(for those who didn't recognize the reference in the last chapter: The ghost that cleans the house that Xander fixed up was Cordelia's live-in ghost on Angel.)

As they started to walk out of Charley's, Xander paused and went back.

"Charley."

"Yes?"

Xander put his hand in the pouch and took out the steak he had shown everyone earlier. "Merry Christmas."

Charley stared at it as Xander walked back to the group.

"So, where are we going?"

Max smiled and pointed to the dark grey van that had pulled up on the other side of the street. "It beats walking."

Xander looked at the driver. He was a non-descript man wearing glasses and smiling at Max.

"Cindy called him for us while we were paying."

Xander nodded. "Ah." Then he gestured to the door. "Ladies first?"

Max and Cindy grinned and got in, with Max sitting in the back. Cindy smiled sadly at Max, and she shrugged in response. Xander noted it all.

As Xander got in, he noticed there was a wheelchair in the front seat, and a strange elevator like contraption linked to the driver's seat. He didn't comment.

- - - - - -

They pulled up in front of an un-remarkable building and got out. The driver smiled and drove into the garage, and they went inside. Xander noticed a set of video cameras in discreet areas. Someone not familiar with the secret things in life would probably have overlooked them.

They came to an elevator and were about to enter when the driver rolled up in the wheelchair Xander had seen. "Shall we go up?"

When the elevator came to a stop and opened, Xander noticed the spacious area they were in.

"I like it."

The driver smiled at Max. "I'm used to it." He rolled toward the bar as Xander blinked then shook his head.

"I should've learned by now not to be surprised by anything."

The man stared at Max with a humorous twinkle. "I'm still learning myself." Then he set out some glasses and got a drink for himself. "Pour something and we'll talk."

Everyone got their drinks, and went to sit. Max took a seat about two feet from Logan. Xander noticed, and noticed how relaxed they were in each other's presence.

Max then looked over. "This is Logan Cale. I told him I trust your discretion, so he agreed that I could tell you about his… alter ego."

Xander nodded. "Eyes-only. While I haven't been here long, I caught one of your broadcasts as I entered town. I took it on myself to ask a few questions. Some people view you as some sort of costumed crime fighter that only the criminals see as they die. After you put out information warning people of course."

Logan looked at him. "You don't seem to be surprised at the difference."

Xander smiled. "I've been under-estimated at times, and over-estimated more times than I can count. Did Cindy tell you anything about what I do or who I work with?"

Logan turned and rolled toward a computer, and brought it out of sleep mode.

"She didn't say much, but I've been able to access some records from before the pulse… one of them concerned a Xander Harris and several others who escaped from a collapsing town." Logan looked over at him. "I take it that there was something more?"

Xander blinked. "Like I said about surprises… Short and sweet, the organization I'm with is called the Watcher's council. We are the medical support, weapons supply, information center, and back-up for select females all over the world who are chosen by a form of magic that was created several centuries ago to fight any form of evil creature that chooses to sacrifice or eat people, or end the world."

He shrugged. "Of course, after Sunnydale number three hasn't reappeared."

Logan blinked. "I find magic hard to believe."

Max spoke before Xander did. "He's already proved it to my satisfaction, and you know how paranoid I am."

Logan nodded. "I trust your judgement as always." Then he steepled his fingers. "It's a little disturbing however… what kind of creatures do you generally fight?"

"Vampires are most common. Actually, compared to vampires who can only be killed in a select few way, the other creatures have weaknesses similar to humans though harder to get at. Such as blood loss. What with the break down in law and order in some places, and the build up in others such as here…. Too many people roam around with guns, illegal or otherwise. Most of the creatures don't want to mess with that. That isn't to say we haven't had to hunt them too."

Max spoke before Logan could. "I fought some vampires tonight. They attacked Cindy and Sketchy. If Xander hadn't shown up, the fight would either still be going on or I'd be dead and them too. At least one of the methods that they say vampires are killed by worked very well… there was a lot of dust though."

Logan shook his head. "Well…"

Xander nodded at Max. "She already has the full amount of information I gave her… and it's a lot to take in. I'm assuming you'll want the report from her. She also wants me to look into something, so I need to get a couple of associates to come over here… or at a location you prefer to choose."

Logan looked over at Max. "What is it?"

She sighed. "I just wanted to see if it was possible transgenics came from these girls he mentioned."

"Ah. And?"

Xander spoke up. "Magic is a lot easier than medical research to determine genetic links."

Logan scratched his chin. "So, you wave a magic wand…"

"Only for theatrics. The magic is in the body and mind not a wooden stick… though not everyone has magic. I'm one of those that doesn't."

"You said select females?"

Xander grimaced. "Their powers are generally activated at age 15… the one thing I forgot to mention however, was that up until a short time before the collapse of Sunnydale, there was only one called a "Slayer" that received the powers at a time. Or rather that was the rule, but my friends tended to take rules and bury them."

"How did the one at a time thing work?"

"When one died, the next came to power. I threw it out of whack by performing cpr on a good friend of mine who had been drowned by an extremely powerful vampire. She was a slayer. Her 'death' caused another to be called, so we had two." Xander stared at his drink for a second with a mournful expression then he looked up.

"She was killed later, and a third came. Buffy, the one that I revived still lived. She's the longest living slayer in existence. And it's all attributed to the fact that her friends helped her. All slayers before her had only a watcher, and most of the time he or she didn't help them. And here I am babbling." Xander took a sip.

Max stared. "You said that the organization is worldwide…"

Xander sighed. "Sunnydale's collapse occurred because we had to literally save the whole of existence. However, in order to do that we needed more than two slayers… so my friend, who incidentally will arrive tomorrow after I've called her, cast a spell to activate all those who had the potential to be 'next' for lack of a better term. From what we found out later, once it was cast, new girls came into that potential. So, the rule about someone coming into her power after the previous dies is still in effect, just extremely screwy."

Cindy shook her head. "There's more isn't there?"

"A lot more… but it all boils down to everything I've told you… and what I've said is the easier to handle version."

Logan sat there thinking. "And the hard?"

Xander shook his head. "Short version, that wasn't the only time we saved the world…. Though before that day, we only had myself, a witch, a watcher, and Buffy. There were others at various times but there was only one other time where we had a small army to help."

Sketchy spoke. "A group of superheroes."

Xander looked over. "No… stereotypical superheroes though they make mistakes still have a fairly easy time winning against the bad guy. We, at various times, made mistakes that almost killed people or the world. Heck, there were times in which we lost each other's friendship. Sometimes it reached the point where Buffy the Slayer almost died because she didn't have support. We learned to improve our skills, by blood and grief."

Xander stretched. "Sorry about the cryptic."

Logan went to get some tea. "So why did you come to town?"

"Willow, the witch, picked up on a vague something. She said it was someone in this town using a type of superhuman ability. She couldn't pin it down, but said it wasn't hellmouth… dangerous."

Logan raised his eyebrow. "Hellmouth?"

"Sorry, old habit. It used to be our laid back term for "crap that scares us"."

"Ah, and what else?"

"You certainly live up to your reputation as Eyes-Only. So, Sunnydale was situated on the mouth to hell. Granted demons have other ways of getting here, but that was the big kahuna. Everyone wanted to use it for something." Xander grimaced. "One of us died in order to close it, which caused the destruction of the town."

Then Xander yawned widely. He smiled with a glint of humor in his eyes. "Sorry."

Everyone laughed.

"Why don't you make the call, there's a spare bedroom." Then Logan looked at Max. "A few other friends might want to be here, will that be a problem?"

Xander looked up from the pack he had taken out. "Shouldn't be?"

"Don't you need a phone?" Cindy asked.

"Nah, just have to press the button in the refrigerator."

Logan blinked. "What?"

"XANDER!!!"

"Dawn, tone it down. Get Willow will you?"

"But…"

"Later Dawn." Xander rolled his eyes. Everyone laughed again.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"No Dawnie."

"Xander."

"Hey Willow. Can you , Buffy, and Faith come over…" Xander looked over. "Is this place sufficient? Or somewhere else?"

Logan thought. "No, this is ok."

Xander nodded. "Can you come over tomorrow? Just lock on to where I'm at, and wait till 11 am. We need time for a few people to get here as well."

"What's going on?"

"A genetic search. I also mentioned something about turkey and dressing…"

"XANDER!"

"What, who could pass up your cooking?"

"That's not the point! Do you have any idea how long…"

"Willow, it's either that or we eat them out of house and home. You know me and my stomach."

Willow grumbled. "Fine, Dawn can help me."

"HEY!"

"We'll be over tomorrow."

"See you then."