Standard disclaimer still applies.

Xander stalked through the cemetery, the park, the woods and the grounds of the high school without so much as bumping into a pair of horny teenagers. He was on edge, desperate for news about Keith but more desperate to find whatever the new power in Tree Hill was, and who was controlling it.

Finally Xander was checking out the Riverside courts when he noticed a strange set of tracks in the mud at the edge of the courts, now left deserted by the teenage well wishers.

Strolling through the chalk markings Xander felt the tingly sensation on the back of his neck as his hackles went up and he spun around hand going to the handle of his gun.

The blonde girl was staring at him again, but Xander turned away from her and resumed his search of the drawings finally finding one that stood out to him above the rest.

Words in Latin were scrawled inside a pentagram and Xander said the words inside his head, for a moment remembering a time in Giles' apartment when he had set a book on fire by reading out a spell and Giles had snapped,

" Xander don't speak Latin in front of the books." Since then he worked the words out inside his head and spoke the translation in English. Tonight was no different.

" The drama will be acted out," Xander whispered to himself and he looked up from the drawing and stared into the night, watching for a sign that he was the one being watched.

Spinning in a circle apart from the fact the blonde had gone from the scene Xander didn't notice a thing, finally still staring into the night he called out,

" You made a mistake when you came after my family. " He turned again to look out over the water, " It's the last mistake you'll make!"

The night remained silent but once again the hairs on the back of Xander's neck stood up and he retrieved the gun from his waistband and held it ready.

" Show yourself!" Xander called " Se Apello!" He tried in Latin, but though the hairs on the back of his neck stayed up, nothing appeared out of the night.

Staying on Guard Xander reached into his jacket and retrieved his cell, hitting the speed dial he held the phone up to his ear and kept watch, slowly turning in the night.

" Rupert Giles speaking, "

" Giles, it's Xander."

" You've found something?" The Brit asked

" A drawing in chalk on a basketball court, it's a pentagram and it's got Latin written in it, the translation is ' The drama will be acted out'. That's it for the moment except for the creepy feeling I'm being watched." Xander explained quickly not wanting to remain focused on the call too long in case there really was something in the night waiting for him to let his guard down.

" Of course! Calamitas!" Giles exclaimed on the other end of the phone and Xander made a huh noise,

" Calamitas, a type of demon that thrives on misfortune and disaster. They're most commonly found in small towns or villages where their work can have maximum effect. "

" So they make disasters?" Xander asked confused,

" They orchestrate disasters for their own benefit. An entire family gets wiped out in a freak disaster in a small town and the whole town grieves. Calamitas demons feed off the grief. "

" So how do I find it?" Xander demanded a picture of Keith lying on a hospital gurney, a tube down his throat,

" Calamitas will be near the drama, near the action. However I'll fix a summoning spell and try and fed ex it to you at once."

" And now the big question, can I kill this thing?" Xander demanded and there was a noise of uncertainty,

" Calamitas are not known for their strength but each demon is different, for one to target the known companion of a slayer I wouldn't underestimate him."

" Right cautious I'll be. So what am I looking for here, scaly, slimy?"

" Calamitas appears mostly human, look for little horns and an extra set of teeth. "

" Thanks Giles,"

" Xander, the Calamitas demon has targeted you and your family, keep an eye on them." Giles instructed

Xander thanked the older man and flipped the phone shut then looking into the night he yelled,

" Oslendo Vestri Calamitas!" There was a strong gust of wind that blew up out of nowhere but apart from that the night remained quiet,

Using the side of his boot Xander smudged the chalk drawing he'd been standing on and with one last look into the shadows he set back off into the night. Picking up the strange tracks in the dirt on the other side of the basketball court Xander followed them into the night.

The tracks stopped once the ground beneath Xander turned to asphalt but he continued on, straining his ears in the night to hear any sign of the demon. Finally Xander's pursuit led him down the main street in Tree Hill and looking across the street, Xander noticed he was outside Karen's cafe. A place he used to frequent years ago.

A teenage girl was coming out of the cafe and she set two bags she was carrying down on the ground as she turned and pulled the glass doors shut locking them. Suddenly she was grabbed from behind by a man wearing all black and pushed violently up against the glass doors of her cafe so hard Xander thought that her head might break the glass.

" The money!" A rough voice demanded and the girl shook her head in fear,

" I don't have any! Take my wallet!" She shouted and Xander started across the street quietly.

" I don't want your wallet bitch. I want the money from the till!" The thug yelled

The girl was shaking in fear as Xander approached,

" There isn't any it was taken to the bank." She explained tears starting in her eyes from fear.

" What the fuck!" The man demanded and banged her against the glass again,

" There isn't any money!" The girl shouted trying to draw somebody's attention in the quiet street.

The thug was silent a minute and Xander stopped wondering if he should wait for him to let go of the girl before he interceded.

" Then you'll have to pay me another way, " The thug suggested and Xander crossed the remaining space between him and thug in a few long strides.

Grabbing the thug by the back of the neck with his left hand Xander dealt a strong blow to the man's kidneys causing the attacker to yell in pain and double over. Xander grabbed the back of the thug's head by his hair and kneed the man in the nose sharply, feeling the bones break in an explosion of blood.

With a shove Xander had the man on the ground face down and he knelt on top of the man planting a knee between the man's shoulder blades sharply and pulling his arms back behind him. The whole attack had taken seconds.

" No means no." Xander told the thug and looked up at the girl to make sure she was all right.

The girl was in tears and shaking and Xander looked around the quiet street,

" Run," He suggested and the girl took off down the street but stopped afraid to continue into the night,

Xander turned to the man under him,

" Who sent you?" He demanded,

" Fuck you," Came the reply and Xander grabbed a hold of one of the man's wrist and twisted it back sharply

" Wrong answer." He stated and the man underneath him froze,

" No, one sent me. I just wanted the money!" He yelled and Xander looked around the street,

" Calamitas! You out there?" Xander shouted watching the shadows but nothing moved and looking back towards the girl Xander leaned forward and whispered into the Thug's ear,

" You try this again and you're going to die. Do you understand?"

The Thug nodded and Xander got off him and watched as he ran in the opposite direction.

The girl moved back hesitantly, she was shaking from fear and shock and Xander un-tucked his shirt so that it would cover his gun and then took off his jacket and handed it to her.

" Thank You " She stammered,

" You live around here?" Xander asked and the girl shook and nodded her head at the same time,

" How about I walk you home?" He asked

" I was actually going to the hospital to visit a friend." The girl explained and Xander looked down the empty street.

" Do you mind if I walk with you?" He asked,

" Honestly I'd be a little freaked if you didn't." Hailey replied and Xander sent her a comforting smile.

" So who are you visiting?" Xander asked as they walked

" My best friend he was in a car accident a couple of days ago." Hailey sighed and Xander gave her a questioning look,

" It's silly ..." She trailed off and Xander waited for her to speak,

" Ok so I had a fight with him before the accident and then when he needed me most I couldn't go to the hospital and sit with him and now I just feel like maybe I let him down cause I wasn't there. But I couldn't be there because the last thing I said to him had been so harsh and I guess it just hurt too much to see him in that bed." Hailey blurted out and Xander let out a small laugh that he concealed in a cough and nodded sympathetically at Hailey.

" I think I know how you feel."

" Really?" Hailey asked raising her eyebrows in disbelief.

" Yeah Really... You see I've been away a long time and now that I'm home I find it hard to talk to the people that I knew back then because I can't help but feel like they'd be disappointed in me." Xander explained,

" How long?" She asked and Xander flashed ten fingers at her,

" Ten years, a long time."

" I suppose people's response might be based on why you left. Was it to get a job or something?" Hailey asked and Xander shot her a strange look,

" What?" She demanded and Xander smiled,

" How old exactly do you think I am?"

" I don't know like thirty something?" Hailey guessed and Xander shrugged, he'd lived a hard life and some of that meant that he looked older then his 24 years.

" I'm only 24 Hailey, " Xander revealed and Hailey looked thoughtful.

" So you left when you were 14, what did you move town with your parents?"

A simple shake of the head,

" With family?" Another shake,

" Hey..." Hailey said as she looked thoughtful,

" You're not Lucas' Uncle are you?"

Xander turned to her in surprise, eyebrows raised in question.

" I'm Lucas' best friend." Hailey explained and Xander continued to look at her strangely,

" Sorry it's just when we were younger Lucas used to talk about you all the time."

When he was younger, not anymore.

Xander looked up at the hospital that they had arrived at.

" Do me a favor?"

Hailey turned to look at him,

" About me helping you out tonight, don't tell anyone?" Xander asked and although confused Hailey nodded.

" You coming to see Lucas?" She asked but Xander shook his head,

" Nah I got some stuff that I need to do." He explained and Hailey waved goodbye and set off towards the entrance, she turned to look at Xander one last time before going into the hospital but he was no where to be seen.