Phoenix Chronicles: All My Dreams, Torn Asunder

Summary: Xander tries to stop an invasion; while Cordelia becomes something she thought she would never be… a mother.

By Nodakskip

Beta-Read by Theo

Author's notes: this is only my second attempt to write a long fic. It was easier to do it in script format before with the other parts, but I am now trying regular fic style. denotes thoughts. This starts a few hours after the last chapter, and it will be updated in parts. This is more a character work rather then an all out war fic.

Legal stuff.

Buffy/Angel is owned by Joss and Mutant Enemy Productions.

Highlander is owned by Rysher Entertainment.

Hercules/Xena owned by Renaissance.

Characters from Roswell are owned by 20th Century Fox/ Jason Katims/ Regency.

Characters from SG-1 are owned by Double Secret Productions/Gekko Film Corp.

Characters from Dogma are owned by View Askew Productions.

Characters from Hang Time are owned by Peter Engel Productions/NBC.

Steven St. Wolf/ Wandererverse created by Steve Pantovich.

http://www.wandererverse.com/

The Winters Trilogy/Chase Winters is by Misty Flores.

http://www.stoic-simplicity.net/imperfect/fiction/buffy/wintersser.html

http://www.stoic-simplicity.net/imperfect/

And now on with the show…

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Sunnydale

There were days when all Buffy wanted was to have a nice normal conversation with no heartache, or tears coming out of it. But her current conversation with Willow, as they walked down the sidewalk, was not turning out that way.

"Do you think we were too hard on him?" Willow asked, as they walked.

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, I don't know what to think anymore. Half of me wants to go side by side into battle with Xander..."

"And the other half?"

She watched the cars go by as she answered. "It just wants to keep Xander safe. With him being gone for so long… he means so much to me, Will. He's family. I feel like part of me is, y'know, missing. And seeing that look on his face when he came to the hotel later..."

The Slayer grew angry with herself. "Kristen trusts him so completely. So why do I have trouble believing in him?"

"Well..." Willow began.

"Well, what?"

Willow got nervous. "Maybe you're, uh, trying to hide from your feelings for him."

Buffy stopped. "Feelings for Xander? Are you saying what I-? Hey, I don't have any feelings for him!"

Willow put her hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Maybe you're just trying to knock him down a few pegs, in your eyes. Buffy, your record with guys? It's not the best. And Xander was always the one dependable guy, who was always there for you. Could be you see a guy that you could have had a real long term relationship with, and you're trying to keep him at arm's length to protect yourself from getting involved with him..."

Buffy's eyes go wide. "I do not have feelings for Xander." Willow just stared at her. "Okay! Maybe I did have some tiny feelings, but I'm over that now. Besides, he doesn't have the best record with women himself. And when did you get all Psych 101?"

Willow shrugged. "Well, I did learn something from Professor Walsh. She did have a lot of degrees on the subject..." Buffy glared at her. "But of course, none of that matters, since she was totally evil!"

Buffy relaxed, so Willow went on. "What do ya say we call him up tonight, and talk for hours like we used to do in the old days?"

Buffy smiled warmly. "It has been awhile. But that'll eat up all his cell phone minutes, maybe we could…"

Buffy stopped, as they turned the corner to the school. Five school buses, and dozens of cars were in front of the school. It looked like the entire student body was leaving at once.

"Buffy!"

They turned to see Dawn running to them. "Dawn, what's going on? It's not even noon yet. Why's everyone leaving?"

Dawn could hardly contain herself. "Something big's going down! Principal Wood told everyone to head home."

"Why?"

"The whole town's being evacuated! Everyone has to be out by tonight."

"WHAT?!"

Dawn smiled at her sister's face. "They said that the Department of Homeland Security guys called, they have a threat against Sunnydale."

"A human terrorist plot? What would they do here?" Willow asked, surprised.

Buffy turned to her. "Will, you think you can hack into City Hall to find out?"

Willow nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, sure! I still have a few back door programs that the Mayor didn't find in their system."

Buffy's response was cut off by the noise of several jeeps, Humvees, and trucks coming down the street loaded with soldiers.

"Oh, sure. NOW they come. I get no help when I gotta fight a hellgod, but get a stupid bomb threat and here comes GI Joe." Buffy grumbled.

****

All the Scooby Gang, save for Kit and Carlos, were in Buffy's house. Willow was working on her computer, while everyone else watched the pandemonium going on outside.

Soldiers were everywhere. All the neighbors were tossing suitcases into their cars, as quickly as possible. Anyone who'd lived in town long enough knew that when the government finally took notice of the stuff in Sunnydale, it was time to run.

"Willow, any luck?"

"No, it's so strange! All that's in here says that the Governor called after the Feds called him, but it doesn't list any reason."

"You sure they didn't notice you in there?"

"Sure I'm sure. Even if they did, I'm faking an ISP address from a cyber-cafe in Moscow..."

"I wouldn't be too sure 'bout that, Red," Spike called out from the other room.

"Why?"

Outside a truck, and a Humvee pulled up right in front of the house. Men started for the front door.

Buffy called out, "Everyone out the back, now!"

Willow yelled back, "Buffy, wait! Is that who I think it is?"

Buffy and Spike both went back to look. "Oh, bloody hell!" they both echoed.

Buffy ran over and opened the door, to look at the man in front of her. "Graham?"

The man in question, one Agent Miller turned back to his soldiers. "Wait here." He then came in, closing the door behind him; and his voice grew very cold when he saw Spike. "Hostile 17. How's that soul working out for you?"

Buffy spun him around. "How do you know about that?"

"I was informed by Captain Harris before I came here." He saw everyone's confused looks, and clarified, "Xander?"

Everyone was shocked... everyone, except for Dawn. "Captain Harris, wow," she said with a lustful gleam in her eye.

Buffy rolled her eyes at her. "Dawn!"

"Oh, like you didn't think he was *so* hot during that Halloween night?!"

Graham shook his head. "We don't have time for this, people. I have my orders straight from him. Look, he sent me because you know me."

"You're saying that Xander ordered the evacuation?"

"No, the President ordered it after Harris delivered some classified intel to a member of the Joint Chiefs."

The girls looked at him, lost in confusion again. But Lee wasn't confused, he was just shocked. "He knows a member of the Joint Chiefs?! Damn..."

Graham pulled out a silver portable DVD player, and turned it on. Everyone looked at it, when Xander's face came on the screen.

"Hi guys," his smiling image began, before it sobered up. "No time for explanations here. Something's coming, and it's not a demon, or a hellgod, or a group of vampires. My people and I have to handle it. And if you guys stay in Sunnydale you're gonna get killed, or even worse captured."

A pause. "Look, I know you guys are having difficulties trusting me... why, I personally have no clue. But we don't have time for that now, Sunnydale is about to become a war zone."

Buffy and Willow looked at each other.

The video went on, "A real war zone. This is not a Slayerette problem...well, it is a little, but that's where I come in. The guys I've sent are gonna take you to the airport immediately, to fly you to Los Angeles. You'll stay with Angel, he has plenty of room. And everyone has to go, Buffy. No sending Dawn away to Deadboy, while you and the others stay to fight. Everyone goes, including you. Please, if you ever trusted me at all in your lives, go now. I love you guys, and I need to know you're safe."

Buffy made a surprised face, at learning Xander wanted to keep her safe.

As if he could see her, Xander's image said, "Yes, Buffy. Keeping you safe. I have enough on my mind right now, without wondering if you're all under the rubble somewhere. Go, please." The screen went blank.

"What happens if we don't go willingly?"

"Then we drag you away, kicking and screaming. This is not the Initiative, and we are not playing on your turf anymore. Believe me, you wouldn't stand a chance."

"And you would?' Willow asked.

"A better one than you guys."

Buffy pulled Willow to the side. "What do you think?"

Willow thought for a moment. "You did say you wanted to trust Xander more."

Buffy sighed. "I know. But what if another Adam's loose, and they just want to cover it up?"

"Look, I think we have to trust Xander. Buffy, you know he would never try to order us out of here, if something like that was going on! He would haul ass back here to tell us, and fight alongside us..."

Buffy nodded her head, as she agreed. They turned back to Graham, "We'll go, for now. Just give us a few minutes, to get our stuff together..."

"Negative," he cut her off. "Orders are to evac as soon as possible. Which means now."

"But we need our clothes and womanly things here!"

Graham pulled out a credit card, with Xander's name on it. "Harris said that you can use this. He said it's one of the ones he used, while he was running from the Watchers. There's $35,000 still on it."

"Thirty five thousand?" Willow screeched. "I know Kristen said that Xander took some money from the Council for them to use – but that much?!"

Spike stepped up to everyone. "That's nice 'n all mate, but what about me? Can't really go flying today. I sunburn easily, ya know..."

Graham opened the door, and four soldiers brought in a large, long, and metallic canister. They opened it up to reveal it covered in soft foam, with a pillow.

"You can't be bloody serious!"

Graham pulled out a stake, as he glared at the souled vamp. "Believe me, I have no problems dusting you to save us the trouble. We can do this any way you like."

"Spike, just get in the damn box."

"I bloody will not, Slayer!"

****

A few minutes later Buffy and the others were getting into the Humvee, while the troops were loading the metal box onto the truck.

Had they stayed in the house a few more minutes though, they would have heard the phone ringing. And seen the caller ID saying, A. Investigations.