Title: Best Laid Plans.

Author: Charlie

Timeline: Post BtVS S7 (initially), later on Post AtS S5.

Summary: Xander begins a new chapter of his life.

Author Notes: Round and round, the ship goes. Where it lands, the

author doesn't know. Will it (B)uffy, (C)ordelia, (D)awn, (F)aith,

(F)red, (H)armony, (K)enndy or (W)illow that wins the Xandman?

She stirred gently from her sleep. Amy was confused at first but slowly her surroundings began to make sense to her. The former witch turned mouse turned witch tried to move but found she was held by something. Or someone rather, a man with a familiar face held onto her wrist gently but firmly, a man that was once a boy she knew, Alexander Harris.

"You're awake."

A man that was awake and watching her. Her gaze drifted to his light hold on her arm. Silently he released her arm but still held it in his own. Amy looked away from him, shame on her face.

"What happened to you Amy?"

"What does it matter to you Xander? All you needed me for was a spell to make your girlfriend jealous."

He pondered her words before speaking, "Yes. Yes I was a real selfish bastard. I'm sorry I used you. I honestly didn't think about what I was doing. And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you were changed back."

Silence.

"I'm here now Amy. And I'm asking what happened to you? I still remember going to birthday parties with you, Cordy, Harmony, Larry, Jonathan, Jessie and Willow."

"Dad started working longer hours to bring more money in. It didn't really matter; it was never enough for mom. No matter how much he brought in, she always spent it and wanted more. And she started practicing magic to help her get more. Then after Buffy stopped her I moved in with Dad. Because he worked long hours he wasn't home much and spoiled me rotten. I started practicing magic too, if only to feel something."

Alexander nodded at those familiar words while she continued.

"I just got deeper and deeper into it. Hanging out with Michael and the others... I just wanted to be special, so someone would stay with me. When Willow managed to change me back, I was happy at first. Then I found out Dad had left town. He was convinced I had run away. After I got done with Rack, I drifted around from shelter to shelter, barely scraping by. And I got jealous."

"Of Willow's power."

She turned back to face him.

"No, of everything."

Alex looked surprised at that, "I thought you were jealous of how easy magic came to Willow. That's what Kennedy said. She said you were jealous of how easy it was for her while you had to work for it."

"She was wrong, I was so jealous of everything she had that I didn't. She had a chance to go to college, a good education, a family that was still there, a life that was hers'. She had people who cared about her. Who loved her." Her voice cracked on that last part.

A sad look was on his face; "I'm sorry Amy, had I known. I would have tried to be there."

"It's not your fault, Xander. Everyone has their own life to live. Their own choices to make."

"Amy I."

"Xander no. After I left Sunnydale, I hitchhiked my way cross-country. For a while I thought of finding my father and explaining things to him. I did manage to find him but he was... He was gone. Heart attack. He worked himself to death. I just felt so lost; I started looking for some way to cope. I found other things instead what I was looking for."

Alex slowly blinked as he watched her continue, " I still don't know what I'm looking for."

"Maybe you should look for yourself Amy. Maybe it's time for Amy Madison to decide what kind of woman she should be. And, if you want, I'll be there. So will Riley and Sam. It won't be like the old days but then we're not kids anymore."

Her hand drifted up to his face and again he flinched as she neared his left side.

"Xander..."

"It's not you Amy. It's me. My eye is gone, that's a glass one."

She paled, "What happened?"

Quietly Alex told her not just how he lost his eye but what had happened leading up to it and beyond. When he mentioned the fate of Anya and his parents, his voice became heavy as his grief again came to the surface. He struggled but held back his tears as he finished telling her.

When he was finished, Amy lay silently in the bed looking at him. Then slowly she sat up and moved closer to him.

"Amy?"

She brought her finger to his lips and drew him into a hug. Alex slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her in close. They stayed like that for a time appreciating each other's presence and warmth.

"Xander", Her breath felt warm on his neck and he unconsciously started rubbing her back up and down along her spine and lower back. Amy lifted her head from where it lay on his shoulder and faced him. She looked deep in his eyes as he looked into hers. Slowly they leaned closer to each other, he felt her lips brush his almost tentatively. Then with greater confidence they kissed for a long time. When they finally parted, he looked at her with both confusion and warmth. Expressions that he saw mirrored on her face.

-Cleveland, Ohio-

Willow stared at the screen of her laptop. She had been staring at it off and on all day. On screen was a photo from her elementary school. It was taken in 3rd grade, in it she could see Cordelia, Harmony, Jesse, Larry, Jonathan, Amy, Xander and herself. She still remembers the day the photo was taken. Xander had been late and almost didn't get in the photo. But he had just barely snuck in and there she was by his side. Willow had never expected to see this photo again but for some odd reason Harmony and Cordelia still had theirs while hers was buried in the rubble of Sunnydale.

She looked from the photo to her reflection in the window. Willow was no longer the shy, computer nerd who pined for a love that ignored her. Now she was one of the most powerful witches in the known world who dated girls and was looked up to by the younger slayers.

The apartment she shared with Kennedy was quiet. The younger girl having gone to the gym to work out her frustrations and anger, something she did more of recently. The room was decorated similar to the way the Summer's household had been. Yet, for the familiar fashions, the warm glow of the lights and the memories she and Kennedy had made here, Willow never felt more alone then she did right now.

Silently she returned her gaze back to her laptop.

-Elsewhere in the city-

"Damn it Faith, I told you to watch the lights."

"Well I did, it just turned Red, Wood."

The black looked back at the approaching policeman from behind. He noted that the man's partner was staying behind and covering him. Faith and him had been out 'cruising', looking for trouble and now here it was. Only instead of vamps it was the police that had cornered them. Wood was extremely concerned, while Willow had managed to 'create' new identities with his help; an expert had never examined them up close. Now in a few minutes they would be, his freedom and possibly Faith's life hung in the balance.

Faith rolled her window and smiled her sexy best at him. "Good evening officer. Busy night?"

"License and registration please." The cop ignored her attitude.

Silently she handed them over. The policeman took the papers quietly, stepped back and spoke something into his radio. Faith started fidgeting nervously as time passed with nothing happening. The officer turned around as his radio squawked something. Faith heard him ask the dispatch to repeat what was just said, nodding as he heard it a second time. Then he stepped closer to the car again and compared the photo on the license to the woman behind the wheel. Faith smiled at him while gripping the door handle tightly, ready to run if the cop acted on the harsh look on his face. Abruptly he leaned back, apparently satisfied.

"Here you go, Miss. I'll let you go with a warning this time. Next time pay closer attention to the lights."

"Yes officer."

Faith quietly restarted the car drove off at a sedate pace, careful to not draw attention to herself.

"He knew they were fake."

To her credit, Faith didn't lose her composure. "What?"

"The cop, he knew that license was phony. And so was the registration."

"How do you know that?"

"The look in his eyes. He made them as fakes after a seconds."

"Then why didn't he slap the cuffs on?"

"I don't know. Didn't you hear what dispatch said?"

She shook her head, "Too garbled to understand."

"Great. Let's go home Faith."

The car turned and headed for the school.

-St. Louis-

Alex looked around as he walked into the kitchen; he smiled as he saw Sam trying to feed Danielle. The little brown haired girl was making things difficult for her mother. Thus far it appeared as though more food was on the table then in her mouth.

"Hi Sam."

"Hello Alexander. How are you?"

"I'm good." His smile grew a little.

"Oh? And how is Amy?"

" She's asleep again but it looks like she's doing better."

"That's very good to hear, when Riley first got her home, I wasn't so sure she was going to make it. She was depressed and refused to eat. It seems as though having you around brightened her up and made her come around."

He seemed somewhat embarrassed by that and quickly changed the subject.

"Speaking of which, where is Riley?"

"Oh he's out."

"Business or pleasure?"

"Both."

-Somewhere in the city-

After living a life specializing in covert ops for almost six years, Riley Finn was not easily surprised. Yet, as he walked through a city park on his way to a meeting no other word seemed appropriate to describe what he was feeling. The meeting itself was a bit of surprised and when he discovered with whom he was meeting with, surprise turned to shock briefly.

Spotting the park bench where he was supposed to be, Riley quickly looked around the area. He noted only one other person visible, a middle aged man in a wheelchair next to the bench. He casually strolled down, crossed in front of the other man and sat down. To an outside observer, it would seem as though two men were simply spending the day relaxing in the park.

"Congratulations Mr. Finn, you're here on time. Something that is very much appreciated in these times."

Riley didn't look at the other man as he responded.

"Thank you very much sir. I don't suppose we can skip the rest of the pleasantries and get right down to business?"

The man chuckled and handed him a newspaper, "Fascinating things in the newspapers these days."

Riley carefully opened the paper and spotted a folder concealed with it. With skills he had practiced for years, he flipped open the folder and read it while only appearing to read the boxscores. A frown flashed across his face as he processed the information.

"This is bad."

"Things appear to changing again and we must assume not for the better."

"Making assumptions in our line of business gets people killed."

The older man shifted somewhat in his wheelchair. Sighing, he answered Riley, "Our line of business is a hazardous one regardless of the decisions we make. We can hope that the ones we make are the best ones at the time. The time is fast approaching when we must make our presence known again to ALL the players in this fight."

"You're tired of hiding?"

"I am tired of watching the people closest to this situation bungle it and nearly bring about the total destruction of the planet because of their ineptness."

Riley for the first time looked at the older man and noted his anger. "And you don't consider yourself responsible in some way for their actions?"

The anger seemed to fade from the man as he spoke, "Of course I consider myself responsible. I am responsible for allowing this foolishness to spiral out of control and nearly destroy mankind. As it was, many good men and women were lost because of my decisions, a fact of which I am painfully reminded of every second of every day by this BLASTED chair."

The former farm boy seemed amused and impressed, "You're really devoted to this fight."

"Of course, it is the fight of my family and now it is my fight. I am even more committed to it now in light of what happened." He watched the younger man stand with the newspaper carefully folded under his arm.

"I take it you shall show that to them?"

"Yep."

"You know," His words gave the other man pause, "you're not quite what I was expecting Riley Finn."

"Neither are you, Quentin Travers."

The Englishman smiled, "Good day to you Mr. Finn."