Chapter 2
The Other side

World News: Since the transmission of our First Interview with the sadly deceased Sir Rupert Giles, Formally of the Watcher's council we have been approached by the current administration to hear the other side of the argument as presented by Councillor Willow Rosenberg, Head of Occult Research and Development for the Network.

For those whom are unsure of who Ms Rosenberg is they may not know of her long relationship with Mr Alexander Harris, the two had become close friends in the years from their childhood up to the point just before the Incident that removed Xander Harris from his hometown. Ms Rosenberg has also been one of the voices that has most opposed the Non Network sanctioned actions of Mr Harris and his allies and indeed many of the vigilante groups that oppose the demonic forces.

WN: Ms Rosenberg thank you for your time.

Willow Rosenberg: Not at all, I'm happy to help.

WN: I believe we should start with the beginning and the creation of the 'Scooby Gang' during the later years of the 1990's and their actions during the time.

WR: Well the real start was the first day that Buffy Summers arrived at Sunnydale, we basically found out that Buffy was a slayer and Giles was a watcher when My old friend Jesse and I had been kidnapped by a pair of vampires. Basically from that point when we couldn't save Jesse we decided to help Buffy fight against the demons in our home town.

WN: We being Yourself and Xander Harris.

WR: That's right, although I don't think Xander really knew what he was getting into.

WN: From some of the information from Xander Harris and from Rupert Giles, Mr Harris had in fact known about the slayer before the incident you describe. His actions apparently saved Buffy Summers from the Vampire version of Jesse Mcnally and the minions of the 'master'.

WR: Possibly but he likely almost got himself killed, Xander was a good guy but not all that bright.

WN: In an Interview with Xander Harris it was acknowledged that he killed the vampire form of his friend by accident but that's what made him decide to get involved with the battle against the dark side.

WR: A crowd pushed Jesse onto Xander's stake I doubt very much he could have done it of his own accord. But I'm glad he did it- Jesse didn't deserve what happened to him and hopefully he's resting well on the other side.

WN: Taken from a transcript of an Interview with Alexander Harris four years after the Incident in Sunnydale,

Xander Harris: I started fighting the same day as Buffy came into town, in that one day I lost much of what consisted of the closest and most personal to me, my friendships, my innocence and my life. I mean I'm still alive but that day I lost whatever right I had to decided what way my life would go from then on. I could have easily left the fight to others and moved on and god knows how many times I was tempted to do just that, but I couldn't, I couldn't just leave people to the predations of the night and the denizens that lived in the shadows of human civilisation, demon or human.

I didn't want to fight this way though, I would have been happy with what I was doing staying with my friends and maybe just maybe having a normal life but of course things happen, In the end I couldn't walk away I may not have been a chosen one in this fight but I chose to fight.

BBC News: You are referencing the Sunnydale Incident.

XH: For Fucks sake, the 'Incident' was what it was, an all round Clusterfuck that got thousands of people killed because the so-called heroes had no idea how to stop it.

BBCN: Yet you yourself cornered the Demon that was formally Richard Wilkins and killed him yourself a year later.

XH: I owed it to those who weren't saved by the inactions of the people of that town, amazing what two hundred thousand pounds of semtex and two tons of thermite will do to a demon. One explosion stopped a first level demon- something all the spells and powers of mystical beings couldn't do.

WN: Ms Rosenberg what were your reactions to this?

WR: I didn't know he was responsible for stopping Wilkins, we tried everything that day to stop the demon from Bows and arrows to flame throwers but we couldn't stop it. We failed that day our greatest failure and the start of the world wide Initiative against the demons we have been fighting all these years.

WN: Does this change your view on the use of normal human beings in the fight against the enemy?"

WR: No It doesn't I mean the military units of the world have now been trained in this and have network supervisors to help in the field but they are a special case in hand with weapons and tactics specially built around the combat of demons but even then one on one they have little chance against the demons of the word. It should be left to the specialists. Those few that fight their so-called 'crusade' outside of the Network's alliance and aid are just putting themselves and many other civilians in danger.

WN: Information on the outsiders is sparse but it is claimed by those whom followed Xander Harris and John Conner in their war against Demon kind that they were responsible for stopping multiple apocalypses per year long before any members of the Watcher's council or the Network even managed to get close and many of which without casualties or incidental civilian losses.

WR: Did he also tell you that they were responsible for the deaths of ten thousand people when they destroyed the Olympic stadium in Sydney Australia, if they had waited for our people to get there- Trained people then they would have known that if killing the enemy would have blown the area sky high they get those people killed.

WN: The group did in fact take responsibility about the incident at Sydney and apologised to the families of those killed across the world, that incident has been the focal point in the council's attack on non mystical warfare against the forces they are arrayed against. However many do not believe that that one major incident almost fifteen years ago and a host of smaller incidents mean humans have no right to fight for their freedom.

WR: With respect to the people of Earth many of them have little to no real idea what is out there, even with disclosure and all the information out there no-one really knows what's going on in the darkness unless they've been trained or are part of the mystical arenas of the fight. People should let us concentrate on the fight and not get involved.

WN: The death of Alexander Harris has brought this 'crusade' to the forefront of the public eye with more and more information about his life and the fight he dedicated his existence to, much of the time around the destruction of Sunnydale and the immediate aftermath is coming out with the information from several interviews with those who were there would you care to add in your own view point.

WR: Well I suppose it started with the revelation that Xander lied about my attempt to return Angel's soul to his body, at that time and for many years later I was angry with him and his reactions as well as his betrayal of the trust both Buffy and myself had put into him. But I'm close to fifty years old now and I've had a long time to think about those days and even though I believed I knew what I was doing and how to do it properly I was only a novice and even now would have trouble with those types of spells.

We believed Xander did what he did out of jealousy, he was a teenager with a crush on a girl who didn't want to know but after thirty years he still held he did a lot of what he did thinking of others, but after all this time I believe him. There may have been some jealous deep down but I knew him better than anyone and should have listened to what he said and why he did what he did, he looked after those he cared for and he never stopped- he was a brave if foolhardy man.

WN: In the same Interview he was asked his greatest personal regrets and in the end he named you in his greatest regret.

WR: Me?

WN: For those who did not see the original Interview after the Post Millennium massacre in Paris of Alexander Harris he one termed his greatest regret being, "Not being able to salvage my one true friendship from the ashes it had been cast." From the records of those days it was said he often spoke of you to his compatriot's as being someone that is worth fighting for even if they push you away.

WR: I didn't know that; please excuse me I have to go.

Break In Transmission

Resume Transmission

WN: We are back with Ms Willow Rosenberg of the Watchers Council.

WR: My apologies for my actions a moment ago I was overcome a little.

WN: that is quite alright Ms Rosenberg

WR: To return to what I was saying, I regret losing the chance to talk to Xander one last time before he died, to explain I really did understand why he did what he did and although I disagreed with it I can't say I wouldn't have done the same in his place. I know I'm gonna catch hell for this but I wasn't ready for what I did and it could have ended up a lot worse, I believe now that Xander did the right thing, two teenagers no matter how powerful couldn't have held back the forces of hell and If I could I'd have stood by him but now after twenty years it's too late.

Oak Park Cemetery
Hill Valley
California
February 2009

"Hello Willow." A deep scratchy voice spoke up from behind the small slim redhead standing in front of a massive Family crypt, in her years she like many had an almost sixth sense when someone came near her. But this man knew her like that back of his hand and his skills had grown to the extent he could get close to anyone without them knowing.

"Hello Xander." She whispered, it had been close to ten years since they had spoken, since she had turned her back on a friendship almost fifteen years in the making and joined someone she had barely known for a year. She turned and held back a gasp, the young man she saw in her minds eye was nothing like the man in front of her- Xander Harris had been gangly and tall with a smile and a twinkle in his eye a funny man and all round nice guy willing to help anyone.

The man in front of her was nothing like that boy, over six foot and heavily muscled he moved fast and hard no movement wasted in unnecessary motions, his face was scarred as were his arms crossing over each other several times. The face was older much older than his years, his omnipresent smile and good cheer was gone probably had been for a long time.

"It's been a while Wills."

"Almost ten years, I've heard what you've been up to. You know your one of the most wanted men on the planet on either side."

"I'm well aware of what's going on in the world Willow, I do live in it and before you think about asking I'm not going to stop the fight."

"Xander you're putting yourself and others in danger please stop this now before you hurt people.

"Dammit Willow, twelve years ago I started fighting to stop what happened to Jesse and I'm sure as hell not going to stop now. You were beside me then why is it so different now?"

"I've got power now Xander I'm not incapable like I used to be, the Network have thousands of people to fight against the Demons now the normal people don't have to get involved anymore, stop fighting Xander and just have a normal life."

"Can't do that Willow the normal humans have as much right to defend themselves and their homes as any of you so called Mystics, there's Six and a half billion people on this planet Willow If some of us don't fight them more will die no matter how much this 'network' of yours does. Hell your people have been more damaging to the civilian population of this world than we have."

"There are casualties in all wars Xander you know that as much as anyone."

"Yes your right but hundreds of thousands are killed in your battles we've killed less than a hundred in five years, no amount of casualties especially civilians is right but we've done a hell of a lot better than you have."

"Most of those were based around hellmouths and apocalypse centres, you would know that if you had had to stop?"

"We've stopped twelve in the last six years Willow; twelve your vaunted 'network' had no clue about and couldn't have stopped if you tried. Some things can't be stopped by magic and muscle."

"And so what you used explosives and guns to stop them"

"In some cases yes but not all, I went head to head with one of them and killed her with my bare hands because I had to."

"You killed a human in cold blood."

"Several in fact."

"How could you those were humans."

"Wake up Willow demons aren't the be all and end all of evil on this planet human's can kill murder and destroy much more efficiently than any demon can, because they can get around more and pull together resources faster and better. I killed someone because they were going to sacrifice an entire city to a demon for power and immortality."

"I?"

"Then there were the assassins whom had been empowered to kill the Network commanders at their retreat two years ago."

"Come on No-one knows when and where?"

"Camp Six Ten Eleven, February 19th 2007, All network commanders were in residence."

"That's impossible."

"That's the information the assassins had and my people stopped them."

Willow closed her eyes, he had been looking after her again even when he was hundreds maybe thousands of miles away he still looked after her.

"Thank you."

"I didn't do it for you or the 'network' I did it for the people that you and your people save time and again, I may not like what you do and your attempts to stop the rest of us but you do save people and that's all they can ask."

"Is that why you still fight?"

"I fight because I have no choice."

"Everyone has a choice."

"Not when you've lost everything."

"Xander you?"

"I'm not getting into this with you Willow, I know exactly what I did and I would do it again and a lot of people agreed with me. Don't know If you remember but everyone left from Sunnydale agreed I did the right thing."

"She still blames you, still thinks of you as a traitor."

"After ten years Id have thought she'd grown up, It was Angelus I wanted to stop the fact that it was the body once held by Angel was Incidental."

"Well we didn't see it that way."

"Well you never did see the whole picture, either of you, you know even he agreed with what I did."

"Angel?"

"Angel, Liam now actually. He's a member of the independents I work with from time to time."

"We have to tell Buffy she'll be thrilled, she'll want to see him again."

"He doesn't want to see her."

"What?"

"He doesn't want to see her again, he's human remember and if she holds try to form she'll try to have him stop fighting and he won't just like me."

WN: So Liam O'Connell Formally the Vampire Angelus refused to talk to Buffy Summers.

WR: She wasn't happy with that and I told Xander that the last time I saw him a year later same time same place but this time I didn't go alone and as it turned out neither did he, this day was once of the biggest mistakes I ever made- the reason he never trusted me again and therefore refused to work with the network ever again.

WN: There is nothing in the records of either the council or Hall of Heroes about the three times post Sunnydale the remnants of the Scooby gang met up again.

WR: There's nothing in them because it was personal between those of us that remained, with only four of us left it will go on into history once all of us are deceased there is no reason for anyone but those involved to continue to remember and no offence intended but it has nothing to do with you or the public.

WN: Understandable Ms Rosenberg, the little we know from Sir Giles and Mr Harris is that it was directly attached to the troubles that later appeared around the time of the 2020 apocalypse at Times Square.

WR: What happened that night was the most difficult thing I have ever had to witness and the biggest mistake that myself or many of my comrades have ever made, Xander had always been a good man and as far as I know he never stopped. We just made the mistake not to trust him and pushed him too far, oh hell people need to know what happened this has been a secret for too long. So much has come out about this the final piece of the puzzle should be known.

Oak Park Cemetery
Hill Valley
California
February 2010

"And so it begins."

"You've changed a lot Xander but you're still the sci-fi geek."

"And proud of it." For just a second it was as if Willow and Xander were still the long time friends they had always been before she had betrayed him and he her depending on the point of view, but as quick as it had happened the moment had passed and the Crusader and Network Commander were back in their places.

"I'm sorry about Oz."

"He died saving a person that's all that could be asked." Replied Willow "How's Faith?"

Xander's face clouded at that, but he pushed down hard on his emotions like had done every day for over a decade.

"She's dead."

"Dead? We didn't hear anything about her death, I'm sorry. But how I mean we haven't heard anything about a new slayer being called the council haven't said anything."

"That's because they don't know, she's with us."

"You. Xander she needs to be sent to the Council as soon as possible she needs training and properly."

"She's with us because she's been a member of the Alliance for several years. Her names Victoria Smith and she's English, she wants to stay and fight with my people- she does subscribe to the theory only mystics can fight the war."

"She needs to come with us." Responded another voice from the shadows.

Xander closed his eyes slowly and imperceptibly tensed his muscles and then let them relax shifting into that slight line between rest and combat, something he had learnt to do many years beforehand. He turned to look directly at the spot in the shadows the voice had come from, a small slight figure strolled out of the darkness into the lit field the artificial light made her seem smaller and thinner than he remembered or it was possible that she was really that small. Her hair was cut short- much shorter than he had ever seen it, close to her ears and well away from her eyes. She looked much the same as she had done ten years before just like Willow as if the years fighting hadn't left their mark on her, he knew that to be false butt she had had it much easier than many before her with the network and the full resources of the watchers council. The fact she no longer had to take the mantle of the only warrior against the demons had let her let go of the nightmares and sit safe and cocooned in the watcher's council offices.

"I think that's her choice Buffy."

"We can train her better than a bunch of gang members in some half baked 'Alliance' she needs to be somewhere that can help her and not get her killed."

"You really can't stand that there are those who don't want to sit there while others fight, you still believe that us normal humans can't fight for ourselves. Thirteen years Buffy, I've been doing this for thirteen years and every moment of it on the front lines and I'm still here, most of my men have been at it almost as long. Can you really say the same for those mystic you train?"

"We've got the people, the equipment the training your going to get people killed you and your incompetent, incapable misfits. Now tell us where she is and we'll take her back, and you will tell your people to stop fighting and let us- the professionals handle this from here on in."

"And If I refuse."

"Then I take you in anyway and we hunt your troops down."

"You know they won't come quietly, Victoria doesn't want to join up with the Network and I sure as hell aren't going to listen to a desk jockey about whether to fight or not."

"You don't have a choice in this." A short buzz on a radio on her belt brought out a half dozen troops that had been hidden in the greenery in the area, each of them moving with the experience only available by training to the highest degree. Each were carrying armed guns as well as stakes, silver knives, and other combat paraphernalia, Buffy Summers just stood there looking smug and started to walk towards Xander stopping as Xander's own Pistol rose up to meet her. The second that happened both Willow and Buffy expected to hear the squad's own weapons fire directly at the Dark haired man.

When they didn't Buffy spun round to find that the squad were being held at bay by the muzzles of weapons in their back or to heads, over a dozen men and women in dark fatigues held half their number prisoner. Willow's power didn't have any effect on them while Xander's pistol still had Buffy in his sights.

"Everyone has a choice in what they do Summers, we've been fighting for a long time and we've made mistakes but we're only human just like the vast majority of the beings on this planet. Self determination isn't for those who decide they should have it and make others work for them but for everyone." Buffy attempted to make a move against Xander, the gun fired once and the Slayer's kneecap exploded. "I once warned you that you do anything to harm e or my own and you would pay, well now you will." The Blonde was mewling in agony and crying her eyes out as she clutched her ruined leg.

"We know about those you have taken out of the fight just because they refused to follow you and your people, the people put in psychiatric wards or allowed to die because you refuse help. This is a World War slayer and every human has a right, I've never killed an Innocent and I'm not going to start now but God knows I should. Now this is the only warning you get. The new slayer is under Alliance protection anything happens to her or me or any of my people and you will know EXACTLY what humans can do to those that seek to do them harm."

"Oh god Xander." Whispered Willow.

"Let her go." The troops holding Willow back let loose their grip and ran to her friend's side taking in the completely ruined kneecap of the young blonde. "You made a mistake Willow and that makes you responsible for what transpired here, you may think of me as a traitor or as a problem but I sure as hell won't allow some pissants that don't have a clue what the front lines are like anymore to ambush me and try to coerce my Alliance into giving up Innocents if they don't wish to."

"There's always another way Xander."

"Yes there is but you blew that chance when you sided against me the first time Willow, you betrayed my twice now there will be no third time."

WN: You believe he would kill you.

WR: I don't think that was ever in his mind, if anything he wanted to embarrass us. Two of the commanders of the Network and two enhanced humans taken down in seconds by a team of humans would be the perfect thing for him to play up to. But it had the opposite effect on Buffy and myself instead of allowing the Alliance to help us we instigated a full shut down of the use of non mystics in the Network's battles, although I do sometimes wonder what would have happened if the Alliance had joined us it's better this way to stop Innocents being hurt by those who don't really know what the darkness id capable of.

WN: So you don't believe the Alliance is useful even with their numbers currently growing much faster than the numbers of the Network.

WR: The Alliance will take anyone and anything that they can to achieve their goals and one day it will blow up in their face I just hope that they don't take the entire world with it when they foul up, Xander Harris was a good man a led the Alliance through it's formative years, I will agree he had the capability to be a great leader of me and a teacher within the network but his refusal to work with us may have been a mistake on both our parts.

WN: Thank You Miss Rosenberg

WR: Thank you.

Ms Willow Rosenberg has recently been sanctioned for some of her remarks in this interview, more so the World News Network was approached by the Watcher's Network to remove some of the information given to the reporter involved and allow them full access to the entire tape. We at the WNN refused this and have shown the tape in its entirety, we hope that by showing the other side of the story that people have a full knowledge of what has transpired between the Alliance and the Network and the reasons behind the attitudes of both sides.