THE BEGINNING OF A NEW JOURNEY
It was around noon the next day. He was sitting in a bar at the airport thinking about his previous night with Phoebe. He just couldn't seem to get that stupid smile of his face. He shook his head and took another sip of his scotch. It seemed somewhat unnerving, not the memories. Those feelings those gave would keep a smile on his face for a long time to come. What got him on edge was a conversation that he had finished up no more than 10 minutes ago. He had arrived perhaps an hour or two earlier after selling his car and checking out of his suite. He had been looking at the list of departures but nothing was really catching his eye and decided to proceed to the bar to mull things through when he noticed it. In the far corner of the bar, away from the viewing public was a familiar shower of lights. His first though was Leo needed to tell him something, however it was Chris, and he had a smirk on his face.
"How are you doing there Xander."
"Not bad, is something wrong?" Chris shook his head and sat down on the stool next to him.
"Nah, it was just good to see you again." From Xander's clearly confused expression he went on. "You do realize that I'm from the future."
"Yea, It's kind of hard to forget something like that."
Chris began to chuckle, "When Dad and I orbed into the manor when you first arrived I had to stop myself from saying 'Uncle Xander!' It was a close one."
"Uncle Xander! Wait a minute, Dad, Leo! Leo is your father?"
Chris winced to that, "Yea, they're bound to find out sooner than later, but please don't say anything. I don't want to screw things up too badly. It would suck if I was never born." Certain things started to click in Xander's mind and he was able to put Two and Two together.
"Wow, that's pretty heavy. I've had to carry my fair share of secrets as well from people I care about, but man, I had no idea. I promise you I won't say a word to anybody." Xander was still going through things, when something caught him as funny. "Wait a minute, did you already know my story when I was telling it before?"
Chris nodded his head while ordering a coke, "I knew some of it. Well, I suppose most of it. I learned a lot from listening to you. Some of the more private details that you told the sisters you never told me. You never really liked to talk about some of the painful memories. You'd tell me about the people, but the stories I'd hear from second hand parties. I know now why you never really wanted to tell me." Looking down at his newly arrived coke he continued. "Even though I had some idea of how your stories would end, none were exact from what I was told, and they were also far more emotional coming from the source." With a small smile he looked back at Xander. "I meant when I said that I'm sorry for everything you've lost." Chris's smile faltered and the look he was now giving was of such an apologetic nature. Xander never knew he could have such an affect, or would have such an affect, on someone.
"Hey, no, don't worry about it. First of all, you had no choice in the matter. And secondly, I'm glad that you know. I really am. But is this why you came here?" A look of pure relief washed over Chris's face as he released a breath he never realized he was holding.
"A part of me wanted to say something, but the reason I came is another matter. That's Phoebe."
"Is something wrong?"
"No, not really. I'm not sure how to say this, but you can't hold on to her right now. I'm not saying to make a clean brake. But I have knowledge of some things that are going to come to pass for her. And while, I'm not sure of the specifics of your particular 'journey'. I know holding on to her, or perhaps feeling you have to come back to her is something you can't afford." He looked over to Xander for some type of response. Finding none he looked back into his soda and with a soft voice begged, "Please don't be too angry, I'm not saying that you can't be together. And I'm not saying that you will, or will not, be together in the future. I just know that the immediate future, you two shouldn't be together." He looked to his right, praying that he wouldn't find and irate Xander staring at him. What he saw was Xander staring into his half empty drink.
"I appreciate your help and advice. But it wasn't really necessary." Xander looked over to him with a small smile of his own. "It may, or maybe it won't surprise you, but Phoebe had a similar talk with me this morning. Neither of us are sure where we will wind up. But we decided that for now, we aren't together. However she is planning on keeping in contact with me through e-mail, and I plan on responding as much as I can."
"Oh, well…that's good. I was worried that I being here could have affected something small. I've already affected it more than enough. I'd hate to think that I would do anything to ruin your life too."
"Hey…it's not a problem Chris. I promise." Chris looked over and was about to say something when he looked upward.
"I have to go, duty and all that. Good luck Xander." Just as he was about to orb Xander grabbed onto his arm so he looked over.
"Thanks, you take care. And also, orb from a bathroom or something. No need to scare the locals." Xander was smirking when he said that. Chris looked around with a sheepish grin on his face,
"All right, you be good. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." With that he walked away and into the Men's bathroom and vanished from sight.
Outside, at a private gate, a man was departing from one of him private jets. He was slightly above average height. While the clothing he wore made him appear lanky, with perhaps a little muscle, that couldn't be further from the truth. His hair was of a dark shade of brown with eyes of the same brown hue. He was currently thanking the stewardess and pilot of the craft as they made their way toward the airport. Due to airport security he now had to make his way across the airport. Upon reaching the entrance he said his farewell to the flight crew and made his way into lobby. Once inside he wasn't even able to take five steps before he was assaulted with a strange sensation. It was a sensation that he just couldn't explain. He knew what it was, at least what it was supposed to be, but it was too different than what he had felt in the past. Beyond that, it was far too powerful. Putting those thoughts aside for the moment he began to search for the source of this latest conundrum. For a short second he was able to lock on a set of eyes from the reflection in a mirror in the airport's bar. That was the source, of this he was certain. There seemed to be no recognition by the other man as he stared back into his drink and looked to be lost in thought. Not one to like an unknown variable, especially one that could have the potential to be as dangerous as this young man certainly would become without guidance, he made his way to the bar himself to observe the young man, his limo temporarily forgotten.
Xander had an off feeling. He wasn't sure how to describe it. He didn't feel as though he were in any danger. But something was definitely off. He searched the bar, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He looked into the mirror behind the bar, but then again, nothing out of the ordinary. Whatever the feeling was, it wasn't going away. He hadn't had too much to drink. He was barely feeling a buzz as it was. He continued to do periodic sweeps of the area around him to no avail. Suddenly, without warning, the sensation grew. He knew without a doubt that something was happening. Now if he could only figure out what. As if by magic he had his answer in the reflection in the mirror. It came in the form of a slender brunette. She had one of the most amazing figures he had seen, and since he had just been with Phoebe, that was saying a lot. However, it wasn't her beauty that drew his attention. It was the way she was walking.
To the untrained observer nothing would seem out of the ordinary. But as he turned on his stool to get a better look he was sure of it. There was a slight uneasiness in her steps, and her eyes constantly capturing everything around her, he included. Whoever she was, she was well trained. So why did she seem so nervous, at least in his eyes. He shook his head, about to write it off when he saw exactly why. Trailing behind her were five men. Everything about the men screamed 'Soldier' to him. If they were after her, then she was in trouble. Those five men were causing his mental warning to ring in loud and clear. Without missing a step he laid some money on the bar and proceeded at a safe distance behind those men. If he had bothered to look back, he would have seen a man following all of them, walking in the exact direction he had come from no more that Twenty minutes earlier.
Xander exited the airport no more than Thirty seconds after the last of the five thugs. He was unsure of how to proceed. Something was about to go down, if it wasn't going down already. Of that he was sure, it was just a feeling of certainty. He was in the process of deciding if stealth was way to go, or to make his presence known. However, there was really no need to formulate a plan. As soon as he came upon the scene in front of him he just acted without a thought.
The five men had started their assault. She was holding her own very well. One man was on the ground, slowly getting back up, while another was on his way to the ground. She was already turning to her next foe. As good as she was, it wouldn't make a difference if something didn't happen soon. Xander, quickly and without a sound, approached one of them with his back to him. He sent a kick low, to the back of the man's knee, causing the thug to fall backwards in incredible pain. Before the body was even half way to the ground, Xander sent an elbow into the man's face, accelerating his downfall into the ground. It was a good thing the man was unconscious when he hit, or he would have been in a lot more pain. Before the body had the chance to bounce once, Xander was in the process of sending a kick into the side of another thug. The kick landed solidly, sending the man sprawling backwards, onto the ground, and colliding with an empty, parked security car, leaving a large dent on the driver side door. The third thug, to his right, was a large, muscular man, and boy did he look pissed. He pulled out a device from his pocket that resembled a baton, except that it was crackling with electricity.
The large man lunged at him with a speed that was impressive for a man of his size. To Xander, who had spent the last several years fighting vampires and demons that move far faster, and were far stronger than your average human, 'the hulk' may as well have been moving in slow motion. He easily avoided the cattle prod and sent a punch though the mans defenses just above the kidneys. While that should have sent a man to the ground the big guy just shrugged it off and advanced again. Xander decided he needed a new tactic. The man was either to stupid to realize he should be on the ground in agony, or too well muscled. When the man lunged at him again, he sidestepped him, grabbed the mans arm, and tugged it at such an angle to get a nerve lock. As the mammoth of a man released the electronic devise, Xander grabbed it and firmly placed it where the neck and shoulders met. The guy convulsed a few times before falling limply to the ground, unconscious like thug number one. A glint of metal caught his attention. He looked over to his side to see the man he had knocked into the car pulling out a gun. On instinct alone he threw the still active baton at the man, hitting him dead center in his chest. The shock from the baton sent him flying into the car while his gun went flying in another direction. The man had somehow managed to stay conscious but a quick backhand to his head and his lights went out. The ominous clack of a safety being released sent a sense of dread through Xander's entire body.
He glanced toward the sound to find the vision of beauty he had come here to assist holding the gun at him. What was worse, he didn't like the look in her eyes. They definitely weren't showing trust.
"Get down on the ground now, hands out in the open."
"Wait just a moment, what sort of screwed up gratitude is this?" The sound of the hammer being cocked could be heard.
"I don't know who you are but I can't take the risk, just get down now. I don't want to shoot you, but I will."
Not believing his luck he decided to humor the woman when that overwhelming feeling of danger overtook his senses. He looked up and around. All the while ignoring the shouts coming from the woman in front of him. When he saw it, his eyes went wide and he lunged towards the woman, immediately followed by a sharp BANG.