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: Holidays are meant to be spent outside in the sun, see what I'm giving up for you.
When the time comes.
When Xander finally returned to the mansion the X-men were once again gathered in the Professor's office and they were all looking at Jean. Once Xander walked through the door however this changed, they all turned and stared at him.
" What have I done now?" Xander sighed his shoulders sagging.
" Calm down Xan, they're just worried about you," Shoulder Will instructed and Xander forced himself to take a deep breath.
" So we know how Bear was being controlled," Xander started and Scott nodded
" Which makes sense, if someone was hiding in the woods they would have been able to control the robot's movements but still the level of technology needed to create a talking robot is extremely high tech." Scott mused to himself,
" So maybe we can trace the robot by tracing who would have the capabilities of making it?" Storm suggested and The Professor smiled
" That is a great idea, Scott and Storm why don't you take some of the robots remains down to the lab and see if you can come up with any indication as to where or who made the creature, Jean I would like you to take a look at Bobby he was knocked out during the attack and I wish to clarify that he will be all right. And Logan and Dale perhaps you two would remain here for a moment I have something that I need to discuss with you. "
The assembled group quickly leapt to their feet ready to go about their appointed tasks , leaving Logan sitting uneasily in a chair and Xander still standing by the door.
After Storm had filed out last the Professor pointed to a seat and motioned for Xander to sit in it.
" Dale unfortunately due to several drams today we have been unable to show you around the school and to show you where you will be staying, so I thought that while the others are busy Logan could give you the grand tour. " The Professor suggested and Xander didn't move while Logan nodded once.
" Right, well I have work to do, I will call you if we find out anything."
Logan stood and walked towards the door and Xander looked after him,
" Go with him Xander and play nice, " Willow ordered and Xander shot her look and she disappeared with a pop.
" Dale?" Logan asked and Xander looked up,
" I'm coming,"
Xander followed Logan down the hall and several metres away from the study Logan spoke,
" So how old are you kid?" Logan asked not turning around but walking towards the end of the hallway.
" 13, how old are you?" Xander replied and Logan shrugged,
" That remains a mystery, and one that doesn't seem about to be fixed." Logan stated and Xander frowned and hurried a few steps to catch up with the older man.
" What does that mean?" Xander asked walking besides Logan,
" It's a long story, " Logan started and pushed open a door revealing a large room that Xander had already visited the night he had broken in.
" This is the main Common room, the kids like to watch TV in here," Logan explained and Xander didn't have to be a genius to see that he was avoiding a subject.
" Are you going to tell me?" Xander demanded and Logan looked at him,
" Tell you what?" He asked innocently and Xander frowned,
" The long story, I mean shouldn't I know a little bit about you? You are my Father after all." Xander demanded
" The same could be said about you," Logan shot back out staring Xander.
" So if you tell me something about you, I'll tell you something about me," Xander reasoned and Logan stuck out his lower lip in thought and nodded.
" Right kid that's a deal. " He walked past Xander and sat down on one of the couches.
Xander sat in an armchair opposite him and waited for Logan to start talking, he waited a full minute before he gave up and rolled his eyes.
" I thought you were going to tell me something?" Xander asked and Logan nodded,
" I am I'm just wondering where to start, " Logan explained,
" How about the beginning, like where you're from. " Xander suggested and Logan sighed,
" See kid that's the hard part, because I don't know where I'm from and up until about five minutes ago I was kind of hoping you could tell me," Logan explained and Xander looked confused.
" What happened five minutes ago?" Xander asked
" Five minutes ago you told me you were 13 and I had a problem with that because I can't remember anything about my life before 15 years ago. I have amnesia. " Xander's eye bugged wide open.
" You don't know anything?" He asked shocked and Logan nodded,
" Hell nobody is even sure how old I am, Jean says that I could be as old as the Professor." Xander froze.
If Logan didn't have an age then theoretically 22 years ago he very well could have done the naughty with Xander's mother.
" Scary thought isn't, I mean the same thing might happen to you, you're 13 now but you could easily pass for 11."
The colour drained from Xander's face.
" Ok well that explains something then doesn't it, " Willow whispered appearing on Xander's shoulder.
" Maybe that's why you look 13 again because when the PTB gave you Logan as a Father they also gave you his healing powers and that meant that you now look younger then you actually are." Willow explained excitedly.
" Dale?" Logan asked and Xander snapped his head up from where he had been looking at Willow and looked at Logan.
" Are you ok?" Logan inquired and very slowly Xander started to shake his head.
" I've been thinking, " Willow, continued, " Maybe you should tell Logan what's the what." Willow suggested and then vanished again.
Yeah like that was going to happen. What would even be the point, the second Xander opened his mouth and told Logan about The Powers That Be, the dead best friend sitting on his shoulder and his life battling demons, Logan would throw him in the loony bin.
" So tell me something about you?" Logan ordered and Xander nodded dumbly struggling to find something to say,
" My name's not Dale," He suddenly blurted out and Logan raised a single eyebrow.
" It's Xander " Xander explained
" Xander?" Logan asked and he smiled
" Ok what else?" Logan asked and Xander looked away in thought.
" What else do you want to know?" Xander asked
" Oh I don't know, where do you come from, where have you been living, what kind of parent lets my son run around robbing houses?" Logan pondered the feelings of resentment he'd been harbouring bubbling to the surface.
" What?" Xander stammered and Logan shook his head,
" Sorry, shit. You gotta understand that for the past couple of hours my mind has just been racing with all the things about your life that I've missed. " Logan explained and Xander leaned forwards in his chair.
" My parents died, " He lied " They were good people and I lived in a little town in California where nothing bad ever happened. After my parents passed away I went to live with an Uncle in New York and soon after I moved in he lost his job and his apartment so I started to rob houses to get us back on our feet." Logan looked up
" Your parents are dead?" He asked and Xander nodded,
" Car crash a couple of years back, a drunk driver ran a red light and." He trailed off and tried to look sad.
" Xander I hate to break the moment for you, but you really need to get started saving the world." Willow reminded and Xander sighed.
" Logan would you mind if I had a lie down? I don't mean to be rude but I've had a hectic couple of days and not much sleep." Xander enquired and although slightly confused by the sudden change in topic Logan nodded.
" Are you ok?" Logan asked and Xander shot Logan a charming smile and nodded.
" I am actually, I'm just tired."
" There's a spare bedroom upstairs, the Professor says you can have it all to yourself. I'll take you up there now if you want?"
Xander nodded trying to look tired; it wasn't too hard he was actually exhausted.
Once Logan had left the bedroom he'd led Xander to, Xander popped open the window and dropped out of the house and into the grounds below.
" What are you doing?" Willow asked materialising into her original form.
" I'm investigating, " Xander explained as he darted across the lawns and back to the woods. He stalked through the trees for a moment until he came to the spot where he had discovered the remote control.
" I repeat, what are you doing?" Willow asked looking at the ground next to Xander.
" Following my nose, " Xander mused, " I can smell something, or maybe someone and I'm just interested in seeing if I can follow the trail. " Xander explained and he started to head deeper into the woods away from the house.
"Smell?" Willow asked following and Xander nodded,
" Yeah I think it's part of the mutant package, either that or it's a left over treat from that whole hyena possession incident." Xander stopped and then blurted out, " Which I don't remember. "
Willow shot Xander an odd look and then followed Xander through the woods. Stopping every time Xander would walk a couple of metres then stop and squat close to the ground and then continue, moving like this through the school grounds, over the perimeter fence and through the woods on the other side until he came to the road. Once on the road he wandered around in a circle frustrated.
" Damn I lost them!" He huffed and kicked a rock away in frustration.
" They probably got into a car," Willow reasoned and Xander nodded in agreement and looked up and down the road.
" Well that was a waste of time." Xander sighed and turned to walk back to the school. He froze in his tracks a few feet from the side of the well and crouched down low to the ground.
" What?" Willow asked coming up behind him and looking over his shoulder.
" Hey a clue!" She exclaimed as Xander reached forwards and snagged a thin strip of paper.
" A clue? It just looks like trash," Xander muttered and Willow raised an eyebrow at her friend's back.
" Yeah then why'd you pick it up?" She demanded and Xander turned to her frowning,
" I don't know, I just did." He turned the scrap of paper over and glanced quickly at a line of print that ran across the scrap.
" It's just a jumbled bunch of letters, " Xander told Willow who was smiling and shaking her head.
" What?" Xander demanded and Willow smiled again.
" It's an internet address, " She explained and Xander tilted his head in thought.
" So?" He asked and Willow rolled her eyes.
" So it could give us an idea as to who was out here and where the prophecy is," Willow reasoned and Xander rolled his eyes.
" I think you're stretching a bit Willow, for all we know it could be a porn site one of the students wanted to check out. Why are you looking at me like that?" Xander demanded looking at Willow's smug face.
" Willow do you know that this scrap of paper can help?" Xander wondered and Willow turned bright red and nodded.
" How?" Xander demanded and Willow shrugged sheepishly,
" It's something the PTB gave me to help you," Willow explained and continued when the look on Xander's face demanded it.
" Foresight, " Willow said and Xander looked confused.
" Like seeing into the future?" He asked and Willow shook her head,
" Not exactly it's more that I can just tell if things are going to work out, or go wrong or be good or be bad. It's kind weird and not always accurate but now it's telling me that scrap of paper can help us."
" This scrap of paper may be a load of crap but we could use your foresight to find out where the prophecy is." Xander stated and Willow shook her head.
" I just told you it doesn't work that way. "
" No this will work, how about we just wander all around the place like in libraries and old bookshops and your foresight can let us no when we are getting warm?"
" Are you making fun of me?" Willow demanded and Xander gave her a sly grin.
" Would I do that to you?" Willow nodded and Xander shrugged and stood up.
" Come on let's go find a computer and see what www. " he paused and stared up at Willow " www. Prophecy com? " Willow let out a small smile.
" Foresight is often just examining what is right in front of you." Willow's smile grew bigger.
" You could have just told me that." Xander stated and Willow shrugged,
" You could have just read the address straight away, " She reasoned and Xander stared at her.
" I did," Xander stated and Willow looked at him,
" Yeah you read a couple of letters but you didn't look at the bigger picture."
" Bigger picture? Are you talking about the clue?" Xander demanded and Willow shook her head.
" Then what the hell are you talking about?"
" I can't tell you Xan, but when the time comes you'll know." Willow explained and Xander's eyes bugged slightly.
" What?" He demanded and Willow gave him a reassuring smile.
" When the time comes everything will make sense," Willow winked at him and started back towards the school. Xander looked after her.
" I doubt that, " Xander muttered sighing, " I really doubt that."
AN: Thanks for all your great reviews. I'll try and get out another chapter soon, but remember the faster you review the faster I 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: Holidays are meant to be spent outside in the sun, see what I'm giving up for you.
When the time comes.
When Xander finally returned to the mansion the X-men were once again gathered in the Professor's office and they were all looking at Jean. Once Xander walked through the door however this changed, they all turned and stared at him.
" What have I done now?" Xander sighed his shoulders sagging.
" Calm down Xan, they're just worried about you," Shoulder Will instructed and Xander forced himself to take a deep breath.
" So we know how Bear was being controlled," Xander started and Scott nodded
" Which makes sense, if someone was hiding in the woods they would have been able to control the robot's movements but still the level of technology needed to create a talking robot is extremely high tech." Scott mused to himself,
" So maybe we can trace the robot by tracing who would have the capabilities of making it?" Storm suggested and The Professor smiled
" That is a great idea, Scott and Storm why don't you take some of the robots remains down to the lab and see if you can come up with any indication as to where or who made the creature, Jean I would like you to take a look at Bobby he was knocked out during the attack and I wish to clarify that he will be all right. And Logan and Dale perhaps you two would remain here for a moment I have something that I need to discuss with you. "
The assembled group quickly leapt to their feet ready to go about their appointed tasks , leaving Logan sitting uneasily in a chair and Xander still standing by the door.
After Storm had filed out last the Professor pointed to a seat and motioned for Xander to sit in it.
" Dale unfortunately due to several drams today we have been unable to show you around the school and to show you where you will be staying, so I thought that while the others are busy Logan could give you the grand tour. " The Professor suggested and Xander didn't move while Logan nodded once.
" Right, well I have work to do, I will call you if we find out anything."
Logan stood and walked towards the door and Xander looked after him,
" Go with him Xander and play nice, " Willow ordered and Xander shot her look and she disappeared with a pop.
" Dale?" Logan asked and Xander looked up,
" I'm coming,"
Xander followed Logan down the hall and several metres away from the study Logan spoke,
" So how old are you kid?" Logan asked not turning around but walking towards the end of the hallway.
" 13, how old are you?" Xander replied and Logan shrugged,
" That remains a mystery, and one that doesn't seem about to be fixed." Logan stated and Xander frowned and hurried a few steps to catch up with the older man.
" What does that mean?" Xander asked walking besides Logan,
" It's a long story, " Logan started and pushed open a door revealing a large room that Xander had already visited the night he had broken in.
" This is the main Common room, the kids like to watch TV in here," Logan explained and Xander didn't have to be a genius to see that he was avoiding a subject.
" Are you going to tell me?" Xander demanded and Logan looked at him,
" Tell you what?" He asked innocently and Xander frowned,
" The long story, I mean shouldn't I know a little bit about you? You are my Father after all." Xander demanded
" The same could be said about you," Logan shot back out staring Xander.
" So if you tell me something about you, I'll tell you something about me," Xander reasoned and Logan stuck out his lower lip in thought and nodded.
" Right kid that's a deal. " He walked past Xander and sat down on one of the couches.
Xander sat in an armchair opposite him and waited for Logan to start talking, he waited a full minute before he gave up and rolled his eyes.
" I thought you were going to tell me something?" Xander asked and Logan nodded,
" I am I'm just wondering where to start, " Logan explained,
" How about the beginning, like where you're from. " Xander suggested and Logan sighed,
" See kid that's the hard part, because I don't know where I'm from and up until about five minutes ago I was kind of hoping you could tell me," Logan explained and Xander looked confused.
" What happened five minutes ago?" Xander asked
" Five minutes ago you told me you were 13 and I had a problem with that because I can't remember anything about my life before 15 years ago. I have amnesia. " Xander's eye bugged wide open.
" You don't know anything?" He asked shocked and Logan nodded,
" Hell nobody is even sure how old I am, Jean says that I could be as old as the Professor." Xander froze.
If Logan didn't have an age then theoretically 22 years ago he very well could have done the naughty with Xander's mother.
" Scary thought isn't, I mean the same thing might happen to you, you're 13 now but you could easily pass for 11."
The colour drained from Xander's face.
" Ok well that explains something then doesn't it, " Willow whispered appearing on Xander's shoulder.
" Maybe that's why you look 13 again because when the PTB gave you Logan as a Father they also gave you his healing powers and that meant that you now look younger then you actually are." Willow explained excitedly.
" Dale?" Logan asked and Xander snapped his head up from where he had been looking at Willow and looked at Logan.
" Are you ok?" Logan inquired and very slowly Xander started to shake his head.
" I've been thinking, " Willow, continued, " Maybe you should tell Logan what's the what." Willow suggested and then vanished again.
Yeah like that was going to happen. What would even be the point, the second Xander opened his mouth and told Logan about The Powers That Be, the dead best friend sitting on his shoulder and his life battling demons, Logan would throw him in the loony bin.
" So tell me something about you?" Logan ordered and Xander nodded dumbly struggling to find something to say,
" My name's not Dale," He suddenly blurted out and Logan raised a single eyebrow.
" It's Xander " Xander explained
" Xander?" Logan asked and he smiled
" Ok what else?" Logan asked and Xander looked away in thought.
" What else do you want to know?" Xander asked
" Oh I don't know, where do you come from, where have you been living, what kind of parent lets my son run around robbing houses?" Logan pondered the feelings of resentment he'd been harbouring bubbling to the surface.
" What?" Xander stammered and Logan shook his head,
" Sorry, shit. You gotta understand that for the past couple of hours my mind has just been racing with all the things about your life that I've missed. " Logan explained and Xander leaned forwards in his chair.
" My parents died, " He lied " They were good people and I lived in a little town in California where nothing bad ever happened. After my parents passed away I went to live with an Uncle in New York and soon after I moved in he lost his job and his apartment so I started to rob houses to get us back on our feet." Logan looked up
" Your parents are dead?" He asked and Xander nodded,
" Car crash a couple of years back, a drunk driver ran a red light and." He trailed off and tried to look sad.
" Xander I hate to break the moment for you, but you really need to get started saving the world." Willow reminded and Xander sighed.
" Logan would you mind if I had a lie down? I don't mean to be rude but I've had a hectic couple of days and not much sleep." Xander enquired and although slightly confused by the sudden change in topic Logan nodded.
" Are you ok?" Logan asked and Xander shot Logan a charming smile and nodded.
" I am actually, I'm just tired."
" There's a spare bedroom upstairs, the Professor says you can have it all to yourself. I'll take you up there now if you want?"
Xander nodded trying to look tired; it wasn't too hard he was actually exhausted.
Once Logan had left the bedroom he'd led Xander to, Xander popped open the window and dropped out of the house and into the grounds below.
" What are you doing?" Willow asked materialising into her original form.
" I'm investigating, " Xander explained as he darted across the lawns and back to the woods. He stalked through the trees for a moment until he came to the spot where he had discovered the remote control.
" I repeat, what are you doing?" Willow asked looking at the ground next to Xander.
" Following my nose, " Xander mused, " I can smell something, or maybe someone and I'm just interested in seeing if I can follow the trail. " Xander explained and he started to head deeper into the woods away from the house.
"Smell?" Willow asked following and Xander nodded,
" Yeah I think it's part of the mutant package, either that or it's a left over treat from that whole hyena possession incident." Xander stopped and then blurted out, " Which I don't remember. "
Willow shot Xander an odd look and then followed Xander through the woods. Stopping every time Xander would walk a couple of metres then stop and squat close to the ground and then continue, moving like this through the school grounds, over the perimeter fence and through the woods on the other side until he came to the road. Once on the road he wandered around in a circle frustrated.
" Damn I lost them!" He huffed and kicked a rock away in frustration.
" They probably got into a car," Willow reasoned and Xander nodded in agreement and looked up and down the road.
" Well that was a waste of time." Xander sighed and turned to walk back to the school. He froze in his tracks a few feet from the side of the well and crouched down low to the ground.
" What?" Willow asked coming up behind him and looking over his shoulder.
" Hey a clue!" She exclaimed as Xander reached forwards and snagged a thin strip of paper.
" A clue? It just looks like trash," Xander muttered and Willow raised an eyebrow at her friend's back.
" Yeah then why'd you pick it up?" She demanded and Xander turned to her frowning,
" I don't know, I just did." He turned the scrap of paper over and glanced quickly at a line of print that ran across the scrap.
" It's just a jumbled bunch of letters, " Xander told Willow who was smiling and shaking her head.
" What?" Xander demanded and Willow smiled again.
" It's an internet address, " She explained and Xander tilted his head in thought.
" So?" He asked and Willow rolled her eyes.
" So it could give us an idea as to who was out here and where the prophecy is," Willow reasoned and Xander rolled his eyes.
" I think you're stretching a bit Willow, for all we know it could be a porn site one of the students wanted to check out. Why are you looking at me like that?" Xander demanded looking at Willow's smug face.
" Willow do you know that this scrap of paper can help?" Xander wondered and Willow turned bright red and nodded.
" How?" Xander demanded and Willow shrugged sheepishly,
" It's something the PTB gave me to help you," Willow explained and continued when the look on Xander's face demanded it.
" Foresight, " Willow said and Xander looked confused.
" Like seeing into the future?" He asked and Willow shook her head,
" Not exactly it's more that I can just tell if things are going to work out, or go wrong or be good or be bad. It's kind weird and not always accurate but now it's telling me that scrap of paper can help us."
" This scrap of paper may be a load of crap but we could use your foresight to find out where the prophecy is." Xander stated and Willow shook her head.
" I just told you it doesn't work that way. "
" No this will work, how about we just wander all around the place like in libraries and old bookshops and your foresight can let us no when we are getting warm?"
" Are you making fun of me?" Willow demanded and Xander gave her a sly grin.
" Would I do that to you?" Willow nodded and Xander shrugged and stood up.
" Come on let's go find a computer and see what www. " he paused and stared up at Willow " www. Prophecy com? " Willow let out a small smile.
" Foresight is often just examining what is right in front of you." Willow's smile grew bigger.
" You could have just told me that." Xander stated and Willow shrugged,
" You could have just read the address straight away, " She reasoned and Xander stared at her.
" I did," Xander stated and Willow looked at him,
" Yeah you read a couple of letters but you didn't look at the bigger picture."
" Bigger picture? Are you talking about the clue?" Xander demanded and Willow shook her head.
" Then what the hell are you talking about?"
" I can't tell you Xan, but when the time comes you'll know." Willow explained and Xander's eyes bugged slightly.
" What?" He demanded and Willow gave him a reassuring smile.
" When the time comes everything will make sense," Willow winked at him and started back towards the school. Xander looked after her.
" I doubt that, " Xander muttered sighing, " I really doubt that."
AN: Thanks for all your great reviews. I'll try and get out another chapter soon, but remember the faster you review the faster I write.