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Title: DBL: India Bound
Author: Jonathan
Chapter: 10
Rating: Nothing worse than the tv shows. Think people around the age of 15 are mature enough to read this.
Category: Gabrielle/Xander
Spoilers: In Buffy, post: "Living Conditions," In Gargoyles: Post "Journey" If Greg isn't counting season 3 as canon, I'm not either. In Xena, post:
"Key to the Kingdom" In Darkverse, post fic, "Dark Becomes Light"
Summery: Xander, Brooklyn, Xena, and Gabrielle are in India, and are now experiencing some new traditions.
Disclaimer: Buffy: the Vampire Slayer is owned by Whedon, Fox, and UPN. Gargoyles is owned by Bueana Vista and Disney. Xena: Warrior Princess is owned by Renaissance Pictures, Tapert, and Raimi.
Author Notes: This is the second fic in the Darkverse. You don't have to know "Dark Becomes Light," to enjoy this, but it might help. It continues Xena Season 4 canon.
Crossovers Planned:
Buffy: the Vampire Slayer
Gargoyles
Xena: Warrior Princess
Special Thanks: Nick, William, and Cyclone

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Gabrielle felt a wave of confusion as she found herself back in the middle of nowhere. She looked around and unlike her last experience this was more chaotic. Monsters, gargoyles, demons, and humans were running everywhere. They all seemed to going crazy.

"Now where am I?" Gabrielle asked herself.

She looked at herself again. Gabrielle sighed in relief. At least this time, she was wearing her normal clothes. And she even had her staff. Taking a breath, she opened her pouch, and Xander's shirt was within it.

She was soon pushed to the side and fell hard to the ground. "Hey." Gabrielle said after the impact. Looking for the source, she couldn't find one. Whoever did it was already gone.

Sighing, Gabrielle got to her feet. Why was going on here? Why was everything so extreme? And if she was still in Xander's mind, where was Xander? Where were any of the people she saw in that building?

She soon heard someone calling out Xander's name. Gabrielle frantically looked to the source and her soon found someone she recognize. The redhead from before…although, now she was wearing a strange outfit. It was even more strange. Not to mention she walked through a door?

She shook her head. There was something seriously disturbing about her current situation. And where was Xander? That girl called out for him, but she never got a response.

Gabrielle walked further down the street and was soon face to face with a gargoyle. Her eyes widened? Was this gargoyle like Brooklyn or like Demona? But as soon as the gargoyle saw her staff, he turned around and ran away. "What in Tartarus is going on here?"

She soon felt a tap on her shoulder. She raised her staff in defense, and turned her around. Her weapon soon came to a halt when she saw a tall man. A man that was strong and could easily tower Xena. "Gabrielle?" The man asked.

The bard looked at him strangely, "How do you know my name?" She asked the man. Gabrielle checked around her. "Xander?"

He explained, "Not exactly."

She showed a confused look, "What do you mean not exactly?"

"Come with me." He took her hand and brought her to a nearby alley. Making sure he wasn't being followed, he added, "Be careful here, Gabrielle. Everyone isn't who they seem?"

"What do you mean?"

He placed a hand by his side and pulled out a clear object. The man passed it to her. "Take a look in the mirror?"

She took it from his hand and brought to her face. Her eyes widened. "What's going on?"

The man answered, "This memory your in is from Halloween." She gave him a confused look. "Most everyone in Sunnydale is wearing a costume. That gargoyle you saw?" Gabrielle nodded, "He's only a 10-year-old boy."

"What?"

He added, "These demons, monsters, gargoyles, and even you are a costume come to life." The man gestured to the mirror, "Who you see there is Amy Madison. She bought a Gabrielle costume from Ethan and turned into you that night."

She nodded slowly, "So I'm a costume here?" She shook her head, "I don't feel like a costume. I feel like myself. My body is still in India. Isn't it?"

He nodded, "You are. When you leave this memory, you'll be Gabrielle again. But in this memory, you're a costume Ms. Madison wore that night." He took a moment. "That's why I'm not Xander Harries exactly. I'm a costume he wore that night come to life. I'm what gave him all his army knowledge."

She looked at him, "How do you know who I am?"

The man replied, "Look. I don't have much time here. Tataka keeps trying to control me. And I need your help."

"My help?"

"Everything in Xander's mind is at risk of being used by Tataka. If you don't help me free Xander, Tataka is going to take control of his entire body and Xander will seize to exist.

She shook her head, "Eli said that I need to find the true Xander. Do you know where I can find him?"

He shook his head, "With Tataka taking over his mind, it's always trying to compensate. Trying to grasp on to some sense of itself. It's always changing. There's no real direction I can tell you. All I can tell you is that you'll find it eventually. Just keep going forward."

"If that's what I have to do."

His head jerked back for a second. His hand went to his ear and pressed something. "Right. Alright. I'm on my way." He took his hand away and grabbed hold of his M-16. "Tataka's on the move. I gotta go."

Gabrielle grabbed his arm, "I never got your name."

He smiled, "It's Matrix. Colonel John Matrix."

Gabrielle took the hand he offered her, "How do I move on from here?"

Matrix answered, "Enter a door. It will take you to another memory." She nodded.

"Thanks."

He smiled, "I'll be back, Gabrielle." John let go of her hand, and went back to the streets.

Gabrielle then followed suit and went to find a food.

--

Gabrielle soon found herself in a narrowed white hallway. She looked around and found it strange how empty this area was. Where was she? What part of

Xander's memory was this place?

She didn't know where she was, but she decided to walk slowly toward one end of her current location. Looking down at her body, she was back in the clothes she first entered his mindscape. "I guess this means I'm not a costume here." Gabrielle said under her breath.

"But that still doesn't tell me where I am."

She placed one hand to the wall on her right. Smooth. Cool. It was quiet. Too quiet if you asked the bard. As if something was a bit too out of the normal.

"Great." Gabrielle said when she realized she no longer had a staff. "Guess that's the price." Nothing in one memory can transpire to the next. Well, except these clothes, she thought. That's why the shirt was important. It was from the outside world and it didn't follow the rules here.

"Visiting hours are over."

Gabrielle said with a grin, "Xander…" She turned around and followed his voice. The bard didn't want to say anything if she didn't know what was going on.

"Well, I'm pretty much family."

Another voice, Gabrielle realized. She didn't recognize it though.

"Yeah. Why don't you come back during the day? Oh, gee, no. I guess you can't."

Why couldn't he come out during the day? She shook her head. Maybe he didn't belong outside in the middle of the day. Judging by her past experiences she knew why. Because Xander was talking to a vampire.

"If I decide to walk into Buffy's room, do you think for one microsecond that you could stop me?"

"Maybe not. Maybe that security guard couldn't either. Or those cops or the orderlies. But I'm kinda curious to find out. You game?"

Gabrielle was at the end of the hallway at that point. Looking around the corner, she spotted her friend talking to someone. From listening to the first part of this conversation, she knew he was in trouble.

But…there was something in his posture. Something different. It looked like he was scared, but it also looked like he had it under control.

"Buffy's white knight." The other one said to Xander. He grinned, "You love her." A little closer to Xander's face, he added, "It must just eat you up that I got there first."

He leaned closer to the other one. "You're gonna die. And I'm gonna be there."

The way he spoke turned deadly calm. All his fear and strain melted away.

He then flew flowers at Xander's chest. "Tell her I stopped by."

The man gave Xander a final look and turned away. Gabrielle watched as he turned behind the corner leaving her friend alone. A second later Xander stood still as if he was absorbing the moment.

Turning around, he walked to a door and looked at through the window. He let out a breath and turned back to the wall. He slumped down into a chair and rested his head in his lap.

At that moment, Gabrielle turned the corner she was hiding behind and walked over to her friend. Placing a hand on her pack for support, she went to her friend. Taking a breath, she sat down beside him. Still shocked by what she saw moments before.

She placed a hand on his knee. "Xander…"

His head turned to face the blond. "Who are you?"

She sighed realizing yet again this Xander didn't know her. So much of his memory was filled of his life prior to Greece. Gabrielle could understand though. He's only been in Greece for three months. There was so much of his life that she didn't know.

And she was already beginning to find out the truth. Not that long ago, she found out that he staked his best friend, and now here he was facing against someone who obviously terrified him. It was only because he was trying to protect a friend of his.

She let out a breath, "My name's Gabrielle."

A moment passed, "I'm a friend."

He shook his head, "Visiting hours are over."

She looked down the hallway, and then back at him, "What happened, Xander? Who were you talking to?"

She took her hand and rubbed his back, comforting him. Like ways she's done in the past. "Nothing happened."

Gabrielle gave him a look, "That guy nearly killed you, Xander. Or he wanted to. But, you stopped him."

He nodded slowly, "I had to."

She glanced at the window that Xander did previously, "You were protecting your friend."

Xander nodded, "She's done the same for me many times."

Gabrielle smiled, "You've done the same for me."

"How?" He glanced at her. "I don't even know you."

She flashed him a grin, "Let's just say that you and I are good friends. Friends that are more than willing to help another one out."

The bard got to her feet and grazed his shoulder. "And like Colonel John Matrix told me, I'll be back."

That being said, Gabrielle turned around and headed for an exit.

--

Gabrielle soon appeared found herself yet again in the middle of a street. Her hands immediately went to her forearms and started to rub them. She soon felt the reason as snow stared to fall.

As she ran her hand down her forearm, she noticed a different texture. Glancing down, she found the reason. In this memory, her body was covered in a warm soft cloak. Opening the cloak, she was wearing a long red shirt and blue pants. Her feet were encased in a very stylish boot.

The blond didn't know where she was yet again. No matter which memory she found herself in, she had no recollection of any of these current locations. When this was all said and done, she at least now has more things to talk about with her friend.

She walked down the street and was amazed how calming it was. She looked to her right and spotted a number of small buildings. They looked like the homes she saw back in Greece. While there were some differences in structure, she could see some similarities.

She edged closer to one of them and noticed a big window. Looking inside, she saw a family sitting by a fire and a tree close by. It was decorated with lights and a star sat upon the top. Gifts sat underneath the tree.

Taking a step back, she couldn't help but a notice that the family had a warm feeling. Something that she greatly missed, a connection—a place that she could always go to when she needed help.

She had that with Xena and Joxer and she loved that. Even Xander and Brooklyn were starting to feel part of a family, but she didn't have her mother, father, or sister…three people that she'd always have a connection to. She missed that at times.

Shaking her head, Gabrielle went back to her search for Xander. She still didn't know where she was, but she knew she had to be close. The question was though by how far?

Continuing her walk she couldn't help but enjoy the atmosphere.

Sudden arguing was soon filled the air as she edged closer to a small house. Looking at it, she soon found the windowcovered. A loud clang was sounded. Walking toward it, she looked at it. She reached the door and raised her hand to the knob. She was tempted to knock on the door, but something told her not. She rounded the corner of the house and followed it until she reached the back.

On the ground surprised her. A young man was underneath some form of pelt. It wasn't a real pelt like she knew it as, but it looked like it performed the same purpose.

The young man sat up immediately. Some kind of folded paper fell onto his lap. He grabbed a piece of wood as he scrambled to his feet. He shook his head, and got into a fighting stance…a stance that will definitely improve when he meets up with Xena.

"I'm not here to hurt you." Gabrielle said with a grin.

"Yeah, well, forgive me if I don't relax. I'm rather fond of my ability to breath." He commented.

She smirked, "You definitely always have a way with words, Xander."

He showed a confused look, "Who are you?"

Gabrielle sighed. This seemed to be the routine whenever they met. She quickly explained briefly who she was. Keeping things distant. She chuckled when she suddenly realized how Xander must of felt whenever she tried to get information from him.

"Why are you outside?"

Xander grinned slightly at her, "Well, I like the snow."

"Uh huh." Gabrielle said. She ran a hand down through her hair as she gestured to the house, "So I guess it has nothing to do with your parents."

Xander sat down on his sleeping bag. "You know about my..."

Gabrielle knelt beside him and cleared the snow off the bag. "Can I?" He nodded and she sat down.

"Look Xander, you and I are friends. Good friends."

He looked at her, "We must if you know…"

She nodded, "Took you a long time to tell me, but you did." She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, giving him comfort.

Xander asked, "When do we meet?"

Gabrielle smirked, "I don't think I should tell you that." She took her free hand and went inside her cloak. Pulling out the shirt, she added, "I know you can't help me. But you gave me this shirt."

He looked at the shirt, "Where did you get this?"

"Xander…"

He nodded, "Right."

Gabrielle put the shirt back. She looked at him, "If I got you here, can I ask you something?"

"I guess…"

"What's with the trees?" The bard asked her friend.

"Christmas." Xander said simply.

"Christmas." Gabrielle said slowly. That word sounded familiar. She then remembered a conversation her Xander had with her. "Oh, like Winter Solstice."

"Ok…" Xander said uncertainly.

Gabrielle then remembered that scene in the window. She looked back at him and then at his house. "So this is how you spend your Christmas?"

He looked at the ground, a finger making a pattern in the snow, trying to occupy the time. "It's nothing. Just another night."

"Xander…"

He glanced at her and saw a hurt look in her eyes. She rubbed his arm again. "Is this how you spend all your Christmases?"

Xander looked away at that moment, not wanting to answer.

She pulled him to her and kissed his hair. "You should be with your family." Glancing at the house, she added, "Don't your friends know any of this?"

Gabrielle then remembered the conversation the two had further.

Getting to her feet, she looked at him, "When I get back, I'm going to make sure your next Christmas or my Winter Solstice will be a good one."

Smiling at her friend, she said her final goodbye and headed for another memory.

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TBC