Revelations In White Light

Author: Anime Ronin

Rating: PG – 13 (for now due to mentions of abuse - may go up later due to swearing, blood and demonic horror)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Summary: Challenge/Story Idea from SwordofChiyun that involves Xander getting kicked out of Scoobies after Graduation and revelations of his real father and shades of his mother's family's past.

Crossover: Yes, with Charmed and some hints of Hercules.

Side Story – The Innovator of Mt. St. Summers

AN: This was suggested by one of my reviewers and it has a great deal of potential – expect a great deal of bashing on Buffy, Willow and Giles, as most of the story is a flashback, but watch in awe and fear of the Summers temper aged to the late 30's or early 40's (pulls on k-pot, flak jacket and hunkers down into foxhole). Trust me, this won't be pretty.

{Flashback – in Sunnydale, during part 1}

Joyce could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks as Buffy finished telling her exactly why she had kicked Xander out of her 'Scooby Gang' and it hit Joyce that while she had always suspected that the bleach that her daughter used on her hair might have messed with her mental processes, this story of utter betrayal merely proved it.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Buffy looked worried, Willow as well, but Rupert Giles, the school Librarian and Buffy's Watcher, appeared to have some idea of what was about to happen and took several quick steps back.

"No, Buffy, I am not." She pinched the bridge of her nose and then glared at her daughter, "So let me make sure I have this perfectly clear – because of the fact that you, Willow and Rupert didn't want to train Xander, and he has no real powers in magic or destiny, you kicked him out of his own group?" Buffy looked perplexed, but nodded, "Did it ever occur to you that without him, you might not still be around? None of us might not still be around!"

Buffy sighed, "Mom, he had some skills, yes, but now we don't need them anymore, or him."

It came as instinct – Joyce slapped her daughter; Buffy looked shocked, as did Willow and Giles, as the red handprint formed on her cheek and Joyce felt her annoyance with her daughter turn into pure rage, "So, use them and lose them, right? Gee, I wonder where you picked that up. Oh, wait, I do know – YOUR FATHER! God, Buffy, WHY do you do think, that I divorced him? Not only did he screw his secretaries, he hired them for their contacts and he then fired them once he had them! You're no better than him, none of you are."

"You slapped me. Nobody has EVER slapped me, ever hit me ... except ..." Buffy's voice trailed off and Joyce felt a smirk on her face.

"I know the demons have, but I also saw the bruises on your nose, Buffy – I guess Xander has a harder punch that you give him credit for." Turning her glare to Willow, who had stepped up to defend her daughter, Joyce snarled, "And you! His supposed best friend – you turned against him, BETRAYED HIM, and I bet you don't feel the slightest bit sorry about what you did do you? No, of course you don't – that might require a soul and a conscience."

"I ... I ... I'm not like that. I have a soul!"

"Do you?" Joyce sneered at Willow, who began to back up and cry, "Do you know what Xander did for you, for all of us? He made a deal with DEMONS to keep your FAMILIES SAFE! ALL OF US, SAFE! Now, as I understand, I am the only one still under his protection – gee, I wonder why?"

Willow gaped at that, obviously grasping at straws until she found one, "He ... he strung up Tony. His own Father!"

"A drunk and abusive asshole – trust me, child, nobody would have missed him. Frankly, I'm surprised that Xander didn't slit his throat and invite several vampires for a quick drink – not that I put it past him, but did you ever think to image what kind of effect that being raised and beaten by a man like that would have had on him? I am sure that Xander is capable of murder and in the case of Tony Harris, I'd call it justified." That said and Willow now crying as Buffy also began to weep, Joyce turned her ire on Giles, who was almost out of the room, "FREEZE, BRIT BOY!"

"See here, Joyce, that I will not allow such verbal assaults upon my person to happen."

Joyce rolled up her sleeves, "Oh, I am thinking more along the lines of physical assaults, Rupert. You, I hold you personally responsible for all of this – you knew of Xander's home life, you KNEW he would not let the fight go, and yet you did nothing to help him. WHY?"

Rupert drew himself up, "Joyce, I do not see why I must explain myself to you, but let me assure you that had I know that Alexander had made a deal with the local demons to keep our families safe, I would have done something to help him in return."

"Well, you SHOULD have know – it's exactly the kind of thing he would do. My GOD, Rupert, what if he hadn't done that? Would I be alive? Would your family be alive? Would Willow's family be alive? Probably not – but I ask you another question, Rupert. If Xander was so useless, so worthless, then WHY DID THE DEMONS FOLLOW THEIR DEAL WITH HIM? WHY?"

Giles rubbed his ears, as did Buffy and Willow, and answered with an almost snide tone, "Tell me then, oh wise and powerful Joyce, why did they not double cross him?"

"Because they were scared of him." Her voice was as cold as a glacier and she went on, "They saw in him what they used to see in Buffy – the face of death. Sure, they know how far they can push her before she starts pushing back, but did you ever see them push Xander? No, and I'll tell you why – he scared them and I was there to see how much he scared them because I was the first one they came after!" They all gaped at her and sighed, "Oh, please don't look so surprised – they came after me to get to you, Buffy, but unfortunately for them they ran into Xander first – he tore them apart, Buffy, and left one alive to deliver the message. THAT is why they kept the deal."

"He lied to me about Angel's soul spell! He said that Willow told me to kick his ass when she was really going to try the spell again."

"He wanted to make sure the world kept spinning, Buffy – God, how stupid did you make her?" There was no direct answer, but the bulbs in the room dimmed slightly as lightning flashed and thunder rolled in the cloudless skies outside of the house, "He wanted to make sure that you did your job – case closed."

"But ... but ... he did it because he was jealous." Buffy's voice was weak and Joyce lost all will to fight, so she just sighed.

"Believe whatever you want to, Buffy, but take my advice – if he ever comes back, PRAY he is in a good mood when he gets here, because if he is not and you approach him with your attitudes, don't expect to walk out of the experience ... expect to be carried out." With that said, Joyce spun on her heel and went to the kitchen, grabbed her purse and keys, and stormed out of the house – she needed a drink.

{End Flashback}

She picked up the ringing phone and held it to her ear, "Hello?"

"Hello, Joyce."

Joyce found it hard to keep her grip on the phone as a voice that she had not heard from all summer came through the receiver, "Xander?"

"In the flesh, as it were. How are you, Joyce?"

She sighed, "I've been better – I have the killer headaches of late and add to that both Buffy and Willow moping around, college starting and Giles having seemingly walled himself into his home."

She heard him chuckle, "What did you do, Joyce?"

She blushed, "Um, well, I tore them all new ones when they told me what happened to you? I mean, kicking you out, and all."

Xander sighed on the phone, "Joyce, are you alone? Is there anyone else around you right now?"

She looked around, "No, why?"

"Stay put and for God's sake, don't scream."The line went dead and suddenly Joyce heard a tinkling of sound. She turned to look at what it was and saw a shower of white and gold lights shower down from the roof, only to form into Xander's body and face, a face that was smiling. "Hi, Joyce. Miss me?"

Joyce did the only thing she could think of – she fainted.

AN: {removing k-pot, Kevlar and easing out of the foxhole} Short, I know, but it explains what happened in Sunnydale as far as Joyce and Scoobies are concerned – well, some of it. R&R, please. AR.