Disclaimer listed on First Part of the Story
The Following TV Series or books have been included in the story.
Disclaimers appear at the end with the cast list.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Angel the Series
Highlander Adam 12
Louis Lamour's The First Fast Draw The Deryni Series by Katherine Kurtz
Special guest this story include Jarod from The Pretender.
Last Part
"Damn kid, I don't know who your friends are, but you've got a deal," Jim said as he handed the card back to Xander. "I am so relieved to be able to finish this. This was going to be my step up to the next level of construction. You've saved me from ruin, Xander." he smiled.
Xander left the trailer, promising to be back the next morning around 10:00. He got on the bike, intending to head back to the store when he impulsively decided to check out Malloy's Performance Center. After parking the bike out front and entering the shop, he felt a buzzing in his head that he knew had to be the result of another immortal in close proximity.
Glancing at the counter in the back of the store, he saw a youthful looking man holding a sword.
"My name is Pete Malloy. I'm not looking for a fight, but I'll be glad to give you one if you are!"
Part 7
Malloy's Performance Center
Sunnydale Ca.
July 12th 2002, 4:30 PM
Xander backpedaled a bit, holding his hands out to his sides. \\ Well, this definitely complicates things. //
"Whoa! I'm not here for a fight," he offered, holding his coat open to show he was unarmed. "I'm not even armed."
"Well, then, you're a bigger fool than most I have met," Pete said ,as he put away his sword. "What are you here for, then?"
"I just bought this block of land from Jim Brubaker, and he suggested I stop by and introduce myself to you," Xander replied.
"Well shit," was all Pete had to say.
"Look, I'm not here to evict you or raise your rent or anything, I just wanted to say hello," Xander explained.
"So why in the hell are you running around without a sword? Are you trying to make some Immortal's day?" Pete asked him in a puzzled voice.
"Not really, just don't have one yet. I only found out about our existence a few days ago," Xander told him.
"Who's your teacher?" Pete questioned.
"Teacher? What do I need a teacher for?" Xander returned, slightly confused.
"Who told you, that you were an Immortal, kid?" Pete pushed.
Xander was beginning to wonder where all of this was going when he realized that usually an Immortal was discovered only by another Immortal, and they normally either killed the newbie, or ended up teaching them the skills to survive.
"Look, it's really complicated, and you really don't want to know. Trust me," Xander offered.
"I'll let it go for now, kid, but eventually I will figure it out," Pete said. "So, what did you mean when you said that 'This complicates things'?"
"Oh shit, I didn't think I said it out loud," Xander groaned.
"Well, you did. Listen, kid, I was a LA patrol cop for fifteen years before I got my gold shield and became a detective. If you think you're going to pull a fast one on me, you got another think coming," Pete warned.
Xander weighed his options here and, based on his gut feelings, made a decision.
"Pete, you got somewhere quiet where we could sit down?" he asked.
Pete led him to the back office where there was a couch and gestured while he pulled out a beer and offered it to Xander. He refused a beer but took a proffered soda, instead, as Pete settled down behind his desk, popped the top and listened.
Xander explained the entire story, taking some extra time to explain about the existence of demons and other supernatural creatures, as well as about the Hellmouth and the Pentagram Guardians, to the immortal ex-cop and watched his face as he took this in.
When he was done, Pete simply asked, "How can I help?"
Xander thought for a couple minutes and an idea came to mind.
"Being an ex-cop, how much do you know about automotive security systems?" he asked.
"Well, I went to Denver right after I died the first time and worked at a place there installing and repairing them. Still certified on about a dozen makes of them. Why?"
"Well, we need a good cover here, so when the detail shop closes down, do you think you could convert it to an auto security company?" Xander asked.
"Sure, not a problem, but you'll want to add car audio to the mix as well. It'll provide a better cover, there's not enough business with just alarms by themselves," Pete pointed out.
"Good idea. If you're interested, you could also take care of the vehicles that we have as well. There'll be ten of us, and I'm sure we will all have personal vehicles to be maintained," Xander added.
"Not a prob. Now give me some time to think about this and, once I work out the details of what needs to be done, we can get things in motion," Pete told him, his mind cranking over the details of what needed to be done.
Xander left Malloy's confident that his new friend would do everything that needed to be done. His thoughts turned to Giles and what he would say about his plan. Although he was doing this on his own, he valued greatly what the man who was almost a father to him thought.
~~~~~**********~~~~~
Two Weeks Later
Headquarters, Guardian Security
Sunnydale Ca.
July 24th 2002, 12:20 PM
While the construction crew was at lunch, Xander was walking through the building, explaining to Giles what was being done, and the reasoning behind it. The fourteen apartments on the fourth floor were nearing completion, as were the armory and gymnasium on the third floor. On the fifth floor, Jarod Parker, a man that Willow had previously met on the Internet several years before, was getting the computer and communications equipment set up and working. The man was an absolute genius with this stuff, and he had helped Xander and Giles design the rest of the floor, the offices, briefing rooms and everything else a black ops group would need.
On the second floor, the offices of Mystical Research Inc. were nearing completion, their computers and other equipment also installed by Jarod. Giles would be running the new company with Willow on their off time. No one expected much business there, but it allowed a much safer archive for Giles' rarer books and scrolls.
Giles' head was still spinning from all the corporations listed under his name now, and he was finding himself hard pressed to deal with all this new information.
Guardian Security Inc., another new company, also had its headquarters on the second floor. They provided bodyguard services for celebrities, the wealthy and other people or firms desiring the best in professional protection, employing Immortals who did not play the game and had been recruited by Pete Malloy. They also did automotive security and tracking, with installations in the former detail shop.
The first floor was taken up by several small businesses, The Magic Box had been moved here, and it was joined by a Pizza place, a place offering Japanese cuisine, a Hair Salon, Hobby Store, and Self Defense School.
The parking garage in the basement had been divided, with half being secured for use only by the Guardians.
When the two male Scoobies finally came down the elevator and exited the building, they found Buffy waiting for them.
"Mom wants both of you to come to dinner tonight, and she said that she would not take no for an answer," the petite blonde informed them.
Xander and Giles both looked at each other, shrugged and Giles answered for both of them.
"Of course, Buffy, we'll be glad to come."
"Good. Now what the heck is going on here?" she demanded.
Xander nodded to the older man, signifying his okay to tell her the story, then walked over to his bike, got on and rode off, leaving the other two alone.
"He hates me," Buffy said sadly, as she watched Xander ride off. "I can tell."
"I don't think that it is possible for Xander to hate you, Buffy," Giles disagreed with her. "I don't think his love for you will ever fade away, but he has been badly hurt by you so many times and in so many ways, that I don't know how long it will take him to get over it."
~~~~~**********~~~~~
The Summers Home
Sunnydale Ca.
July 24th 2002, 6:00 PM
Buffy anxiously fluffed the couch pillows as she waited for Giles and Xander to show up. She had been nervous about this dinner all day. The level of tension between her and Xander seemed to have increased over the last week, if that were possible.
Buffy had never been one to share her problems with others, and for her to try to explain to her friends what it had felt like to have been ripped out of heaven didn't seem possible. Only Spike, being undead, seemed to have understood, or at least pretended to. Her relationship with him was a mistake from the start.
As she looked back, she could see where Xander's resentment stemmed from. She was the Slayer, the Chosen One, the ultimate Nemesis of vampires and demons, but she seemed to prefer sleeping with them, instead.
Shaking her head with self-disgust, she returned to the kitchen to help her mom.
Buffy had just finished tossing the salad when she heard the deep rumble of a powerful engine pull into the driveway. Dawn's squeal of excitement told her that Xander and Giles had finally arrived.
Buffy and Joyce joined Dawn outside, looking at the car that their guests had arrived in. The Slayer listened in as Xander explained the finer points of the car to Dawn. She didn't understand most of it, but she did get the idea that it was really fast.
"It's a 1969 Camaro SS, with a 350 Cubic inch engine that has been tricked out to delivering about 500 horsepower, a B & M 4 speed automatic transmission, tuned suspension, and nitrous injection, should I ever need it," Xander explained to the youngest Summers.
"Yes, it's quite fast, thank you very much," sighed Giles.
Everyone laughed at Giles' discomfort as they entered the house.
Dinner was a bit strained, but went without a hitch, at least until the topic of Buffy's patrolling came up. Dawn had asked Buffy whether Xander would be patrolling with her that night, and the Slayer had automatically said that she was fine on her own; she didn't want anything to happen to Xander.
Xander had taken that as Buffy's automatic dismissal of his value.
He carried his dishes in to the kitchen and stood looking out the window to the back yard, anger radiating off him in almost visible waves.
And of course, Buffy being Buffy, she had to follow him.
"Xander, I didn't mean it like that," she began.
"Then how did you mean it?" he snapped.
"It was just automatic. You know, from back when you were normal," she said, realizing her mistake as soon as the words left her mouth.
"Yeah, back when I was worthless. Tell me, Buffy, did I ever mean anything to you?" he asked.
In the dining room, where they could hear every word, everyone was looking at each other, wondering just how bad it was going to be.
"You've always been my best male friend, Xander. And recently, I realized that I loved you. I just have always wanted to protect you and Willow from what could happen. I never wanted you to die as a result of my calling. I realize it was wrong, but I thought it was best. I know that I hurt you, but I really just wanted to protect you," Buffy explained.
"Do you still think I need to be protected, Buff?" he asked.
"I don't know. I mean, I know what you are, but part of me still wants you safe," She replied, somewhat unsure of what he meant, exactly.
Xander picked up a sharp knife and held his arm over the sink, and then, before Buffy could react, sliced his arm from inside the elbow all the way to the wrist. Blood flowed freely into the sink. Buffy screamed, and the rest of them ran into the kitchen.
"Xander, are you crazy?" Buffy demanded, as she frantically reached for a towel.
Joyce looked faint as she watched the blood flow.
"Watch, Buffy. Just watch," Xander ordered.
Buffy was mesmerized as the flow of blood first slowed, and then stopped completely. Tiny flashes of lightning sparkled over the wound, and in less than a minute, the wound was gone completely, leaving clean unmarked skin.
Xander turned the water on and rinsed his arm off, and the rest of the sink as well, leaving no trace of blood to upset Joyce.
He dried his arm on the towel in Buffy's hands, then took her hand in his and rubbed her fingers over the area where the wound was.
"Do you understand now, Buffy?" he asked sadly.
Buffy looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Are you still human?" she asked.
"Does it make a difference, Buff? That never stopped you before," Xander replied, realizing immediately that he had just hurt her badly.
Buffy stiffened as if he had just slapped her, shocked at what her best friend just said.
"Look, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. Giles, can you find a way home?" Xander asked as he started to leave.
Giles nodded and Xander fled the home. Seconds later, they heard the powerful car start up and tear off down the street.
Buffy hadn't moved; she just stood there, tears running down her cheeks.
~~~~~**********~~~~~
The Magic Box
Sunnydale Ca.
August 1st 2002, 6:00 PM
Another week had passed since Xander and Buffy's fight, and things had not improved in the least, with of them both going out of their way to avoid the other.
Xander was in the training room at The Magic Box, working out with a complicated sword kata, light flashing from the polished surface of the Cavalry Saber in his hands as he stepped through the routine.
Willow stood of to one side, watching her oldest friend intently, saddened at his inability to make peace with Buffy.
As he finished, Willow tossed him a towel and handed him a bottle of water.
"That was beautiful Xan. Where did you learn it?" she asked.
"It was one of the memories I picked up when I became a Guardian. I'm not sure whose it is, but I have learned to enjoy it. It's very relaxing," he answered.
"Xander, I wish…" Willow started.
Xander pressed his finger down onto his friend's lips.
"Don't start, Wills. What happened between me and Buffy is our business. When the time is right, we'll deal with it, not before. Okay?" he asked.
Willow nodded her head, then got up to leave.
"Just so you know. We have most of the packing done, and can start moving as soon as the new place is ready. Giles guesses we'll be ready in a couple days. Then we'll need to order stuff for Mystical Research to get it started," Willow informed him, walking out of the room.
\\When and how did my life get so screwed up? // Xander asked himself.
~~~~~**********~~~~~
Village of Greyrock
Gwynedd, 11 Kingdoms
August 1st 1174
Crown Prince Morgan Haldane rode his sweat streaked stallion into the village as dusk deepened, his guards' mounts right at his heels, as his eyes swept the ruined village for the monster described by the exhausted villager.
The description given to them was of an extremely tall, thick through the body creature, with no neck and a huge mouth which it used to eat whatever or whomever it grabbed. Long arms tipped with clawed fingers that could tear the heart out of a leather armored man, and short stubby legs that propelled it along its grizzly track completed the picture.
Morgan signaled his men to dismount and drew the huge bastard sword from its scabbard. He handed the reigns to his squire and moved out toward the village square.
He could feel the creature watching them but could not sense its location. Then suddenly, it was in their midst, its frightful claws reeking havoc on his troops, who were unable to fight back as their swords failed to damage the fearful hide of the monster.
Morgan brought all of the memories of what he had been told about this village to the forefront of his mind, and sifted though the information, trying to find anything useful. He recalled that there was a Portal here, one that had been constructed by his father's cousin Dhugal years ago. He pinpointed its location and filed it away for future use.
He tried several illusions spells, only to have them fail, the creature seemingly immune to them. Twice, he tried calling down lightning, but again, had no luck.
Several more of his men had fallen as he had worked his magic, and it was time to make a decision. Morgan jumped up toward the creature and swung the heavy sword at its back, only to have it glance off the tough, stiff hide.
He directed those of his men with shields to steer it near the Portal, in the hopes he could send it away, but was disappointed when it refused to approach any closer to the Portal.
Mindful of his men and his duty, Morgan sheathed his sword, and pulled his gloves tight.
"When I give the signal, attack from both sides. I'm going to try to drive it into the Portal and send it away," Morgan instructed his remaining men.
"Yes, my prince," replied the Captain of the Guard.
Morgan studied it, and then crouched, wanting to hit the creature low, and drive it up into the Portal. Once the creature's attention was distracted, Morgan attacked. Launching himself forward and upward with his powerful legs, Morgan hit the creature in its sternum with his shoulder. Foul breath was driven from its lungs as Morgan drove it back into the Portal.
The creature screamed when it felt the magic of the Portal begin to surround it, and fought desperately to get away. Morgan only held it tighter and drove it further into the Portal. Knowing that he could not let go and trigger the Portal at the same time, Morgan did the only thing he could.
His mind pictured a black void, empty of everything, as he triggered the Portal.
The Captain of the Guard watched the flash of the Portal, and realized what his liege had done. He was the one who would have to bear the news to the King that his son was dead.
~~~~~**********~~~~~
White Room
Unknown Location
Morgan found himself awake and unharmed.
He was in a pure white room with some strange lights and furniture, and when he looked, he found that all of his clothing were white as well.
\\ Is this the heaven that the church talks of? // he wondered to himself.
Morgan wandered about the room, looking over and touching the strange furniture and fixtures. He examined the mirror and found the image of himself dressed all in white rather humorous. Back in Gwynedd, he had often been called the Black Warlock, or just Warlock. A name given to him by the enemies of the realm to whom he showed no mercy. Suddenly, he felt as if he were being watched, and turned to find a strange creature, in even stranger clothes, observing him.
He reached down to draw his sword, but a wave of the hand from the creature prevented that. He then sent out a bit of his Deryni power. The creature merely looked at Morgan, not reacting at all, and Morgan was unable to get any feelings or sensations at all.
"Don't get all excited, Morgan Haldane, you are in no danger here," the creature told him. "My name's Whistler, I'm a Balance Demon, and I was sent to talk to you by 'The Powers That Be.'"
"Who are these "Powers That Be' and what do they want with me?" the Deryni demanded.
"They are the ones who oversee everything, the good, the bad, everything," Whistler replied.
"Where am I and why am I here?" Morgan again demanded.
"This is, for lack of a better term, Limbo. The place where you go when you die before it's determined where your final destination lies," explained Whistler.
Morgan inhaled sharply; he was facing judgment. Thinking back over how he had lived his short life, he felt satisfied. If his deadliness in battle was a sin, then he was ready to face his fate.
"I am ready to face judgment," Morgan said, standing proudly.
"Well, it's a little more complicated than that," Whistler told him. "It seems that your destiny is not complete yet. There is more for you to do."
"So, I will be returning home?" asked Morgan.
"No, there is need for your abilities in another realm, one where you will become an Immortal Champion. You will be joined by nine other champions, and will defend the realm from the forces of darkness," Whistler said, carefully observing Morgan's reactions.
Morgan turned away, deep in thought, the words of his father running through his mind. \\ Many men seek their true destiny, but those who find it, and embrace it, live life to the fullest. It was destined that your mother and I marry, but by embracing it, we found that we could truly love each other and be happy. //
Straightening, Morgan turned back to Whistler.
"What do I need to do?" he asked.
"You need to do nothing, I need to impart some knowledge to you. The realm you are going to is in the future, and far more advanced than what you are familiar with, and without this knowledge you would likely be very confused. I also need to give you this," said Whistler, putting his hand on the point of Morgan's right shoulder.
There was a small flash of light, and when he removed his hands, Morgan could see a blue winged pentagram symbol there.
Whistler then placed his hands on the sides of Morgan's head and once more his hands glowed. When he pulled them away, Morgan staggered back for a moment before straightening up.
"You are right, it is a very strange place, even when I know what I am to expect," Morgan agreed.
Whistler then walked over to the large mirror and passed his hand over it. In it, a scene appeared of a young blonde girl walking through a graveyard with nothing more than a pointed stick for defense. Morgan started to say something, when a creature that his newly received knowledge identified as a vampire, attacked her. The girl spun and kicked him, then, when he was on the ground, stabbed him in the heart with the stake she carried. Morgan started when the creature turned to dust.
"Vampires always do that when they are destroyed. The young woman you just saw is the slayer, Buffy Summers. She is one of those you need to contact when you arrive," Whistler said, waving his hand again.
This time, a vortex appeared in the room.
"When you step through that, you will be transported to the graveyard where Buffy is. You can contact her then," Whistler explained.
Morgan looked at the balance demon, then stepped into the vortex.
Whistler watched for a few minutes in the mirror, wincing when Buffy made contact with the new Immortal, and then blanked the mirror.
"That's gotta hurt," he commented, as he faded away.
~~~~~**********~~~~~
Clearhaven Cemetery
Sunnydale, Ca.
August 2nd 2002, 12:30 AM
Buffy had just finished off a single vampire minutes ago when she was jumped by five more. Even with Slayer abilities, five to one was not good odds unless your head was in the game, and hers had not been there for the last week.
Xander's comment had hurt her. She suspected he knew how badly, but it had left her confused and feeling alone.
She let go with a sweeping roundhouse kick on the closest one, bring him to his knees. A back side kick to another one gave her some breathing room, and she used it to finish off the first one, dusting him easily.
She was knocked down by another dressed all in denim, but she leapt back to her feet and snap kicked him away, giving her enough room to dust a second. A female vamp jumped on her back and screamed in her ears, un-nerving her for a moment before she grabbed the vamp's head and pulled her off. Still holding the small female vampire, Buffy saw a plant stake sticking out of the ground and she tossed the vamp so that it landed on the stake. Number three was now accounted for.
Buffy targeted the remaining vampire and launched into a series of punches and kicks that drove it back into the wall of a crypt. Before she could dust the vamp, Buffy felt an unknown presence close behind her and she whirled swiftly, hammering a stake into the chest of the large vamp behind her. The stake came out of her hand as she turned back to the one against the crypt, but she pulled another out of her pocket and drove it into his chest. A soft poof was heard as he turned to dust.
She turned around to check behind her and tripped over a body on the ground.
As she got up, she noticed that there was a stake protruding from its chest, and blood stained the leather armor of the man.
\\ OH MY GOD! // Buffy gasped. \\ I've killed a human, I killed a man, //
The remaining vampire ran off before the slayer could turn on him, unaware of the turmoil the slayer was going through, and missing the chance to kill her.
For long minutes, Buffy stared at the body in shock. Tentatively, she reached out to check for a pulse, knowing beforehand that there would be none. The man's dead eyes stared at her sightlessly as she sat, too shocked to function.
Finally, not knowing what else to do, she picked up the body and carried it to the parking lot, where she put it in the back of her mom's jeep Cherokee and drove home.
When she pulled in the driveway she shut down the car and sat for a moment.
Finally, she walked up to the door and unlocked it, then returned to the car where she lifted out the body and carried it into the house. Without even trying to think of a better place, she laid it haphazardly on the dining room table.
She had just picked up the phone to call Giles when the lights turned on, and her mother and Dawn stood there, looking at the body on the table.
Buffy pushed the speed dial button programmed for Giles number.
\\ Hello? Buffy? What is the problem? // came the sleepy voice at the other end.
"Giles, can you come over here right away? Please? I've just killed a man, a human man!" she said, her voice clearly conveying her distraught state.
TBC
The Following TV Series or books have been included in the story.
Disclaimers appear at the end with the cast list.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Angel the Series
Highlander Adam 12
Louis Lamour's The First Fast Draw The Deryni Series by Katherine Kurtz
Special guest this story include Jarod from The Pretender.
Last Part
"Damn kid, I don't know who your friends are, but you've got a deal," Jim said as he handed the card back to Xander. "I am so relieved to be able to finish this. This was going to be my step up to the next level of construction. You've saved me from ruin, Xander." he smiled.
Xander left the trailer, promising to be back the next morning around 10:00. He got on the bike, intending to head back to the store when he impulsively decided to check out Malloy's Performance Center. After parking the bike out front and entering the shop, he felt a buzzing in his head that he knew had to be the result of another immortal in close proximity.
Glancing at the counter in the back of the store, he saw a youthful looking man holding a sword.
"My name is Pete Malloy. I'm not looking for a fight, but I'll be glad to give you one if you are!"
Part 7
Malloy's Performance Center
Sunnydale Ca.
July 12th 2002, 4:30 PM
Xander backpedaled a bit, holding his hands out to his sides. \\ Well, this definitely complicates things. //
"Whoa! I'm not here for a fight," he offered, holding his coat open to show he was unarmed. "I'm not even armed."
"Well, then, you're a bigger fool than most I have met," Pete said ,as he put away his sword. "What are you here for, then?"
"I just bought this block of land from Jim Brubaker, and he suggested I stop by and introduce myself to you," Xander replied.
"Well shit," was all Pete had to say.
"Look, I'm not here to evict you or raise your rent or anything, I just wanted to say hello," Xander explained.
"So why in the hell are you running around without a sword? Are you trying to make some Immortal's day?" Pete asked him in a puzzled voice.
"Not really, just don't have one yet. I only found out about our existence a few days ago," Xander told him.
"Who's your teacher?" Pete questioned.
"Teacher? What do I need a teacher for?" Xander returned, slightly confused.
"Who told you, that you were an Immortal, kid?" Pete pushed.
Xander was beginning to wonder where all of this was going when he realized that usually an Immortal was discovered only by another Immortal, and they normally either killed the newbie, or ended up teaching them the skills to survive.
"Look, it's really complicated, and you really don't want to know. Trust me," Xander offered.
"I'll let it go for now, kid, but eventually I will figure it out," Pete said. "So, what did you mean when you said that 'This complicates things'?"
"Oh shit, I didn't think I said it out loud," Xander groaned.
"Well, you did. Listen, kid, I was a LA patrol cop for fifteen years before I got my gold shield and became a detective. If you think you're going to pull a fast one on me, you got another think coming," Pete warned.
Xander weighed his options here and, based on his gut feelings, made a decision.
"Pete, you got somewhere quiet where we could sit down?" he asked.
Pete led him to the back office where there was a couch and gestured while he pulled out a beer and offered it to Xander. He refused a beer but took a proffered soda, instead, as Pete settled down behind his desk, popped the top and listened.
Xander explained the entire story, taking some extra time to explain about the existence of demons and other supernatural creatures, as well as about the Hellmouth and the Pentagram Guardians, to the immortal ex-cop and watched his face as he took this in.
When he was done, Pete simply asked, "How can I help?"
Xander thought for a couple minutes and an idea came to mind.
"Being an ex-cop, how much do you know about automotive security systems?" he asked.
"Well, I went to Denver right after I died the first time and worked at a place there installing and repairing them. Still certified on about a dozen makes of them. Why?"
"Well, we need a good cover here, so when the detail shop closes down, do you think you could convert it to an auto security company?" Xander asked.
"Sure, not a problem, but you'll want to add car audio to the mix as well. It'll provide a better cover, there's not enough business with just alarms by themselves," Pete pointed out.
"Good idea. If you're interested, you could also take care of the vehicles that we have as well. There'll be ten of us, and I'm sure we will all have personal vehicles to be maintained," Xander added.
"Not a prob. Now give me some time to think about this and, once I work out the details of what needs to be done, we can get things in motion," Pete told him, his mind cranking over the details of what needed to be done.
Xander left Malloy's confident that his new friend would do everything that needed to be done. His thoughts turned to Giles and what he would say about his plan. Although he was doing this on his own, he valued greatly what the man who was almost a father to him thought.
~~~~~**********~~~~~
Two Weeks Later
Headquarters, Guardian Security
Sunnydale Ca.
July 24th 2002, 12:20 PM
While the construction crew was at lunch, Xander was walking through the building, explaining to Giles what was being done, and the reasoning behind it. The fourteen apartments on the fourth floor were nearing completion, as were the armory and gymnasium on the third floor. On the fifth floor, Jarod Parker, a man that Willow had previously met on the Internet several years before, was getting the computer and communications equipment set up and working. The man was an absolute genius with this stuff, and he had helped Xander and Giles design the rest of the floor, the offices, briefing rooms and everything else a black ops group would need.
On the second floor, the offices of Mystical Research Inc. were nearing completion, their computers and other equipment also installed by Jarod. Giles would be running the new company with Willow on their off time. No one expected much business there, but it allowed a much safer archive for Giles' rarer books and scrolls.
Giles' head was still spinning from all the corporations listed under his name now, and he was finding himself hard pressed to deal with all this new information.
Guardian Security Inc., another new company, also had its headquarters on the second floor. They provided bodyguard services for celebrities, the wealthy and other people or firms desiring the best in professional protection, employing Immortals who did not play the game and had been recruited by Pete Malloy. They also did automotive security and tracking, with installations in the former detail shop.
The first floor was taken up by several small businesses, The Magic Box had been moved here, and it was joined by a Pizza place, a place offering Japanese cuisine, a Hair Salon, Hobby Store, and Self Defense School.
The parking garage in the basement had been divided, with half being secured for use only by the Guardians.
When the two male Scoobies finally came down the elevator and exited the building, they found Buffy waiting for them.
"Mom wants both of you to come to dinner tonight, and she said that she would not take no for an answer," the petite blonde informed them.
Xander and Giles both looked at each other, shrugged and Giles answered for both of them.
"Of course, Buffy, we'll be glad to come."
"Good. Now what the heck is going on here?" she demanded.
Xander nodded to the older man, signifying his okay to tell her the story, then walked over to his bike, got on and rode off, leaving the other two alone.
"He hates me," Buffy said sadly, as she watched Xander ride off. "I can tell."
"I don't think that it is possible for Xander to hate you, Buffy," Giles disagreed with her. "I don't think his love for you will ever fade away, but he has been badly hurt by you so many times and in so many ways, that I don't know how long it will take him to get over it."
~~~~~**********~~~~~
The Summers Home
Sunnydale Ca.
July 24th 2002, 6:00 PM
Buffy anxiously fluffed the couch pillows as she waited for Giles and Xander to show up. She had been nervous about this dinner all day. The level of tension between her and Xander seemed to have increased over the last week, if that were possible.
Buffy had never been one to share her problems with others, and for her to try to explain to her friends what it had felt like to have been ripped out of heaven didn't seem possible. Only Spike, being undead, seemed to have understood, or at least pretended to. Her relationship with him was a mistake from the start.
As she looked back, she could see where Xander's resentment stemmed from. She was the Slayer, the Chosen One, the ultimate Nemesis of vampires and demons, but she seemed to prefer sleeping with them, instead.
Shaking her head with self-disgust, she returned to the kitchen to help her mom.
Buffy had just finished tossing the salad when she heard the deep rumble of a powerful engine pull into the driveway. Dawn's squeal of excitement told her that Xander and Giles had finally arrived.
Buffy and Joyce joined Dawn outside, looking at the car that their guests had arrived in. The Slayer listened in as Xander explained the finer points of the car to Dawn. She didn't understand most of it, but she did get the idea that it was really fast.
"It's a 1969 Camaro SS, with a 350 Cubic inch engine that has been tricked out to delivering about 500 horsepower, a B & M 4 speed automatic transmission, tuned suspension, and nitrous injection, should I ever need it," Xander explained to the youngest Summers.
"Yes, it's quite fast, thank you very much," sighed Giles.
Everyone laughed at Giles' discomfort as they entered the house.
Dinner was a bit strained, but went without a hitch, at least until the topic of Buffy's patrolling came up. Dawn had asked Buffy whether Xander would be patrolling with her that night, and the Slayer had automatically said that she was fine on her own; she didn't want anything to happen to Xander.
Xander had taken that as Buffy's automatic dismissal of his value.
He carried his dishes in to the kitchen and stood looking out the window to the back yard, anger radiating off him in almost visible waves.
And of course, Buffy being Buffy, she had to follow him.
"Xander, I didn't mean it like that," she began.
"Then how did you mean it?" he snapped.
"It was just automatic. You know, from back when you were normal," she said, realizing her mistake as soon as the words left her mouth.
"Yeah, back when I was worthless. Tell me, Buffy, did I ever mean anything to you?" he asked.
In the dining room, where they could hear every word, everyone was looking at each other, wondering just how bad it was going to be.
"You've always been my best male friend, Xander. And recently, I realized that I loved you. I just have always wanted to protect you and Willow from what could happen. I never wanted you to die as a result of my calling. I realize it was wrong, but I thought it was best. I know that I hurt you, but I really just wanted to protect you," Buffy explained.
"Do you still think I need to be protected, Buff?" he asked.
"I don't know. I mean, I know what you are, but part of me still wants you safe," She replied, somewhat unsure of what he meant, exactly.
Xander picked up a sharp knife and held his arm over the sink, and then, before Buffy could react, sliced his arm from inside the elbow all the way to the wrist. Blood flowed freely into the sink. Buffy screamed, and the rest of them ran into the kitchen.
"Xander, are you crazy?" Buffy demanded, as she frantically reached for a towel.
Joyce looked faint as she watched the blood flow.
"Watch, Buffy. Just watch," Xander ordered.
Buffy was mesmerized as the flow of blood first slowed, and then stopped completely. Tiny flashes of lightning sparkled over the wound, and in less than a minute, the wound was gone completely, leaving clean unmarked skin.
Xander turned the water on and rinsed his arm off, and the rest of the sink as well, leaving no trace of blood to upset Joyce.
He dried his arm on the towel in Buffy's hands, then took her hand in his and rubbed her fingers over the area where the wound was.
"Do you understand now, Buffy?" he asked sadly.
Buffy looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Are you still human?" she asked.
"Does it make a difference, Buff? That never stopped you before," Xander replied, realizing immediately that he had just hurt her badly.
Buffy stiffened as if he had just slapped her, shocked at what her best friend just said.
"Look, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. Giles, can you find a way home?" Xander asked as he started to leave.
Giles nodded and Xander fled the home. Seconds later, they heard the powerful car start up and tear off down the street.
Buffy hadn't moved; she just stood there, tears running down her cheeks.
~~~~~**********~~~~~
The Magic Box
Sunnydale Ca.
August 1st 2002, 6:00 PM
Another week had passed since Xander and Buffy's fight, and things had not improved in the least, with of them both going out of their way to avoid the other.
Xander was in the training room at The Magic Box, working out with a complicated sword kata, light flashing from the polished surface of the Cavalry Saber in his hands as he stepped through the routine.
Willow stood of to one side, watching her oldest friend intently, saddened at his inability to make peace with Buffy.
As he finished, Willow tossed him a towel and handed him a bottle of water.
"That was beautiful Xan. Where did you learn it?" she asked.
"It was one of the memories I picked up when I became a Guardian. I'm not sure whose it is, but I have learned to enjoy it. It's very relaxing," he answered.
"Xander, I wish…" Willow started.
Xander pressed his finger down onto his friend's lips.
"Don't start, Wills. What happened between me and Buffy is our business. When the time is right, we'll deal with it, not before. Okay?" he asked.
Willow nodded her head, then got up to leave.
"Just so you know. We have most of the packing done, and can start moving as soon as the new place is ready. Giles guesses we'll be ready in a couple days. Then we'll need to order stuff for Mystical Research to get it started," Willow informed him, walking out of the room.
\\When and how did my life get so screwed up? // Xander asked himself.
~~~~~**********~~~~~
Village of Greyrock
Gwynedd, 11 Kingdoms
August 1st 1174
Crown Prince Morgan Haldane rode his sweat streaked stallion into the village as dusk deepened, his guards' mounts right at his heels, as his eyes swept the ruined village for the monster described by the exhausted villager.
The description given to them was of an extremely tall, thick through the body creature, with no neck and a huge mouth which it used to eat whatever or whomever it grabbed. Long arms tipped with clawed fingers that could tear the heart out of a leather armored man, and short stubby legs that propelled it along its grizzly track completed the picture.
Morgan signaled his men to dismount and drew the huge bastard sword from its scabbard. He handed the reigns to his squire and moved out toward the village square.
He could feel the creature watching them but could not sense its location. Then suddenly, it was in their midst, its frightful claws reeking havoc on his troops, who were unable to fight back as their swords failed to damage the fearful hide of the monster.
Morgan brought all of the memories of what he had been told about this village to the forefront of his mind, and sifted though the information, trying to find anything useful. He recalled that there was a Portal here, one that had been constructed by his father's cousin Dhugal years ago. He pinpointed its location and filed it away for future use.
He tried several illusions spells, only to have them fail, the creature seemingly immune to them. Twice, he tried calling down lightning, but again, had no luck.
Several more of his men had fallen as he had worked his magic, and it was time to make a decision. Morgan jumped up toward the creature and swung the heavy sword at its back, only to have it glance off the tough, stiff hide.
He directed those of his men with shields to steer it near the Portal, in the hopes he could send it away, but was disappointed when it refused to approach any closer to the Portal.
Mindful of his men and his duty, Morgan sheathed his sword, and pulled his gloves tight.
"When I give the signal, attack from both sides. I'm going to try to drive it into the Portal and send it away," Morgan instructed his remaining men.
"Yes, my prince," replied the Captain of the Guard.
Morgan studied it, and then crouched, wanting to hit the creature low, and drive it up into the Portal. Once the creature's attention was distracted, Morgan attacked. Launching himself forward and upward with his powerful legs, Morgan hit the creature in its sternum with his shoulder. Foul breath was driven from its lungs as Morgan drove it back into the Portal.
The creature screamed when it felt the magic of the Portal begin to surround it, and fought desperately to get away. Morgan only held it tighter and drove it further into the Portal. Knowing that he could not let go and trigger the Portal at the same time, Morgan did the only thing he could.
His mind pictured a black void, empty of everything, as he triggered the Portal.
The Captain of the Guard watched the flash of the Portal, and realized what his liege had done. He was the one who would have to bear the news to the King that his son was dead.
~~~~~**********~~~~~
White Room
Unknown Location
Morgan found himself awake and unharmed.
He was in a pure white room with some strange lights and furniture, and when he looked, he found that all of his clothing were white as well.
\\ Is this the heaven that the church talks of? // he wondered to himself.
Morgan wandered about the room, looking over and touching the strange furniture and fixtures. He examined the mirror and found the image of himself dressed all in white rather humorous. Back in Gwynedd, he had often been called the Black Warlock, or just Warlock. A name given to him by the enemies of the realm to whom he showed no mercy. Suddenly, he felt as if he were being watched, and turned to find a strange creature, in even stranger clothes, observing him.
He reached down to draw his sword, but a wave of the hand from the creature prevented that. He then sent out a bit of his Deryni power. The creature merely looked at Morgan, not reacting at all, and Morgan was unable to get any feelings or sensations at all.
"Don't get all excited, Morgan Haldane, you are in no danger here," the creature told him. "My name's Whistler, I'm a Balance Demon, and I was sent to talk to you by 'The Powers That Be.'"
"Who are these "Powers That Be' and what do they want with me?" the Deryni demanded.
"They are the ones who oversee everything, the good, the bad, everything," Whistler replied.
"Where am I and why am I here?" Morgan again demanded.
"This is, for lack of a better term, Limbo. The place where you go when you die before it's determined where your final destination lies," explained Whistler.
Morgan inhaled sharply; he was facing judgment. Thinking back over how he had lived his short life, he felt satisfied. If his deadliness in battle was a sin, then he was ready to face his fate.
"I am ready to face judgment," Morgan said, standing proudly.
"Well, it's a little more complicated than that," Whistler told him. "It seems that your destiny is not complete yet. There is more for you to do."
"So, I will be returning home?" asked Morgan.
"No, there is need for your abilities in another realm, one where you will become an Immortal Champion. You will be joined by nine other champions, and will defend the realm from the forces of darkness," Whistler said, carefully observing Morgan's reactions.
Morgan turned away, deep in thought, the words of his father running through his mind. \\ Many men seek their true destiny, but those who find it, and embrace it, live life to the fullest. It was destined that your mother and I marry, but by embracing it, we found that we could truly love each other and be happy. //
Straightening, Morgan turned back to Whistler.
"What do I need to do?" he asked.
"You need to do nothing, I need to impart some knowledge to you. The realm you are going to is in the future, and far more advanced than what you are familiar with, and without this knowledge you would likely be very confused. I also need to give you this," said Whistler, putting his hand on the point of Morgan's right shoulder.
There was a small flash of light, and when he removed his hands, Morgan could see a blue winged pentagram symbol there.
Whistler then placed his hands on the sides of Morgan's head and once more his hands glowed. When he pulled them away, Morgan staggered back for a moment before straightening up.
"You are right, it is a very strange place, even when I know what I am to expect," Morgan agreed.
Whistler then walked over to the large mirror and passed his hand over it. In it, a scene appeared of a young blonde girl walking through a graveyard with nothing more than a pointed stick for defense. Morgan started to say something, when a creature that his newly received knowledge identified as a vampire, attacked her. The girl spun and kicked him, then, when he was on the ground, stabbed him in the heart with the stake she carried. Morgan started when the creature turned to dust.
"Vampires always do that when they are destroyed. The young woman you just saw is the slayer, Buffy Summers. She is one of those you need to contact when you arrive," Whistler said, waving his hand again.
This time, a vortex appeared in the room.
"When you step through that, you will be transported to the graveyard where Buffy is. You can contact her then," Whistler explained.
Morgan looked at the balance demon, then stepped into the vortex.
Whistler watched for a few minutes in the mirror, wincing when Buffy made contact with the new Immortal, and then blanked the mirror.
"That's gotta hurt," he commented, as he faded away.
~~~~~**********~~~~~
Clearhaven Cemetery
Sunnydale, Ca.
August 2nd 2002, 12:30 AM
Buffy had just finished off a single vampire minutes ago when she was jumped by five more. Even with Slayer abilities, five to one was not good odds unless your head was in the game, and hers had not been there for the last week.
Xander's comment had hurt her. She suspected he knew how badly, but it had left her confused and feeling alone.
She let go with a sweeping roundhouse kick on the closest one, bring him to his knees. A back side kick to another one gave her some breathing room, and she used it to finish off the first one, dusting him easily.
She was knocked down by another dressed all in denim, but she leapt back to her feet and snap kicked him away, giving her enough room to dust a second. A female vamp jumped on her back and screamed in her ears, un-nerving her for a moment before she grabbed the vamp's head and pulled her off. Still holding the small female vampire, Buffy saw a plant stake sticking out of the ground and she tossed the vamp so that it landed on the stake. Number three was now accounted for.
Buffy targeted the remaining vampire and launched into a series of punches and kicks that drove it back into the wall of a crypt. Before she could dust the vamp, Buffy felt an unknown presence close behind her and she whirled swiftly, hammering a stake into the chest of the large vamp behind her. The stake came out of her hand as she turned back to the one against the crypt, but she pulled another out of her pocket and drove it into his chest. A soft poof was heard as he turned to dust.
She turned around to check behind her and tripped over a body on the ground.
As she got up, she noticed that there was a stake protruding from its chest, and blood stained the leather armor of the man.
\\ OH MY GOD! // Buffy gasped. \\ I've killed a human, I killed a man, //
The remaining vampire ran off before the slayer could turn on him, unaware of the turmoil the slayer was going through, and missing the chance to kill her.
For long minutes, Buffy stared at the body in shock. Tentatively, she reached out to check for a pulse, knowing beforehand that there would be none. The man's dead eyes stared at her sightlessly as she sat, too shocked to function.
Finally, not knowing what else to do, she picked up the body and carried it to the parking lot, where she put it in the back of her mom's jeep Cherokee and drove home.
When she pulled in the driveway she shut down the car and sat for a moment.
Finally, she walked up to the door and unlocked it, then returned to the car where she lifted out the body and carried it into the house. Without even trying to think of a better place, she laid it haphazardly on the dining room table.
She had just picked up the phone to call Giles when the lights turned on, and her mother and Dawn stood there, looking at the body on the table.
Buffy pushed the speed dial button programmed for Giles number.
\\ Hello? Buffy? What is the problem? // came the sleepy voice at the other end.
"Giles, can you come over here right away? Please? I've just killed a man, a human man!" she said, her voice clearly conveying her distraught state.
TBC