Thief in the night
Disclaimer: I don't own anything so there would be very little point in suing me. The marvelous characters in this story are owned by the people who own them and not unfortunately by me. If you don't recognize a character then it's mine, all mine.
Summary: Xander encounters the X-men but that'd just be boring so there's a twist.
Spoilers: Not really but let's say X-men 1 and Buffy season 6 to be safe.
Rating: Let's say pg-13 in case I use a bad word.
Author's note:
8. Hello again.
"Willow!?" Xander yelled scrambling away from his red-headed companion,
" Xander calm down, " Willow ordered holding out her hands as Xander checked to make sure it was still day and struggled to get a hold of the cross he always wore around his neck.
" You're dead!" Xander shouted still moving along the ground further away from his best friend.
" Oh come on! When has that stopped anyone?" Willow demanded smiling and Xander stopped scrambling and opted for backing himself up against a tree and brandishing the cross at Willow.
" What are you doing here?" Xander demanded his voice made ragged by the sharp breaths he was sucking in.
" You asked for my help," Willow explained gently and Xander's cross fell slightly,
" huh?" Was all Xander could manage to reply,
" You were in the alley and you asked for my help, " Willow explained,
" You're not a demon are you?" Xander asked and Willow shook her head smiling,
" Nope, I'm just me, Willow Rosenberg Scooby stuff up and spirit extraordinaire. "
" You're a ghost?" Xander asked staring in disbelief at the sight in front of him,
" Not really, but I'm ghost like," Willow explained and Xander choked back a sob.
" Willow?"
" Yeah Xan?" Will returned moving closer,
" Can you hug people?" Xander asked his voice sounding small, Willow nodded.
Xander opened his arms and within a few seconds he was clinging to the red head as if his life depended on it. Tears spilled down Xander's cheeks and he sobbed unashamedly into Willow's shoulder.
" God I miss you, " Xander cried and Willow who was now crying herself returned,
" I'm so sorry Xand, I screwed everything up. "
Xander remained silent but instead hugged his friend harder, after a while he replied.
" It's ok Willow, we're going to fix it. Don't worry; we're going to fix it. "
The duo hugged for another couple of minutes before Xander pulled away,
" You know how to fix this right?" He asked and Willow cringed.
" What?" Xander demanded
" It's complicated," Willow started and Xander frowned,
" Maybe I should start from the beginning." She mused and Xander carried out some exaggerated nodding.
" Ok so the beginning would be that I got a little drunk and decided that you and Dawnie needed protecting because we'd just lost Tara and I couldn't stand to lose you as well. " Willow looked sad at the mention of Tara and Xander interrupted,
" How are you two? I mean are you youknow in the same place?"
Willow shook her head sadly,
" No, Tara got an express ticket to Heaven and I got the chance to try and right a few wrongs, fix what I screwed up."
" And if you don't fix it?" Xander asked frowning and Willow shrugged miserably,
" Then I stay in limbo for eternity, which will be ok I guess, I mean I can watch you guys for the first eighty years or so. "
Xander stayed silent for a moment and Willow continued her story,
" So I asked the PTB to help you, "
" You what!? After all they've done to Buffy and Angel!" Xander asked startled and Willow nodded,
" I just wanted to protect you two, and every spell that I'd tried during the time had gone really bad, so I figured that maybe they could help because you know you've been fighting for them for so long." Willow shrugged and trailed off.
" If you asked the PTB for help what was that symbol you painted on the floor?" Xander demanded and Willow smiled nervously,
" Yeah the symbol. I saw it in a book Giles had open it was supposed to be an ancient symbol of protection,"
" What?" Xander asked confused
" Well the thing was that I only asked the PTB to help you, the symbol was just a simple spell to help Dawnie, you know keep her safe from the big bad."
" So you weren't trying to turn Dawnie into a slayer? "
" No why would I do that, being a slayer has killed Buffy once and practically ruined her life."
" I suppose but why the hell am I 13 again and Why is the wolf man my Father?"
" That was the PTB, they did that,"
" Can they undo it?" Xander mused scowling as his voice hiccupped into a high note.
" I never meant for this to happen but you can get out of it, you just have to do one thing. " Willow instructed moving away and standing up, she looked towards the house where Jean was making her way across the lawn.
" What do you mean? What the hell do I have to do?" Xander demanded oblivious to Jean's imminent arrival.
" You have to save the world. " Willow answered and Xander's eyes bugged slightly,
" Excuse me?" He demanded and Willow looked sheepish,
" The PTB said they'd fix this but in return you have to stop a war, I'll explain everything later."
" Later!" Xander shouted " Why not now?"
" Someone's coming," Willow explained and there was a little poof and she disappeared leaving Xander frantically looking around the place he was still seated.
" Willow!" He hissed dramatically and finally noticed Jean
" Dale?" Jean asked coming to a stop besides the 'boy' who was frantically wiping tears from his eyes and glancing around the wooded area he was sitting in.
Xander didn't say anything he just looked at her,
" Are you ok?" Jean asked looking around the woods and Xander shot her a look which clearly said, ' are you out of your mind?'
" Ok, do you want to talk about it?"
" You know what I really do but you try and have a conversation with someone and poof they ." Xander said loudly to a tree and threw his hands up in the air and sighed.
" What?" Jean looked confused,
" Never mind," Xander pulled himself off the ground and looked around the woods,
" Are you ok, I mean you sounded like you were talking to someone?" Jean asked and Xander shook his head a little too violently,
" No, No I wasn't. Hey let's go back to the house," Xander suggested and Jean stared at him,
" What?" Xander demanded and Jean took a couple of steps forward and looked Xander in the eye,
" Are you ok?" She asked and Xander sighed and walked a couple of steps past her back towards the mansion.
" I'd say the answer to that question was no," He muttered to himself and then stopped and stared at the ground in front of him.
" What?" Jean asked and Xander bent in a squat and peered at the ground in front of him.
" I think I know how Bear was controlled, " He stated and Jean moved up besides him and looked to where Xander's outstretched hand was pointing.
" How is that possible?" She mused bending down to pick up a remote control panel left on the ground but Xander caught her hand.
" Leave it, it might be booby trapped, " the soldier in him demanded and Jean pulled her hand back.
" The professor would have been able to tell if someone was out here, he picks people up as the approach the mansion, it's part of his power." Jean explained and Xander shrugged,
" Maybe he was distracted I mean there was a lot going on." Jean cut him off,
" The professor doesn't get distracted, someone must have been blocking him, and that someone must have been wearing something that blocked the professor from entering their mind."
" You sound like you know who it is." Xander stated and Jean frowned,
" I do. but it's not possible because we put him in jail and he's still there. Come on let's tell the Professor." Jean straightened up and headed towards the house. Xander took a last look around the woods and waited for Jean to walk away a couple of steps before whispering harshly.
" Willow get back here."
The woods remained empty and Xander stamped his foot in disgust.
"Calm down Xan, " The voice of Willow demanded and Xander spun in a circle looking for her,
" Will you stop that people are going to start thinking you're insane, " Willow ordered as Xander finally located her, she had shrunk considerably to the size of a Barbie doll and was sitting on his shoulder.
" People have thought I was insane for a long time Willow why should now be any different?" Xander joked and Willow shot him an angry face, which only looked cute on her tiny features.
" Xander these people have to be able to take you seriously if you are to have any hope of stopping this war." Xander's eyes narrowed at the mention of the war.
" You keep saying that, that I have to stop a war and save the world and it's a funny joke Willow it really is but I wish you'd just tell me how I can make me, me again." Xander mused and Willow scowled at him,
" I am not joking Xander,"
Xander sighed and his shoulder's slumped nearly causing Willow to fall off them.
" So I really have to stop a war and save the world?" He asked dejectedly and Willow nodded,
" How long?"
" Three days " Willow replied and Xander nodded,
" It'd be too easy if it were several months or years wouldn't it?" Willow nodded,
" And I suppose that the answer to stopping the war lays in an ancient prophecy that nobody has been able to find for centuries?"
" Hey how did you know that?!"
Xander sighed and his head dropped onto his chest,
" I just thought to myself what is the worst situation that this could be and there was the answer." He muttered and Willow walked across his should and pecked him on the cheek with a kiss.
" Look on the up side Xander" She instructed and Xander turned to look at her,
" If you don't stop the war you still don't have to worry about changing yourself back"
Xander looked hopeful.
" Because you and everyone else on the planet will be dead." Willow finished.
AN: Come on guys review, I'm on holidays now so I'm going to need extra motivation to stay inside and write.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything so there would be very little point in suing me. The marvelous characters in this story are owned by the people who own them and not unfortunately by me. If you don't recognize a character then it's mine, all mine.
Summary: Xander encounters the X-men but that'd just be boring so there's a twist.
Spoilers: Not really but let's say X-men 1 and Buffy season 6 to be safe.
Rating: Let's say pg-13 in case I use a bad word.
Author's note:
8. Hello again.
"Willow!?" Xander yelled scrambling away from his red-headed companion,
" Xander calm down, " Willow ordered holding out her hands as Xander checked to make sure it was still day and struggled to get a hold of the cross he always wore around his neck.
" You're dead!" Xander shouted still moving along the ground further away from his best friend.
" Oh come on! When has that stopped anyone?" Willow demanded smiling and Xander stopped scrambling and opted for backing himself up against a tree and brandishing the cross at Willow.
" What are you doing here?" Xander demanded his voice made ragged by the sharp breaths he was sucking in.
" You asked for my help," Willow explained gently and Xander's cross fell slightly,
" huh?" Was all Xander could manage to reply,
" You were in the alley and you asked for my help, " Willow explained,
" You're not a demon are you?" Xander asked and Willow shook her head smiling,
" Nope, I'm just me, Willow Rosenberg Scooby stuff up and spirit extraordinaire. "
" You're a ghost?" Xander asked staring in disbelief at the sight in front of him,
" Not really, but I'm ghost like," Willow explained and Xander choked back a sob.
" Willow?"
" Yeah Xan?" Will returned moving closer,
" Can you hug people?" Xander asked his voice sounding small, Willow nodded.
Xander opened his arms and within a few seconds he was clinging to the red head as if his life depended on it. Tears spilled down Xander's cheeks and he sobbed unashamedly into Willow's shoulder.
" God I miss you, " Xander cried and Willow who was now crying herself returned,
" I'm so sorry Xand, I screwed everything up. "
Xander remained silent but instead hugged his friend harder, after a while he replied.
" It's ok Willow, we're going to fix it. Don't worry; we're going to fix it. "
The duo hugged for another couple of minutes before Xander pulled away,
" You know how to fix this right?" He asked and Willow cringed.
" What?" Xander demanded
" It's complicated," Willow started and Xander frowned,
" Maybe I should start from the beginning." She mused and Xander carried out some exaggerated nodding.
" Ok so the beginning would be that I got a little drunk and decided that you and Dawnie needed protecting because we'd just lost Tara and I couldn't stand to lose you as well. " Willow looked sad at the mention of Tara and Xander interrupted,
" How are you two? I mean are you youknow in the same place?"
Willow shook her head sadly,
" No, Tara got an express ticket to Heaven and I got the chance to try and right a few wrongs, fix what I screwed up."
" And if you don't fix it?" Xander asked frowning and Willow shrugged miserably,
" Then I stay in limbo for eternity, which will be ok I guess, I mean I can watch you guys for the first eighty years or so. "
Xander stayed silent for a moment and Willow continued her story,
" So I asked the PTB to help you, "
" You what!? After all they've done to Buffy and Angel!" Xander asked startled and Willow nodded,
" I just wanted to protect you two, and every spell that I'd tried during the time had gone really bad, so I figured that maybe they could help because you know you've been fighting for them for so long." Willow shrugged and trailed off.
" If you asked the PTB for help what was that symbol you painted on the floor?" Xander demanded and Willow smiled nervously,
" Yeah the symbol. I saw it in a book Giles had open it was supposed to be an ancient symbol of protection,"
" What?" Xander asked confused
" Well the thing was that I only asked the PTB to help you, the symbol was just a simple spell to help Dawnie, you know keep her safe from the big bad."
" So you weren't trying to turn Dawnie into a slayer? "
" No why would I do that, being a slayer has killed Buffy once and practically ruined her life."
" I suppose but why the hell am I 13 again and Why is the wolf man my Father?"
" That was the PTB, they did that,"
" Can they undo it?" Xander mused scowling as his voice hiccupped into a high note.
" I never meant for this to happen but you can get out of it, you just have to do one thing. " Willow instructed moving away and standing up, she looked towards the house where Jean was making her way across the lawn.
" What do you mean? What the hell do I have to do?" Xander demanded oblivious to Jean's imminent arrival.
" You have to save the world. " Willow answered and Xander's eyes bugged slightly,
" Excuse me?" He demanded and Willow looked sheepish,
" The PTB said they'd fix this but in return you have to stop a war, I'll explain everything later."
" Later!" Xander shouted " Why not now?"
" Someone's coming," Willow explained and there was a little poof and she disappeared leaving Xander frantically looking around the place he was still seated.
" Willow!" He hissed dramatically and finally noticed Jean
" Dale?" Jean asked coming to a stop besides the 'boy' who was frantically wiping tears from his eyes and glancing around the wooded area he was sitting in.
Xander didn't say anything he just looked at her,
" Are you ok?" Jean asked looking around the woods and Xander shot her a look which clearly said, ' are you out of your mind?'
" Ok, do you want to talk about it?"
" You know what I really do but you try and have a conversation with someone and poof they ." Xander said loudly to a tree and threw his hands up in the air and sighed.
" What?" Jean looked confused,
" Never mind," Xander pulled himself off the ground and looked around the woods,
" Are you ok, I mean you sounded like you were talking to someone?" Jean asked and Xander shook his head a little too violently,
" No, No I wasn't. Hey let's go back to the house," Xander suggested and Jean stared at him,
" What?" Xander demanded and Jean took a couple of steps forward and looked Xander in the eye,
" Are you ok?" She asked and Xander sighed and walked a couple of steps past her back towards the mansion.
" I'd say the answer to that question was no," He muttered to himself and then stopped and stared at the ground in front of him.
" What?" Jean asked and Xander bent in a squat and peered at the ground in front of him.
" I think I know how Bear was controlled, " He stated and Jean moved up besides him and looked to where Xander's outstretched hand was pointing.
" How is that possible?" She mused bending down to pick up a remote control panel left on the ground but Xander caught her hand.
" Leave it, it might be booby trapped, " the soldier in him demanded and Jean pulled her hand back.
" The professor would have been able to tell if someone was out here, he picks people up as the approach the mansion, it's part of his power." Jean explained and Xander shrugged,
" Maybe he was distracted I mean there was a lot going on." Jean cut him off,
" The professor doesn't get distracted, someone must have been blocking him, and that someone must have been wearing something that blocked the professor from entering their mind."
" You sound like you know who it is." Xander stated and Jean frowned,
" I do. but it's not possible because we put him in jail and he's still there. Come on let's tell the Professor." Jean straightened up and headed towards the house. Xander took a last look around the woods and waited for Jean to walk away a couple of steps before whispering harshly.
" Willow get back here."
The woods remained empty and Xander stamped his foot in disgust.
"Calm down Xan, " The voice of Willow demanded and Xander spun in a circle looking for her,
" Will you stop that people are going to start thinking you're insane, " Willow ordered as Xander finally located her, she had shrunk considerably to the size of a Barbie doll and was sitting on his shoulder.
" People have thought I was insane for a long time Willow why should now be any different?" Xander joked and Willow shot him an angry face, which only looked cute on her tiny features.
" Xander these people have to be able to take you seriously if you are to have any hope of stopping this war." Xander's eyes narrowed at the mention of the war.
" You keep saying that, that I have to stop a war and save the world and it's a funny joke Willow it really is but I wish you'd just tell me how I can make me, me again." Xander mused and Willow scowled at him,
" I am not joking Xander,"
Xander sighed and his shoulder's slumped nearly causing Willow to fall off them.
" So I really have to stop a war and save the world?" He asked dejectedly and Willow nodded,
" How long?"
" Three days " Willow replied and Xander nodded,
" It'd be too easy if it were several months or years wouldn't it?" Willow nodded,
" And I suppose that the answer to stopping the war lays in an ancient prophecy that nobody has been able to find for centuries?"
" Hey how did you know that?!"
Xander sighed and his head dropped onto his chest,
" I just thought to myself what is the worst situation that this could be and there was the answer." He muttered and Willow walked across his should and pecked him on the cheek with a kiss.
" Look on the up side Xander" She instructed and Xander turned to look at her,
" If you don't stop the war you still don't have to worry about changing yourself back"
Xander looked hopeful.
" Because you and everyone else on the planet will be dead." Willow finished.
AN: Come on guys review, I'm on holidays now so I'm going to need extra motivation to stay inside and write.