Author's notes: Well, time for chapter 5. I'm writing this as I post and it was weird because I just made some realizations in my own story that I hadn't even thought of but they all work out great. How weird. Well, enjoy!

Chapter 5

Sunnydale, August 17, 2002

Richie awoke when he heard Xander leaving the apartment. He debated following him but decided against it. There was something about Xander that had been bothering him since the night they met. He could feel something around Xander. It was almost like a quickening, but not quite. It was not strong enough. The sense Richie got was just enough to crawl across his spine, but not completely engulf him. Richie knew this would be his best chance to call Duncan and have his fear confirmed. He almost didn't want to; the kid already had enough to deal with by fighting vampires and demons, he didn't need immortals added to pot as well.

*

Xander sat in disbelief as Giles talked to him. Prophecies, visions, death, life – Xander didn't want all this in his life. He had always longed to be something more. Buffy had the slayer thing, Willow had the witch thing, Oz was a werewolf, Giles was, well Giles, but Xander had always been just Xander. All he had was the hyena experience (something he tried to forget), his stint as soldier boy (something that upped his confidence), and a long string of 'demon' girlfriends who tried to kill him. Who wouldn't want something more, but now that he had it, he wanted to get rid of it.

"So let me get this straight…the prophecy said that since Cordelia saved me from killing myself that I'm now a slayer. First, I thought the slayer was always a she, and I'm not putting on dress and wearing heals. Second, why is this happening now, and not when Buffy died," Xander looked to the watcher hoping he would have all the answers even though he didn't want to hear them.

Giles cleared his throat before beginning, "Well, to answer your second question, when Buffy died, another slayer was called. She lived in Japan. Her family would not allow the council to send her away from the village, so the council decided to leave her there. But they did not send anyone to train her, but let it slip where the new slayer was living. She died three days ago."

Xander looked at Giles in shock, "You mean that that stupid council let a young girl die just because her family didn't want her to leave! They need to be taught a thing or two about life and death."

"Well, the council has never been known for it's kindness and I do believe that they have gone over the edge now. As for the part about you being called, I'm at a complete loss. It has never happened to my knowledge and the only reference to it is in this book. But it seems to be true." Giles placed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, he felt a migraine starting and he knew he wouldn't go away for some time to come.

"No offense Giles," Xander looked as if he was in pain, "but being the slayer was Buffy and Faith's thing, I don't want it."

"I know this is hard to handle, but you have to live with it now. What I'm most concerned with now, is keeping the council from finding out. It will be even harder when they realize that none of their potential candidates have been called."

Xander just stared into space, his mind was lost in the shock, "Oh boy."

*

The phone rang a few times and finally Richie heard a voice on the other end. The voice did not sound too happy to be receiving a call at 2 o'clock in the morning. "MacLeod."

"Hey Mac, how's it going?" Richie had not spoken with Duncan for a year; it had all been because of that demon. Richie almost didn't survive that encounter and he knew that it had placed a strain between the two of them. But it sure did feel good to hear his voice again.

"Richie, what, where, how are you?" Duncan tried to conceal his joy at hearing the voice of his student. He sure had missed the kid.

"Well, I still have my head, if that counts for anything. I'm actually in California right now. A little town called Sunnydale." Richie waited to see if the 400-year-old man had ever heard of the hellmouth.

"Sunnydale…Richie, are things okay there, because I've heard rumors about the things that happen there. Things that aren't suppose to exist."

"Well Mac, they do exist, so I guess the rumors are right. But what I was really calling about deals with immortals." Richie waited for the reaction he knew he would get.

"Richie, is there someone tracking you? Do you want me to talk with Joe, see what he can find out?" Richie could here the concern in Duncan's voice and was glad the man still cared.

"No, it's nothing like that. What I needed to know was how did you know that I would be immortal when you first met you? I know that you knew before I died the first time, but how?" Richie waited for confirmation on what he already expected.

"Well, I've always been able to sense the quickening in a pre-immortal. It doesn't last as long and it's not as strong as a normal one but it feels the same. That's why I was confused that night you broke into the store, I could feel the quickening in you, but then it was gone. Not all immortals can sense it, Amanda can't and Fitzcarin couldn't, but evidently you can or you wouldn't ask."

"Yeah, the night I first got here, some guys jumped me, only they turned out not to be guys. They were actually vampires, didn't believe it at first, but now I do. They were about to get me when this guy jumped in to help. I could sense him but then couldn't, so I guess he is a pre-immortal." Richie hung is head thinking of the guy he had become friends with over the past few days, wishing he didn't have to deal with what was going to happen one day.

"Rich, you can't let him know what will one day happen to him, it could make him do something he will regret. Of course, if he is living on the hellmouth then he probably won't live a full life anyway. Are you planning on staying there and watching him?" Duncan waited to see if his former student felt confident to take on the job of watching the pre-immortal.

"I was thinking about it. Him and his friends could use my help. They've been fighting these things for years. A girl that was called the slayer had helped but she died last year. Now they're on their own and I think they could use a little fight training."

"Wow, there was slayer living there? I've heard rumors of them too. Always wanted to meet one to see if the rumors were true. So, do you feel comfortable enough to train them?" Duncan knew that his Richie would be more than capable of teaching them.

"Yeah, I figured I could work in sword techniques on Xander, he will need all the heads up he can get when he dies the first time. Hey Mac, I hear Xander coming back now, I need to go. I'll try to keep in touch. Bye."

"Bye Richie, don't lose your head." Duncan hung up the phone glad and worried at the same time for his friend, the guy he liked to think of as a son. Why did the fates have to be so cruel to peoples' lives?