By Dave Mycock Instincts
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or any of the other characters. They belong to Joss Weadon.
Paring: Xander/Tara, Xander/Faith (friendship maybe romance)
Summary: Faith didn't turn evil in season three and helped defeat the mayor; she joins Xander on his road trip; however, neither returns in season 4 but decide to stay in L.A. whilst their Xander begins to undergo a change. His senses become acute and he becomes much stronger than ever before, he also begins to act more on his instincts than anything else. Back in Sunnydale Willow meets Tara and gets her involved in the slaying and soon they both fall in love with each other; however, she seems to be hiding something from her friends.
I'd like to thank my beta bob for all of his help with this story
Xander stood motionless as Tara's mother explained the real connection between him and her daughter. He found it very hard to concentrate. He had been bonded to Tara when was 12 months old. It seemed impossible, and yet, for some reason, it seemed so true. He looked over Sarah's shoulder to see Willow watching them intently. Inwardly, he shivered at breaking this news to her. She would hit the roof and he knew it. Most likely, she would curse him for coming back. But, in the end, he had no choice; he knew that. He and Faith had needed answers and Giles was the only one who could possibly have any idea what had happened to him. In the end, by coming here, he had found a sister he never knew existed and the answers to what he was. He had also met two others like him and sister. He looked quickly to Tara who was studying his reaction to this news, as closely as possible. At the moment, he was too confused to sense anything from her, but he guessed she was just as confused as he was.
"Alex?" Sarah's voice snapped him back to reality.
"You knew my parents?" he asked as he remembered what she had said last.
"Yes, me and my husband were long time friends with your parents. When we split up, it was not by their choice, but Alan, my husband, believed it was the best way for survival," Sarah informed him.
Xander nodded in understanding as he noticed Kari watching them now. He guessed he would have to tell her all of this as well. Suddenly a thought came to mind.
"Is it possible Kari is premated?" he asked.
"I suppose, if Eliza and Daniel met up with anymore of our kind," Sarah answered.
"Is there anyway to find out?" Xander asked.
"Not that I know of," Sarah replied with a sad smile. "If she was premated, then her mate is either a prisoner of the demons, alive in hiding or." Sarah trailed off.
"Dead," Xander finished, looking down for a few minutes.
"If he is dead, then it is a good thing Kari didn't meet him in her later life. It takes a lot to get over their passing." Sarah said this to both Xander and her daughter.
"I guess I better tell Kari everything you've told me so far; she has a right to know," Xander said. "And then we have to find some way to tell Willow and the others," he added, looking intently at Tara.
Tara nodded at the look in his eye; she knew he guessed how hard that conversation was going to be. She watched as he headed over to where his sister was sitting watching them.
"He has a lot of strength, just like his father," Sarah said as she noticed Tara's gaze.
Angel brought the car to a stop just in front of the magic shop. As he shut off the engine, he caught Cordelia's eye.
"What?" he asked.
"You know Buffy is going to give you hell for not telling them where Xand and Faith were staying," she told him. "Plus she isn't going to be too pleased to hear about you and Fred. You've bumped into her three times since Fred became part of the team and not once did you mention it to her," she added
"I know; a lot of things have changed since then, but sometimes Buffy can be a little caught up in the past even though she has Riley now," Angel sighed.
"Yeah, that's true. Anyway, let's go," Cordelia, said with a small smile.
Angel nodded as he and Cordelia got out of the car. He smiled as Fred, Wesley and Gunn got out of the former gangster's car. Fred quickly walked over to his side and placed her hand around his wrist and he put his over her shoulder. He knew telling Buffy about Fred was long overdue, but he knew she wouldn't be too happy about it. Buffy was just like that, she takes things so personally sometimes.
Everyone turned around as the door opened revealing Wesley walking in followed closely by Gunn and Cordelia. When Angel and Fred walked in wrapped up in each other, Buffy frowned.
"Hey Angel, thanks for coming," Xander said, surprising the entire Scooby gang seeing as last time Xander and Angel had been in the same room they had been trying to kill each other.
"No problem, Xand," Angel replied as he shook Xander's outstretched hand.
"So what's the full deal, what are we facing?" Gunn asked as he sat down next to Willow
"Basically we're facing an attack by a large group of demons. Giles is looking through his books to identify them, thanks to me bringing back one of their bodies when I rescued my Sister and met up with Tara's mother," Xander stated.
"Sister?" Cordelia asked.
"I was adopted, Cordy. The Harris's aren't my real parents," Xander told her and the LA gang. "My real parents were called Daniel and Eliza and I wouldn't know that if Sarah hadn't told me," he continued. "Kari is my younger sister," he added as Kari walked over and joined him.
"Wow," Fred said as she noticed the similarities between Xander and his sister.
"That's basically what I said as well when Willow told me," Xander said with a smile.
"So why are these demons after you?" Wesley inquired.
"It goes to what's been happening to me, guys. It seems I am part of a culture of humans descended from a tribe that could transform into animals. When they returned to human status, they kept some of their animal traits such as enhanced strength, senses and things like that. The demons attacked the tribe and imprisoned most of them. Some managed to escape, but the demons have still been hunting us down," Xander explained. "Me, Kari, Tara and Sarah are all a part of this culture and that's why the demons will attack. to get to us," he added.
Angel nodded as he took in all the information Xander was giving them. He found some of it quite interesting, as he had heard of sub-cultures like the one Xander had told them about before, when he had no soul.
"What sort of time frame do you think we have?" he asked.
"Not long, about as much time as it takes to get more of them here to Sunnydale." Sarah was the one who answered.
"Giles, any luck yet in identifying these demons?" Wesley asked as he walked over to where the older brit was standing looking through one of his books.
"Not yet. The body of the demon is in the back room, so if you want to take a quick look, do so and then you can help me look through the books" Giles answered as Faith came out of the back room and quickly shook hands with Angel.
"So you guys ready for a fight?" she asked with a devilish smile.
"Always," Angel responded.
He and Faith had managed to come to a very good working arrangement just as he had with Xander, although at the time he had never suspected he could be friends with either of them, Xander especially. Xander and Fred had instantly liked each other due to them sharing the same kind of humor, and from there things had progressed to what they were now. When they asked them not to alert Buffy as to their whereabouts, he had been a little surprised but, after they explained their reasoning, he had agreed.
"Angel we need to talk," Buffy said finally having enough of the comradeship between him, Xander and Faith.
"Yes we do about a few things," Angel agreed as he shared a quick look with Fred.
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or any of the other characters. They belong to Joss Weadon.
Paring: Xander/Tara, Xander/Faith (friendship maybe romance)
Summary: Faith didn't turn evil in season three and helped defeat the mayor; she joins Xander on his road trip; however, neither returns in season 4 but decide to stay in L.A. whilst their Xander begins to undergo a change. His senses become acute and he becomes much stronger than ever before, he also begins to act more on his instincts than anything else. Back in Sunnydale Willow meets Tara and gets her involved in the slaying and soon they both fall in love with each other; however, she seems to be hiding something from her friends.
I'd like to thank my beta bob for all of his help with this story
Xander stood motionless as Tara's mother explained the real connection between him and her daughter. He found it very hard to concentrate. He had been bonded to Tara when was 12 months old. It seemed impossible, and yet, for some reason, it seemed so true. He looked over Sarah's shoulder to see Willow watching them intently. Inwardly, he shivered at breaking this news to her. She would hit the roof and he knew it. Most likely, she would curse him for coming back. But, in the end, he had no choice; he knew that. He and Faith had needed answers and Giles was the only one who could possibly have any idea what had happened to him. In the end, by coming here, he had found a sister he never knew existed and the answers to what he was. He had also met two others like him and sister. He looked quickly to Tara who was studying his reaction to this news, as closely as possible. At the moment, he was too confused to sense anything from her, but he guessed she was just as confused as he was.
"Alex?" Sarah's voice snapped him back to reality.
"You knew my parents?" he asked as he remembered what she had said last.
"Yes, me and my husband were long time friends with your parents. When we split up, it was not by their choice, but Alan, my husband, believed it was the best way for survival," Sarah informed him.
Xander nodded in understanding as he noticed Kari watching them now. He guessed he would have to tell her all of this as well. Suddenly a thought came to mind.
"Is it possible Kari is premated?" he asked.
"I suppose, if Eliza and Daniel met up with anymore of our kind," Sarah answered.
"Is there anyway to find out?" Xander asked.
"Not that I know of," Sarah replied with a sad smile. "If she was premated, then her mate is either a prisoner of the demons, alive in hiding or." Sarah trailed off.
"Dead," Xander finished, looking down for a few minutes.
"If he is dead, then it is a good thing Kari didn't meet him in her later life. It takes a lot to get over their passing." Sarah said this to both Xander and her daughter.
"I guess I better tell Kari everything you've told me so far; she has a right to know," Xander said. "And then we have to find some way to tell Willow and the others," he added, looking intently at Tara.
Tara nodded at the look in his eye; she knew he guessed how hard that conversation was going to be. She watched as he headed over to where his sister was sitting watching them.
"He has a lot of strength, just like his father," Sarah said as she noticed Tara's gaze.
Angel brought the car to a stop just in front of the magic shop. As he shut off the engine, he caught Cordelia's eye.
"What?" he asked.
"You know Buffy is going to give you hell for not telling them where Xand and Faith were staying," she told him. "Plus she isn't going to be too pleased to hear about you and Fred. You've bumped into her three times since Fred became part of the team and not once did you mention it to her," she added
"I know; a lot of things have changed since then, but sometimes Buffy can be a little caught up in the past even though she has Riley now," Angel sighed.
"Yeah, that's true. Anyway, let's go," Cordelia, said with a small smile.
Angel nodded as he and Cordelia got out of the car. He smiled as Fred, Wesley and Gunn got out of the former gangster's car. Fred quickly walked over to his side and placed her hand around his wrist and he put his over her shoulder. He knew telling Buffy about Fred was long overdue, but he knew she wouldn't be too happy about it. Buffy was just like that, she takes things so personally sometimes.
Everyone turned around as the door opened revealing Wesley walking in followed closely by Gunn and Cordelia. When Angel and Fred walked in wrapped up in each other, Buffy frowned.
"Hey Angel, thanks for coming," Xander said, surprising the entire Scooby gang seeing as last time Xander and Angel had been in the same room they had been trying to kill each other.
"No problem, Xand," Angel replied as he shook Xander's outstretched hand.
"So what's the full deal, what are we facing?" Gunn asked as he sat down next to Willow
"Basically we're facing an attack by a large group of demons. Giles is looking through his books to identify them, thanks to me bringing back one of their bodies when I rescued my Sister and met up with Tara's mother," Xander stated.
"Sister?" Cordelia asked.
"I was adopted, Cordy. The Harris's aren't my real parents," Xander told her and the LA gang. "My real parents were called Daniel and Eliza and I wouldn't know that if Sarah hadn't told me," he continued. "Kari is my younger sister," he added as Kari walked over and joined him.
"Wow," Fred said as she noticed the similarities between Xander and his sister.
"That's basically what I said as well when Willow told me," Xander said with a smile.
"So why are these demons after you?" Wesley inquired.
"It goes to what's been happening to me, guys. It seems I am part of a culture of humans descended from a tribe that could transform into animals. When they returned to human status, they kept some of their animal traits such as enhanced strength, senses and things like that. The demons attacked the tribe and imprisoned most of them. Some managed to escape, but the demons have still been hunting us down," Xander explained. "Me, Kari, Tara and Sarah are all a part of this culture and that's why the demons will attack. to get to us," he added.
Angel nodded as he took in all the information Xander was giving them. He found some of it quite interesting, as he had heard of sub-cultures like the one Xander had told them about before, when he had no soul.
"What sort of time frame do you think we have?" he asked.
"Not long, about as much time as it takes to get more of them here to Sunnydale." Sarah was the one who answered.
"Giles, any luck yet in identifying these demons?" Wesley asked as he walked over to where the older brit was standing looking through one of his books.
"Not yet. The body of the demon is in the back room, so if you want to take a quick look, do so and then you can help me look through the books" Giles answered as Faith came out of the back room and quickly shook hands with Angel.
"So you guys ready for a fight?" she asked with a devilish smile.
"Always," Angel responded.
He and Faith had managed to come to a very good working arrangement just as he had with Xander, although at the time he had never suspected he could be friends with either of them, Xander especially. Xander and Fred had instantly liked each other due to them sharing the same kind of humor, and from there things had progressed to what they were now. When they asked them not to alert Buffy as to their whereabouts, he had been a little surprised but, after they explained their reasoning, he had agreed.
"Angel we need to talk," Buffy said finally having enough of the comradeship between him, Xander and Faith.
"Yes we do about a few things," Angel agreed as he shared a quick look with Fred.