Springfield October 11th 2018 5:00 PM

"Xander she wouldn't want you living like this. She would want so much more for you than."

"Dawn just stop right there. You can't tell me anything I haven't heard 100 times already. I know what you are going to say."

"Do you? I miss Buffy every day and to be honest I get it. It would have been so easy for me to."

"I'm not doing this right now Dawn. This Is my my house and you are always welcome here but that also means I'm not going to be questioned or attacked."

She stood there for a moment. "I'm not trying to attack and you have to know everything I say I say out of love."

Xander rubbed the back of his head and nodded. "I know." He looked down at his feet and just wanted to change the subject. "How are thing at the council?"

Dawn released a deep breath. "Good. Mostly. We are becoming quite the ass kicking force in the world of fighting the things that go bump in the night."

"You don't say."

"We have 3 former police detectives now on the pay roll and after our last budget meeting even have a real CSI lab tech."

"Moving on up in the world."

"Of course we would be a whole lot better if we had a certain watcher back."

"Dawn I can't be there. Too many memories. It's like every where I turn I see your sister."

"You aren't wrong. I'll walk in to the cafeteria and think this is Buffy's table or I get angry when I see someone else using her office."

"You are stronger than me."

"Giles held your office for you for as long as he could. He won't admit it but he was hoping you'd come back. I fought for you but eventually."

"Dawn I'm not coming back."

"I know. So I went through your office and I got all of your stuff boxed up and." She turned around picked up the cardboard box off the floor. She held it out to him. "Just in case you wanted it back."

Xander took the box a bit clueless. He carried it over to the table setting it down and opening it. He pulled out a picture frame. The picture inside was Willow, Buffy, Giles Dawn and himself all hanging out in an Old Italian restraint on a lazy Sunday afternoon

Dawn peeked over his shoulder. "That was right after we were able to buy the school."

Xander tried to hide his smirk. "We had been eating cheeseburgers and French fries for so long it was kind of a reward meal. Things were finally starting to turn our way. We were able to secure funding for a base of operations. Springfield is Hellmouth adjacent so it made sense."

Xander dug back in to the box and found a slinky. It was just something he would play with at his desk to unwind and decompress. Dawn smile pulling an old flip phone. "Whoa Harris you got some cutting edge tech here."

Xander reached out taking the phone from her slowly. "Actually this wasn't mine." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "It was your sisters. I uhm. I got it for her as a birthday present."

"If it was Buffy's, why was it in your office?"

"It was on her when the police found her body. I collected everything she had on her. It was just a wallet and phone. To be honest I kind of forgot I had it."

"Do you think it works?"

"Everything is Iphone or Android now. Do old school flip phones still even connect to the network?" Xander laid it on the table not giving it any more thought.

Dawn scooped it up curious. "One way to find out?" She held down the power button trying to turn it on.

"What are you doing? That thing hasn't been turned on in at least 10 years. There is no way it has any kind of charge."

"Oh Well no way might be knocking at the door cause." She flipped the phone in his face and laughed as it not only lit up but the phone chimed to show it turned on.

"Congratulations. You have a phone that has about the same technological advantage as the rock in my front yard."

Dawn set the phone down and shrugged. "Well sometimes the things we think are most useless find a way to help us out the most."

"Read that on a fortune cookie."

She smirked and opened her arms pulling her in a hug. "Get over hear dumb ass."

Xander just hugged back and enjoyed the embrace. "Dawn I know I let you down and you think I should be better but you have to know."

She just held him tighter. "Shut up. You haven't let anyone down. You are stronger than you realize. I am always here if you need me."

"And I you."

She pulled back from the hug. "I have to be heading back. We have a new girl that is joining my squad. I want to put in some on one time before we hit patrol tonight."

"No matter how many times I hear it I will never get used to Dawn the Watcher."

"Hey I took everything you knew about being a watcher and just copied."

"Funny. I think you might be the first person to ever admit to copying off of Xander Harris's test paper."

"Xander Harris you were one hell of a Watcher."

Springfield January 17th 2008

Xander sat in his office in the newly formed Watcher's Council. They had set up shop in a former middle school. Luckily they had been able to buy it fairly cheap. The school had been abandoned years ago due to the population out growing it. Add to that it was on the edge of town and most of the town folk wanted a more centralized location.

These were all selling points to them. The last thing any of them wanted was for a bunch of the citizens to be in their business. Xander was fairly certain his current office used to belong to the guidance counselor. There was even a cheesy motivational poster that ready "If you can see it you can be it."

Right now his mid afternoon nap was getting interrupted by an annoying pounding at the door. Xander had his feet on the edge of the desk. He was stretched out and relaxing. "Oh God What?"

Buffy opened the door stepping in. "Don't you dare what me." She sauntered over in front of his desk. "You weren't at my party. You better have a pretty good excuse."

"Excuse?"

"You do know that you are my oldest friend?"

"I thought Giles was the oldest."

"No Giles is my friend who is oldest."

"What about Willow?"

"Technically you have her beat by an hour. I mean there was the whole helping me pick up my things in the hallway."

"Sounds right. So what does our friendship have to do with…"

"With you skipping out on my birthday party."

"Oh that?"

"Yes that."

"Okay first off. I didn't skip out on the party. Your sister, Willow and Giles are all taking you out for lunch tomorrow on your actual birthday. That thing in the library with all the slayers was just a bit much. Add to that one of my girls got injured. Nothing life ending but I still wanted to be there for her."

Buffy flopped down in the chair nodding in agreement. "I didn't get much for details? Is she going to be okay?"

"She has a broken arm. It will keep her out of the field for a few months but it could have been much worse. For what it is worth I am sorry for missing the party."

Buffy sighed and shrugged. "It's okay. You are right. It was a bit much. All the slayers wanted to do something nice but I think as I get older I like the smaller more friend oriented experience. But."

"Oh here it comes."

"Well I know you have a present for me."

"You know I have a present for you? How do you know? I mean I work very hard and I'm very busy. When would I have time to pick up a present for you."

"Stop it. Now you want my forgiveness for skipping out on my party a good place to start is giving me my present."

Xander rolled his eyes and shook his head mumbling "Such a pain in the ass." He opened his office drawer and reached in to his desk pulling out a box with silver wrapping paper and a pink bow. "You know I was going to give this to you tomorrow at lunch."

"Yeah yeah. Tomorrow or today same difference."

Xander held it out to Buffy but as she reached for it he snapped it back. "Come on Summers you gotta want it." She snapped for it this time grabbing it.

"Got it." She quickly tore through the bow and paper. She looked at the gift. "It's a phone!"

"I know you've been wanting one and holding out forever."

She smiled and nodded. "I have. Is it hooked up?"

"Wouldn't be much of a phone if it wasn't. I ended up getting you on my plan. First month is part of your present."

"And the rest of the year is just a bonus?"

"Don't push your luck Summers."

She just giggled. "You really are the best. I take back every mean thing I ever said or thought about you."

"That's a whole lot of taking back."

Buffy pulled the phone out of the box and turned it on. "I have a cell phone. Wow! Welcome to the modern times Buffy."

"Oh I placed all the important numbers in your phone. The number of importance ranked 1 through 9"

"Oh really?"

"Really really."

"So if I were to hit number 7" She punched the 7 and watched Andrew come up. "Oh that seems right."

"See I know you pretty well."

"Well just curious who is number 1." She pushed the number and watched as Xander's name up.

He just flashed her his lop sided smile. "Number one on your phone number one in your heart."

"Wouldn't want it any other way." She stood up and crossed over the desk. "Get up so I can hug your sorry ass."

He jumped up and wrapped his arms around her. "Oh Summers what would I ever do with out you?"

"Let's never find out."

He held on to her just enjoying the embrace. "Deal"

She sighed. "As much as I love this hug I do have a whole lot of work Giles is expecting of me."

He let her go and sighed. "Yeah well you could always do what I do. Spend a good part of the day surfing the internet and telling him you did all the stuff he asked."

Buffy rolled her eyes making her way to the door. "You are such a bad liar. You are practically his poster child lately. He is always telling the new watchers that you are the one they should aspire too."

"Well I have about 40 more winks worth of aspiration in me so."

"Yeah yeah. I'm going. Check in with me after patrol tonight."

"Will do."

Buffy smiled looking at her phone. "You are forever my number 1."

Springfield October 12th 1:31 am

Xander's house was quiet as he laid in his bed sleeping. The silence of the night was broken as a high pitch tone rang throughout the house. Xander tossed to his side groaning in his sleep. "What the hell?"

The tone rang out again as Xander pulled himself up searching out the sound. He fumbled through the house in his boxers and t shirt. He rubbed his eyes trying to clear the cobwebs and focus so he could find the noise and shut it up forever. As he entered the living room the tone rang out again.

It was from Buffy's old cell phone Dawn turned on. He picked it up curious. "Stupid thing must have an old message or something." He flipped the phone open to hit the power button and turn it off. He stopped though as he saw a text message on the screen.

"Hey are you up?"

Xander looked at the phone curious. "What the hell?" His mind was trying to figure out what was going on. Maybe it was a message that was sent out years ago after the phone was shut off and maybe since it was turned on it finally had a chance to go through. He held the phone in his hand for a second. If it was an old message than whomever it was would most likely not text back. He quickly texted back.

"Do you know what time it is?'

He held the phone in his hand for a minute. When he got no response back he put the phone back on the table. "And that answers that" He turned back to the bedroom but stopped on his heal as he heard the high pitch PING. Someone responded to the text he just sent. He turned looking at the phone. "What the hell?" He picked it up and opened the phone. Again there was a new text message.

"Stop being a baby. It isn't that late."

Xander cocked his head confused. "Okay so it's not an old message." He bit his lip and tried figuring it out. "This phone has been offline for years so how the hell." He held up the phone examining it. "Are you still getting service."

He flipped through the message and realized the phone number texting him was Buffy's original cell phone number. The phone had not been active in years so the most likely explanation was the phone company had given out Buffy's old number to a new account. Maybe since the old phone was connected to the number it reactivated the phone. It was late and he was tired. He pulled out the chair at the table and texted a response.

"Hey I don't think I am the person you are looking for. This is my friends old number and I think we have a crossed wire."

Xander held the phone for a minute and it pinged back a response.

"I'm sorry. I was trying to reach out to my friend. I hope I didn't wake you up. I am a bit of a night owl."

Xander sighed just wanting to go back to bed. Whomever was on the other side of this phone held no ill intent so he tried not to throw too much attitude. He texted back. "It's fine. I know what it is to burn the midnight oil."

The phone vibrated again as a new text message came out. "This is just strange. My friend Xander gave me this phone and put the number in himself. I've called him 100 times on it. Maybe I should call the phone company."

Xander read the message and more confusion just filled his brain. "You are looking for Xander? I am Xander. Who is this?"

Almost instantly the message responded. "It's Buffy you dork."

As he read the message he felt his blood boil a little. Who ever was doing this to him it was not only not funny but it was extremely cruel and mean spirited. Angry his fingers flied in a fury of pure texting rage.

"LISTEN ASSHOLE. I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE BUT IF YOU THINK YOU ARE FUNNY, YOU AREN'T. YOU WANT TO KEEP PLAYING THIS LITTLE GAME I PROMISE I WILL FIND YOU. I WILL FIND YOU AND I WILL MAKE YOU REGRET YOU EVER HAD THE NAME BUFFY ON YOUR LIPS"

The phone texted back instantly once again. "Xander this is me. What is wrong with you?"

Xander gritted his teeth. "BUFFY SUMMERS WAS MY BEST FRIEND AND YOU PLAYING YOUR LITTLE CALLING FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE THING IS JUST PISSING ME OFF."

The phone pinged its response shortly after. "Really I died? Was this before the Master drown me or after the Great Leap off the tower."

Xander tried his best to keep his calm but who ever was on the other side of this phone was disrespecting Buffy and that was something he couldn't allow. "I might have one eye but that doesn't mean I can't see what's going on."

This time there was no response from the text end. Xander gritted his teeth angry. The phone rang out and Xander flipped it open. "Listen I don't know who you are but."

The voice on the other end was familiar and if it wasn't Buffy it was one hell of an impersonator. "No you listen. You think I can't read between the lines. You want to threaten someone come after me. You threaten my friend Xander I will end you."

Xander stammered and stunned. "Who I mean? Who is this?"

"This is Buffy. Who the hell are you?"

"But you are. I mean. You are dead."

"So you've said. But Guess what this girl doesn't stay down. So try again."

"You died May 11th 2008."

She just laughed at him. "Really May 11th 2008. You are telling me I'm going to die tomorrow."

"What the fuck?"

She cupped the phone angry "I AM NOT DYING." As she squeezed the phone she applied so much force the screen cracked down the middle.

Xander looked at the phone shocked as his broke as well. "What the hell? What did you do to my phone? How is this happening? You are dead?"

"You are telling me I'm dead? I'm going to die tomorrow." The phone squeaked loud feed back at her as static started filling the line.

"No you did die? You were supposed to go on patrol with a few girls. Faith asked you to lead up her squad. You end up at Buxton Machinery. The warehouse plans were out of date. You wanted to keep moving up but the voice in the van told you there was an exit a floor below. The fire escape on the building was just one floor up. If you would have listened to your instincts and not the watcher you would have made it."

"Bullshit"

"Buffy?"

"I'm not dying tomorrow. Do you hear me. I'm not dying." But the line dropped and went dead.

Xander looked at the phone but it was dead. The battery was finally completely drained. "Oh god no." He ran to the box looking for the cord to charge it. "Come on. Be here." He found it at the very bottom of the box. He plugged it in and let it charge but it stayed dead and off.

He stayed up for 3 hours hoping the phone would power back on but nothing happened. Finally he just picked up the phone looking it over one last time. "It had to be someone fucking with me."

May 10th 2008

Buffy stood holding the phone in her hand angry and flustered. Whoever was on the phone had rattled her. She tried calling back but the line went dead. Angry she went to the one place she might be able to get some answers. Angry she walked to Xander's office. She knew it was late but he always finished his night after patrol in his office. She raised her fist to pound on his door but stopped as she heard his voice.

"Hey Summers have you been looking for me?"

She whipped around and saw Xander behind her. "Hey did you? I mean. I got a message."

Xander knew his friend well enough to know when she was shook up. "Buffy is everything okay? What is going on?"

"Swear to me right here and now? You aren't pranking me?"

"Pranking you?"

She shook her head. "Forget it. It's nothing. "

"You sure?"

Nodding she flashed him a smile. "All is good."

"Well I think I'm going to cross a few t's dot an I and than get some sleep."

"Sounds good."

Xander pulled out his keys and stepped in to his office. Buffy turned to walk away as Xander suddenly remembered. "Oh Buffy. You need to find Faith."

"Faith?"

"She needs someone to cover for her or something. She told me if I see to tell you to call her."

Buffy shuddered a little. "Yeah I'll touch base."

"Have a good night Buffy."