Title: One For All (6/?)

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link. Plus, archived at

Rating: I'm gonna go say PG.

Spoilers: Up to Graduation, then AU version of events after that.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to the almighty Joss. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Thanks to Xander's sacrifice, the Slayer and Slayerettes can live normal lives... until now.

Author's Note: Read the previous parts -- including the prologue -- or this is not going to make any sense whatsoever.

* * *

"So," Tara said, unsure what else to say now that she had found him.

"So," Xander replied.

"Faith's the Slayer, huh?" she asked.

"One of them," he shrugged.

"She's very pretty."

Xander paused to consider that comment. Tara and Faith? Oddly enough, he could see that working. "What brings you to Sunnydale?"

"You, actually."

"Me?"

She nodded, "Alexander, you... you don't know what my... family... is like." She took a deep breath and said, "Th-they raised me... t-to think... I was a demon. Th-that I w-w-was evil and that... that they could control me, o-or I'd... kill people. A-and I believed them. I-I mean... th-the magic... th-that isn't... normal, you know?"

He nodded wordlessly and pulled her into a comforting hug. This was obviously very difficult for her.

She leaned into his chest and continued quietly, "B-but then... I met you. Y-you saved me from th-those vampires, a-and... you were human. You had... all those powers, and you were still human. I-I began looking around, casting every spell I could find to find out... they lied to me, Alexander."

She sobbed into his shirt, and after a moment, she said, "I... I knew I couldn't stay... but I had nowhere else to go. S-so I started tracking you down."

He pulled back and brushed a lock of hair out of her face, "How long have you been following me?"

"T-two years."

"On the road for two years," he said, stunned. "All alone, all by yourself, just to find me?"

She nodded and whispered, "You're the only one I can turn to."

After a long moment, she spoke again.

"Stay with me tonight, Alexander. Please?"

He blinked, "What? But... Tara..."

"Not... not sex," she quickly reassured him, then amended, "not if you don't want to." Turning a little red, she said, "J-just... I... I don't want to be alone again."

He looked at her carefully, wondering just what sort of hell could put that kind of tremor in her voice. Here was someone who had courageously faced off against a soul-sucking demon that shrugged off blessed fragmentation grenades and fire spells, and she was trembling.

Afraid.

"It's okay," he said, brushing a lock of hair back from her face. "You're not alone, and..." Suddenly, he shoved her back, onto the bed, and threw himself on top of her.

She blinked in surprise as she heard something whiz overhead. Xander held her close and rolled off the bed just as something stabbed into the mattress where they were a moment ago.

Rolling to his feet, he grabbed his sword. Glancing over at the far wall, he noted the dying tongues of fire where the projectiles had struck it.

*Great,* he thought sourly. *Flaming shuriken. It's the super death ninja from _hell_.*

And indeed, the attacker looked like a ninja, complete with all-concealing black outfit and ninjato. A ring gleamed prominently on the ninja's finger. The ninja leaped to the attack, swinging the straight sword at him in a high arc. Xander parried, and the battle was joined.

The ninja trapped Xander's sword against the wall, and with a quick kick, snapped the enchanted blade near the hilt.

"Oh, shit."

Xander backed away and drew his 9mm, calling out, "Tara, get down!"

He snapped off a double tap, but the ninja merely leaped over the bullets. Tracking the Tarakan's aerial arc, Xander fired three more times.

The three bullets whined off the assassin's ninjato as he deflected them, one by one.

Xander dropped the pistol and slapped his hands together on either side of the descending blade, catching the sword and stopping it mere inches from his face.

The ninja leaped back, abandoning the weapon, and drew an identical one from over his shoulder.

"Of _course_ he's got two," Xander muttered irritably as he reversed his grip on the captured weapon. Things were not looking good. This guy was fast, and Xander was still worn out from the battle with Valkorr.

He needed to finish this... and fast.

Xander charged at the assassin, who easily blocked the attack... but Xander grabbed the ninja's wrist and muttered fiercely, "Ignis."

His eyes flashed solid black for a moment as fire spread from beneath Xander's hand across the Tarakan's body. The ninja uttered not a sound -- not even a whimper or gurgle -- as he backed away, still ablaze.

Collapsing to the ground, the ninja's body was soon consumed by the flames. Xander sank to his knees, then crawled over and plucked the ring out of the ashes.

"That's... three," he said, rising to his feet and dropping the ring into his pocket.

"What... what was that?" Tara asked, wide-eyed.

"The reason I can't stay," Xander said grimly. "Someone's contracted the Order of Taraka to kill me. Anyone I'm near is in danger."

"But... I..."

"Talk to Giles and Faith," he said. "They're good people, and they won't turn their backs on you."

With that, he gathered his gear and left.

* * *

"Rupes, Faith, you're all right!" Buffy said, pulling them into a group hug.

"I-indeed," Giles replied. "Wh-what happened?"

"Somebody blew up the Magic Box. Any idea who'd want to blow you to itty bitty bits?"

Giles shook his head, "No, no idea."

* * *

Xander pulled his motorcycle over and glanced at the picture in his locket. It was only at times like this -- when the hopelessness almost seemed to overwhelm him -- that he brought it out. It was a golden locket, and it held a picture of him, Buffy, and Willow, during one of the old guard's rare moments of carefree happiness.

Engraved on the back was a single world: Reasons.

_They_ were his reasons. For living, for fighting, for hunting down every demon or other supernatural critter that preyed on humans. Every life he saved, he saved for their sake, knowing that if it weren't for him, the Powers That Be would find some way to drag them back into the darkness... away from the happiness they deserved.

He closed the locket and tucked it back into his shirt, then looked up at the house across the street and smiled, reassured that one of his Reasons was safe at home. Still, he'd better keep an eye on her. With the Hellmouth opening, it wasn't safe to be out this late at night.

"Always were a workaholic, Wills," he said with a smile.

The smile quickly faded. *Wait a minute...*

* * *

"How many times to I have to tell you?" Willow demanded. "I fell asleep at the desk! Then there was the whole blowing-up of Rupert's place. I said I'm sorry, but you _know_ how rough the new coding is."

"Willow, baby," Oz said hesitantly, "it's just... well... a little fantastic." Why, after all, would anyone want to blow up a harmless magic shop?

"You really don't trust me anymore, Oz," Willow said, hurt and shaking her head sadly. "Why?"

"I..." Oz stopped, unsure what to say. How could he explain to her that he just had this odd feeling lately that there was someone else in her life? Someone who would have a place in her heart he could never touch? Someone... he was immensely jealous of.

Willow blinked back tears and turned away, "I'm going out. When you're ready to talk, call my cell."

With that, she stormed out the front door. The redhead fumbled for her keys as she headed for her car. She leaned against the car and wiped tears from her eyes with her sleeve.

"Mmph!" she cried out as someone grabbed her from behind, clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Willow!" she heard Oz's plaintive voice.

She dropped her purse and rammed her elbow back, stomping her heel on her assailant's foot.

Cursing colorfully, her assailant released her and stumbled away.

"Oz!" she cried out when she saw her husband leap on the kidnapper's back, only to be thrown halfway across the yard. She stumbled back, turned, and ran.

Suddenly, another man stepped out around her car and barred her path. His face was deformed and twisted. Grinning ferally, he stepped forward...

...and crumbled to dust.

She blinked. A man straddled a motorcycle and stretched a hand out toward her. He looked... familiar, somehow.

"Come with me if you want to live," he said gravely. His face split into a wide grin, "Man, I've always wanted to say that."

"Terminator," she said reflexively. "One or two." She frowned, "Well, except that last part." Shaking her head, she grabbed his arm and swung up onto the bike. She didn't know why, but she knew she could trust him.

He revved the engine and took off.

She just hoped Oz was all right.

* * *

April handed the short male off to the vampire and said, "Take him to the master. I will find the other."

The vampire nodded and climbed back into their van. April looked at available transports and found a good candidate. Smashing the window of the van with her bare hand, she unlocked it and climbed in, ignoring the broken shards of glass.

It took her only a few minutes to hotwire the vehicle and begin pursuit.

* * *

"We're being followed!" Willow said, then did a double take. "It's Oz's van!"

Xander acknowledged the information with a grim nod as he hopped the bike off the road and into the park. "Hold on tight," he said. He felt her arms tighten around his waist, and he let go of the handlebars. His right hand reached down to the sling where his shotgun rested, his left reaching above him.

Snatching the tree branch, he swung up onto the branch, Willow's grip getting even tighter. He raised the shotgun, pumped a slug into the chamber, and fired at Oz's van as it passed by.

The van swerved and slammed into a tree, throwing the driver out the windshield. Xander lowered Willow to the ground and jumped down after her. Raising the shotgun cautiously, he approached their pursuer.

The young woman rose, and Xander shook his head in disbelief, "A robot. A freaking robot. Okay, this is taking the Terminator thing a _bit_ too far here."

He pumped his shotgun again and fired. The slug slammed into the robot's chest, sending it flying back.

*Well,* Xander thought, *at least it's not bulletproof.*

As the robot struggled back to its feet, Xander chambered the last slug and pointed it straight at the robot's head.

"Hasta la vista, baby," he said... and pulled the trigger.

* * *

"Damn it!" Warren snarled. "Next time, I'm making it bulletproof."

"Is there a problem?" a voice asked.

He spun around on the office chair and shook his head, "No, no. I got the short guy, but there was a little... technical difficulty in getting the redhead. It may take a little longer, and expenses just went up."

"Can you make the deadline?"

"Won't be a problem."

"Good. For your sake."

* * *

"So, uh, that was a robot?" Willow asked timidly.

Xander nodded, "Yeah."

"And that guy that turned to dust?"

"A vampire."

"A vampire," she repeated. "I need to sit down." Matching actions to words, she set heavily on a nearby stone bench. Looking up, she asked, "Why were they after me?"

He shook his head, "I don't know." After a moment, he said, "Look, here." He reached under his jacket and pulled out a stake. Handing it to her, he said, "Just in case. Vampires are getting more common in Sunnydale. Stake through the heart, decapitation, and they dust. Fire, sunlight, holy water, and holy symbols all burn them."

Xander ducked his head down and reached for his cross, "All right, I know you're Jewish, and this is kinda blasphemous, but..."

As he pulled off his cross, something fell to the ground.

Willow bent down and picked it up. It was a locket, and it was open.

Xander paled, "Uh, you know, I-I can explain that..."

She shook her head. "You don't have to explain the picture..." she looked up at him, "...Xander."

*Oh, crap.*

* * *

Laurel Alena Syrine ran down the alley from the two monsters. They had looked human at first, but then their faces... changed. She suppressed a shudder at the memory and glanced over her shoulder fearfully. What _were_ those things?

"Ahh!" she cried at as she collided with something.

"Shh, shh, it's all right," a soothing male voice said. The shadowy figure stepped past her and moved with lightning speed. The two monsters crumbled to dust.

"Oh, God," she said. "I don't know how I can thank you."

"I can think of a way."

"Huh?" she blinked and looked up at him.

And screamed.

* * *

"How could I forget you, Xander?" Willow said, on the verge of bursting into tears.

"Hey," he said, pulling her into a hug, "it's okay, Wills. No big."

"'No big'? 'No big'? Xander, how can you _say_ that?! It's definitely a big! You're my _Xander_! A-and I'm your Willow... a-and I _forgot_ you!" She sobbed into his chest and mumbled, "I've been a bad Willow."

"No," Xander said. "Don't say that, Wills."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not true," he replied. "You forgot... because I made you forget."

"What?" she looked up at him, confused.

"I cast a spell after graduation," he said. "I took your talent for witchcraft, Buffy's Slayer powers, and Oz's lycanthropy. I changed your memories. I... I made you forget me, Angel, all the Hellmouthy stuff."

"Why?"

"To... to give you guys a chance," he said, her hair back. "At normal lives, at happiness. You and Buffy deserve that, more than anyone."

"Oh, Xander..."

She tilted her head up and pulled herself toward him, but he stopped her, placing a finger on her lips.

She blinked, "Xander?"

With a sad smile, he said, "You're Mrs. Osbourne now, remember?" He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"Oh, God," she said, her eyes wide. "Oz! H-he... the vampire, it..."

"Don't worry, Wills," Xander said, his eyes hard. "We'll find him, and we'll make whoever's behind this pay."

* * *

Giles opened the door to Faith's apartment -- where he was recuperating from the ordeal with Valkorr, since his own loft above the Magic Box was now cordoned off as part of a crime scene -- and saw Xander and Willow standing outside.

"Um, hello, X- Alex, miss," Giles said hesitantly.

"Forget it, G-man," Xander said. "She remembers. Some vampires and a robot went after her. They took Oz. Something's brewing, and I want to know what."

"Oh, dear," Giles frowned.

"Look, you guys hit the books. I'm hitting the sack. I'm just about dead on my feet here. Ran into another Tarakan before rescuing Wills." Xander paused and asked, "Any word on Angel?"

"Yeah," Faith replied. "He got his soul back. He's in the spare room, catching some Zs. Take my room, X."

Willow frowned at the Slayer but refrained from commenting.

Xander stepped into the bedroom and, without bothering to undress, collapsed into bed.

And he slept.

And he dreamed.

And he remembered.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Next part, something a little different...