Greetings and Salutations. I have more. Woo-hoo! I'd like to thank everyone who has reviwed so far, and hope you continue. And now…

The finally let Xander out of the hospital two days later to find his mother had, somehow, bought the mansion on Crawford Street and moved all their stuff in. "There are rooms downstairs for you to use." She said as they rolled up the ramp the gang had built for him. "And no more basement."

"Cool." Xander had said cheerfully. "That washing machine was keeping me up." It hadn't taken Xander too long to get used to the idea. After all, he spent most of his time in doors.

Buffy was there every day before school and after school, as well as before and after patrol. In fact, it was making Faith a touch jealous.

"C'mon, B. It's not like he's going anywhere." Faith said as they finished patrol one night. "Just come to the Bronze with me and Willow. One night. I'm sure he can survive."

"I'm worried that's all." Buffy said, starting off. Faith grabbed her by the arm and dragged her towards the Bronze.

"No you don't." She muttered. "You are getting a night off. Come on. He's mother can take care of him."

"But…"

"Move it sis." That had ended that argument as Faith dragged her to the club. It was even getting on Willow's nerves.

"It's bad, Xand." She told him one night during Buffy's patrol. "I mean, not that wanting to check on you is a bad thing, but everything else seems to go out the window in Buffy's case. We're worried." Xander nodded. He had noticed Buffy's rather over protective behaviour when it came to him. To be honest, it worried him too. The petite blonde was too important to him for her to waste her life worrying over his health.

"I'll talk to her, Wills." Xander told her. "Maybe I can talk some sense into her."

The next day after school, Buffy walked in on one of Xander's physio sessions.

"How's he doing, doc?" She asked as she walked in. The physiotherapist looked over at her.

"All things considered, rather well." She said. "It's uncanny, but I'd almost think his back is healing."

"Maybe it wasn't as bad as everyone seems to think." Xander panted.

"Aw, are you tired?" Buffy teased.

"Very funny." Xander drawled. The physio shook her head.

"I guess that's my cue to leave." She said, packing her equipment. "I've learnt better than to expect him to work after you've walked in, Buffy."

"Thanks doc." Xander called as she left, then looked down at his still useless legs. "I just wish she'd remember to help me back into my chair." He muttered as he shuffled over to the wheelchair.

"Probably expects me to help." Buffy said with a shrug as she wheeled it the rest of the way. She went to help him up.

"No." Xander said firmly. "I gotta do this myself." Buffy nodded and stepped back, letting him slowly get into the chair. "Piece of cake."

"You want a treat?" Buffy teased.

"You're just a barrel of laughs." Xander muttered.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, slightly worried. Xander sighed. Best get this over with.

"I had a talk to Willow last night while you were on patrol." He began.

"Oh boy, here we go." Buffy muttered. "Mom's already gone over this with me, Xand, and I still don't see a problem."

"How much sleep have you been getting?" Xander said suddenly.

"I don't…"

"You've got bags under your eyes like you wouldn't believe." He told her. "I don't mind the visits, Buff. Truth is, seeing you has been the high light of my rather boring days. But I can't let you neglect your duty as the Slayer or your health. I'm worried about you now, Buffy. You need some rest. You need a break. Mom can handle looking after me. You need to take care of yourself. Okay?"

"Xander you don't understand." Buffy exploded suddenly, tears in her eyes. "This is my fault! You wouldn't be stuck in that thing if I hadn't asked you to stay the night. Now, chances are you'll never walk again. I know, everyone's been telling me it's not my fault, but I can't help myself. I'm partly to blame." Xander rolled over to her and reached up, gently caressing her cheek.

"That's what this is about?" Xander asked. "Geez, Buffy, you can't go blaming yourself. Mark's a jerk, that's not your fault. He was drunk, he'd been drinking who knows how long, that's not you fault either. I could have said no, he might have come after me. There are lots of things that could have happened that probably would have landed me in this predicament eventually. I don't blame you; mom doesn't blame you. The only person blaming you is you. Don't feel guilty over it. Besides, it's not like it's someone important. Just me."

"But you are important." Buffy whispered. "To me, you're everything." She leant over, gently kissing him on the lips. "And I almost lost you."

"So that's what this is all about." Xander said. Buffy nodded, slightly embarrassed. "Buffy, I'm not going anywhere."

"But Spike…"

"I know about Spike." Xander told her. "I woke up just as he walked in, and played possum until he left. I know all about the threats. And they don't bother me."

"Xander…"

"They don't bother me, because he doesn't scare me." Xander interrupted. "Mom told me something last night after Willow left, something that brings a whole lot of things into doubt, while explaining a whole lot. You may want to sit down, Buff. What I'm about to say is going to change your world." Buffy looked at him for a moment before walking over to a chair. Xander rolled over to her and took a breath.

"As long as there have been vampires, there's been the Slayer." He started. "That much you know. What the Council neglected to tell you, however, is that you and Faith aren't as alone as they want you to believe. Because as long as there's been the Slayer, there's been the Protector, her partner and her guardian. Whether Giles knows this or not, I don't know, but the higher ups in the Council have been trying to keep the fact buried for centuries."

"Why?" Buffy asked. What was Xander telling her? "And how did your mother find out if the Council's been keeping it buried?"

"Why? I don't know." Xander answered. "How mom knew about it, however, is simple. She was in the same situation Faith was before she came to Sunnydale. A Potential Slayer raised by an agent of the Powers That Be. He taught her, trained her, and filled her in on a few of the Council's deeper secrets."

"Wonder if Doyle ever told Faith?" Buffy mused, her head spinning.

"Who knows?" Xander said with a shrug.

"So, why exactly are you telling me this?"

"There's a reason I woke up so quickly." Xander explained. "And why my back seems to be healing. That's because it is. A Protector has healing abilities way beyond anything the Slayer is capable of." Buffy gasped, finally putting it all together.

"You're a Protector?"

"Your Protector actually." Xander corrected. "That's why my bodies healing itself. I can't protect you if I'm cripple."

"Holy shit." Buffy muttered. "This is…holy shit."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Buffy jumped to her feet.

"I gotta tell Faith and mom." She grinned. "And drill Doyle and Giles." Xander grinned.

"Why don't you get everyone over here?" He said. "Except Deadboy."

"It's daytime." Buffy said. "Although, I think it's time for a few truths to be revealed." She reached into her pocket for her com link. "I just hope Willow can forgive me."

Willow sat there, trying to wrap her head around what had just been said. She looked over at Mrs Summers. "Is this…?"

"It's true." She confirmed. "Well, the bit about Buffy, Faith and myself is, anyway."

"So is what Xander told you." Xander's mother said.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Willow cried suddenly, bursting into tears.

"Willow, I wanted to, believe me." Buffy said, moving to her side. "But it's too dangerous. If this Emperor guy does manage to, somehow, make his way here, it puts everyone in danger. Mom said we had to keep it secret. Unlike us, Palpatine has no morals about how he uses his powers, and will do whatever it takes to enslave Faith and me. That includes hurting anyone we're close to." She put an arm around her shoulder. "You forgive me?"

"I suppose." Willow said slowly. "On one condition." Buffy looked over at her mother. Joyce smiled.

"We'll see." Joyce said. "Not everyone can learn how to use the Force."

"How'd you…"

"It wasn't too hard." Buffy said. "Believe me."

"Unbelievable." Giles muttered for the third time. "Absolutely unbelievable."

"You alright, G-Man?" Faith asked. "Or are you going to dissolve into hysterics too?"

"What? Oh no, of course not." Giles put his glasses back on. "I suspected the two of you were different from other Slayers…"

"Just not this different, eh, Rupert?" Doyle said.

"This is far and away the most amazing story I've ever heard." Giles said. "And what Xander and his mother told us." He looked over at them. "I assure you I had no idea. Though I would like to talk to the person who raised you, Mrs Harris."

"You and me both, Mr Giles." She said. "I haven't seen him in years. And please, call me Sarah. I want nothing to do with the monster who…"

"I understand." Giles said.

"And as for a chat with the person who raised you, I think I can arrange that." The group turned to the front door. "How ya doin', kid?"

"Whistler?" Sarah breathed, staring at the man as he walked in. "What…? How…?"

"The Bosses sent me around to see how thing's're doin'." He said. "Sorry I haven't been around too often. Bein' a Messenger for the Powers That Be takes a lot of time and energy. I swear if I'd know what that pig was doin'…"

"It's okay, Whistler." Sarah said. "Mark's going to jail. Even if he wasn't, Angel had a chat to him." Whistler grinned.

"Knew that guy was good for somethin'." He muttered. He looked over at Doyle. "Doyle."

"Whistler." The half Brachan demon replied. "Been a while."

"Yeah, it has."  Whistler's glance changed targets once more, this time to Faith. "You've grown. Last time I saw ya, you were just a baby."

"You knew me when I was a kid?" Faith asked.

"I was with the Warrior that reclaimed ya from yer kidnappers." Whistler said. "And before anyone starts yellin', I was under orders ta leaver her with Doyle. Besides that, I didn't know who she belonged to. If I even had a suspicion she was yours, Janelle, I would'a brought straight to ya, orders or not." Joyce a sharp gasp upon hearing her old name.

"Thank you." She managed to say. "And it's Joyce now, please."

"Gotcha." Whistler said. He looked over at Buffy and Xander. "Geez, could you two stop glowin' a minute? I didn't bring any sunglasses."

"You notice that too?" Faith asked. "I thought I was going insane." Willow looked over at her.

"You too?" She gasped.

"You aren't the only ones." Joyce admitted.

"Same here." Sarah said. "And I've had to look at it like it was nothing nearly twenty-four-seven."

"What are you guys on about?" Buffy asked. "Or do we not want to know?"

"Sorry kid." Whistler said. "Anyone with even a potential for the mystical can see the glow that surrounds a Slayer and her Protector. Guess that includes the Force." Buffy chanced a glance at Giles, who nodded.

"No wonder people have been squinting at us lately." Xander said. "But when did it start?"

"After Buffy's run in with Spike's fledgling a little over a week ago." Joyce said.

"Cool. We're glow in the dark." Buffy quipped.

"Yeah. Who needs a torch?" Xander agreed.

"You two." Whistler said with a grin. One thing's for sure, there was no pair on earth like them. "You can't see your own glow." He copped a pair of withering glances.

"Duh." The duo said.

"Wait a minute. This means I have to share Buffy with Xander?" Faith said suddenly. "That sucks. No way am I sharing my sister."

"Sorry, F." Buffy said. "Looks like we don't have a choice." A thought occurred. "You wouldn't happen to know who Faith's Protector is, would you?"

"Sorry, kid. It's not that easy." Whistler said apologetically. "They have to figure it out for themselves. And no, it's not Angel." Buffy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn." Faith muttered jokingly.

"Not funny." Buffy muttered darkly. "So, anything else?"

"That's about it." He said. "Oh yeah, a little reassurance. Angel is most definitely one of the good guys. You can trust him."

"You'll excuse me if I don't hold you to that." Buffy said. Whistler shrugged.

"Your choice." He said. "Just don't write him off entirely. You've all got you're jobs, him included. You need him, believe me."

"I'll trust him." Buffy said hesitantly. "Just don't expect me to invite him in any time soon."

"That's all we can ask for." Whistler said. "So, is there anything to eat or drink around here?"

"I'll see what I can find." Sarah said, getting to her feet. "We have a lot of catching up to do." Whistler grinned.

"You said it, kid." He said, following her to the kitchen. "What made ya hook up with Harris anyway? Didn't I give ya any taste at all?"

"At least, not his taste in clothes." Buffy said cheekily.

"Thankfully." Faith agreed.

"Hey!"