*Author's Notes- Sorry for lack of updating people but personal illness and school problems postponed this posting.

Thanks to those who review. And to those who didn't SHAME FOR SHAME! *

Chapter 3: A New Path

~*Xander*~

          Xander awoke with a start. Hearing a scuffle outside he got out of bed a looked out his window.

          Outside his hotel room in the parking lot he saw a blonde woman fighting off what appeared to be two men except with really strange faces. Without thinking about it he raised his window and grabbing his pistol and firing out the window hitting on "man" in the back staggering "him" enough for the woman to sink the piece of wood she held in her hand into his chest.

Quickly closing his window and hiding his stuff to make it look like no one was in his room he clicked off his light hoping the woman wouldn't open the door.

          Listening closely he heard the woman finish off the last vampire in the classic sound of exploding into dust. He could hear the woman as she asked herself where the shot came from. He heard her approach the reception area. Throwing a 100$ bill and a quick note on the table and grabbing his stuff he ran out of his room while she talked to the hotel clerk.

          Getting to the car belonging to the next couple over he opened the door. Leaving the car unlocked in L.A. Morons they deserve to have it stolen. He busted the bottom of the steering column and hotwire the car he drove into the night.

~*Buffy*~

          I just wanted to be left alone. I didn't want to fight anymore she thought as she spin kicked a vamp in the jaw. She made to stab it when a gunshot pierced the air and she saw the vamp stagger. Not one to miss an advantage she stabbed into his heart and was rewarded with the sound of dust exploding. What the fuck was that? Where the hell did the shot come from? She thought, her inner thoughts distracting her enough for the second vamp to land a blow to her stomach. Fighting now, thinking later. She decked the vampire across the jaw with a right hook knocking him back a few steps. Not hesitating for a second she drove her stake into thing. Rewarded once again with the sound of dust falling.

          She stashed her stake back in her pocket and walked to the hotel clerk. He was cowering beneath the counter hoping that it was over. "It's okay now you can come out I fought them off." She told the clerk.

"Oh thank you, thank you so much. They've been grabbing my customers at night and when I reported them to the police the police just told me to stay inside and to hide until dawn." The clerk rushed out.

          "Great. Has anyone checked in here with a gun lately?" She asked him trying to get back on the point of her visit.

          "One dark-haired young man did. Room 118. He hasn't checked out yet so he should still be there." The clerk told her.

          "Thanks." She said as she walked out of the room and toward the far end of rooms. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye as a car sped off into the darkness.

          Knocking on the door and no one answering she pushed slightly harder then the door could take making it open. Looking around the room she saw $100 bill and a small note on the back of the hotel receipt.

          Dear Buffy,

          Sorry for the cat and mouse type game but I know you're not too happy with me.

          Still love ya,

                    Xander.

Xander?!?!?! What the hell why isn't he in SunnyDale? She thought.