"Christina!" Xader stood outside her closed bedroom door and hollered. "Get your butt
out of that bed before I come in and do it for you."
After Christina had lost her grandmother, three weeks before, Xander and Anya had
offered their spare bedroom, until more permanent arrangements could be made. However, no
family member came crawling out of the wood woork to claim her, though they had sent letters to
every address they could find. Anya didn't seem to mind, in fact seemed rather leased to have
someone who enjoye cooking. Not that she pushed the entire chore onto the kid, but it meant she
could stay at the shop later a couple days a week.
She had also started going in to work earlier, so Xander was left with the daily 'get
Christina up and off to school' ritual. Which usually meant wait one half an hour after her alarm
went off, then stand outside her door and scream. And holler until you got a response.
"Gheez, give a girl a chance to wake up." The door was flung open and twin black eyes
glared up at Xander.
"You had half an hour," he told her.
She rolled her eyes and pushed past him, towards the bathroom.
Xander grinned and headed to the kitchen and a last coffee and toast before getting her
out the door, and himself off to work. A trip diverted by a ringing doorbell.
"Buffy, Giles, so good to see you this early in the morning, and uh, your boxes."
"Which are heavy," Buffy stated, peering around her couple, "So we'd appreciate your
moving out of the way so we can find a place to put them."
"Uh, sure," Xander stepped aside, pulling the door open wide. "Its not my birthday, or
Anya's. What's the deal."
"No Idea," said Buffy disappearing into the living room, where she dropped them onto the
floor. "Giles wouldn't tell me. She grinned. "There's a couple more in the car you can help me
with."
"Buffy?" Giles dropped his beside Buffy's, and looked at her.
"Come on," Buffy grabbed Xander's arm and pulled him through the door. "Let's go get
them boxes."
She didn't stopped pulling until they got outside the building. Then she turned, and
pinned Xander up against the wall.
"What's going on Xander?"
"I don't know Buff, what are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about Giles getting in last night, about his rushing over to your place sure
you'd say yes. So again, what's going on? Why's he so sure you'll say yes."
"Not a clue Buff, and we won't get one playing twenty questions out here when the man
with the answers in in there."
They returned to find Christina and Giles pulling books out of the boxes.
"Books," Xander said amazed. "You brought me books?"
"Mr. Giles says you're to be my Watcher," Christina dropped the book she was holding,
and turned to Xander. The grin faded and she looked puzzled. "Uh, what's a Watcher?"
"Something that I didn't know I was gonna be and something I'll be talking to you about
later. After school."
"School," Christina said innocently.
"Yes school, that place kids go for their daily dose of learning and torture. Where you'll
be going to right after breakfast. If you get a move on that is."
Christina rolled her eyes, but headed for the kitchen.
"A Watcher Giles, Xander? That's wrong on so many levels, I can't even begin to know
where to start."
Xander stared at the girl.
"Why is it Wrong Buff?" Somehow he didn't care about the bite in his voice. "I don't
know that I want to do this, yet, but why would it be so wriong if I do?"
Buffy looked at him, a little put off by his tone, and a little amazed that she had to explain
the obvious.
"You've got a soon to b wife, Xander, and Christina. Isn't it about time you started
thinking about a normal life?"
"A normal life Buff? My life took a sharp turn away from normal the day I had to kill
Jesse, it really went over to the wild side when I became Hyena-Boy. A little late for a normal
life."
"Okay," Buffy said a little heated. "Let's put it another way. You're reckless, take too
many risks. One of these days you're going to get into a position you won't get out of, and I may
not be able to help. "Face facts, you'd be better off if you got out of the game."
"I tried that." Xander stared at the Slayer. "Remember, the road trip after graduation.
Okay, it didn't work out as planned, but part of it was to get out of this game, as you put it, and
for a while it worked. But eventually, it started growing on me, not only had I run out, I had run
out on my two best buds, and it got so I couldn't face the guy I saw in the mirror every morning.
So I came back. I'm part of this fight. With you or without you, I'm part of it, so is Anya, and
maybe Christina, cause I can't see anyway to keep her out, so the best thing I can do for them is
to see that they keep safe for as long as possible. I don't much like the Watcher's Council, but if
working with them gives them the best chance, then that's what I gotta do. For them and for me."
Xander spoke, easily. He didn't knw where exactly, but a decision had been made.
"Giles, where do I sign up?"
Buffy stormed into Giles apartment, and whirled to face him. "Okay, why didn't you tell
me that was what you were going to do? Why were you so sure that he would do it?"
"If I had told you, would you have tried to stop it?"
"Of course I would. It's a bad idea."
"Why?"
"Because it draws him closer into the fight. You helped keep him out when we were in
school."
"I tried to keep him out of the fighting part, because he really wasn't that good at it. I
daresay he hasn't improved all that much." Buffy snorted. "He was, and probably is still, good at
research and coming up with plans. I merely found a way to better channel his talents." Giles
looked at his Slayer. "How long do you expect him to survive after you are gone?"
Buffy looked uncomfortable.
"Willow brought you back once. It was a mistake in more ways than one, and a mistake I
fully intend to see that she doesn't repeat. But what's done is done, and we must live with it, and
so must you. You won't live forever and what then? Willow has her witchcraft." Buffy opened
her mouth but Giles stopped her. "Oh, I know, she's been blocked. But I've had a chance to
study Christina's gris-gris. It is temporary, though she may not be aware of that, and she should
be regaining her powers soon, if she hasn't already. Anya is an ex-demon, and may have some
advantage there, Spike is a vampire. What is Xander? A normal person, who is all you said he
was and more, but an exceptional young man, with one overwhelming quality that will get him
killed more than anything else."
"What's that?" Buffy still didn't like the idea, but was beginning to understand it.
"I don't know how much you know of military history, particularily during war time. It is
replete of stories of uncommon valour, wger a man, knowing that he would never get out alive,
would carry live grenades into enemy fortifications."
"You think Xander had this uncommon valour?"
"Xander is nothing if not overprotective. He will, and has, taken great risks to see that
you, and the others he cares about, are safe, and he has done so despite our efforts to keep him
out of the game. I merely wish to give him as much of a chance as possible."
out of that bed before I come in and do it for you."
After Christina had lost her grandmother, three weeks before, Xander and Anya had
offered their spare bedroom, until more permanent arrangements could be made. However, no
family member came crawling out of the wood woork to claim her, though they had sent letters to
every address they could find. Anya didn't seem to mind, in fact seemed rather leased to have
someone who enjoye cooking. Not that she pushed the entire chore onto the kid, but it meant she
could stay at the shop later a couple days a week.
She had also started going in to work earlier, so Xander was left with the daily 'get
Christina up and off to school' ritual. Which usually meant wait one half an hour after her alarm
went off, then stand outside her door and scream. And holler until you got a response.
"Gheez, give a girl a chance to wake up." The door was flung open and twin black eyes
glared up at Xander.
"You had half an hour," he told her.
She rolled her eyes and pushed past him, towards the bathroom.
Xander grinned and headed to the kitchen and a last coffee and toast before getting her
out the door, and himself off to work. A trip diverted by a ringing doorbell.
"Buffy, Giles, so good to see you this early in the morning, and uh, your boxes."
"Which are heavy," Buffy stated, peering around her couple, "So we'd appreciate your
moving out of the way so we can find a place to put them."
"Uh, sure," Xander stepped aside, pulling the door open wide. "Its not my birthday, or
Anya's. What's the deal."
"No Idea," said Buffy disappearing into the living room, where she dropped them onto the
floor. "Giles wouldn't tell me. She grinned. "There's a couple more in the car you can help me
with."
"Buffy?" Giles dropped his beside Buffy's, and looked at her.
"Come on," Buffy grabbed Xander's arm and pulled him through the door. "Let's go get
them boxes."
She didn't stopped pulling until they got outside the building. Then she turned, and
pinned Xander up against the wall.
"What's going on Xander?"
"I don't know Buff, what are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about Giles getting in last night, about his rushing over to your place sure
you'd say yes. So again, what's going on? Why's he so sure you'll say yes."
"Not a clue Buff, and we won't get one playing twenty questions out here when the man
with the answers in in there."
They returned to find Christina and Giles pulling books out of the boxes.
"Books," Xander said amazed. "You brought me books?"
"Mr. Giles says you're to be my Watcher," Christina dropped the book she was holding,
and turned to Xander. The grin faded and she looked puzzled. "Uh, what's a Watcher?"
"Something that I didn't know I was gonna be and something I'll be talking to you about
later. After school."
"School," Christina said innocently.
"Yes school, that place kids go for their daily dose of learning and torture. Where you'll
be going to right after breakfast. If you get a move on that is."
Christina rolled her eyes, but headed for the kitchen.
"A Watcher Giles, Xander? That's wrong on so many levels, I can't even begin to know
where to start."
Xander stared at the girl.
"Why is it Wrong Buff?" Somehow he didn't care about the bite in his voice. "I don't
know that I want to do this, yet, but why would it be so wriong if I do?"
Buffy looked at him, a little put off by his tone, and a little amazed that she had to explain
the obvious.
"You've got a soon to b wife, Xander, and Christina. Isn't it about time you started
thinking about a normal life?"
"A normal life Buff? My life took a sharp turn away from normal the day I had to kill
Jesse, it really went over to the wild side when I became Hyena-Boy. A little late for a normal
life."
"Okay," Buffy said a little heated. "Let's put it another way. You're reckless, take too
many risks. One of these days you're going to get into a position you won't get out of, and I may
not be able to help. "Face facts, you'd be better off if you got out of the game."
"I tried that." Xander stared at the Slayer. "Remember, the road trip after graduation.
Okay, it didn't work out as planned, but part of it was to get out of this game, as you put it, and
for a while it worked. But eventually, it started growing on me, not only had I run out, I had run
out on my two best buds, and it got so I couldn't face the guy I saw in the mirror every morning.
So I came back. I'm part of this fight. With you or without you, I'm part of it, so is Anya, and
maybe Christina, cause I can't see anyway to keep her out, so the best thing I can do for them is
to see that they keep safe for as long as possible. I don't much like the Watcher's Council, but if
working with them gives them the best chance, then that's what I gotta do. For them and for me."
Xander spoke, easily. He didn't knw where exactly, but a decision had been made.
"Giles, where do I sign up?"
Buffy stormed into Giles apartment, and whirled to face him. "Okay, why didn't you tell
me that was what you were going to do? Why were you so sure that he would do it?"
"If I had told you, would you have tried to stop it?"
"Of course I would. It's a bad idea."
"Why?"
"Because it draws him closer into the fight. You helped keep him out when we were in
school."
"I tried to keep him out of the fighting part, because he really wasn't that good at it. I
daresay he hasn't improved all that much." Buffy snorted. "He was, and probably is still, good at
research and coming up with plans. I merely found a way to better channel his talents." Giles
looked at his Slayer. "How long do you expect him to survive after you are gone?"
Buffy looked uncomfortable.
"Willow brought you back once. It was a mistake in more ways than one, and a mistake I
fully intend to see that she doesn't repeat. But what's done is done, and we must live with it, and
so must you. You won't live forever and what then? Willow has her witchcraft." Buffy opened
her mouth but Giles stopped her. "Oh, I know, she's been blocked. But I've had a chance to
study Christina's gris-gris. It is temporary, though she may not be aware of that, and she should
be regaining her powers soon, if she hasn't already. Anya is an ex-demon, and may have some
advantage there, Spike is a vampire. What is Xander? A normal person, who is all you said he
was and more, but an exceptional young man, with one overwhelming quality that will get him
killed more than anything else."
"What's that?" Buffy still didn't like the idea, but was beginning to understand it.
"I don't know how much you know of military history, particularily during war time. It is
replete of stories of uncommon valour, wger a man, knowing that he would never get out alive,
would carry live grenades into enemy fortifications."
"You think Xander had this uncommon valour?"
"Xander is nothing if not overprotective. He will, and has, taken great risks to see that
you, and the others he cares about, are safe, and he has done so despite our efforts to keep him
out of the game. I merely wish to give him as much of a chance as possible."