Author's notes: Sorry it's taken so long for an update. I went on trip to Europe this summer (it was absolutely wonderful!) then I had a case of writer's block. The semester has started back and I'm the lead designer for the university yearbook, but I'll try to keep my story going for all those Xander fans out there…

Chapter 10

Inside the burned down Sunnydale school

About 6am Christmas Morning

2002

It had been decided that Giles, Oz, and Willow would stay with Joyce and research for any more indications of what may happen. That left the patrolling to Xander, Richie, and Methos. Xander wasn't too keen on having the old guy with them. He still didn't fully trust the immortal.

"You know," Xander spoke up, "I'm beginning to wonder if anything will happen. I mean, it looks all quiety around here."

"Nothing could happen until tonight. All day is the day of the Lord." Richie kicked at a pile of burnt books. 'Man,' he thought, 'I'm sure glad I wasn't around when this went down. Must have been bad.' "We've been walking around here for an hour now, do you think we should go check in with the others, see if they have found anything?"

"That might not be a bad idea," Adam spoke up, "I would like to have a look through some of Mr. Giles' books."

Not wanting Adam to be in charge, Xander responded quickly. "Let me go check out the old library first. It is after all where the mouth of hell was." Xander initially didn't want to go back into the library because of all the memories, but he would do anything right now to regain control from the guy he did not like.

*

Giles was furiously scanning every book he could. It seemed that nothing on the impending danger could be found. He secretly hoped they were all terribly wrong, but deep down he knew what was about to happen and he did not want to lose his 'son'. "Willow," Giles looked at the young witch sitting at the computer, "have you found…"

Without warning, Giles was tossed to the ground by the violent tremor that passed through the town. It seemed as if the ground had turned to water with the waves rolling and thrashing about. As a bookshelf was falling onto Giles he had one thought left… "Xander!"

*

The shockwave hit as Xander stepped through the remains of the doorway into the library. It knocked him to the ground as he saw blinding light engulfing the demolished room. In the center of the light Xander saw what could only be considered the devil himself. The creature was solid fire with black orbs for eyes. It was like looking into a black hole and seeing the fiery depths of hell.

Xander paled as his first instinct tried to seize control of his body. Xander's body was telling him to run, but his mind knew that this was a battle he was meant face. He could hear the roaring of the fire and feel the trembling ground below him as he pushed his body up. He stared only at the creature in front of him. He did not hear the calls of Adam or Richie behind him. Looking around at the monster and the hole that he was crawling out of, Xander could only think of one thing to do.

*

Richie and Methos had recovered from the initial shockwave that had taken them off their feet. As one, they ran in the direction that Xander had gone. Soon they saw a glowing and Xander standing in front of it. Richie felt a fear that he only felt when he was facing an immortal, "Xander! Get out of there man! We've gotta figure out how to destroy before it destroys us all!" Methos glanced at his young friend. He knew that Xander would not come out of the library until he had faced this ancient demon. He could see the fire demon now and silently prayed to whatever god that could hear him. Just them Methos remembered something he told ages ago by the man who saw the future…

Flashback 100AD

The seer saw Methos place the book down on the table. 'One who will live to see that future may need some help…' "Methos," he smiled as the immortal looked up at him, "do you know what I find most intriguing about this land we live in? It's the elements that surround us. The dirt that is under our feet gives us solid ground to walk upon, allows us to grow food within it, and gives us the supplies to build shelters from the other elements, the stronger ones. Wind supplies the air we breathe but it can also be a destructive force when unleashed. Fire is one of the greatest, giving us warmth, light, and a weapon, but when face with the greatest element, it is nothing. Water can drown the dirt, combine with the wind in destruction, and when it faces fire, it has no equal. I see many things, but I'll never see why nature is the way it is."

Present

Methos was about to shout out Xander when the boy turned and faced him. "Water! There's a fire hose left on that wall over there I don't know if it will work, but we must try!" Methos looked where Xander had said and found the badly burned hose, but maybe, just maybe it would be enough.

*

Xander had passed the job of finding water on, but now he had to focus on distracting the creature. Moving to side, he took out a bottle of holy water and splashed it towards the flames. The water evaporated before it ever reached the actual flames, but the creature turned and sent a flame shoot towards the slayer. Xander dropped and rolled allowing the flame to pass harmlessly over him. The two continued this game until Adam yelled to Xander. "Here's the hose! I'm going to turn it on when you're ready!"

Xander grabbed the end of the hose and formed his plan. He needed to have the hose right against the flames or else the water would evaporate. He then realized that this would be his last moment. He was going to ram that hose through the flames, but it doing so he knew that he would die.

He knew he told Adam to turn the water on and he knew he was running into the flames. But he did not feel the burning; his mind went back to his past:

It was the first day of school and nobody was playing with him. The bigger kids already Alexander as somebody they could bully. Then he met the girl with red hair. Her name was Willow and she wanted to be his friend. Life was good after that. It was always Willow, Xander, and their new friend Jesse.

Why did his parents hurt him? Willow's parents didn't hit her, instead they smiled at her. Jesse's parents were the same way. Xander sometimes wanted to run away but he couldn't leave his friends. They gave him the courage to go on.

It was the first day of school and a vision of beauty had just passed before him. She had blond hair and Xander wanted to keep her where no else could see her. Of course he blew it but messing up his greeting. Why did he have say 'Can I have you?' She would probably never talk to him again. But why did she have this wooden stake?

He stood in front of the gravestone that had Jesse's name on it. 'Why did I have to kill him,' Xander thought 'he was my friend.' Xander made a silent vow to himself. He never wanted to see his friends harmed like that again.

It was a few years of fighting vampires and girlfriends. Seeing Cordelia impaled by the metal bar and knowing that it was his fault. He still loved her, but he knew that he had lost any chance with her. Watching Buffy love Angel, then Riley, and then Spike of all people. But he never let his love for her die.

Xander saw his worst nightmare; Buffy was dead. She wasn't killed by some demon or vampire master, it was a car crash. A drunk driver had hit her on the driver side door. The paramedics said that she died on impact. Of course the other driver didn't have a scratch. As the group stood around the gravestone, they all gave a small smile at what Xander had placed on the stone. 'Buffy Summers 'She saved the world…a lot'.

*

Now Xander saw the flames around him. This was it; this was the moment he had been born for.