Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire slayer, Noir, or Naruto. All rights belong to their creators and producers so please do not sue.

Author Note 1: This is my second attempt at a BTVS fanfic and my first attempt at a crossover of this magnitude so make sure to give me feedback.

Author note 2: To those who know my work no I have not given up on "Mazoku" I do intend to finish it but this story will not die in my head and demands to be written.

Author note 3: I am in the market for a beta reader please let me know in the review if you would like the job as I am quite desperate.

Author note 4: I have never attempted a story like this and anyone who truly knows the world of "Noir" that might help me out after this chapter I would greatly appreciate it.

Summary: Memories- they are like grains of sand that can slip away or be forced into a compacted space. Who is he really? What is the path he must take? He has forgotten those times to be left waiting for the call. Yet on all hallows eve a mistake shall awaken what he has lost. Given the mind of a genius murderer and the return of what he never knew he lost. The legacy of the third will be written in blood.

Now on with the Show

Alexander

Chapter Five: Fallen Angel

"So how does it feel to be back after being in Europe Xand?" Buffy asked as She, Xander, and Willow walked through the halls of Sunnydale High.

"There's no place like home Buff. Besides how could I not miss my girls?" He responded good-naturally.

"So there weren't any girls in Europe? Because well you know long distance relationships can be hard and international calling is expensive…. I'll just be quiet now" came from will as her two friends stared at her.

"A couple but G-dad reminded me of my luck with woman and with no slayer to save me I decided to be cautious"

"Glad I can be of some assistance when your manhood is on the line"

"AH but you do it so well and sadly this is where we part ladies as I wish to see the lovely girlfriend of my pappy and possibly get out of a few classes" Xander said taking a different path then the two girls.

"He seems calmer" Buffy commented.

"I think time away was all he needed. So you were telling me about your decision with Angel"

Classroom of Jenny Calendar

Xander leaned against the wall and listened as a man was berating Jenny about not fulfilling her obligations. Slipping a kunai out from his sleeve he silently entered the room and approached he man from behind. The Kalderash elder suddenly felt a very real and sharp knife edge resting against his throat and felt someone behind him.

"Family should treat each other with respect after all we wouldn't want our last words to be hurtful instead of loving now would we?" Alexander asked in his dead voice.

"Xander let him go you don't know what's going on" Jenny spoke seeing just how easily he could end her uncle's life.

Alexander stepped back and the kunai knife vanished back into his sleeve leaving no trace of it or the killer that had been there a moment before.

"So what's a nice Romanian man like you doing in California?" Xander asked catching the man off guard.

"You told him? He is an outsider how dare you Janna" the man accused of the dark haired woman.

"It was a trade she got more then she gave and it was the only way to secure her own life,"

"Who are you boy?"

"Xander Giles at your service sir. Now why exactly are you here?"

"It's about the curse on Angel. Xander there's a way for it to break and for him to lose his soul"

"Troublesome" was all he could say through the entire conversation.

Bronze

Jenny, Buffy, and Xander rode in her care towards the Bronze under the excuse that she had an errand to run. Pulling up they spotted a truck being loaded with many ornate wooden boxes by a rather large amount of vampires. Buffy was out of the car in a second charging them. Xander slowly climbed out of the car and let out a sight.

"Seems I will be having a coming out party tonight." He muttered before taking a wooden dagger from each of his shoes and darting at the assembled forces of evil.

'You can't just hide who you are behind a mask. Those were her words and I have been an example of them for a long time always trying to avoid getting hurt or letting others see into my world. No matter the consequences I'll be myself and not two people.'

Buffy felt a vampire behind her dust before she could turn to deal with it another in the swarm fell a second later followed by a third and fourth. Staking her current opponent she was finally able to look and see who was helping her. Expecting Angel to be there she was surprised to see Xander duck under a punch and slam a wooden knife into a vampires chest before spinning around and kicking another away. He moved with a fluidity and grace that made it appear as if he were dancing.

'Where did Xander learn to fight like this?'

He was in his element flowing with the fighting styles of two worlds and dealing proper death to those that sinned against nature. Dropping low he brought a vampire onto the ground with a sweep kick then quickly staked him before he could recover. Buffy had gotten over her stupor and was once again tearing into the undead. The fight was over in mere minutes and the two were wiping dust off their clothes.

"Where did you learn to fight like that Xand?" Buffy asked always suspicious that something was possessing her best male friend.

"Giles ever since I moved in has been teaching me how to fight in the mornings before school and I have been practicing every chance I got seems to be working out. Plus Miss C was able to download a bunch of kung fu manuals so I've been studying them too. It looks pretty but the first week I couldn't even kick decently." He lied without even a pause having been prepared for Buffy-paranoia.

"Someone could mistake you for Angel with those moves" she commented.

"Nah Angel is more of a strength-based fighter the same with you I needed to learn a style based in speed and using a vampire's strength against them. I'm just glad I can retire my "Most knocked out Scooby" title"

"Aw but now who am I gonna save all the time?"

"If it helps I will try to get knocked out or captured every other week to keep you regular" his humor while darker and more sarcastic was thankfully still intact.

"You had better; if people start saving themselves I won't have anything to do as a Slayer"

"Retire and create the first 'tough woman' contest?" he was rewarded with a smack on the arm for his trouble.

"Let's get this box thing and get Miss Calendar's thing done so we can go see Giles" Buffy said then grabbed one of the boxes heading into the Bronze.

"Yes ma'am, General Buffy Ma'am" he responded and followed her.

'Ok so maybe I'll lie about everything a little longer and just let them see more of me as time goes on. That's not a cop out it's just a process a slow Slayer pummeling free process.'

"SURPRISE" was yelled as they walked in and everyone jumped from hiding places. Surprised was what Buffy was enough that she dropped the box in her hands causing the lid to pop open when it struck the floor. A disembodied armor-clad leapt from it towards Xander's throat. His hands shot up at the last second grabbing the arm and trying to stop its clawing fingers from getting any closer.

Angel quickly moved forward and together he and Xander were able to get the arm back into the box. Even after the lid was closed it continued to jump around trying to force the lid open. Drawing a Shuriken Xander sealed the lid by jamming the shuriken into the lid.

"We're never doing this again" Xander said to the stunned people before slumping to the ground.

'No matter where I go or what I do this world is out to get me. Oh well at least I played up the weak thing for Buffy.'

"Giles what the heck is this thing? We found some vampires trying to load it and some other boxes into a truck." Buffy said looking to their source of information on all things evil.

"Well um I need to check my books as I am unsure what it could be" the librarian responded.

"I know what it is" Angel spoke up.

"It's part of the judge, a demon whose sole purpose for existing is to cleanse the earth of the plague called humanity. The Judge cannot be killed and so an entire army gave their lives to split its body into pieces that were then scattered all over the world."

"There is only one choice then, Angel has to take the arm and bury it somewhere in the world so it can never be found again" Jenny said when he finished speaking.

"No!" Buffy protests

"He's the only choice Buffy. We have school and the Hellmouth to protect Angel is the only person we can spare that can protect the box until it's buried" Jenny explained.

"I'll do it" Angel replied looking at everyone gathered.

"But Angel-" Buffy began to protest again.

"I can sneak onto a barge tonight and make my way to Nepal. Buffy there is no better way I have to go"

"So this happens a lot around you guys? Oz asked from next to Willow.

"Vampires, Demons, and pretty anything from any nightmare you ever had are real and we live right on top of their favorite vacation spot" Xander replied.

"That… Actually explains a lot"

Library

"So The Judge is being reassembled and Angel has gone missing. What happened between you two last night?" Xander asked eyeing the blonde chosen one.

"Nothing, I'm going to check Angel's apartment again" Buffy said before beating a hasty retreat.

"Why do you need so many books that say the same thing?" Cordelia asked the silent duo.

"Why do you need fifteen pair of shoes the same color?" Xander said getting up to put his book back and get another.

"If you were a woman you'd know the answer to that" Cordelia fired back.

"Willow would you care to explain the whole shoe thing to us?"

"You um need shoes for well walking so if you walk a lot you would need a lot of shoes"

"Well if we're going to pull an all-nighter I say we raid the vending machines or the cafeteria" Xander spoke setting his new book down and heading for the doors.

"Either of you coming" both decided to take the offered study break.

Xander watched Angel taunt Buffy while Willow and Cordelia had ran to get Giles. There were over fifteen ways he could kill Angel right now but all of them meant revealing more then just his knowledge from Itachi. Seeing Angel distracted he darted forward and tackled the Irish vampire sending both sliding down the hall.

Getting he positioned himself between Angel and Buffy his body falling into a fairly basic fighting stance his eyes staring down the demon before him.

"Looks like you learned a few tricks boy but do you really think you can take me in a fight?" Angel taunted.

'This time and every time' He thought before replying.

"I don't have to stop you just keep you busy until G-dad and reinforcements arrive. Tell me Deadboy you wanna play a game for your life?" The supposed Scourge of Europe instead of commenting decided to leave them for another night.

He watched Buffy storm out the library in tears but couldn't bring himself to care. Willow made a show of figuring the secret out but it had been evident to at least Xander what it was the second Buffy began crying.

'Is she even worth helping? Its bad enough she falls for the enemy but now she shares a bed with it as well. Children like her have no place in these affairs, while the heart is a powerful weapon only a fool allows it to stop them from doing what has to be done. I'll use my heart but I won't put others lives before it Buffy Summers you are a selfish girl.'

Next Morning

Buffy attempted to attack Jenny Calendar only to have her arms caught at the wrist by Xander. She struggled all the while demanding answers from Jenny and to the surprise of the Scooby gang she had them another surprise came a second later though.

"If You're looking to place blame then add me as well I've known about the curse since before everything happened" Xander said his voice as of late had been quiet and lacking certain things.

"You knew! And you didn't say anything?" Buffy demanded.

"Conversely you a seventeen year old girl decided of her own free will to have sex with someone over a hundred years old who also happens to be dead and a member of the enemy" he fired back.

Buffy turned her eyes back on Jenny.

"Re-curse him"

"I can't, I don't have the materials or even know what they are but I know who does. My uncle should have everything with him to do it"

"Good then we will go see him and you three work on dealing with the judge" Buffy ordered before dragging Jenny and Giles out of the classroom forcibly.

"Willow get your friend Oz we need his van. Cordelia go home and get dressed up as more of a tramp were gonna need firepower"

Army Base

"So how are we going to get into the base doofus?" Cordelia asked.

"Simple you three go to the front and cause a distraction I'll go in while you do it and get what we need"

"If that's it why did I get dressed like this?"

"Just wanted to see if you would" he replied before climbing out of the van and not missing the girls irritated scream.

Seeing the van drive away he approached the fence and took out a kunai. Charging chakra into the blade he then began cutting the fence until he had a door sized shape cut out and simply walked through. Darting around boxes and out of camera sights he made his way to the armory. Finding a guard outside he sneaks up behind him and with a quick blow to the neck drops him. Dragging the unconscious guard into the shadows he entered the armory and began looking around.

Locating what he wanted to use on the judge he then pulled two sacks from his pockets and unrolled them.

'Lets go shopping' he thought with a glimmer in his eye that would frighten most people before starting to stock pile his private stash.

"Oz man give me a hand with this stuff so we can go" Xander called dragging the big box behind with two bags filled to bursting resting on top of it.

"Xander what is all this stuff?" Willow asked as they finish loading and peeled out of the area.

"Wills ask yourself if you really want to know the answer to that question and consider that we just robbed the army and if you know you are an accessory after the fact." he responded which caused her to squeak and turn back around.

Library

"How'd it go?" Xander asked as the Slayer and adults returned.

"Angelus beat us to the punch. My uncle he's dead" Jenny said looking down after she said it.

"Mourn after the Judge is dust and Deadboy has joined him" Xander said getting up and walking over to her.

"I don't want to see her face here when this is over she lied to us it's her fault this happened" Buffy accused her emotions coming back.

"You plan to do the same to Giles then?" he asked.

"What do you mean Giles hasn't had any part in this"

"He's guilty of the same offense. He lied to us and withheld information that caused a situation that could've gotten most if not all of us killed. If you plan to excommunicate Jenny for that then you can't grant Giles a reprieve" Xander spoke looking directly at the blonde.

"We didn't have a right to know in that case. I think "I" at least had a right to know about the curse"

"The only people who had a right to know are the people who knew. Angel wasn't given back his soul to be a hero or to be your stupid soul mate he was CURSED with a soul so that he would suffer for killing someone precious to a family. This world does not revolve around the all-mighty Buffy and your word is most defiantly not law. If you want to play things like that I suggest we call in Kendra because your letting your guilt and attachment with his face control you"

"I'm the Slayer I know what's right. You can't understand how I am feeling right now" she roared.

"Jenny just lost her uncle to your beloved Angelus another Kalderash died because of him. Do they not deserve absolution would you deny that to them because he has Angel's face"

"You don't understand" She screamed tears leaking from her eyes.

"If anyone would understand I would, the person you loved is dead and in their place is a demon that wears his face. That is what Giles told us the night… The night I shoved a stake into Jesse's chest accident or not I ended his life that night. Dry your eyes and get the job done then you can mourn. The world needs saving and we can't do it alone The Judge, Angelus, Spike, and Dru we need all of us for it including Miss Calendar."

Turning around his words finished he pushed the doors open and walked out of the library.

Giles Residence

Xander had just gotten in and was just about to grab his cloak when the phone rang. Picking it up he listened for the voice on the other end to speak up.

"The Judge is gonna hit the Mall we're going to take him down all of us you in?" Buffy's voice came over the line.

"I'll be there; good to have sane Buffy back with us"

"I got some advice from a friend that helped"

Hanging up he bypassed the cloak and grabbed a jacket slipping weapons into it he allowed himself a small smile.

'She won't kill him but at least she won't hinder us. It was the best outcome given the circumstances I could hope and try for.'

Mall

The green streams of life stopped flowing as a crossbow bolt slammed into the Judge. Reached down he snapped the bolt in two.

"Fools you mean stop me with this? No weapon forged by the hands of man may harm me" he boomed out.

"That was then" Buffy said and smiled as Xander calmly passed her the missile launcher they had barrowed from the army base.

"This is now" the rocket launched with a roar no one noticed the several small slips of burning paper attached to it either. Angelus and Dru luckily dived out of the way as the rocket struck and it along with the explosive notes went off.

'Weapons forged HA! How about weapon wrote by the hand of Alexander you bastard' He inwardly cheered as the Judge was reduce to cinders.

Library after Full Moon Cycle

"So you're a werewolf?" Xander asked.

"Yeah"

"You gotten bitten your baby cousin and he is a werewolf too?" He asked

"Yeah"

"So how's that working out for you?"

"Good"

"Cool"

"Cool"

The entire Scooby gang blinked at the exchange between the two. Xander had not been there for the whole werewolf hunter thing. He had disappeared after he and Buffy dealt with Theresa.

"That's it?" Buffy asked the two

"Is it?" Xander asked Oz.

"It is" he confirmed both looking to Buffy.

"You're both just weird"

"Thank you" the replied in unison sending the room into laughter.

Two Weeks Later Night

Jenny Calendar watched the translation program continue to run through the original Romanian text of the soul curse. The others still accepted her though in Buffy's case it was more being tolerated with coldness. She had even been invited over to Giles after she finished tonight. The best news however had to be on the disk resting on her desk. She had been able to hack an old Soldats database and find records about Xander everything he needed to know was most likely there now. She had refused to read it considering this was for him only and he would share it if he wished too.

"Every things actually looking up for once" she said to the air around her and reaching out to run her hand over the clear Orb sitting on her desk.

She should have known in Sunnydale that is only the calm before the approaching storm.

Streets

Xander Giles was having a good night, which sadly he knew meant something bad was on its way. He was walking on his way home from the Bronze having actually enjoyed the evening dancing with his friends and lifting Buffy's spirits.

The Angel situation was getting out of hand it seemed he had taken to drawing Buffy while she slept and leaving the pictures by her bed. Then he went further and slaughtered Willow's poor goldfish. If Jenny wasn't so close to cracking the soul curse he'd suggest just killing the vampire but it also seemed Buffy held onto her attachment.

He brought his ice cream cone up and took a lick from the vanilla chocolate swirl. The ice cream parlor had actually been open late for once and thus he had gotten his frozen treat.

'I am so easily satisfied the only thing better would be a rain of Twinkies. Of course if that happened I'd know we were screwed.'

A ringing sound came from his pocket and he blinked fishing out his new cell phone. He'd gotten it a few days ago and only the gang had the number, incase an emergency happened and he needed to be reached.

"Hello?" He asked as he fished out and accepted the call.

-Xander, you have to get to the school he's after me he knows I got the soul curse figured out. He wreaked the computer and printouts- came the panting and fearful voice of Jenny.

"Who's there Jenny? What part of the school are you in"

-Angelus, right behind me. You gotta hurry. He's gonna kill m- the call cut out then leaving only empty static.

"Jenny? Jenny? JENNY?" he yelled before racing off towards the school chakra enhancing his legs.

Sunnydale High School

"You know I was just going to snap your pretty little neck and leave you for Giles, but with you calling the little white knight I think we'll make it special for him" Angelus spoke as he cornered Jenny the remains of her phone on the floor behind him.

"Not without a fight you won't. All I have to do is hold you off until Xander gets here" She said braver then she felt and fell into a fighting stance, while not a slayer or an assassin like Xander she should be able to hold her own against just one vampire.

"Actually it won't be a fight either" Angelus said as two more vampires wearing their true faces came from behind him making the odds 3 to 1 and Angel changed his face as well.

Jenny began screaming shortly after.

Xander shoved the doors open never stopping in his run. He could smell blood and the more inward he got the worse the smell got. He was close now he knew it. His mind was just hoping for a workable scenario and avoiding the worst possibilities.

'If she isn't too injured I think I know enough medical jutsu to save her' He thought as he went over the limited medic-nin information Itachi had.

What he found waiting for him though was the worst possible outcome. Blood smeared the walls and dripped from walls to make puddles on the floor. He could see a severed human arm resting in one such puddle. Jenny lay on her back clothes torn and bleeding from several wounds missing an arm and a leg. Amazingly her face only bore a single cut on the chin.

Running to her side he checked for a pulse and found a faint one. Hands flying through seals they took on a green color as he began trying to stabilize her and heal what he could. he could see her breathing try to regulate before she coughed out a glob of blood and it became even shallower. Slowly her head turned and her eyes glazed over stared at his face.

"Xander is that you?" She asked in a quiet voice full of pain.

"Be quiet and save your strength I have to try and heal the major damage before we lose you" He ordered but only got a chuckle from Jenny.

"The physical wounds aren't the problem. After they did this he slipped me a poison I don't know which one he wanted me to suffer and let you watch helpless. Can't say I like his choice though hurts like hell"

"Don't worry I'll get you stabilized and then to a hospital where they can treat the poison" The medical jutsu wasn't working and he knew it.

"I need you to do something for me Xander. One last thing to spit in that bastard's eye"

"What is it?" he asked quietly.

"I want you to end my pain. I know you have a skill that can take it away and let me go quietly instead of this drawn out agony. Please kill me" she said before coughing up more blood.

"Jenny I can't. You can't ask me to do that to kill you" Tears were leaking from his eyes.

"It hurts too much and I can see you suffering please do it for me. Be my angel of death"

He nodded sadly and did three quick seals causing a wind to blow through the school and around his hand.

"Kaze no Hari" (Wind Needles) the wind slowly formed into needles between his fingers and he pressed each into her chest right into her heart. Because they were made of air they passed through the skin easily and only stopped her heart due to the low amount of chakra he put into it.

"Get him for me Xander make that bastard pay for me. My most precious friend" she whispered and breathed no more.

Tear flowed down his eyes as he kneeled there his eyes switching to sharingan and the comma's pulsing. He slowly ran his hand over her eyes closing them for the last time and letting out a horrendous scream. The trauma spurred on the change but in his grief he did not notice simply letting the tears flow.

The sharingan had evolved into the "Mangekyō Sharingan"

Rising Xander looked at the body and then at the wall behind it reading the message written in blood to him.

'I'll be waiting'

Giles Residence

Rupert was disturbed from his tea when the door was pushed open and Xander walked in a haunted look on his face. He had forgotten the boy was still out having been focused on his invitation to Jenny Calendar. Xander walked right past him and to his room.

Xander threw open his closet and immediately set out his cloak and hat. Pulling out the Dark blue shirt and black pants he dressed slowly then applied the tape to the ankle area and slipped on his black ninja sandals. Loading his weapons into the cloak everything made for a vampire specific hunt. Picking up the straw hat he began loading wooden needles into specific places for a little known technique Itachi had used.

Lastly he picked up one of the sacks he had filled at the army base and pulled out a FN Herstral F2000 modular rifle made in Belgium he loaded a clip and put extra in pockets. Putting the shoulder strap on him, He concealed the weapon in his cloak.

Turning to look in the mirror on his way out he squared his face into stone and walled up every emotion he had except the righteous fury burning in his heart.

"Every time someone gets that close to my heart they die. So be it I won't lose another best friend to this world" he said to himself and headed down the stairs.

"Xander where are you going at this hour" Giles asked panicking at the sight of the boy's clothes and demeanor.

"Get everyone to the library I don't care what you have to say just do it" Xander said. Taking out an envelope he tossed it to Giles.

"If I am not there by dawn open this. We lost someone tonight and I won't let it continue. Get everyone there G-dad or the sin of their lost lives may rest on your shoulders" With that he walked out just as the rain started to fall around him.

Giles immediately reached for his phone.

Sunnydale High School

Giles was being consoled by the others as they arrived and found police on the scene who explained what they found inside. Buffy had tears running down her face whether they were for Jenny or for Angel no one really knew. Willow however consoled by Oz did notice who was missing from their group.

"Why isn't Xander here Giles?"

The librarian suddenly looked up as his mind connected the last dot.

"He must have been the one to find Jenny. Good lord the boy must be going after Angelus. He's waking into a trap willingly because of his grief" he said and immediately got someone to take them to the library and his store of weapons.

"I'll not lose anyone else this night" Giles said as he passed out weapons.

Factory

'When did you become my best friend? When did I allow myself the comfort of trusting someone so much? I should've never brought you into my world of darkness and became attached. I trusted you Janna more then Willow and anyone else you became my best friend and my partner. In death you have given me the Mangekyō Sharingan. He'll pay Janna I swear it give me strength for I will become death tonight'

Sneaking up behind the front guards he slammed a wooden kunai into the first's heart from behind and then sent the projectile flying into the other guard. Two puffs later and only dust settled around his feet. Walking around to the power box he slit the wires plunging the Factory into darkness.

'Watch me now. Watch me dance a beautiful dance of death'

Inside

Angelus had been gleefully gloating over the killing of Jenny Calendar while licking his fingers clean of her blood. Bragging that Xander would be crying for weeks and a mental wreck for years thanks to him and that in turn would hurt Buffy even more.

He stopped when the lights suddenly went out but their demonic eyesight allowed them to see perfectly.

"Seems the Whelp might have come head hunting eh? Angelus" Spike said from his wheelchair.

"Quiet Wheelie let the grown-ups handle this" Angelus retorted.

Suddenly there was a sound in the darkness. The sound of a vampire dusting followed by two others and then four others yet the attacker made no sound at all between strikes and they couldn't catch the intruders scent. Finally one of the vampires lit a troth of gas on fire brining the room into the light.

Alexander stood in the middle of the factory his face calm and expressionless towards the army of undead around him.

"Oh my dark kitten has got himself a new pair of eyes he does. He can see everything he can even see our death. Such pretty eyes daddy can I have a pair of them too" Dru raved while clapping her hands.

"Sure Dru I'll even bring you his eyes. Well what are you waiting for get him." Angelus said ordering his minions to attack.

The vampires surrounded him like a sea to the point that he lost count of how many he now faced but his face never wavered. Reaching a hand up he placed it on his hat.

"Jouro Senbon" He called out and then began spinning his hat releasing a hail of wooden needles from it each being aimed with chakra for the heart of a vampire.

Minions began dusting immediately the needles flying like homing missiles. Dust covered the floor as the first wave was struck down and the rest began to panic. Any vampire fool enough to approach Alexander was struck down by his katana.

"Dru luv I think we be needin to make ourselves scarce before the Whelp comes after us" Spike said as he rolled over to their escape tunnel and hoisted himself down. Dru came a second later spinning and dancing with the screams filling the air.

"Cowards get back here it's just one guy" Angelus growled at his comrades before joining them.

Alexander lifted his rifle and began firing into the ranks the vampire killers dusting them in droves. When it clicked on dry he drew his custom pistols and began wading through the dust. Scratches began to cover his body and blood flowed as more and more attacks were getting through. The hat was thrown from his head as he had to once more switch to his Beretta's continuing to shoot and then stab as they ran dry.

The Scooby gang arrived on the scene and stopped dead in their tracks at what they found. Xander was bleeding from several places, surrounded by dust and vampires looking half dead but continuing to fight the oncoming forces. By Giles count the young man had killed at least 36 vampires if not more and he was still trying to go on though each kill had seemed to cost him.

"SEND ALL OF HELL AGAINST ME ANGELUS AND I WILL SLAY THE DEVIL HIMSELF TO GET TO YOU" he screamed suddenly his cool mask breaking under the stress of the fight. He was past his limit and he knew it but he couldn't stop.

The gang leapt into action spurred on by the pain in Xander's voice and the pain in their own hearts. When the vampires fled Giles approached Xander who was kneeling in the dirt staring at his hands the weapons of his trade laying around him discarded.

'Althena, Chloe is this truth? Someone please tell me if this is the truth. I failed I FAILED… again. I failed you Jesse, I failed you Janna, Althena, Kirika, and Chloe I failed you all. Blood coats my hands the blood of stranger and the blood she asked me to shed. Why won't it go away? Why can I still see it? SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME IS THIS THE TRUTH?'

Giles went to one knee and lifted Xander's head to see him staring with glazed over eyes. Slowly the others surrounded him.

"Xander are you alright" Giles asked.

"Giles… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I didn't get him… I didn't get that monster for what he did… I failed… I failed everyone…. How can you stand to look at me…I failed to get him… All of this destruction and I failed. To get Angelus" he whispered tears flowing freely down his eyes.

"Xander it's ok" Buffy said placing a hand on his shoulder.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH ME" he yelled and pulled his shoulder away scaring everyone.

"YOU DID THIS. YOU CAUSED ALL OF THIS. IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU SHE DIED." He accused which caused Buffy to lower her head.

"I'm sorry"

Silence reigned but was broken by Xander.

"No I am, I can't blame you for this only myself" Xander said his voice steadying as he got helped to his feet by Giles.

"I need to recover and continue I owe Janna that" with the help of Giles he picked up every scrap of equipment and was led away. In their sadness none of them took note of just what Xander had used. If they had maybe they would have understood.

Alexander had accepted himself and put his emotions away like a good assassin. He had done what Althena had taught him and simply put things away.

He would have his vengeance.

He would find his truth.

He owed these things to Janna and Althena.

'Rest well Angelus for I am not going to hunt you just yet I will heal my heart and my body and harden it to this world. I will be the weapon I once was yet still their friend. They cannot ever see my world and that is fine by me. I am Alexander now and forever the man who is their friend and the deadliest assassin alive.'

'Thank you for the lesson in pain it has reminded me of much Angelus. For now I need to rest and mourn and then just continue on'

'Goodbye Janna my friend and my partner may you find peace in the next life.'

Alexander had made a choice, to love those worthy yet never let them see beyond the mask. To become the assassin he was trained to be and continue on his bloody path unhindered by emotion.

'Be like Kirika and Chloe when we are separated and then be yourself when you are with the gang'

Please read and review.

Ending note 1: I know this is confusing but basically Xander has decided to be himself the Xander they all see so they can be happy and the Alexander that he was born as. Basically for now he is stuck in an identity crisis.

Ending note 2: One final call for pairings voting closes after chapter 6 I will accept season three stars and Noir stars.

Ending note 3: any suggestions for the story please contact me or put in review.

Till next time.