Title: When You Win (25/?)

Author: Brooke

Email: yabbadabbadome13@yahoo.com

Rating: R (for the next two parts)

Disclaimer: If I owned them Joyce wouldn't be dead, Spike would be getting his ass kicked more often, there would be, like, seven Xanders', people probably wouldn't watch, the show would be canceled…I digress and I don't own anything. Buffy and friends are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The UPN, and whoever else has rights to the show.

Summary: It might have a plot, read and find out. I do know that it's kinda based on "What Dreams May Come", because that's what I was watching when I got the idea.

Spoilers: None that I can think of, it's an AU story so everyone should be safe.

Distribution: My fic is your fic. Just let me know.

Feedback: Definitely!! Tell me if it sucked or if you liked it. Whatever. Just write back!

Author's Notes: For the purpose of the story Dawn is 16, and Buffy is 24 almost 25, and Joyce is still alive. … indicate thoughts, "~~" are for phone convos, "**" indicates FLASHBACK. Happy reading all!

 The Tracker folded his book under his arm and regarded Xander with a  small nod. Before he could comprehend what was happening he and Jenny were descending back down to the water, noticing a small wooden sail boat glide up underneath them.

They landed seated and were immediately on the move. "I actually brought some wave runners…so we could get there faster." Xander pointed out, earning a glare from Jenny.

"Kids," the Tracker addressed her, somewhat good naturedly, "Always in a hurry…"

"You guys don't seem to understand what's happening here," Xander argued, interrupting the old man, only to have the tables flipped back on him.

"No you don't understand," The Tracker adjusted the statement harshly and all humor was lost from his voice, despite the fact that he continued to steer the boat. "You have no idea what you're running into and once we get there you will wish to the Almighty that you took heed of me. This is not the childish foolishness of your boyhood dealings."

Xander fixed him with a steady glare while Jenny sat silent, watching there surroundings darken with nervous apprehension. Xander looked over the edge of the boat and into the murky gray water. He wondered if it could even still be considered water, at all, as it looked more like sludge or some other kind of sewage soup.

"Tell me, Alexander," The Tracker's voice entered his realm of consciousness and Xander looked up at him. "Were you proud of your life?"

Xander's eyes flicked towards Jenny, who was still watching the water and not paying attention to the conversation. "What?" he asked skeptically.

"Your life." The old man reiterated while all three of the boats occupants noticed the water getting choppier. "Were you proud of it?"

"Yes." Xander answered without hesitation. Even though he considered it to have had a dicey start, he had had everything he wanted in his life before he was ripped out of it. He had a great job, friends, a perfect home, and the beginnings of a stable family…Buffy. He had Buffy.

"Good," the Tracker spoke again, "You're thinking about her now." He grinned, "You need to keep thinking about her if you want to find her here."

Xander nodded and was about to respond when he heard what could only be described as a wail come from outside the boat as it rocked violently form side to side. He grabbed onto the side of the vessel to steady himself as the wailing and moaning grew exponentially louder and more painful and it seemed that thousands, or millions, of others had joined in the chorus.

The Tracker was fighting to keep a steady course while Jenny faced straight ahead, trying to calm her breathing when they started hitting solid objects in the water. Xander made a move to comfort her, but suddenly felt his hand on the side of the boat be caught in a cold wet grip, a sharp tug telling him that it had every intention of trying to pull him overboard. He snatched his hand away hard with wide eyes and propelled himself across the bench to Jenny.

"What is this?!" he yelled over the howls of pain that were flooding the area.

"FOCUS!" the Tracker yelled, without responding to his question. "YOU MUST STAY FOCUSED!"

Xander tried to relax as he looked over the side of the boat again, unable to stop himself, and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Millions, he guessed, of…people…souls…thrashing in the water, looking deathly pale and clammy, and screaming; drowning in the murky depths and fighting to get to the savior of the tiny wooden vessel.

"They're going to swamp us!" Jenny yelled, obviously terrified, while maintaining a white knuckle grip on her seat.

Xander saw a hand grip the side next to her and effectively hoist itself up despite her scream of abject horror, and he leapt into action. The boat rocked with his movement, but he leant over her, bashing his fist into the things face until it let go and fell back to the water. Another one tried to climb back up, and was met with the same fate as its brethren.

The screaming was almost unbearable as Xander fought to keep his focus on Buffy. The boat rocked sharply to the right and all thoughts took flight. The Tracker's weight combined with Xander's almost capsized the boat, and before it could right itself at least three pairs of powder white, wet arms grabbed at Xander, holding him tight around the waist and arms.

He saw Jenny rush towards him as quickly as she could, but she knew that she wouldn't get there fact enough. He saw her unleash an unsteady punch to one of the beings face while the Tracker tried to right the boat with no avail. Xander gripped the side of the boat as he was pulled into oblivion, taking his guides with him.

He didn't know how long he was in the water, as the last thing he registered was the slick wetness seeping through his clothes. He wasn't even aware if he had even been swimming. All he knew was that he broke the surface, through the grasping sea of hands that were underneath the surface, and saw the shore. That was all that mattered to him at the moment, even replacing his quest for Buffy, if however briefly. He just wanted to get to the shore.

Gone were the tortured drowning souls, replace with the sounds of his own kicking and splashing as he gasped for breath, swimming as hard as he could until he felt the ground beneath his feet. Xander stood up and saw the Tracker beside him doing the same thing, both willing there legs to climb over the rough waves rocking the shore as they waded forward.

Xander watched the older man fall to his knees on the sand, attempting to regain his breath, and Xander turned his head to survey the area. He felt his heart stop. The scene before him reminded him if that God awful movie, that Buffy had watched completely with rapt fascination, "Deep Blue Sea", in that it was jagged metal building frames. The only difference, Xander saw, was all the fire and smoke, and the excessive moaning of the tortured naked souls littering the beach.

Xander laughed to himself. Everybody who had ever loved Buffy was willing to go to Hell for her, or had been sent to Hell by her. But Xander recognized the difference, he watched an explosion off in the distance followed by some more screams; he was one of the ones who would die for her, yes. But, just like Angel, he would walk out of here…and he would do it with her.

He was drawn out of his thoughts by the sound of more splashing behind him and turned to see Jenny clambering towards the shore. He immediately ran back into the water and grabbed her by the forearm, pulling her back to her feet when she stumbled, and dragged her gasping to the beach.

The Tracked ignored Jenny's plight while she hunched in attempts to regain her breath and Xander stood next to her, rubbing her back.

"It's of the utmost importance that you focus on her here Alexander," he said while looking at his surroundings. "Hell is a very dangerous place and we are at its threshold."

"I always thought that it was in the old Sunnydale High library." Xander muttered more to Jenny than the older man, and earned himself a labored grin.

"If your thoughts wavier beyond the task once we're inside you put yourself at risk of insanity. You won't come back from that." The Tracker continued seriously, "I take it that you still find her worth it?"

Xander didn't even answer the question, he didn't have to. He just trudged up the sand towards, what he thought was the gate, carefully, but quickly, jumping out of the way of a charging mob of angry souls that ran by with crude steel weapons.

"I know what I want," he said confidently.

"Good," the Tracker smiled and walked up to stand beside him and Jenny slowly followed. "She's thinking about you too," he said, "You'll be a better receiver that way."

Jenny spoke up, but not before swallowing the lump in this throat. "Let's go get his Buffy back then. How do we get in? Through the gate?" She took off up the dark littered beach towards the first entrance she saw, but Xander hesitated, having focused on something to his left. The group that had passed him was engaging in a sort of battle with, what looked like a far less organized army, easily hacking into them with the steel tools.

"Alexander," the Tracker called to get his attention.

Xander turned and narrowed his eyes. "She shouldn't be here," he said angrily and got no response.

"Hey guys!" Jenny called, "I found it!" She pointed over a dune and ran towards that direction.

The Tracker followed her as quickly as he could and got over the dune just in time to see where she was headed. "NOOOOO!!! STOP!!!" he yelled over the blood curdling cries.

Jenny slid to a stop just before a group of screaming men with pikes appeared in front of her, daring her to try to get through them. "This is the gate! It's the way in! We have to try!" she argued as Xander and the elderly guide approached her.

"She's right," Xander agreed, "We have to try." Xander was sizing up the men and Jenny nodded.

"We go in this way," the Tracker gestured with his head and started walking down the beach. "You two wait for my lead. You do not try to do this on your own." He gave the steady warning, "Never have I ever been exposed to such…"

"Are you picking up anything?" Xander cut him off as he stopped walking.

"No, actually, I'm not." The guide turned to look at him, studying him, but just as suddenly flicking his eyes to Jenny.

"Focus on Buffy, Xan." Jenny whispered from behind him, but Xander maintained his stare with the Tracker.

"You stay here," the old man said suddenly and harshly to Jenny.

She tried to step up in her defense, confused at his decision, but he continued. "You go no further than this. I am advising that you turn around. I won't take him in with you here."

"And if I don't take your advice?" Jenny asked defiantly.

"Then you rot here or you forfeit you friend's chance at his soul mate. You can pick," came the nonchalant response.

Xander jumped into the conversation, "You're not picking up anything because I'm thinking about someone else." He finished and turned to face his formed teacher. "You died nine years ago, you said."

Jenny nodded.

"I corrected you and said seven. Jenny Calendar died seven years ago."

This time he got a shoulder shrug as a response.

"How can you rush into Hell for someone you've only talked to twice?" Xander questioned as he studied her.

"Because you will," she answered as he watched her form change, just as he had done with Tara/Miranda before. Jenny misted over until she was the fifteen year old boy that had died when Xander had first met Buffy. The boy that was the first vampire he had ever killed. The boy that had been his best friend. She misted over until she was Jesse. "Because I'd do it for you," he continued in a new deeper tenor, "Because you love her…and I love you bro."

Xander just watched in wonder at the sight before him before he covered the distance between them in record time and pulled his long lost friend into a hug.

"You'd die for her, man." Jesse continued with a smirk, "You would've when we were fifteen…and then…You did die for her."

Xander shook his head, "I'd do it again."

"And I'd die for you. My Buffy connection is a vicarious deal, but I guess you rock-headedness rubbed off in me," he was still smiling.

Xander couldn't help but chuckle, but then let a sad air fall over him, "How'd you pick Ms. Calendar? You never met her."

Jesse shrugged his shoulders, "Thought you might listen to an authority figure more than your bud. I mean, I'm younger than you now and everything…Plus, you liked her, trusted her. She affected you…"

Xander stayed focused on Jesse's words, "I wish you got to grow up too, Dude," he said sadly. "You missed a lot of crazy times," he let out a strangled laugh.

"Hey," Jesse interrupted to lighten the mood, "Don't down death. I've been having a ball. And I've been checking up on you periodically…Thursday night roll playing- not bad my friend," he joked and Xander's face reddened through his nervously prideful grin.

"We must go," the Tracker announced, "Our chariot awaits," he gestured to an elevator- like platform that had lowered from the dark nothingness.

Xander nodded and turned back to Jesse.

"Look man," Jesse said quickly, "I can't do this with you…Flutie always said we were had ADD, "he laughed, and Xander nodded remembering many joint detentions. "And you've got to concentrate. You bring her back…"

"You would have liked her," Xander said solemnly.

"Just find her X-man, I might still. I mean, she is still a hottie," he grinned.

"Yeah," Xander agreed, "My wife is." He added while backing towards the platform the Tracker was now standing on and carefully boarding next to him.

"I believe in you Xander. You'll her back!" he shouted as the platform began to lower, "You bring her back!"

That was the last thing Xander heard as he disappeared from the surface and into Hell.

End Part 25