Part 17

Jesse and Willow were shifting their weight nervously waiting for Xander. Dru and Darla had come to get them to let them know that Xander was ready to see them now.

Giles, Wesley and Faith were the first to see him. The front line of defense so to speak. They were reminders of his humanity but not as close to him as Jesse. Rupert had assured her everything would be fine and that Xander was mostly himself with aspects of the demon.

They were going to go patrol tonight as a group. Normally they broke up into smaller units but Wesley felt they should work as a cohesive team. First to see how Xander fought as a vampire/wizard and secondly to prepare for taking the fight to Ethan as a team.

Xander's eyes turned yellow for a brief moment when he caught sight of Jesse. This was harder than the struggle he had when he first saw Wesley. He felt his demon rise with all the memories of his childhood. He performed the mental exercises that William and Angel told him to do when he felt his demon rise. His eyes turned back to their warm chocolate brown with his demon calmed down.

Willow watched in horrified fascination as Xander's eyes went from chocolate brown to yellow and back to brown as he looked at Jesse.

"Hey, Xan." Jesse said tentatively as he approached his best friend. 

"Jesse." Xander stepped forward and pulled Jesse into a hug.

"H-how are you, Xander?" Willow asked.

"I feel good, stronger than I've ever felt before." 

Willow winced at the words that Xander had unknowingly parroted. Her Xander had told her Jesse had said the same things to him when he first saw that Jesse was a vampire down in the tunnels with Buffy. Maybe it was a vampire thing but it still brought back uncomfortable memories.

Xander cocked his head to the side. He heard Willow's heartbeat accelerate at his words. "What's wrong?"

Willow forced a smile, "Nothing. It's just that what you said brought back memories for me. Just feeling a little gloomy I guess."

Xander smiled his goofy grin and that caused Willow to truly smile. "Nope, No gloomy thoughts tonight. Come on, let's go try my new vamp powers." In sotto voice Xander mocked, "From the shadows of the night lurks the latest superhero. With the strength and agility of a vampire and the magick of an ancient mage comes XANMAN!"

Willow giggled and Jesse snorted, "More like Hong Kong Fooey."

Xander ignored Jesse and turned to the others in the room. "So we ready to see what I can do?"

Rupert had watched Xander perform some easy magick exercises earlier to judge the level of his abilities now. He and Wesley had been surprised to see that the demon had actually increased Xander's abilities. He still wasn't a first class wizard but he was stronger than he had been as a mortal.

This had been Xander's first true test of fighting the demon with his soul in wanting to kill anything that reminded him of his humanity. William had watched the struggle and the mental exercises that Xander had done to keep his demon calm and was impressed with his ability.

Faith opened the door to Angel's villa and stuck her head in, "So we goin' or what?"

They all filed out but Rupert hung back to be with Willow. He had seen her try to smile for Xander and even giggle but he could see that it hadn't reached her eyes. "You okay?"

Willow slipped her hand through Rupert's arm and laid her head on his shoulder. It was nice to have the comfortable feeling of Giles and the butterfly tingles that Rupert inspired all in one man. "Yeah I'm okay. It's just that when Jesse was turned in my world he told Xander that he felt stronger and more confident. Xander's words brought back some painful memories but I'll be okay."

Rupert brought Willow's fingers up to his lips for a kiss, "He is stronger and more confident but as you saw he also is the same goofy Xander under it all."

Willow smiled, "I know, it's just that every once in awhile my world comes back in bits and pieces."

Rupert stiffened but then forced himself to relax. He dreaded the day that a way was found back to her world. She had said that Xander wouldn't give up looking for a way and Merlin hinted that he might succeed. He would let her make that decision on her own. He wouldn't be the cause of her staying or leaving. He didn't want her to have any regrets whatever the outcome.

Willow felt Rupert stiffen at her words and knew it was because of her reference to her world. She still missed her friends in Sunnydale and she could admit she even missed Anya. She knew that they could and probably would continue their lives without her. They did it the summer she spent with Giles in England and they did it when Buffy died in the battle with Glory before she was brought back. Life and death would go on without her but she still missed them.

Willow tilted her head to look up at Rupert, "Does it bother you when I talk about my Sunnydale?"

"No." At Willow's look he smiled sadly, "Well, a little. It just reminds me how brief our time together might be."

Willow smiled sadly at him, "Even if I was from here, Rupert our time together might be brief. If there was nothing else I learned from my life in Sunnydale it was that life is short and you never know what tomorrow might bring."

Xander had turned around to see the deep conversation between Rupert and Willow, "Hey! I thought I said no gloomy thoughts."

Willow smiled at Xander and then turned back to Rupert, "See, a prime example of you never know what tomorrow will bring."

William and Angel stopped and tilted their heads to listen to the sounds of the night.

"What's up?" Jesse asked.

Faith held up her hand for silence. She was getting Slayer tinglies. "Something's nearby."

Out of the darkness a voice said, "Very good, Slayer."

Faith spun on her heels and Willow gasped.

Willow turned to Rupert, "Please tell me she's evil and not one of the good guys."

Rupert looked at her curiously. He could practically see the tension vibrating off of her. "As a matter of fact she is. She's one of the elite of Ethan's army."

"Veruca, what brings you to Sunnydale? Last I heard you were Ethan's lapdog in the East." Faith asked as she got in fighter stance.

Veruca smirked, "Felt like a vacation. You know check out Disneyland, see the Pacific."

Xander, Angel, William, Darla and Dru spread out but kept Wesley, Tara, Rupert, Willow and Jesse in the center. They felt the others before they heard the growls from the darkness.

At Veruca's silent signal the other members of the pack melted out of the shadows.

Willow looked up into the night sky and was relieved to see it wasn't a full moon. Just as that thought flittered through her mind she watched in horror as one of the wolves began to turn.

"What?!? It's not a full moon! How can they turn?" Willow asked.

"Don't need a full moon, witch. You must be the one that Ethan wants." A voice behind her said.

Willow closed her eyes and shook her head no. NONONONONONONONO, that could not be Oz. Oh god, she couldn't face an evil Oz. Willow slowly turned around and saw a smirking Oz and Veruca.