Xander Harris and the Antediluvian Tome

Author: Lochar

Disclaimer: If I owned it, this wouldn't be considered fanfiction.

Chapter 3

"Excuse me?" Xander asked, flabbergasted.

"You heard me. You're not leaving the sight of one of us until after we've killed that demon." Buffy grated out. "I am not letting her kill one of my friends."

Faith leered at Xander again. "Don't worry X, I won't let B watch ya while ya take a shower. That's my job. I still owe ya for that comment."

Xander and Buffy both blushed, for different reasons.

"I don't think we need to watch that closely, Faith." Buffy managed to get out.

"Speak for yourself. I wanna know what X is hiding."

"Do you really plan on killing Raven?" Giles voice broke into the argument. "She isn't a demon, but a mutant."

Faith turned around, Buffy scant seconds behind her. "Threatens to kill and maim until she found out her book was destroyed, then wanted to kidnap X for whatever power she thinks he can give. Sounds demonic to me, Jeeves."

"Faith is right." Buffy nodded. "She's definitely demonic."

Sighing, Giles shook his head. He stood up from the table, looking at the girls. "Raven is a mutant, not a demon. And while yes she does seem quite unstable, she is still a human. From her looks and actions you may think she is, but trust me on this that if you kill her, the Slayer spirit will realize you've killed a human. And something like that is not a good thing. You two are supposed to be protectors of humankind, not a killer. It will quickly drive you into a depression."

Buffy nearly pouted. "Fine Giles. No killing the weird woman. If she attacks though, no promises that she's walking away without broken arms and legs. Deal?"

Giles nodded. "I do not think you will like the results of harming a human, but as you wish." He had a slightly defeated air about him as he continued. "Have a good night, and please, don't kill her."

"That's that then. Come on, X. Let's get your butt home." Faith grabbed Xander's arm, pulling him out of the library.

"Don't I have any say in this?" Xander asked plaintively.

"Not really. Come on Red, we'll make sure you get home as well."

Willow nodded quietly, walking out with the group.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Alright, see? I'm home, and no weird woman attacking me. Happy now? I can go into my house without an armed escort, right?" Xander laughed.

"It's not funny, Xander. We don't want you to get hurt!" Willow said.

Xander shrugged. "Well, I'm home at least. I'm not going to taunt Murphy too much, but since I'm home everything should be alright, right?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. OK, Willow. You're up next. Let's get you home."

"Sounds great to me. Then we can go out and kill a few vamps at least." Faith added.

"Enjoy then. Night gals." Xander grinned at them, then turned to go inside.

As he walked in the house, he heard the three girls walking off talking quietly. Heading into the den, he saw his dad watching the TV.

"Get me a beer, brat." His dad's voice echoed over the back of the couch.

Shrugging, Xander walked into the kitchen. Sounded less slurred than usual. Wonder why… Xander's internal musings were cut off as he found his mother and another man about her age sitting in the kitchen, talking over coffee.

"Who're you?" The man asked.

Xander's mother turned to him, and smiled. "That's my son, grandfather."

Xander backed up. "Grandfather? What do ya mean by that, mom?"

"He's my grandmother's father, so actually he'd have a great in front of it, but he is my grandfather. Yours too, actually."

And looking as young as you? Xander's hand went behind his back, grabbing the stake he'd not dropped off in his room yet. "Granddad? That's… interesting."

The man smiled and Xander swallowed. There was something odd about that smile, something familiar. It didn't look quite like a vamp's smile; it instead struck a chord inside him.

It's always me, isn't it? Xander thought to himself as he forced a smile and slowly walked back towards his mother and 'Granddad.' Mom invited him in, but he hasn't attacked her yet. Did that Raven person send him after me?

Walking up to his granddad, he nodded before sweeping his arm around, attempting to bury the stake in the heart before the man could react.

The stake scrapped across the man's chest, creating less than a flesh wound that healed almost immediately. Looks of shock and surprise went across the faces of all three people.

"Damn it!" Xander shouted, jumping back. Master vamp! Crap, and Buffy and Faith are probably already way to far to get back here.

"Alexander!" His mother screamed.

The man's reaction was the strangest of them all though. The surprise attack had worked enough to catch him off guard, and the attack had pushed the chair back and he fell back onto the floor. Quickly spinning around and standing up, Xander was shocked to see three really long metal spikes slide out of each hand. "What was that for?" He glared at him.

Xander grabbed for the small cross he wore, quickly flipping the chain over his head and pushing it towards the man. "Back up, get the hell out of here. Consider yourself uninvited."

At first, it looked like it might work, as the man stared at the cross dumbfounded. Then a shiver went down Xander's spine as the man laughed.

Xander took a step back as the man stood up from his fighting position, but sighed slightly as the spikes retracted back into his hands.

"I'm not a demon, I'm not a vampire. Although, I gotta give ya credit for the quick thinking." He smiled at him. "And I really am," he thought for a moment, "hell, I guess it would be your great-great grandfather."

Jessica frowned. "Grandfather, grandma never said anything about you being able to do that?"

The man nodded. "Yeah, that's recent, and not something I volunteered for."

"I don't care about that, but if you're not a vampire or demon, how in the world could you be that old? Especially since you look mom's age."

"Really, I'm not exactly sure. My kid didn't heal fast enough to outrun time. Apparently my mutant healing is strong enough."

Mutant, great. He's here for the book too. There's no way he'd show up the same time the blue chick did and not be here for it as well. Hope he doesn't report in to her too soon. He's not drunk, so that makes him loads better than anyone on dad's side of the family.

Grinning, and only having to slightly force it, Xander sat down to talk with the oldest member of his family he knew.

Nobody noticed the bird outside the window that flew off, screaming as it did.