Part 2b of Homecoming
By Phoenixgod2000
Feedback- yes please. It's the only way to get better.
Disclaimer- see part 2a
Present Day
" Good lord." Giles rubbed his glasses in shock. " You were in Troy. The actual city of Troy that was besieged by the Greeks after Helen was kidnapped. That girl, the princess, she was Cassandra the prophet wasn't she? The prophet cursed by Apollo to always speak true prophesies but never be believed."
" Well that's what they say about Cassandra, but the truth is a little different." Cordelia muttered. " And the siege started about a month after we got there. Cassie decided to put us to work and lucky me, I became one of the handmaidens for Helen." She rolled her eyes as she told the story. " And she so wasn't even that pretty."
Xander coughed, " Yes she was." Cordelia narrowed her eyes at him while Faith just smiled. The others could tell this was a long-standing argument between the two of them.
" Good Lord." Giles watched the byplay, rapidly shifting his eyes from Cordelia to Xander.
" I think you broke Giles." Buffy joked. " Bottom line this sorceress- princess person opened a portal back home and here you are."
The three gave each other looks. " Not exactly buffy." Cordelia said warily. " Cassandra couldn't get a portal open."
" Well then how did you get home," Willow said leaning forward, " was it a talisman, cause that could explain why none of our spells worked. The talisman could have a counter-signature that threw off our spells."
" None of the spells worked because our auras are different than you remember." Xander shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
" I don't get it," Amy said, " Aura's are virtually immutable. What could possibly change your aura enough to fool a spell directing by Willow?"
" You guys lived it, didn't you?" Oz's voice rang out, surprising everyone. They had forgotten about the quiet werewolf who sat watching the whole exchange. " You didn't find a portal. You just lived every day until you caught back up with us. You found some way to not age." The normally impassive werewolf sounded truly amazed.
That was enough to send Giles, who was still muttering to himself, into a dead faint.
" Cordy, try and wake up Giles." Xander sounded amused.
Willow shook her head, " No, No, that's not possible. You would have to be more than three thousand years old." She bit her lip, her eyes tried to meet Xander's and she silently begged him to deny what Oz said. It was just too big. The gulf was just too wide. She could hear her own words mocking her. She silently begged him to tell him it wasn't so.
He couldn't meet her gaze.
" I don't understand," Buffy said looking around. " You didn't find a portal. You lived all that time just so you could meet up with us again. You three are all immortal and three thousand years old?" Buffy looked at the three of them and several things clicked into place. The way Xander and Faith looked older. The way he fought, as well as Faith and Cordy's mysterious abilities. The ease with which they acted around each other. It all made sense.
" That about sums it up," Cordelia said. " Blows the mind doesn't it."
Willow was still shaking her head in shock. " How did you live that all that time? No anti-aging spell can keep some one as young as you three are for that long." Willow latched on to the issue of aging mechanics, rather than think about what Xander being that old meant for them and their friendship.
" We didn't use magic, at least not for aging. We each sort of lucked our way into different versions of immortality." Faith looked a little uncomfortable. " I managed to find a piece of Ambrosia, the last piece ever given to mortals. I was real sick at the time and it was the only way I could stay alive."
Tara's jaw dropped. The bit about ambrosia went past the others but not her. Forgetting to stutter she said in awe, " you weren't kidding before. You really are a goddess."
" Honey, what are you talking about?" Amy looked confused but pleased that her girlfriend showed some spine.
" Ambrosia is the food of the gods. If a mortal eats it, they literally become a god themselves."
*** Flashback
Xander limped into an ancient stone room carrying Faith in her arms. He had passed all the tests, defeated all the beasts that lay between him and the Ambrosia that was Faith's only cure. The former slayer was so light in his arms. Wasted muscle clung to her body, and her few remaining hairs were dry and brittle. Cancer had devoured her body in the space of a few months. It was through sheer stubbornness Faith had survived as long as she had.
Xander searched the room quickly, as Faith was racked by coughs that left her throwing up blood on the ground. Spying a golden bowl resting on a great stone pillar, Xander quickly grabbed it and brought it to Faith. There were only a few small pieces of amber fruit left in it. Scooping it up, Xander held it over Faiths mouth and with a silent prayer fed it to her. The transformation was immediate.
Faith packed on weight and her wasted limbs became smooth and toned. Greedily grabbing the bowl she began to lick the sticky ambrosia juices. Her hair became thick, lustrous, and darkened to her normal raven black. Faith stood up and stretched like a great cat. She could feel the primal divine spark flowing through her body and fixing the damaged organs. Fixing her gaze on Xander, she uttered only a short phrase in a throaty voice that seemed to caress Xander physically, each word drawn out painfully and sexually.
" I feel gooood." *** Present night
Silence filled the room. Everyone looked at each other in shock. Its one thing to hear that your friends were magically transported to the past. They live on the Hellmouth. Stuff like that is bound to happen. It's a whole new thing to find out that one of your friends is literally a god. The witches were especially shocked. It was entirely possible that some of the spells they used called on Faith's power.
Buffy was surprised but she asked the one thing that was on the mind of everyone at the time. " Faith, what are you the goddess of?"
Faith smiled. " Bet you could guess B."
" I don't even have to think about it. Lust. You're a lust goddess." Buffy laughed. She knew faith too well. She watched the nearly unnatural level of sexual desirability oozing from Faith and smiled. She hadn't changed at all.
Nodding, Faith added, " and predators. Lust and predators." Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Giles wake up but stay silent. Then she turned to willow.
Willow got up and began pacing back and forth. " What are you guys doing," she began agitatedly, " we're sitting here and your asking what kind of god Faith is? I mean our friends have been gone for six months and we find out that they've really been gone for thousands of years; I mean how did Xander and Cordy survive. Did they find a pot of leprechauns gold, and get a wish?" she asked bitterly. " Everything's different, they're different. How can we even be friends with them now? Their lives are so much bigger than us." Breaking down, she whispered, " Everything's Different. Bigger."
Everyone could see Willows agitation, but only Tara really saw. The young empath could feel the anger, the frustration, and the fear that blazed off Willow. Tara was surprised to see just how insecure the redhead was. She had always seen willow as strong, someone she could emulate. But there was so much insecurity that lay just under the surface and so much of who Willow saw herself as was connected to her friendship with Xander. Then Tara turned her gaze to Xander, the other half of the equation. He blazed with power and confidence but tendrils of fear spread from his aura like a spider web. Beyond all the other emotions Xander shone with white- hot pure love for Willow. Tara could feel the connection between the two, a connection that even a gulf spanning thousands of years could not break. It brought tears to the sensitive girl's eyes. She could feel how much Xander cared for Willow. That single emotion seemed to overwhelm every other part of his aura.
Xander approached the crying redhead. Kneeling in front of her he asked, " Do you really think that I could ever forget you Willow." Meeting her eyes he said, " I know it's hard, I know this makes things between us weird, but we will always be us. Do you believe me?" Willow nodded. " Willow, I've lived for so long I've forgotten what my parents sound like, what the house I grew up in looks like. But through all that I never forgot your face, the sound of your voice, the way your hair looked in the sun in the morning before school. You and Buffy, you're my anchors. There were times when I wanted to give up, to curl up and die but I didn't because I wanted to get back here, back to my family." Xander's voice shook with emotion. Tara smiled as she saw their auras flared up twin white blazes of friendship, the tinges of fear gone.
Willow smiled and in a weak voice said, " We're still going to be friends? You're not going to disappear again now that you're a cool globe trotting demon hunter?"
" No, We're here to stay." Then Xander smiled wickedly. " In fact I have a little announcement. This might be a little too much excitement all at once, but we got married."
" You and Faith got married?" Buffy asked. Buffy always had a soft spot for the younger-now older slayer. She was happy that her two friends got together.
" Actually, I married both Faith and Cordelia."
For the second time that night the room was silent. The Oz spoke for the whole group. " Wow." Willow was about to ask another question when she was interrupted.
" This is all very moving, but I know what happened to Angel. At least I think I do." Anya walked out of the bedroom, leading a still handcuffed and very chastened Riley Finn.
" Riley!" Willow said surprised.
" Riley!" Buffy echoed.
" Riley," Anya said shaking her head in disgust. " Can you believe that this, this.MAN is a member of the soldier group we've been worried about? I have expressed my extreme displeasure with him and his duplicity." Anya kicked Riley in the ankle angrily.
Buffy walked over to the prisoner. " What are you doing in my town Finn?" Buffy began poking her finger in the soldier's chest.
Riley shifted as Anya kicked him again while he answered. " Seriously Buffy, do you really think that the United States government would find out about the Sub-terrestrial threat and not do anything about it. We used statistical analysis and figured out where the greatest concentration of US Sub-T's gather and it was here." He shrugged his shoulders, " so we set up the Initiative here." Shaking his head, " I cannot believe that you girls are demon hunters. You need far more training and equipment to deal with this threat. You are all in over your heads."
The entire group took a step back. Xander winced as he watched Buffy's hazel eyes darken. " Now you done gone and pissed her off."
Buffy stepped forward and picked up the larger soldier and lifted him up and growled, " No, you're over MY head." Shaking Riley she said, " Now I want to know where Angel is and what your group is doing in my Hellmouth."
" Jesus Christ," Riley yelled as the diminutive slayer manhandled him easily. " Your vampire friend would have been taken to the lab. Our scientist will want to use behavior modification technology on him. We don't usually get to work on vampires as old as he is. " Please," he begged, " put me down."
Buffy dropped him unceremoniously on the ground and repeated her question, " What are you doing in my town."
" We're a group called the initiative. We've been collected from every branch of the armed services from the air force to the marines. Since this place seems to have the most supernatural activity, we came here so we could capture and study sub-terrestrials in order to assess their threat level to national security. Dr. Walsh is the head of the project." He shook his head, " because of the logistical problems with so many branches working together, the Feds decided to go with a civilian head."
" That can't be pretty." Xander said sympathetically.
" Sometimes its not," Riley agreed.
Xander got a speculative look on his face and called out, " Buffy, I got an idea."
Buffy, Giles, Faith, and Cordelia walked over to Xander. " What is it, Xan?"
" I think we can use these guys. They got lots of funding and from what I saw nifty weapons when they have the guts to use them. With your problems with the council it might be helpful to have a secondary source of help. We can go introduce ourselves and show them some of what we know. They might be willing to accept help. Worst comes to worst at least we won't be tripping over each other which will make patrolling easier."
Cordelia interjected, " Actually Xander, Buffy quit the council and Giles was fired after the crucimentum. That means they need the help more than ever."
Buffy and Giles looked at her in surprise. " How do you know that Cordelia. Those events transpired after you three took your sojourn into Troy. Which by the way I still want to speak to you three about." Giles asked.
" I know stuff now." Cordelia said with a mysterious smile.
Giles looked at cordelia for a moment, searching her face for the secrets she evidently carried. " I agree with you, Xander, up to a point," he cautioned. " Many of the books I have and things I know should not be given to the military. They cannot be trusted with the power. At the same time they have a great deal of resources to call upon and we never know when we might need the extra help."
Cordelia shivered. " I think we're going to need them soon."
" You have a vision C," Faith asked solicitously. That more than anything convinced Buffy that everything Xander and the others said were true. Before, Faith and Cordelia wouldn't help each other if they were drowning. Now they seemed so comfortable with each other it startled Buffy every time she saw it.
" No, just a feeling."
Xander said, " your feelings are more accurate that just about anybody else's certainties Cor so we'll be careful." Looking at the others he said, " so we are in agreement. We ask for help but keep things close to the vest." When the other nodded he looked up and called out to Riley. " Captain. I have a proposition for you. You take us to where we have our.friend," Xander kind of strangled out the last word, " and we'll share what we know about demons and vamps with you."
" Xander, are you sure that's a good idea," Willow said.
Sending a quirky smile to Willow Xander said. " Trust me." Turning back to Riley, he said, " So do we have a deal Captain?"
Riley look at the faces of the determined group and took their measure. At first glance they didn't seem like much. A group of pretty girls, a middle aged man, and a young man about his age. They hardly seemed like hardened demon hunters. Yet a skinny blond had picked him up over her head, the sultry brunette had punched a vampire so hard he cracked a statue in half, and three of those girls demonstrated practical knowledge of magic beyond anything he read about in defense reports. And only God knows what Anya was capable of. In the end, despite the misgivings Dr Walsh would have, it wasn't a hard question to answer.
" We have a deal."
" Excellent. Buffy, Giles, and Cordy will come with me and we'll bring back Angel safe and sound." Xander looked a little unhappy at the thought. " Everyone else stay here." Faith looked like she was going to argue when he added, " Faith, we only NEED to show them ONE slayer. Everything else we can figure out later." Getting his meaning she sat back down.
As the group was walking out the door, Riley stopped and turned around. "Uh Anya."
" Yes," Anya replied sweetly.
" Would you like to, uh, go out some time when this is over?" Riley rushed out.
Anya smiled widely then frowned. " Do you promise to not lie to me any more about your profession now that you know I also hunt vampire and offensive unintelligent demons of all sorts."
Riley sighed. " Yes, I promise."
" Good. You may pick me up at eight o'clock this Friday in order to woo me." Anya said firmly.
" Oh I think I am going to like her," Cordelia said appreciatively.
***
Spike picked his way through the rubble of the high school. Looking around he tried to orient himself within the rubble of the school. He had been to the school only a few times, and always out to kill Buffy. He wasn't exactly familiar with the layout of the school, looking for the stinking trophy case. Wandering around for a while he muttered to himself about taking up with a crazy woman. Finding the ruined remains of the corridor he saw melted fragments of trophy cases littering the ground. he silently crowed.
For about fifteen minutes he searched the ground looking for one trophy in particular. A cheerleading trophy.
***
" You blew up the high school?" Xander said laughing. Buffy nodded. As they walked to the campus of UC Sunnydale, she had been sharing stories about what happened while they were gone.
She shrugged her shoulders, " It seemed like the thing to do at the time. The mayor was going to ascend and there was nothing we could do about, until he transformed. Of course he was transforming into something the size of a dinosaur so giant explosion seemed to be most efficient thing to do."
" Ascensions are nasty," Xander agreed. " And they always end in great big explosions."
" You've seen one before?"
" Sure, Pompeii," Xander said mysteriously.
Riley watched the two friends reminisce and decided to interrupt. " Buffy, back there how did you pick me up?"
The slayer looked at him suspiciously. Seeing that he seemed to be asking in genuine curiosity and not some ploy to pump her for information, Buffy answered him. " I'm the slayer." When he didn't react right away she elaborated. " You know one girl in all the world. Super strength, speed, ability to kick ass and look good while doing it. Any of this tracking," she said incredulously.
Riley shook his head. " Some of the vampires we caught mentioned something about slayers but we attributed that to some sort of cultural bogeyman. That's you?"
Buffy threw up her hands. " God, you guys are so far out of your league. I can't believe you've never heard of me. I mean I'm like famous in the demon world. Only slayer who survived a certain death prophecy. Twinned the slayer line. Killed the vampire called the worst of the worst. Any of this familiar," she asked exasperated.
" Umm, sorry no." Riley said sheepishly.
In an exaggerated whisper Xander leaned over and said, " I think you've offended her. She hates it when she's not recognized."
Quickly changing the subject seeing the glare Buffy directed at Xander, Riley asked, " I see you got a wedding band on, Xander. Are you and Cordelia married?"
Cordelia answered for him. " Yup we're married. Have been for a while now," she said evasively.
" I noticed that raven haired girl wore a wedding band too. Whom is she married to?"
Xander smiled. " I'm also married to Faith." Seeing Riley's jaw drop he continued. " It's kind of complicated."
" I guess so," Riley answered surprised. " They both want to be married to you?"
" Hello," Cordelia interjected, " Standing right here. And Xander is a great husband." Seeing Xander's smirk, she amended, " and by great, I mean adequate."
" But it's not even legal here in the US." Then Riley looked at them suspiciously. "Your not Mormon are you."
Xander laughed. " No, we're not Mormon. The three of us took a trip to Africa and we had a.a sort of unofficial marriage ceremony with a tribe we met there." Xander shrugged. " We love each other and in the society we married in, I could have as many wives as I could afford." Smirking Xander added, " So Buffy, I got room for at least one more, wanna get married?" Xander nimbly dodged out of the way as Cordelia tried to slap him in the head while Buffy laughed. Xander added seriously, " It may not be legal here in the US but we are married to each other in our hearts and that's what matters. The three of us have had a hard life; we've been through a lot together. It was natural that we would fall in love." He shrugged his shoulders. " They fill me up inside. Beyond that, everything else cultural hang ups."
Riley shook his head, " Married to two women like that. Your either lucky or insane."
Buffy said to Riley, " I've known him for longer than you. He's pretty much both."
***
" Faith, I have to say something to you." Willow said to the dark haired goddess.
" What is it Little Red." Faith said from the kitchen where she was rummaging through Giles refrigerator looking for beer.
Looking at the others in the group, Willow snuggled against her quiet boyfriend drawing strength from him. " I wanted to tell you that I was sorry." Before Faith could interrupt she continued. " I treated you really badly when you started dating Xander and I wanted to tell you that I was sorry for the way I treated you."
Faith turned around and looked at Willow. " We're cool. I understand why you did it. Or at least I eventually figured it out." She shook her head. " It took me years to figure out why you were so mean to me, but for you it's only been six months. Fucks with your head don't it?"
" You understood?" Willow echoed.
" Sure. You saw what happened when Xan broke up with Cordy and you wanted to protect your oldest friend. You didn't want him to be hurt by me the same way Cordy hurt him. And you were probably right. I most likely would have hurt Xander. I really love him, but at the time I was messed up in the head. It took me a long time to get well. At least with Cordy if it hadn't been for her father, she would have stuck it out with him."
" I never understood what he saw in Cordelia."
Faith sighed and walked over to Willow. " Willow, you have to let this thing with Cordelia go. She is not the person who fell through that portal all those months ago. She's not the spoiled princess who broke the heart of your best friend and left him." Faith smiled, " better than anybody I know how much fun it is to hate Cordelia Chase, but let it go. The cordelia that was worth hating was a mask that got stripped away a long, long time ago. The three of us have dealt with our issues. They're over for us and they should be for you."
Willow smiled at Faith softly. " Xander's not the only one who's different now."
"Yeah, well after three thousand years, wisdom was bound to sink even into my head. I was messed up for a long time and Xander and Cordelia helped to heal me. Now I understand myself. I fit into my skin." Faith smiled, and it wasn't the seductive man killer smile she so easily cultivated. The only word that could sum up this smile was serene.
" Your not the only one who's more comfortable in their skin."
Faith really looked at Willow for the first time since she got back to Sunnydale. She saw the shorter hair, the more fashionable clothes, and smiled. " Better be careful Willow. If we keep bonding like this, we might end up friends."
" Can't have that, can we." Shifting gears Willow asked, " About that whole aging thing, how did Xander and Cordy do it? I know about you and the whole god thing, which by the way still freaks me out, but how did they not age."
" Well Xander is sort of a long story, which he'll tell when he gets back." Then Faith smiled sadly, " As for Cordelia. It's a large part of why she different now. She's.either blessed or cursed depending on how you see things."
" I don't get it. Cursed? Why haven't you broken it?"
" It's not something you can break Willow. Cordelia is the living vessel of an exiled Power That Be."
" The Power of Destiny to be precise."
***
" That old vamp just broke down and drank the spiked blood," one of the camera operators called out.
" Excellent," replied the lead surgeon. " Grab him and prep him for the implant."
***
Forrest stretched his back. Polgara demons we heavy and he and his men had just carried their corpses back to the base where lab technicians could dissect them. He saw some commotion and walked over to see what was happening.
" Forrest, we're just about to take that vamp you brought in to surgery. Wanna come?"
Without saying anything Forrest just smiled and followed the scientist and other soldiers down the corridor, safe from their prisoners by clear plastic shields. The beasts jumped and howled at the soldiers while vampires up and down the corridors flipped them off. Stopping at the cell of the old vampire, Forrest shook his head as he entered. The vampire lay sprawled out on the floor, the bag of blood torn savagely. Tainted blood was smeared about the vampire's lips.
" I figured an old one like this guy would be smarter than this," Forrest said sadly.
" I am." Moving faster than the soldier could react, Angel flipped to feet and snaked his arm around Forrest's neck. " Anyone try anything stupid, and I'm snapping Captain Overeager's neck. Got me?"
***
Spike fondled the small trophy in his hand. It was half melted and deformed by the heat of explosion that leveled Sunnydale High. Spike thought it didn't look like much, certainly not the key to his translation problems but Dru was convinced it could help. She told him to break it so break it he did.
The resulting soundless explosion rocked spike back. When dust cleared from his vision he saw an attractive but middle-aged brunet sitting on the ground dazed. Spike grabbed the woman and pulled her to her feet. " You a sorcerer?" He asked gruffly.
The woman shook her head, dazed. " Daughter, where is my daughter."
" Listen bitch, I asked you a question. Are you or are you not a bloody sorcerer who can speak Sumerian."
" Ye-Yes, I'm a witch and I can speak Sumerian."
Spike smiled. " Then you'll have to meet your daughter later. I got a job for you." With that, the bleach blond vampire sank his teeth into Catherine Madison's soft throat.
***
" This is it?" Xander asked in disbelief. " Your grand cover scheme is to hide as a FRAT HOUSE."
The five of them stood in front of the frat house the Initiative used as their primary base and Xander was rubbing his temples. " I can't believe this." Scowling at Buffy, " And you say that I am insane."
" Hey, I call 'em as I see 'em," Buffy replied.
" Children, and I can't believe that I have to refer to you as one, Xander," Giles said reprovingly, " can we please focus on the larger issue here. We need to figure a way in."
" That's not a problem," Riley answered. " Since I went missing on an op, my unit should have radioed that I went missing while they looked for me. Except," he added bitterly, " I doubt that my second is looking too hard."
" Will having visitors cause a problem," Giles asked.
" Yes, but I should be able to smooth it over."
" Lets go then."
The group started forward with Cordelia hanging back. She was worried. Normally only people or demons could have destinies or fates but in rare cases so could buildings and areas. And in this frat house threads of fate wove themselves in a net that caught the souls inside in a dark bind. The only thing that gave her hope that the initiative had not totally lost itself to its fate was that Riley Finn shone with the strength of a man running headlong into his destiny. Hopefully the soldier won't trip and fall before he completes his destiny like so many others that she witnessed in the past. Although she stretched her powers to gain some sense of what lay before them Cordelia could not. The strands of Fate ran like a knot that she could not unravel and that worried her. This plan of Xander's was not going to end well. She could feel it. Sighing she ran to catch up with the others. In centuries that have past for them many things have changed, but at least one has not.
Everything was still Xander Harris's fault. Everything.
***
Xander and Buffy took the lead as they strode towards the frat house moving swiftly now that they had a goal clear in site. As they neared the front door, a soldier opened it from the inside and pointed a gun at them.
"Halt." The soldier seeing that the two in the lead refuse to stop and not noticing Riley in the back said, " You're entering a restricted area. If you continue I will shoot you."
" Hey buffy, you want me to show you a trick?"
" Please."
" Now you see him," Reaching the guard Xander snatched the gun from his hands with lightning quick reflexes. Reversing the gun Xander struck the guard across the temple with the butt of the weapon, dropping him unconscious to the floor. " Now you don't."
" Neat trick."
Catching up to Xander and Buffy, Riley said " you know I could have gotten us past him."
Xander shrugged his shoulders. " Probably." Looking around the nearly empty fraternity house Xander asked, " So where do we go from here."
" That way," pointed Cordelia. Riley looked at her in suspicion.
" How do you know that?"
" Never underestimate what I know Corncob." She replied crossly. " You'll always be wrong."
Shaking his head in disbelief at the weirdness of these people Riley said, " she's right, the stairs are that way. It's safer than taking the elevator for you four. The stairs don't have automated defenses."
They make their way to the stairs, and Xander shakes his head once again. " Who ever came up with this mission has read too many comics. Which of course I can appreciate but still, a secret lair beneath a frat house just seems."
" Tacky," Cordelia supplied.
" Thanks, hon. that was what I was going for."
" You know, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't make fun of my job. I do sort of like it." Riley said crossly taking the stairs two at a time.
' Riley if your going to work with these people, you will have to get used to making fun of your chosen profession. Lord knows I have," Giles said wearily.
Meanwhile Buffy just smiled. It was good to have Xander back. Her load already seemed lighter.
Coming to the door, Riley said, " Let me go in first in order to smooth things over wit-"
Before he could finish, an alarm sounds within the complex. Throwing open the door, Riley shouts. That's the signal for when Sub-T's escape their holding cells. One must've gotten loose." Riley ran through the door with the others hot on his heels.
Cordelia could sense the stink of Fate all over the complex. She shivered. It was not a good idea to ally themselves with these people. They were all ripe for a fall. Reading the currents of destiny she raised an eyebrow. Whoever was trying to escape blazed with power of someone on a righteous path. She realized who it was. Xander wasn't going to like that at all. Oh well.
Ahead, the group fell in with the soldiers who were training guns at the door leading to the containment cells. Xander had a sneaking suspicion about who the mysterious escapee was. They were waiting when one of the soldiers noticed the late arrivals.
" Finn! Riley, over here." Graham walked over to the group while keeping an eye on the door. " Who are the civvies?"
" These are some of the demon hunters we helped tonight. When I was left," and Riley glared at Graham, " they took me in and we, uh, compared notes." Riley reddened as he remembered the interrogation by Anya. " I'm going to talk to Walsh about bringing them in. They know their way around demons. We can work together and do both our jobs better."
Just then the door to the containment area burst open and Angel stepped through holding Forrest as a body shield, ready to snap his neck if provoked. " Nobody move. I just want to leave," Angel shouted. " Your buddy here doesn't need to get hurt." Then he saw buffy and his eyes widened. " Buffy?"
" Angel."
Xander sighed. She had that glazed look in her eye again. The only thing she was going to be seeing for a while was Angel. So he stepped forward and shouted, " everybody lower your weapons. Nobody's gonna to be breaking the necks of anybody."
" Who the hell are you and how did you get down here. This place is a restricted area." Dr Walsh said as she exited her private lab. Then she saw Riley and dropped her pen in surprise. " Captain Finn, its good to see you again. Did you bring these people here." She asked crossly.
" Yes ma'am I did. These people are demon hunters. They encountered the same group of polgara that we did."
" Yes, I heard about your adaptation of my orders. I am very displeased Riley."
" I apologize ma'am but our first mission is the protection of United States civilians. Besides when I was unconscious they took me in. They didn't leave me behind where any hostile could have found me and killed me," he added grimly. " Besides while they might lack our military precision," he turned to Xander with a smirk, " they know their way around demons. They even have several witches in the group. That vampire is a member of the group."
" Really, witches." Dr. Walsh became very interested in hearing that. The spell she had been adapting for use in the project was not working out well. Perhaps the aid of several trained witches could help her with the spell. " Lower your weapons. Everyone, calm down." Turing back to the others, " So who exactly is the leader of this expert demon hunting group."
Rupert Giles stepped forward and answered. " I am. My name is Rupert Giles. I am the watcher/advisor for the slayers Buffy Summers and Faith.Harris." Xander nodded in agreement with Giles
" The slayers." Maggie Walsh appeared interested despite herself. " Are these two young women the slayers?"
" Buffy is," and Giles pointed to the love struck slayer. " Faith is at my home."
" Interesting. So my rash Captain Finn decided to bring you in on our little secret. So what's your first impression of the group?"
" It's quite a .a setup. Your men are certainly very efficient and well trained. I do think you might be making a slight mistake with your doctrine of capture instead of kill, at least with vampires and other intelligent demons."
" It is a necessary step for understanding our opponents. By understanding the biology of these creatures we can devise more effective counter-agents to them. Besides," and her eyes shined with fervor, " these creatures often have muscular and organ systems many times more efficient that humans. I've made great strides toward gene therapies using Sub-T DNA."
Giles removed his glasses and looked grimly at the head of the initiative. " The organization that I used to work for has many documented cases of beings who chose to engage in breeding programs between demons and humans. It always ends up badly. No matter how noble your purpose is, it always ends up badly."
" Why is that?" Margaret asked coldly
" Because," Angel interrupted having followed the conversation, " when you stare too long into the abyss, the abyss stares back." Dr. Walsh was about to reply when she noticed just how haunted Angel looked when he answered.
" Very well Mr. Giles, I will give your advice its due consideration." Abruptly changing the subject Dr. Walsh said, " I think this illustrates the importance of joining our groups together. With your older knowledge and our greater understanding of scientific principals we can more effectively reach both of our goals."
" I agree," Giles replied.
" Excellent." Turning to Angel she said, " I'm sorry I don't know your-"
" My name is Angel."
" Angel could you please let Forrest go, I promise no one here will hurt you." Angel dropped Forrest unceremoniously to the ground. Riley smirked at the downed soldier who rubbed his throat where the vampire had grabbed him. " Angel, since we are all friends now I don't suppose I could enlist your aid in some experiments. We never get vampire volunteers."
" I won't go under the knife for you," the big vampire replied while walking towards Buffy.
" Nor would I ask you to now that I understand you're an ally. It would just be a few non-invasive experiments involving strength and reflexes. I would also like to take a few X-rays and facial tests to see if I can pinpoint how your faces alter."
" I don't see a problem with that," Angel answered cautiously, " as long as no more spiked blood is involved, and your boys don't try to shock me again."
" Excellent. We can get all of you set up with voice recognition for our basic systems in a few days after some background checks are ran on you. Thank you for bringing back captain Finn safe and sound. Now if you'll excuse me," she said dismissively, " I have to get back to work."
The group was a little surprised at the rapid dismissal by the professor so they left, led by Cordelia who spared no time in getting out of the complex. Once outside and on the way back to Giles apartment she turned to the others and said, " we have a problem. That group is so far down the path to its fate, I'm not sure anything can stop it."
***
Dr. Walsh stalked back into her office, heels tapping on the floor rapidly. She slammed the door shut and in a fury threw over her chair and tossed several files off her desk. HOW DARE THAT MAN. How dare some stinking Brit that looked like a librarian come in here and starts lecturing her about the goals of her life long project. If some of the things that she had discovered were available a few years ago her son might not have- No, No. She wasn't going to fall back down the path of self- pity. The things she did were for a greater purpose. Her name would be known. Other people, children, will not suffer the same fate as her son. She would save lives. Soldiers would no longer die on the field of battle.
Tiring from her tantrum, Margaret Walsh turned back over her chair and sagged in it thinking about the past and turning over the words of Rupert Giles in her mind. Every time a small voice whispered in her mind that he might be right, she pictured her son.
It's amazing how much the Abyss can look like a boy dying in a hospital bed.
***
Riley wrapped the towel around his waist. The night's bruises were only beginning to show but by tomorrow he would look like a pretty rainbow of pain. So he decided to take a nice hot shower alone since most of the guys had already gone to bed.
Turning on the water, he heard the door open and close again. Peaking around the corner he saw Forrest taking off his shirt. Guess he wasn't the only one to decide on a late night shower. " Forrest," he said flatly.
" Riley."
Riley decided to get the pissing contest out of the way right now. Establish who was still boss. Walking over to Forrest he said, " I know what you did. You left me behind."
" How do you know that?"
" Because no one else on this team is a big enough dickhead to do it." Stepping forward Riley got in his face. " I need to know that the men I work with can be trusted. We're alone out here. We got nobody but each other. I trusted you. I figured even if we didn't like each other you would still back me up when push came to shove. But you didn't. You left me to die." Riley shook his head sadly. Then suddenly Riley punched Forrest in the face knocking him down. Towering over him, Riley finished. " If you ever pull a stunt like that again with me or any men under my command I will break your legs and have you up on charges. Do you get me?"
" I get you."
" I get you what?"
" I get you, Sir." Forrest spat out.
" Good," Riley said satisfied. " Now get the hell out of here and let me shower in peace. With that he turned around and left Forrest sitting on the floor, bleeding from the corner of his lip.
***
As the group of five walked back to Giles apartment, Xander and Cordelia dropped back and let Buffy, Angel, and Giles take the lead. By this time it was nearly four o'clock in the morning. It was a calm clear night that seemed to give lie to the fearsome reputation of Sunnydale. Better than anyone Xander Harris knew just how much danger was lurking in the shadows of this small California town.
Cordelia looked at him. " I talked it over with Faith, and we're going to do it soon." Xander sighed and looked angry but stayed silent. " I know you don't like him and you don't think he deserves it-"
" Do it," Xander interrupted. " It'll make her happy. She deserves some happiness even if it's with him."
The couple walked in silence for a while, hands entwined. Xander's eyes followed Buffy as she walked along side of Angel. Every so often she would glance shyly at him and Angel would return the glance with one of his own. Xander watched her sun-kissed blond hair twist around her swanlike neck. He watched as her golden tan skin flushed slightly when she met Angel's gaze. Xander had known some of the most beautiful women in the world and was married to a pair of them, but-
He had forgotten how beautiful she was.
***
When they got back to the apartment, the group found that Tara and Amy were curled up together on the couch, looking impossibly cute. Willow and Oz were gone, presumably to their shared apartment and Faith was nowhere to be found.
" Where's Faith," Buffy whispered.
Xander and Cordelia replied back in unison, " she's out hunting." Then Xander clarified. " Since one of Faiths dominions is predators, she actually gets even more jittery when she doesn't get a good kill or eight every so often." Smiling Xander added, " and you remember how she was before."
"Wow." Buffy looked impressed.
Giles walked over to Xander and Cordelia and hugged both of them. " It is good to have you back, but I must get some sleep. If you have nowhere to stay, you're all welcome to sleep here until you find something."
Cordy smiled and hugged Giles back tightly and said, " Thanks, we'll find something tomorrow." Then her eyes twinkled. " And we'll be sure to tell you all about our travels later."
" I look forward to it." Giles walked into his bedroom and promptly backed out rubbing his glasses vigorously. " Anya is asleep in my bed," He whispered savagely. " Naked. I'll be in the guestroom." Shuddering Giles walked into his spare room muttering under his breath.
Xander, Cordelia, Buffy, and Angel stood around in the silent apartment looking at each other. The Xander broke the silence. " Buffy, I know why your leg and nose healed tonight during the fight. And I bet it's not the first time that's happened."
Buffy shook her head while Angel looked on in surprise. " It's not. A few months ago, I was fighting a vampire named Sunday. I was feeling a little down and she got the jump on me. She snapped my arm. A few hours later my arm was fine. Since then I haven't even really had minor injuries from my patrols."
" Why didn't you ever tell me this?" Angel asked worriedly
" Let me ask you something." Xander asked. " Have you had a near death experience lately?"
" I'm the slayer. I've had several."
" I hate to tell you this Buff, but one of those near death experiences was more of an actual death experience."
A light dawns in Angel's eyes. " Buffy's one of them isn't she?"
Xander nodded while Buffy looked between the two men annoyed. " I'm one of what?"
Angel turned around and said. " Buffy, you're an immortal. Immortals are regular people who after they die by violence become nearly impossible to kill. They stop aging right at the point they died. If what Xander is saying is true then you will be eighteen forever."
Buffy looked stunned but the shocks kept coming. This time from Xander. " When Angel says nearly immortal, he really means nearly. Short of something completely disintegrating your body, only one thing can kill you. Decapitation."
Buffy began to pace back and forth. "I don't understand. I can't die now. I'm not going to age anymore. But how is this possible. I mean the last real near death experience was when I got caught in the explosion at the high school. I was flung by the blast and hit my head on a tree. I was out for hours."
Xander was nodding his head in agreement. That could very well be her first death. Then he noticed the look of horror on Angel's face. " Angel," he said sharply. " What is it?"
" It wasn't the explosion at the high school. It was before, when I was poisoned." A look of understanding passed by Buffy while Xander looked on in confusion.
Buffy clarified for Xander, " Back when we were trying to figure out how to stop the mayor, he sent an assassin to poison Angel with something that could kill vampires. The only cure was the blood of a slayer. So I."
".Let him feed on you." Looking at Angel. " He drank too much and killed you."
Defensively, Angel said, " I got her to the hospital as fast as I could. I thought I got her there in time."
" I did recover awfully fast from the blood loss. The next day I was ready for the fight with the mayor." Buffy seemed calm at first finding out that it was her one true love that may have killed her. Then everything from the whole night crashed down on her and suddenly sat down. The battle, the initiative, the return of her lost friends, and now this. Immortality and eternal youth. Everything a young person could ever want. She'll never lose her looks, she'll stay healthy forever, and her body will never grow weak and infirm. Yet why did she feel like she was being burdened by yet another responsibility?
Xander, seeing that Buffy was being overwhelmed by the information, knelt down in front of her and grabbed her hands. " Buffy look at me." Obediently Buffy looked at Xander. He smiled at her and said; " Being an immortal come with its problems Buffy, but there are so many good things about it too. I'm an immortal too. That's how I lived for so long. You'll see so many great things Buffy, travel to exciting places. You now have all time in the world to take up whatever hobby you want. You know that cool fighting stuff I did against the vamp tonight?" Buffy nodded her head. " Its called Sinanju. I learned it in a small fishing village in Korea, two thousand years ago. There are so many things in this world, and immortals like us are the only people who can do and see all of it."
Buffy looked hopefully at Xander. " Really?" Then she got a suspicious gleam in her eye. " What did you mean by Immortality came with problems?"
Xander sighed. He had hoped to get to this part a little later once Buffy had gotten used to the idea. " Well there is the little thing called The Game."
***
Xander stood outside of Giles apartment. Buffy had reacted to the game and the idea of taking heads poorly. So here he was outside giving her some breathing room while Angel and Cordelia calmed her down. Xander shook his head. He remembered his initial reaction to finding out he was an immortal and his hand absently reached down and rubbed his abdomen where he received the gut wound that issued him into immortality. He could still smell the blood and smoke that mingled together as he stood on the walls of Troy repelling the Greek invaders.
He had his soldier memories, but they never conveyed how much real war STANK. Burning bodies, blood, filth from the bowels of the dying. He shuddered. If Methos hadn't been playing doctor and discovered him coming back to life before being thrown on the funeral pyre when he did God only knows what might've happened. He could have been burned and buried alive. As Xander looked at the sky, the same stars that shone over the ancient city he had been reborn in, he remembered his teacher' who at the time was already ancient, his advice and mentoring. Methos was never the greatest swordsman or warrior. He was however a master of strategy and survivor without peer. He was more a father to Xander in the few years they were together than Xander's real father had ever been. He hoped that he could do right by his teacher, and by Buffy. She wouldn't be the first immortal he had trained but the others usually listened to him because Alexander of Troy was one of the most ancient and respected immortals. They see an immortal that seen the rise and fall of civilizations. Buffy would see the kid who'd sleep through US history, and not the man who had served in the continental army and been drinking with Ben Franklin. Xander heard the door open behind him.
" Hello Angel." He said without turning around. " How's Buffy doing?"
" She's okay. Cordelia is inside talking with her. Shooed me out saying something about girl talk."
Xander cracked a smile. " Your in trouble now. Every time Cordy and Faith decide to do some alone time girl talk, I end up either spending a ridiculous amount of money or fleeing the country. A few times both."
" I heard about the time travel/immortality thing. Must be a hell of a story. Congrats on the double marriage by the way."
" Thanks. Are we done with the small talk now."
" I think so. She's not going to be able to take heads."
" You think I don't know that. I saw the look in her eyes when I told her about the game. She's just going to have to get over it or she's going to die." Xander turned around and faced Angel. " I can't fight her battles for her."
" Why not. She fights enough battles for everyone else." Angel stepped up to Xander. " Vampire bodies dust. Demons don't look human. She will never be able to gut an immortal in single combat, look at their eyes as they kneel before her, and coldly take their head."
Xander shrugged his shoulders, seemingly unconcerned.
" How the hell can you be like this? Are you so old, so dead inside that you can't help a woman you claim to love."
Xander's eyes flashed yellow. " I do love buffy. I will always love her. Don't ever talk to me about the problems will have Buffy as an immortal. It is because of you that she has them." Xander shook as his own beast threatened to throttle the souled vampire. " Did her blood make you high. I've heard that immortal blood can give quite a buzz. Mix that with slayer blood and I bet you're just jonesing for another taste. I bet you still dream about the feeling you got when your teeth slipped into her neck."
Angel growled and slipped into game face. " Don't ever accuse me of loving what I did to Buffy. It was about an inch away from rape and her blood still burns in my throat. But that's not what pisses you off. You still hate me. Still jealous I got there first."
" Its not about that. I'll always carry a small torch for Buffy but I am very happily married. Besides I am her friend first and foremost. Its about you, and about England."
" England?"
" I was there Angel. I walked through the church that you desecrated when you decided to turn Drusilla. I saw the bodies. Blood dripped from the walls. The stained glass windows looked like they were weeping blood when you were through. Cordelia cried for a week because of the psychic impressions you left behind because of your little games. I understand you better than buffy ever could. She sees you and she sees the soul. I see the trail of bodies that you left through Europe. She's heard stories about the scourge. I saw the scourge in action. She thinks Jenny Calendar and Acathla were the worse you'd get. You and I, we know better. We both know you were just warming up. I followed you for a decade before I couldn't stomach the death that surrounded you and Darla. I ached to kill you but Cordelia said I couldn't. Said that you mattered for the future. So I've lived with it, but I don't have to like either it or you. And excuse me if I hate the idea of you being with a woman I care a great deal about."
" You think I don't know that I don't deserve buffy. I do know that. And you think that I don't think about what I did to Dru and all my other victims. I do. And I'm sorry you saw my fun and games first hand. But I have enough burdens on my own without carrying yours as well." Angel turned around and walked off. " Tell buffy I'm going home and I'll see her for patrol tomorrow night." He paused for a moment, " Oh, and Xander. Regardless of what you might think about me, I'm not your enemy. I am glad you and your family are home, both for buffy and Willow's sake, and your own. I'll see you later." With that final thought still hanging in the air, Angel melted into the night.
And Xander continued to stare into the night sky.
***
Authors note- I am going to use the In Nomine Role playing game as the basis for my Powers that Be and the concept of destiny and fate. The Archangels and Demon princes from In Nomine will be the Powers that Be. Each one has a Word, which represents a primal facet of reality like War, Love, Fire, and Freedom. The second aspect is the concept of Fate and destiny. Destiny represents each person's greatest potential accomplishment. Example destinies could be everything from directly saving particular persons life to being a teacher who will inspire children for decades. On the converse is Fate, which represents the lowest, darkest thing that person could accomplish. Example fates could be killing that person you should save or being a teacher that crushes the wills and creativity of students for decades. Destiny and Fate represent nothing more than potentiality. Each person has the free will to do one or the other, both, or neither.
Hope you like the story. Stay tuned for part three.
Present Day
" Good lord." Giles rubbed his glasses in shock. " You were in Troy. The actual city of Troy that was besieged by the Greeks after Helen was kidnapped. That girl, the princess, she was Cassandra the prophet wasn't she? The prophet cursed by Apollo to always speak true prophesies but never be believed."
" Well that's what they say about Cassandra, but the truth is a little different." Cordelia muttered. " And the siege started about a month after we got there. Cassie decided to put us to work and lucky me, I became one of the handmaidens for Helen." She rolled her eyes as she told the story. " And she so wasn't even that pretty."
Xander coughed, " Yes she was." Cordelia narrowed her eyes at him while Faith just smiled. The others could tell this was a long-standing argument between the two of them.
" Good Lord." Giles watched the byplay, rapidly shifting his eyes from Cordelia to Xander.
" I think you broke Giles." Buffy joked. " Bottom line this sorceress- princess person opened a portal back home and here you are."
The three gave each other looks. " Not exactly buffy." Cordelia said warily. " Cassandra couldn't get a portal open."
" Well then how did you get home," Willow said leaning forward, " was it a talisman, cause that could explain why none of our spells worked. The talisman could have a counter-signature that threw off our spells."
" None of the spells worked because our auras are different than you remember." Xander shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
" I don't get it," Amy said, " Aura's are virtually immutable. What could possibly change your aura enough to fool a spell directing by Willow?"
" You guys lived it, didn't you?" Oz's voice rang out, surprising everyone. They had forgotten about the quiet werewolf who sat watching the whole exchange. " You didn't find a portal. You just lived every day until you caught back up with us. You found some way to not age." The normally impassive werewolf sounded truly amazed.
That was enough to send Giles, who was still muttering to himself, into a dead faint.
" Cordy, try and wake up Giles." Xander sounded amused.
Willow shook her head, " No, No, that's not possible. You would have to be more than three thousand years old." She bit her lip, her eyes tried to meet Xander's and she silently begged him to deny what Oz said. It was just too big. The gulf was just too wide. She could hear her own words mocking her. She silently begged him to tell him it wasn't so.
He couldn't meet her gaze.
" I don't understand," Buffy said looking around. " You didn't find a portal. You lived all that time just so you could meet up with us again. You three are all immortal and three thousand years old?" Buffy looked at the three of them and several things clicked into place. The way Xander and Faith looked older. The way he fought, as well as Faith and Cordy's mysterious abilities. The ease with which they acted around each other. It all made sense.
" That about sums it up," Cordelia said. " Blows the mind doesn't it."
Willow was still shaking her head in shock. " How did you live that all that time? No anti-aging spell can keep some one as young as you three are for that long." Willow latched on to the issue of aging mechanics, rather than think about what Xander being that old meant for them and their friendship.
" We didn't use magic, at least not for aging. We each sort of lucked our way into different versions of immortality." Faith looked a little uncomfortable. " I managed to find a piece of Ambrosia, the last piece ever given to mortals. I was real sick at the time and it was the only way I could stay alive."
Tara's jaw dropped. The bit about ambrosia went past the others but not her. Forgetting to stutter she said in awe, " you weren't kidding before. You really are a goddess."
" Honey, what are you talking about?" Amy looked confused but pleased that her girlfriend showed some spine.
" Ambrosia is the food of the gods. If a mortal eats it, they literally become a god themselves."
*** Flashback
Xander limped into an ancient stone room carrying Faith in her arms. He had passed all the tests, defeated all the beasts that lay between him and the Ambrosia that was Faith's only cure. The former slayer was so light in his arms. Wasted muscle clung to her body, and her few remaining hairs were dry and brittle. Cancer had devoured her body in the space of a few months. It was through sheer stubbornness Faith had survived as long as she had.
Xander searched the room quickly, as Faith was racked by coughs that left her throwing up blood on the ground. Spying a golden bowl resting on a great stone pillar, Xander quickly grabbed it and brought it to Faith. There were only a few small pieces of amber fruit left in it. Scooping it up, Xander held it over Faiths mouth and with a silent prayer fed it to her. The transformation was immediate.
Faith packed on weight and her wasted limbs became smooth and toned. Greedily grabbing the bowl she began to lick the sticky ambrosia juices. Her hair became thick, lustrous, and darkened to her normal raven black. Faith stood up and stretched like a great cat. She could feel the primal divine spark flowing through her body and fixing the damaged organs. Fixing her gaze on Xander, she uttered only a short phrase in a throaty voice that seemed to caress Xander physically, each word drawn out painfully and sexually.
" I feel gooood." *** Present night
Silence filled the room. Everyone looked at each other in shock. Its one thing to hear that your friends were magically transported to the past. They live on the Hellmouth. Stuff like that is bound to happen. It's a whole new thing to find out that one of your friends is literally a god. The witches were especially shocked. It was entirely possible that some of the spells they used called on Faith's power.
Buffy was surprised but she asked the one thing that was on the mind of everyone at the time. " Faith, what are you the goddess of?"
Faith smiled. " Bet you could guess B."
" I don't even have to think about it. Lust. You're a lust goddess." Buffy laughed. She knew faith too well. She watched the nearly unnatural level of sexual desirability oozing from Faith and smiled. She hadn't changed at all.
Nodding, Faith added, " and predators. Lust and predators." Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Giles wake up but stay silent. Then she turned to willow.
Willow got up and began pacing back and forth. " What are you guys doing," she began agitatedly, " we're sitting here and your asking what kind of god Faith is? I mean our friends have been gone for six months and we find out that they've really been gone for thousands of years; I mean how did Xander and Cordy survive. Did they find a pot of leprechauns gold, and get a wish?" she asked bitterly. " Everything's different, they're different. How can we even be friends with them now? Their lives are so much bigger than us." Breaking down, she whispered, " Everything's Different. Bigger."
Everyone could see Willows agitation, but only Tara really saw. The young empath could feel the anger, the frustration, and the fear that blazed off Willow. Tara was surprised to see just how insecure the redhead was. She had always seen willow as strong, someone she could emulate. But there was so much insecurity that lay just under the surface and so much of who Willow saw herself as was connected to her friendship with Xander. Then Tara turned her gaze to Xander, the other half of the equation. He blazed with power and confidence but tendrils of fear spread from his aura like a spider web. Beyond all the other emotions Xander shone with white- hot pure love for Willow. Tara could feel the connection between the two, a connection that even a gulf spanning thousands of years could not break. It brought tears to the sensitive girl's eyes. She could feel how much Xander cared for Willow. That single emotion seemed to overwhelm every other part of his aura.
Xander approached the crying redhead. Kneeling in front of her he asked, " Do you really think that I could ever forget you Willow." Meeting her eyes he said, " I know it's hard, I know this makes things between us weird, but we will always be us. Do you believe me?" Willow nodded. " Willow, I've lived for so long I've forgotten what my parents sound like, what the house I grew up in looks like. But through all that I never forgot your face, the sound of your voice, the way your hair looked in the sun in the morning before school. You and Buffy, you're my anchors. There were times when I wanted to give up, to curl up and die but I didn't because I wanted to get back here, back to my family." Xander's voice shook with emotion. Tara smiled as she saw their auras flared up twin white blazes of friendship, the tinges of fear gone.
Willow smiled and in a weak voice said, " We're still going to be friends? You're not going to disappear again now that you're a cool globe trotting demon hunter?"
" No, We're here to stay." Then Xander smiled wickedly. " In fact I have a little announcement. This might be a little too much excitement all at once, but we got married."
" You and Faith got married?" Buffy asked. Buffy always had a soft spot for the younger-now older slayer. She was happy that her two friends got together.
" Actually, I married both Faith and Cordelia."
For the second time that night the room was silent. The Oz spoke for the whole group. " Wow." Willow was about to ask another question when she was interrupted.
" This is all very moving, but I know what happened to Angel. At least I think I do." Anya walked out of the bedroom, leading a still handcuffed and very chastened Riley Finn.
" Riley!" Willow said surprised.
" Riley!" Buffy echoed.
" Riley," Anya said shaking her head in disgust. " Can you believe that this, this.MAN is a member of the soldier group we've been worried about? I have expressed my extreme displeasure with him and his duplicity." Anya kicked Riley in the ankle angrily.
Buffy walked over to the prisoner. " What are you doing in my town Finn?" Buffy began poking her finger in the soldier's chest.
Riley shifted as Anya kicked him again while he answered. " Seriously Buffy, do you really think that the United States government would find out about the Sub-terrestrial threat and not do anything about it. We used statistical analysis and figured out where the greatest concentration of US Sub-T's gather and it was here." He shrugged his shoulders, " so we set up the Initiative here." Shaking his head, " I cannot believe that you girls are demon hunters. You need far more training and equipment to deal with this threat. You are all in over your heads."
The entire group took a step back. Xander winced as he watched Buffy's hazel eyes darken. " Now you done gone and pissed her off."
Buffy stepped forward and picked up the larger soldier and lifted him up and growled, " No, you're over MY head." Shaking Riley she said, " Now I want to know where Angel is and what your group is doing in my Hellmouth."
" Jesus Christ," Riley yelled as the diminutive slayer manhandled him easily. " Your vampire friend would have been taken to the lab. Our scientist will want to use behavior modification technology on him. We don't usually get to work on vampires as old as he is. " Please," he begged, " put me down."
Buffy dropped him unceremoniously on the ground and repeated her question, " What are you doing in my town."
" We're a group called the initiative. We've been collected from every branch of the armed services from the air force to the marines. Since this place seems to have the most supernatural activity, we came here so we could capture and study sub-terrestrials in order to assess their threat level to national security. Dr. Walsh is the head of the project." He shook his head, " because of the logistical problems with so many branches working together, the Feds decided to go with a civilian head."
" That can't be pretty." Xander said sympathetically.
" Sometimes its not," Riley agreed.
Xander got a speculative look on his face and called out, " Buffy, I got an idea."
Buffy, Giles, Faith, and Cordelia walked over to Xander. " What is it, Xan?"
" I think we can use these guys. They got lots of funding and from what I saw nifty weapons when they have the guts to use them. With your problems with the council it might be helpful to have a secondary source of help. We can go introduce ourselves and show them some of what we know. They might be willing to accept help. Worst comes to worst at least we won't be tripping over each other which will make patrolling easier."
Cordelia interjected, " Actually Xander, Buffy quit the council and Giles was fired after the crucimentum. That means they need the help more than ever."
Buffy and Giles looked at her in surprise. " How do you know that Cordelia. Those events transpired after you three took your sojourn into Troy. Which by the way I still want to speak to you three about." Giles asked.
" I know stuff now." Cordelia said with a mysterious smile.
Giles looked at cordelia for a moment, searching her face for the secrets she evidently carried. " I agree with you, Xander, up to a point," he cautioned. " Many of the books I have and things I know should not be given to the military. They cannot be trusted with the power. At the same time they have a great deal of resources to call upon and we never know when we might need the extra help."
Cordelia shivered. " I think we're going to need them soon."
" You have a vision C," Faith asked solicitously. That more than anything convinced Buffy that everything Xander and the others said were true. Before, Faith and Cordelia wouldn't help each other if they were drowning. Now they seemed so comfortable with each other it startled Buffy every time she saw it.
" No, just a feeling."
Xander said, " your feelings are more accurate that just about anybody else's certainties Cor so we'll be careful." Looking at the others he said, " so we are in agreement. We ask for help but keep things close to the vest." When the other nodded he looked up and called out to Riley. " Captain. I have a proposition for you. You take us to where we have our.friend," Xander kind of strangled out the last word, " and we'll share what we know about demons and vamps with you."
" Xander, are you sure that's a good idea," Willow said.
Sending a quirky smile to Willow Xander said. " Trust me." Turning back to Riley, he said, " So do we have a deal Captain?"
Riley look at the faces of the determined group and took their measure. At first glance they didn't seem like much. A group of pretty girls, a middle aged man, and a young man about his age. They hardly seemed like hardened demon hunters. Yet a skinny blond had picked him up over her head, the sultry brunette had punched a vampire so hard he cracked a statue in half, and three of those girls demonstrated practical knowledge of magic beyond anything he read about in defense reports. And only God knows what Anya was capable of. In the end, despite the misgivings Dr Walsh would have, it wasn't a hard question to answer.
" We have a deal."
" Excellent. Buffy, Giles, and Cordy will come with me and we'll bring back Angel safe and sound." Xander looked a little unhappy at the thought. " Everyone else stay here." Faith looked like she was going to argue when he added, " Faith, we only NEED to show them ONE slayer. Everything else we can figure out later." Getting his meaning she sat back down.
As the group was walking out the door, Riley stopped and turned around. "Uh Anya."
" Yes," Anya replied sweetly.
" Would you like to, uh, go out some time when this is over?" Riley rushed out.
Anya smiled widely then frowned. " Do you promise to not lie to me any more about your profession now that you know I also hunt vampire and offensive unintelligent demons of all sorts."
Riley sighed. " Yes, I promise."
" Good. You may pick me up at eight o'clock this Friday in order to woo me." Anya said firmly.
" Oh I think I am going to like her," Cordelia said appreciatively.
***
Spike picked his way through the rubble of the high school. Looking around he tried to orient himself within the rubble of the school. He had been to the school only a few times, and always out to kill Buffy. He wasn't exactly familiar with the layout of the school, looking for the stinking trophy case. Wandering around for a while he muttered to himself about taking up with a crazy woman. Finding the ruined remains of the corridor he saw melted fragments of trophy cases littering the ground. he silently crowed.
For about fifteen minutes he searched the ground looking for one trophy in particular. A cheerleading trophy.
***
" You blew up the high school?" Xander said laughing. Buffy nodded. As they walked to the campus of UC Sunnydale, she had been sharing stories about what happened while they were gone.
She shrugged her shoulders, " It seemed like the thing to do at the time. The mayor was going to ascend and there was nothing we could do about, until he transformed. Of course he was transforming into something the size of a dinosaur so giant explosion seemed to be most efficient thing to do."
" Ascensions are nasty," Xander agreed. " And they always end in great big explosions."
" You've seen one before?"
" Sure, Pompeii," Xander said mysteriously.
Riley watched the two friends reminisce and decided to interrupt. " Buffy, back there how did you pick me up?"
The slayer looked at him suspiciously. Seeing that he seemed to be asking in genuine curiosity and not some ploy to pump her for information, Buffy answered him. " I'm the slayer." When he didn't react right away she elaborated. " You know one girl in all the world. Super strength, speed, ability to kick ass and look good while doing it. Any of this tracking," she said incredulously.
Riley shook his head. " Some of the vampires we caught mentioned something about slayers but we attributed that to some sort of cultural bogeyman. That's you?"
Buffy threw up her hands. " God, you guys are so far out of your league. I can't believe you've never heard of me. I mean I'm like famous in the demon world. Only slayer who survived a certain death prophecy. Twinned the slayer line. Killed the vampire called the worst of the worst. Any of this familiar," she asked exasperated.
" Umm, sorry no." Riley said sheepishly.
In an exaggerated whisper Xander leaned over and said, " I think you've offended her. She hates it when she's not recognized."
Quickly changing the subject seeing the glare Buffy directed at Xander, Riley asked, " I see you got a wedding band on, Xander. Are you and Cordelia married?"
Cordelia answered for him. " Yup we're married. Have been for a while now," she said evasively.
" I noticed that raven haired girl wore a wedding band too. Whom is she married to?"
Xander smiled. " I'm also married to Faith." Seeing Riley's jaw drop he continued. " It's kind of complicated."
" I guess so," Riley answered surprised. " They both want to be married to you?"
" Hello," Cordelia interjected, " Standing right here. And Xander is a great husband." Seeing Xander's smirk, she amended, " and by great, I mean adequate."
" But it's not even legal here in the US." Then Riley looked at them suspiciously. "Your not Mormon are you."
Xander laughed. " No, we're not Mormon. The three of us took a trip to Africa and we had a.a sort of unofficial marriage ceremony with a tribe we met there." Xander shrugged. " We love each other and in the society we married in, I could have as many wives as I could afford." Smirking Xander added, " So Buffy, I got room for at least one more, wanna get married?" Xander nimbly dodged out of the way as Cordelia tried to slap him in the head while Buffy laughed. Xander added seriously, " It may not be legal here in the US but we are married to each other in our hearts and that's what matters. The three of us have had a hard life; we've been through a lot together. It was natural that we would fall in love." He shrugged his shoulders. " They fill me up inside. Beyond that, everything else cultural hang ups."
Riley shook his head, " Married to two women like that. Your either lucky or insane."
Buffy said to Riley, " I've known him for longer than you. He's pretty much both."
***
" Faith, I have to say something to you." Willow said to the dark haired goddess.
" What is it Little Red." Faith said from the kitchen where she was rummaging through Giles refrigerator looking for beer.
Looking at the others in the group, Willow snuggled against her quiet boyfriend drawing strength from him. " I wanted to tell you that I was sorry." Before Faith could interrupt she continued. " I treated you really badly when you started dating Xander and I wanted to tell you that I was sorry for the way I treated you."
Faith turned around and looked at Willow. " We're cool. I understand why you did it. Or at least I eventually figured it out." She shook her head. " It took me years to figure out why you were so mean to me, but for you it's only been six months. Fucks with your head don't it?"
" You understood?" Willow echoed.
" Sure. You saw what happened when Xan broke up with Cordy and you wanted to protect your oldest friend. You didn't want him to be hurt by me the same way Cordy hurt him. And you were probably right. I most likely would have hurt Xander. I really love him, but at the time I was messed up in the head. It took me a long time to get well. At least with Cordy if it hadn't been for her father, she would have stuck it out with him."
" I never understood what he saw in Cordelia."
Faith sighed and walked over to Willow. " Willow, you have to let this thing with Cordelia go. She is not the person who fell through that portal all those months ago. She's not the spoiled princess who broke the heart of your best friend and left him." Faith smiled, " better than anybody I know how much fun it is to hate Cordelia Chase, but let it go. The cordelia that was worth hating was a mask that got stripped away a long, long time ago. The three of us have dealt with our issues. They're over for us and they should be for you."
Willow smiled at Faith softly. " Xander's not the only one who's different now."
"Yeah, well after three thousand years, wisdom was bound to sink even into my head. I was messed up for a long time and Xander and Cordelia helped to heal me. Now I understand myself. I fit into my skin." Faith smiled, and it wasn't the seductive man killer smile she so easily cultivated. The only word that could sum up this smile was serene.
" Your not the only one who's more comfortable in their skin."
Faith really looked at Willow for the first time since she got back to Sunnydale. She saw the shorter hair, the more fashionable clothes, and smiled. " Better be careful Willow. If we keep bonding like this, we might end up friends."
" Can't have that, can we." Shifting gears Willow asked, " About that whole aging thing, how did Xander and Cordy do it? I know about you and the whole god thing, which by the way still freaks me out, but how did they not age."
" Well Xander is sort of a long story, which he'll tell when he gets back." Then Faith smiled sadly, " As for Cordelia. It's a large part of why she different now. She's.either blessed or cursed depending on how you see things."
" I don't get it. Cursed? Why haven't you broken it?"
" It's not something you can break Willow. Cordelia is the living vessel of an exiled Power That Be."
" The Power of Destiny to be precise."
***
" That old vamp just broke down and drank the spiked blood," one of the camera operators called out.
" Excellent," replied the lead surgeon. " Grab him and prep him for the implant."
***
Forrest stretched his back. Polgara demons we heavy and he and his men had just carried their corpses back to the base where lab technicians could dissect them. He saw some commotion and walked over to see what was happening.
" Forrest, we're just about to take that vamp you brought in to surgery. Wanna come?"
Without saying anything Forrest just smiled and followed the scientist and other soldiers down the corridor, safe from their prisoners by clear plastic shields. The beasts jumped and howled at the soldiers while vampires up and down the corridors flipped them off. Stopping at the cell of the old vampire, Forrest shook his head as he entered. The vampire lay sprawled out on the floor, the bag of blood torn savagely. Tainted blood was smeared about the vampire's lips.
" I figured an old one like this guy would be smarter than this," Forrest said sadly.
" I am." Moving faster than the soldier could react, Angel flipped to feet and snaked his arm around Forrest's neck. " Anyone try anything stupid, and I'm snapping Captain Overeager's neck. Got me?"
***
Spike fondled the small trophy in his hand. It was half melted and deformed by the heat of explosion that leveled Sunnydale High. Spike thought it didn't look like much, certainly not the key to his translation problems but Dru was convinced it could help. She told him to break it so break it he did.
The resulting soundless explosion rocked spike back. When dust cleared from his vision he saw an attractive but middle-aged brunet sitting on the ground dazed. Spike grabbed the woman and pulled her to her feet. " You a sorcerer?" He asked gruffly.
The woman shook her head, dazed. " Daughter, where is my daughter."
" Listen bitch, I asked you a question. Are you or are you not a bloody sorcerer who can speak Sumerian."
" Ye-Yes, I'm a witch and I can speak Sumerian."
Spike smiled. " Then you'll have to meet your daughter later. I got a job for you." With that, the bleach blond vampire sank his teeth into Catherine Madison's soft throat.
***
" This is it?" Xander asked in disbelief. " Your grand cover scheme is to hide as a FRAT HOUSE."
The five of them stood in front of the frat house the Initiative used as their primary base and Xander was rubbing his temples. " I can't believe this." Scowling at Buffy, " And you say that I am insane."
" Hey, I call 'em as I see 'em," Buffy replied.
" Children, and I can't believe that I have to refer to you as one, Xander," Giles said reprovingly, " can we please focus on the larger issue here. We need to figure a way in."
" That's not a problem," Riley answered. " Since I went missing on an op, my unit should have radioed that I went missing while they looked for me. Except," he added bitterly, " I doubt that my second is looking too hard."
" Will having visitors cause a problem," Giles asked.
" Yes, but I should be able to smooth it over."
" Lets go then."
The group started forward with Cordelia hanging back. She was worried. Normally only people or demons could have destinies or fates but in rare cases so could buildings and areas. And in this frat house threads of fate wove themselves in a net that caught the souls inside in a dark bind. The only thing that gave her hope that the initiative had not totally lost itself to its fate was that Riley Finn shone with the strength of a man running headlong into his destiny. Hopefully the soldier won't trip and fall before he completes his destiny like so many others that she witnessed in the past. Although she stretched her powers to gain some sense of what lay before them Cordelia could not. The strands of Fate ran like a knot that she could not unravel and that worried her. This plan of Xander's was not going to end well. She could feel it. Sighing she ran to catch up with the others. In centuries that have past for them many things have changed, but at least one has not.
Everything was still Xander Harris's fault. Everything.
***
Xander and Buffy took the lead as they strode towards the frat house moving swiftly now that they had a goal clear in site. As they neared the front door, a soldier opened it from the inside and pointed a gun at them.
"Halt." The soldier seeing that the two in the lead refuse to stop and not noticing Riley in the back said, " You're entering a restricted area. If you continue I will shoot you."
" Hey buffy, you want me to show you a trick?"
" Please."
" Now you see him," Reaching the guard Xander snatched the gun from his hands with lightning quick reflexes. Reversing the gun Xander struck the guard across the temple with the butt of the weapon, dropping him unconscious to the floor. " Now you don't."
" Neat trick."
Catching up to Xander and Buffy, Riley said " you know I could have gotten us past him."
Xander shrugged his shoulders. " Probably." Looking around the nearly empty fraternity house Xander asked, " So where do we go from here."
" That way," pointed Cordelia. Riley looked at her in suspicion.
" How do you know that?"
" Never underestimate what I know Corncob." She replied crossly. " You'll always be wrong."
Shaking his head in disbelief at the weirdness of these people Riley said, " she's right, the stairs are that way. It's safer than taking the elevator for you four. The stairs don't have automated defenses."
They make their way to the stairs, and Xander shakes his head once again. " Who ever came up with this mission has read too many comics. Which of course I can appreciate but still, a secret lair beneath a frat house just seems."
" Tacky," Cordelia supplied.
" Thanks, hon. that was what I was going for."
" You know, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't make fun of my job. I do sort of like it." Riley said crossly taking the stairs two at a time.
' Riley if your going to work with these people, you will have to get used to making fun of your chosen profession. Lord knows I have," Giles said wearily.
Meanwhile Buffy just smiled. It was good to have Xander back. Her load already seemed lighter.
Coming to the door, Riley said, " Let me go in first in order to smooth things over wit-"
Before he could finish, an alarm sounds within the complex. Throwing open the door, Riley shouts. That's the signal for when Sub-T's escape their holding cells. One must've gotten loose." Riley ran through the door with the others hot on his heels.
Cordelia could sense the stink of Fate all over the complex. She shivered. It was not a good idea to ally themselves with these people. They were all ripe for a fall. Reading the currents of destiny she raised an eyebrow. Whoever was trying to escape blazed with power of someone on a righteous path. She realized who it was. Xander wasn't going to like that at all. Oh well.
Ahead, the group fell in with the soldiers who were training guns at the door leading to the containment cells. Xander had a sneaking suspicion about who the mysterious escapee was. They were waiting when one of the soldiers noticed the late arrivals.
" Finn! Riley, over here." Graham walked over to the group while keeping an eye on the door. " Who are the civvies?"
" These are some of the demon hunters we helped tonight. When I was left," and Riley glared at Graham, " they took me in and we, uh, compared notes." Riley reddened as he remembered the interrogation by Anya. " I'm going to talk to Walsh about bringing them in. They know their way around demons. We can work together and do both our jobs better."
Just then the door to the containment area burst open and Angel stepped through holding Forrest as a body shield, ready to snap his neck if provoked. " Nobody move. I just want to leave," Angel shouted. " Your buddy here doesn't need to get hurt." Then he saw buffy and his eyes widened. " Buffy?"
" Angel."
Xander sighed. She had that glazed look in her eye again. The only thing she was going to be seeing for a while was Angel. So he stepped forward and shouted, " everybody lower your weapons. Nobody's gonna to be breaking the necks of anybody."
" Who the hell are you and how did you get down here. This place is a restricted area." Dr Walsh said as she exited her private lab. Then she saw Riley and dropped her pen in surprise. " Captain Finn, its good to see you again. Did you bring these people here." She asked crossly.
" Yes ma'am I did. These people are demon hunters. They encountered the same group of polgara that we did."
" Yes, I heard about your adaptation of my orders. I am very displeased Riley."
" I apologize ma'am but our first mission is the protection of United States civilians. Besides when I was unconscious they took me in. They didn't leave me behind where any hostile could have found me and killed me," he added grimly. " Besides while they might lack our military precision," he turned to Xander with a smirk, " they know their way around demons. They even have several witches in the group. That vampire is a member of the group."
" Really, witches." Dr. Walsh became very interested in hearing that. The spell she had been adapting for use in the project was not working out well. Perhaps the aid of several trained witches could help her with the spell. " Lower your weapons. Everyone, calm down." Turing back to the others, " So who exactly is the leader of this expert demon hunting group."
Rupert Giles stepped forward and answered. " I am. My name is Rupert Giles. I am the watcher/advisor for the slayers Buffy Summers and Faith.Harris." Xander nodded in agreement with Giles
" The slayers." Maggie Walsh appeared interested despite herself. " Are these two young women the slayers?"
" Buffy is," and Giles pointed to the love struck slayer. " Faith is at my home."
" Interesting. So my rash Captain Finn decided to bring you in on our little secret. So what's your first impression of the group?"
" It's quite a .a setup. Your men are certainly very efficient and well trained. I do think you might be making a slight mistake with your doctrine of capture instead of kill, at least with vampires and other intelligent demons."
" It is a necessary step for understanding our opponents. By understanding the biology of these creatures we can devise more effective counter-agents to them. Besides," and her eyes shined with fervor, " these creatures often have muscular and organ systems many times more efficient that humans. I've made great strides toward gene therapies using Sub-T DNA."
Giles removed his glasses and looked grimly at the head of the initiative. " The organization that I used to work for has many documented cases of beings who chose to engage in breeding programs between demons and humans. It always ends up badly. No matter how noble your purpose is, it always ends up badly."
" Why is that?" Margaret asked coldly
" Because," Angel interrupted having followed the conversation, " when you stare too long into the abyss, the abyss stares back." Dr. Walsh was about to reply when she noticed just how haunted Angel looked when he answered.
" Very well Mr. Giles, I will give your advice its due consideration." Abruptly changing the subject Dr. Walsh said, " I think this illustrates the importance of joining our groups together. With your older knowledge and our greater understanding of scientific principals we can more effectively reach both of our goals."
" I agree," Giles replied.
" Excellent." Turning to Angel she said, " I'm sorry I don't know your-"
" My name is Angel."
" Angel could you please let Forrest go, I promise no one here will hurt you." Angel dropped Forrest unceremoniously to the ground. Riley smirked at the downed soldier who rubbed his throat where the vampire had grabbed him. " Angel, since we are all friends now I don't suppose I could enlist your aid in some experiments. We never get vampire volunteers."
" I won't go under the knife for you," the big vampire replied while walking towards Buffy.
" Nor would I ask you to now that I understand you're an ally. It would just be a few non-invasive experiments involving strength and reflexes. I would also like to take a few X-rays and facial tests to see if I can pinpoint how your faces alter."
" I don't see a problem with that," Angel answered cautiously, " as long as no more spiked blood is involved, and your boys don't try to shock me again."
" Excellent. We can get all of you set up with voice recognition for our basic systems in a few days after some background checks are ran on you. Thank you for bringing back captain Finn safe and sound. Now if you'll excuse me," she said dismissively, " I have to get back to work."
The group was a little surprised at the rapid dismissal by the professor so they left, led by Cordelia who spared no time in getting out of the complex. Once outside and on the way back to Giles apartment she turned to the others and said, " we have a problem. That group is so far down the path to its fate, I'm not sure anything can stop it."
***
Dr. Walsh stalked back into her office, heels tapping on the floor rapidly. She slammed the door shut and in a fury threw over her chair and tossed several files off her desk. HOW DARE THAT MAN. How dare some stinking Brit that looked like a librarian come in here and starts lecturing her about the goals of her life long project. If some of the things that she had discovered were available a few years ago her son might not have- No, No. She wasn't going to fall back down the path of self- pity. The things she did were for a greater purpose. Her name would be known. Other people, children, will not suffer the same fate as her son. She would save lives. Soldiers would no longer die on the field of battle.
Tiring from her tantrum, Margaret Walsh turned back over her chair and sagged in it thinking about the past and turning over the words of Rupert Giles in her mind. Every time a small voice whispered in her mind that he might be right, she pictured her son.
It's amazing how much the Abyss can look like a boy dying in a hospital bed.
***
Riley wrapped the towel around his waist. The night's bruises were only beginning to show but by tomorrow he would look like a pretty rainbow of pain. So he decided to take a nice hot shower alone since most of the guys had already gone to bed.
Turning on the water, he heard the door open and close again. Peaking around the corner he saw Forrest taking off his shirt. Guess he wasn't the only one to decide on a late night shower. " Forrest," he said flatly.
" Riley."
Riley decided to get the pissing contest out of the way right now. Establish who was still boss. Walking over to Forrest he said, " I know what you did. You left me behind."
" How do you know that?"
" Because no one else on this team is a big enough dickhead to do it." Stepping forward Riley got in his face. " I need to know that the men I work with can be trusted. We're alone out here. We got nobody but each other. I trusted you. I figured even if we didn't like each other you would still back me up when push came to shove. But you didn't. You left me to die." Riley shook his head sadly. Then suddenly Riley punched Forrest in the face knocking him down. Towering over him, Riley finished. " If you ever pull a stunt like that again with me or any men under my command I will break your legs and have you up on charges. Do you get me?"
" I get you."
" I get you what?"
" I get you, Sir." Forrest spat out.
" Good," Riley said satisfied. " Now get the hell out of here and let me shower in peace. With that he turned around and left Forrest sitting on the floor, bleeding from the corner of his lip.
***
As the group of five walked back to Giles apartment, Xander and Cordelia dropped back and let Buffy, Angel, and Giles take the lead. By this time it was nearly four o'clock in the morning. It was a calm clear night that seemed to give lie to the fearsome reputation of Sunnydale. Better than anyone Xander Harris knew just how much danger was lurking in the shadows of this small California town.
Cordelia looked at him. " I talked it over with Faith, and we're going to do it soon." Xander sighed and looked angry but stayed silent. " I know you don't like him and you don't think he deserves it-"
" Do it," Xander interrupted. " It'll make her happy. She deserves some happiness even if it's with him."
The couple walked in silence for a while, hands entwined. Xander's eyes followed Buffy as she walked along side of Angel. Every so often she would glance shyly at him and Angel would return the glance with one of his own. Xander watched her sun-kissed blond hair twist around her swanlike neck. He watched as her golden tan skin flushed slightly when she met Angel's gaze. Xander had known some of the most beautiful women in the world and was married to a pair of them, but-
He had forgotten how beautiful she was.
***
When they got back to the apartment, the group found that Tara and Amy were curled up together on the couch, looking impossibly cute. Willow and Oz were gone, presumably to their shared apartment and Faith was nowhere to be found.
" Where's Faith," Buffy whispered.
Xander and Cordelia replied back in unison, " she's out hunting." Then Xander clarified. " Since one of Faiths dominions is predators, she actually gets even more jittery when she doesn't get a good kill or eight every so often." Smiling Xander added, " and you remember how she was before."
"Wow." Buffy looked impressed.
Giles walked over to Xander and Cordelia and hugged both of them. " It is good to have you back, but I must get some sleep. If you have nowhere to stay, you're all welcome to sleep here until you find something."
Cordy smiled and hugged Giles back tightly and said, " Thanks, we'll find something tomorrow." Then her eyes twinkled. " And we'll be sure to tell you all about our travels later."
" I look forward to it." Giles walked into his bedroom and promptly backed out rubbing his glasses vigorously. " Anya is asleep in my bed," He whispered savagely. " Naked. I'll be in the guestroom." Shuddering Giles walked into his spare room muttering under his breath.
Xander, Cordelia, Buffy, and Angel stood around in the silent apartment looking at each other. The Xander broke the silence. " Buffy, I know why your leg and nose healed tonight during the fight. And I bet it's not the first time that's happened."
Buffy shook her head while Angel looked on in surprise. " It's not. A few months ago, I was fighting a vampire named Sunday. I was feeling a little down and she got the jump on me. She snapped my arm. A few hours later my arm was fine. Since then I haven't even really had minor injuries from my patrols."
" Why didn't you ever tell me this?" Angel asked worriedly
" Let me ask you something." Xander asked. " Have you had a near death experience lately?"
" I'm the slayer. I've had several."
" I hate to tell you this Buff, but one of those near death experiences was more of an actual death experience."
A light dawns in Angel's eyes. " Buffy's one of them isn't she?"
Xander nodded while Buffy looked between the two men annoyed. " I'm one of what?"
Angel turned around and said. " Buffy, you're an immortal. Immortals are regular people who after they die by violence become nearly impossible to kill. They stop aging right at the point they died. If what Xander is saying is true then you will be eighteen forever."
Buffy looked stunned but the shocks kept coming. This time from Xander. " When Angel says nearly immortal, he really means nearly. Short of something completely disintegrating your body, only one thing can kill you. Decapitation."
Buffy began to pace back and forth. "I don't understand. I can't die now. I'm not going to age anymore. But how is this possible. I mean the last real near death experience was when I got caught in the explosion at the high school. I was flung by the blast and hit my head on a tree. I was out for hours."
Xander was nodding his head in agreement. That could very well be her first death. Then he noticed the look of horror on Angel's face. " Angel," he said sharply. " What is it?"
" It wasn't the explosion at the high school. It was before, when I was poisoned." A look of understanding passed by Buffy while Xander looked on in confusion.
Buffy clarified for Xander, " Back when we were trying to figure out how to stop the mayor, he sent an assassin to poison Angel with something that could kill vampires. The only cure was the blood of a slayer. So I."
".Let him feed on you." Looking at Angel. " He drank too much and killed you."
Defensively, Angel said, " I got her to the hospital as fast as I could. I thought I got her there in time."
" I did recover awfully fast from the blood loss. The next day I was ready for the fight with the mayor." Buffy seemed calm at first finding out that it was her one true love that may have killed her. Then everything from the whole night crashed down on her and suddenly sat down. The battle, the initiative, the return of her lost friends, and now this. Immortality and eternal youth. Everything a young person could ever want. She'll never lose her looks, she'll stay healthy forever, and her body will never grow weak and infirm. Yet why did she feel like she was being burdened by yet another responsibility?
Xander, seeing that Buffy was being overwhelmed by the information, knelt down in front of her and grabbed her hands. " Buffy look at me." Obediently Buffy looked at Xander. He smiled at her and said; " Being an immortal come with its problems Buffy, but there are so many good things about it too. I'm an immortal too. That's how I lived for so long. You'll see so many great things Buffy, travel to exciting places. You now have all time in the world to take up whatever hobby you want. You know that cool fighting stuff I did against the vamp tonight?" Buffy nodded her head. " Its called Sinanju. I learned it in a small fishing village in Korea, two thousand years ago. There are so many things in this world, and immortals like us are the only people who can do and see all of it."
Buffy looked hopefully at Xander. " Really?" Then she got a suspicious gleam in her eye. " What did you mean by Immortality came with problems?"
Xander sighed. He had hoped to get to this part a little later once Buffy had gotten used to the idea. " Well there is the little thing called The Game."
***
Xander stood outside of Giles apartment. Buffy had reacted to the game and the idea of taking heads poorly. So here he was outside giving her some breathing room while Angel and Cordelia calmed her down. Xander shook his head. He remembered his initial reaction to finding out he was an immortal and his hand absently reached down and rubbed his abdomen where he received the gut wound that issued him into immortality. He could still smell the blood and smoke that mingled together as he stood on the walls of Troy repelling the Greek invaders.
He had his soldier memories, but they never conveyed how much real war STANK. Burning bodies, blood, filth from the bowels of the dying. He shuddered. If Methos hadn't been playing doctor and discovered him coming back to life before being thrown on the funeral pyre when he did God only knows what might've happened. He could have been burned and buried alive. As Xander looked at the sky, the same stars that shone over the ancient city he had been reborn in, he remembered his teacher' who at the time was already ancient, his advice and mentoring. Methos was never the greatest swordsman or warrior. He was however a master of strategy and survivor without peer. He was more a father to Xander in the few years they were together than Xander's real father had ever been. He hoped that he could do right by his teacher, and by Buffy. She wouldn't be the first immortal he had trained but the others usually listened to him because Alexander of Troy was one of the most ancient and respected immortals. They see an immortal that seen the rise and fall of civilizations. Buffy would see the kid who'd sleep through US history, and not the man who had served in the continental army and been drinking with Ben Franklin. Xander heard the door open behind him.
" Hello Angel." He said without turning around. " How's Buffy doing?"
" She's okay. Cordelia is inside talking with her. Shooed me out saying something about girl talk."
Xander cracked a smile. " Your in trouble now. Every time Cordy and Faith decide to do some alone time girl talk, I end up either spending a ridiculous amount of money or fleeing the country. A few times both."
" I heard about the time travel/immortality thing. Must be a hell of a story. Congrats on the double marriage by the way."
" Thanks. Are we done with the small talk now."
" I think so. She's not going to be able to take heads."
" You think I don't know that. I saw the look in her eyes when I told her about the game. She's just going to have to get over it or she's going to die." Xander turned around and faced Angel. " I can't fight her battles for her."
" Why not. She fights enough battles for everyone else." Angel stepped up to Xander. " Vampire bodies dust. Demons don't look human. She will never be able to gut an immortal in single combat, look at their eyes as they kneel before her, and coldly take their head."
Xander shrugged his shoulders, seemingly unconcerned.
" How the hell can you be like this? Are you so old, so dead inside that you can't help a woman you claim to love."
Xander's eyes flashed yellow. " I do love buffy. I will always love her. Don't ever talk to me about the problems will have Buffy as an immortal. It is because of you that she has them." Xander shook as his own beast threatened to throttle the souled vampire. " Did her blood make you high. I've heard that immortal blood can give quite a buzz. Mix that with slayer blood and I bet you're just jonesing for another taste. I bet you still dream about the feeling you got when your teeth slipped into her neck."
Angel growled and slipped into game face. " Don't ever accuse me of loving what I did to Buffy. It was about an inch away from rape and her blood still burns in my throat. But that's not what pisses you off. You still hate me. Still jealous I got there first."
" Its not about that. I'll always carry a small torch for Buffy but I am very happily married. Besides I am her friend first and foremost. Its about you, and about England."
" England?"
" I was there Angel. I walked through the church that you desecrated when you decided to turn Drusilla. I saw the bodies. Blood dripped from the walls. The stained glass windows looked like they were weeping blood when you were through. Cordelia cried for a week because of the psychic impressions you left behind because of your little games. I understand you better than buffy ever could. She sees you and she sees the soul. I see the trail of bodies that you left through Europe. She's heard stories about the scourge. I saw the scourge in action. She thinks Jenny Calendar and Acathla were the worse you'd get. You and I, we know better. We both know you were just warming up. I followed you for a decade before I couldn't stomach the death that surrounded you and Darla. I ached to kill you but Cordelia said I couldn't. Said that you mattered for the future. So I've lived with it, but I don't have to like either it or you. And excuse me if I hate the idea of you being with a woman I care a great deal about."
" You think I don't know that I don't deserve buffy. I do know that. And you think that I don't think about what I did to Dru and all my other victims. I do. And I'm sorry you saw my fun and games first hand. But I have enough burdens on my own without carrying yours as well." Angel turned around and walked off. " Tell buffy I'm going home and I'll see her for patrol tomorrow night." He paused for a moment, " Oh, and Xander. Regardless of what you might think about me, I'm not your enemy. I am glad you and your family are home, both for buffy and Willow's sake, and your own. I'll see you later." With that final thought still hanging in the air, Angel melted into the night.
And Xander continued to stare into the night sky.
***
Authors note- I am going to use the In Nomine Role playing game as the basis for my Powers that Be and the concept of destiny and fate. The Archangels and Demon princes from In Nomine will be the Powers that Be. Each one has a Word, which represents a primal facet of reality like War, Love, Fire, and Freedom. The second aspect is the concept of Fate and destiny. Destiny represents each person's greatest potential accomplishment. Example destinies could be everything from directly saving particular persons life to being a teacher who will inspire children for decades. On the converse is Fate, which represents the lowest, darkest thing that person could accomplish. Example fates could be killing that person you should save or being a teacher that crushes the wills and creativity of students for decades. Destiny and Fate represent nothing more than potentiality. Each person has the free will to do one or the other, both, or neither.
Hope you like the story. Stay tuned for part three.