men they sure knew how to politely threaten, and insult each other not to mention the things they were implying and inferring. All perfectly civil and nice, of course.

Xander kicked a rock that was unfortunate enough to be on his path and felt a little better. Walking slowly forward he choose his next target, adding a curse in the mix and another piece of anger seemed to have melted away.

'Well' he thought. 'That works too.'

If there weren't any hungry or evil demons around, he would just have to be content with beating the shit out of unanimated objects. The next one was bigger then the others and in a recess part of his brain a weak voice was warming him of imminent pain, but he choose to ignore it.

He was just about to swing his leg when a purring voice stopped him, "I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

"Gah!" screeched Xander, turning toward the voice, ready for a fight. When he saw whom the voice belonged to he relaxed marginally. "Oh it's you, demon/spirit lady."

"Hello my pretty."

"Lord of the Rings much," he snorted.

"Lord of what?"

"Nothing, forget it. The point is that I really don't want to go through the sexual harassment thing again. So can we skip it?"

"I thought you had some extra energy that needed to disperse. Why not burn it in a non violent way. Make love, not war and all that?"

"It's really not a good time. Now or ever! Just leave me alone!"

"As you wish. I'll bid you goodbye, for now. But don't forget that I will be back my chosen one."

And with that the 'spirit' disappeared into tin air, only to reappear a second later. "Oh and there is a vampire hiding in that tree over there, waiting for a warm meal."

This time she was gone for good leaving behind the sweet smell of roses, which in Xander's opinion didn't track with the whole demon thing. 'Oh well one problem at a time' he thought, smiling fierily as he begun to walk toward the unsuspecting vampire.

The next day at school he was the center of attention. Well at least that's what it felt like with Buffy and Willow scrutinizing his every move and gesture.

Last night he was so worried about the discussion that was probably taking place in the Giles residence that he couldn't fall asleep. Well, dusting that vampire helped him relax a bit, but not enough to stop him from thinking.

He really hoped that Giles was okay. On some level he knew that his uncle and Nick would never hurt the librarian, but that doesn't mean that they couldn't tear him to shreds verbally without leaving a mark on his body.

'Okay back on topic.' He thought as he caught another worried glance send his way by Willow. As a result of his night activities he overslept and was late for his first period – which pissed off his history teacher to no end, and also to be a proud owner of a new set of very prominent bruises, that adorned his face and arms.

He could just imagine the whispered conversations going on between Buffy and Willow and although their concern warmed his heart he wasn't looking forward to the 'conversation' that they would undoubtedly have as soon as the bell rung.

For the first time in his life he prayed that the history class could go on forever, but as all good things, this one to had to came to an end. The bell rung in the middle of the professor's sentence and before he could finish it the class room cleared out.

Time to face the music.

He bagged the text book and turned around only to find himself trapped. Each girl grabbed him for one arm and started dragging him toward the library.

They got there in record time and Xander was glad that Giles was okay and his usual British self. The girls pushed him toward the surprised librarian and then stood opposite to them, with arms on their hips and a matching determined expression on their faces.

"Giles, I think we are in trouble," said Xander, then seeing the girls glare at him he amended, "Big trouble."

When the girls glare only intensify, Xander turned to Giles for support, only to find the older man looking at him with a slight smirk and raised eyebrows as if to say 'your family – your mess'.

The boy silently cursed Ripper. 'Way to choose the time to make an appearance. Don't get him wrong he was fun and all but right now Xander would kill to have the babbling tweed clad Giles at his side.'

"Traitor!" he whispered to the other man which only served to additionally amuse the man.

"Okay we are waiting. What the hell happened yesterday?" demanded Buffy.

"Not much. My uncle from SF came to visit."

"The truth Xander!" said Willow hitting him with her most powerful resolve face that she could muster. "If it was only a visit then why did they went to Giles house?"

Xander was struggling to come up with a suitable lie when he realized that it was no use, so he opted for a half truth. "My uncle is in the known about the supernatural. During my visit there he became interested in me and after I left he googled our little town and figured that there is a hellmouth beneath it."

"And what does all this have to do with Giles?"

"Well turns out that Derek and Giles had met before. When Nick run the search on our town G-man's name pooped out and they decided to get the basics from Giles before talking to me."

Buffy was already nodding her head, convinced while Willow was still frowning.

"So what was the big shout out all about?" she finally asked.

Xander sighed, he really didn't want to go there, but Willow had still the resolve face on and it wasn't like that they wouldn't find out sooner or latter.

"They found out that I was helping with patrols and slaying. They weren't very happy about it."

"Well I can understand their desire to keep you out of this," said Buffy. "So did you come to some kind of agreement or what?"

"For that you will have to ask Giles. I was there for like an hour and all they did was bark at one another. Finally I got bored and left for home."

"Alone?" asked Buffy with narrowed eyes.

"Yes alone. I am not a baby anymore. I can find my way home."

"And the bruises?"

"Former vamp – now a dust bunny."

"Okay. Still not happy with you fighting, but okay." Then she turned to the other man. "So Giles what's the what?"

"I think that this doesn't concern you. Why don't you go to your next class while I talk to Xander?"

"But we are his best friends. Shouldn't we listen to?"

"This is a personal mater. If later, Xander wants to share with you that's his choice. For now I would like to speak with him alone. Now go before you are too late and the troll catches you."

"What about Xander?" wanted to know Willow.

"I will write him a note."

They waited until the library doors closed behind the girls before Xander turned to Giles.

"So what's up? Did anything new happened after I left? Or did you guys just keep going on insulting each other?"

"For the most part. Your uncle is worried for you. He wants you to stop fighting."

"Fat chance," snorted Xander.

"Yes this is exactly what I told your uncle."

"You did?"

"Yes well, not exactly in those words but yes. I've known you for almost three years now and I know that no matter what you won't stop fighting."

"How did he take it?"

"Not well, but he understood your point."

"So he won't meddle in our things. We are safe?"

"For now. But he exposed some interesting points that I think you should consider."

Xanders eyes narrowed to a slit. "And what, pray tell, are this points?"

"You should ask him. But I want you to consider very carefully their offer before rejecting or accepting it."

"I am getting a bad feeling about this," said Xander. "Can you at least point me in the right direction?"

"Go ask your uncle, but remember it's your decision, not his or mine for that matter."

"No spoilers?"

"No spoilers. Now go to your next class."

"Yes sir."

Harris household

Xander dragged himself into the house praying that Tony wasn't home. It was one hell of a day.

First Angel got poisoned, and apparently since he needs Slayer blood to survive Buffy went after Faith only to wound her mortally before the other Slayer jumped off the roof and into a speeding away truck.

Buffy, as her usual decided to help her precious vampire and almost died in the process. Luckily she got better and even came up with a plan to stop the mayor from taking over the world. Go Buffy!

He was about to go into his room to start with the planning for the battle when a sniffle from the kitchen drew his attention. Instantly he changed direction and made a bee line toward the sound. Tony wasn't here, but there was nothing to say that he didn't leave chaos and destruction behind.

Gently prying open the kitchen door he softly called her name before entering. As soon as he stepped inside the room his mother run toward him and hugged him tightly, while sobbing into his shoulder.

His arms automatically rose to engulf her into a warm embrace, trying to soothe whatever pain was plundering her, being physical or mental. His eyes scanned the kitchen looking for possible signs of an alteration, which he didn't find. What he did found were two Legacy members comfortably sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee.

"What the hell did you do to her!" he growled reading himself for a fight.

"Sweetie." his mother managed to say between the sobs, disentangling herself from the tight embrace. "They didn't do anything. We were just talking and I become overwhelmed by my emotions. You know how I am."

Xander knew how she was. And if his mother was crying there must be a good damn reason behind it. "Right!" he snorted. "Talking about what?"

"Actually we were talking about you, honey."

"Me?" squeaked Xander, all the anger and contempt gone from his voice. "What about me?"

"Let's sit down. I have a feeling that this is going to be a long talk."

Xander allowed his mother to stir him toward the table and sat in a chair opposite the two men, his mother at this side.

"So what's going on?" he asked even if he had a pretty good idea what this intervention was all about.

The room was silent for a good minute before Derek decided to finally take the initiative. "Nick and I stopped by to say hello to your mother and she invited us for coffee. We started talking and one topic led to another…"

"You mean to say that you manipulated the conversation until it ended where you wanted it to," retorted Xander, sneer back in place.

"Alexander! This is no was to talk to our guests!"

"But mom!"

"No buts mister! They are here because they want to help you, so the least you can do is behave."

"You don't understand. You don't know…"

"You would be surprised at what I know, young man. Do you really believe that I grew up in the San Francisco Legacy house and were unaware of what was going on?"

"I can't believe this!" exclaimed Xander covering his face with his hands.

"What I can't believe is the fact that you went out night after night and fought vampires and demons with the Slayer and you never told me!"

Xander's head shoot up and he stared in horror at his mother. Did she just say the Slayer?

"How…?"

But his mother wasn't finished. Not by a long shot. "The Slayer! How did that happened? I got away from the Legacy so you would have a shot at a normal life! And what do you do? You hook up with a Slayer and her Watcher! Fighting live monsters! What were you thinking?"

"Well it's not like you volunteered information about the Legacy!" he shot back tired of being yelled at for doing the right thing.

"Because I want you safe!"

"On the top of the Hellmouth? Are you kidding me?"

His mother recoiled back like she has been struck. "Hellmouth?" she whispered, her eyes going impossibly wide.

"You, you didn't know?"

"Oh my God! I am a terrible mother," she said beginning to cry again. "Not only didn't I notice the wounds and the bruises on my son, but I lead his smack in the middle of a battle field! How could I!"

"It's okay mom. It's no big. I like helping Buffy and the gang with the patrolling and research. It's a good thing." he tried to comfort her, which made her cry even harder.

"Mom come on, don't be like this," he tried again, this time engulfing her in another embrace.

She allowed him to hold her for awhile and then she gently pushed him away. "Look at me. I am a mess," she chuckled nervously. "I need to freshen up a little. Why don't you use this time to listen to your uncle's preposition? I am sure you will find it very interesting." And with that she was gone leaving Xander alone with what he considered a fate worse than death.

"Xander, why don't you sit down?"

Defeated the boy sighed and obediently sat down on the nearest chair.

"You don't have to look like you are about to be executed," commented Nick.

"Look, it's been a long day. Can we speed this up?"

Derek noticed immediately the tired tone in the boys voice and sat up straighter, "Did something happen?"

"Nothing. So what's up?"

"After you left the house we did some digging on this town in general and you in particular…"

"Let me stop you right there," said Xander raising his arm. "Sunnydale – Hellmouth; Hellmouth – vampires, demons; vampires, demons – we fight. Can we move this along? Been there - talked about that."

"Xander you are a smart guy…"

"We had this conversation before. Can we skip to the proposition part?"

"Hey kid, watch it! We are here to help you! At least try to listen to what we are trying to tell you," bristled Nick, who had enough of the teen melodrama.

"Maybe we should came another day," suggested Derek, "I can see that you had a bad day at school."

"No wait! I'm sorry. It's just been a reaaalllllyyyy long day and I still had a shit load of stuff I need to do and I am sure that you are needed elsewhere. So give. What is this preposition of yours."

"I would like you to move to San Francisco and attend university there."

"I know that your intentions are good and all but my life is here and even if I wanted to go my grades weren't that high and if that wasn't enough I also missed the admission application."

"Things that are easily fixable if you are a guest professor at the university and a patron of the school. As for the fact that your life is here, think about all the good you could do if you had the knowledge in ancient languages, myths and such."

"Good for whom? The Watchers or the Legacy?"

"It will be your choice. Either way you could save lives and fight the good fight if that's what you want."

"So that's it? You sponsor my education and then at the end just let me go back to the opposition? Somehow I don't think it will be that easy."

"It's not opposition. Just another side of the same line of work."

"Funny, that's the same thing Giles said. You two are really alike. It explains why you don't get along."

Derek's eyes darkened. "I am nothing like him."

Xander carefully looked at him and saw rage, hatred and fear in the older mans eyes, but beneath all of it was sorrow and regret. "People change. At the time when you met him he was an angry and confused teenager that was rebelling against the future that his parents choose for him. He made mistakes. Big ones. Mistakes that cost lives. And he has been repenting ever since. Or didn't you notice the tweed wearing?" tried to joke Xander.

"You don't understand…"

"I beg to differ. I understand perfectly. He made a mistake and he is paying for it little by little. He is not the same man as before, but he isn't a Council drone either. He chose to put Buffy before the Watchers, to see her as a person and not just a killing tool that can be easily replaced, and he allowed us - me, Willow, Oz and even Cordelia to be Buffy helpers even if it went against all the crap that the Council teaches."

"And to put you in danger…"

"We are aware of the risks. We all know that we could die tomorrow, but that's our choice and he respects us enough to let us help.

"While he sits back and watches…"

"Boy you really don't know him. He is always besides us in the first line. He risks as much as we do if not more – you know he is getting a little on with the years."

Seeing as he was fighting a loosing war Derek sighed and let it drop - for now. "As interesting as this is we are going out of topic. What do you think of our preposition?"

"I need time to think about it."

"Of course, take your time. We will be right here when you decide…"

"No."

"No?"

"After Graduation I will go on a road trip. I will think about it and then let you know before the summer is over. But I have conditions and they are nonnegotiable."

"Okay let's hear it."

"If, and I stress the if, I decide to accept I need to know that at the end I can go back to my friends."

"We already said it was okay."

"Okay second one – if I need to I can leave at any time – no questions asked."

"Now wait a minute!" Nick jumped to his feet.

"Nick it's okay. So this is it?"

"No. Third I want my mother to come with us – sans Tony."

Derek run his hand over his head and leaned back in his chair. "I can offer, but in the end it's her choice."

"But you can always convince her. I am sure that you can be very convincing if you choose to be."

"I'll do my best."

"Good and now for the final condition I want to help with the Legacy."

"Are you out of your mind? It's dangerous, you could die."

"Nick!" warned his Derek. "I think that we can figure something out."

"Thank you."

"But, see as we are talking conditions I also have one."

"Fair is fair I guess. What do you want?"

"You study and work hard and you train your gift. As you are now you are vulnerable to all kinds of psychic attacks."

"I figured as much. Okay."

"So can I expect you in a couple of months?"

"I didn't say I accept. Just that if I do, I will abide to your rules."

"I see. Then I shall leave you to your work. Come on Nick," he rose from the chair and moved toward the exit, Nick close at his feet.

"Wait!" yelled Xander. "Where are you staying?"

"At the little motel out of town. Why?"

"Maybe you should head home tonight. That place isn't safe, since it's a hotel and nobody technically lives there the vampires don't need an invitation to get in."

"Don't worry. We had our own protection."

"Even if you do, your business here is done. Why wait until tomorrow to head back home?"

"But Xander that way we will miss your graduation."

"My grad… what?"

"Is there a problem?

"I … no, no problem. Just, you know – you have seen one you've seen them all. No need to waste your time."

"But it won't be a waste of time. We will see you graduate. It happens only once in a person's life. It's a memorable event."

'You have no idea just how memorable.' He thought as he banged his head against the table, while the two man left.

"Honey? Everything all right?"

"Yeah mom."

"Were are Nick and Derek?"

"They just left."

"Without saying good night? That was rude," she complained. "Oh well just as well. If I am not mistaken we have a conversation in suspension that we need to finish."

Xander stared at her for a second before he returned to banging his head against the table.

"What do you think?" asked Nick as soon as they were in the car.

"I think that for some reason he wants us out of town as soon as possible."

"You too got that impression, huh."

"I want you to discreetly follow him and find out what is going on. Something big is coming and it isn't pretty."

"Aye, aye captain."

In the next couple of days Nick followed Xander where ever he went. He observed his routine, the company he kept, the places he went and he didn't like what he saw.

He was a soldier, a trained fighter and he immediately recognized what was happening. Xander and his friends were preparing for war and this time they enlisted the help of the entire school.

Kids that should have been preparing themselves for one of the happiest moments in their lives were instead learning to wield weapons and how to fight.

Looking through the library window Nick observed the core 'Scooby' group plus another guy bending over what seemed to be a map and Xander avidly explaining something while the others nodded and asked questions from time to time.

Xander seemed very at ease in his role as the strategist which filled Nick with pride, it also scared him shitless. Whatever was coming Xander was going to be a vital part of it.

Nick started his car and drove toward his hotel.

Derek was just disconnecting his cell phone when Nick returned and threw himself tiredly on the bed.

"Was that London?" asked Nick

The percept sighed and set on the other bed. "Yes I just spoke to Slone."

"And?"

"And we are not to interfere."

"Are they out of their minds? How can we just stand there and do nothing as a bunch of kids fight for their lives whatever it is they are going against?

"These are the rules. Of course he didn't say anything about defending ourselves in the unlikely situation of an attack," finished Derek and grinned at Nick.

"Nice Boss-man. Really nice."

"Thank you. Now what did you find out?"

"Much of the same. Training, planning and plotting…" he sighed. "It's not fucking right!"

"What made you change your mind?"

"About what?"

"Before we arrived here you were very calm about Xander fighting, but since you got here your behavior changed completely."

"I guess it just finally sunk in. At the beginning when I found out about what he did I was very proud. He was brave and loyal and all the things that I value. Then little by little the reality begun to sink in. The injuries, mortality rate… It scared me to death."

"I see."

"What if he doesn't accept our offer? What if decide to stay here?"

"Don't worry, he won't do that. In the unlikely scenario that he decides to go back to Sunnydale we will just have to give him a little redirecting push in the right direction."

"Already plotting, aren't you?" snorted Nick, remembering his own reluctant joining of the Legacy.

"You know me," said Derek.

"Yeah I do," said Nick. "We better get some sleep. Tomorrow is the big day for our boy."

"Good night, Nick."

" 'Night Boss."

When Derek and Nick parked in front of the high school the next morning they found out that they were not the first ones on the scene. The Scoobies were already hard at work, carrying out of the school big boxes of what appear to be books and antique weapons.

They sat there for awhile trying to figure out what was going on when a big white van pulled to a stop and students begun to transport big sacks into the school.

Nick incredulously squinted his eyes to make sure that he wasn't seeing things.

"Is that…?"

"Yes. I believe that it's time to find out what exactly is going on," declared Derek stepping out of the car and strolling toward the school, following the students with the bomb making material, Nick hot on his heels.

The library was a mess. There wasn't any other word to describe it. Books and weapons were lying everywhere and in the mist of it all stood Giles dictating which books to save and which to leave there, while eager students filled the boxes and took the approved ones away.

Not far away from them on the set Xander rigging together what appeared to be a big home-made bomb. Cutting wires and then connecting them together in a intricate pattern that was then attached to a detonator.

"What the hell is going on here!" shouted Derek alarmed at what he saw.

The students froze in their place, unsure of what was going on. Giles scowled at the pair and was about to came up with a sharp retort when Xander jumped in. "Uncle Derek, Nick, what are you doing here?"

"As we told you we are here to see you graduate. But I think the better question is what are you doing here."

"That's…" begun Xander uncertainly, looking at Giles for help.

"This has nothing to do with you, Mr. Rayne," intervened the Watcher.

"It has when you had my nephew rig up a bomb that is obviously designed to blow up the school. Now if you would like to explain."

"This is not your business. Hellmouths are under the Watchers jurisdiction…"

"Oh for the love of God! Why don't you two throw out your manhood's and we will measure them up with a ruler!" snorted a pretty brunette.

"Cordy!" said Xander warningly.

"Oh please, as if you haven't been thinking it yourself!" she snapped at his ex then turned toward the newcomers. "The mayor is going to ascend to a true demon during the graduation ceremony. We are supposed to be the food. We will fight back. End of story! Now go away or help!"

Cordelia turned back to what she was doing before, ignoring the dead silence that reigned in the library after her little outburst. Xander sighed and he too went back to work, the other students quickly following their example.

Giles sighed tragically and monitored Derek toward his office. "Why don't we talk about this in my office?"

Nick watched the two older men disappear in a small office and then joined Xander on the floor checking the handy-work.

"Nice work! Where did you learn to do this?"

"Long story."

"We have time." Nick nodded toward the unfinished bomb.

"Okay, one Halloween I dressed up as a solder and a chaos mage – that would be Ethan Rayne – performed a spell that turned us all in our costumes. When Giles ended the spell by destroying the Janus statue I woke up with all this extra memories and skills."

"Not that long of a story."

"I suppose not."

"What about the nightmares?"

"Huh?"

"I seriously doubt that skills are the only thing that you remember."

"I deal. They are not so bad anymore," sighed Xander, then remarked: "You are taking this awfully good."

"Yeah well, seen some pretty strange things myself. It's the job, you know."

"Yeah…"

The two returned to the bomb making in silence, lost in their thoughts. Untill …

"So she your girlfriend or what?"

"WHAT!" screamed Xander, making all the room look at him. "False alarm, back to work, people. Back to work."

When the students attention dispersed to other things he turned back to Nick. "Man don't say things like that while I am making a bomb."

"Sorry," said Nick, not feeling sorry at all. "So is she or is she not?"

"You are not going to drop it are you?" At the others enthusiastic grin he sighed running a hand through his hair. "Was. It's a long story and no I am not going to talk about it even if we had the entire eternity at our disposal."

"Got it."

The Scoobies sat on the lawn in front of their former high school. The fight has been arduous and they have lost some students – and principal Snyder, but at the end they won the battle.

The two Legacy members helped too although they weren't too trilled to be working with a vampire, even one with the soul. Which, in Xander's book, gave them some serious brownie points.

After the minute silence suggested by Oz they dispersed toward their homes for a well deserved night (or two) of sleep.

Xander stumbled home and collapsed into his bed, instantly asleep a small smile playing on his lips. Tomorrow he was gonna go to his long planed and much deserved road trip.

'America here I come.' Was his last thought before Morfeous claimed him.

THE END - tbc in part 2 of Legacy family 2 – Life with the Legacy

Preview

Xander gripped the bars on the holding cell and banged his head against them. Only him. How the hell did this happen?

"If you ask nicely I can get you out," whispered a seductive voice.

Xander froze, but he didn't give out any other signs that he heard anything. He had learned the lesson the hard way. People tend to frown upon people arguing with an invisible spirit. No matter how real it was to them.

The lady spirit from that night back in Sunnydale seemed to really like him. She has been appearing sporadically to annoy the hell out of him. Sometimes she has been helpful with the info, like when he fought that Rashmash-something demon with the two hunter brothers . But he tended to be wary of that kind of help always expecting for the other shoe to drop. The demon-spirit lady wanted something from him, he just couldn't see what just yet.

But for now he just shook his head not wanting to get the attention of the others in the cell.

"You sure?" she asked. "Because the big guy down there, has been ogling your butt since you got here. Not that I can blame him, it's a very nice butt."

Xander managed to very convincingly glare at the wall outside the bars.

"Oh well be that way, but don't say I didn't warn you because here he comes," she said disappearing.

No sooner has she uttered those words a heavy hand found it's way to his backside. "Well hello. What do we have here? Is it an early present for me?" breathed into his ear a decidedly male voice.

The boy shrieked, turning around and found himself face to face with a leather clad mountain covered in tattoos.

"Hello there beautiful," smirked the mountain trapping Xander against the bars with a hand on either side of his shoulders. "First time here?"

Xanders eyes went huge. This was so not happening to him. He begun to pray to every God that he ever heard of that someone will get him out of there and for once a God was listening.

The door that lead to the outside world suddenly opened letting in the arresting officer. "Harris!" he barked. "You are free to go. The bail has been posted for you."

The mountain pouted and stepped back allowing Xander to escape through the cell door into freedom. The Scooby really didn't care who posted the bail. The important thing was that he was free again.

His euphoria didn't last long. As soon as he got into the processing room to retrieve his belongings his smile turned into a frown as he saw Nick and Derek waiting for him. This felt more and more like a set-up.