Title: Divine Damnation
Author: DhampyrX2
Rating: PG-13 for language and supernatural violence
Summary: Yet another secret origins of Xander fic that my twisted little brain cooked up.
Timeframe: Post Season 7
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I do this for fun. Please don't sue me.
As Xander and Willow talked and tried to repair their friendship in the face of his revealed demon state, another core Scooby was angrily brushing her hair as she thought about what she had caused to happen over the last few days.
"Damn jealous bastard. How /dare/ he not tell me about the soul restoration. I'm the Slayer. I should have been told what was going on." Buffy muttered as she looked at herself in the mirror, noticing how the dried tear streaks made her look like hell.
Of course her mutterings were answered, as they always were when she allowed herself the time to be alone and think, by her own brain. Maybe he wasn't all that jealous. her conscience sneered at her. Maybe he knows you well enough to have realized you would have held back, and we'd be in Hell right now.
The longest active Slayer growled at the words her mind was conjuring as she continued to play with her hair. After several minutes, though, another unpleasant thought sprang forth. Was what happened over five years ago really worth tearing apart your friendship like this, oh mighty Slayer?
"It doesn't matter. I can't trust him. He lied to me, and with the new Council spread so thin, we can't have people we can't trust in the field." she tried to assure herself out loud.
And how trusted will /you/ be after forcing Willow to /spy/ on her oldest friend? Who's betraying who here? Besides, I'd bet everyone else here still has faith in him. His teams had the best success rate, while in what Giles considered the most hostile locations. the voice in her head snickered.
A part of Buffy wished that voice was just the First taunting her from the depths of the Hellmouth she was sure it was sealed in (OOC: yeah right) but she knew better. Here, alone in her room, it was much harder to drown her inner voice out and lie to herself. "Maybe I am out of line. And maybe I'm overreacting, but something about him has always made overreact. I just know I can't trust him right now. Not yet, anyway." she said to her reflection, setting down her brush.
Yeah, well, he always did have the guts to challenge you when you got stupid. Maybe your inner Cordy wasn't pleased with him correcting your mistakes...again.
"But it was Angel who paid the price." Buffy protested aloud.
And it was /Angelus/ that you were fighting. Once the sword was pulled, do you really think Angel would have let you die there once he knew what was happening? All Xander did was make you fight harder at the end. The outcome wouldn't have changed. And you /know/ it. her inner voice sneered.
Tears welled up in Buffy's eyes even as she replied, "I know. But I can't let this go. Not yet. I still get too angry whenever I see him. It's like I can feel some big betrayal coming whenever I look at him."
Xander and Willow's tender moment was broken up by a knock at her door. "Hey! Why is the door locked, Willow? You know I didn't bring my key with me." Kennedy called out from the other side.
The old friends shared a look before Willow walked to the door to let her girlfriend in. "Sorry, honey. Xander and I needed to talk about some stuff, and we didn't want to get interrupted." she explained.
"Oh." Kennedy replied as she looked over to Xander and gave a small wave. "This about her highness freaking out over that vampire of hers?" the Slayer asked in a tone that showed she sided with Xander in the whole matter. Then again, Xander had saved her life on a night when Buffy had led her to what would have been death otherwise, so she was a little biased toward the argument. The fact that he was the closest thing her girlfriend had to a brother only added to the 'side with Xander' part of her brain.
Xander shrugged as he replied, "A little of that, at little of talking things out, and a little of other stuff. I just wanted to make sure Willow was going to be alright with all the tension going on here."
"Yeah. It's been real tense, alright." Willow added with a sullen look.
"You want me to do something to ease that tension, baby?" Kennedy asked the red-headed Wicca with a shameless grin as she moved in to hug her girlfriend.
Xander took that as his cue to leave. "Well, as much as watching this would be quite the fantasy, I really think I should be going. I've long since had my fill of Slayer strength hurling me out of a room because of sex." he said as he made his way to the door.
Kennedy looked slightly puzzled as she asked, "You mean you and Buffy have...?"
Xander gave her his trademark lopsided grin as he answered, "Oh, GOD no. Even at the best of times, I'm her 'Xander-shaped friend'. I meant senior year after Faith and I..." He stopped there, as his brain caught up with his mouth, before he added. "You know what forget I said that. Let's just say I'll leave you two lovely ladies to your fun and try to salvage some dignity in the face of the dirt you can now unearth from Faith. Bye."
And with that, he was quickly out the door, closing it behind him.
In a realm that was neither Nifelheim, nor Midgard, nor Asgard, the entity known as the First Evil was conversing with some of its minions stationed on Earth.
"Things grow serious. The White Knight of Nifelheim has regained his full power. Your seeds of discord among their ranks must remain subtle. His position and power is such he could bring far greater opposition than the Powers to my plans." the First spoke, using its 'natural' form as a demonic looking cloud of black energy.
"I will be careful, Master." a servant, who was concealed by shadows in the cave that was the First's current planning center, replied.
"See that you do. Although Hild, and most goddesses, must remain sealed while on Earth, neither side has made an effort to do so to him, yet. If he were to track me down, even /I/ would be in danger. I've planned this for too long to be stopped so close to the end. The last thing I can afford is discovery by the agents of Chaos and Order working together." the First Evil added, before closing the link with its minions, and leaving them alone in the cave.
The head servant than turned to the others and ordered, "You heard the master. Go forth, and make sure all is still well. Our time is nearly at hand!"
As that conversation took place, another one between much more powerful entities was also occurring.
"I don't like this at all. Alexander should have more support around him for something this dangerous." Hild snapped, as she pounded on her desk in a rare show of true anger, her platinum hair shaking on front of her red star demon marks, as she addressed her nominal opposite in the heavens though a viewing screen in front of her.
"I know, Hild-chan. I worry about him as well. But he is the best qualified to handle this threat. It is too dangerous to place too many of us there near him." Kami-sama replied.
"And what happens when Maa-chan, and Urd-chan, and your other daughters collect around him? We all know they will stay to fight even if ordered not to." the Dai Makaichou of Nifelheim countered sarcastically.
The voice of Kami-sama was peaceful and full of confidence as He replied, "They will stand with their loved ones. Even among the gods it was My will that freedom of choice remain constant. You must have faith that all will be as it should."
"Don't You give me that fortune cookie cryptic routine, Kami-sama! Those are MY children and MY best agent in mortal danger on Midgard. I can't just sit back and think happy thoughts the whole time while the First plots against us!" Hild scolded her old lover.
"They are My children as well, Hild-chan. Even I wish there was more to be done, but there is not. For Us to interfere too directly is to condemn the plane to destruction. The children must defeat this themselves with their mortal friends. You know that." the supreme Deity responded.
Hind nodded sadly, as a tear welled up in her eye. She sat back heavily in her chair as she asked in an almost childishly frightened voice, "Do You really think they'll be alright?"
Kami-sama's reply said all that needed to be said as He answered, "I do. I have faith in them."
Hind could only nod resignedly at his reassurance. Her voice and countenance grew wistful as she said, "Circumstances aside, it was good to talk to, and see you, again Kami-sama."
"I miss you too, Hild-chan. Perhaps, when this crisis is averted, we can take a small vacation as we once did." He replied.
"Only by the grace of, well, You, Kami-sama. Our work has never lent itself to free time since we began the project of nurturing your little human race." Hild replied with a tired grin.
"Yes. But even you must admit, they still have great potential." Kami-sama responded.
"If only we can keep them ready to live up to it." Hild countered.
Xander sat on a small park bench, talking to Belldandy on his cell phone. "Yeah, Bell. Saturday would be great for a visit. Are you going to bring you husband? I'd like to meet him." he said easily.
"Oh my. Well if you're certain it wouldn't be a bother, oniichan. I'll ask Keiichi if he's free. He's been busy designing a new racing motorcycle cylinder system for his engineering firm." Belldandy replied with a warm grin, even if it did look a little strained on her side of the phone.
"That's great, sis. I want you three can meet Dawn and Willow while you're here, too. They've been looking forward to finally meeting you since they knew about you, I think." Xander commented warmly. After a pause, he added, "Oh, and before I forget...I have a little favor to ask you."
"What is it, Alex? You know I'd be happy to help you." Belldandy encouraged sweetly.
"As long as it isn't anything bad, yeah, I know Bell. Anyway, I spoke to Mara, and she mentioned there was a new Valkyrie that was born in Sunnydale when I was stuck there by the name of Cordelia. We were kinda friends when she was human, and I was wondering if you could set up a meeting for me to talk about old times, since I'm kind of...not so warmly accepted in placed like Valhalla." the demon asked.
"I'd be delighted to Alex. I'll call and let you know when she's free." Belldandy answered with an angelic smile he could actually /hear/ over the phone.
"Thanks, little sister. I appreciate it. Just leave the details on my voicemail if I don't answer when you call. You know how it is being around a lot of mortals on assignment. Sometimes you just have to let the phone ring..." Xander responded. "And now that that's settled why don't you tell me about your husband for a bit? I want more than just Urd's perspective on my new brother-in-law." he added in far too easy a tone.
Belldandy, who was unlikely to think badly of anyone unless she had too, still let out a nervous titter of a laugh before she began to talk about Keiichi with her older half-brother.
END PART 6
