TITLE: Slayer's Knight 3 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE
E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au
FEEDBACK: Sure.
DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss!
He created everything! Set in
season..6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only
to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle
with Glory , with a flashback at the beginning to events after Joyce's funeral.
SUNNYDALE HIGH. Willow watched as Xander brought down the last Vampire and held
a hand against its throat. She watched, mesmerized, as he sniffed the air and
his mouth began to salivate. " Hungry... Soooo Hungry." He opened his
mouth and she saw his pearly white teeth change to a mouthful 0f canine teeth
as he lowered his mouth to the screaming Vampire's arm. Willow shouted out.
" No Xander! Bad boy!" He turned his head and looked her in the eyes
and she jumped back. " I'm not a dog Willow! But this son of a bitch bled
me and I have to replace my energy!" Willow began to stutter. " Nnoo! If you start on this road
you won't be coming back.... Do you think Buffy will have anything to do with a
cannibal?" Xander growled and turned back to the
injured Vampire. " Consider yourself lucky. " He gripped the Vamps
head and twisted till it came of turning him to dust. Xander kicked the remains
with his foot. " Something I've always wondered Will... Why do the clothes
go up with the body?" Willow
shrugged. " Don't know and I don't really care Xander just as long as it's
dead." She linked her arm in his. " Now come on before they begin to
worry." Xander
started to come down from his adrenalin high and began to feel the
wounds." Yeah we had better book before the blood attracts others." Willow
was too happy that she had managed to stop Xander's darker side from overcoming
him to realize what he had said .As they moved away Xander placed a hand to his
lower back and came away damp with blood." Oh Joy!" THE MAGIC BOX. Dawn was arguing with Buffy as Willow and
Xander entered. " We were supposed to talk to him not make him run
away!" She frowned. " Now we'll never find out." Willow
guided Xander back to his friends. " Look what I found." Buffy studied him. " Why didn't you
just tell us Xander instead of being bottle it up guy?" Xander shrugged, and
then winced as he forgot about his cut. " It was me it was happening to so
I figured it was no one else's business but mine. However I realize I should
have spoken up before now." Dawn
nudged Buffy as the key nibbled on her nails. Buffy searched for the right
words until Dawn blurted out. " So how come you're paying our bills?"
Xander
paled as he joked. " Yeah right Dawn! I'm really a multi millionaire
living like this for my health." Buffy
flips open Xander's bank statement and he paled. " Okay Mr. Trump explain
how come this tells me different? And before you try to make up something I
went to my bank manager today and he told me everything." Xander's
stomach rumbled as his body demanded to have the energy it expended to repair
the damage to it, be replaced. " Can we talk about this later? I'm really
starving and..." Buffy strides over to him and pushed him
into a chair. He fell back, striking his wound against the back. He growled
like a scolded cat as Buffy nearly drove her finger through his chest. "
You caused this trouble Harris and now you want to stuff your face? Well you
can forget about it till you've answered our questions." He went
red with anger. " You want the truth? Well here it is... I found out about
your problems even if you didn't want to acknowledge them! I answered the phone
call from the bank and couldn't understand what he was talking about till I
found all the unopened mail from them. " Xander stood up and tried to calm
down. " You two were one week from being thrown out on the street before I
came to an arrangement with them. "
Buffy's anger
dissolved." Why? Why would you do that?" Xander
started to weave, almost out on his feet. " You needed help and for once I
had the means to do something about it .So I... " He staggered. "
Did. " He straightened his clothes and looked at her. " Now if you've
finished with the inquisition I'm going to get something to eat before I retire
to my new digs." He turned and moved to leave
when Dawn told him. " Do you want us to make up your usual bed on Giles's
couch or would you prefer we rang the Y ?" He
paused. " Since when did any of you care where I slept? " He opened
the door and Buffy's words made him pause. " You have a room waiting for
you at our place. " Xander turned and she shrugged. " You paid for it
so you might as well live there as well." She saw Dawn smile and nod at
her decision before continuing." Mom's room is there for you and I'm sure
between the two of us we could cook you some dinner?" "
I don't like the idea of accepting charity Buffy." Buffy
shakes her head. " It's not charity Xand. Once again it's you're home now
too Xander. You pay the bills so the least you could do is accept room and
board." Xander
swayed then gave up, motioning the way out." Okay I give in. I'm too tired
and too damn hungry to argue anymore." Xander
hoped in the Jeep and Dawn sat next to him." We can have Friday night
movies again just like when ... You know." Xander
placed an arm around her as Buffy drove off. " Yeah I know Dawn patrol I
know." Dawn
rested her head against his chest." It seems like forever since we had
anything like a normal life at home." He strokes the top of her
head and made comforting noises as he tried to conserve energy." It gets
better Dawn. At least that's what they all say." He pulls her in tight as
they pull up the drive. " The pain never leaves but it does get blocked
out by happier times Dee." Buffy looks into the rear view mirror and
smiles at the scene in the back then checked her image in the mirror, pursing
her lips and replacing a few strands of stray hair. " Here we are Casa Del
Summers." Dawn pipes up. " Casa Del
Summers/Harris you mean." Dawn placed her arm
around Xander and he hissed in pain but said nothing as they entered the house
he hoped would soon be a home once more. Buffy threw the keys on to the hallway
table. " Right first thing Dawn set the table while I get something from
the freezer. " Dawn
gave her a mock salute and Buffy saw the blood. " Dawn! How did you cut
yourself?" Dawn looked at her hand. " I
didn't... I..." She looked over at Xander as he almost collapsed against
the wall. " I think its Xander's!" Buffy held Xander
up as she quickly checked him over. Xander was on a different plain as she ran
her hands over him and he looked at her face." Why Miss Summers! Please
control yourself while there's a minor in the room." She found the deep gashes in his back. "
There I knew it! " She eased him onto the couch. " Really Xander this
stoic pose of yours will get you killed one day!" She took his shirt off
and turned him on his side. " Dawn go and get the first aid kit from under
the sink." Dawn
hurried back with it and Buffy cleaned and disinfected his wounds before
closing them with butterfly bandages. She helped him lie down and told Dawn.
" Do you think you could make him some pasta or..." Dawn
nods as she runs off into the kitchen. " Something with lots of energy in
it I know sis." Buffy smiles as she watches her race out. " Jeez I
think she has a real BIG crush on you now Xander." Buffy fluffs up
a pillow and slips it behind his head. She doesn't notice her hand as it moves
across his chest in circular motions. She hears Xander whisper something and
leans in closer as he repeats it .He relaxes at her touch and tells her in a
sleepy voice. " Pity it's the wrong sister." She watches her
hand on his chest and her emotions start to build faster than she wanted. She
leans in to tell him something but his eyes open as her mouth is close to his.
They feel each other's breaths and Buffy whimpers. " Oh God!" As
their lips brush. They feel an arc of electricity pass between them and their
lips lock on to each other building in passion till she can feel her heart
beats match each other then increase in spead with the passion of the kiss. Buffy's mouth
slightly opens and she can feel his tongue run across her teeth begging for
entry. She pulls back trying to catch her breath and exclaims. " Fuck
It!" She places her hands either side of Xander's head and kisses him till
nothing matters but the two of them. END OF THREE