TITLE: THE PRIZE 7

TITLE: THE PRIZE 7

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! Rated R for violence and adult themes. Set in season 6.B/X pairing. Giles is Buffy's watcher who now works for the Council once more. Anya gave her life to save Buffy in the fight against Glory. Dawn is still here and Willow is with Tara. PONY'S TALE. Pony sits in front of Willow and begins to tell her tale. Her sadness passed from her face as she remembered Xander." He has this way of making you feel like you're the only one in the world. He asked for some basic household cleaners and a cooking pot then proceeded to 'bake a cake' as he called it. " ******************* FLASHBACK **************************** Xander and Pony were standing on the roof of the museum waiting for the tribes diversion to kick in when there was a hooping and a hollering from down the street. Xander pried open the skylight and listened for his opportunity. One of the guards walks over to the window and cracks open the blinds." It's a couple of drunken Indians whooping it up over by the hotel…Jesus!" There was an intense flash as one of Xander's 'cakes' lit up the night. The deputy draws his gun." Come on before they burn down the town!" Xander waits till Pony gives him the signal and he drops the rope down to the safe and slides down the rope. He takes out a drill from his backpack and drills several holes in the casing of the safe door before he spoons in some of his mixture. He waits then inserts a fuse and places a heavy blanket over the safe. He then moves some heavy furniture and lays it on the safe before signalling to Pony. She jumps up and runs to the other side of the roof then returns. " They're off chasing Grey wolf and kicking horse." Xander tells her. " Move back I'm about to light the fuse." He then whispers to himself." Goddess of luck and overseer of dumb people please be awake tonight!" He strikes a match and lights the fuse. It hisses and fizzes away into the pile of furniture then a muffled boom was barely heard. Xander moves the furniture out of the way and lifts the blanket to one side. The safe door swings wide open and Xander grins as he shuffles through the contents until he finds a box. He opens it and sees the glowing piece of melted rock. " Hmm.. Looks like a dumb rock to me." He places it in his pack and runs to the rope, shimmying up it and on to the roof. Pony asks." Did you get it?" Xander nods then she hugs him and he feels her sigh in his arms. Xander shakes his head. " Why is it I don't get this reaction from Buffy?" He grins." Oh yeah I do. Now." He grips her hand." Come on we have to get out of here before they get back." They clamber down the drainpipe and make their way to his car. Xander throws the pack on the back seat and gets in. He starts the car up and drives away from the alley. As they make their way out of town Xander sees the men run from the museum and look at his car before getting in the cruiser. Xander stepped on the gas. " Crap! We've been sprung hold on!" Xander led them a merry chase but when the second and third car joined in he knew their time was short. He floored the car and drove like a madman until there was a large gap between them. He reached into his pack and took out the box then went to remove the stone. As his fingers touched it he yelled out in pain and the car swerved all over the road. Pony was terrified, she had never seen or heard of this happening before. Xander pulled up and they watched as the stone was absorbed into his skin. " What the freaking hell's going on?" Xander was sweating and his pulse races as the stone sinks into his very soul. Xander looks in the mirror and tells her. " Get out now. I'll keep them off your back for as long as possible." He smiles at her. " With the stone gone your people are free from the towns grip. Tell Grey Wolf when my friends arrive to help them all he can." Pony nods then runs off up the hill and she squats watching the red Viper take off. She holds a hand to her mouth when she sees the Sheriffs Bronco intercept Xander from the other way. She runs across the hill to see what will happen and watches as the Sheriff points his gun at Xander. " Get out of the damn Car!" Xander holds up his hands and asks. " What's the matter officer? I wasn't speeding or anything else wrong." " Where's the stone?" When Xander looked puzzled Vince cocks his revolver." I'll give you till three to tell me." " Tell you what? I was just out for a night drive and you redneck hillbillies start screwing around." Xander remembers the Initiative ID he kept as a memento from when he and Buffy snuck in to their headquarters and says." Now I'm going to reach for my ID Sheriff and then, if you know what's good for you, you'll back off and let me through." Xander takes the plastic ID from the back of his wallet and holds it out. " I'm with the FBI. I'm here to look into suspected hate crimes against the local natives. Now you people are in deep shit…" Vince's face turns red and he panics. " Ah Fuck this!" He fires six shots into the car. Three smash through the front windscreen and hit Xander square in his chest. Pony screams but the noise doesn't carry to the men or they were to shocked to care." Jesus Christ Vince!" Vince holstered his gun and shouted at them. " Just shut up and take him out to the clearing." Vince picks up Xander's wallet and looks at the ID." Shit!" He runs a hand through his hair then tells them. " He wasn't here! He never made it this far and you know nothing!" Pony ran as fast as she could back to the village and told Grey Owl what had happened." We owe Xander more than we can ever repay. He not only freed my people he gave us hope. Hope that there is a chance in the white mans world for us and that we will be treated with honour and with equal rights." END OF 7