Disclaimer: Joss, WB, UPN et al. own Buffy. George Lucas, Lucasfilm, LucasArts and others own Star Wars. Michael A Stackpole owns the X-Wing and I, Jedi novels. I do not.

Title: Sunnydale Jedi: Chapter 3

Author: Paradigm Shifter

Rating: PG-13 again, people.

Pairing: Err… Xander/Buffy. (I'm gonna try, promise!)

Feedback: Please, I beg.

Thanks: All my reviewers. You know who you are. Also, everyone who made suggestions. They will probably appear somewhere along the line…

Dedication: VegaKeep, even though you don't like B/X, (it ain't here yet!) On the Sidious/Palpatine front, this is an argument I have with my friends quite a bit, and we're equally divided as to whether Sidious is Palpatine or not. I believe not, but if you're in the opposite camp (and you are) consider my ideas AU. Civilised discussion of the matter is always welcome…

Continuity: General season 5 (Dawn)

Crossover: Buffy / Star Wars. Old Republic.

*

"Willy! Good to see you again!" Xander walked into Willy's Place, large grin splitting his face, and in normal clothes. In other words, Xander had forgone the Jedi robes, an obvious target, for his usual pre-weird-travel-thing clothes, consisting of garishly bright Hawaiian shirt in orange, blue and the most disgusting vomit green he had ever seen, and khaki trousers. Xander loved the shirt, when he saw it in a shop one day as a kid; he had saved up until he had enough to buy it. It was originally a sort of revenge on Cordelia, who, at the time verbally savaged Xander for anything he wore. So he decided to give her a reason to do it that day.

Yoda would have been proud of his star pupil. Even as powerful as he was, Xander still had the ability to dress like a Rancor chew toy.

"Oh, bloody hell! Not one of you again!" Willy 'the Snitch' cowered back from the bar, unsure of who was going to walk in next. He heard the stories about the Slayer dying in the huge fight with Glorificus that had occurred a few months ago, but in Sunnydale, you took nothing at face value. She might walk in next. Hell, two of her might walk in next. And if the 'Xander' kid was in here, something was up.

"Oh, don't be so scared, I only want some information." Leaning on the bar, Xander smiled, attempting to be charming, but failing. Mainly because of the shirt.

"That's exactly the problem, kid.  When one of you lot asks for information, it usually gives me grief later. But while were being pleasant, how much info?" Willy was still nervous, shifting his gaze between Xander and the other patrons.

Xander smiled conspiratorially. "Just a bit." Xander had three rolls of twenties in his pocket, each $200, but didn't want to use them if he didn't have to. He tried the 'Mind Trick', a power he never fully controlled when under Yoda's tutelage, and one he avoided usually because of the fine line it walked next to the Dark side.

"Where is the new Slayer, Willy?" Xander put all the influence he could behind it, knowing it wasn't his greatest strength.

"Oh, is that all? She's still training in Britain."

"What's her name?"

Willy looked suspicious, but answered anyway. "Crystal."

Xander was beside himself. It works! His mind sang joyfully while his face showed nothing more than polite interest to Willy.

"Who do you work for?"

Willy was starting to look really nervous, weasel eyes shifting quickly backwards and forwards between the boy, no… man in front of him and the decidedly unfriendly looking demons showing interest in making Xander a meal. "I own this bar. I don't work for nobody."

Xander leaned forward. "Willy, we both know that's not true, and I know that there are a lot of demons you've sold out to your employers over the years that would be dying to get their hands on you." Xander's smile turned icy. "In fact, I believe the…" Xander tilted his head, puzzled for a second, before continuing, "'son' would be the wrong word… maybe offspring, of one of them is sitting over in that corner. You know, the really spiky bastard who looks as if he's either cruising for a whore or eyeing up my neck… Wouldn't want me to tell them, eh?"

Willy's face sagged, and the colour drained quickly out of his face. "You wouldn't." he managed to squeak.

"I would."

Willy shrank in on himself, as he thought of the great pain non-compliance would bring. From both Xander and from the demons. He whispered, no louder than the beat a knat's wing, "the Council."

Xander nodded in satisfaction at a question answered without having to resort to his threat. "I've got a favour to ask Willy."

Willy's head snapped up. "Favour? I don't do favours."

Xander nodded. "Yeah, but you will do this one… I want you to get the Slayer here."

"Why?" Willy's voice became suspicious again.

"None of your business. Unless you want those demons…" Xander trailed off, the threat making Willy readjust his attitude. "Just get her here. I don't care what you tell the Council. There will be a new big bad around when she arrives, have no worries." Xander didn't add, it'll be me…

*

Xander lay on his bed in the Summers house, wide awake. Dawn had fallen asleep hours ago, and Xander had tucked her up in bed. He could do that if she fell asleep, he was, since Joyce's and Buffy's death's, now the girl's official guardian. That thought made Xander think back to more carefree days, days with Buffy and Willow outside Sunnydale High, no worries, no bills, no taxes.

Just demon after demon, every night.

But for some reason, fighting demons and other things that went bump in the night was more real than getting a paycheque, or paying taxes. Xander's thoughts slipped to what happened to him when with Yoda and Obi-Wan.

Xander realised that he must, at some point, return, because the Force told him in the vision he received that the events he had seen would only happen if he was there, and if he wasn't there, they would be much, much worse.

He reached out into the Force, spreading his consciousness across Sunnydale. All the people; sleeping, crying, making love so many things being done, so many different emotions, all entering Xander and revitalising him though the Force. It was indescribable. Xander thought to Anya, wondering where she was, how she was doing. Willow and Tara, who ran away from Sunnydale to deal with Willow's magic addiction. Giles, safe in his British bed, sleeping like all people tired after a hard day working. Xander lost himself in the marvel of being able to feel every person, for hundreds of miles, or if he knew them, the other side of the globe.

Of course, Yoda had been able to reach across a galaxy with that power, but Yoda had many centuries more of knowledge than Xander. Drawing his consciousness back to himself, Xander felt the twist as something powerful found him, and registered his location. A twinge of fear swept though his mind, scared that something would hunt him out and kill either him or Dawn. Either was disastrous. Slamming his mental shielding down as firmly as he could, Xander felt the presence probe for him, even from within his shell.

Whoever was searching for him was not bothered about being found. That meant either the Watchers or some other, equally powerful organisation. Chastising himself for being careless, Xander checked his immediate area and fixed his consciousness at a twenty-metre radius. That would give him an early warning system without being painfully obvious to any searchers. The world was a big place, after all, and the Hellmouth may mask his position well.

Either that or it works like a great big neon sign, saying something on the lines of: "Here I am, come get me!"

Finally, as the sun crept over the horizon, Xander slipped into the realm of dreams and visions.

*

Dawn stretched and yawned. She didn't remember falling asleep in bed, in fact the last thing she remembered was Xander walking through the door with a large smile and a slightly creased forehead. Seemed his meeting with Willy went pretty well, but he was still worried. The Watchers Council was tricky. They might do what he wanted, or they might do the opposite, and send a 'cleansing' team instead of the Slayer.

Pulling the duvet off, Dawn looked down and was relieved to see that Xander had just dumped her in bed and covered her up. But then, if she had woken up in pyjama's it would have been Xander fantasy fodder for months. Dawn was pretty keen on living with Xander, similar to her friend's thoughts, though she would never tell them that, but it left her unable to tease him or mock-flirt, as she had been able to do when Buffy was at home, and Xander was just one of her sisters friends. She still had a little calendar that she ticked the days off of, counting down the days until she was legal. But over the months after Buffy saving her, and dying in the process, her crush had matured into something deeper, something far more like a brother/sister or twin relationship.

Getting out of bed, Dawn pulled off her jeans and changed into a clean pair. Examining her calves as she peeled her slept in pair off, she shook her head. Sleeping in jeans wasn't to be recommended; it left funny red crease marks down your legs. Walking into Xander's room, what had been the guest room, she stood in the doorway and her mouth dropped open.

Xander was already awake. But that wasn't what was surprising.

He was standing.

On the CEILING!

Light-saber in hand, with the other floating in front of him. He was sparring against the floating light-saber. Dawn watched as Xander completed the exercise and thumbed off the light-saber he was holding and the other in front of him with the Force. Only when Xander had both attached again to his belt did Dawn speak.

"Xan?"

Xander's eyes opened and he looked around. "Huh?"

The next thing Dawn knew, Xander was a heap on the floor, moaning as his back complained at being landed on so hard. Xander uncovered his face and raised a pained eyebrow at Dawn. "Did you have to?"

Dawn smiled sweetly. "Did I have to what?"

"You know full well, Dawn. Don't disturb me when I'm on the ceiling." Xander's brow creased suddenly. "I was on the ceiling again?"

Dawn nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh, man, I'm gonna break my neck landing one of these days."

Dawn held out a hand, offering to help Xander up, and smiled as he pointedly ignored it and spun to his feet.

"I still think it's so cool when you do that. Like some super hero or something…"

"I'm afraid I couldn't be a super hero Dawn. No hero I've every heard of ever had my dress sense." Xander walked out of his room.

Following him slowly, Dawn muttered to herself, "Ain't it the truth…"

Xander's voice floated back to her. "I heard that!"

*

Xander sat on the stairs, talking to the phone, or more accurately, arguing with Tara who was on the other end of the line.

"Tara, we may have a way to get Buffy back, and we need Willow and your help with it."

Tara sounded suspicious. ~Is it a spell?~

Xander shook his head, and then stopped, feeling a fool and remembering he was on the phone. "No, it's not a spell. Dawn can open that portal again."

~Is it safe? I don't want Willow hurt.~

"Tara, Willow will be perfectly safe, so will you and Giles. The only risk is to Buffy, and a little to Dawn. I'm not happy about it, but Dawn is adamant about trying it. She says she'll try it with or without our help, and… frankly… I believe her. If she is going to do it regardless, I want to help her."

~OK, Xander. I trust you, but I'm not very happy about having to come back to Sunnydale. That chapter of both Willow's life and mine is shut. I don't want it reopened.~

"That's fine, Tara, and I respect you for your decision. If it wasn't for Dawn, I'd be staying where I found a purpose." Xander was deliberately cryptic.

~Yeah. You can explain that when we get there. Xan… it may be a few days, both Will and I have jobs, we can't just pick up and leave, although we may be able to get some holiday time on short notice.~

"Thanks Tara, you're the best."

~Don't I know it.~

Xander laughed. "Bye, Tara, see you and Willow soon."

"See you, Xander."

Xander hung the phone back on the hook. "Two down. Giles to go…"

*

"But Giles, we have a way to get Buffy back, and we need your help!"

Giles, on the other side of the long distance call, sounded tired and impatient. Hardly surprising, it was 3am in London. ~And? Unless you have Buffy back when I arrive, I'm not coming. I have a life here now.~

Xander had one night found Giles' Force presence and read him. It danced close to the dark side, but he needed the advantage of knowing what Giles was thinking. "What sort of a life is cleaner in a library, Giles. You don't even have control of the books now."

Giles turned suspicious. ~How did you know that?~ Indignation getting the better of him, he didn't even bother to deny it.

"Uh… lucky guess… look, enough of this. Giles, we need you back in Sunnydale. It's as simple as that." Xander decided to play the emotional blackmail card. "Dawn needs you. After Buffy's death, well, you were always close to Buffy. The last few years, because of Slayage, she hardly knew her own sister."

~Oh. Pack the bags, we're going on a guilt trip.~ Giles was obviously ready for that one, his voice laced with heavy sarcasm.

Xander didn't want to do this, but it had worked on Willy. "Look Giles. You're coming back to Sunnydale."

~I'm coming back to Sunnydale?~

"That's right."

~That's right, I am. Coming back to Sunnydale.~

Xander was practically jumping up and down. Yeah!

Giles cut in ~Why the hell would I want to come back to Sunnydale? Get a grip boy!~

Shit! It didn't work! Xander was getting desperate. "Look, Giles. I'll pay your travelling costs. Both ways. Just come, please?"

Xander heard Giles sigh heavily down the phone. ~Alright. Fine. I'll come. But your paying. Everything.~

"Of course." Xander winced. This was gonna cost a lot of money.

~I'll see you in a week, Xander. Then perhaps we can talk about emotional blackmail.~

"Yeah, Giles. Sorry." Xander wasn't in the least bit sorry. "See you in a week. Bye."

Xander hung up and turned to Dawn. "This better work, cause I'll be paying for the tickets for the next twenty years. Something tells me Giles is gonna fly first class…"

Dawn looked apologetically at Xander. "You made the offer…" she smiled wickedly at Xander's obvious misgivings.

*

End Chapter 3. Next: Giles, Willow and Tara arrive and Xander explains to them all what happened to him.