Fury of the Beast

Disclaimer: Buffy is owned my Mutant Enemy, the Kindred are owned by White Wolf, and I own...no life at all, apparently. Ah well.

Warning! Mild language in this chapter. I highly suggest you don't repeat it to your parents. Although you shouldn't unless you idolize Spike anyway.

Here we go, onto part 14. Thanks for the feedback, but please, don't let previous feedback keep you from sending more. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Xander trailed the Slayer at a distance. He was sure she'd already sensed him, she was on high alert, but he managed to stay out of sight. Angel had put him through a course on how to stay quiet and out of sight without losing sight of his target.

Circling around her slowly, almost casually, he emerged from the shadows of a crypt ten feet to her right.

"Yo, looking for little ol' me, hm?" He spoke in a very casual tone of voice, as if discussing the weather.

She turned with a bit of a scowl. "As a matter of fact, yes. You're good at sneaking around, did you learn that from the local rats?"

Xander smirked, putting on a pained expression and holding his hand over his heart. "Oh, ouch, yeah, you got it. Well, actually, from a nearby rat eater....but whatever."

He let his hands drop. "Actually I'm here to hear about what you read in Giles' Diary. Can't help but wonder what it said about me."

Her face grew a little less wary, although she did keep him in full view the whole time. "It didn't say anything."

Xander blinked. "Huh? Exsqueeze me? How can it not say anything about me?"

"Just that. It looked like to me his diary was erased and rebuilt, I think somebody didn't want the information in his diary to be widely known. Any idea what it could have said?" She spoke, curiosity on her face.

Xander swore.

"No, not really. I guess I'll never know, now. Unless somebody still has the real copy down somewhere, there's no way I'd know what he put in it." He sighed. Then he looked at her rather warily.

"You know, I never did get your name. I don't want to pull a Spike and keep calling you 'Slayer' all the time, so...." He began.

"Vanessa. My name's Vanessa." She said, a little hesitantly.

Xander nodded. "All right, Vanessa. I want to talk, somewhere where we can do so without attracting attention or the other local nightlife. Is the Bronze still around?"

She shook her head. "That club burned down ten years ago. There's another club built out of an old warehouse, called The Haven. We can speak there as it's neutral territory."

Xander nodded. "All right, lead the way."

She shook her head. "You're in front, I don't trust you."

He laughed. "Fair enough."

Xander looked around The Haven. It confirmed his worst fears.

Six decades ago in LA, he'd been given the quick rundown on all the vampire clans and sects by Lily, in Caritas.

Thus when Xander saw the symbol on the wall, he stopped and blinked for a moment, and then quickly led Vanessa to a table where they could sit down and as inconspicious as possible.

He leaned over and spoke quietly in her ear.

"Don't make any sudden moves, this club is very dangerous. I'll bet the owners wouldn't put up too much of a fuss if something happened to you in here." She looked confused.

Xander sighed. "This club is run by a vampire. One of the nasty ones." He nodded over to the symbol on the wall.

Vanessa looked over and then turned back to Xander. "Is that what that means?" He nodded again.

"Why are you telling me this?" She said, looking confused. If it was a trap, he'd have just let her know about it and put her on guard, rendering the trap nearly useless.

"I don't want to see you get hurt." Was his simple reply. She blinked. She could tell, he wasn't lying.

Vanessa sighed.

Xander shrugged. "All right, as long as we're here, I'll tell you what happened, at least what I know. I met Buffy when I was a freshman in high school..."

And so he talked, calmly. Smiling wistfully when he recalled those early days, sighing and looking a little hurt as he recounted the painful events, seeming to be on the verge of laughter when he recalled the mannerisms of some of his best friends.

He told her as much as he felt he could. The events that led to his Embrace. Surviving on the streets of LA. His encounter with Spike on Christmas. Awakening in this time, and learning at the feet of the legendary vampire with a soul.

He told Vanessa about saving Allandra from the corrupted former vampire hunter. Moving back to Sunnydale.

She just sat there, her total attention on him, every word churning in her mind, rattling against her Council-made education.

A Slayer who survived four times longer and did far, far better than any before because she had a little help. A Slayer with friends and family, a purpose, a reason to survive until tomorrow.

A Slayer that made accomplishments previously unheard of.

And it explained so many things. Like why after centuries of fairly quiet demonic activity, the Hellmouth was unguarded when it kindled into activity and nobody was there to calm it. It was a lie.

Buffy and her crew of helpers, her friends and family was there and they calmed it down. They kept it closed and quiet until it lapsed into calm again.

When Xander finished, he looked a bit tired. He checked his watch. "Look, I'm sorry, I've got a few other things to do today. How about I meet you out in front of the High School tomorrow night? Then we can go after Spike." She nodded and stood up, walking briskly out the door.

Xander stood up and stretched, brushing his plain tan trenchcoat. He strode up to one of the bouncers.

"I'd like to speak with the owner, if that could be arranged?" He said politely.

The bouncer sized him up, and then nodded. He pulled out a cellphone and dialed a number quickly. "Hey Mike. I got a guy here who wants to talk to you. Yeah, he's a member. Right."

The bouncer nodded to Xander. "Right this way."

Xander followed, his eyes drifting to the symbol of the Sabbat on the wall.

Michael Thanton of the Clan Toreador sized up the Brujah who walked in the door, followed closely behind by a human bouncer.

Mike was reassured by the presence of his own two Brujah bodyguards on either side of himself. One was a beautiful pale redheaded woman, the other was a hulking giant of a man, a blonde haired warrior. He made a show of organizing papers on his desk as he studied the newcomer. Mike wasn't a tall man, he was a plain man, wearing glasses. He appeared to be a thirty year old banker type, although if he wasn't good at surviving at least he wouldn't be a member of the Sabbat.

He was young, and he had potential. He was strong, equal in generation to Mike. He could be a problem.

"Can I help you, sir?" Mike stated, leaning back in his chair, folding his hands.

The newcomer turned and nodded to the human bouncer. "Thanks, Mike and I have some things to discuss." The bouncer looked at Mike for confirmation. At Mike's nod, he walked out the door and closed it.

The young Brujah turned back and looked at Mike, ignoring the bodyguards.

"All right. The name's Alexander Harris of the Clan Brujah. I'm here for answers." Xander crossed his arms. "Why are the Sabbat in Sunnydale?"

Mike smiled slightly. "To keep order for our kind of course. Thinking of joining?"

"Not really. I assume you're the head honcho around here?" Mike nodded slightly. Sunnydale wasn't large enough or important enough to warrant a larger presence of Sabbat, and it was still not close enough or in a good position to funnel people over to undermine the Camarilla's position in LA.

Xander smiled slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Good. Then I won't need to annoy your superiors. Sunnydale is under my protection now. I'm don't want to run this place, but I will if I have to. Keep out of my way and play nice, and I won't need to change the regime around here. Got it?"

Mike raised an eyebrow. "And you think you can enforce your will around me, hm? You're getting into very, very thick mud here, little one."

Xander just smirked. "We'll see, boyo. Play nice around the Kine or I'll get nasty." He then turned and walked out, without waiting for Mike's response.

Mike just sat back in his chair, and turned to the bodyguard on the left, the giant.

"Hans, I'd like to see our dear Mister Harris meet with an unfortunate accident. Would you please arrange it?" Mike said.

Hans only smiled.

Xander walked into his apartment, only to find Allandra cleaning a rapier.

"Hey Allandra, looking good. Uh...I hope you're not going to test that on me, I just cleaned this shirt." He said, smiling a bit.

She laughed lightly. "Really? It doesn't look it. If I'm not mistaken you wore that two days ago and it hasn't been washed."

Xander shrugged. "Well you know there's more than just 'dirty' and 'clean' there's many subtle layers." He said with a grin, moving his hands as if demonstrating.

It didn't matter much in his case, on a vampire clothes tended to stay clean for longer than normal. He could wear the same set of clothing for a full week without much of a problem, although any set of clothing would get musty after a while. It became a running joke between Allandra and Xander though.

She set the rapier aside and turned her whole attention on Xander. "So what did you find out, Xander?" He quickly recalled the meeting with Vanessa and finding out about the vampire boss of Sunnydale.

"Isn't that dangerous, to put yourself at odds with their leader?" She asked, concerned.

"Just a bit. Thing is, their faction isn't nice and kind, if they know about the Hellmouth they'll try and use it so they can rule over everybody like lords over cattle. The Camarilla just wants to survive. They don't know about the Hellmouth, or at least I think they don't, so I'm acting on their behalf." Xander said, completely serious.

Allandra nodded. Then her face turned grave. "Xander, I saw somebody today. He was watching me, so I took a picture of him with my cellphone's camera. I thought you might recognize him."

She handed him the phone and Xander looked at the picture on the miniature screen. And then he swore.

"Allandra, you remember that demon, when we first met?" Allandra nodded, her beautiful features twisting into a pained expression.

He turned the phone around, showing her the picture of a very human looking Nicholas.

"That's what he looks like the rest of the time."

She swore in Elven. Xander didn't know what she said,.but it had to be nasty.

Ifrit stirred. He flexed and tested the tendrils that linked him and his servant across the planes.

The connection was growing stronger, Nicholas was getting closer. One more week and he'd be free. Ifrit could now, for the first time, see what things were like on that Earth.

He was disappointed, to say the least. That plane looked like nothing better than a primitive, dull place.

Ifrit didn't mind, however. Hell was certainly exciting, but it wasn't a place he wanted to stay forever, it'd be nice to be somewhere dull for a while. He could keep himself occupied.

Standing from his throne, Ifrit stretched his burning form. His footsteps left smoking indentations in the floor, his throne was always comfortably warm, although most other creatures would be screaming in pain sitting on its white-hot surface.

The doors to his throne room opened up. Ifrit looked up, his eyes examining the intruder with all the hostility of a Lord of Hell.

The little messenger imp cowered before the Devil Lord. It scampered up to Ifrit's feet, and held up a parchment.

Ifrit grunted and took it. The imp, his duty done, quickly ran out of Ifrit's throne room, scared for his life.

Unrolling the parchment, Ifrit began to read.

Lord Ifrit, Ruler of the Fire Plains of Keth.

I am aware of your plan, Lord Ifrit, to leave this plane and remove yourself from our esteemed company. Know that if our only superior to know, he'd easily keep you in this place you so despise.

Personally, I do not care what you do. In fact, I wish you good tidings on your journey. Since you will be leaving, permanently, once you are gone I shall annex your lands and resources as things of use. I know were the positions reversed, you would do the same, and by your own code of honor, you would declare such intentions at my doorstep had I managed to leave in this manner.

The King of Hell, doddering old fool that he is, suspects you are up to something. In good faith I have diverted his attention many times these last few decades. Your lands after your departure is compensation, and thus I will not be bothering you. Let us be civilized about this, shall we?

I have only sent you this letter to allow you to be aware of the coming tide. We have done enough favors for each other in the past that this shall allow our debts to be even when you leave.

The world you are going to is dangerous indeed. It is currently a battleground between our...former sect and other places of banishment. There were several thousand of us banished, and only a few of us came to this Hell, after all.

When you arrive, I suggest you keep your head down. There are many forces which could destroy you, although they are far apart, they are dangerous enough and they could indeed band together, which would be a threat to even you. Vampires, both descended from us and from the one known as Caine, can defeat anything with the proper tactics. The Weres, the Garou in particular are capable of feats only our best Devil Knights could match. The Mages are as we were, long, long ago. Only strike at them if needed. And lastly, the Champions. They can come from anywhere and be anyone, or anything. Be on your guard.

I wish you the best of luck in this new world, old friend. May your enemies die by the score at your hand, and may their souls sustain you until the end of days.

General Kyannar, Hand of Apocalypse.

Ifrit smiled. It was nice to have friends in Hell.

Xander met up with Vanessa outside of Sunnydale High. He carried a duffle bag in his right hand.

She looked at him, her expression curious as she sized him up, once again. "What's in the bag?"

The ebony Slayer asked.

Xander smiled. He put the bag down and opened it up, and yanked out his pet project. "A little gift for William the Bloody." He held out the fixed up stakegun and flicked a switch. The end of it light up with a blue flame.

Then Xander turned and fired at the ground, twenty feet away. As the stake left the launcher, it passed through the flame and caught on fire, and as it struck the ground it burned slowly.

Vanessa smiled, her eyes dancing with the idea of what that would do to a vampire. "Nasty. How'd you come up with the idea?"

Xander looked a little abashed. "Oh, uh...from a comic book.."

Vanessa laughed. "I can just see you now, sitting in a coffin reading comic books. Sandra would have a fit knowing that vampires get their best ideas from comics."

Xander grinned. "Hey, it's possible. I've heard of a few around that think they're Dr. Doom or The Kingpin. Um...do they still make those comics? And hey! I don't use a coffin anymore! Give me a little credit."

Vanessa shrugged. "I wouldn't know, I don't read comics. And my apologies, oh mighty vampire, I had no idea you slept on the floor."

Xander sighed. "Yeah, me and the floor like each other. We're both cold."

Vanessa grinned. "Ready to go, Xander? I'm rather eager to get rid of Spike."

Xander smiled wolfishly. "Oh yeah, right there with you babe."

Vanessa's jaw dropped. "Babe?!"

Spike sat on an old sofa, and watched the video of Vanessa Stevens as she fought against the cannon fodder he sent her way a week ago.

She was strong and tough, she'd been athletic and trained in the martial arts before she was Chosen, he could see that. Her moves also showed she was overconfident. She didn't think she could be injured, she thought she was better than she was. All Spike would have to do is get her where he wanted her and she'd be his latest meal.

Been a while since he had the blood of a Slayer. Nearly fifteen years now. The stuff was pretty addictive. It took quite a bit of willpower to not just hunt down every Slayer that came around just to get the blood. It wasn't smart to do that, and Spike survived by being smart.

Soft, loving hands caressed his chest. He smiled and turned, kissing his lover. "Hey pet, sleep well?"

She smirked, stroking back her short brown hair. "Always do, Spikey. Is the little Slayer all set up for the killing now? I'm bored and hungry."

Spike smiled. "Of course Beth, she's nice and ready. And she should be here anytime now. We've got a little bit of help you know." He smirked, nodding over to the large, hulking figure.

Beth giggled "I like him, he's all big and nasty. Did you know him in the old days, Spikey?" The giant smirked and nodded once.

Spike laughed. "Oh my, yes pet. We met briefly about...what, a hundred twenty years ago? He was a nasty bugger then and he's even better now. We'll take care of that Slayer and whoever that ponce is who wants to protect Sunnyhell like some kinda knight."

Beth grinned widely. "Oh goody. Let the bright blood flow!"

Xander calmly checked over the stakegun, shifting the position of the katana across his back with an elbow.

Vanessa sharpened both of her stakes with a paring knife, looking at the old apartment building Spike was holed up in.

Neither one spoke, just anticipating the battle ahead.

Xander nodded to Vanessa, indicating he was ready.

She nodded in return. Clamping her lips shut, she walked up to the front door and kicked it in.

Two vampires stood up from the run down sofa they were sitting on, and ran towards the teenage Slayer, growling.

Vanessa calmly staked one, almost mechanically, while she heard the stakegun going off. The flaming stake went right past her shoulder and lodged in the vampire's throat. His eyes widened, and he clawed at the stake as the flames spread quickly through his body, like it was made out of tinder. The poor creature couldn't even scream as it caught on fire and burst into ash.

Xander grinned widely as he patted the side of the stakegun. "Oh yeah, can I make em good or what, huh?"

Vanessa just smirked. Then spoke quietly. "I can feel some more downstairs."

Xander nodded. He slowly moved, making no noise at all as he strode to the basement door, and tried to open it. Since it was locked, he shrugged and tore the door off the frame.

Xander and Vanessa jumped down the stairs, Xander brandishing the custom stakegun, Vanessa standing with both stakes in a combat stance, ready to do her dance of death.

As four vampires surrounded them, both Xander and Vanessa moved as one, Xander simply lined up and fired his stakegun at the nearest vampire, Vanessa kicked out, slamming her foot into a vampire's chest and it flew across the room, smacking into a cement wall. She turned and used her left arm to slam her second vampire's hands out of the way as she used her right to stake it.

Xander's first shot missed, but that wasn't a problem. He just jumped back and shot again. That shot flew true, and it slammed into the vampire's stomach. He screamed in agony as the flames spread throughout his body, bursting into dust even as he tried to yank out the burning stake.

Xander's second enemy looked very hesitant, seeing the fate of the first. As Xander lined up to shoot him, he jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the launched stake. Xander lined up a second shot and this one hit the vampire in the foot. He yelled and yanked the stake out, quickly patting out the flames. He tried to crawl away from Xander, who was calmly striding up with the stakegun brandished. He stood over the vampire, aiming directly down at his back.

"Hasta la vista, baby." He said, and pulled the trigger. The vampire burst into ash a moment later.

Vanessa, meanwhile had already staked the vampire she slammed into the wall, and was watching him with a look of interest on her face. Xander shrugged.

"So what, I liked Terminator 2. I always wanted to say that and be badass." He said with a pout.

She smirked. "I think you'll have to wait a while longer before getting that."

There was clapping at the top of the stairs of the basement.

"Well, if it isn't the Slayer and her little sidekick, all nice badass demon hunter. You've given me quite a headache, you know." Spike's familiar voice rang out.

The basement was fairly dark. Spike couldn't see Vanessa's companion clearly. He remedied that by doing the most simple thing.

He turned on the light.

And found the sneering face of someone he never thought he'd see again.

"Droopy?! What in the bloody hell?!" Spike exclaimed.

"Hey Fangless, did you ever get that chip out of that pea-sized piece of crap you call a brain?" Xander said, pure hatred evident on his face. His hands were shaking so badly he couldn't have hit the broad side of a barn with the stakegun.

"You're dead!" Spike said, as if saying it would actually make Xander vanish.

Xander actually laughed, his hands coming back under control. "No, I'm undead, remember. You're the dead one, Spikey-boy. I owe you for twenty-four hours of torture and sixty lost years. It's time to collect." He raised the stakegun and fired.

Spike's hand blurred and caught the stake. Then he dropped it before it could give him much more than a light burn.

"Ow! Fuck! Hans! Kill this fucking ponce!" Spike jumped back, letting the seven and a half foot tall giant march down the stairs. Xander moved the stakegun, only to have Hans grab the barrel and crush it.

"Ah shit." Xander said, just before Hans' fist slammed into him and he went crashing into the cement wall.

"Xander!" Vanessa exclaimed. She couldn't take both Spike and Hans on her own. Or so she told herself.

He just yelled. "Get Spike! Don't let him get out!" He rolled to his feet, drawing the four foot long katana in the same motion.

She nodded and ran after Spike.

Xander took a good look at Hans, who was now keeping his distance from the reach of the sword.

Hans just smirked and ripped his black shirt in two. Revealing his chest and arms had been covered with tattoos. The majority of which were swastikas.

'Great, he was a giant Nazi.'

"I am Hans Gruber of the Brujah Clan. In my unlife I serve Mein Fuhrer as I did in life. We shall bring his vison to pass and those dregs and weaklings shall be cast aside."

'Great, a giant, fanatic, speech giving Nazi.'

"I am Xander Harris of the Brujah Clan." He rose the katana to an offensive combat stance. "You are a monster, a follower in life and in death. You have no honor. I give you the choice. Do you want to arrive in Hell fast or slow?"

Hans actually looked puzzled. "Why do you hate me so, hm? We are brothers in blood. Join us, my fellow Brujah."

Xander laughed, tensing himself. "If you had it your way my best friend wouldn't have been born, asshole. I guess you could say I'm going to collect on her family's behalf."

With that, Xander charged and swung the katana with his full vampiric speed.

Hans moved back, his huge bulk making it more difficult for him to move to attack.

Hans was kept on the defensive as Xander moved with the grace that had been hammered into him through Angel's training regimen.

Xander swung across Hans' stomach, cutting a thin line across his belly and he growled.

Hans retaliated by jumping back and he sprung off the wall, lashing out at Xander's face with a kick.

Xander ducked under it and swung the blade up.

Neatly cutting off Hans' right leg at the knee.

Hans howled as he fell to the ground. He turned to lash at Xander with his fist, but Xander just rose his leg and took the impact on the shin, doing next to no damage. He put the tip of the sword to Hans' throat.

"You're a disgrace to the Brujah Clan, Hans. Give your Fuhrer my regards when you get to Hell." With that, Xander lifted the blade and swung.

Moments later, only a decapitated, desiccated skeletal corpse was in the basement, Xander having left before Hans' head could bounce.

Vanessa chased Spike, slowly gaining on him as he moved.

He jumped on top of a crypt and looked down at her as she scowled at him.

"Come on Slayer, you didn't really think I wouldn't have a plan when it came to you, did you?" He said with a smirk.

Vanessa stopped, paying attention to her own supernatural sense as she felt no less than ten fledgling vampires, Spike, and another master vampire near her.

She looked up and glared at Spike as he was joined with a pretty brunette girl, who smirked down at her. He had a grin on his face, just like the cat who got into the cream.

"Boys, would you mind? She needs killing." Spike said.

"Blood! I want to see her insides strewn about everywhere!" The brunette vampire at Spike's side said.

Vanessa began fighting the ten assorted vampires as they emerged and attacked at all angles.

She moved in a deadly dance, her stakes moving quickly like cobra strikes.

In short order, she staked three vampires who charged in heedlessly.

The other seven had a little more in the way of a brain, however. They moved to attack in concert. She was now put completely on the defensive. She couldn't get an attack in.

Their strategy was now obvious. They intended to wear her down, then Spike would move in for the kill.

That was the moment Xander leapt into the fray. He came at a vampire from behind and swung his sword using his full speed. He never saw it coming.

The vampire was dead before the pain of a sliced neck could even register in his mind, as Xander moved behind the next one and cut with the rage and controlled fury of a tornado. With that opening, Vanessa moved in.

Within two minutes, the rest were dead. Xander turned to Spike who was standing on top of the crypt, alone now.

He snarled and jumped up, landing on top of the crypt near Spike, brandishing the katana in front of him.

"Spike, Spike, Spike. Don't you realize I'm not the type to give up so easily." He said, nearly snarling.

"I've gotta give you credit, droopy. Never thought you'd get away from Hans. He's good. Then again, you always were good at running away." Spike said, smirking.

Xander laughed. "Sorry Spike, the Nazi won't be running to your aid today. He's dead."

Spike's face fell. "Well shit." Then he lashed out with his fist.

Spike had killed four Slayers in his time. He was used to fighting superior enemies. He was quick, spry, and never overconfident.

He moved around Xander's katana as fluidly as water. He struck out at Xander's throat, causing Xander to duck and swerve.

Both vampires moved fluidly, as if they were one. Vanessa just watched, unable to join in, because there just wasn't a way for her to climb up and she didn't think she could jump up.

Xander moved coldly. There wasn't anything on his face, now he had moved into the true state of vengeance. There was no passion. No more hatred. No more fear. Just himself and his enemy. The enemy that would die here and now for what he had done.

Vanessa choked suddenly. She was so entranced by the fight she hadn't paid enough attention to the other master vampire.

"Stop fighting now, or she dies!" A new, female voice rang out into the night.

Spike stopped, and so did Xander. Xander's eyes were completely cold, and he slowly turned to look down at Vanessa and the other vampire.

Spike just laughed. "Thanks pet, you came in just in time." He jumped down off the crypt roof and moved towards Vanessa and Beth.

Xander jumped down after Spike, moving slowly towards the captive Slayer and the new vampire.

"Let her go." Xander said.

"Drop the sword." Was Beth's reply.

Xander complied, his hands clenched.

"You kill her and you're both dead." He stated, matter of factly. Spike and Beth looked at each other.

"Come on, you couldn't take me in a million years." Was Beth's reply.

Spike spoke up. "Come on pet, let's get out of here, before one of us ends up dusted." Beth shrugged and tossed Vanessa to Xander. He caught her in his arms, and then looked up to Beth, getting his first good look at her.

And he gasped.

"She lives cause you saved my life. Now we're even. Next time we'll kill you both. I'm looking forward to it, Xand." She stated.

And with that, the vampire Spike, and the vampire Beth, formerly known as the Vampire Slayer Buffy Summers, walked away into the night, leaving Xander holding a very confused Slayer in his arms.

He let go of Vanessa and picked up his katana.

"Wait! Xander!" He heard distantly in his mind.

He didn't care. He ran. He ran as fast as he possibly could to get back to his apartment.

He walked in the door, completely on autopilot. One thought running over and over in his mind.

'Buffy's a vampire. Buffy's with Spike. Buffy's against me.' He dropped his katana and screamed. He began pounding a wall in frustration.

He barely heard Allandra trying to calm him down. His vengeance was denied. It was stopped by the woman he had loved, still loved, on some level. His heart ached. His mouth felt like it was on fire. The impossible was true. He had to be in Hell.

Eventually he collapsed onto the couch and began to cry bloody tears. He was only partially aware as gentle, warm, caring arms enveloped him as he drifted off to sleep.

On the other side of town, the demon wearing Buffy's face rubbed her chin as she considered a way to bring Xander Harris of the Brujah Clan into the fold.

Well, there we are. Wasn't that a nice thing to do to poor little Xander? Anyway, feedback! Feedback! I'm like a crack addict....feedback!
Later all.
Nick.