Xander couldn't help shivering at the memory. Today would be a day that would haunt him for all time. It wasn't contacting Batman to inform him to send a limo to the High School library; that had been simple, not to mention cool. It was what came after that particular call that would haunt him until the end of days.

Demons, vampires, master vampires, assassins made of bugs, none of those could compare to the horrors that he had been experienced to just hours earlier. If the torture wasn't enough, the laughter and smiles, that had to be mocking, were constant; assuring his prolonged torture. There was only one word to describe the torture used on Xander that particular day. A torture so brutal that it made him want to go home, curl up into the fetal position, and rock himself to sleep; and that word is 'Shopping.'

To Xander, shopping all on its own is torture enough, but shopping with Cordelia Chase, was far worse a fate than he would wish on any demon or vampire. Hell, he wouldn't even have wanted to subject Angel to such a brutal torture, and that was saying a lot. And, if it wasn't just the experience of shopping with her, smiles and laughter at his plight, it was seeing those same expressions on a girl who was 'supposedly' his bestest bud in the entire world, Willow, who will now be known as Willow the Traitor.

He shivered at the memory of those women making him try on an assortment of suits, and tuxedos. He didn't care what he wore, anything was better than what he owned, but Cordelia was insistent that he be dressed properly for such an occasion. And, he had to admit, once you got past the grueling horror of it all, it was a nice and sweet gesture.

Xander shook his head at the memory. 'Ok, fine, so perhaps Willow isn't a traitor. Still, she and I are going to have words later about all of this.' He never, ever, ever, ever wanted to be anywhere near a female who was shopping, ever again. Especially if they were shopping for evening wear, he didn't want any part of that.

He had no idea that it could be so…that there were so many…actually; it's best if we stop thinking about it, lest we make him weep. Though, there was some comfort in the fact that Oz had let out an involuntary shutter. And for the bass guitarist, that was the equivalent to an earth chattering cry of anguish. So, all in all, it's better to reflect upon the present.

At the moment the four of them had recently arrived in LA, and were just moments away from arriving at the entrance to the Belmont charity event. As the limo came to a stop, that sudden nervous feeling came right back into the pit of his stomach. To say he was a bit nervous was quite the understatement. He never even registered getting out of the vehicle just behind his friends.

The outside world seemed to dim for Xander. He was completely focused inward, causing him to take no notice of the famous people all around him. Willow kept going between looking awestruck at the people around her, to shooting worried glances at her oldest friend. Oz seemed to have achieved his Zen-like state that was habitually Oz.

Xander was so nervous about this encounter. He was somewhat afraid of what in would entail. What questions would be asked? What would be expected of him? Did the man just want to meet him to see who he was? Did he even want a son, a son who was almost an adult? How much did the man know about his 'night life?' Hell, how much did the man know about him? Because, Xander certainly knew very little about his recently discovered biological father. There were so many questions, so many things to worry about; that it was no wonder his mind had fled inward as he mindlessly followed his friends, those he trusted. He most likely would have stayed there for some time, had it not been for Cordelia, who had been constantly ogling all of the famous people, for which there was no shortage of.

"What do you mean we can't get in? We have an invitation!"

Cordelia's indignant screech jolted Xander from his inner panicking. He looked around and saw that they were suddenly gaining a few stares from the people around them. That was something that Cordelia also noticed, and quickly pulled herself together as the doorman responded to her.

"This invitation is for one person. And there are 4 of you. I'm sorry, but one of you may enter. The rest stay out here."

Cordelia looked indignant, and was about to respond, until Xander placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her back.

He gave her a steady gaze. "Cordelia, this is not how I wanted to be introduced to my father." She cast her eyes down as she realized how important a moment she may have just ruined. In a lighter tone he continued. "Be that as it may, I want you guys there. And if they won't let you in, I say we rearrange this for another time." He saw Cordelia's eyes widen in panic, but she held her tongue and simply nodded. He smiled at her. "I realize this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. If you want to use the invitation, go right ahead. I'm sure we can find something to do in LA while you're living it up with the rich and famous."

Cordelia looked at the man, who was giving her his lopsided grin. She couldn't help but smile back at the man. She knew how important this was to him. She also knew that she had basically made him take her, and his other friends, along for the ride. She smiled at him and did something that if asked she would deny until her dying day.

"No, thank you though. This is your night. As much as I'd like to go inside there, it just wouldn't be right." She could almost feel herself cringe as she said that. Her inner 'Queen C' was reeling at her in disgust, but she remained steadfast. "Besides, if your daddy can get you an invitation like he did with no notice, I'm sure he can do the same for the next one that's around here." With that proclamation, she graced her friends with a brilliant smile that was completely and utterly Cordelia.

Xander smiled at her while placing an arm around her shoulder, and his other arm around Willow's shoulder. He looked straight at Oz. "So, what should 4 young, well dressed, and beautiful people like us do for an evening in LA?" That caused Cordelia to snort, while someone just behind them gave a polite cough.

They turned around to face the same doorman as before. Unbeknownst to them, while they had been having their conversation, another conversation had been taking place within the small receiver in his ear.

In a pleasant voice, the man said. "Everything has been taken care of. You may all enter whenever you wish."

The four young adults looked to one another in a mixture of confusion and astonishment. But, in the end, it was Xander who spoke up.

"Thank you, Sir. I think we need a few minutes." The man nodded and went to retake his position by the door.

Xander looked at his friends. "So, what's the plan?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, come off it Dweeb Boy, we're going in."

After she finished her comment she gave him a small smile. He looked back at the doors to the building, and then back at Cordelia, who sent him a small smile. He took a deep breath and gave her a small smile in return. Nodding his head, he proceeded towards the large entrance, with his friends but a few steps behind.

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Xander wasn't sure if they had perchance accidentally stepped onto a movie set. There were tons of famous people. Whether they be millionaires, movie stars, various actors, designers, inventors, and a whole plethora of other various people, they were all around him. And as awe-inspiring a sight it was to behold, only one person there would be able to hold his attention. Well, the vast number of models was doing a good job, but in the end, it was his father he was looking for.

Willow and Cordelia had been continually gasping as they named the people all around them. Tony Stark, Bill Gates, who Xander had mistakenly heard 'the Devil', Nikolas Natchios, a whole host of movie stars and actors that would have left him breathless, but he was barely paying attention to it.

Until his dying day he could swear he had absolutely no idea of what it was that made him glance to the far side of the room. He still had no idea of what caused him to lock eyes with a rather large, and impressive man. Brown eyes met brown eyes as the man continued to walk towards them.

Xander had no idea how he knew, but he knew that this was the man. His mind was going a thousand miles an hour. It was so hard to think straight, let alone breathe properly. This man was his father, and for the life of him, his mind wouldn't connect the dots and give him a name to go with the face. It wasn't until Willow's gasp of 'Bruce Wayne' that the connection was filled. His breathe hitched, and had he had the mental faculties to do so, his eyes would have bulged. Instead, he stared unflinchingly, and in complete shock, as his father, the one and only Bruce Wayne, approached his location.

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Bruce made his way over to his son. He had never been so nervous, though through years of practice, and an insurmountable amount of willpower, he was able to place a calm mask over that nervousness. Going into battle, facing life and death situations, they all had nothing on this particular moment. And, as he finally neared his son, just moments away from 'officially' meeting his own life's blood, he noticed that one could hear a pin drop.

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Almost all thought stopped in Xander's mind, as his father finally reached his destination. Here he was, his father, standing just inches away, and he couldn't even think. To say that this new development was a shock, wholly underdefined the term. Learning of the 'Night Life,' that was a shock. To him, this was almost in a whole new league.

The first thing he was able to comprehend was that his friends were apparently aware of what was happening. He didn't turn around to confirm this, but from the sudden quiet around him, he knew that they were aware.

Though, had he turned around, he would have noticed that not just his friends suspected something was happening. The couples, and groups, standing around who had been idly chatting, were now focusing their attention on the young man standing next to the well known billionaire. As the silence caused by the lack of chatter descended in the room, it wasn't a total shock that it was Cordelia's surprised voice that rang across the room.

"No Way!"