And the Saints Boweth Before the King

by DOKChairman

On August the 23, in the Year of Our Lord 1339, the crown prince of Loria was born. Born not as a child, but as a man, he led the Knights of White against the demon Hoarde, and vanguished them on the fields of Moridun.

13. Chapter 13

Title: And the Saints Boweth Before the King

Author: DOKChairman

Time/Spoilers: Takes place after the events in 'Grave'.

Summary: I could write a summary, but then it would give away everything.  So no summary, but I'll give you a hint.  The opening I put down for the story is indicative of some of what the story might be about.  Not much of a hint, I know, but it's all you're getting.

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own the rights to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all of its characters.  I own nothing except the story, and the Anna Kournikova poster on my bedroom wall.  I just got the new Coldplay cd so now I guess I own three things.

Author's Note: I apologize for the length in between updates, but I realized something after rereading the chapter that I had written.  It sucked.  It sucked more than a Hoover vacuum on speed (You know, if it were possible for a vacuum to be on speed that is.).  Because it sucked, I naturally had to rewrite the whole damn thing and so that caused me to take longer than I said I would take to post.  I decided that since I was rewriting the chapter, I might as well try writing in a slightly different style.  I hope that this is a much better version than what I had written previously.  Of course since you have no idea what the original version was like, you're just going to have to take my word for it.  I still don't like this chapter very much, but it was the best I could come up with working with the material that I had.  Future chapters will be much better, I promise.  Please tell me what you think.

Author's Note #2: Warning!!!  Because of the content and language used in this chapter I wanted to warn everyone that the rating should be upgraded to an extremely hard PG-13.  I did not want to change the rating of the story to R because all the rest of the chapters really aren't that bad.  I just thought I should warn you though.  I figure if Titanic can be PG-13 and have full frontal nudity then I can use the f-word and still keep it PG-13.

Author's Note #3: After going over all the feedback for the last chapter, I was filled with an almost overpowering sense of apprehension about the reception of this, the next chapter.  I had initially planned to wait until I saw what everyone thought about the last chapter before I started on this one, and then I was going to try and augment your ideas/viewpoints with my own when writing.  Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way.  After reading what everyone thought, I was dismayed by the fact that no one got it.  No one picked up on the fact that the test was not what it seemed.  Not one person seemed to spot my clues, and only one person actually questioned the whole test thing.  Which left me with the pressing concern of how to make the story work.

            I tried to give you clues to help you along, but I guess they were too subtle.  No one questioned why Xander only goes to the field when Dick touches him, or why the demon only appeared when Xander thought about him, or the biggie, why the sword suddenly came to Xander when he thought about it.  All these things were clues meant to point you in the direction that things were not as they appeared.  Most of you made the connection between the man that K'omar wanted Xander to kill and Xander's son, that they are the same man.  I'm glad everyone picked up on that because it makes my job easier.

            Now I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea.  This was in no way meant to be a chastisement or condemnation, I just wanted to explain to you where I'm coming from and why the story is heading in a direction I don't think many people expected.  I'm afraid that people will have a preconceived belief of what path the story will follow, and after reading the feedback, I believe that the direction that I am taking the story in will surprise people at first.  I know that some of you after reading this chapter might scratch your head and ask yourself, 'What the hell?'  If you do, I don't blame you and I understand.  This is a very confusing chapter, and I plan on explaining it in more detail in later chapters.  For now though, you just have to keep an open mind.  All I ask is that you bear with me, and give me the benefit of the doubt.

"A man does what he must-in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."

-John F. Kennedy

"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."

-Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction (Ezekiel 25:17)

Chapter 13: The Path of the Righteous Man

            Xander collapsed.  It was all he could do.  He knew that he couldn't move.  It was becoming increasingly difficult just to breathe because of his broken ribs, and his knee was completely useless, so he collapsed on the ground.  That was all he could do, that and stare at his hands.

            His hands.  His hands that were covered in the thick red blood of the dead man lying next to him.  His hands that had shoved a sword through the chest of his own son.  His hands that had killed a man.  His.

            Xander stared at his hands and then frantically began wiping them on his pants.  He had to get the blood off his hands.  He just had to.  When the blood wouldn't wipe off on his pants, he tried to wipe his hands on the grass, but to no avail.  The blood just wouldn't come off.  The reminder of what he had done was stained on his hands.

            Finally, after about five minutes of constantly rubbing his hands along the grass and not getting the blood off his hands, Xander gave up.  He just laid back and closed his eyes.  He could not believe how screwed up his life was.  He couldn't believe that he had just killed his own son.

            Tears threatened to overwhelm Xander and he shut his eyes so tightly that they began to hurt.  No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn't stop the tears from coming.  Xander had dedicated his life to containing and controlling his emotions, so it usually took an extremely traumatic event to make him show his true emotions.  Killing your own son will do that to you Xander, he thought darkly.

            The fact that Xander had never even seen his son before was completely irrelevant.  It didn't matter that he knew nothing about his son, it didn't matter that he had been trying to kill him, and it certainly didn't matter if he was going to turn into some monster.  He was his son, and Xander had killed him.  That was all that mattered.

            Xander brought one of his bloodstained hands up to his face and wiped the tears away, streaking blood across his face in the process.  Xander thought it was appropriate, staining his face with the blood of his son, because Xander knew that he would forever be marked, he would forever have blood on his hands.  There would never be any washing of his hands for him.  Even if there were he wouldn't have accepted it.  He deserved to be punished for killing his own son.

            That thought led to a feeling of despair that quickly overcame him.  It was the only feeling that he could feel, that and anger.  Anger so intense that he became consumed by it.  He was angry; no, anger wasn't strong enough of a word for what Xander was feeling, more like furious with the Powers That Be.  The ones who had forced him to kill his own son.  The ones that had made him take the test.  They had ruined his life instead of making it better.  If Xander hadn't been convinced that he was the butt monkey of the universe before he was certainly convinced now.

            Xander opened his eyes and raised them to the heavens above.  At the top of his lungs he yelled out, "Why?  What the hell did I do to deserve this?"

            Of course Xander got no answer, not that he was expecting any.  Again he yelled, "I'm done!  No more!  I can't do it anymore; I'm giving up.  You can take whatever job you have for me and shove it up your ass because I'm through with this shit.  No more."

            He moved his eyes away from the clear, blue sky and focused on his son and tried to relax as best he could.  He was not going to move, he was not going to do anything.  He was tired of sacrificing everything he had and getting nothing in return.  Now they had taken away from him something that he had always wanted but never thought he would have.  Fathers were not supposed to outlive their sons.

            Xander tore his eyes away from his son and closed them.  As soon as he did, he found himself falling.  Xander instantly knew what was happening.  He was going back.

Peter Black took in a lungful of the slightly humid California air and smiled.  It was very rarely that he was able to spend any length of time in a warm climate.  Peter brought his hand up to shield his face from the sun as he walked down the pathway leading away from the Summers' house.

            He reached the sidewalk adjacent to the street and waited for the chauffeur of the black limousine to open the door for him.  Peter flashed the tall, well-built man a smile of thanks and ducked his head as he stepped into the car.  As soon as Peter was through the door all the way and comfortably seated on the leather couch that made up the seating of the limousine, the chauffeur shut the door.

            A few seconds later Peter heard the sound of a door opening and closing.  A few seconds after that, the chauffeur's voice could be heard coming over the car's intercom system.  "Where to Mr. Black?"

            Peter reached across his body to press a button on the side of the car that allowed him to respond.  "Just drive Malcolm."

            Malcolm's slight British accent could be heard clearly through the intercom as he asked, "Any particular destination sir?"

            Peter shrugged his shoulders even though he knew Malcolm could not see him do it.  It was a reflex response.  "No Malcolm.  Just do a circuit of the city.  I need to make a phone call."

            Malcolm responded promptly, "Yes Mr. Black."

            Peter heard the car start up and felt it slowly pull away from the curb.  Peter reached across his body again and picked up the limousine's phone.  Except this was no ordinary phone, it was a secured satellite phone meant to prevent anyone from intercepting its transmissions.

            Peter reached into his pant's pocket and pulled out a single piece of white paper.  On that paper was written a telephone number and Peter dialed it quickly.  Peter did not have to wait long before his call was answered.

            A man with a gruff voice answered, "Jimmy's AutoWorks.  If your car has problems, we have the solutions.  What can I do for you?"

            Peter smiled into the phone as he spoke, "My cars got a problem.  My brakes and transmission are shot.  I need to bring my car in right away.  Do you think you can fit me in?"

            The man asked, "Maybe.  What is your make and model?"

            Peter quickly searched his brain for the right answer.  "It's a Jaguar, X type I think.  '97 model."

            The man responded, "Hold on.  Let me check the computer."

            Peter heard music come on over the line.  It was some old 80's song that he vaguely recalled.  Peter listened to the song for a few seconds until a high-pitched buzzing sound could be heard.

            Soon after the same man with the gruff voice was back.  "This had better be good Black.  I thought that we mutually agreed that we were no longer doing business with each other?"

            Peter was apologetic as he said.  "I'm sorry, but I have a situation that can only be dealt with your usual level of …finesse."

            The man sighed.  "My price has increased.  Two fifty large, no negotiations."

            Disbelief was in Peter's voice when he responded, "Don't you think that is a little extreme?"

            "It is.  But I'm trying to go legit here and I can't afford to do anything for less.  I'm only taking this call because of our history and the fact that we have always had an amicable relationship.  If you don't like my price then feel free to find someone else."  The man said icily.

            Peter tried to placate the man.  "Ok, a quarter million it is.  Standard procedure.  Half now and half when the job is completed?"

            The man said simply, "Agreed."

            Peter smiled in relief.  He had been worried that he would have had to find someone else.  He didn't know of anyone else who was as good as the man he was talking to.  "I will fax you the mission parameters before the end of the day.  Your number is still the same?"

            "Yes.  It hasn't changed."  The man was silent and then he asked, "Care to give me a heads up?"

            Peter's voice grew cold and rigid as he spoke, "There is someone who has been causing problems.  I need you to take care of him."

            Peter could practically picture the feral grin on the face of the man as he answered.  Peter was well aware of the man's ruthlessness.  He had used him on more than five occasions for jobs very similar to the one he was giving him now. 

"Understood."  The man paused.  "Oh and Black, this is it.  No more.  You contact me again and you'll wish you hadn't."

Now it was Peter's turn to respond, "Understood."  The line then went dead and Peter relaxed his very tense posture.  Dealing with the man known simply as The Mechanic always left him tense and nervous.  The man had a very volatile nature and Peter was always afraid of setting him off.  If the man weren't so damn good at what he did, Peter wouldn't get within a hundred mile radius of the man.  But sometimes, situations needed to be dealt with in a matter frowned upon by normal society.  This was one of those times.

Peter placed the phone back in its perch and reached into a pocket on his vest.  He pulled out an antique pocket watch and opened the catch.  The clock face read 7:35, local time.  Local time in Frankfurt, Germany that is, which Peter knew was 9 hours ahead of the west coast.  The board was expecting his call at eight.

Peter reached over and pressed the intercom button.  "Malcolm, take me to the jet.  I have an appointment to keep."

Malcolm responded, "Yes sir."

Peter took his finger off the button and relaxed back into the seat.  He closed his eyes and thought over what he was going to tell his superiors.  He knew that they wanted a progress report, but he was unsure of what to tell them.  He needed to come up with something credible though.  He had less than half an hour.  It was a very delicate situation he was in. 

Sure enough, when Xander opened his eyes, he was back in O'malley's standing next to Dick in the exact same place he was standing before he had left.  Xander slowly looked down at his body and found it in perfect shape.  He moved his right arm and felt no pain, he flexed his right knee and it worked perfectly, and he breathed in a huge lungful of stale, smelly bar air and discovered that his ribs were fine.  There was one benefit to the whole test thing, he thought humorlessly.

            He stopped his study of his body and focused his eyes on the sad and understanding eyes of the man standing next to him.  Xander saw the pity and concern on the face of the man and he felt his intense anger come back.  He could tell from the expression on his face, that Dick knew exactly what had happened to him on that god-forsaken field.

            With a righteous anger that Xander felt completely justified in, he swung his fist and hit a very surprised Dick in the face as hard as he could.  Unlike the last time when Xander had hit Dick, this time Dick went flying back and crashed into their table.  The table collapsed under the newly added weight and Dick fell with it.  Xander stalked towards the man, and with his left hand grabbing hold of Dick's shirt, Xander hit Dick again in the face, repeatedly.

            As he did so he yelled out accusingly, "You knew!  You knew you son of a bitch and you didn't tell me!  I would kill you if you weren't already dead."  Xander then hit Dick in the face one last time as hard as he could and then walked away disgustedly.

            Dick raised himself until he was resting on one elbow, turned his head to his left, and spit.  Blood and at least one tooth came flying out of his mouth.  He then slowly got to his feet and brought his hand to his face.  With a sharp twist, he snapped his broken nose back into place, and then placed his hand over the break.  A glowing light came out of his hand and the nose slowly began to mend itself.

            Once he was satisfied with the progress of his nose, he focused his attention on Xander who was standing a good ways away from him.  With a dangerous voice Dick said, "Ok kid, I'm gonna let that one go because your obviously angry and hurt.  But that's the second time you've attacked me and if you ever try to do it again I'll show you first hand why I got kicked out of the hero business.  And believe me kid, that's not something you want.  The last guy that really pissed me off could only be identified by his dental records.  So back the fuck off."

            If Xander had really cared about his own self-preservation at the moment he most likely would have taken Dick's advice to heart, but he was too angry to think clearly.  Yelling at Dick he said, "Screw you man.  You think I'm scared, you think I care.  I just killed my own son for Christ's sake.  There is nothing you can do that could possibly make me feel any worse."

            Dick saw the truth in Xander's words and again felt pity for what he must be going through.  His own anger at Xander's actions dissipated and he sat down heavily in one of the now crushed table's chairs.  With compassion he said to Xander in a steady voice, "I'm sorry kid.  Really I am, but it was necessary.  It was the only way."

            Xander felt a new wave of anger wash over him at Dick's words.  "Necessary?  There is no way being made to kill your own son is freaking necessary.  That couldn't have been the only way." 

            Dick disagreed with Xander, "Look kid.  Let me ask you something.  Would you have killed the demon if you had known what would have happened?  Would you fight and kill your own son to pass the test?  Because kid, I don't know if you've forgotten or not, but it's not just your life on the line here.  The whole stinkin' world is on the brink and your passing the test was essential to its continued survival."

            Xander begrudgingly saw some truth in Dick's words, but none of it assuaged his anger.  Walking closer to Dick, Xander spat out with venom, "Fuck you and fuck your test.  I don't care anymore.  I don't want any part of it.  Find someone else."

            Dick stood out of his chair and stood toe to toe with Xander.  Jabbing his finger into Xander's chest he said, "You're it kid.  You're the only one that meets all the necessary conditions.  No one else will work."

            Xander brought his hand up and viciously slapped Dick's hand away from his chest.  Xander growled out, "Don't touch me!  I told you I don't care.  Send me back to Sunnydale.  Now!"

            Dick moved back to his chair and sighed loudly as he sat down.  "I can't do that kid.  Not until you agree to do what you know deep down you have to do."

            Xander simply said, "No."  He then moved off to sit down at another table, away from Dick.

            Again Dick sighed, but this time he withdrew into himself.  When Xander looked over to check out Dick because he had grown silent, Xander saw that Dick had gone AWOL again.  It was just like the last time when he was getting a message from the Powers That Be.

            Much quicker than last time though, Dick reappeared.  Loudly, Dick said, "Alright kid.  The Powers have decided to let you have it your way.  They have authorized me to tell you the truth."

            Despite how much Xander wanted to put on a show of indifference, what Dick had just said interested him.  Against his better judgment, Xander grudgingly moved to sit across from Dick.  With lingering anger in his voice he said, "This had better be good."

            Dick slightly smiled but then the smile quickly disappeared.  What he was about to tell Xander would more than likely anger him as much if not more than what he had been put through during the test.  He just hoped that the next time Xander hit him he stayed away from his face.

            Before beginning, Dick moved his chair further back.  He wanted to put as much distance between Xander and him as possible.  "Normally in these kind of situations the Powers feel that it is not wise to divulge this kind of information before their chosen has agreed to their cause.  It tends to put people off.  Of course, normally, the tests are nowhere near as extreme as yours was.  But like I said, your case is extremely important, and the people in charge could not take any chances.  The Powers thought it best that you not be told this until you had already become fully immersed in their quest.  Unfortunately, your refusal to do the quest has forced them to tip their hand.  The risks of not telling you far outweigh any risks that might happen as a result of actually telling you.  So here we are.

"Kid, what I'm about to tell you is the god's honest truth.  Now before you blow your temper again and start attacking me, I want you to hear me out.  Oh and one other thing, I just want to say that for the record I was against this whole thing from the beginning, but they write my checks so what was I supposed to do?"

Xander gritted out, "Your babbling Dick.  Get on with it."

Dick looked sheepish, "Right, sorry about that."  Dick took a deep breath and then began, "Ok, here goes nothing.  Kid, everything that happened, the field, the fight between you and K'omar, the killing of your son, everything that you thought happened, didn't."

After finishing, Dick closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable outbreak of violence that he was sure was coming.  When none came, he slowly opened his eyes to see Xander with a dumbstruck look on his face. 

Dick let out the breath he was holding in relief.  Thank god the kid is too surprised to do anything, he thought with a smile.  While the physical damage that Xander inflicted on him was manageable, it was a pain in the ass to fix himself and it was very draining.  He did not want to have to go through the process twice in one day.

Suddenly Xander spoke up, "Are you serious?"

Dick gave Xander a small nod.  Xander saw it and brought his hands up to cover his face.  Through his hands he said, "You have got to be kidding me?  Please tell me you're kidding and that I didn't go through all of that for nothing.  Because if I did there's going to be hell to pay."

At the mention of retribution, Dick moved even further away from Xander.  "I'm sorry kid, but none of that stuff was real.  It was all part of the test."

Xander moved his hands away from his face and looked Dick straight in the eyes.  Letting out a hysterical laugh, Xander said, "I suppose you knew all this beforehand?"

Dick shrugged, "Of course I did kid.  But then again, so did you."

Xander got a confused look on his face, "What the hell are you talking about?  I knew nothing about this."

Dick's voice took on a serious and somber tone, "I'm afraid that's not true kid and you know it."  Dick got out of his chair and began pacing behind it.  When he saw the angry and confused look on Xander's face he knew he had to explain himself better.  "The test may have felt real, but the test wasn't real because it all took place in your mind."

Xander became even more confused and he said disbelievingly, "In my mind?"

"Yeah kid, in your mind.  You never went to any field, you never fought any demon, and you never killed your son.  In fact you never left this bar."  At Xander's unconvinced look, Dick asked, "Haven't you ever wondered why you were never hurt whenever you came back to the bar?"

"I don't know, I just assumed that it was all part of the test."  Xander said a little embarrassedly.

Dick replied, "Never assume kid.  Assumption is the mother of all fuckups."

Xander let out a little laugh.  "I'll try to remember that next time."

Dick gave Xander a smile in return but then grew serious again soon after.  "Now as I was saying, the test took place completely inside your mind."

"But that's what I don't understand.  Why did it take place in my mind?  Why do you say that I knew about my son before taking the test even though I don't remember a damn thing."  Xander asked pleadingly.  He really needed to know that he had in fact not killed his son.

"It took place in your mind because that was where it needed to take place.  It was your mind that the Powers wanted to test, not your body.  The body can be easily molded and trained to accomplish the things that we want, the mind is much more difficult.  Your mind especially."  Dick saw Xander staring at him intently.  He could see the hope in his eyes and Dick felt sorry for him.  Even though he had not killed his son before, that didn't mean he wouldn't have to do it eventually.

Dick took a deep breath before he began.  "You see kid, the people in charge were worried that you would not have the strength of will necessary to do something as horrible as killing your own son.  As I told you earlier, sometimes a champion must make hard decisions, and this was one of them.  The PTB needed to make sure that you would do what was necessary, that they could entrust the safety of the world to your care."

Xander interrupted, "But does this have to do with my son and the fight?"

"I'm getting to that kid.  The demon in the fight was never really a demon; he was your son in disguise.  Your mind, in trying to come to grips with the fact that it might have to kill another human being, let alone your own son, tried to justify its act of killing by making your son into some horrible demon.  You know, make it easier to accept what you were doing.  It's not a human being that you're killing, but an evil monster.  Fortunately, and the reason that you passed the test, your mind overcame that self inflicted handicap and accepted that killing another human being is sometimes necessary.  Even if that human is your son.

"Now the reason I said that you knew all this beforehand was because on your first attempt at your test, you were given all the necessary details.  But I guess the situation was so traumatic for you that you tried to block it out, you made yourself forget everything.  That was also part of your test, to see if you could overcome your own moral codes in order to do something that might be considered morally wrong, but ultimately good in the end."  Dick explained.

Dick saw the skepticism on Xander's face, but something told him that Xander was starting to accept that maybe what he was saying was the truth.  Xander said, "That explains the fight, but it doesn't tell me why I have to kill my son."

"If you thought what I just said was complicated, just wait, there's more."  Dick said sardonically.  "Everything that Thomas and I have told you about Jonas and his attempts to open the Hellmouth in the past is only half the truth.  While it is true that Jonas is trying to open the Hellmouth in the 14th century, he is not the one behind the plan.  He is only a pawn in a much larger game.

"Your son is the real brains behind the operation.  Why he is trying to open the Hellmouth in Loria in the 14th century, instead of in Sunnydale in the present, is still a mystery to us, but we suspect it has to do with you and your journey into the past to stop Jonas."

"Why does he want to open the Hellmouth?  What the hell could make him want to do that?"  Xander asked wondering.

"Like I said, kid, we're not clear.  Somehow he finds a way to travel into the past, and some extremely traumatic event happens there that makes him turn evil.  We don't know for sure, but the prevailing theory is that it has to do with his mother.  Something happens to his mother that makes him hate you and turn his back on humanity."

Xander was shocked.  "His mother?  Who?"

Dick looked pained, "I'm sorry kid, but I can't tell you that.  It's one of the things I'm forbidden to say.  The PTB are afraid that if you knew who the mother was, you might try to avoid her altogether and that can't happen.  As much of a danger as your son is to the world, he has, and I can't stress that word enough, to be born.  If your son is not born, the balance between good and evil could become permanently screwed."

Xander groaned loudly.  "God, this is all so freaking confusing."

Dick tentatively reached out a hand and patted Xander on the shoulder.  "I know kid, and unfortunately, it'll only get more confusing."  Dick paused before asking the question that he needed to ask.  "Can you do it kid?  Can you do what needs to be done now that you know the truth?  That your son is the one you must stop from destroying the world."

Xander sucked in a large breath.  "I don't know Dick.  He's my son.  How am I supposed to kill my own son?"

Dick wanted to comfort him but he needed an answer.  "I understand what you're going through kid, but I have to have an answer."

Xander opened his bloodshot eyes to look at Dick.  He asked, "Is there a chance that I can stop him from opening the Hellmouth without killing him?"

Dick was silent as he mulled over Xander's question.  "Alright kid, I'm gonna tell you this because it's the right thing to do, but you have to promise me that no matter what happens, you'll do what's necessary in the end."

Xander nodded his head eagerly.  He would agree to anything if it meant there was a chance he could stop his son without killing him.  "I promise Dick."

"There is one chance.  If you can stop the traumatic event in the past that turns your son evil from happening, then there is a very high probability that he won't try to open the Hellmouth.  It's not a certainty, but it's the only chance you'll have."  Dick told him.

Xander smiled gratefully at Dick.  "Thanks man.  If that's the only chance I have to save my son then I don't see I have any choice in the matter.  I have to do it; I have to go into the past.  I'll do what you want."  Xander grew quiet and thoughtful and he asked Dick a question.  "Can you tell me his name?"

Dick seemed hesitant to answer at first, but then he shrugged his shoulders.  "I don't see what harm it could do.  His given name is Thomas Jesse Harris, but he goes by the name Jesse Thomas.  He changed the name because it was the one given to him by you, his father.  Like I said, the guy's got issues with you."

Xander wondered what he could have done that would make his own son hate him so much that he would change his own name.  Xander liked the whole situation less and less as the thing drew on.

The significance of the names was also not lost on Xander.  He automatically knew where the Jesse came from, his old friend who had died in their sophomore year in high school.  Xander had always thought if he had had a son he would name him Jesse.  A fitting memorial to one of his closest friends.   Xander also had a pretty good idea where the Thomas came from, which made him question, and not for the first time, what kind of relationship he had with strange knight.  To name his son after the man would mean some truly deep connection between the two.

Xander would have continued thinking about his son if Dick hadn't garnered his attention.  "Kid, I know you have a lot of questions, but it's time for you to go.  You have passed your test and events are happening that will set the stage for the coming confrontation.  You must go back to your body.  Remember everything I told you and don't forget your promise."

Xander protested, "Wait!  That's it?  There has to be more to tell me?"

"There is kid, and I will, but not now.  Now you must go back to Sunnydale and follow Thomas to Frankfurt.  You must go into the past and stop Jonas from killing your infant form.  We will talk again kid, but not for a while.  You're on your own."

Xander stood up out of his chair, still protesting, "Come on Dick!  Don't do this to me now.  Dick…" Xander's pleading fell on deaf ears as Dick disappeared and soon after, so did the bar.  Xander felt himself falling and blackness overcame him.

Peter stepped out of the open door and walked quickly across the tarmac to the stairs of the private jet parked on the runway of the Sunnydale Municipal Airport.  Taking the brief flight of stairs two at a time, he quickly moved to the back of the luxury aircraft.  If he didn't hurry he would be late, and one was not late when meeting with the board members of Holcomb Technologies and Securities.

Peter sat down at a small oak table and looked at the wall across from him.  On the wall was a large flat panel screen, which was hooked into the plane's extensive communication system.  The video screen would allow him to have a face-to-face conversation with the six members of the board, even though those members were thousand of miles away. 

Peter quickly pressed a few buttons on the computer that was imbedded into the table's top and the image of a very richly furnished, brightly lit room appeared on the screen.  In the center of the room was a large table, flanked on each side by three high backed leather chairs, with one empty chair set aside at the head of the table.  In those six chairs sat the members that made up the Board of Directors for Holcomb Technologies and Securities and other "unofficial" holdings.

A distinguished looking man with silver hair, began speaking soon after the communication link was established between the two sites.  The man spoke in a cultured and sophisticated voice, much like Peter's own voice, except the man spoke with a pronounced British accent.  "Peter, it is good to finally hear from you.  I was beginning to worry that you had forgotten our meeting."

Peter tried to put as much sincerity as possible into his apology.  "I'm sorry for the delay sir.  Certain…activities required my immediate attention."

The man waved his hand dismissively.  "That is quite all right Peter.  There is no need to apologize.  I understand the kind of pressures you are under.  It cannot be an easy task dealing with a slayer as volatile as the current one is reported to be.  Just see that it doesn't happen again."

Peter swallowed nervously.  "Of course not Mr. Matthews."

The man known as Miles Matthews clapped his hands together eagerly and he leaned slightly forward in his chair.  "What progress has been made in the Harris situation?"

Peter's face became impassive as he described the situation.  "With the obvious exception of the premature taking of the test, I believe that events are moving in accordance with our timetable.  We are on schedule.  In fact, we may even be ahead of schedule."

Matthews smiled widely.  "Excellent news Peter."

Another board member, a woman in her mid thirties, entered the conversation with a question of her own.  The woman spoke flawless English, but it was obvious that German was her natural language.  "And the slayer?"

Peter sighed and when he spoke there was contempt in his voice.  "The slayer may prove to be problematic.  She is rash, selfish, and quick to violence.  However, she has shown an unexpected attachment to Mr. Harris, and I fear trying to separate the two may lead to complications." 

Peter knew it was obvious from the way he spoke that he disliked Buffy Summers, but he didn't care.  He hadn't liked her from the second he laid eyes on her.  He couldn't quite place his finger on why he disliked her so much, but he suspected it stemmed from her unslayer-like behavior and her general dislike of authority.

Another board member Peter recognized as Morgan Nwabudakae let loose an expletive.  "If those fools in the Council had not screwed up so completely when dealing with Miss Summers, she might be easier to control.  Instead we are left to deal with the results of their ineptitude."

A murmur of acknowledgement came from the other members of the board and Peter understood their anger.  Holcomb had had dealings with the Council in the past, not willingly of course, but one had to make concessions when they were in the line of the work that they were in.  An organization could not hope to deal with matters of the occult and the underworld without also having to deal with the Council.  Their influence was too extensive and far reaching to ignore.

The woman asked Peter, "Do you have any suggestions for dealing with Miss Summers?"

Peter thought carefully over what he was about to say.  "As much as it pains me to say this, it is my opinion that Miss Summers can not be ignored.  I would suggest removing the slayer from the equation, but after seeing the connection that she and Mr. Harris share, I would not recommend it."

The woman asked curiously, "Why?  Do you believe a separation would be harmful to Alexander?"

Peter responded honestly, "While I do not believe it would be difficult to create a rift between the two, I do not think it would be a wise move.  Any forced separation between the two would hurt both, but I believe that it would harm Mr. Harris more.  He is very loyal to the slayer."

Matthews sneered.  "Loyalty is such an easily exploitative emotion.  We may be forced to use Alexander's feelings for the slayer against him."

Peter responded quickly, "I don't think that would be a good idea sir.  Mr. Harris has already shown his willingness to help us.  Harming Miss Summers will almost certainly change that willingness."

The men and women sitting at the table grew silent after Peter's declaration.  They seemed to be sharing some form of silent communication between each other.  Peter had seen them do this before and it unnerved him every time.  It wasn't a form of telepathy, he knew, which only made it creepier.  The six members of the board had been together for so long, they could communicate without actually talking.

Finally, the silence was broken and Nwabudakae was the one who started speaking.  "It is agreed Mr. Black.  When you bring Alexander with you, you are to bring the slayer as well."

Peter could not react fast enough to remove the look of shock off of his face.  "But sir, what about the Hellmouth?  We cannot leave it unprotected.  Miss Summers is the only reason why the Hellmouth is still closed."

Peter saw Matthews wave his hand and he then said in a dismissive tone, "Don't worry Peter.  We'll take care of the details.  Your job is to convince Miss Summers to accompany Alexander."

Peter let any further objections die in his throat.  When the six people in front of him said they would take care of something, there was nothing to fear.  He had faith in their ability to do what they claimed.  "Convincing Miss Summers should not be difficult sir.  She has already shown an intense desire to protect Mr. Harris from harm.  I don't think it will be difficult to play on that feeling."

The woman smiled.  "Excellent.  We have word from our sources that Alexander should be finishing his test within the next few hours.  We will expect your arrival in Frankfurt within the next two days."

Peter nodded his head in agreement.  That was the plan.  They would leave for home as soon as the test was completed.

Thinking the meeting was over; Peter was about to end the communications link when Matthews asked a question.  "How is Malcolm doing?"

"Malcolm is quiet competent sir.  And with Thomas and the slayer around, I believe that Mr. Harris is adequately protected."  Peter responded succinctly.

Matthews looked relieved.  "Good-good.  I was afraid that Malcolm would not be enough.  Well, that is all Peter.  We'll see you in a few days."

The meeting was over and the screen on the wall turned black.  Malcolm leaned back into his chair and relaxed.

Xander opened his eyes slowly.  Once his eyes became adjusted to the dim lights of the room that he was in, he began to look around.  He needed to know where he was.  The room looked familiar upon first glance, and on closer inspection he instantly recognized the room he was in.  It was a room that he had been in many times over the years.  Xander knew that the room that he was in was Buffy's bedroom, and upon further inspection, he realized that he was also lying on Buffy's bed.

It was at that moment of realization, that he realized something else.  He wasn't alone.  Someone was lying on the bed with him.  Actually, the person was more like lying on top of him than lying next to him, which Xander didn't mind that much because whoever it was, was definitely female.  Xander could tell that much.

Xander saw blond hair and immediately assumed the girl lying next to him was Anya.  The idea that it could be the other girl that he knew with blond hair seemed unlikely.  Mainly because of the way the girl was sleeping.  Buffy's bed wasn't exactly the largest of beds, and Xander certainly wasn't the smallest of men, so there was very little room for a second person to lie on the bed.  The blond haired woman had one of her legs intertwined with his, her left arm was loosely lying on his waist, and her head was buried in between his arm and chest.

That was when Xander realized something as he looked over the body of the girl lying next to him.  I don't remember An being so short.  Xander then realized that the person lying next to him wasn't Anya.  An unreasonable blind panic overcame Xander as he realized who the other woman was.  Oh, crap!  What the hell am I doing lying in Buffy's bed and why is she lying here with me?

Xander became embarrassed by how stupid he was thinking and immediately began to calm himself.  Just because he and Buffy were in the same bed was no reason to spaz out.  He was more mature than that.  That thought brought a smile to Xander's face.  He really was more mature than that.

If this had happened three years ago, he knew that he would probably be really freaking out.  Three years ago he had still been pretty much in love with the girl lying next to him.  And if he hadn't gotten serious with Anya, he probably would still be in love with Buffy, but he knew that he was over her. 

Oh sure, he hadn't been lying when he said that he fantasized about Buffy, but that was understandable.  Buffy was easily one of the most attractive girls that he had ever seen, and while he may no longer be in love with the girl, he could admit to himself that he was attracted to her.  But he knew there wasn't any love.  He loved her, but he wasn't in love with her.  He hadn't been for a long time.

There had been isolated incidents over the last few years where he had found himself drifting back into the I Love Buffy Club, but those times had been few and far between.  He had genuinely loved Anya, and she had made him forget about any lingering feelings that he might have had for Buffy.  Besides, the last few months had been so hectic, what with finding out about Buffy and Spike and Willow trying to destroy the world, that he hadn't even entertained the thought of thinking about Buffy in that way, despite the amount of time that they had been spending together.

Of course, despite how sure he was that he wasn't in love with her, that didn't stop his body from reacting in a way that wasn't very friend like.  Buffy was so warm, and it had been months since Xander had been with a girl, and Xander began to react to her presence.  He needed to get out from under her before something very embarrassing happened.

Very carefully, so as not to wake her, he began trying to move out from underneath her.  Unfortunately, he wasn't very successful.  Buffy was the slayer after all, and at the first sign of movement, she woke up.  Lifting her head up lazily, she stared at him with shock and happiness on her face.

Lunging forward and wrapping her arms around him, she began talking rapidly.  "Xander!  Oh my god you're awake!  Thank god."

Xander gave her a small smile as she squeezed him hard.  He brought one of his arms up to lightly rub her back and he felt warm tears soak into his shirt.  When he realized that she was crying he became concerned.  Moving his hand to cup her chin he lifted her head up and looked into her eyes.

Buffy immediately began talking softly, "I was so worried that you wouldn't ever wake up.  After I pushed you in the Magic Box and you stopped breathing I got so scared.  Thomas said that it was all part of your test, but after you being unconscious for over a week, we all began to worry.  I just had to be in here with you when you woke up, I had to apologize for pushing you and treating you like crap.  I wanted to be the first person you saw when you woke up.  I am so sorry."

Xander looked at Buffy tenderly as he wiped a tear off her cheek.  "Hey Buffster, its alright ok.  There was nothing you could have done, and it's not your fault.  If you hadn't pushed me I would have ended up taking the test in some strange place with strange people.  At least because of you I get to wake up next to my favorite slayer."

Buffy gave him a half-smile that usually made him weak in the knees, and he felt himself reacting to her presence again.  He really had to get away from her.  He was not used to being in such close contact with her and it was slightly unnerving.  However, that was going to be difficult.  With the way that Buffy was wrapped around him, he got the distinct impression that she didn't plan on letting him out of her sight for very long.

He had to at least try though.  "Uh, Buff, you said I've been out for more than a week right?"  Buffy nodded.  "Well, I think my bladder is starting to feel like it.  I really need to go to the bathroom."  Which was a complete lie.  Strangely enough, for being out for more than a week, he didn't feel hunger or the need to use the facilities.  If he had been living in any other place that would have freaked him out, but this was the Hellmouth and stuff like that was par for the course.

Buffy immediately jumped back, away from Xander, and for the briefest of seconds Xander felt disappointed at the lack of contact, but he ruthlessly squashed that feeling.  Buffy said apologetically, "Of course.  I should have realized."  She then moved off the bed and onto the floor.

Xander grunted in response and got out of the bed himself.  Stretching his muscles, he began walking towards the bathroom.  He had to keep up appearances after all.  Unfortunately for him, his earlier thought about Buffy not letting him out of her sight seemed to be coming true.  She was right on his heels all the way from the bedroom to the bathroom.

Xander was tempted to tell her to back off, but one look at her face and the feeling died.  She was just too damn pathetic looking to yell at her.  He could clearly see the guilt in her eyes, and he just didn't feel like adding to whatever self-imagined sins she was heaping upon herself.  Buffy could be such an interesting dichotomy sometimes.  At one moment she could be the most self involved and selfish person he had ever met, and the next moment she could be trying to take as many of the problems of the world onto her shoulders and blaming herself for every little bad thing she couldn't prevent.  It was extremely endearing and completely frustrating and annoying all at the same time.

Xander moved into the bathroom and shut the door.  He walked up to the sink and turned the cold water on and let it fill the sink.  Sticking his hands into the water, he splashed the cold water onto his face. 

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he wondered what he was going to tell the others.  He knew that there was no way he was going to get away with not saying anything.  If he somehow managed to make Thomas back off, he knew he would never get Buffy to leave him alone.  She could be just as bad as Willow in the tenacity department. 

Which left him with what to tell them.  He knew he was not going to say anything about his son.  No way in hell he was going to drag anybody he cared about into that mess.  That was his problem and his problem only.  But that didn't mean that he couldn't talk about the other aspect of his mission.  He still had to go back in time and rescue himself after all.

He needed time to think about everything.  He needed to be alone which was going to be difficult to pull off, but it was what he needed.  He wasn't about to just jump right into the situation without doing some heavy duty thinking on the matter.  And he knew he wouldn't be able to do that around Buffy.  At least not the way she was acting now.

He made his decision.  He was going to take a walk, think on the road ahead of him, and then tell everyone his plans.  Now he just had to get out of the house.

After walking over to flush the toilet just in case Buffy was still waiting outside the door, he opened the door of the bathroom and tentatively stuck his head out.  He looked up and down the hallway and noticed with considerable relief that Buffy was nowhere to be seen.

Moving as quietly as he could, he walked back to Buffy's room.  He had noticed his shoes in there, and he needed his shoes if he was going to be leaving the house.  Pulling on his workman boots, he quickly laced them up and left the room.  He walked down the hall until he got to the top of the stairs and he froze.

He debated with himself on how he should handle his decision.  On the one hand he desperately wanted to get out of the house without any interference, and on the other hand he knew he would probably send Buffy into a panic if she discovered that he was nowhere to be found.  Finally, he came to a decision and started walking down the stairs.  As much as he wanted to keep Buffy from worrying, he didn't want to confront her.

He had made it down the stairs and was almost to the front door when he heard a loud exclamation come from behind him.  He instantly froze.  Slowly turning around, he came face to face with an angry slayer, which was never a good thing.

Buffy yelled loudly, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Xander really didn't want to do this right now.  He responded with some steel in his voice, "I was just going to take a walk Buffy."

Buffy got a worried look on her face.  "You can't leave Xander.  You just woke up from being unconscious for over a week.  You need to rest and be around people who can look out for you, not go walking."

Xander sighed, "I don't want to argue with you Buffy, but there is some stuff that I really need to sort out and I can't do it while I'm around you."

Xander saw hurt flash across Buffy's face at his words and she said quietly, "You can't leave Xander.  I don't want you to leave."

Xander asked, "Why not?"

Buffy struggled to come up with a suitable answer.  "Because…you can't," Buffy finished lamely. 

Xander smirked at her answer.  "While your reasoning skills are astounding Buffy, I don't think there good enough to convince me.  Besides didn't we already have this fight about you telling me what to do?"

Buffy disagreed, "Yeah but this is different."

Xander said, "I don't think so Buff.  While back in the Magic Box you at least had a semi legitimate reason to back up your claim.  But I hardly think me taking a walk is on par with the end of the world.  Look, you're not my mother and you're not my girlfriend, so you really can't tell me what to do.  I'll only be gone for a few hours and then I promise to come straight here.  Ok?"

Not waiting for Buffy's response, Xander turned around, opened the door and walked outside.  He felt like patting himself on the back for getting out of there in relatively short time and with no yelling on his part.  He hoped Buffy didn't come after him.

Xander looked up at the clear blue sky and took in a deep breath of air.  With a brisk pace he set off down the sidewalk.  He had no idea where he was going or for how long he was going to walk, all he knew was that he was going to keep going until he figured everything out.  Which meant that he could be walking for a very long time.

Dawn walked sleepily down the stairs, yawning as she did.  She had just woken up from a very satisfying nap because of loud voices that she had heard coming from downstairs.  When she reached the bottom of the stairs she saw her obviously very agitated sister pacing in front of the front door.  She could see Buffy reach out for the doorknob, and then change her mind and pull her hand back.  Dawn saw Buffy do this at least three times before she made her presence known.

With a yawn, Dawn asked, "Hey, what's all the yelling about?"

Buffy jumped and turned around quickly in surprise.  "Dawn!  You scared the hell out of me."

"I did?" Dawn asked.

Buffy seemed to calm down and said, "Yes.  Don't you know you're not supposed to sneak up on a slayer?"

Dawn shrugged her shoulders and then smiled.  "Cool.  I've never been able to sneak up on you before."  Dawn's smile quickly disappeared off of her face and was replaced with a frown.  "What's wrong Buffy?"

Buffy looked nervous.  "Nothing's wrong Dawn.  I guess I'm just starting to rub off on you."

Dawn shook her head no.  "I don't think so Buffy.  You only let your guard down when your really distracted, so spill already.  Why were you yelling and why do you look like you'd rather be someplace else right now?"

Buffy knew when she was beaten, and she knew there was no reason to hide what was going on between her and Xander.  With a sigh, Buffy said, "It's Xander.  We had another fight."

Dawn's face lit up and she said excitedly, "Xander!  He's awake?  Where is he?  I wanna see him."

Buffy again looked nervous and uncomfortable.  "Uh…that's the problem Dawn, he's not here."

Dawn immediately got worried.  "What do you mean he's not here?"

Buffy said quietly, "We had another fight and he left to go take a walk."

Dawn shrieked, "What?  You let him leave?  He could be hurt!"

Buffy shook her head emphatically, "I didn't let him leave Dawn.  He chose to leave, there was nothing I could have done short of forcing him to stay."

"Then you should have made him stay!  He's been unconscious for over a week.  Who know what's wrong with him.  He could be really hurt."  Dawn chastised her older sister.

Buffy said quietly, "He seemed fine to me."

Dawn stared at her sister.  Buffy had been acting really weird lately in Dawn's opinion.  Ever since the whole thing with Xander started, she had been more nervous and unconfident, which was totally abnormal for her.  Not that Buffy was the pillar of normality; Dawn had always thought that her sister was more than a little strange.

Well, if Buffy wasn't going to go look for Xander, she sure as hell would.  With that thought she turned around and ran upstairs to her room.  In record time she managed to put her shoes on, run down the stairs, and grab her coat.

When Buffy saw Dawn grab her coat, she asked her, "Where are you going?"

Dawn snapped at Buffy, "I'm going to go find Xander."

Buffy moved to block Dawn's way.  "I don't think that would be a good idea Dawn.  Xander made it pretty clear that he wanted to be alone.  I already tried to get him to do something he didn't want to do and he just ignored me."

Dawn tried to shove past her sister.  When Buffy wouldn't move, Dawn said angrily, "Move!  I'm not you Buffy and Xander won't ignore me."

Buffy crossed her arms across her chest.  "Oh really, why is that?"

With some sarcasm in her voice, Dawn said, "Because I'm Dawnie and I have Xander wrapped around my little finger.  So move!"

Buffy seemed unconvinced.  "I don't know Dawn.  I really think that we should let him be."

"Well I don't," Dawn said.  At her sister's frown she decided to use a different tactic.  "You want Xander to come back, right?"  Buffy nodded her head.  "Well, let me go talk to him and I'll bring him straight home.  He really shouldn't be alone right now.  Besides, Thomas is going to be so pissed that he's gone.  He told you not to let him out of your sight and to notify him immediately when Xander woke up."

Buffy still seemed hesitant to let Dawn leave, but after a few seconds of thinking over what Dawn said, she moved away from the door.  Dawn gave her sister a large grin and opened the door and ran outside.  Xander had at least a ten minute head start on her and she needed to catch up.

Luckily for Dawn, Xander was taking his time.  Since he had no destination in mind, and since he really had no time limit, he wasn't in any hurry to get anyplace.  Once he had moved far enough away from Buffy's house he had slowed down considerably.  Now he was walking at a slow, rhythmic pace, with his head down and his attention focused solely on his problem.

Well most of his attention.  There was still part of his mind that was focused on his surroundings.  Despite being in the middle of the afternoon, there was no telling what could happen to someone in the city of Sunnydale.  Xander had trained himself to always be aware of his surroundings.  It was best to be prepared.

And Xander was.  He heard the sound of running feet on the sidewalk behind him seconds before the person was even in visual range.  Xander cringed slightly and then a small smile appeared on his face.  It was probably too much to hope for that he could have gotten away from Buffy so easily.  He was only surprised that it had taken this long for her to catch up to him.

Xander gathered himself and prepared for the coming confrontation.  He had yet to turn around, so he wasn't sure who the running person was, but he was willing to bet his paycheck that the person was Buffy.  He knew that the person could just be some random stranger, but Xander knew his luck wasn't that good.  Besides it would just be like Buffy, with her controlling nature and her desire to prove that she was always right, to try and force him to go back to her house.  He really was feeling fine and he didn't think there was any reason for him to be treated like a little kid.

When Xander heard the sound grow louder he decided to finally turn around.  What he saw surprised him.  There was in fact a Summers girl coming after him, but it wasn't the one he had expected.  He could see Dawn running towards him, and she seemed to be pretty winded.  Xander quickly began moving towards her so that she wouldn't have to run as far.

Dawn reached his side and finally stopped.  She brought her hands to her hips and she bent over, breathing in large gasps of air.  Xander reached out a hand and put it on Dawn's back.  With a laugh, Xander said, "Have a nice run?"

Dawn straightened up and smiled at Xander as she still took in large breaths.  "You had a ten minute head start on me.  I had to catch up."  She got her breathing under control and began to breathe a lot more normally.  "I had no idea you could move so fast Xander."

Xander grinned, "You're forgetting that I've had years of practice.  When you spend most of your time running from vamps and demons, you quickly get in shape.  I probably should have joined the track team."

Dawn let out a little laugh at his joke and both of them started walking down the sidewalk.  Xander looked over at Dawn who had grown quiet and sighed.  He already knew the answer to the question he was about to ask, but he figured he should ask it anyway.  "Why are you here Dawn?  Did Buffy send you after me?"

Dawn stayed silent for a few seconds before answering.  She looked up at Xander's face before speaking.  When she did, her voice was filled with concern.  "To answer your first question, I came out here because I was worried about you.  To answer your second question, Buffy didn't send me, but Xander; she is worried sick about you.  That wasn't a very nice thing you did, leaving her like that."

Xander sighed.  "I know Dawn, and believe me, I don't like making Buffy upset, but I just had to get out of there.  There are some things that I really need to think about, and I knew I wouldn't be able to do that with Buffy hovering around me.  I need to be alone."  Xander made sure he emphasized the word alone.  He hoped Dawn picked up on his hint.

Dawn did pick up on his hint and an angry look appeared on her face.  "Too bad Xan.  You shouldn't be alone right now.  You were unconscious for over a week.  I understand that you have a lot on your mind, but you're making the people who care about you worried.  You shouldn't have just left Xander.  What if something had happened to you, and I-we wouldn't have known where you were?"

Xander stopped walking.  He turned to face Dawn and he placed his hands on her shoulders.  Looking her straight in the eyes, he said, "Dawnie, I'm fine.  Really I am.  There is nothing wrong with me, and I'm so sorry that I made you scared.  The last thing I want to do is upset you or your sister, but sometimes I just need to be alone for a while.  You know?  It's not that I don't love you or appreciate your concern, but sometimes I just get so fed up with being treated like I might break if the slightest bad thing happens to me.  I'm a big boy now, and I can make my own decisions."

Dawn shook Xander's hands off her shoulders, and she walked away from him.  Xander could hear some sniffles coming from her and he immediately walked over to her.  Wrapping his arms around her, he brought her into a hug.

Dawn mumbled into his chest, "I know that you're a big boy Xander.  But you and Buffy are the most important people in my life.  If anything happened to either one of you, I don't know what would happen to me.  I've already lost one person that I love and I don't want to lose another."

"Shh…don't worry Dawn.  I'm not going anywhere soon.  I plan to be around for a long time, so there's nothing to worry about.  I'm sure that after a few more years, you'll start to get sick of me."  Xander said in a soothing voice.

Dawn let out a small chuckle and Xander continued to hug her.  Finally after about two minutes of just standing there, Dawn pulled away from Xander and looked at his chest where she had been crying.  His shirt was soaked.  "I'm sorry about your shirt Xander."

Xander shrugged his shoulders, "No problem Dawnie.  I'm used to being a shoulder to cry on.  It's a requirement when hanging around with you Summers girls."

Xander lifted his arm up to check his watch.  "It's almost dinner time Dawnie.  How about you and me go get something to eat?  Then we can talk about anything you want, ok?"

Dawn said, "Anything I want?  Even the thing that's got you so wigged out?"

Xander sighed.  He was committed now.  Dawn would never give up until she had squeezed every last bit of information out of him.  Besides, now that he thought about it, it might be good to have someone to talk to.  "Yeah Dawn, even that."

Dawn smiled a huge smile that lit up her eyes.  In a light tone she said, "Great!  Let's go then."

Dawn took a huge bite out of her hamburger and quickly swallowed it down.  She put the remaining part of her hamburger down on her plate and picked up her napkin.  She swiped the napkin across her mouth, before giving Xander a grateful smile.  She took a small drink of her Coke and then said, "Thanks for dinner Xander.  I had no idea I was so hungry."

Xander simply smiled in response and looked down at his own hamburger.  It was relatively untouched.  He had too much on his mind to worry about eating, besides he still wasn't very hungry.  It was the damn test; it was screwing up his life in more ways than just the obvious ones.  He wasn't hungry or tired, and he didn't have to use the bathroom.  It was actually quite annoying.  It made him feel like he wasn't completely human.

A frown appeared on Xander's face as he thought about the test.  Dawn saw the look and asked him what was wrong.  Xander sighed and shrugged his shoulders.  "Its just my life is so screwed up right now Dawnie.  I don't know what to do."

Dawn smiled encouragingly, "Tell me what's bothering you Xan.  Maybe just talking about it will help you deal."

"That's the problem though, Dawn.  I wanna talk about it, but I don't know if I should."  Xander said frustratingly.

"Why not?"  Dawn asked.

Xander sighed again, "It's just so complicated.  You wouldn't understand."

Dawn looked hurt and said angrily, "Why wouldn't I understand?  Is it because I'm too young, or just because I'm not Buffy or Willow?"

Xander said quickly, "No Dawn, that's not what I meant.  You wouldn't understand because I don't even completely understand it and I'm the one it's happening to.  And I don't care if you're not Willow or Buffy.  In fact, I don't think I would tell either one what I'm thinking about telling you."

Dawn smiled sheepishly and asked quietly, "Really?  Why wouldn't you tell Willow or my sister?"

"Honestly Dawn, I don't really know.  I just have this feeling that if either one of them knew what was really going on, they would totally freak out on me and treat me the way they did during our senior year in high school.  That is the last thing I want, or need right now."  Xander said.

"What makes you think that I won't act the same way Xander?"  Dawn inquired.

Xander responded, "I don't.  But with you I'm willing to risk it.  I think if I tell you, you'll understand when I'm finished.  Besides, no offense Dawn, but you aren't exactly in a position to force me to do something I don't want to do.  The Buffster and Willow are."

Dawn felt a feeling of anger swell up at Xander's words, but the feeling quickly died down.  Dawn knew that he was right; she just hated it when people told her she couldn't do things.  Especially when it involved her sister.

Xander took a deep breath as he prepared to tell Dawn about his son.  "Dawn, before I tell you anything, I need you to promise me that what I'm about to tell you will only stay between us.  I mean it Dawn; under no circumstances are you to repeat what I say.  It is a matter of life and death."

When Dawn saw how serious Xander was, she got scared.  When someone said that something was a matter of life and death on the Hellmouth, it was taken completely seriously.  Saying something like that was not something you fooled around with in the kind of life that they lived.  She had never seen Xander so serious before, and the way he was squeezing her hand as he talked to her was starting to hurt.  Dawn was starting to think that knowing what was going on with the man sitting across from her wasn't such a good idea.

Despite how scared she was, Dawn saw past her fear and saw the partially hidden pleading in Xander's eyes.  She knew that he needed to tell someone, and she was more than happy to be the one he talked too.  Of course there was a small part of her that felt like shoving the fact that Xander wanted to tell her and not Buffy in her sister's face.  She felt like there was a silent competition between her and her sister for the attention of their friends, and Dawn felt like she was always losing.  Until now.

"I promise Xan.  I won't tell anybody, not even Buffy.  Ok?" Dawn said confidently.

Xander sighed in relief and he gave her a small smile in thanks.  "Thanks Dawn, I really need to be sure."  Xander paused and then looked around the diner that they were sitting in, checking to make sure that nobody was in hearing range.  Satisfied with his search, he turned his face back to look at Dawn.  He knew that what he was about to tell her would shock her.  "There's no easy way to say this Dawn, so I'm just gonna come out and say it.  Dawn, I have a son."

Dawn's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped.  That was the last thing she was expecting.  "Are y-you s-sure?"  She stuttered.

Xander nodded his head somberly.  "Yeah Dawn, I'm sure."

Dawn began babbling, "How?  When?  Who?"

Xander chuckled lightly, "That's where the complicated part comes into play Dawn.  My son hasn't been born yet, but I know he exists because of that god damn test."

Dawn felt like her head was going to explode.  "Not been born yet?  You mean he's from the future?"

Xander nodded his head yes.  "Yeah Dawn.  Somehow, my son from the future is here in the present."

Dawn was still trying to catch up.  It was embarrassing how she kept repeating everything Xander just said, but it was just her way of coping.  "Here in the present?"

"Yeah, in the here and now.  That's one of the problems, because my son is supposedly evil.  Or he's at least on the path to becoming one of the bad guys.  And the Powers That Be want me to stop him."  Xander said angrily.

"They want you to stop him?  Stop him from doing what?"  Dawn asked.

Xander's voice rose as he spoke heatedly, "They tell me that's he's going to open the Hellmouth, and they want me to stop him.  They want me to kill my own son!"

Dawn gasped.  "They want you to kill him?"

Xander calmed down.  "Yeah, they say it's the only way to stop him.  But I'm not convinced.  I think that I can stop him, if maybe I can get to him.  Talk some sense into him and stop him from following his dark path.  All I know is that somehow I have to stop my son from opening the Hellmouth."

Dawn's voice was full of compassion as she said, "I'm sorry Xander, that's horrible.  They can't expect you to kill your own son."

"I don't know if I have any choice Dawn.  I can tell you though, that I won't let him open the Hellmouth.  I won't let him destroy the world.  I'll kill him if I have to, but I want it to be the last resort."  Xander said decidedly.

Dawn saw how sure Xander was about his decision, and she immediately felt bad for him.  Being forced into killing your own child had to be tearing him apart.  She had seen how torn up Buffy had been about whether or not to kill her to prevent Glory from opening her portal.  She could see where Xander was coming from.

"That's why I don't want Buffy to know."  Xander said.

Dawn had been so distracted that she had missed what Xander had said.  "What did you say Xan?"

Xander repeated for her, "I said, that if Buffy knew that someone was trying to open the Hellmouth, she would naturally want to stop him and I don't think Buffy knows any other way of solving a problem except through violence.  If anybody is going to be killing anybody, it'll be me.  I won't have anybody touching my son.  That's my responsibility."

"But Xander, what if you can't do it?  You might need Buffy's help."  Dawn tried to reason.

Xander shook his head no.  "I can and I will do what needs to be done.  If I need Buffy's help, I won't hesitate to ask, but she won't know about my son.  He's my son and my problem."

Dawn felt like disagreeing but saw that Xander wasn't having any of it.  She could understand, but she thought he was making a mistake by not telling her sister.  But she had promised Xander not to say anything, and she would only break that promise if Xander truly got in over his head.

Dawn suddenly got an idea.  "Uh…Xander, I know you might not want to think about this, but have you considered just not having a kid.  I mean, if you never have a son then he can never go bad."

Xander sighed.  "Believe me Dawnie, I've thought about it on more than one occasion, but it doesn't matter.  I have no idea who the mother is and the Powers told me that my son has to be born or else the whole balance between good and evil could be permanently screwed up."

Dawn looked shocked, "You don't know who the mother is?"

"Nope.  They wouldn't tell me, probably figure it's safer that I don't know.  That way I don't try anything stupid.  For all I know the mother could be Anya, Willow, Buffy, or some complete stranger that I'm not supposed to meet for months or years down the road."  Xander said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Dawn said supportively, "Wow, that totally sucks."

Xander let out a sharp laugh.  "No kidding.  It's the story of my life.  Not only am I suppose to kill my own son, but I also don't even get to know who the mother of possibly my only child is."

Dawn reached out to hug Xander across the table and inadvertily glanced at her watch as she did.  With a surprised exclamation she yelled, "Oh crap!  I promised Buffy that I'd bring you straight home.  She's probably totally freaking.  We got to get home."

Xander reached into a pocket on his coat and pulled out a cell phone.  He gave it to Dawn.  "Call Buffy and tell her that we're on our way.  I'll go pay."  Xander picked up the check and walked to the cashier.  Meanwhile Dawn made her call.

Xander finished paying and walked back to the table.  Dawn was just finishing her call as she did.  Xander saw a worried look on her face.  "What's wrong Dawn?  Is Buffy ok?"

Dawn handed the phone back to Xander and they walked out of the diner.  It wasn't until they started walking in the direction of the Summers' abode that Dawn told Xander about her call.  "Buffy's ok Xander, but I was right, she was totally freaking.  She told me that I was in trouble for making her worry and that she was going to kick your ass too."

Xander laughed.  "That sounds like Buffy."

Dawn smiled.  "She wasn't alone though, Xan.  Thomas and Mr. Black are both at the house and Buffy said they're pretty pissed.  You weren't supposed to leave the house, and they're both waiting for you to tell them what happened to you during the test."

Xander let out a shaky laugh.  "I don't know if I wanna go back.  Buffy wants to kick my ass and Thomas and Peter both want me to tell them what happened to me."  Xander snorted derisively.  "As if I know."

Dawn tried to be encouraging, "Don't worry Xander.  I won't let my sister bully you too much.  And I'm sure Thomas and Mr. Black will understand after you tell them everything.  Well, almost everything that is."

"I pray that you're right Dawn.  I could use some good luck right about now."  Xander replied.

All of a sudden a loud laugh came out of the dark, and Xander and Dawn instantly froze.  They happened to be standing under a streetlight, so it became hard to see in the dark.  Despite that, they could barely make out the forms of five shapes in the shadows.

One of the shadows stepped forward into the light and the two got a good look at it.  It was a male vampire, with his game face on.  He was dressed all in black, black pants, shirt, and black leather jacket.  Xander briefly flashed back to high school where Angel used to dress the same way, but Angel never left Xander with the kind of fear that he was feeling now.

The vampire gave Dawn and Xander a toothy grin and said good-naturedly, "Don't you know boy, that it's never a good idea to jinx yourself in this town.  You never know what might happen."

Xander moved his hand down to his back pocket where he always kept a stake, and found it empty.  He then remembered that he had been unconscious and laying in bed for over week, and he would have had no need for a stake.  And he had been in such a hurry to get away from Buffy that he hadn't bothered to make sure he was properly prepared for the town's unsavory denizens.  They were screwed.

Xander looked over at Dawn and saw the fear in her eyes.  He whispered to her, "I don't suppose you have a stake?"

Xander could see the same realization that he had just come to appear on Dawn's face when he asked her for a stake.  All she did was shake her head.  Xander knew that Dawn had a small cross necklace, but that was practically useless against five vampires.

The vampire in front of them moved closer towards them and his four companions finally moved into the light.  As Xander suspected, they were all vampires, all very serious and menacing vampires.  Right away, Xander could tell that these were not your average vamps.  They seemed to be giving off an air of intelligence and purpose that Xander hadn't seen in a vampire since Angelus.

For some reason, thinking of Angel made him think of Buffy and he remembered his cell phone.  Pulling it out of his pocket he handed it over to Dawn.  Ignoring the vampires for the time being, he turned to face Dawn.  Looking her straight in the eyes he said seriously, "Dawn, take this phone and run.  Call your sister and tell her where I'm at and that there are five vamps after me."

Dawn immediately began to argue, as Xander knew she would.  "Hell no Xander!  I'm not leaving you here!  They'll kill you."

Xander spoke harshly, "Don't argue with me Dawn.  You do as I tell you.  You need to call your sister, you need to save yourself."  When Xander saw the defiance in Dawn's eyes, he pleaded with her.  "Please Dawn, do it for me.  Do it for your sister.  If you stay, we'll both die, but if you leave there might be a chance that Buffy can still save me.  You have to go."

Dawn said determinedly, "Don't worry Xander.  We'll save you.  I promise."  She then turned away and very reluctantly ran away from the group.  To Xander's surprise, not a single vamp made even an attempt to chase after Dawn.  That worried Xander.

The vampire leader, at least Xander assumed he was the leader, clapped his hands together and said with genuine sincerity.  "How very noble of you.  Sacrificing yourself to save the girl."

Xander moved into a very loose stance, preparing himself for the slightest hint of aggression by any of the vamps.  Xander responded to the leader, "I figure, better me than her.  Besides, if she lives, I can take comfort in the fact that her sister will so kick your ass and that you wouldn't have touched her."

The vamp leader grabbed his chest in an overdramatic gesture of pain and said with false hurt in his voice.  "Oh you wound me.  I would never touch the girl.  She's not the one were after.  You are."

All the color drained from Xander's face, and fear gripped him in the pit of his stomach.  He began to back away from the vampires, and the leader smiled evilly at him when he did.  The vampire stuck his hand in the air and made a circle motion with it.  The other four vamps immediately began to surround Xander and close the space between them.  Soon, two of the vampires grabbed hold of Xander's arms and held him in place.

The vampire leader walked right up to Xander and said, "I've been asked to give you a message by my boss."  The vampire paused until he moved his mouth until it was right next to Xander's ear.  In a whisper, the vampire said, "Hello, Dad." 

And the vampire leader began to move his mouth slowly down to Xander's exposed neck.

To be continued………………………

P.S.      I am in need of a beta.  I'm not really interested in a beta for grammatical or proofreading work, but more along the lines of a sounding board.  I need someone that I can bounce ideas off of, someone who I can send a chapter to and have them tell me what they think before I post it for the masses.  I'm also looking for someone to help me write when I get into a tough spot, like for instance, whenever I need to do some romance.  Which I freely admit I suck at writing.  I would like to combine my two needs into one person, but they don't have to be.  If anyone is interested at all, please e-mail me and we'll talk it over.  Thanks for your time.