Xander leaned back against the wall. One good thing to being a Harris is no one will question him about being at a vineyard. He watches and sees six humanoid demons with horns on their heads punching, lifting, and drilling through the rock of the Vineyard Fyarls are big nasty stupid creatures which makes them perfect for tearing up Sunnydale especially when Willy conned them into doing this job for $50.

Xander instantly turned to the front of the vineyard and instantly pulled out his handgun. The Fyarl demons just kept digging they weren't paid to fight dig now. "Thanks…" Xander sighed and put away his gun can't see him can't hear him only one person can drive him this insane. "You can come out Angel."

Angel looked into the vineyard and saw half dozen Fyarl demons hard at work digging and clawing and punching through the earth. "So did you follow these guys down here?"

Xander shakes his head. "No I kind of hired them… they work for peanuts… just make sure you have a couple of umbrellas on hand."

"Umbrella" Angel asked confused. Spike worked with Fyarls in the past they're strong but more importantly they're idiots... but umbrellas.

Xander picked one up off the floor already opened and pulled Angel behind him as a snot blast hit the walls with only a little getting on the umbrella. "Gesundheit"

Angel groaned one reason why he's not fond of working with them. "Is there a particular reason you're digging up an old abandoned vineyard."

Xander nodded. "Yes Angel, It is part of my convoluted plan to try to take over the world." Xander let out in a hammy Orson Wells voice and looked at Angel and rolled his eyes Deadboy needs a TV. "That was a joke of course."

"And the truth?" Angel asked.

"I'm trying to help Buffy out. Make patrolling a lot easier." Xander replied. "Everything I've been doing is to try to take the weight of the world off her shoulders a little."

One of the Fyarl went to Xander and started seemingly whining. in his language of grunts.

Xander rolled his eyes he didn't get all that. "Slow down I didn't get any of that."

Angel turned to him. "He says they'll only keep working if they get double pay at the end." Xander just looked at the vampire stunned like he was missing a head until Angel clarified for him. "I learned some Fyarl from Spike. Technichally he just said like cash pay more."

Xander rolled his eyes greedy no good… wait it's only a hundred dollars. "I'll tell you what…" Angel translated with a series of grunts and groans. "I'll pay triple you keep the third I already paid now and you get the rest when I see my weapon."

Angel translated and the demons nod and get back to work. Angel looked at Xander and saw the teenager heading up the steps. "Where are you going?"

Xander looked at him with a simple shrug before turning around and giving him a salute. Even with all the crap he has in his head personal trauma and Snake trauma he's still a teenager. "I'm going to the Bronze to take a night off. The Fyarls know to go to Willy if they find it."

Angel shrugged and followed him out. He's wondering what exactly is this weapon.

Spike rolled around in the abandoned factory it's not much but thanks to the slayer breaking his back it's going to have to be home for the time being. William the Bloody reduced to a wheelchair of all things. He sees Dalton unload the first box for Drusilla's party. He'd rather not see the world burn but it's what Drusilla wants to why bother to complain. Speaking of his dark savior he hears her laughing in the other room almost like a child that heard a joke.

Spike came in and saw her dressed in black and red. Far from the pale white when they first came to Sunnydale. "My pet having a vision."

"My kitten is cheating." Drusilla replied. "He's skipping to the finish line then slithering back."

Spike raised an eyebrow ever since Halloween she's been going on about kitten acting like a snake. It's making her sound... crazier then usual. He pulls her onto his chair with a smile. "Then how about we just let your kitten play his games and you let Spike take your mind off him tonight."

Dru smiled and started sucking Spike's neck before flat out biting as Spike smiled. Dru looked at him with smile her demonic face showing. "Kitten's trying to make the slayer stronger."

Spike looked at her that is enough to kill the mood. He holds her still with his hands. "Then we should be playing a round of skin the cat."

Drusilla smiled seeing Spike angry. "I'm waiting for her. she's sending us an unstakable giant for my party." She continued right back where she left off oblivious to Spike's mood

Spike shrugged she must have hired an assassin. More power to her especially if the vamp's unkillable… later then. She nibbles his ear and he rips at her dress much later.

Buffy was sent to the floor with a thud the next day. She kips up ready for another round she's getting sick of Xander throwing her around like a rag doll. She throws a backhand only for Xander to catch it and hit her with an elbow to the stomach. Buffy took a moment that actually hurt. She got up and threw two elbows which Xander blocked followed by a punch to the stomach which drove the air out of his lungs and followed it with one big roundhouse kick which sent him bouncing off the book cage.

Buffy's eyes widen when she realizes what she did. She's been fighting a lot less restrained for the last setup, she's amazed he lasted that long. "Xander!" She runs over and helps him up. "Are you OK?"

"I'm alive… I can tell by the pain." Xander quipped weakly getting back to his feet.

Kendra stood impressed she never thought a regular human could last that long against a slayer even if Buffy was holding back. "You... you fight... good Xander."

Willow looked at him curious. How come he never did the obvious? "Xander how come you never punched Buffy?"

Buffy looked at her and felt her face it feels like he did... a couple times. "He didn't?"

Willow shakes her head. "It's always open palms, throws, kick, elbows, but never closed fists."

"I'm protecting my little metacarpals." Xander answered easy enough.

Buffy looked at him. "Meta whatas?"

"Finger bones" Giles clarified knowing the answer Buffy punches through steel her head could very well break a normal person's bones quite easily. "He won't punch you because he won't risk breaking his hands."

Buffy rolled her eyes and looked at him. "Yeah wouldn't want to hurt that trigger finger."

Xander stared at her blankly as the bell rang. The beginning of a fresh day of hell. The girls left for class and Xander just sat there at the library table.

Giles looked at him concerned. "Don't you have class?"

Xander nodded. "It's literally right across the hall." He turned to Giles. "So what's with the Buff's hatred of firearms? Are all slayers pre programmed to only use medieval weaponry unless absolutely necessary?"

Giles looked away he always wondered how much she told them now he knows it's very little. "Have you ever asked Buffy about her past?"

"From what she said it sounded like she was a lot like Cordelia so it wasn't exactly helpful to know." Xander replied he has a thing for cheerleaders apparently. "Doesn't exactly explain why Buff is so anti-guns when they're no different then a crossbow."

Giles looked at it and it's no mystery how Xander became a gun aficionado. "I trust you are being careful with it."

Xander nodded his head. "Of course I only shoot vampires and the ones I do don't live to tell the tale. And yet Buffy still goes Reefer Madness on me that guns are the devil... Not that I know her opinion on pot."

Giles went into his personal desk and pulled out a book opening it to a certain page. "I believe this might have something to do with it."

Xander looked down and read as he raised an eyebrow. "Her abuse of the English language is such that I understand only every other sentence..." Giles looked down and flipped to the previous page as Xander read again. "In my time as watcher I don't think there has ever been a worst slayer called then Buffy Summers. Her distinct lack of passion towards her calling…" Xander looked up at Giles the different handwriting meant this was her first watcher. "Are all you British people jerks?"

"Keep reading" Giles ordered.

Xander went back down and continued. "Is utterly deplorable. Yet through my time training her I've realized maybe that's not a bad thing. While Buffy does not have the raw skill of a slayer trained since childhood she has a certain spark. A fire in her that I doubt will never go out. An inner strength rarely seen or if it even existed in any slayer before her, Buffy Summers will be one of the best and will be a remarkable woman." He looked up from the end of the page. "OK so Buffy's original watcher was awesome and respected her… what does that have to do with anything?"

"Next page" Giles answered.

Xander looked it and saw it was Giles handwriting first real entry. "I am traveling to Sunnydale to meet the current slayer Buffy Summers as her new watcher. I suspect this will not be an easy road for either of us. Given my past I was never trusted with a potential before and Ms. Summers may not wish to continue her destiny according to Merrick's notes. Especially since to save her from Lothos Merrick shot the vampire in the stomach so Buffy could escape, and then to protect the world and his slayer from his siring he turned the gun on him…" Xander closed the book not wanting to read another word. "Damn it Buffy, why didn't she just tell me?"

Giles looked at him. "She didn't tell you about her first watcher?"

Xander shakes his head. That damn crappy movie got it wrong. "She always said Merrick saved her from Lothos. I just figured Merrick tried to stake him and then Lothos turned it around on him. Well as gut wrenching as that was I gotta go to class now."

Giles looked at him. "Xander if anyone asks?"

"I stole it when you weren't looking." Xander answered heading for class.

Xander sat in French class this seemed so much harder when he didn't speak it fluently. He waited for the inevitable bell to ring so he could follow Buffy maybe talk about this thing with guns.

Buffy looked at Xander and saw that he had something to say. "What can I do for you?"

Xander looked at her nervously. "I-I looked at the watcher's chronicles I know about Merrick."

Buffy frowned and closed her locker door. "And"

"And I'm sorry your watcher died. I am." Xander replied though a good part of him is wondering why she never brought this up with Faith. Watcher killed by a master vampire, sound familiar. "But that's not going to stop me from using a gun it's an efficient way to fight. Merrick saved you by doing that… but I can promise you that I won't turn my gun on myself ever… no matter what… you can come stake me and the vamp that did it."

Buffy looked at him a bit before smiling and hugging him tight causing Xander to clench up as his air supply was cut off.

"Buffy… oxygen… need air." Xander pleaded causing the slayer to break her hug.

Buffy let him go. "You know I staked Lothos and burned down the gym for him. I still can't believe Merrick willingly killed himself to protect me."

Xander wrapped his arm around her shoulder as the two headed for class. "He knew you were destined for great things and by saving you he saved the world twice now and god knows how many more people myself included. He knew you were going to be one of the greatest Buff. You were his hero, you're mine too."

"Just promise me you'll be careful." Buffy answered.

Xander put his hand up. "I solemnly swear to be careful… as I can be we're on a hellmouth."

Buffy smiled walking with him. "So are you shooting anything tonight?"

"No, I'm tired from getting kicked into a book cage think I'm just going to call it an early night and rest at home." Xander replied.

Xander hit the door to his apartment in a resounding thud thanks to the cheerleader that pushed him into it. As he still refuses to stop kissing Cordelia. He takes out the two keys one to his apartment and to his truck as he unlocked the door.

Xander pulled Cordelia in as she pushed him against the wall before finally catching her breath.

Cordelia looked at him she hasn't gone out on a date with him yet, this was wrong. "What are we doing?"

"School's closed, you don't want to risk anyone finding out, and you said your parents are at your house." Xander defended himself.

Cordelia tried to find a hole in his logic but got nothing. "Fine… just know I'm not the kind of girl that comes to a cheap hotel."

"Noted" Xander replied as she grabbed him and kissed him again.

Xander put his arms around her as the two fell on the bed only for the door to be opened by a guy and a much more aggressive brunette as they land on top of them.

"Hey!" Cordelia complained as the two got off the bed followed by Xander and Cordelia.

Xander's eyes widened now that he has a view of the front of her head he sees the girl is Faith. "Faith, don't take this the wrong way but... what the hell are you doing here?"

Faith looked at him. "I was sent here I'll have you know."

Xander nodded and turned to the guy. He looks familiar… it's like one of those faces you know but aren't sure what to say. "OK… why were you sent here?"

Spike looked at the nine vampires including Dru. Now he's pissed it looks like there's going to be a big brawl and he's missing out. "So who's vamp number ten then."

Drusilla looked to the door with a devilish smile. She doesn't think whoever is helping her cares if kitten gets vamped just out of the way. "He's here… he's big."

Spike's eyes widen seeing the door open and a seven foot tall four hundred pound bald vampire enter in jeans red shit and leather jacket with a goatee on his face. "Bloody hell… OK he's big… bet you bagged a slayer or two in your day mate." Spike wondered what would happen if he lands a punch on Buffy. There will probably be nothing left but a smear mark on the Giant's hand that used to be a slayer.

The giant rolled his eyes this is who he's working for? Well considering Skip what paid him he'll do it. Though him and metal head are having a talk when he gets back. "Are you Spike and Drusilla?"

"Come on deary we're already late." Drusilla said gliding out the door in a smile.

Xander looked at Faith's date… this is going to bug him all night who the hell is he. Well here's the easy way. "Do I know you?"

Faith's date shook his head she said a cousin's house someplace quiet at night. He wonders if she even actually knows this guy or just crashed a random room. "Parker… Parker Abrams"

"Oh" Xander replied while closing a fist maybe just this once. "Get out!"

Faith looked at Xander great macho crap just what she wanted. "You just can't tell him to leave."

"The hell I can't this is my house… apartment... room ." Xander replied.

Parker put his hand on Xander's shoulder as Cordelia quietly gulped seeing Xander's tone changed. Last time Xander had those eyes he emptied a clip of bullets into an assassin, pulled her to the basement and then lit him on fire instead of humanely squashing the bug man.

Parker looked at him. "OK buddy you care about your cousin…"

Xander quickly moved Parker's hand with his arm and grabbed him by the back of the neck pulling him in close and smashing an elbow into his face three times with his other arm to the surprise of Faith and Cordelia.

Xander threw him out the door and Parker ran back in ready to fight the twerp that sucker punched him. Parker threw a punch that Xander easily caught and put him in a hammer lock wrenching back on his arm from behind him and bouncing his head off the table and putting his other arm around the college students neck. "Now… say goodbye to Faith."

He wrenched tighter as Parker shouted before saying "Goodbye Faith"

"Get the hell out of here!" Xander finished with one boot to his back as he kicked him out and slammed the door behind him.

Faith looked at him. "Xan what the hell is your problem? That was actually a decent guy." She tried in LA and he wasn't interested at least until him and she's guessing the cheerleader over there is a thing of the past.

Xander put his hands together with a disgustingly innocent look. "Oh Faith, I feel like we really made a connection, and my daddy died last year so we should really live in the moment because we don't know how long we have. Do you know how many times I had to hear many many Sunnydale high girls cry about that loser thanks to the shoddy walling in the bathrooms."

Faith groaned seeing Xander just saved her from a loser. "OK that wasn't exactly what he said. You got any smokes?"

Xander pointed at his dresser. "Third shelf"

Cordelia heard that and slapped him in the arm. "You said you quit."

Faith smiled pulling them out. "Easy Princess see unopened and dusty."

Xander looked at her more curious then anything. "Faith what are you doing here?"

Faith lit up she'd rather be eating or something else but Xander stopped that. "Wes sent me down here to deliver this." She takes out an envelope from her back pocket. "Because apparently the phone is overrated."

Xander looked at the envelope. "It's already been opened."

Faith gave an innocent shrug. "I tried to read it sue me."

Cordy looked at it. "Is this… what's going on who's the broad with the sleeves and the slut shirt?"

Faith let out an innocent smile. "Take it easy princess your boy shot me down already."

Xander opened the letter as he and Cordy looked it.

Cordy was relieved to hear that she's not certain any boy would shoot her down. She looks down at the letter and sees… well chicken scratch. "What the hell is this?"

"It's called French Cordy." Xander replied as he read the letter wondering why Wes just couldn't call.

[Xander

Sorry about throwing Faith on you at the last second but we ran into a bit of a situation in LA. It's the burrower I don't know if you remember it or not but Cordy has told me the story of this thing. It travels through host to host by sex killing the partner and it came to us by mere chance killing three of Gunn's crew two guys and a girl. Given Faith's tendencies I thought it best to keep her out of LA until it was dealt with which should be tonight. I know you'll look after her.]

Xander crumbled it up and threw it away. "OK so you know you're staying here till Wes gets back right?"

"Yeah… he and Di gave me this whole do as your told test of trust thing." Faith replied.

Xander nodded and turned to Cordy. "Cordelia Chase, Faith Lehane."

The two shook hands uneasily. Xander looked at it Faith and Cordy maybe… mud or some kind of oil. He hears a knock on the door and looks through the crack seeing nothing. "If this still Parker I'm going to end him?"

He opens the door and sees a seven foot giant in game face glaring at him with a demented smile. Well this is new. He weakly got out like a scared child. "You're really tall."

The giant reached for Xander's neck and he quickly slammed the door and locked it. "Yeah, that should buy us about five seconds."

Cordy looked at him. That guy was a tank with legs. "If I die here I'm going to kick your ass."

Xander rolled his eyes going under his bed and pulling out two steels cases. "Don't worry if worse comes to worse you two can escape by using my corpse as a distraction."

He quickly unlocks them both and takes the weapons inside. The assault rifle for him that one's obvious. He takes out the PSG-1 from its case and checked the handle for the blue tape pulling out the magazine and seeing clear darts. Red guns blue tranqs he doesn't want to risk ever shooting Oz with the wrong gun thanks to that nightmare. But he is thankful they're farther and fewer between now. He holds out the tranq rifle to Faith. "Do you know how to use this?"

Faith silently nodded. "Yeah Wes brought one for himself after you let him borrow yours."

Xander nodded and handed Cordy off a little tranquilizer gun.

Cordy looked at it and shook her head. "No, how come she gets that big actual gun and I get this little thing."

Xander rolled his eyes and pulled the magazine out of each gun. "A neither of you have an actual gun… neither of you have been field tested as far as I know. Tranquilizer darts filled with holy water instead of drugs."

"Kitten!"

Xander groaned he was wondering who would send a vamp that size. Xander took out his weapon for tonight… well one of them anyway.

"Kitten we're waiting… I don't think these people will appreciate what we do."

Xander held the blind open and four vampires holding a nuclear family hostage with another four flanking along with Dru and the Giant which makes an even ten. Even if Buffy and Kendra aren't patrolling he can't wait for them. "OK aim carefully go for the neck, the head, or the heart. Get the people indoors do not leave this apartment demons and vamps can get in but they can't hurt you, and most importantly… do not shoot me... it won't kill anyone but it will hurt."

Faith watched as Xander loaded up his weapon. "What kind of wuss uses pink shotgun shells?"

Drusilla smiled seeing the door open and Xander walk out with his assault rifle in hand looking much braver then he's actually feeling. "Kitten has come out to play."

Xander aimed right at Drusilla's head. "I'm not sure if this will kill you but the way I figure it, I empty a clip into your head it will count as decapitation. Let them go."

Drusilla looked at him with a smile. "Thinks he's the hero, unready for what might come." Drusilla gave a nod to the other vampires."

"Can't we just eat them?" Another vampire asked before seeing the evil insanity in Drusilla's eyes all four hostages were let go.

"Get in the room I came out of you'll be safe there." Xander ordered as four ran in.

Xander kept it aimed at everyone he should have really looked into a machine gun that fires tranquilizers.

The Giant looked at him this is who Skip is so worried about? There's not an ounce of demon in him. "So what's stopping us from tearing you apart?"

"Not a damn thing." Xander hit the floor as Faith broke the window to his apartment with the butt of her rifle as Drusilla's eyes rose in panic seeing the ammo as she fled from the hotel as Cordy and Faith let it rain in tranquilizer darts hitting six of the vampires who easily pull the darts out until they convulse and dust from the inside out.

Xander quickly got to his feet and went after Drusilla who seemed to disappear as soon as the window broke stupid psychic powers. He can stop Drusilla right here right now if he can get to her. Xander ran after her thankful for the empty night in Sunnydale seeing Drusilla head for the beach.

Xander ran after her as soon as his feet hit the sand. He saw the Victorian beauty looking at the ocean and pumped the shotgun attachment to his rifle taking aim only for the Giant to emerge to the side of him by surprise and bulldoze into him with such force the rifle flew out of his hands and Xander's legs roll over the back of his head.

Xander looked at the stars groggily fighting to get to his feet if he got hit like that on concrete he's pretty sure he'd be dead right now or at least have broke something.

The Giant looked at him. "For what I'm being paid I thought you'd be a little tougher."

Xander mumbled something under breath and the Giant wonders if he bit his tongue off from that blow. The Giant edged closer getting right into his face and informed him. "You're going to have to speak up, even for a vampire that was too low to hear."

"Chump" Xander replied quickly pulling out a stake and driving it to the Giant's heart. However instead of the dusty ending he usually got all he got was a stake that broke into pieces and a twitching hand that was his own.

The giant growled and went for a punch only for Xander to catch it but the Giant simply punched him with his other hand knocking him to the floor.

Back at the hotel Faith fired the last shot into the last vampire as it crumbled into dust. Now this is a load of crap. According to Wes modern weapons don't kill vampires but her and a cheerleader just took out the equivalent of a nest very easily without the mommy, daddy, son, or even the little daughter getting hurt.

Cordelia took a moment to breath in relief not believing how simple that was. She watched as a beaten down truck drove up with two wooden stakes attached to it. Cordy took aim but Faith stopped her. "Easy Cor they're with me."

Cordy watched as a not bad looking Englishman came out of the truck followed by an English woman and last a bald man with a look of anger in his eyes. Like someone who just had to drive the family the whole way on a road trip.

Wes looked at the scene as an entire family just ran out of Xander's hotel room. He sent Faith here to keep her safe from the sex demon while he torched it. What happened here?

Diana quickly went to the door and to her surprise just saw Faith and another girl laughing it up. "I'm sorry did we miss something?"

Faith laughed and nodded. "Yeah vampires, lots and lots of vampires."

Diana eyes rose in fear. "Wesley was certain that Mr. Harris would take it easy."

"Pull out the thong Di." Faith replied as her watcher turned a shade of red. "I don't think Xan knew he was going to have company. Once he did he armed us and in a small amount of time we killed ten vampires."

The new man rolled his eyes at that having heard it from the broken window. "Faith are you telling me that while I got stuck on a three hour car ride with Mr. and Mrs. English you were down here fighting vampires."

Faith had a crooked smile. "I'm afraid so Chuck."

"Damn it I miss everything." The other man replied as Wes walked into the room and saw with a sniper rifle in hand but with the blue tape at the bottom he assumes it's one of Xander's.

"Hello Faith, nice gun." Wes quipped.

Faith held it up with pride. "Yeah I know nothing sexier then a girl with a gun to get you going huh Wes."

Wesley rolls his eyes and looks away from Faith. His eyes widen seeing one of his greatest hopes a living and breathing Cordelia Chase looking him in the eyes a smaller gun in hand.

Cordy looked at him he's almost frozen looking at her this is getting creepy. "Oh god, you really do get off looking at a girl with a gun don't you?"

Wes heard the blunt honesty from Cordelia and that was enough to bring him back to reality. "I assure you I don't."

Faith took a moment to laugh she thought it was just a joke but now she's kind of wondering. She turns her attention to Diana at the broken window and sees a vampire moving in close. "Di look out!"

A vampire tried to pull her out but was smacked back by the Furies' barrier. Faith and Cordy took their guns and shot him in the head and heart respectively.

Gunn watches as the vampire thrives on the floor before melting into dust. "How did you guys make a bullet that kills vampires?"

"We didn't, Xan did." Faith replied going for the fridge she always gets hungry after a fight like this. She looks into the fridge and quietly let out a smile. "What the heck, is that ecto cooler?"

Wes quickly pushed her away knowing that's the Mohra Demon blood. "Don't touch that."

Faith shrugged and looked around. "A hot dog, some watermelon, a tiny little funnel, couple bottles of root beer, a whole mess of twinkies and an unholy amount of holy water this guy lives worse then I do." Faith took out a twinkie and helped herself.

Wes looked in the fridge and saw all the holy water now he knows why the magic shop was out on the way here. "Did you kill all of them?"

Faith nodded and started talking with her mouthful. "All of them except some girl in a red dress. I still can't believe Cor dusted the giant."

Cordelia's eyes rose up. "I didn't dust the giant. I didn't even see him after Xander chased after Drusilla I thought you did..."

Wes eyes rose it sounds like Xander is running into a trap. "Faith give me the rifle, stay in the room the spell will protect you from all demonic violence."

Faith nodded knowing Wes is a better fighter then her. He's their best shot at saving Xander.

Gunn ran out after him. No chance in hell is he missing a chance to dust a vamp after the road trip he's had.

Xander stood wobbling a trail of blood flowing down his mouth as the giant kneed him in the stomach and punched him in the face. Xander saw another Giant fist coming and quickly struck it with his elbow stopping the attack as his arm wobbled and taking advantage by trying to stake him again with his other hand but got the same result. "Why won't you dust?"

Xander threw a palm at giant's throat only for the monster to catch it and wrench it the other way with such force he flipped him to the floor. Xander quickly took advantage of being flat on his back and kicked the Giant in the stomach twice with each foot making some distance as he got to his feet and went in the other direction.

The Giant saw Xander was going for his rifle and quickly caught the boy moving in a speed unusual from someone his size. The Giant wrapped his hand around Xander's throat hoisting him up ten feet in the air.

Xander used the upward momentum to knee him in the face and the altitude to elbow the Giant on top of his skull forcing the monster to lower him so they're face to face as Xander tried to elbow the joint in his arm to free himself. The Giant responded with one clean punch to the face and Xander went limp in his grip.

The giant looked at him. "The last person to cause me so much trouble was because he caught me while I was sleeping. So for a regular human you did great. He put him down and grabbed each of Xander's arms. "But if you don't have the strength to stand anymore I'll rip you apart."

The Giant pulled at his arms as Xander let out an unwielding scream of agony. he was going to go for the ultimate equalizer and kick him in the nuts but to his surprise Gunn emerged on the beach and staked the Giant in the back only for the stake to shatter to pieces and the giant to topple over and knock Xander down and fall on him.

Xander sprung back to life and did everything he could to get the gargantuan corpse off him. "You've got to be joking."

Wes ran down cursing his former body he hasn't felt this worn out since training Faith when he was her watcher first time around.

Wesley flicked his wrist as a wooden stake came out and he launched it at the Giant for a similar result as it bounced off.

"Save it English." Gunn warned pulling a sword off his back. "You can't stake Andre I've already tried."

Wes nodded and quickly aimed the gun as the Giant quickly dodged the shot.

The Giant quickly dodged a swing by Gunn and quickly kicked him in the back of the leg with such force the human vampire hunter was taken off his feet. The Giant grabbed Gunn and threw him at Wes knocking the sniper rifle out of his hand as both men fell down.

Xander looked at the monster as Wes pulled out a sword from his wrist. It's a procedure that would likely be lethal to humans… but since he doesn't breath cutting yourself open and wrapping steel around your chest is a sure fire way to avoid being staked. He got to his feet and got what he was looking for as he loads up his gun.

The Giant narrowly avoids Wes' attack and knees the watcher in the stomach as he easily picked him up over his head in a military press and turned to Xander who now had his carbine aimed square at the giant his finger on the shotgun trigger. "Go ahead boy pull the trigger."

"OK" Xander aimed lower and switched triggers shooting the giant three times in the right knee forcing him to involuntarily drop Wes and use both hands to hold his right knee as the watcher rolls to Xander.

Wes looked at it as the Giant limped for them. "Hope you can kill him in one shot."

"Absolutely" Xander replied switching back to the shotgun when to Wes and Gunn's surprise instead of a bullet hole wound there was a batch of fire on the wound. Xander pumped and fired two more shots into him dousing the giant in flames as the monster falls to the sand and dusts before he can roll himself out.

Gunn looked at the glass in the sand and ash. "Damn you barbequed his ass."

Xander fell back everything hurt. "I don't remember them being that big… or that tough… thanks for the save… who are you?"

"Gunn… Charles Gunn. I'd like to talk strategy with you at some point."

Xander shakes his hand. "So I take it you and Wes burned the walking STD."

"Xander" Wes said not believing he'd be that crass with people

Xander shrugged in innocence. "What sexually transmitted demon…oh." He realized what he said. Even for him that was tasteless and lame. "God knows how many people you saved by doing that."

Gunn had a smirk seeing that the teasing is just him and Wes bantering. "Cooked… thought not as easily as you burned the giant. What did you hit him with anyway?"

Wes nodded in agreement. He'd like to know too since not even Wolfram and Hart had a weapon like that. "If you don't mind sharing."

Xander shrugged and pulled out a couple pink shotgun shells. "It's a magnesium round called Dragon's breath. You fire it from a shotgun and you pretty much have fireballs from Super Mario. Now I gotta find Drusilla."

The three went in the direction Dru did until they came up to an envelope attached to a lifeguard station labeled kitten.

Xander rolled his eyes and took the letter off. "She's gone." He opened it and read the note aloud. "Dear kitten it was fun seeing your snakeling kitty come out and play. Mommy is going to miss playing with you but sadly I don't think that can happen again. From beneath you it will rise up and it will break you. I hope you win kitten, mommy wants to play with you some more." Xander closed the letter and if that's not disturbing a seer just called his death. "Wow… I didn't think Drusilla could actually read let alone write."

Gunn looked at him. "That's it your girl says a demon is about to rise up from hell to shank you and your main concern is whoever this girl is can write."

"To be fair she's a two hundred year old stark raving lunatic." Xander replied.

Wes looked at him with concern. "Do you at least know what's coming?"

Xander shakes his head. "No, it just means I have to go to an army base to be ready for it. No more waiting for money to fall on my lap to pay Emil. Just please don't tell Cordelia when we get back."

Wes nodded in acceptance seeing there isn't much he can do at the moment thanks to all the pronouns in the letter. So for now the best offense is a good defense.

Cordy paced nervously what the hell is happening to her. Sure he doesn't dress like it anymore but it's still Xander flipping Harris of all people. A loser is still a loser. She looks up and sees Wes and his friend helping Xander in. Her not boyfriend sporting a couple bruises. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Giant… big hand… very angry, I got the last laugh." Xander quipped.

Cordy looked at him. "How?"

"I lit him on fire." Xander said with a smile as Faith shared one too.

Cordy looked at him and well his lips are bleeding he has a black eye and giant hand prints on his throat. "God you're a dweeb. So who are all these people?"

"They're friends I've made in LA." Xander answered easily enough. "Except for Gunn I just met him tonight." He pointed to them and made the introductions. "Cordelia Chase, Wesley Wyndham Price, Charles Gunn, and Diana... Diana I forgot your last name I'm sorry."

"Dormer" Diana finished as she looked around feeling cramped in this place. "Xander how do you live here?"

"With little food, guns under the bed, and a playstation in my room" Xander answered taking the guns off Wes and Cordy as Wes followed him into the bedroom.

Wes watched as Xander locked away the guns for safe keeping until they're needed again. "You're in danger here… you know that right."

Xander looked at him. "We're in danger everyday."

Wes looked at him. "You're surprisingly calm for someone who has a girl trying to kill you."

Xander innocently shrugged if he hid every time he was in danger he'd have a very miserable life… even worse then it is now. "Well what can I say call it holiday spirit."

Wes nodded and took out a box Faith had brought into the apartment. "Well in the spirit of the holiday Merry Christmas since I don't think you can make an alibi for the day."

Xander shrugged in innocence. "Yeah Willow's Jewish and my family is well… my family…" Xander opened the box and saw what the two items were. He always wondered why Angel never used them in Sunnydale. "Aw cool wrist stakes."

Wes looked at him putting them on and then making them come out and pushing them back in. It's a simple joy it's almost hard to believe that… this is whom has the fate of the world on his shoulders.

Back outside the apartment Cordy and Xander are seeing the others off. Cordy glared a hole through Faith unappreciative of the wanna be slayer's hug to her not boyfriend.

Faith saw it and looked at Xander. "You can do better."

Xander looked at her. "She grows on you."

Xander chose the much more dignified hand shakes with Gunn and Diana before looking at Wes. "Wes"

"Xander"

Xander waved and saw the four off as they go to Los Angeles. Xander turned around and walked right into an open hand slap from Cordelia. Xander's left reeling and fighting the urge to groan in pain "What the hell?"

Cordy glared at him. "I buried a guy because of vampires but you… you go headfirst into it… without any help what so ever… what the hell is wrong with you?"

Xander looked at her she seemed to recover so quickly even now. He didn't realize that splattered AV room from last year traumatized Cordy as much as Willow.

He stood there and held her as she calmed down before Cordy seemingly had enough and pushed him off then explained. "Look I just don't want to bury someone else I know OK." Cordelia walked to her car and drove home even by Sunnydale standards that was a weird night.

Xander looked at the future something is out to kill him. It's time to get the big ones and this time it won't be no one shot he's going to need at least three.

Author Notes

Thanks for the reviews

Merrick's death by gunshot didn't come from me it came from the comic the origin which was much better then the movie.

Up Next: Buffy's big day