Title: One For All (8/?)

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, you're really not gonna tell me?"

Xander shook his head as he donned his helmet and straddled his bike, "I'm really not."

"Well, didja at least get a chance to check in on B?"

"She was on duty when I stopped by. Didn't actually see her, but if she's not safe in friggin' police station..."

"Read that loud and clear, X," Faith said, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Hit it."

He revved the engine and drove off.

* * *

"Why are we stopping, X?"

"Just being paranoid," he murmured back, watching the apartment complex. "Buffy usually heads home around this time." He scanned the parking lot, and his gaze settled on one particular vehicle. "Right on schedule."

"Geez, X, you've been in town for less than a month, and you already know her schedule? Can you say 'stalker'?"

"Don't start," he growled irritably. "I get enough of that from Giles. Besides, I knew her schedule before I came back. I had Giles keeping track of her and Wills, just in case. Oz too." The last, though, sounded more like an afterthought. Faith frowned... but said nothing.

Buffy disappeared into the building, and Xander let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Okay, she's safe," Faith said. "Can we go now?"

"I just want to do a perimeter check," Xander said, climbing off. "Take the bike. I'll catch up."

The Slayer rolled her eyes but nodded. "All right, X."

Xander watched Faith drive off on his bike, then squared his shoulders and headed toward the apartment complex.

* * *

Buffy felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. She was being watched. She paused only for a moment to ascertain where her observer was, then moved as if nothing had happened. The detective walked past the window, as if heading toward the nightstand.

Then moved.

She threw a spearhand at the lurking shadowy figure, who tumbled back in surprise. She didn't let him fall, though, grabbing his shirt and hauling him in through the window. She dumped him unceremoniously on his back on the floor and kneeled on his throat, keeping enough weight off of it to keep from crushing his trachea.

He blinked up at her with very familiar brown eyes. "Alex?"

He nodded, a sheepish look on his face.

Rising to her feet, she glowered at him, "What the hell are you doing here, Alex?" She shook her head and muttered, "Hero one night, peeping Tom the next." She smirked at him, "I guess you men _are_ all alike."

"On behalf of my gender, 'Hey!'" he protested. "Besides, I was worried about you, okay? I... have some information that suggests someone might be gunning for you."

"Really?" Buffy frowned. "Who?"

"I, uh..."

CRASH!

* * *

Faith chained the bike and headed into the apartment building, then paused and turned in the lighted doorway, "A, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," the vampire said, stepping out of the shadows.

She frowned, "Hey, what's that on your lips?"

His hand shot up to his face, and he quickly wiped it off. "Blood," he said curtly. "Stopped by the butcher's," he explained, holding up several pouches full of the red liquid. "The supply I brought is starting to run out."

Faith nodded slowly, "Right."

"You find Harris?"

"Yeah, he's making a last-minute check on B."

"Oh."

* * *

Xander licked his lips and tasted the mixture of sweat and blood, but it was a subconscious action. His attention was totally devoted to tracking the little gremlin in front of him.

He was _fast_! Xander had heard that gremlins were fast, but the reality of it seemed to defy the laws of physics. He was bleeding from several long but shallow cuts all over his body.

And why was Drang just standing there?! The Eastern mystic didn't seem the type to just sit and watch, especially not after his reaction to what Xander had done to Drom.

Dreg blurred, and Xander moved. With Slayer reflexes -- as fast to a vampire as a vampire was to an average human -- and Army Ranger training magically hard-wired into his memory and perfected over the past seven years, he was a formidable combatant, but all his reflexes and skills seemed useless against the lightning-fast gremlin as he felt pain lance up his right leg.

Another cut. Like the others, shallow and not too serious... but he knew it wouldn't stay like that for long. The gremlin was wearing him down.

* * *

Buffy shook her head clear. The explosion had dazed her, and she was still feeling a little dizzy. Looking up, she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

Alex seemed to be moving sluggishly -- as though he were underwater or something like that -- and the short little... thing... was slashing away at him with impunity. Her gaze shifted to the blind Chinese man who was apparently intent on the battle.

And she suddenly had a hunch as to what was happening. She deftly reached under her mattress for her backup piece. It was spurless .38 Special five-shooter with a five-inch barrel. Simple and ugly, but also compact and reliable.

She aimed the stubby black weapon at the Asian man and squeezed off two shots.

* * *

Deed without thought. Action without hesitation.

These were fundamental concepts taught at the temple where the orphan now known as Drang grew up. He had learned them well by the time he slew his mentor. He had been thirteen at the time.

Those two principles had kept him alive for over two centuries, given him time to cultivate his new family.

So when the blonde woman shot at him, he reacted without thinking, halting the bullets in mid-air with his chi.

It cost him a precious moment of concentration, however, and the spell he had woven around the Hunter... slipped.

* * *

Xander blinked in surprise as Dreg -- in mid-blur, about to strike -- suddenly slowed, though still quite fast.

But not faster than him.

His hand closed around the gremlin's spindly neck, and he pulled it close. With a practiced ease, he shifted his grip and twisted, snapping Dreg's neck like a twig in a classic and brutally efficient move.

Shaking his head clear, Xander straightened up, dropping the gremlin's lifeless form to the floor, and slowly -- out of both caution and pain -- approached Drang.

Fury boiled in Drang's sightless eyes, "You! Murderer!"

Xander actually blinked at that, then protested, "Hey, _you're_ the assassins here!"

If Drang had even heard Xander, he didn't show it. Instead, he thrust his hands toward Xander, palms first, "Shishi houkou dan!"

A massive beam of greenish-bluish energy blasted from Drang's hands toward Xander. The Hunter threw himself to the ground and was deafened by the sonic boom as it passed. He felt heat along his back just from his proximity to the blast.

Xander rolled over and kipped up...

...only to find that Drang had, once again, vanished.

He sank back to his knees and fought to catch his breath.

"Alex, are you okay?"

He rose to his feet and nodded, "I will be, Buffster. Haven't lost too much blood, and the wounds aren't too deep. I'll be fine."

"Thank God," she said, sighing in relief. She pulled him into a hug and told him quietly and sincerely, "I don't know what I'd do if you... if I lost you, Alex."

She pulled him close and kissed him.

* * *

"Mmm..." This was nice, Buffy decided. Something about what Alex had called her nagged at her, but that wasn't important. What was important was that Alex was okay. She decided that she liked being in his arms, kissing him, kissing A-... Angel?

Her eyes snapped open, and she pulled back, staring at him in shock, "Xander?!"

Yes, it was him. Older, more serious, and harder around the edges than she remembered him... but it was him.

What the hell was going on?!

She stumbled back, then turned and fled.

* * *

"Faith!" Buffy pounded on the apartment door. "Faith, open up! I need to find Gi-..."

The door opened, and she blinked, "Giles? Giles! You're here!"

The ex-Watcher nodded tiredly, "What is it, Detective?"

"Don't 'Detective' me, Giles," she scowled, barging in past him. Turning around, she ranted, "Do you know who I was just kissing?! Xander." Giles's eyes widened in shock and darted to the corner, but Buffy didn't notice. "I'm not supposed to be kissing Xander! I'm not even supposed to think he's hot. He's _Xander_. And now I think I really like him, even though I'm still trying to figure out where my memories have been since graduation, not to _mention_ the lack of Slayer powers and Hellmouthy stuff..."

Giles coughed uncomfortably, "Well, I, uh, well... that's... umm... quite an interesting... story, Detective..."

"Drop the act, G-man," Xander said tiredly, entering the apartment. "She remembers." He looked at Buffy curiously, "You really think I'm hot?"

"Yes. I mean no!" She stalked over and punched him in the arm. *When did his arm get so... hard?* Shaking that thought off, she glared at him and accused, "This is all your fault!"

"_My_ fault?" Xander stared at her incredulously.

"Yes!" she spat. "All sneaking around like... like..." she froze as she looked over Xander's shoulder and noticed the dark-clad figure standing in the corner, then squeaked out fearfully, "...Angel?"

The vampire stepped out of the shadows and nodded slowly. When he spoke, his voice was thick with inner pain, "Yeah, Buffy. It's me."

"Oh, God..." Buffy murmured, her eyes flicking toward Xander as she thought back to what she had just blurted out to Giles. She took a step toward her former lover, "Angel, I..."

He stepped back, maintaining the distance between them, and said calmly, "Don't. You know why I left. That hasn't changed."

She bit her lip and blinked back tears. After years of not remembering, the emotions struck back full force, still raw along with the memories.

Giles shook his head as he watched the drama playing out, *Good heavens, everything's coming crashing down all at once, and if what Ethan told me is true...* He shook that thought away. He had to make sure first. There would be very dangerous repercussions if they acted, and the chaos mage had been lying... or just plain wrong.

* * *

In the darkened room, Drang seethed with rage.

"Forget the contract, Hunter," he hissed, his sightless eyes blazing, casting flickering shadows against the walls. "You killed my brothers. Now... it's _personal_."

That was when It came, lunging at him from the shadows, no more than a blur even to his inner eye.

Fear clawed at his withered heart... but found no purchase.

Desire and understanding filled him, and he welcomed It.

* * *

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Tara blinked sleepily. What had woken her up? It had sounded like...

BAM! BAM! BAM!

There it was again. Someone was pounding on the door to her hotel room; it seemed urgent.

"Hold on," she murmured, stifling a yawn. However urgent it seemed to be, she couldn't muster enough energy to rush over. She sat up, rose to her feet, and headed for the door. It was probably Alexander.

She opened the door... and paled as her sleepiness evaporated. Her eyes went wide, and her breath caught. It wasn't Alexander; it was someone she hadn't expected -- or wanted -- to meet ever again. Someone who was still the centerpiece of her nightmares.

She shook her head in denial, otherwise paralyzed by fear. "No... Goddess, no..." she whimpered as the memories -- and the terror -- returned, undimmed by time. She stumbled back and tripped, falling to the floor, sprawled on her back.

"Hello, luv," Spike said cheerfully, his demonic face twisted into a sadistic grin.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

You have no idea how long it took me to cough up that last scene. I just knew I had to throw a curveball in there, but for the longest time, I just couldn't figure out what. Also, for those of you who recognized Drang's chi blast... no, I am not going to turn this into a crossover with Ranma 1/2. Oh yeah. If you're a fan of Good Spike, you may want to avoid reading further parts.