They stared for a full minute, until Xander smirked. "Well, we could give each other the silent treatment out here, or go inside and do the same over a sandwich. Coming?" He walked toward the front door.
James followed, after pressing a series of buttons on his keychain. Xander blinked, but didn't comment. As they walked in, he thought about what his mother had said. Then, he thought about why exactly he was so willing to invite a stranger in.
- - - - - - - -
Xander sighed. "Well, we have moldy bread, not so moldy bread, and something that looks like alfalfa. Ah the wonders of fine cuisine. We also have a fine selection of alcohol for the beer guzzling buffoons that visit occasionally. I'm afraid that if we had any menus, they gained sentience and flew away screaming." He grinned at James nervously. The guy hadn't spoken yet. "Any ideas?"
"One, you don't have a reason to be nervous around me, yet. Two, I always have a meal or two stored away in the car. I'll go get it, then we can talk." James got up and walked out.
Xander set about cleaning the kitchen table. Not that it really needed it. Despite Mom's drunkenness, she still kept the kitchen clean. She did it for appearances sake of course.
Bond walked back in, with a picnic basket of all things. Xander almost laughed. Here was a guy in an expensive tailored suit carrying a basket as if it were fine china. Everything was set out. Xander blinked. "Okay. Giles is English, but I have yet to see him eating... what is all this anyway?"
"I had a couple of acquaintances make Baked Alaska, some fine tea that I can't remember the name of right now, and a fine cheesecake. They delivered it to the special storage unit I have in the car."
Xander blinked. "You knew already?"
"Of course. Though at the time I was actually thinking that dinner with MoneyPenny was possible."
"Funny, I always knew her as Mom or Carlotta. By the way, I got the impression you represent some kind of government organization. What specifically do you do?
"I'm what is known to some as a secret agent. A member of British MI-6 to be more exact. My classification as 007 was recently reactivated."
"And 007 is?"
"I'm licensed to kill."
"Ok..."
"I have a couple of questions for you, Alex?"
"Call me Xander."
Bond nodded. "Penny seemed to think that you dabble in my line of work. What exactly do you do? And keep in mind that I'm good at keeping secrets."
Xander thought for a minute. James had an attentive look on his face, which was a switch. His friends tended to zone out. "Where do I start? With a blond teenage girl with super strength, and healing, who has saved the world a lot? Or the fact that she was destined to die a while back, and I resuscitated her. Which I might add, caused her to be able to save the world. Or would you like me to explain how I saved my friends and in essence the world, by scaring a bad guy into disabling the bomb he'd set?"
"That's not the end of it is it? From what little I understand, Sunnydale isn't exactly your normal hotbed of crime. Was the term "Mouth of Hell" a label that someone put on it to keep out the tourists?"
Xander sighed. "Which do you want? The truth, or the extremely scary truth?"
"Which one's easier to believe?"
"The extreme one. It's getting the proof that scares the crap out of you."
"Let's go for the proof first, then worry about the rest."
"On one condition."
"Yes?"
"My town, my command. Mom wants you to train me, fine. You will probably even command me during that. Again, fine. But in order to get the proof, you have to follow my instructions. It's what I know best. It'll keep you alive."
- - - - - - -
Xander contemplated the equipment.
"One: You'll need at least one bladed weapon, not throwable. However, you can carry one of that sort as backup if need be. If your aim is good, it'll probably help. Two: Around four sharpened pieces of wood, better known as stakes. Personally, for the bladed, a hand axe or battle axe. Hacking away at anything, is preferable to finesse. Tends to shock them. Don't worry about being seen with it... the police avoid the night. So do most of the average criminal elements for that matter."
"Gun?"
"To temporarily disable, fine by me. If you use it only to kill however, it would be safer to leave it here. Bullets, either make things laugh or annoy them in this town." Xander sighed. "Buffy would probably find the strongest example and watch you almost die at it's hands before stepping in. Me, we'll find the strongest that you can believe, but easy to kill. It's hard enough taking the truly powerful on when the world's about to go up in flames."
- - - - - - - -
"First stop, Willy's. It'll give you a chance to see some of the things we'll find, without risking death in the process. It's a no attack zone. Plus, I've got a bit of information I need to check up on."
Xander had a random assortment of items on himself, yet managed to look like it was comfortable.
Bond had taken out an overcoat from his car, and concealed the axe inside. It had a rip away side over the weapon, so he could get it out quickly. The coat also had a thin layer of material similar to a bulletproof vest. He could remove it quickly as well. Q had even been amused enough to put a self destruct device inside it and line the coat with a special form of plastique. Just in case. The stakes had been put in a modified spring loader, which usually housed a couple of knives. Xander didn't need to know about the explosives yet.
When they entered the bar, several customers glanced at Xander before hiding their heads. Willy flinched, but smiled. "What can I get for you two?"
"Information for one. Two, if there's someone in here nastier than normal I want to take it out."
"Nothing that nasty... there are a couple of vampires that have been hanging at the new bar lately. Tough customers that lot."
Xander nodded. "I believe I said two things?"
Willy flinched again. "The ritual is specific. It requires the blood of a slayer, and a coward."
"What, no hero this time?"
"The Wording was specific."
"Fine." Xander placed down a wad of cash. "Spend it on things I approve of, or you'll see how truly nasty I can get." Xander grinned. Willy picked the money up and backed away slowly, nodding his head the whole way.
As they walked out, Bond grabbed Xanders arm. "Vampires?"
"That's where we're headed. Stake to the heart, beheading, or fire. Anything else tickles them."
- - - - - - -
Buffy was walking toward the bar, when she saw a man in an overcoat stake a vampire. She saw another figure, but it wasn't until he staked the second vamp and turned around that she realized he was Xander.
"I thought I told you to stay out of things! I can't keep you safe if you won't listen!" She yelled, while ignoring the man in the overcoat.
Xander stared sadly at her. "I was on my own before you got into town, Buffy. It's a wonder I didn't get bitten and turned during that time. I didn't even know vampires existed till you showed up."
"Your parents..."
"Were drunk, and my father was abusive. I slept in abandoned buildings sometimes. At least now that I know Giles, I can read by osmosis each night I lay my head on a dictionary in the library."
"Still..."
"Buffy, I've saved your tail more times than you will ever know. And considering how close you came those times, I hope you never find out. It would throw you off your game. And, while we're on the topic, did you forget that Willow and I with Giles helping continued to patroll Sunnydale while you went on your hiatus after Angel went through the portal?"
Buffy stared at him in shock.
Xander grinned. "Close your mouth, the flies are flying in to roost."
Buffy glared. "Willow wants you out of it too. She doesn't want to lose you."
"And I don't want to lose her, which is why I still do this. A world without Willow is a world that I don't want to live in. It is for her that I do what I do. It is in Her Service that I act."
James followed, after pressing a series of buttons on his keychain. Xander blinked, but didn't comment. As they walked in, he thought about what his mother had said. Then, he thought about why exactly he was so willing to invite a stranger in.
- - - - - - - -
Xander sighed. "Well, we have moldy bread, not so moldy bread, and something that looks like alfalfa. Ah the wonders of fine cuisine. We also have a fine selection of alcohol for the beer guzzling buffoons that visit occasionally. I'm afraid that if we had any menus, they gained sentience and flew away screaming." He grinned at James nervously. The guy hadn't spoken yet. "Any ideas?"
"One, you don't have a reason to be nervous around me, yet. Two, I always have a meal or two stored away in the car. I'll go get it, then we can talk." James got up and walked out.
Xander set about cleaning the kitchen table. Not that it really needed it. Despite Mom's drunkenness, she still kept the kitchen clean. She did it for appearances sake of course.
Bond walked back in, with a picnic basket of all things. Xander almost laughed. Here was a guy in an expensive tailored suit carrying a basket as if it were fine china. Everything was set out. Xander blinked. "Okay. Giles is English, but I have yet to see him eating... what is all this anyway?"
"I had a couple of acquaintances make Baked Alaska, some fine tea that I can't remember the name of right now, and a fine cheesecake. They delivered it to the special storage unit I have in the car."
Xander blinked. "You knew already?"
"Of course. Though at the time I was actually thinking that dinner with MoneyPenny was possible."
"Funny, I always knew her as Mom or Carlotta. By the way, I got the impression you represent some kind of government organization. What specifically do you do?
"I'm what is known to some as a secret agent. A member of British MI-6 to be more exact. My classification as 007 was recently reactivated."
"And 007 is?"
"I'm licensed to kill."
"Ok..."
"I have a couple of questions for you, Alex?"
"Call me Xander."
Bond nodded. "Penny seemed to think that you dabble in my line of work. What exactly do you do? And keep in mind that I'm good at keeping secrets."
Xander thought for a minute. James had an attentive look on his face, which was a switch. His friends tended to zone out. "Where do I start? With a blond teenage girl with super strength, and healing, who has saved the world a lot? Or the fact that she was destined to die a while back, and I resuscitated her. Which I might add, caused her to be able to save the world. Or would you like me to explain how I saved my friends and in essence the world, by scaring a bad guy into disabling the bomb he'd set?"
"That's not the end of it is it? From what little I understand, Sunnydale isn't exactly your normal hotbed of crime. Was the term "Mouth of Hell" a label that someone put on it to keep out the tourists?"
Xander sighed. "Which do you want? The truth, or the extremely scary truth?"
"Which one's easier to believe?"
"The extreme one. It's getting the proof that scares the crap out of you."
"Let's go for the proof first, then worry about the rest."
"On one condition."
"Yes?"
"My town, my command. Mom wants you to train me, fine. You will probably even command me during that. Again, fine. But in order to get the proof, you have to follow my instructions. It's what I know best. It'll keep you alive."
- - - - - - -
Xander contemplated the equipment.
"One: You'll need at least one bladed weapon, not throwable. However, you can carry one of that sort as backup if need be. If your aim is good, it'll probably help. Two: Around four sharpened pieces of wood, better known as stakes. Personally, for the bladed, a hand axe or battle axe. Hacking away at anything, is preferable to finesse. Tends to shock them. Don't worry about being seen with it... the police avoid the night. So do most of the average criminal elements for that matter."
"Gun?"
"To temporarily disable, fine by me. If you use it only to kill however, it would be safer to leave it here. Bullets, either make things laugh or annoy them in this town." Xander sighed. "Buffy would probably find the strongest example and watch you almost die at it's hands before stepping in. Me, we'll find the strongest that you can believe, but easy to kill. It's hard enough taking the truly powerful on when the world's about to go up in flames."
- - - - - - - -
"First stop, Willy's. It'll give you a chance to see some of the things we'll find, without risking death in the process. It's a no attack zone. Plus, I've got a bit of information I need to check up on."
Xander had a random assortment of items on himself, yet managed to look like it was comfortable.
Bond had taken out an overcoat from his car, and concealed the axe inside. It had a rip away side over the weapon, so he could get it out quickly. The coat also had a thin layer of material similar to a bulletproof vest. He could remove it quickly as well. Q had even been amused enough to put a self destruct device inside it and line the coat with a special form of plastique. Just in case. The stakes had been put in a modified spring loader, which usually housed a couple of knives. Xander didn't need to know about the explosives yet.
When they entered the bar, several customers glanced at Xander before hiding their heads. Willy flinched, but smiled. "What can I get for you two?"
"Information for one. Two, if there's someone in here nastier than normal I want to take it out."
"Nothing that nasty... there are a couple of vampires that have been hanging at the new bar lately. Tough customers that lot."
Xander nodded. "I believe I said two things?"
Willy flinched again. "The ritual is specific. It requires the blood of a slayer, and a coward."
"What, no hero this time?"
"The Wording was specific."
"Fine." Xander placed down a wad of cash. "Spend it on things I approve of, or you'll see how truly nasty I can get." Xander grinned. Willy picked the money up and backed away slowly, nodding his head the whole way.
As they walked out, Bond grabbed Xanders arm. "Vampires?"
"That's where we're headed. Stake to the heart, beheading, or fire. Anything else tickles them."
- - - - - - -
Buffy was walking toward the bar, when she saw a man in an overcoat stake a vampire. She saw another figure, but it wasn't until he staked the second vamp and turned around that she realized he was Xander.
"I thought I told you to stay out of things! I can't keep you safe if you won't listen!" She yelled, while ignoring the man in the overcoat.
Xander stared sadly at her. "I was on my own before you got into town, Buffy. It's a wonder I didn't get bitten and turned during that time. I didn't even know vampires existed till you showed up."
"Your parents..."
"Were drunk, and my father was abusive. I slept in abandoned buildings sometimes. At least now that I know Giles, I can read by osmosis each night I lay my head on a dictionary in the library."
"Still..."
"Buffy, I've saved your tail more times than you will ever know. And considering how close you came those times, I hope you never find out. It would throw you off your game. And, while we're on the topic, did you forget that Willow and I with Giles helping continued to patroll Sunnydale while you went on your hiatus after Angel went through the portal?"
Buffy stared at him in shock.
Xander grinned. "Close your mouth, the flies are flying in to roost."
Buffy glared. "Willow wants you out of it too. She doesn't want to lose you."
"And I don't want to lose her, which is why I still do this. A world without Willow is a world that I don't want to live in. It is for her that I do what I do. It is in Her Service that I act."