Title: Shadow Plays for the House of Scooby: Endgame
Authors: Mike and Tony McD
Rating: mild R
Category: season 7 AU/ early season 2 (kinda)
Pairings: B/X, W/X, B/W, B/X/W
Summary: Follows 'Dark Places in the House of Scooby'. The Scoobies are embarking on their new life together but Xander's darkest nightmares have returned. Now the Scoobies must fight the shadows of futures past.
Distribution: Anywhere, just let us know.
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.
Authors' notes: This is a collaborative effort between Tony and me due to Tony's illness. Feedback is appreciated.
*-*-*-*-*
These endless days
Are finally ending in a blaze
And we are caught in the fire
The point of no return
So we will walk through the fire
And let it burn
Let it burn
Let it burn
Let it burn.
*-*-*-*-*
As I look back upon those dark days after Jenny's death there are two enduring memories from that time. The dark, abject misery of mourning Jenny, and the bright shining light of my savior, Joyce. A sympathetic ear to talk to, a pillar of strength when I had none, Joyce saved me from being consumed by my own grief.
More importantly she saved the Scooby Gang. She reminded me that the world needed the Scooby Gang and the Scooby Gang needed me. Joyce had always prided herself on the fact she didn't need anyone's help in raising Buffy. But Buffy was no longer just Buffy, she was also the Slayer and that was something Joyce had no idea how to deal with. In this dark time, Buffy needed both mother and Watcher to guide her.
The Scooby Gang had been shattered; it was time pick up the pieces and face this, the gravest of dangers.
*-*-*-*-*-*
The quiet knock on her bedroom door startled the blonde from her contemplation. The knock wasn't the usual one that her mom used.
"Who is it?"
"It's me. Can I come in?" Giles asked. With a resigned sigh, Buffy told him to come in. Seeing each other, the two of them got a shock.
Giles had seemingly aged ten years to the Slayer. The wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead had deepened and lengthened. There seemed to be more gray in his hair and his skin was a little paler than normal.
The normal sparkle in Buffy's eyes was gone and in their place lifeless orbs looked at Giles. Gone were the confident mannerisms of the Slayer. Giles sat down next to a broken, scared girl whose matted long blonde hair had not seen a brush in days. They sat in silence for a while before anyone spoke.
"I'm sorry."
Giles regarded his Slayer with a sympathetic look.
"It wasn't you." He told her.
"It was and you saw it, so don't tell me it wasn't me."
"Do you want me to tell you that you don't have that kind of evil in you? That you could never become that person? I'm not going to lie to you. You can become that person. You do have that kind of evil in you. We all do. Every single human being alive has that kind of evil within them. It's part of being human.
"But just because we have evil within us doesn't necessarily mean we will become evil. Evil is a path we choose to take, and often it is the easier path once you take those first steps."
"Maybe I took those first steps when I became the Slayer. Maybe that's why Slayers tend not to live for long. The longer we live, the more evil we become."
"Becoming the Slayer isn't becoming evil. The Slayer is powerful force in the fight against evil." Giles countered.
"Power corrupts, Giles. And what is the source of my powers? Where does the power of the Slayers come from?"
Giles gave a little chuckle.
"The origin of the Slayer's powers goes so far back that it is lost in the mists of time even to Watchers. I find it ironic that Xander probably has greater knowledge of the origins of the Slayers than the entire Watchers Council.
"But the source of your power isn't just being the Slayer. If it were then you would still be laying face down in a pool of water, or dead from heaven knows what."
"You're trying to tell me that my real power is the fact I've got friends and family and stuff like that? She had the same thing and still ended up a mega-evil super bitch with a fetish for murder, leather, and screwing the undead!"
"She didn't have any support in the end. The support structure she had before was dead, or gone, and what was left she turned her back on! In her world I left her at the time she needed me most and I'm not going to repeat that mistake here. I promise here and now I will always be here for you no matter what may come or what it may cost me. No matter what it has cost me." Giles voice faded as he thought of Jenny.
Tears welled up in Buffy's eyes at the hurt evident on her Watcher's face and she began to cry. Giles took her into his arms and together they cried for long minutes.
Eventually the tears stopped and Buffy looked up to Giles, a little of the sparkle had returned to her eyes.
"Thank you." She said. Giles gave her a reassuring smile.
"That's what a friend is for, isn't it?" he asked her. He looked at her matted hair.
"I think that needs brushing." Giles picked up the brush on the bedside table and began to gently brush her long blonde hair as Buffy closed her eyes and relaxed.
*-*-*-*-*
Xander sat alone on the couch in his empty house, his eyes unfocused as his mind was filled with unending terror and grief. The nightmare of his past had grabbed hold of the present and shattered his dreams for the future.
Hopelessness filled him. He was powerless to stop them. They would have their fun, and eventually they would have their 'Toy'.
It hardly registered when the sound of a key unlocking his front door and a familiar figure slipped into the room. The figure sat at the far end of the couch. Without conscious thought Xander lay down and placed his head in their lap. The cool delicate touch of Willow's fingers on his cheeks and through his hair slowly brought him the peace of sleep.
*-*-*-*-*
"What do we do now?" Willow asked Giles. She, Buffy, and Xander had gathered together at the Watcher's house to hold 'a council of war' as Xander lamely joked. The three younger members of the Scooby Gang were snuggled up together on the couch as Giles paced around the room.
"I... I'm not sure." Admitted Giles. The only plan that he had was bringing the three together. Giles had hoped that the deep bond they shared would give them strength to go on and heal each other. If they had any chance of defeating the evil that threatened them, it lay in their special bond.
"Well, let's look at what we know about them." Buffy paused for a moment. "Xander, what do we know about them? I mean they're the First Evil, right?"
"Yes... well, no. Maybe." Xander tried to sort out everything in his mind. "They're evil. They get off on pain and suffering, specifically mine. One was the greatest Slayer in history; the other was the most powerful witch in the world. They became the corporeal form of the First and ruled over a world filled with demons and vampires and human suffering."
"OK, but how do we defeat these she bitches?"
"You can't." a voice told Willow from the front door.
Buffy spun around to face the stranger.
"Who are you?"
"Whistler."
"So you're a Balance Demon, huh?" remarked Xander.
"Wow. Good guess." Xander shook his head.
"Angel told me of you meeting him in New York. A Balance Demon named Whistler who was a fashion nightmare." Whistler looked somewhat offended.
"Pot calling the kettle black." He quipped back at Xander.
Buffy wasn't in the mood for jokes and grabbed him by the throat and shoved him up against the wall.
"We've had an uber-suck time lately, okay? If you have information worth hearing, then we're grateful for it. If you're gonna crack jokes, then I'm gonna pull out your ribcage and wear it as a hat." Buffy growled and let the demon go.
"Hello to the imagery! Very nice." Whistler straightened his shirt out and squared away his hat.
"It wasn't supposed to go down like this. Nobody saw this coming."
"Maybe you should explain or otherwise I'll be looking for matching shoes to go with a ribcage hat." Growled Buffy.
"Ok! Ok! Jeeze!" Whistler looked over to Xander.
"There's a balance between good and evil that has to be maintained. When your universe fell to evil there had to be another universe where good wins otherwise it would start off a chain reaction with one universe after another falling to evil. That's why the Powers That Be opened up the portal between that world and this. With what you knew of the other universe you'd be enough to tilt the balance here in favor of good."
"But with the First Evil coming here after Xander, that plan is in jeopardy, isn't it?" Surmised Giles.
"Close. But they ain't the First Evil here. To cross over they had to leave the First Evil behind. Once they return the First gets a corporeal form again."
"Great." Grumbled Xander to the demon. "We don't have to fight the First Evil, just the two who defeated it in the first place."
"They didn't defeat the First. In order for the First to gain form, it needed a vessel or vessels that were worthy. It tested them."
A look of realization and disgust came over Xander.
"What they did to me. That's what the test was."
"Score one for the carpenter." Whistler said as he moved into the kitchen and opened up the fridge.
"This is all nice to know but you haven't told us how we can beat them." An agitated Slayer remarked as Whistler checked out the contents of Giles' fridge.
"You know, raiding an Englishman's fridge is like dating a nun. You're never gonna get your hands on the good stuff."
"How do we defeat them?" Xander asked with an edge in his voice.
"You wanna know what you need to do to win this fight? Easy, just the impossible."
"OK Whistler, you say we need to do the impossible. Just tell us what the impossible is." The red head chimed in, cutting of the inevitable angry and/or violent reaction to his comments from the others.
"Not my place to tell." There was a knock at the door. "You may wanna get that." Whistler suggested. Giles went to the door and opened it.
"Is Xander in?" Xander was stunned at the female's voice. He got up as Giles moved away from the doorway to reveal a beautiful and familiar blonde.
"Tara?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"But how?"
"They let me borrow a body. My body." Anything thing further she intended to say was smothered when Xander locked her into a bear hug. Tara happily returned it to her old friend. As they hugged, Buffy and Willow looked on.
"Doesn't he know any ugly women?" Buffy wondered.
Tara had asked if she and Xander could spend some time alone, as there were some things that needed to be discussed just between the two of them. While she and Xander were gone, Buffy and Willow contemplated the turn of events.
"It's a pretty sobering experience, isn't it?"
"Which experience would that be, Willow? The watching your evil twin commit murder; the having your girlfriend's dead ex turn up and disappear with your boyfriend; or the having your Watcher brush your hair."
"The evil twin thing, although the brushing thing is way up there too." Images of the stuffy Englishman brushing Buffy's hair ran through Willow's mind, eliciting a small smile at the thought of Giles being so fatherly. They sat together in quiet thought for a while.
"What do ya think they're talking about? Something Hellmouthy?"
"I'd say so."
Silence.
"So, Wills, that's Tara, huh?"
"I'd say so."
"You seem to have a thing for blondes."
"I'd say so."
More silence.
"Buffy."
"Yeah Wills."
"You think we're gonna win this one?"
"We've got no choice but to win. It's funny; people talk about fighting their inner demons. Typical of us that our inner demons aren't so inner."
"I'm worried about Xander."
"How so?"
"They want their toy. I'm worried that to avoid getting us hurt he'll give it to them."
"That's ALL I've gotta do?" a deeply sarcastic Xander asked Tara.
"I know it sounds impossible..."
"Damn straight it sounds impossible! And you know why it sounds impossible? BECAUSE IT FUCKING IS!!!!"
"Look, Xander, I know..."
"No, you don't know. You don't know a god damned thing! You don't know what those two hell bitches did to me! I tried it before and got the ass kicking of a million lifetimes. Now you expect me to... No, no way. I'm not going through that again."
"Not even for them?"
That stopped Xander in mid rant. Tara knew exactly what buttons to push and Xander hated her for it. His temper cooled down.
He'd do it. For them. Only for them.
"It failed last time. What's different this time?" he asked the Wicca.
"You won't be going in alone." Xander mulled it over.
"I can't just go charging in. We'll need another plan to distract them."
"Sounds like something for the rest of the Scooby Gang." Tara suggested.
"But I can't tell them the main plan, can I?"
Tara shook her head.
"I wish you could but you know what they'd say."
"They wouldn't say anything. They'd kick your ass for proposing it and they'd kick mine for going along with it."
Tara giggled at Xander's remark and Xander smiled. He'd really missed her giggle. The blonde Wiccan retained an innocence that even the worst the Hellmouth couldn't destroy.
"You, me, and Joyce, huh?"
"Makes sense. If anyone can wield the heart stone it's you. You're the heart, remember?"
"Heart? Yeah. Brains? No way. I gotta be out of my mind."
"Then were both out of our mind. I've died once already and I'm not too keen to repeat the experience. But it's my Willow. I owe it to her. And I owe you too."
Xander shook his head sadly.
"I didn't manage to do much. She eventually went all the way evil anyway."
"But you gave her a chance. Nobody could have done more. It was her choice."
"I still feel responsible. I could've done something more."
"Not then you couldn't. But now you can."
Xander looked down at his feet.
"You wanna talk to Willow?" he asked. Tara slowly shook her head.
"Why?"
Xander saw a little confused at her question.
"Why wouldn't you want to?"
"She's not my Willow. No matter what she's done, no matter what she's become, she'll always be my Willow. I'm here to save my Willow. You're here to save yours."
*-*-*-*-*
"So how are we getting them where we want them?" Xander asked.
"We'll get word out to the streets via Willy that we'll be up on Kingman's Bluff trying to superpower Willow." Buffy informed the group.
"But where not, right?"
"Relax Willow. We're only saying it to lure them there."
"But won't they know it's a trap?"
"They won't care. They got so much power they'll come over all confident in their ability to kick our ass. Which they can. Easily." Reminded Xander.
"So why are we taking them on rather than do the sane thing and running for the hills?" Cordelia asked him.
"Running won't do any good. We've got one shot at winning this."
"But you still haven't told us what the second part of the plan is." Buffy reminded her boyfriend.
"You guys trust me?" he asked his fellow Scoobies. They all nodded.
"Then all you need to do is keep them busy for a while."
"You want 'em kept busy? I've got a few ideas how to do just that." The Slayer grinned.
*-*-*-*-*
It was during lunch and the Scooby Gang plus Cordelia and Tara were in the library preparing a spell for the battle.
"Mandrake." Giles said as he prepared the necessary ingredients. Cordelia handed over a bag containing the mandrake.
"Mandrake. Check."
"Sage root."
"Sage root. Check."
"And, um... er."
"Just spit it out already, Giles!" Cordelia chastised the Watcher.
"Virgins saliva." Giles said looking extremely embarrassed at the three girls present.
Buffy and Willow looked at each other then looked at Xander. Xander saw the look of 'you wanna explain this to them?' from Buffy and Willow, the amused look from Tara, the unimpressed look from Giles, and the incredulous look from Cordelia.
"I, ah, um. Cordy, you wanna help us out here?"
"No! You get your own damn virgin! Oh, wait. You already did. TWICE!!" Cordelia turned on her heel and stormed off in a huff. Xander watched her go and turned back to an unhappy Giles.
"I'll just go find Johnathan." He said before rushing out of the library.
*-*-*-*-*
The twinkling lights of Sunnydale at night were beautiful but none of the assembled was here for the view. Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles shifted nervously as they waited for the showdown to begin.
"I only hope this works." Muttered Giles as he scanned the area.
"The gang's all here. Isn't that nice?" Dark Willow commented as she, Dark Buffy, and Spike appeared out of the gloom of the night.
"As traps go, this is the lamest one I've ever seen." Dark Buffy rolled her eyes. "It must have been Toy's idea."
"What's lame here is you with your anorexic ass wearing leather pants." Buffy countered.
"Ladies, please. Save the cat fighting for the Jelly Wrestling pit."
"Fuck you Spike." The Slayer spat.
"You will, pet."
"I only wish Willow and Xander could fight as well as they fuck. They would have kicked your asses already and we'd be watching the X-Files right now."
Dark Willow waggled her finger at Xander.
"Someone's been a very bad Toy." Spike circled a nervous Xander.
"Fancy yourself as something of a lover, Droopy? Well, thanks to these lovely ladies who gave me all my memories, I remember a certain vengeance demon. You remember that. Me and her, screwing on the table while you and all your friends watched it over the internet."
Xander didn't reply to Spike's taunting which aggravated the blonde vampire.
"What's the matter boy? Cat got your tongue?" asked Spike and then backhanded Xander across the face who collapsed at Buffy's feet. To the shock of the dark trio, Xander morphed into Johnathan.
"Since when did the midget nerd become Droopy?" a now confused vampire wondered.
"Got a riddle for you Spike. What's long and hard and fucks vampires?" Spike looked at Buffy in even more confusion when something protruded from his chest. Spike barely had time to look down at the arrow before he exploded into dust.
"A crossbow." A voice said as a figure emerged from the darkness and sided up to Buffy.
"How's it going B?"
"Five by five Faith." A smug Buffy replied.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the slut." Dark Buffy's eyes narrowed on the second Slayer.
"You got it all wrong. You're the slut, I'm just a bitch." The younger Slayer replied. "A slut would screw anyone." She said kicking her toe at the dust of Spike. "A bitch screws anyone except you."
Anger swelled inside Dark Buffy and she made a move towards the groups but Dark Willow stopped her.
"You honestly think you can defeat us? You don't have the power."
*-*-*-*-*
At the same time, Joyce and Tara joined hands over the heart stone and Tara began to chant.
"From love, to love.
To love, with love.
From loves heart
Shine it's light
And banish the dark."
The heart stone began to glow.
*-*-*-*-*-*
"You're right Willow. They don't have the power." Xander said from behind them. The evil duo turned to see Xander behind them wearing a heart stone pendant.
"But I do."
With that Xander thrust his hands over Dark Willow and Dark Buffy's heart and a brilliant light erupted from the heart stone pendant. Xander's own scream was drowned out by the inhuman wail that came from Dark Buffy and Dark Willow. Buffy and the rest of them had to shield their eyes from the blinding light from the heart stone pendant.
When the light faded, they saw the three laying on the ground, Dark Willow's black hair now red. Buffy and Willow rushed over to the fallen Xander.
No pulse.
"OhGodOhGodOhGod!"
Buffy paled then swung into action.
"Wills, you know 2 people CPR, right? I need you to tell me what to do." Willow began to shake.
"Willow! I need you here! Xander needs you! Help me!" Still freaked, Willow started moving over Xander. She cleared his airway and tiled his head back the way she remembered from her seventh grade first aid course.
"Every 15 compressions you breathe twice. Got it?" Buffy nodded vigorously.
They started CPR; Willow counting out the compressions and Buffy breathing into Xander. Giles could only watch on in sadness as they struggled to save Xander. He watched them work for five or six minutes on Xander. Willow's tears flowed freely and soaked into Xander's shirt. Unable to watch them struggle in vain anymore, Giles went over to them.
Willow looked up and saw Giles shake his head. The horrific realization set in and she stopped the compressions. Buffy looked sharply at the near catatonic Willow.
"Don't stop! He's gonna make it! Willow! He's gonna make it!"
Giles rapped his arms around his Slayer, trying to comfort her as Tara and Joyce came over and stood with Faith.
"He's gone, Buffy. He did what he had to. He saved us, saved them, and now he's gone."
Buffy started crying.
"He can't be gone. He can't."
Giles held her tighter as she wept.
Without warning she broke free from his hold and began to shake and scream at Xander hysterically.
"Don't you dare leave me! Don't you fucking dare! You never backed away from a fight before so don't start now. Fight you fucking bastard! FIGHT!"
No response.
Buffy collapsed into Willow arms.
Xander's eyes snapped open.
His back arched and he drew a long, painful breath; his face screwed up in the agony of a man being reborn.
He started having a coughing fit which wasn't helped by Buffy and Willow smothering him in hugs and joyous kisses. After a while the helped him move to where the two bodies lay.
"They're at peace now, right?" he asked Tara. She nodded.
"They had power, but no heart. Power needs heart for balance. You restored their balance."
"We restored it." He corrected her.
"The two people who truly loved each of them and the heart who loved them both."
He removed the heart stone pendant and bound his two dead friends hands together.
"What now?" he asked Tara.
"We go home."
Xander kissed his fingers and touched them to their cold lips. He gazed up at Buffy and Willow who held onto each other.
Home is where the heart is.
"I'm already home."
*-*-*-*-*-*
December 25, 2003. The Summers house.
"So, Faith, how's LA?" Willow asked the younger Slayer.
"Pretty wicked now I'm traveling between Sunny D and LA on my new toy." Faith grinned.
"You really love riding that Harley." Xander observed. Faith gave him a wicked look.
"Not as much as I'd like to ride something else." She said suggestively. Xander nearly choked on his eggnog. Dawn rolled her eyes at the comment. Buffy and Willow gave her a look.
"Not a good idea, F." Buffy growled.
"Oh, come on! You gave Cordy a ride once." Faith countered. Buffy, Willow, and Xander were stunned. Dawn was nearly gagging.
"How on earth did you hear that?" Xander wanted to know.
"Me and her had a little pillow talk the other day. And let me tell you, if you guys are half as good as she claims, I'm prepared to pay cash. Lots of it."
Dawn clamped her hands over her ears and ran into the dining room.
"Yuck! Mom! They're grossing me out! Make 'em stop!"
"Don't listen to them honey and tell them to come in. Dinner's ready." Joyce called out from the kitchen.
Buffy, Willow, Xander, Dawn and Faith sat around the table that was piled high with delicious food. Giles wheeled Joyce in her wheelchair from the kitchen to the dining table. He sat down beside her and absently scratched at his eye patch. Thanks were given and they started into the meal.
"So, Giles. When are you gonna make an honest woman out of my mother?" Dawn asked, hoping to get a rise out of the Englishman.
"About the same time Xander makes honest women out of your sister and Willow." Joyce replied with a smirk.
"Newsflash. We ain't Mormons and we sure as hell ain't moving to Utah." Grumbled Xander. Giles cleared his throat.
"Willow. Have you decided what you going to do after graduation?"
Willow shrugged her shoulders.
"Don't know. I wanna stay in Sunnydale what ever I end up doing."
"Well, the librarian's job is opening up soon at the high school." They all looked at Giles in confusion.
"But that's your job!" Willow exclaimed to Giles.
"I'm leaving it. To take up the job as principal." There was a moment of shock and then congratulations from everybody.
"I'd be happy to take the job." Willow told him. "But I'll need to take some leave later on in the year."
"Leave?"
"Yeah. Maternity leave." Dead silence as Buffy and Xander's jaws dropped. Willow gave a perky smile.
"I'm pregnant."
Authors: Mike and Tony McD
Rating: mild R
Category: season 7 AU/ early season 2 (kinda)
Pairings: B/X, W/X, B/W, B/X/W
Summary: Follows 'Dark Places in the House of Scooby'. The Scoobies are embarking on their new life together but Xander's darkest nightmares have returned. Now the Scoobies must fight the shadows of futures past.
Distribution: Anywhere, just let us know.
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and enjoyment.
Authors' notes: This is a collaborative effort between Tony and me due to Tony's illness. Feedback is appreciated.
*-*-*-*-*
These endless days
Are finally ending in a blaze
And we are caught in the fire
The point of no return
So we will walk through the fire
And let it burn
Let it burn
Let it burn
Let it burn.
*-*-*-*-*
As I look back upon those dark days after Jenny's death there are two enduring memories from that time. The dark, abject misery of mourning Jenny, and the bright shining light of my savior, Joyce. A sympathetic ear to talk to, a pillar of strength when I had none, Joyce saved me from being consumed by my own grief.
More importantly she saved the Scooby Gang. She reminded me that the world needed the Scooby Gang and the Scooby Gang needed me. Joyce had always prided herself on the fact she didn't need anyone's help in raising Buffy. But Buffy was no longer just Buffy, she was also the Slayer and that was something Joyce had no idea how to deal with. In this dark time, Buffy needed both mother and Watcher to guide her.
The Scooby Gang had been shattered; it was time pick up the pieces and face this, the gravest of dangers.
*-*-*-*-*-*
The quiet knock on her bedroom door startled the blonde from her contemplation. The knock wasn't the usual one that her mom used.
"Who is it?"
"It's me. Can I come in?" Giles asked. With a resigned sigh, Buffy told him to come in. Seeing each other, the two of them got a shock.
Giles had seemingly aged ten years to the Slayer. The wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead had deepened and lengthened. There seemed to be more gray in his hair and his skin was a little paler than normal.
The normal sparkle in Buffy's eyes was gone and in their place lifeless orbs looked at Giles. Gone were the confident mannerisms of the Slayer. Giles sat down next to a broken, scared girl whose matted long blonde hair had not seen a brush in days. They sat in silence for a while before anyone spoke.
"I'm sorry."
Giles regarded his Slayer with a sympathetic look.
"It wasn't you." He told her.
"It was and you saw it, so don't tell me it wasn't me."
"Do you want me to tell you that you don't have that kind of evil in you? That you could never become that person? I'm not going to lie to you. You can become that person. You do have that kind of evil in you. We all do. Every single human being alive has that kind of evil within them. It's part of being human.
"But just because we have evil within us doesn't necessarily mean we will become evil. Evil is a path we choose to take, and often it is the easier path once you take those first steps."
"Maybe I took those first steps when I became the Slayer. Maybe that's why Slayers tend not to live for long. The longer we live, the more evil we become."
"Becoming the Slayer isn't becoming evil. The Slayer is powerful force in the fight against evil." Giles countered.
"Power corrupts, Giles. And what is the source of my powers? Where does the power of the Slayers come from?"
Giles gave a little chuckle.
"The origin of the Slayer's powers goes so far back that it is lost in the mists of time even to Watchers. I find it ironic that Xander probably has greater knowledge of the origins of the Slayers than the entire Watchers Council.
"But the source of your power isn't just being the Slayer. If it were then you would still be laying face down in a pool of water, or dead from heaven knows what."
"You're trying to tell me that my real power is the fact I've got friends and family and stuff like that? She had the same thing and still ended up a mega-evil super bitch with a fetish for murder, leather, and screwing the undead!"
"She didn't have any support in the end. The support structure she had before was dead, or gone, and what was left she turned her back on! In her world I left her at the time she needed me most and I'm not going to repeat that mistake here. I promise here and now I will always be here for you no matter what may come or what it may cost me. No matter what it has cost me." Giles voice faded as he thought of Jenny.
Tears welled up in Buffy's eyes at the hurt evident on her Watcher's face and she began to cry. Giles took her into his arms and together they cried for long minutes.
Eventually the tears stopped and Buffy looked up to Giles, a little of the sparkle had returned to her eyes.
"Thank you." She said. Giles gave her a reassuring smile.
"That's what a friend is for, isn't it?" he asked her. He looked at her matted hair.
"I think that needs brushing." Giles picked up the brush on the bedside table and began to gently brush her long blonde hair as Buffy closed her eyes and relaxed.
*-*-*-*-*
Xander sat alone on the couch in his empty house, his eyes unfocused as his mind was filled with unending terror and grief. The nightmare of his past had grabbed hold of the present and shattered his dreams for the future.
Hopelessness filled him. He was powerless to stop them. They would have their fun, and eventually they would have their 'Toy'.
It hardly registered when the sound of a key unlocking his front door and a familiar figure slipped into the room. The figure sat at the far end of the couch. Without conscious thought Xander lay down and placed his head in their lap. The cool delicate touch of Willow's fingers on his cheeks and through his hair slowly brought him the peace of sleep.
*-*-*-*-*
"What do we do now?" Willow asked Giles. She, Buffy, and Xander had gathered together at the Watcher's house to hold 'a council of war' as Xander lamely joked. The three younger members of the Scooby Gang were snuggled up together on the couch as Giles paced around the room.
"I... I'm not sure." Admitted Giles. The only plan that he had was bringing the three together. Giles had hoped that the deep bond they shared would give them strength to go on and heal each other. If they had any chance of defeating the evil that threatened them, it lay in their special bond.
"Well, let's look at what we know about them." Buffy paused for a moment. "Xander, what do we know about them? I mean they're the First Evil, right?"
"Yes... well, no. Maybe." Xander tried to sort out everything in his mind. "They're evil. They get off on pain and suffering, specifically mine. One was the greatest Slayer in history; the other was the most powerful witch in the world. They became the corporeal form of the First and ruled over a world filled with demons and vampires and human suffering."
"OK, but how do we defeat these she bitches?"
"You can't." a voice told Willow from the front door.
Buffy spun around to face the stranger.
"Who are you?"
"Whistler."
"So you're a Balance Demon, huh?" remarked Xander.
"Wow. Good guess." Xander shook his head.
"Angel told me of you meeting him in New York. A Balance Demon named Whistler who was a fashion nightmare." Whistler looked somewhat offended.
"Pot calling the kettle black." He quipped back at Xander.
Buffy wasn't in the mood for jokes and grabbed him by the throat and shoved him up against the wall.
"We've had an uber-suck time lately, okay? If you have information worth hearing, then we're grateful for it. If you're gonna crack jokes, then I'm gonna pull out your ribcage and wear it as a hat." Buffy growled and let the demon go.
"Hello to the imagery! Very nice." Whistler straightened his shirt out and squared away his hat.
"It wasn't supposed to go down like this. Nobody saw this coming."
"Maybe you should explain or otherwise I'll be looking for matching shoes to go with a ribcage hat." Growled Buffy.
"Ok! Ok! Jeeze!" Whistler looked over to Xander.
"There's a balance between good and evil that has to be maintained. When your universe fell to evil there had to be another universe where good wins otherwise it would start off a chain reaction with one universe after another falling to evil. That's why the Powers That Be opened up the portal between that world and this. With what you knew of the other universe you'd be enough to tilt the balance here in favor of good."
"But with the First Evil coming here after Xander, that plan is in jeopardy, isn't it?" Surmised Giles.
"Close. But they ain't the First Evil here. To cross over they had to leave the First Evil behind. Once they return the First gets a corporeal form again."
"Great." Grumbled Xander to the demon. "We don't have to fight the First Evil, just the two who defeated it in the first place."
"They didn't defeat the First. In order for the First to gain form, it needed a vessel or vessels that were worthy. It tested them."
A look of realization and disgust came over Xander.
"What they did to me. That's what the test was."
"Score one for the carpenter." Whistler said as he moved into the kitchen and opened up the fridge.
"This is all nice to know but you haven't told us how we can beat them." An agitated Slayer remarked as Whistler checked out the contents of Giles' fridge.
"You know, raiding an Englishman's fridge is like dating a nun. You're never gonna get your hands on the good stuff."
"How do we defeat them?" Xander asked with an edge in his voice.
"You wanna know what you need to do to win this fight? Easy, just the impossible."
"OK Whistler, you say we need to do the impossible. Just tell us what the impossible is." The red head chimed in, cutting of the inevitable angry and/or violent reaction to his comments from the others.
"Not my place to tell." There was a knock at the door. "You may wanna get that." Whistler suggested. Giles went to the door and opened it.
"Is Xander in?" Xander was stunned at the female's voice. He got up as Giles moved away from the doorway to reveal a beautiful and familiar blonde.
"Tara?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"But how?"
"They let me borrow a body. My body." Anything thing further she intended to say was smothered when Xander locked her into a bear hug. Tara happily returned it to her old friend. As they hugged, Buffy and Willow looked on.
"Doesn't he know any ugly women?" Buffy wondered.
Tara had asked if she and Xander could spend some time alone, as there were some things that needed to be discussed just between the two of them. While she and Xander were gone, Buffy and Willow contemplated the turn of events.
"It's a pretty sobering experience, isn't it?"
"Which experience would that be, Willow? The watching your evil twin commit murder; the having your girlfriend's dead ex turn up and disappear with your boyfriend; or the having your Watcher brush your hair."
"The evil twin thing, although the brushing thing is way up there too." Images of the stuffy Englishman brushing Buffy's hair ran through Willow's mind, eliciting a small smile at the thought of Giles being so fatherly. They sat together in quiet thought for a while.
"What do ya think they're talking about? Something Hellmouthy?"
"I'd say so."
Silence.
"So, Wills, that's Tara, huh?"
"I'd say so."
"You seem to have a thing for blondes."
"I'd say so."
More silence.
"Buffy."
"Yeah Wills."
"You think we're gonna win this one?"
"We've got no choice but to win. It's funny; people talk about fighting their inner demons. Typical of us that our inner demons aren't so inner."
"I'm worried about Xander."
"How so?"
"They want their toy. I'm worried that to avoid getting us hurt he'll give it to them."
"That's ALL I've gotta do?" a deeply sarcastic Xander asked Tara.
"I know it sounds impossible..."
"Damn straight it sounds impossible! And you know why it sounds impossible? BECAUSE IT FUCKING IS!!!!"
"Look, Xander, I know..."
"No, you don't know. You don't know a god damned thing! You don't know what those two hell bitches did to me! I tried it before and got the ass kicking of a million lifetimes. Now you expect me to... No, no way. I'm not going through that again."
"Not even for them?"
That stopped Xander in mid rant. Tara knew exactly what buttons to push and Xander hated her for it. His temper cooled down.
He'd do it. For them. Only for them.
"It failed last time. What's different this time?" he asked the Wicca.
"You won't be going in alone." Xander mulled it over.
"I can't just go charging in. We'll need another plan to distract them."
"Sounds like something for the rest of the Scooby Gang." Tara suggested.
"But I can't tell them the main plan, can I?"
Tara shook her head.
"I wish you could but you know what they'd say."
"They wouldn't say anything. They'd kick your ass for proposing it and they'd kick mine for going along with it."
Tara giggled at Xander's remark and Xander smiled. He'd really missed her giggle. The blonde Wiccan retained an innocence that even the worst the Hellmouth couldn't destroy.
"You, me, and Joyce, huh?"
"Makes sense. If anyone can wield the heart stone it's you. You're the heart, remember?"
"Heart? Yeah. Brains? No way. I gotta be out of my mind."
"Then were both out of our mind. I've died once already and I'm not too keen to repeat the experience. But it's my Willow. I owe it to her. And I owe you too."
Xander shook his head sadly.
"I didn't manage to do much. She eventually went all the way evil anyway."
"But you gave her a chance. Nobody could have done more. It was her choice."
"I still feel responsible. I could've done something more."
"Not then you couldn't. But now you can."
Xander looked down at his feet.
"You wanna talk to Willow?" he asked. Tara slowly shook her head.
"Why?"
Xander saw a little confused at her question.
"Why wouldn't you want to?"
"She's not my Willow. No matter what she's done, no matter what she's become, she'll always be my Willow. I'm here to save my Willow. You're here to save yours."
*-*-*-*-*
"So how are we getting them where we want them?" Xander asked.
"We'll get word out to the streets via Willy that we'll be up on Kingman's Bluff trying to superpower Willow." Buffy informed the group.
"But where not, right?"
"Relax Willow. We're only saying it to lure them there."
"But won't they know it's a trap?"
"They won't care. They got so much power they'll come over all confident in their ability to kick our ass. Which they can. Easily." Reminded Xander.
"So why are we taking them on rather than do the sane thing and running for the hills?" Cordelia asked him.
"Running won't do any good. We've got one shot at winning this."
"But you still haven't told us what the second part of the plan is." Buffy reminded her boyfriend.
"You guys trust me?" he asked his fellow Scoobies. They all nodded.
"Then all you need to do is keep them busy for a while."
"You want 'em kept busy? I've got a few ideas how to do just that." The Slayer grinned.
*-*-*-*-*
It was during lunch and the Scooby Gang plus Cordelia and Tara were in the library preparing a spell for the battle.
"Mandrake." Giles said as he prepared the necessary ingredients. Cordelia handed over a bag containing the mandrake.
"Mandrake. Check."
"Sage root."
"Sage root. Check."
"And, um... er."
"Just spit it out already, Giles!" Cordelia chastised the Watcher.
"Virgins saliva." Giles said looking extremely embarrassed at the three girls present.
Buffy and Willow looked at each other then looked at Xander. Xander saw the look of 'you wanna explain this to them?' from Buffy and Willow, the amused look from Tara, the unimpressed look from Giles, and the incredulous look from Cordelia.
"I, ah, um. Cordy, you wanna help us out here?"
"No! You get your own damn virgin! Oh, wait. You already did. TWICE!!" Cordelia turned on her heel and stormed off in a huff. Xander watched her go and turned back to an unhappy Giles.
"I'll just go find Johnathan." He said before rushing out of the library.
*-*-*-*-*
The twinkling lights of Sunnydale at night were beautiful but none of the assembled was here for the view. Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles shifted nervously as they waited for the showdown to begin.
"I only hope this works." Muttered Giles as he scanned the area.
"The gang's all here. Isn't that nice?" Dark Willow commented as she, Dark Buffy, and Spike appeared out of the gloom of the night.
"As traps go, this is the lamest one I've ever seen." Dark Buffy rolled her eyes. "It must have been Toy's idea."
"What's lame here is you with your anorexic ass wearing leather pants." Buffy countered.
"Ladies, please. Save the cat fighting for the Jelly Wrestling pit."
"Fuck you Spike." The Slayer spat.
"You will, pet."
"I only wish Willow and Xander could fight as well as they fuck. They would have kicked your asses already and we'd be watching the X-Files right now."
Dark Willow waggled her finger at Xander.
"Someone's been a very bad Toy." Spike circled a nervous Xander.
"Fancy yourself as something of a lover, Droopy? Well, thanks to these lovely ladies who gave me all my memories, I remember a certain vengeance demon. You remember that. Me and her, screwing on the table while you and all your friends watched it over the internet."
Xander didn't reply to Spike's taunting which aggravated the blonde vampire.
"What's the matter boy? Cat got your tongue?" asked Spike and then backhanded Xander across the face who collapsed at Buffy's feet. To the shock of the dark trio, Xander morphed into Johnathan.
"Since when did the midget nerd become Droopy?" a now confused vampire wondered.
"Got a riddle for you Spike. What's long and hard and fucks vampires?" Spike looked at Buffy in even more confusion when something protruded from his chest. Spike barely had time to look down at the arrow before he exploded into dust.
"A crossbow." A voice said as a figure emerged from the darkness and sided up to Buffy.
"How's it going B?"
"Five by five Faith." A smug Buffy replied.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the slut." Dark Buffy's eyes narrowed on the second Slayer.
"You got it all wrong. You're the slut, I'm just a bitch." The younger Slayer replied. "A slut would screw anyone." She said kicking her toe at the dust of Spike. "A bitch screws anyone except you."
Anger swelled inside Dark Buffy and she made a move towards the groups but Dark Willow stopped her.
"You honestly think you can defeat us? You don't have the power."
*-*-*-*-*
At the same time, Joyce and Tara joined hands over the heart stone and Tara began to chant.
"From love, to love.
To love, with love.
From loves heart
Shine it's light
And banish the dark."
The heart stone began to glow.
*-*-*-*-*-*
"You're right Willow. They don't have the power." Xander said from behind them. The evil duo turned to see Xander behind them wearing a heart stone pendant.
"But I do."
With that Xander thrust his hands over Dark Willow and Dark Buffy's heart and a brilliant light erupted from the heart stone pendant. Xander's own scream was drowned out by the inhuman wail that came from Dark Buffy and Dark Willow. Buffy and the rest of them had to shield their eyes from the blinding light from the heart stone pendant.
When the light faded, they saw the three laying on the ground, Dark Willow's black hair now red. Buffy and Willow rushed over to the fallen Xander.
No pulse.
"OhGodOhGodOhGod!"
Buffy paled then swung into action.
"Wills, you know 2 people CPR, right? I need you to tell me what to do." Willow began to shake.
"Willow! I need you here! Xander needs you! Help me!" Still freaked, Willow started moving over Xander. She cleared his airway and tiled his head back the way she remembered from her seventh grade first aid course.
"Every 15 compressions you breathe twice. Got it?" Buffy nodded vigorously.
They started CPR; Willow counting out the compressions and Buffy breathing into Xander. Giles could only watch on in sadness as they struggled to save Xander. He watched them work for five or six minutes on Xander. Willow's tears flowed freely and soaked into Xander's shirt. Unable to watch them struggle in vain anymore, Giles went over to them.
Willow looked up and saw Giles shake his head. The horrific realization set in and she stopped the compressions. Buffy looked sharply at the near catatonic Willow.
"Don't stop! He's gonna make it! Willow! He's gonna make it!"
Giles rapped his arms around his Slayer, trying to comfort her as Tara and Joyce came over and stood with Faith.
"He's gone, Buffy. He did what he had to. He saved us, saved them, and now he's gone."
Buffy started crying.
"He can't be gone. He can't."
Giles held her tighter as she wept.
Without warning she broke free from his hold and began to shake and scream at Xander hysterically.
"Don't you dare leave me! Don't you fucking dare! You never backed away from a fight before so don't start now. Fight you fucking bastard! FIGHT!"
No response.
Buffy collapsed into Willow arms.
Xander's eyes snapped open.
His back arched and he drew a long, painful breath; his face screwed up in the agony of a man being reborn.
He started having a coughing fit which wasn't helped by Buffy and Willow smothering him in hugs and joyous kisses. After a while the helped him move to where the two bodies lay.
"They're at peace now, right?" he asked Tara. She nodded.
"They had power, but no heart. Power needs heart for balance. You restored their balance."
"We restored it." He corrected her.
"The two people who truly loved each of them and the heart who loved them both."
He removed the heart stone pendant and bound his two dead friends hands together.
"What now?" he asked Tara.
"We go home."
Xander kissed his fingers and touched them to their cold lips. He gazed up at Buffy and Willow who held onto each other.
Home is where the heart is.
"I'm already home."
*-*-*-*-*-*
December 25, 2003. The Summers house.
"So, Faith, how's LA?" Willow asked the younger Slayer.
"Pretty wicked now I'm traveling between Sunny D and LA on my new toy." Faith grinned.
"You really love riding that Harley." Xander observed. Faith gave him a wicked look.
"Not as much as I'd like to ride something else." She said suggestively. Xander nearly choked on his eggnog. Dawn rolled her eyes at the comment. Buffy and Willow gave her a look.
"Not a good idea, F." Buffy growled.
"Oh, come on! You gave Cordy a ride once." Faith countered. Buffy, Willow, and Xander were stunned. Dawn was nearly gagging.
"How on earth did you hear that?" Xander wanted to know.
"Me and her had a little pillow talk the other day. And let me tell you, if you guys are half as good as she claims, I'm prepared to pay cash. Lots of it."
Dawn clamped her hands over her ears and ran into the dining room.
"Yuck! Mom! They're grossing me out! Make 'em stop!"
"Don't listen to them honey and tell them to come in. Dinner's ready." Joyce called out from the kitchen.
Buffy, Willow, Xander, Dawn and Faith sat around the table that was piled high with delicious food. Giles wheeled Joyce in her wheelchair from the kitchen to the dining table. He sat down beside her and absently scratched at his eye patch. Thanks were given and they started into the meal.
"So, Giles. When are you gonna make an honest woman out of my mother?" Dawn asked, hoping to get a rise out of the Englishman.
"About the same time Xander makes honest women out of your sister and Willow." Joyce replied with a smirk.
"Newsflash. We ain't Mormons and we sure as hell ain't moving to Utah." Grumbled Xander. Giles cleared his throat.
"Willow. Have you decided what you going to do after graduation?"
Willow shrugged her shoulders.
"Don't know. I wanna stay in Sunnydale what ever I end up doing."
"Well, the librarian's job is opening up soon at the high school." They all looked at Giles in confusion.
"But that's your job!" Willow exclaimed to Giles.
"I'm leaving it. To take up the job as principal." There was a moment of shock and then congratulations from everybody.
"I'd be happy to take the job." Willow told him. "But I'll need to take some leave later on in the year."
"Leave?"
"Yeah. Maternity leave." Dead silence as Buffy and Xander's jaws dropped. Willow gave a perky smile.
"I'm pregnant."