*****

"Good Lord, Xander!" Giles stared at the brand new mustang. "How did you get a car like this?"

Xander fished the keys out of his pocket with his good arm and tossed them to Giles, "It's a loaner from a friend, G-man. A little luck and I'll introduce him to you soon."

Giles caught the keys awkwardly, "umm... Yes, Quite."

Xander pulled his jacket off the front seat before Giles sat down and slipped it painfully over his shoulders before he sat down in the passengers seat. He grinned as Giles actually revved the powerful engine a couple times before shifting it into reverse and pulling out of the graveyard parking.

"Watch it, Gman," Xander smirked, "You'll ruin yourself for your car."

Giles flushed, "How many times must I tell you, my car is a classic."

"Antique is the word you're looking for, Gman."

"Would you please stop calling me that."

Xander didn't answer, just leaned back and enjoyed the sound of the engine as Giles turned the car back towards his apartment.

*****

"So will you tell me what in the name of heaven is going on now?"

Xander and Giles were back at the apartment, sitting across from each other with Xander squirming in his chair under Giles gaze.

"It's been a helluva summer, Gman." Xander began, "You remember that demon problem in Terrace Point I called you about?"

When Giles nodded Xander went on, "Well I wasn't the only one tracking them."

"A Yautja?" Giles hazzarded a guess.

"Got it in one." Xander smiled, "I figured him for the 'big bad' causing all the trouble so I went after him."

Giles drew in a sharp breath.

"Yeah, that about covers it. Anyway, turns out that honor means a lot to the Yautja, so when I matched him in hand to hand combat I 'impressed' him as a hunter."

"Good lord." Giles whispered, cleaning his glasses as he did.

"Oh, by the way, I suggest you tell the council that their books are way off on the Yautja. They're not demons."

"What?" Giles fitted his glasses back on and stared owlishly at Xander, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that they don't come from down below." Xander smiled.

"Then where?"

Xander flickered his eyes upwards.

Giles choked, "You don't mean that they're from... from.. Heav.."

Xander cut him off, laughing hard. "No. Angels these guys are NOT."

"Then what?"

"Giles, they use technology. Non-human technology. What does that tell you?"

Giles stared blankly at him for a long moment.

"Oh for crying out loud, Gman." Xander said, exasperated. "If you don't figure it out soon I'm going to make you sit through a star trek marathon until your mind comes out of the twelfth century."

Giles shivered involuntarily, and seemed about to object to the threat when he drew a connection and stared at Xander in shock. "Surely you're not serious. They can't be...?"

"Little green men?" Xander grinned, "No... Big UGLY green men. Just not literally green."

"Good lord..." Giles trailed off.

"Well... I don't know how much He had to do with it..." Xander smirked, "But the sentiment is about right."

"Then..." Giles began hesitantly, "When you said you were somewhere with no phones..."

Xander smirked and looked up.

"Good lord."
"Careful Giles... your vocabulary is slipping."

"Right... well... I mean... Good Lord."

*****

So that's pretty much what happened, Gman." Xander finished, "Leaving out some details that would be considered matters of national security..."

Giles was about to ask when Xander held up his hand, "You do NOT want to know."

Giles closed his mouth, considering the statement for a moment, "Does that have anything to do with the Air Force officers who visited us asking about you?"

Xander looked at Giles sharply, "Who?"

"I'm not certain of all their names, Dr. Daniel Jackson was there, and Willow said that Colonel Jack..."

Xander cut him off, "O'Neill. Yeah, it has to do with that. So, SG1 paid a visit did they? Hmmmm... I really shouldn't have told them my real name."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't worry about it, Gman." Xander said, "nothing you can do about it anyway. I'll get some help from Jarod when he gets here."

"Ah yes, the 'friend' who loaned you his car..."

"Yeah, him." Xander said, rubbing his face as he tried to think.

They sat silently for a moment before Xander straightened up, his face clearing. "Oh well, I'll deal. No matter what, I'll deal."

Giles nodded, thinking to himself that the boy most likely would, "What are you going to do now?"

"Well..." Xander began, "I hate to ask this but would you mind if I stayed here until I got a place of my own? Shouldn't be more then a few days..."

"Certainly." Giles responded instantly.

"Thanks, G... Giles." Xander grinned, conceding at least one victory to the older man.

*****
"That was Buffy and Willow." Giles called from the living room where he had just got off the phone.

"How are they doing?"

"They're fine, and they say that they're glad you're back. I believe that they are coming over now to escort you to the bronze for a celebration?"

Xander winced. "Great... Well... I'd better get dressed."

"How is the arm?"

"Better," Xander said, "But I'm not going to be hunting anytime soon."

"I should think not." Giles said sternly.

Xander chuckled, "Relax, Gman. Hand me the black shirt over there?"

"Here you are..." Giles looked at the clothing laid out around the room, "Since when do you have taste in clothing?"

Xander looked at him, smirking as he did. "Listen up, you can't belittle my taste in clothing, tweed-man."

Giles just stared at him for a long moment until Xander finally sighed, "Jarod paid for my new wardrobe... and he seems to love black for some reason..."

"I should have known." Giles mumbled as he passed Xander the shirt.

*****

"Xander!" Willow rushed forward before Xander could say anything and hugged him.

"Ahhh!"

"What!?" She backed off in shock when he yelled in pain, only then noticing the sling his arm was in.

"Xander! What happened?"

Xander opened his mouth to explain but was cut off by Buffy. "You've been fighting! A vampire did that to you! Right?"

Xander grimaced, "not exactly..." He tried to put her off.

"Oh? Then what was it? Something to do with that Army lady who was here?"

"No." Xander said firmly, "I uh... had a misunderstanding with this girl."

Buffy smirked, "yeah right. What happened? Her boyfriend think you were hitting on her?"

Xander's lips curled up slightly, "No. She thought I was hitting h... on him."

That floored the two girls, and Giles snorted his tea over the dining room table.

Good lord, Xander... Giles thought as he tried to wipe up the mess. Staying close to the truth without telling her a thing... how often do you do that?

The girls stared at him stunned for a long moment before breaking into giggles.

"You're joking?" Willow managed to get out.

Xander grimaced and shot a dark look at Buffy, but both girls were too caught up laughing to notice. "I wish I was."

*****

Initiative HQ

"Are you quite certain of this information?"

"Yes Professor," Riley responded instantly, "According to Mr. Giles books the HST from last night has some type of failsafe. If it's killed it sets off some type of explosive."

"I see." Maggie Walsh looked perplexed as she tried to understand, "And you reported that it seemed to use technology?"

"Yes Ma'am."

Walsh took a deep breath and considered the information, "If you encounter this HST again attempt to lure it away from the populated area and terminate."

Riley swallowed, but nodded. "Yes Ma'am."

Walsh looked up at him and smiled, "You have a date with Ms Summers tonight?"

Riley smiled back, hesitantly. "Yes Ma'am. One of her friends came back to town and they're going out to celebrate."

"Friends?" Maggie Walsh looked at him sharply, "What name?"
Riley shrugged, "Xander Harris."

Walsh stared for a long moment. "I want a full profile on Mr. Harris, Agent Finn."

Riley raised an eyebrow but nodded, "Yes Ma'am."

"Have a nice date, Riley." Walsh smiled maternally.

"Thank you Ma'am."

*****

"So you finally get to meet the infamous Xander Harris?" Graham kidded Riley as he shucked his body armor and grabbed for his civvies.

"Yeah," Riley admitted, "Walsh wants a full profile on him."

Graham snorted, "No surprise there. How many people do you know that warrant a visit from four Air Force officers assigned to NORAD HQ?"

Riley shook his head, "Not too damned many. I still can't believe how high those names were classified. All we got was Captain Carter's current assignment. The rest were totally blacked out."

"We wouldn't even have that if Rosenberg hadn't dropped her name to you."

"True."

"Wonder what he did?" Graham mused.

Riley pulled on a sweatshirt and shook his head, "If O'Neill and Carter told the girls the truth he pulled their team out of a tight spot."

"Come on," Graham scoffed, "What kind of 'tight spot' could a radio astronomer possibly get into?"

"Damned if I know." Riley admitted.

*****

"Soldier."

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Re-open the file on Mr. Harris. He's back in town."
"Yes Ms. Walsh."

*****

The Bronze, That Night

"Oz left!?" Xander was incredulous, as he watched Willow come back from the bar.

"Yeah." Buffy told him quietly, "She's pretty sore about it right now, so don't bring it up... k?"

Xander nodded and forced a grin when Willow rejoined them.

"So Xand," Willow sat down with her drink, "What did you do all summer."

Xander's eyes narrowed at the tone of her voice. Interrogation time. "Just kicked around mostly, Wills. Had some excitement here and there, some good times and some bad times."

Xander couldn't keep the emotion from his voice and he knew immediately that both girls had picked up on it.

"Bad times?" Willow asked tentively.

"Life." Xander said simply. "Life, Willow."

The table was silent for a long moment before Buffy looked up and smiled brightly, "Riley! Over here!"

She waved him over and Xander got his first look at the commando out of his BDU's. His face darkened as he saw the blond soldier walk toward them, but he tried to put his emotions aside. He thought I was a demon... He thought I was a demon...

He tried to shoot you in the back of the head after you saved his team.

You're not helping, Elan.

The ancient weapon was silent after that.

"Riley!" Buffy smiled, "This is Xander."

"Xander." Riley smiled and extended his hand.

Xander forced a smile and took his hand and shook it firmly, "Riley."

"It's good to finally meet you, the girls here have talked about you a lot."
Now Xander's smile turned genuine. "Really? We must compare notes then."

Both girls mock moaned as Riley sat down.

"Uh oh." Xander said. "That sounds like they've been telling the embarrassing stories."

"No, nothing bad. I swear." Riley said a little too quickly, winking obviously in Buffy's direction.

Xander snickered, "I see. Maybe I should tell some stories of my own then..."

"Xander!" both girls shouted him down.

"... or not."

The whole group laughed. Xander looked at Riley, a calculating look entering his eyes. "So, Riley. I hear that your part of a commando group 'round here?"

Riley stared in shock for a second, before looking at Buffy.

"I didn't say anything." She defended herself. "How did you find out about that?"

"Giles brought me up to speed on the slayage last night." Xander explained, managing to look hurt, "After all I am still part of the scoobs right?"

"Of course you are," Willow jumped in, "its just,,, you know, we didn't think you'd find out so fast."

"Ah." Xander grinned, the turned back to Riley, "So how's that working for you?"

"Pretty good." Riley said simply, "Why? You interested in signing up?"

Xander chuckled, "No thanks, I get enough action as a civilian. And I don't have to worry about what my superiors do with what I find."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Xander shrugged, "Nothing, man. You just can't trust the brass, ya know?"

Riley nodded reluctantly, a little disturbed by the comment despite the fact that he and his unit said the same types of things in the locker room all the time. "I guess."

Riley looked at Xander curiously, "What happened to your arm, man?"

Xander's face darkened somewhat and the girls started giggling.
"What?"

*****

The night had moved on, the conversations jumping around a lot as both Xander and Riley tried to sound each other out. Xander was asking about the Initiative when he spotted familiar faces approaching from across the room.

"Phoebe!" Xander said in shock but managed to grin widely. "Prue, Piper, Why are you guys here?"

Phoebe's face was dark, alerting Xander that something was up. "Are these your friends?"

"Yeah," Xander said cautiously.

"I had a..."

Xander got up fast, his eyes warning Phoebe not to continue, "Care to dance?"

"Sure." She said weakly.

Buffy and Willow watched as Xander walked out onto the dance floor with the pretty brunette.

*****

"What's up?" Phoebe asked as they started dancing to the slow song. "I thought you're friends knew about witches?"

"They do." Xander said into her ear, "But the blond guy is new. He works for the military and I don't trust him yet."

"Oh."

"Why are you guy's in Sunnydale?"

"I had a vision, Xander." Phoebe said quietly, "Jarod is going to be shot at the airport here in Sunnydale... tonight."

Xander pulled away from her in shock. "When?"

"I don't know. Soon."

"Let's go."

Xander led Phoebe back to the gang, who were talking uncomfortably with the two remaining Halliwell sisters.

*****

"So ummm... How do you guys know Xander?"

Prue looked down at the young blond for a moment, "We met this summer, he's dating my sister."

"Oh."

The group shifted uncomfortably for another moment, then Xander reappeared with Phoebe.

"Guys, I'm sorry but I have to go. Personal business." He explained. "Can you guy's get home ok?"

"Oh." Willow said, "Well... ok... I guess."

"I'll see you guys." Xander promised and headed out the door with the three sisters.

Buffy stared after them, "Wow. Wonder what was so important?"

Riley answered before thinking, "If I were dating her I don't think I'd keep her waiting either."

"Oh you wouldn't, would you?" Buffy turned her, irate, gaze on the hapless commando.

"Uhh... I mean..."

*****

Outside Prue turned to Xander, "What was that all about?"

Phoebe answered for him, "The blond guy is a commando hunting demons. Xander doesn't trust him."

"Oh." The two sisters accepted that easily.

Phoebe suddenly glared at Xander, "What happened to your arm?"

Xander grimaced, "I'll tell you about it later. We have to get to Jarod."

"Not like that." Phoebe glanced around, and seeing no one called out, "Leo!"

Xander almost jumped out of his skin when a shimmer of light formed beside him and Leo appeared. "What the hell!?"
"What's up, Phoebe?" Leo asked genially. "Hey, Xander."

Xander swallowed and answered weakly, "hey."

"Xander's hurt, can you help him?"

"Sure." Leo looked Xander over and passed his hand over the boys shoulder. A golden glow covered the area and suddenly Xander's shoulder didn't hurt anymore.

"Whoa."

"Yeah," Phoebe smiled proudly, as if she had done it herself, "Leo's an Angel."

"Literally." Piper said dryly.

Xander stared at Leo for a long moment. "Angel?"

Leo grinned and shrugged slightly.

"Ok... I guess I can buy that... I mean, I believe in Demons... why not Angels?" Xander suddenly shot Leo an odd look, "Wait a sec. Why were you working as a *handyman*?"

Leo grinned, "It's tough making ends meet nowadays... Sometimes a guy needs a second job."

When Xander just stared dumbly at him, the whole group laughed. Finally Xander joined in, and led the way to his car. He opened the trunk, tossed the useless sling inside, and pulled out his pistols in their leather. He quickly strapped them on, grabbed the Zat from a duffle bag and slipped it into his belt. Elan's sheath was next, and he moved the ancient weapon from his pocket to the canvas on his thigh.

"Ready." He said, tossing his leather jacket on over the pistols. "Let's go."

*****

Graham nudged Forest as he watched Harris leave the Bronze with the three brunets. The two commandos looked at each other, nodded, and followed him out.

"Whatever else you can say about the guy," Graham said as they hit the door, "He has good taste in women."

Forest nodded, "Damn right. Summers, Rosenberg, and now those three... It's enough to make me retire and try being a civilian again."

Graham laughed as they stepped out into the night air, "What a pain. Coolest job on the planet, and we can't use it to get laid. Hey, there he is over there."
The two Commando's watched as Harris, the three ladies, and a new guy approached the red Mustang he had arrived in.

"What the?" Forest muttered as Harris flipped off his sling and tossed it in the trunk.

"Holy..." Graham joined in as Harris slipped on a shoulder holster with twin automatics snapped into leather.

"Who is this guy?" Both muttered together as he slipped a silvered defense baton into a thigh sheath and tucked something they couldn't see into his belt.

"I don't know, but we'd better get to our car if we plan on following them."

The two commandos turned and jogged to their vehicle just as Harris and his group ripped out of the parking lot, tires squealing.

"Man, he is in some hurry."

*****

Buffy looked at Willow, who looked back. Both nodded and said one word. "Right."

Riley watched in shock as both girls jumped up from their table and raced out of the nightclub. "What the hell?" He muttered and chased after them.

The three got to the parking lot just in time to see Xander's red Mustang skid out of the parking lot, burning rubber as he poured on the gas, and head out of town.

"He was in a hurry." Riley said.

"Ya think?" Buffy asked sarcastically, "You have a car, right? We have to follow them."

Riley nodded for a moment before he spotted the Initiative SUV peel out of the parking lot after the Mustang. "Uh... I walked tonight."

"Crap!" Buffy yelled, and stared at the receding tail lights.

*****

Xander had the sports car past a hundred and twenty when he hit the freeway.

"Uh... A little fast, maybe?" Prue spoke tentatively from the back seat.

"Nah!" He yelled back, "Trust me, I know where all the speed traps are in the area... Misspent youth."
Prue sat back and muttered to Piper, "SO not what I meant."

Piper just nodded as she watched the taillights of cars blur past as Xander ripped down the road.

In the front seat Phoebe was whooping with excitement whenever the came particularly close to another car. "I love this!"

Xander grinned, but it was tight. It would take several minutes, even at this speed, to reach the Airport and he didn't want to be late.

*****

"Would you keep him in sight!"

"Christ, Graham, he's got a goddamned Ford Mustang! How do you expect me to keep track of him in this clunker!?" Forest yelled as he dodged another car.

"What's out here anyway?"

"The airport is a few miles up the road, other then that he may be on a damned joy ride to L.A. for all I know!"

Graham was silent for a second, "We've lost him if he is. Grab the exit to the airport when it comes up."

"Right."

*****

Xander pulled into the Airport lot, grabbing a spot on the edge of the crowd as close to the door as he could find with quick access to the exit. "Let's go."

Phoebe jumped out, "You'd better stay clear of the metal detectors."

Xander chuckled, "No, really?"

The group charged for the doors, running into the large building and looking for any sign of what was going to go down.

Xander looked at Phoebe, "Any details would be really handy."

Phoebe thought hard, "There are five of them, and Jarod was wearing a cowboy hat..."

"Cowboy hat?" Xander glanced over the arrivals list. "There. A flight arriving from Dallas in five minutes. Nothing else from Texas or the surrounding states for at least a half hour. Let's go."

The group made a dash for the gate the Dallas was due on.

*****

"There's the Mustang!"

"Thank God." Graham breathed, "I didn't want to report back to Walsh that we'd lost him."

Forest just nodded in agreement as he found a space for the SUV. The two commandos jumped out, grabbing their sidearms as they did, and headed for the main building. Inside they looked around, "Any clue where we go?"

"None." Graham confessed. "Let do it gate by gate."

*****

Jarod stepped off the plane, taking a deep breath as he stared down the boarding causway. It had looked like a nice town from the air as they approached, Jarod was almost amused at the fact that appearances were so deceiving if what Xander said was true. He moved along with the crowd of travelers toward the disembarkment gate, smiling at the reunions that were taking place around him.

I like airports. He smiled as he stepped around a couple who were kissing in the middle of the floor.

When he stepped clear of the causeway and into the building proper he spotted four faces he recognized. Smiling he raised his hand to wave, but then noticed the grim looks on their faces. His eyes quickly scanned the crowd and found several more faces that were familiar.

Cleaners.

Jarod dipped his hand into his carry on bag, grasping the handle of the Zat'nicatel firmly. Inwardly he smiled as he remembered the odd look the alien weapon had drawn from the baggage checker. Of course, I've actually got stranger looks for the Mr. Potato head and the Pez dispensers.

The cleaners and his friends spotted Jarod at the same time.

*****

"There he is."

The man nodded and started his approach, a silenced pistol folded into the newspaper he was carrying. Around him the others did the same.

*****

"There he is!"

"Let's move." Xander said to Phoebe, "If you spot one of the gunmen let us know."

Phoebe nodded and Xander reached under his coat for the Zat. He locked eyes with Jarod a moment later and the two just nodded.

"He knows." Xander said quietly, pulling the Zat clear of his belt.

"There." Phoebe whispered, pointing to a man with a folded newspaper in his hand.

Xander didn't answer, instead he stepped closer and pulled his Zat out completely, letting it poin toward the ground as he approached the gunman. As he got closer he caught a flash of steel in the newspaper and that clinched it, he aimed from the hip and fired.

*****

Xander's shot was the signal Jarod was waiting for. His Zat cleared his carry on quickly and swept toward the second assassin he had spotted, spitting a stun bolt that dropped the man in his tracks.

There were three more, and they had dropped any attempt at subtlety. Their silenced pistols tracked upwards, aiming for Jarod as Jarod and Xander shifted aim to take two more of them down. The third man got off two shots that were lost in the sudden screams of the crowd.

*****

"No!" Prue screamed, seeing the puffs of smoke and brief glints of light that signaled the shots. She saw Jarod go down, flashes of red spattering around him. Her anger flared and she swept her arm out at the lone gunman, hitting him with the full brunt of her power.

*****

Graham looked up ahead, seeing something move. "What's that?"

"I don't know..." Forest squinted, then his eyes widened in shock. "Hit the deck!"

Both commandos dove for the ground, narrowly missing being nailed by the flying body of a man that swept by over head.

Both men watched as the body crashed to the ground ten full meters behind them, and went on to skid for another thirty. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know... but how much you want to bet that Harris is in the middle of it?"

"I don't take suckers bets."

The two commandos climbed back to their feet and ran back along the path the flying body had taken.

*****

"Jarod!" Xander slid to a stop on his knees beside his fallen friend. "Christ man, are you all right?"

"No." Jarod winced, "But I'll live. He got me in the leg... help me up."

Xander grabbed Jarod's arm and hefted him to his feet. "We've got to get out of here."

Jarod nodded in agreement and the two hobbled back to the main group. "Leo, got another patient for ya."

Leo nodded and moved closer but Xander shook him off. "Hang on. Too public. The washrooms over their."

Leo braced under Jarod's other arm and helped the injured man into the toilets. Inside they quickly checked around and saw no one so Xander blocked the door while Leo checked over Jarod's wounds.

"What?" Jarod asked as the glow emanated from the Angel's hands, bathing his wounded leg in a golden light and instantly easing the pain. A few seconds later and the injury was completely gone.

"Done?" Xander asked from the door.

"Yep."

"Let's go." Xander glanced down at Jarod's leg, "You know... for once your fondness for black is paying off. I don't think anyone will be able to tell you were shot."

Jarod looked down, "I can't tell I was shot... what happened?"

"Jarod, meet Leo. Leo, this is Jarod." Xander grinned, "Leo, Jarod is a pretender. Jarod, Leo is an Angel."

Both men stared at each other with a mix of curiosity and confusion.
"Pretender?"

"Angel?"

*****

Graham and Forest had reached the center of the disturbance only to find nothing but unconscious bodies and milling security guards. Forest was looking at the bodies when Graham nudged him. "Hey, check it out."

Harris and two friends came out of the washrooms, chuckling and laughing like old friends having a reunion. They were soon joined by the three girls as they strolled casually down the hall, looking for all the world like three couples together to pick up a friend.

The two commandos looked at each other, the Graham spoke. "If I hadn't seen him belt on those guns..."

"But we didn't hear any shots." Forest objected.

Graham had to concede that. "But why was he wearing them?"

"And what hit that guy who almost took our heads off?"

The two commandos shook their heads and trudged back along the hall, following their subject.

*****