Xander laid on his couch trying to rest. He was technically sleeping but he was far from restful. The world was changing around him. Different memories and different histories flooding his head. Visions flashed in his mind, were these nightmares or new memories all together. He stood over a grave once again placing fresh flowers on the grave of Buffy Summers. He saw the people he loved and was gathering around a grave. He looked to headstone but it was unclear.

He walked closer trying to see through the mass of mourners but it was too many. He turned taking a look at the coffin in front of him but as he turned he felt a hand on his shoulder as Willow called out. "This should have never happened"

Xander straight up breathing heavy in a cold sweat. He gasped for air and looked around trying to gather his bearings. He was back in his house and his mind was still foggy. He stood up and started pacing. If Buffy was still dead in this time he needed answers. He needed to know why or how. Maybe he could get on the phone again and change something or anything. The person he could get the answers he needed from was Dawn.

He dialed her apartment pacing back and fourth.. It was 9:15 pm so she should be home. The voice that answered Xander didn't recognize. "Hello."

"Is Dawn there?"

"You have the wrong number."

Xander looked confused. "Sorry."

He hung up the phone and dialed Dawn's number again. Once again the same voice answered. "Still wrong number pal."

Xander looked at the phone number dialed. "Uhm Sorry."

He put the phone down and went back to pacing. "Why would her number change" But a vision from the dream hit him. The cordless phone in his hand dropped and fell to the ground. He closed his eyes as the vision of grave he was standing at became suddenly clear. Etched on the grave marker was Dawn Summers. The visions poured in his head now like a bad acid trip.

It still was coming in pieces but the pieces that he had in his head were that of a girl murdered before her time. He saw her lying bloody and helpless a victim of a crime that never should have happened. He picked up his keys and flew out the door. He stepped on the gas and drove as fast as he could to the council.

As he drove to the front gate the guard working the fence stopped him. Even though Xander no longer worked for the council he still was a familiar face and well known on the ground. Bobby the portly security guard greeted him with a warm smile.

"Ah Mister Harris it is one hell of a nice night."

"Yeah Bobby I really gotta see Giles."

"Let me get the gate for ya. Hey did you have a chance to see that Bears game last night. It was."

Xander looked at Bobby trying to hide his annoyance. "Bobby this is kind of important."

"Oh sorry Mister Harris."

He stepped in to the guard shack and flipped a switch as the gate opened. Xander sped through the gate and double timed it up to front parking lot. He parked next to the library. Just like old times Giles chose to have his office in the library. As he ran in to the building he went to the library only to find it locked. "Fuck."

He pounded on the doors hoping Giles was still there "GILES. If you are there I need to talk to you now." He pounded harder. "GILES!"

As he was getting ready to hit even harder the door swung open. Giles stood there with his top button open and glasses off. He was in the end of the day mode. "Xander What in the hell has gotten in to you."

Xander pushed past him and only had one name on his mind. "Dawn."

"What?"

"Giles what the hell happened to Dawn?"

"Are you feeling okay Xander?" He looked at him as if he had a second head.

"Giles I know this is strange but I need you to humor me. Talk to me please. What the hell happened to Dawn Summers?"

Giles stammered for a second. "You know what happened. She was murdered by the Slayer Hunter."

Xander sucked in a breath and closed his eyes. The name felt familiar. He knew it was a name he should know. "The slayer hunter? Who is the Slayer Hunter?"

Giles was only more confused by these question he was certain Xander knew the answer to. "Xander the police have turned that case inside out. You've practically read every file available. We don't know who it was."

"Was?"

"Or is. I suppose. I mean. He or she or even they could very well still be alive."

"I want everything. Everything we know about this slayer hunter."

"You have it."

"I do?"

"Xander are you feeling okay?"

"Please just humor me."

Giles nodded and went in to his office. He pulled out a file box. "You've been playing armature detective for years. Everything we know is in this box."

Xander took the box from him and went over to the table. He opened the box and started pulling out the papers. "I know it's late Giles and I know this is strange."

"Can you tell me what is going on?"

"I'm not sure I know."

"Well you can use the library but I was just about to leave and."

"Don't worry I'll lock up."

"If you need anything."

"Thanks Giles." He pulled out file folder after file folder. Whomever this slayer hunter was they had cleared a bloody path. The total body count start to finish was 8 slayers and 3 watchers. Dawn Summers was victim number 3.

He spent the next 5 hours reading through police report, the autopsy, witness statements, every piece of evidnce. Giles had made it out like Xander had been through the box 1000 times but it felt like he was laying fresh eyes on it for the first time.

Unable to make heads or tails of any of it he packed up the box and took it with him. He found his way back home just for 4am. As he found his way in to the house he set the box down on the dining room. He felt like his stomach was running hula hoops around his ass. It was late and he was tired but he knew sleep wouldn't come.

Interrupting his train of thought he heard the vibrating buzz of the old cell phone on the table. He looked up at it and grabbed it. Buffy had left him a text message. "Hey. You didn't answer when I called. Everything okay?"

He didn't know what he would say to her. He took out the phone and just sighed. He texted back. "You Up?" 30 seconds passed and the phone rang out. He scooped it up. "Buffy?"

She yawned "Even for Slayer hours Xander this is late."

"Sorry I just really needed to talk."

"I was worried we lost the connection when you didn't answer."

"I'm still here Buffy. I have been busy."

"Xander you sound. I mean. Are you okay?"

"No. I am really not." He sat down in the chair. "Buffy your sister is dead."

"Dawn died? Oh God Xander. That's why you didn't answer. Were you with her when."

"Buffy it's not like that. She died but. I mean she died some ways back."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know. I am still learning everything about this new reality we created but I know she wasn't dead on Monday and now."

"How did it happen?"

"It was someone or something called the Slayer hunter. He killed 11 people total. 3 watchers and 8 slayers. We don't' know who or what it was. I mean for all we know it could be a pissed off vampire or demon or any of 1000 evil things out to get us."

"And Dawn was one of the victims? Was I?"

"Buffy what makes you think."

"You haven't mentioned me and I'm assuming the fact that kind of kicks to the whole I'm still probably dead in your time line."

"You were killed by vampire. I was thinking if we can figure out this Dawn thing maybe we can figure that out after and."

"NO!."

"Buffy I."

"Xander no more playing with time. We fucked with time once and 11 people died."

"Buffy we can fix this."

"How Xander? If he got away with it the first time how can we expect this to be any different."

Xander sighed not sure what the answer was. "Because."

"Because?"

Xander looked at the box sitting on his table. "Cause this time we know exactly where he is going to strike. We know the when. All you have to do is be there and be ready and we capture and stop all of the murders before they happen."

"I don't know Xander."

"Listen Buffy I do know. Team Scooby always finds a way. When the chips are down and it looks dark. We find a way."

"Okay you are right. We can do this. But what if the phone goes dead? What if I'm not able to speak to you?"

"I'm going to pass everything I know about the murders on to you. We work together and maybe we can stop this"

"You believe that?"

"Of course I do but if we lose this connection. If something happens you take Dawn and you get her the hell out of town and don't look back"

"Okay."

"Might want to put on some coffee though Buffy cause I got a lot of info here you are going to need and this is going to most likely be an all nighter."

Buffy jumped up and grabbed a pen and notebook. "Well than no time like the present to get started"

Xander opened the box and started looking through the manila folders. "Okay so the first victim dies January 21st 2008."

"That Is 2 days from now Xander."

"She is a slayer. Tina Shepard. 17 years old." Xander reads through the file. "Okay it says the last time she was seen by anyone was at a concert for the Pixies."

"Okay I can just tell her not to go and."

"No Buffy we need her to go. If we are going to stop this, we need to keep everything like it was supposed to be."

"How the hell am I supposed to keep track of one person at a concert."

"Find this Tina girl whomever she is and let's start there."

"Okay I'm going to give you the details of the case."

"Fire away."

Buffy and Xander Spent the next 4 hours as Xander fed her all the info on the box. Obviously he gave the important info first. Buffy knew who was going to die where they would be. There was a lot of information to pass on though Xander had statements from officers on the scenes, people passing by. They had been working quite a while and felt like they were only scratching the surface.

Buffy's hand grew sore from all the writing. She sighed. "Xander let's take a pause."

"A pause? Buffy we still have a lot to"

She cut him off. "I know but I'm just saying 10 minutes we talk about something else."

Xander dropped the folder in his hand. "Okay. That' fine. You want to rest and you can call when.

'No. I mean. Talk to me about your life. Tell me about the Xander Harris or ya know 2018."

Xander laughed and took a deep breath. "Oh that isn't something you want to know."

"Oh come on. What is the deal? You got a few gray hairs?"

"Oh I might but they are earned at least."

"Well come on spill. I just want to know about who you become. Do you have kids? What do you do for a living? Where do you live?"

"Buffy maybe you shouldn't ask that stuff. I mean I've seen Back to the future enough to know Doc Browns old line about knowing too much about your own future."

"Oh come on no one is going to destroy the time space continuum."

"First off Summers it's Space time continuum. Secondly." He blew out a deep breath. "Maybe I don't want to tell you cause I'd rather you think of me as who I was instead of who I am."

"Stop that Xander. I'm sure you are someone I'd be proud of."

He shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Your sister, Dawn, Willow , Giles pretty much anyone with any kind of opinion They keep telling me I need to live my life. I need to let go of."

"Let go of?"

Xander got up and paced. "It was like when you died everyone found some kind of strength or something that could help them to move forward or move on. A strength I could never find. The day you died it was like the rest of the world didn't matter and I've been living this pathetic existence where I'm not really moving forward. I guess I'm just taking up space."

There was a silence that hung between them for a moment. Finally Buffy sighed. "Xander if the tables were turned and I lost you I don't think I'd have any strength."

"Buffy you don't have to say that because I said."

"I'm not. I am saying that I've always thought of you as my true north star. I mean when Angel left you were there. Riley or Giles, Parker or Spike or any list of any guys. I mean not just guys. You are really the only one who has always been by my side. Xander I honestly get it. If I lost you than I would probably shut down too. But maybe when all this is done we can use this. Use this as a way to move forward or start getting that life every one thinks you should have."

"I'm not sure it's that easy. I mean."

"Maybe it's closure you need. Maybe this is why all of this happened with the phone. It's your chance for you to say it."

"It?"
Buffy swallowed the hard lump in her throat. "Say Goodbye."

Xander closed his eyes trying to fight back the tears. "It's just ya never know how much someone mean to you till." He stopped and shook his head. "No that's not true. I always knew. I always knew how special you are and having you in my life made mine that much more special. With out you in my life it made me so much more aware of the darkness."

Buffy tried to fight back the tears but was unable. "Xander in a world where I faced darkness and death and my world should have been nothing but twilight and shadows you were always my light and part that made the world not seem so terrible."

He wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. "God I miss you so much." He shook his head and laughed. "Do ya think maybe we could get back to work. This emotional closure stuff is kind of."

"Exhausting?'

"Yeah."

"Okay let's finish up with the facts on this psycho slayer killer."

They worked together till Buffy had everything. When Xander hung up. Buffy looked at the clock on the side of her bed. It was a few minutes till 7am and she was exhausted but she couldn't sleep just yet. She looked like hell but before she could sleep she needed something.

She made her way through the hall of the school and the dorm the slayer's and watchers slept in. She found herself knocking on the door. It was early but this was too important. A bleary tired eye Xander answered the door yawning. It was so surreal for Buffy she spent all night talking to his future counterpart but here he was clueless as to what was going on. "Everything okay Buffy?"

She just grabbed him in a hug and buried her face in his chest hugging him. Xander was a little stunned and taken back by the hug. He chuckled a little "Well good morning to you." She just held the embrace holding him as if he tethered her to the world. "Not that I'm complaining but do I get an explanation as to what brings this little shot of morning awesomeness."

She closed her eyes and rested her head in to his chest. She was so close she could feel his heart beat through his chest. She sighed. "I just want you to know how truly important and wonderful I think you are. You are my North Star."

Xander put his arms around her and enjoyed the embrace. "Oh God is someone dying? Am I dying."

"Just shut up and enjoy the moment."

"Check."

She pulled back long enough to look up in to his eyes. "Do you think maybe I could hang out in here with you for a little while."

"Hang out?"

The truth was she was exhausted but even with that she wanted to be close to him. There was something about knowing he was there and knowing he was close. "I'm tired but maybe. I mean would it be okay if I just napped here for a little bit."

"Is everything okay Buffy?"

She let him go and walked in to his room. "I'm fine. I just. I'll sleep better knowing you are close."

"Well that is fine. I was about to get up anyways. Why don't you take the bed?"

Buffy made her way to his bed. As she got under the covers she stammered "Do you think? I mean. You'll be here when I wake up."

Xander pointed to the desk in the corner of his room. "Stack of my watcher reports I have to catch up on pretty much ensure it."

She was exhausted and it took little for her to pass out. So much was on her mind. Was she going to be strong enough or good enough to stop all these murders that she felt responsible for. Was her sister going to die because of her. Was the information they spent the night transferring to each other enough to stop all of this.

Eventually her mind went numb and she got the rest she needed. Xander for his part worked with a small light in the corner of his room. He got most of his reports done with in the first 2 hours but as per his promise he sat and waited for her while she slept. He would be there for her.

Just a little after noon Buffy pulled herself up leaning against the headboard. She sat there for a moment watching Xander type on his keyboard. She cleared her throat. "What are you working on?"

Xander chuckled as he turned around and pushed poured a cup of coffee and popped something in the toaster. "Look at that sleeping beauty is awake."

"Yeah sleeping beauty I am not. Seriously though what are you working on?"

Xander spun his lap top around so Buffy could see his screen. "Real estate."

"Thinking of leaving us?"

"Not the job but maybe. I mean I do feel a little old to be living in a dorm. It's not like I'm serious. It's more just looking."

"Found anything worth looking at?"

"I don't think I want a full ready to go house."

"So what, a doll house or maybe a nice shoe box."

"That isn't what I meant. A nice fixer upper is what I have in mind. Something I could do a lot of the work myself and save some money." Just than pop of the toaster could be heard. "And just like that I made you breakfast."

He fished the pop tart out of the toaster and poured Buffy a cup of coffee with her favorite creamer. He handed her the cup and pop tart. "Xander you didn't have to do that."

"When you stay at motel Xander we provide you with complimentary breakfast. I guess that is if you know you can consider a pop tart breakfast." "I could do a whole lot worse." She sipped the coffee and sighed. "You always take such good care of me."

"If I don't who will?"

She couldn't help but see him in a new light Her mind thought back to the info that 2018 Xander had given her. How this Xander was always pathetically shamelessly obsessed with her. If this Xander still had feelings for her she wondered what that could mean. "Hey there is something I want to talk to you about but I need you to be honest."

"Something?"

Buffy pulled herself up to the side of the bed and dangled her feet over the side. "So a source I trust told me something, to be specific it is something about you."

"A source you trust? Do I get to know who this source is?"

Buffy shook her head. "That part doesn't matter?"

"Okay. So what is this info?"

Buffy sucked in a deep breath. "Do you have feelings for me again?"

"Buffy you are my best friend of course I have feelings for you."

"Come on Xander. I am not going to give a pass on this generic answer. You know exactly what I mean."

Xander chuckled as he just rubbed the back of his head. "Come on Buffy. Why do we have to go down this route?"

"It is about me. Don't I have the right to know?"

"Not really. They are my feelings and private inner working and"

Buffy pointed at him "A-Ha I knew it there are feelings."

"You are a nut Summers."

"Just one time. Help me out. Xander do you have feelings for me again?"

He sighed and paced "Buffy it is complicated. If you are asking me if I have feelings for you again than my answer is technically no."

"Technically?"

"Saying I have feelings for you again would imply that the feelings you know went away."

"Of course they went away Xander. I mean you dated Cordelia and then after that you almost married Anya."

"You are not wrong but through all of that I never really found a way to stop my feelings for you. I could pretend and cover it up. I'm good with that but the feelings never really went away."

Buffy closed her eyes and shook her head. "Xander why didn't you tell me?"

"I did?"

"Really? When? Did I have some memory lapse I'm not aware of?"

"Spring Fling and the whole either you have feelings for me or you don't. Spoiler alert, you didn't"

"Oh my God Xander that is why? How many years ago was that? You aren't the same anymore. I'm not the same."

"Yeah we are different but honestly would that have mattered?"

"Of course."

"Really? I thought. I mean I kind of"

"What?"

"I just thought you saved a perpetual spot for me in the whole friend zone for life."

"Xander sometimes you are so infuriating. This is good though. I mean you know that things would be different now if you were to ask me on a date so maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Oh my God this isn't color by numbers. You ask me out."

He looked at the exasperated look on her face. "Man you are kind of bossy."

"I'm a charming lady I promise."

He sighed and opened his mouth but there was fear. "Buffy what if you were right all those years ago. I mean you are my best friend and if we date maybe it goes bad. I mean can we get this back. It is kind of ya know scary."

She took his hand. "I know for a fact Xander I'm not going to lose you. Maybe this will be an epic fail. If it is we will find our way back to each other. If it is isn't though I mean maybe we are both standing on the other side of something really good."

"You sure?"

"Yes now ask me out already."

"Like I said Bossy." He smiled "Buffy would you like to go out on a date with me?"

"Why Xander Harris that sounds amazing. When will this enchanting evening take place?"

"Well my next free day is Wednesday."

Buffy smiled but remembered that was the evening she was going to have to tail Tina Shepard. "Oh wait I can't"

"After all that ask me out stuff you are shutting me down."

'I'm not shutting you down. I just have plans that night."

"Plans?"

"Slayer stuff. Oh but why don't' we make it a lunch date."

Xander made a face. "Lunch date?"

"Something wrong with a lunch date?"

"It's just every guy knows a lunch date isn't for the guy that is to be taken serious. It's the b list of dates."

"Oh what ever. Our lunch date will be magical and the stuff memories are made of."

"Alright I will pick you up at 1130am."

"That works for me."

Back in 2018 Xander slept in his bed. History had been changed again. By telling Buffy how the Xander of her time felt about her it had changed the timeline. With Buffy knowing that knowledge she acted on it. Now a whole different world and time line flooded his mind as he slept.

He popped up in a cold sweat as he breathed deep and heavy looking around the room. He looked to his bedside and saw a picture that wasn't there when he went to sleep. Buffy was standing on her tip toes and leaning in to kiss Xander. It was a candid sweet moment that meant the world to both of them.

Xander held the frame in his hands not believing this was real. "Holy shit. I was engaged to Buffy!"