AN: I have to say that I've been floored by the positive response to this overactive plot bunny. I'm really glad that everyone is enjoying this distraction from my novel. It really is special when a story receives the response this one has.

I have seen a running theme in the comments though that I would like to share MY thoughts on. Ho Several of my good readers have made suggestions about what Xander can be doing with his knowledge of the future. The problem with this is that memories are tricky things. You have to be thinking about them then you have to make the connection to action. Case in point, someone suggested that Xander warn Cordy about her father's coming trouble with the IRS. There is a couple of problems with this. One Xander would need to think about it, second he'd need to convince Cordy of the truth of it and third she'd have to listen to him. That is a tall order.

Someone else mentioned the swag that was with the Gem of Amara, Xander never saw any of that nor did he know where Spike found it, not exactly also it was 5 years ago from his perspective. Its not like he was able to bring notes and maps with him when Az slammed him back into his body. Then there is the Hyena possession. When something traumatic happens like a car wreck, you might remember the wreck and the month it occured in, but unless there was an unrelated event to attach the wreck to, you probably won't remember the exact date without help.

Take 9/11 for instance, everyone who was alive on that terrible day has had the date seared into our heads because of the media coverage of those events. However the first car wreck I was ever in I couldn't tell you the date it was to save my life. I know it was in summer, probably June but beyond that I have no references to pin it down. I can describe the wreck in complete detail as to what happened, but don't remember the date.

This relates to the Hyena thing. It occured on a school field trip to the zoo. How many of those have Xander been on? For all we know it was an annual event that Joss didn't show us any others as NOTHING interesting happened on them.

Anyway, sorry about the lengthy note. I just felt the need to explain my take on Xander's memories. One should keep in mind that he can't just go to Netflix and watch his life unfold. :)

I hope you enjoy this chapter.

"I'm glad you're making friends, Dawn," Buffy said as her sister entered the room.

"I'm not making friends, what's the point? You'll just get kicked out again and we'll have to move again." Dawn said after she sat down.

"That isn't going to happen, Dawn," Buffy said, with conviction.

"Oh yeah, you got kicked out of your last school, forced us to move, why should I think it won't happen again?" Dawn said bitterly. "When you do it this time can you just kill someone so we won't have to move again?"

"Dawn Marie Summers! That's enough," Xander snapped forgetting that he'd only know the ten year old a week.

"And who do you think you are? You aren't my father or brother or anything," Dawn shot back as Jesse and Willow stared in shock.

Xander was taken back by that statement and realized that he had NO authority with Dawn, not yet.

"No, I'm not but that was mean and I'm your sister's friend and I don't let anyone hurt my friends, got that?" Xander said falling into the tone he used with mini slayers that got rowdy.

"It's the truth, she a juvenile delinquent," Dawn said.

Xander ran his hands through his hair as Buffy shouted, "I'm a WHAT?" Oh yeah, this was shaping up to be a class five Summers fight, time to nip in the bud now.

"Buffy, can I talk to you in Giles' office a moment?" Xander asked before Dawn could respond.

"Huh?" Buffy asked.

"Please, talk to me in Giles' office," Xander asked again now that he had her attention.

"Sure," she said.

"Great, ignore the ten year old and go make suck face with each other," Dawn said crossing her arms.

Xander ignored the comment and led Buffy to GIles' office and he noticed Giles followed. Once the door was closed Buffy went over to Xander and he put his arms around her and she started to cry.

"She's just angry," Xander said while Giles watched.

"She's right," Buffy said through her tears.

"No she's not, she doesn't know the truth, and I'm not sure why. I have no memories of her prior to her walking through the door, at least not in this timeline," Xander said.

"You don't remember that Dad kept her while Mom and I were setting up the house? But she wasn't there was she?" Buffy asked.

"No, she wasn't, so you do remember the talks we had about her, good. Which leaves the question of why wasn't I affected?" Xander asked.

"Possibly because you've been affected once by the spell," Giles said.

"Ok, that makes sense, but I'm really glad that we didn't wait, I'd have hated to have to figure out four years of altered memories," Xander said.

"What are we going to do with her?" Buffy asked.

"I think we should tell her," Xander said.

"Tell her what?" Buffy asked.

"Everything, I've been thinking and I don't see any reason she shouldn't know," Xander said.

"Everything?" Buffy asked.

"Well, everything you know," Xander said crossing his arms.

"So about me being the Slayer, her being the Key and being flesh and blood for probably only the last five minutes?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, but I don't want to do anything without your ok," Xander said.

"You didn't seem to have any problems with that when it came to Mom," Buffy said.

"Hey, I THOUGHT you were ok with it, you're the one who changed her mind after I opened my big mouth," Xander said.

"Sorry," she said, "It's just they are all I have."

"No they aren't Buffy, we're all your family and we all love you," he said and hugged her and kissed her forehead.

"What about Mrs. Summers, shouldn't she be consulted on what to tell her daughter?" Giles asked.

"Crap…" Xander said mentally kicking himself for forgetting Joyce was still alive.

Buffy scrunched up her face and said, "Xander, what's wrong?"

"Just kicking myself for forgetting about your mother," Xander said.

"Why would you forget about her, but think about me?" Buffy asked her voice thoughtful.

"You were here and she's not?" Xander said, leaning against the wall.

"What is going on, Xander?" she demanded.

"Buffy, you may not wish to hear this," Giles said, his voice calm.

"I'm getting tired of hearing that. I get it, the future sucks bad things happen, but I can't not know things that you both know!"

"Buffy, please, not this one," Xander said, knowing he was losing this one even as he fought against it, she knew there was something and she was like a bulldog now.

"Xander, I like you...alot, but if this attraction is going to turn into more...if you love me, you'll tell me, everything," she said and he saw the fear in her eyes as she laid that gauntlet down.

Xander closed his eyes and rubbed his face, "This isn't easy cause you are talking about one of the worst days of my life, one of the ones in the number one position," Xander said, tears forming in his eyes as he thought about that horrible day and the days that followed. He took a breath and two tears fell and Buffy gasped.

"She dies," she breathed.

"Yes," Xander said, his voice tight with remembered pain and the pain of knowing that he's going to go through it all again.

"How do we stop it?" she asked.

"We don't Buffy, we can't," Xander said, wishing he wasn't having this conversation feeling guilty at being forced to break his promise to the one woman who was more of a mother to him than his own.

"What kills her? We'll find it and I'll kill it," she said, determined.

"Its not like that, Buffy. She wasn't killed by anything Hellmouthy. I'm so so sorry, but I don't see a way to prevent it. If I did I'd be leading the charge on it, believe me," Xander said, tears freely falling.

"No….how? When?" she asked, as her face crumpled.

"Giles, the blinds please," Xander said and then took Buffy into his arms and held her and kissed her forehead gently, opening crying now and said, "It's a little under four years from now, she had been sick, brain tumor. The doctors operated and she seemed to be fine after that, but the trauma to her brain caused an aneurysm. There was nothing anyone could've done, nothing we can do, they caught the original tumor when it was small, it's probably not even there right now." He held her as they both cried for a death that hadn't happened yet.

"You were close with my Mom?" she asked, as he held her.

"Yes, in many ways she was more a mother to me than my own mother, she's a really special woman one I've always been glad to have had in my life," Xander said.

"You know so much pain and yet you came back anyway to….do what?" she asked.

"I've said before that I will answer that before we...you know, but not yet," Xander said.

"Fair enough, I don't think I could take any more future badness right now. How do you go on with it?" she asked, awe in her voice.

"It's both easier and harder than you'd think. For instance, for me, Joyce's passing is over five years in the past, I missed her before I came back and you, Dawn, Willow everyone who knew her did tremendously. You and Dawn always did something together on the anniversary of her death, it was the one of the days you allowed her to drink even though she's not 21 yet, in fact I think we've kinda put the notion that alcohol is only for death," Xander said.

Buffy chuckled slightly, "Maybe that was the plan."

He smiled at her, "Maybe so. Giles, could we have a few moments of privacy, please? I'm sorry you had to sit there through that."

"Of course, any support I can offer, I will," Giles said, and Xander knew he felt like he was intruding on their pain, and at the moment he was, but Xander knew that he was as deeply affected by Joyce's passing as any of the Scoobies. Xander surprised the Watcher by giving him a hug and said, "I know you feel alienated right now, but you are as much my family as Buffy and Joyce are, don't you forget it, G-Man."

"Hmmm, yes….thank you Xander. I'll just be going now," Giles said as he left his office.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Buffy asked.

"Did what?" Xander asked.

"Made him uncomfortable," she said.

"Ok...so I killed two birds with one stone, doesn't mean I didn't mean it," he said.

"Je t'amie," she said.

"Je t'amie trop," he said and tilted her face up to his and lowered his lips to hers, they soon met and they shared their first real kiss. It was everything Xander had imagined it would be as their lips gently caressed each other, they stayed that way for an unmeasured length of time, and Xander's heart was racing. Buffy softly moaned into the kiss and then they parted.

"Wow," she said.

"Worth the wait," Xander said with a smile.

"Definitely, I'm almost feeling guilty about taking you off the market," she said with a smile.

"You could always share if you were so inclined," he joked.

She slapped his arm playfully, "No, you're all mine."

"I think I can live with that, we better get moving, we've got a lot to discuss with your Mother," Xander said.

"One more before we have to go?" Buffy asked and Xander obliged.

They left Dawn with Giles and headed to the Gallery, when they arrived Joyce was busy with a customer so they looked around.

"You know, I don't think I was ever here the first time around," Xander said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, never was an art guy," and he held up a statue of a fertility god wincing, "And I think I'm glad. I've seen DEMONS more attractive than this."

"Yeah, that one isn't the best example," Buffy agreed with a chuckle at his reaction.

"Hi, kids, where's Dawn?" Joyce asked.

"She's at school with Giles," Buffy said, then hugged her mother tight.

"Oh...ok, what was that for, honey?" Joyce asked, not sounding like she was entirely happy with Dawn being left at the school.

"Can't I just be happy to see you?" Buffy asked.

"We wouldn't have left her if we didn't need to talk to you about her without her around," Xander said feeling really guilty.

"What's going on?" Joyce asked.

"Well obviously, the monks decided to do the spell, but she doesn't know anything about life on the Hellmouth," Buffy said.

"Well, I was curious about that, but that isn't what I was talking about," Joyce said crossing her arms and looking at Xander, who'd found his shoes very interesting.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Summers. She guessed and I confirmed. I can't lie to her," Xander said.

"I see, so she knows?" Joyce asked.

"Fraid so," Xander said.

"She KNOWS?" Buffy shouted.

"Not so loud, Buffy," Xander said and then continued, "Yes, she knows. She guessed it at the Harvest."

"You suck at keeping things secret, you know that?" Buffy said.

"Still better than Willow," Xander said.

"Not by much," Buffy said with a smirk.

"Ok, enough about this depressing topic, what about Dawn, why do you want to tell her?" Joyce asked.

"Mrs. Summers, she's going to find out sooner or later about them, she lives on the Hellmouth, hence wacky weirdness and she's going to be present for some of it you can't stop that," Xander said.

"I just don't know, she's just ten, Xander," Joyce said.

"Xander's right, Mom, its just a matter of time before my work follows me home," Buffy said.

"Yeah, oh and now that I'm thinking about it, can you remind me to fix your back door? I noticed it was squeaking," Xander said.

"Fix the backdoor?" Joyce said.

"Xander's a master carpenter," Buffy said, pride in her voice. Which caused some to swell in Xander. He'd always been proud of his job, but hearing Buffy speak with pride about what he did...it was ALMOST as good as their first kiss.

"Oh really?" Joyce asked sounding impressed.

"Yes, but my vocation isn't why we're here," Xander said getting a little embarrassed.

"Right," Buffy said, smiling at his growing blush.

"So how much do you want to tell her?" Joyce asked.

"Pretty much everything," Xander said.

"Even the parts about her being…" Joyce paused as a customer came in and finished with, "adopted."

"Everything, Mrs. Summers. Though I think it would be best to have this conversation with you there," Xander said.

"I agree, I'll be there in an hour at most," she said then went to help the new customer.

"So my mother knows but you didn't tell me?" Buffy asked.

"I didn't so much tell her as she guessed," Xander said as they walked.

"You're such a mystery. You come back in time for no reason I can discern, yet I know there has to be one from the way you talk. You have all of this information that you are keeping, yet it comes out anyway. My question is why? Why are you here?" Buffy asked.

"I promised you that I would tell you before we got serious, Buffy. I mean that, it's just...it's only been a little over two weeks and thinking about what led to me being here….I wouldn't be able to talk about it and stay intelligible," Xander said.

"Talking about it would make you stupid?" Buffy asked, scrunching up her face.

"I've been hanging around Giles too long, I meant that I'd be crying too hard to be understood," Xander said, chuckling then he sobered and tears formed in his eyes. "Even thinking about it almost sends me over the edge."

"Then maybe you should let it," Buffy said, taking his hand.

"Maybe so, but it doesn't mean that its easy to let go like that," he said sniffling.

"I hope someday you feel comfortable enough around me to let yourself go," Buffy said.

"I already do, but telling you will...well, long conversation. You'll have questions, and I know you won't like the answers," he said as they walked.

"It's that bad?" Buffy asked looking concerned.

"Yeah, it's that bad," Xander said.

"Then you should get it over with," she said.

"You think?" Xander asked looking at her.

"Yeah, I think. You've said you're going to tell me anyway, so why not?" Buffy asked.

"For a lot of reasons, most of which you wouldn't understand without knowing. One of them just became moot though," Xander said squeezing her hand.

"Mom's death has something to do with it?" Buffy asked.

"Indirectly….ah hell," Xander said.

"What?" she asked.

Xander shrugged, "The truth is my heart wants to tell you so bad, but my head's telling me it's a bad idea."

"Does your heart lead you astray often?" she asked.

"No, but my head sure has," Xander said, sighing.

"Sounds like that's decided then," Buffy said.

"I guess it does, doesn't it. I wish Tara was here, I could use her advice," Xander said.

"Who's Tara? Not another mystical sister, right?" Buffy asked.

"Well, she is pretty mystical, but she was born the old fashioned way. She's a good friend. One of too many we've had to bury," Xander said.

"Oh...lots of that?" Buffy asked looking down.

"Too much of it," Xander said sighing.

"So, why are you here?" she asked.

Xander closed his eyes and sighed, "I hope I don't regret this, but it feels right telling you. I'm here because of you."

"Me?" Buffy asked.

"Well more specifically, your children, ones that you should have had and didn't," Xander said.

"Why didn't I have them?" Buffy asked her voice fearful of the coming answer.

"Their father was killed before they were conceived. Shot by a scared mugger," Xander said, his tone neutral.

"Did I know their father that...never was?" Buffy asked her voice quiet.

"Very well, he'd save your life a few times, you'd saved his more. He'd make you laugh, you'd drive him crazy, but he was always there for you," Xander said, his voice still flat.

"Sounds like he was a great guy, have I met him yet?" she asked, her voice with a hopeful tone.

"Yeah, you have," Xander said.

"I see. So how'd you wind up back here?" Buffy asked.

"An angel," Xander said.

"So an angel decided to send you back to high school?" Buffy asked.

"Pretty much, seems there's a lot that went wrong the first time around," Xander said.

"So, you were shot by a mugger?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, kinda embarrassing really. Nine years fighting monster three and more times stronger than I am and the only thing I lose is an eye, but some desperate guy with a gun and police siren fear does me in," Xander said.

"How?" Buffy asked.

"Actually we were walking home, I had taken you to the movies. It was the anniversary of Joyce's death. Dawn couldn't get away cause she'd JUST been assigned her slayer in Washington state and Tessa had school. I guess you had to fight to get Dawn to stay put. I stayed on the other side of the school while THAT discussion was going on," Xander said, grinning at the memory.

"Dawn wanted to come back?" Buffy asked.

"It was the fifth anniversary of her death, yeah, she wanted to be there for you, but funds just wouldn't permit her to come back just for a day or two. Not when she'd just been back with Tessa for Christmas. Anyway, in spite of you convincing her to stay, I knew you were bummed not having her home for it. Heart and Head in conflict," he said, starting to warm up to telling her now that he was talking.

"So money is tight?" Buffy asked.

"We're feeding thirty-four teenaged slayers, tight isn't the word," Xander said.

"Oh…" Buffy said.

"It's not as bad as I make it sound, but there wasn't a way to justify Dawn flying back to Cleveland just to eat chunky monkey with her sister and watch sappy movies while thinking about their mother. Your words, not mine. I was all for Dawn coming back 'cause I know how much it meant to you and it WAS the fifth anniversary of her death, but you didn't want to take advantage of your responsibilities. Which meant you were really down that night and I decided to cheer you up," Xander said, they found a bench in front of the school and had sat down.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"Took you to the movies, sappy romance, don't remember what it was called; the popcorn was good though," Xander said and Buffy laughed.

"What about the company," Buffy asked.

"She must've been tired because she used me as a pillow the whole movie," Xander said smiling at the memory.

"Maybe you just make a good pillow?" Buffy said.

"Nah...too lumpy," Xander said then he sobered again. "It was a good night, one of the best I've ever had. You were feeling better. All was right with the world, then…"

"Then you were shot," Buffy said darkly.

"Yeah. Don't remember getting shot, or anything after the gun went off. It was, bang then I was in the hall of an intensive care unit in a Cleveland hospital. Azriel was there and introduced himself," Xander said.

"Azriel?" Buffy asked.

"Angel of Death," Xander said.

"The Angel of DEATH?" Buffy said.

"Hey, he's a nice guy."

"Okay…."

"Anyway, he told me you were in with...well me. He suggested it wouldn't be a good idea to go into the room my body was in, but I couldn't not," he said, his eyes started to glisten. "Seeing you in that room was...the hardest thing I ever had to watch." His lips began to tremble as the first tears fell. Buffy hugged him until he started again.

"You begged me to stay and I wanted to. You told me that you were finally ready and that if I just lived you'd make every day one I was glad I did. You held my hand and kissed me and cried. Then Dawn came in," Xander said as the emotion overcame him again.

Once he settled down a little, Buffy asked, "She catch an emergency flight?"

Xander chuckled through his tears, "Not exactly, she caught Willow Air."

"Willow owns an airline?" Buffy asked, confused.

"No, Willow and her coven was teleporting everyone to Cleveland," Xander said, laughing at her confusion.

"Teleporting?" Buffy asked.

"Willow's a powerful Wicca in my time, remember?" Xander said then continued his tale. "You left to get a drink, I don't know how long you'd been in there with me, but I'm sure you had things to take care of and felt free to do so with Dawn there. Dawn told me pretty much the same thing you had, that you were ready and that she was about to get a brother in law, but I had to live first. She then kissed me on the forehead and you came in with a comment that I'm not sleeping beauty. You two talked a bit and then broke down crying. I held both of you while you cried, then you had to leave," he said, tears flowing down his face. He didn't bother to wipe them.

"Oh...Xander, that's awful," Buffy said, also crying.

"Not something I want to do again anytime soon, but I'm glad he let me," he said.

"So what happened then?" Buffy asked.

"Now comes the part you'll hate," Xander said, looking at her.

"It gets worse?" Buffy asked as Joyce came up to the school from the Jeep.

"Looks like we'll have to finish this later," Xander said.

"You aren't getting off the hook, you know that, right?" Buffy said.

"I know, but I don't want to go through this with your mom waiting on us," Xander said and stood. "I need to run to the restroom real fast, and you should too."

Xander beat Buffy back to the library and Dawn was looking daggers at him as her mother sat there. He fought not to roll his eyes at the ire of the ten year old. He was glad that she was here, even if she was being a bit of a brat right now. Of course she had every right to feel the way she did. From her perspective she HAD been uprooted from everything she knew, her friends her school to a new town to start over and the reason was her older sister was a fire bug.

"Ok, everyone except Dawn knows what is going on, so we'll wait on Buffy then explain it to her," Xander said.

"Everything?" Willow asked.

"Everything, I've already discussed it with Buffy and Mrs. Summers and….they can't think of any better alternatives," Xander said.

Buffy then came in looking less like she'd been crying, she sat next to Xander and took his hand, and squeezed it. Xander smiled at her and then said, "Ok, do we want to start with Buffy or Dawn?"

"I think it would make more sense to start with Buffy," Giles said.

"I agree, Dawn's story is tied to it," Buffy said.

"Ok, then Giles you're up. Dazzle the ten year old," Xander said.

Giles laid out Buffy being the Slayer in quick fashion. Dawn wasn't impressed.

"So my sister fights vampires?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Yes, which brings us to you, and your origins," Xander said.

"EWW! You're going to give me a birds and bees talk? Mom!" Dawn wailed.

"It's a bit more sanitary than how the rest of us came into the world, Dawnster," Xander said.

"Huh?" the girl asked.

"Up to sometime this afternoon you were a glowing ball of green energy known as the Key. We asked the monks that were tasked with protecting it to send it to us, in the form of you," Xander said.

"Wha? Mom he's crazy right?" Dawn asked her mother.

"No, sweetheart, he's not. He's telling the truth," Joyce said gently.

"So I'm not real?" Dawn asked.

"He never said that, Dawnie. You are VERY real and very special. Everyone at this table loves you and wants what is best for you," Buffy said.

"So...what do I do?" Dawn asked.

"You don't have super powers, I'm sad to say, but there are bad people out there that want the power of the Key, so we had the monks send you to us so we could keep you safe. A large part of that is that now you are Dawn and not just the Key they won't know where to look for you," Xander said.

"So...why am I here then?" she asked.

"Sweetheart, that is for you to decide. You're a person now with all the rights and responsibilities that entails," Joyce said, hugging Dawn.

"So I still have to go to school?" Dawn asked.

"Fraid so, Dawn Patrol," Xander said, falling into old habits.

"So how did you know about me?" she asked.

"That's on me. I'm actually from nine years in the future and I missed you," Xander said.

"You missed me?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, I did. I love you, Dawn. You, your mom, your sister. Willow, Jesse, Giles. You're all my family 'cause my biological one kinda sucks," Xander said and Buffy hugged him.

"So, you know the future?" Dawn asked.

"I know one way it played out. Things started changing from the moment I arrived, hopefully for the better and you're part of those changes," Xander said.

"Ok, so, who do I marry?" Dawn asked.

"You were only nineteen when I came back Dawn," Xander said somewhat floored by this question.

"So did I have a boyfriend?" Dawn asked.

"Aren't you a little young to be worried about that?" Xander asked.

"I tend to agree with that sentiment," Joyce said.

"Oh come on, like the rest of you haven't asked," Dawn said.

"I've refused to tell them," Xander said.

"You are no fun," Dawn said.

"I'm LOADS of fun. You haven't seen the Snoopy Dance yet," Xander said.

"OOOOO, the Snoopy Dance!" Willow said excitedly.

"Down, Wills, not until Christmas," Xander said.

"Dawn's right, you are no fun," Willow said earning a grin from Dawn.

"Alright then, as fascinating a subject as Xander is, Buffy has patrol, a Miss Vanderhoven was buried tonight and I suspect she might rise tonight," Giles said.

"I just get my sister and I have to work?" Buffy asked.

"I am afraid so," Giles said.

"Can I come watch?" Dawn asked.

"NO!" all of the people over ten said at once.

"No fun, what's the point in having a superhero for a sister if I can't watch?"

Xander and Buffy left the school together and walked in silence, it had been an emotional day for both of them. Buffy held Xander's hand as they walked. When she started down his street he stopped.

"I'm coming with you tonight," Xander said.

"No you aren't, you aren't healed yet nor are you in shape," Buffy said.

"Yes I am, I have a few things to show you and we're just after a newbie tonight," Xander said.

"But there might be more out there!" Buffy protested.

"Trust me, I won't get myself killed. Doubt we'd run into any muggers in a cemetery after all," Xander said.

"That isn't funny," Buffy said.

"Sorry, I just wanted to talk to you," Xander said.

"About why you're here, we did get interrupted earlier," Buffy said.

Xander sighed, "Yeah, we did. Where did I get to?"

"Dawn and I were crying over your dying body," Buffy said, looking down.

"Right, so the two of you were kicked out of my room and since I really didn't feel like talking to myself I went out to talk to Az," Xander said.

"You went to have a conversation with the Angel of Death?" Buffy asked.

"He's a nice guy," Xander said.

"That is just weird, Death being a people person," Buffy said.

"He is, anyway, he has a bit of a tale to tell me and decides that it would be best told at the gates of Heaven," Xander said.

"You were going to Heaven?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, still am I suppose, not planning anything that would knock me out of it," Xander said.

"Fair enough," Buffy said.

"So he takes me to Heaven and there are two people waiting on us. Their names were Tara Joyce and Jesse Riley Harris," Xander said.

"Tara Joyce and Jesse Riley Harris?" Buffy said slowly.

"Yeah, they both called me Dad," Xander said, tears coming to his eyes at the memory.

"Wow...Xander, that's...you named your daughter after Mom?" Buffy asked.

"WE named OUR daughter after Tara and your Mom," Xander said.

"Our daughter, the one that was never born born because you were killed," Buffy said looking down.

"And our son," Xander said hugging her as she wept for the children she should've had.

"Jesse Riley. Who's his middle name from?" Buffy asked.

"A good friend of ours, he helped us stop an apocalypse," Xander said.

"Is he dead too?" Buffy asked.

"Last I knew him and Sam were still kicking," Xander said.

"Sam?" Buffy asked.

"Samantha, his wife," Xander said.

"Ah...good friends?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, we help them, they help us. Demon hunters," Xander said.

"Is this hard for you?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, I'll never get to see those kids grow up, the circumstances of their births...it's going to be different this time," he said, tears falling down his face.

"So we were supposed to get married?" Buffy asked.

"Never asked that, actually. Tara's conception was rather spur of the moment, at least according to her," Xander said, smiling through his tears at the memory.

"Really?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, guess the night I was shot you were planning on having your way with me," Xander said, blushing.

"Oh….oh my," Buffy said blushing in turn.

"You've never been shy about going after what you want," Xander said as they reached the grave for Miss Vanderhoven.

"So here is Miss Vanderhoven, may she rest in peace," Buffy said.

"Would be better for us if she did," Xander agreed.

"How do you feel about all of this? Our kids supposed to save the world?" Buffy asked.

"Scared, proud, more scared, sad, more proud," Xander said.

"Sad?" Buffy asked.

"That they would have had to deal with this too, that they didn't have a normal life. I know how much you wish you did and there's no way they would, not with us as their parents and our responsibilities," Xander said sadly.

"You don't have to do this. Not like I do," Buffy said..

"At what cost? You and Dawn are my family, Buffy and not just because we ended up together. No, I'm in for the long haul, I made my choice and I don't regret it. That doesn't mean I like the notion of our kids NOT having that same choice. Being raised with this stuff, how could they not be involved?"

"They have the same choice you do, Xander, they can walk away too," Buffy said.

"Away from the only family they know? No, with me and you raising them they'll have two perfect examples of Duty, not to mention everyone else," Xander said.

"You sound like you are having second thoughts," Buffy said.

"No, not really. Just feeling guilty about it is all," Xander said.

"I wonder what it's like Slaying while pregnant?" Buffy asked in a non sequitur.

"Shame we can't ask Robin's mom," Xander said.

"Robin?" Buffy asked.

"He'll be principle of the High School when Dawn starts. His mother was a Slayer," Xander said.

"Oh…." Buffy said.

"Yeah, Spike killed her when he was four," Xander said.

"The world gets weirder every day," Buffy said.

"You haven't seen anything yet, in fact when Miss Vanderhoven wakes up I've got someplace to show you," Xander said with a smirk.

"Really?" Buffy said.

"Yeah," Xander said.

Buffy wiped her hands from the vampire dust and looked at Xander, "What?"

"What do you mean what?" Xander said.

"You've got Giles face," Buffy said.

"Giles face?" Xander asked.

"Yes, the look he gets on his face when he's about to lecture me," Buffy said giving him an old fashioned look.

"Well, it's just that you were dropping your elbow and your footwork needs...work. You should have been able to stake that newbie in about ten seconds, and it took you five minutes. I could have slayed her faster than that if it wasn't for my arm," Xander said.

"That sounds like a challenge," Buffy said with a grin.

"Ok, missy, you're on. When I'm healed up I'm going to show you how it's done," Xander said grinning.

"Now where are we going?" Buffy asked.

"You'll see when we get there," Xander said and the pair took off. They walked for about ten minutes chatting about fun stuff then they arrived at their destination.

"A bar? Gee honey you take me to the most interesting places on our dates," Buffy said, wrinkling her nose.

"Sorry, this is business not pleasure," Xander said walking up to the door.

"Xander, what are you doing?" Buffy asked as his hand touched the door.

"Going in, and you need to come with me, I'd do it myself but…" he pointed to his arm.

"Do what?" Buffy asked.

"Just let me do the talking, you just stand there and look beautiful," Xander said and waited a beat and just as a scowl started forming he added, "and angry."

Buffy rolled her eyes and followed him in. The place smelled as bad as it looked. It was dark and there wasn't anyone in the bar except a short weasley looking human.

"Willy! How's tricks!" Xander said expansively, knowing that Willy didn't know him from Adam.

"Who are you kid?" Willy asked. "Can't be in here to drink, you don't even look old enough to drive."

"Willy, I'm hurt. I come here with a business proposition and you make fun of my age," Xander said.

"Who's the chick?" Willy asked.

"Oh...she's just the Slayer. There's a new sheriff in town Willy and I know you are civic minded," Xander said, dropping the goofball act on the word Slayer.

"Slayer huh? Didn't know they were that cute. You do realize that they tend to have limited shelf lives though, right kid?" Willy said.

"Maybe, but while she's here she can make your life very uncomfortable. Like a full body cast," Xander said.

Buffy stepped forward, picking up on what Xander was doing. Xander was glad she was hiding her confusion well, or maybe she was really pissed. Hard to tell.

"Hey, no need to get hasty, I can listen," Willy said holding up his hands.

"Good. Now here's the deal, we'll be in every week and you tell us anything interesting that you overhear that we need to know. You do that and the Slayer doesn't use you as a punching bag," Xander said and had to hold down a grin as Buffy whimpered at him saying she couldn't hit him.

"You a little young to be a Watcher, aren't you?" Willy asked.

"I'm not her Watcher, I'm her boyfriend. You don't want to meet Watcher, SHE'S nice compared to him. Trust me, you don't want Ripper Giles in here," Xander said and the smell of urine his his nose as the distinct sound of liquid hitting the floor rang through the bar.

"You're right, I AM civic minded, very civic minded," Willy said.

Xander walked over to Willy and patted him on the cheek, "Good, I knew you were good people, Willy. See you next week."

"You want to tell me what that was about?" Buffy asked as they headed to Xander's house.

"We've found that a Slayer is at her best when she acts like a cop," Xander said.

"A cop?" Buffy asked sounding doubtful.

"Of course. Think about it, you stop bad guys, so does a cop, you investigate crime, so do cops. You eat a lot of donut..oaf!" Xander said as Buffy hit him lightly on the arm. "What it's true!"

"I don't like thinking of myself with that much power," Buffy said.

"Then you aren't getting why I'm using the analogy. The Slayer can be one of three things Buffy. One, she can be nothing but an unthinking weapon aimed by her Watcher; two, she can be a hardened killer who's just in it for the kill, or, three, she can do it because it helps people. I KNOW which of those three you are, Buffy and it's the model we've trained the other girls to," Xander said.

"I still don't like it," Buffy said.

"You have a license to kill, Buffy. You can kill any demon on the planet and the Council will pat you on the head, give you a cookie and say good job. You think that thinking of yourself as a cop will give you even more of a blank check than that?" Xander asked.

"Yes….no….I don't know," she said.

Xander put his arm around her, "I'm using the cop as an analogy for a reason, it's because they have limits, at least here in America. There are a lot of peaceful demons out there that just want to live their lives and they are DOG meat among other demons, and they need protection from the bad element," Xander said.

"Good demons?" Buffy asked.

"Neutral, like most people, but they are innocent and they just try to keep their heads down. You can make them your friend and then you get intelligence about the bad stuff. They hear things humans can't and you're helping decent folk," Xander said.

"Does Giles know about this?" Buffy asked.

"No, but I need to talk to him about it, tonight was rather spontaneous," Xander said.

"I'd prefer you spontaneously kiss me," she said.

"I think that can be arranged," he said smiling and leaned toward her when he heard a voice.

"HI guys!" Dawn said, she was dressed in pjs and smiling.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked.

"Looks like trying to get herself grounded until she's thirty," Xander growled.

"What? I'm helping," Dawn said innocently.

"No, you aren't, Dawnie. You're being stupid and could get yourself killed," Buffy said.

"Not impressed Dawn Patrol. You just BLEW it big time. Buffy, would you do the honors, I would but I've shy an arm," Xander said and Buffy picked up her sister in a fireman's carry.

"You are in SO much trouble, young lady," Buffy said.

"And I thought sneaking out was a teenage thing," Xander said.

"I wanted to see one," Dawn squealed as they changed direction and headed to Buffy's house.

"No, Dawn you don't, not for a long while yet. Trust me," Xander said already considering making a call to LA.

"I can't believe you'd be this stupid Dawn," Buffy said.

"I can, she pulled this when she found out the first time. Dawnie is naturally curious. A trait she puts to better uses in the future. I'm sorry, I should've thought about her sneaking out while we could've stopped her," Xander said, angry with himself. He'd have killed himself if anything had happened to Dawn. Right now he was just glad that she was safe.

"Don't defend her," Buffy said, "And don't take her sins on yourself either, you aren't Christ."

"I'm not, I'm just freaked, if anything had happened to her…" Xander trailed off.

"Well don't, this is on her," Buffy said.

"She needs to see it, Buffy. How dangerous they can be; that they aren't Edward Cullen and she's not Bella," Xander said.

"Who?"

"Twilight….which hasn't been published yet," Xander said sighing.

"What is it about?" Buffy asked.

"You'll laugh," Xander said.

"I will?" Buffy asked.

"Yup...you laughed for a week straight after you read the first book," Xander said.

"You gotta tell me," Buffy said.

"Keep in mind that I was long suffering that October, we had twenty-five teenaged girls in the house at the time and they didn't see the humor."

"You better spill or I'll make you carry this," Buffy said pointing her thumb to Dawn.

"Please?" Dawn asked.

"Bad idea, Buffy. I think she'd like that," Xander said.

"So spill," Buffy said.

"It's a book about Vampires," Xander said.

"Not seeing the humor here, Xand," Buffy said.

"Sparkly vampires," Xander said and Buffy snorted out a chuckle.

"Sparkly vampires?" Buffy said between giggles.

"I kid you not. To make it worse it's a teenage romance novel," Xander said.

Buffy's giggling got worse, "Sparkly vampires in love?"

"Yeah...now feel my pain, twenty-five teenaged girls going gaga over the lead character who is the biggest ponce in the history of literature," Xander said.

"And I just laughed, right?" Buffy asked.

"You weren't the most beloved figure in the school that month. Me hating it, the girls could just chalk up to my estrogen deficiency. You, I think they felt betrayed," Xander said as they arrived at the Summers House.

"So do we mock Dracula?" Buffy asked.

Xander darkened and said, "No, we never mock the Dark Prince."

"You must like Dracula movies," Buffy said smiling at him.

"No, hate them. They are mockeries of the Dark Prince," Xander said.

"He's real?" Buffy asked.

"Yes he's real and he made me his butt monkey," Xander said bitterly as Buffy almost dropped Dawn in peals of laughter. "Not a word to Jesse."

After Dawn was sent to her room with the exact length of her grounding yet to be determined, Buffy, Joyce and Xander went into the kitchen.

"What am I going to do with her?" Joyce asked.

"I'm sorry, I should've remembered this," Xander said, sounding despondent.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"She did something similar when she found out the first time around, she was a bit older and I didn't think. I'm really sorry," Xander said.

"You are something else, you know that?"

"Yeah, I feel terrible," Xander said hanging his head.

"I don't believe this, my sister does something INCREDIBLY stupid and dangerous and you blame yourself for it?" Buffy asked.

"She's ten, Buffy, I'm twenty five! I should've known better and warned both of you," Xander said.

"I'm forty, Xander and I'm her mother, if anyone should be feeling guilty its me," Joyce said crossing her arms.

"But I've lived this before, hindsight supposed to be twenty/twenty, remember?" Xander said, not ready to be talked out of his mental self-flagellation.

"Good grief, my boyfriend thinks he's Jesus Christ," Buffy said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Xander asked.

"You seem to be perfectly willing to take Dawn's sins onto yourself. Isn't that what Christ was supposed to have done?"

"Boyfriend?" Joyce asked.

"Did I just say that?" Buffy said sheepishly.

"Should we tell her? I can't seem to keep anything underwraps anyway," Xander asked.

"Tell me what?" Joyce asked sounding worried.

"We've got her curiosity up now, Xand," Buffy said with a shrug.

"You want to tell her or should I?" Xander asked.

"One of you better start telling me soon," Joyce said, sounding annoyed.

"I will. Mom, your grandchildren are destined to go into the family business. Saving the world," Buffy said.

"Oh, thank god. I was afraid you were going to tell me that I was going to be a grandmother immediately," Joyce said, sighing in relief.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Summers. Not planning on doing that just yet," Xander said.

"Good, now what about my younger daughter?" she asked.

"I've got a friend who might be able to help with that, actually once he gets me his contact information," Xander said.

"Who?" Buffy asked.

"His name is Angel, he's starting a private investigation company in LA, to help with the weirder things," Xander said.

"So he knows about the things that go bump in the night?" Joyce asked.

"He IS something that goes bump in the night. He's a vampire, cursed with a soul and on a big redemption kick after spending most of the century living off of rats and living in alleys," Xander said.

"A vampire?" Buffy asked.

"He's good people. Too much hair gel and he'd win the gold medal in brooding, but his heart is in the right place," Xander said getting a bit wigged at defending ANGEL to Buffy.

"You trust him?" she asked.

"With your and Dawn's lives if it came to it," Xander said.

"But not yours?" Joyce asked.

"Oh I'd trust him with mine too, but you're daughters' lives are far more precious to me than my own," Xander said sincerely earning an approving nod from Joyce.

"So your plan is to give her what she wants?" Buffy asked.

"Yup, Angel can play the bad guy very well and she needs to be scared straight," Xander said.

"So you are planning on having Angel pretend to kidnap her and that will show her that this is dangerous?" Joyce asked, not sounding like a huge fan of the plan.

"It's better than her getting hurt for real, and if she continues sneaking out, it will happen and she's not old enough to patrol with us," Xander said.

"I need to think about it," Joyce said.

"Not a problem, I don't have his contact information yet anyway. You have the final say, of course," Xander said.

Xander woke with a crick in his neck. He was developing a habit of crashing at Buffy's house and while he kinda liked the idea, the temptations were too strong to keep doing it. He rolled his neck and moved to start his push ups when his shoulder forcibly reminded him that he wasn't at a hundred percent yet.

He sighed and looked at the clock, it was six and the sun was just coming up. He heard the shower running and wondered how he was going to take one with all of his clothes at the distillery his parents called home. He might have to resign himself to having clothes over here if Buffy had anything to say about it, and that wasn't a good idea because it would make staying here even easier until he had de facto moved in.

He sighed and started pacing since he couldn't do push ups. He still had planning to do. He didn't know the demons in town in the here and now and he needed to know if any of the peaceful species were in town. He sighed again and grabbed his bag and pulled out his notebook and checked over his list and added finding the peaceful demons to it.

He was itching to get to training again and he also needed to talk to Buffy and Joyce about starting working with Dawn as well. A carrot to go with the stick so to speak. He then heard the shower go off and tested his shoulder a bit, it still ached like a son of a bitch but he didn't think some cooking motions would set back his recovery. Besides he felt the need for some penance and cooking breakfast for his adoptive mother and two of his girls was as good a place as any to start.

He went into the kitchen and got the eggs and bacon and sausage out. Timing was everything for breakfast for everything to be at its best and he started the sausage first then got to cracking eggs and started beating them as the sausage cooked, he added a bit of milk to the eggs. He was disappointed to find only margarine in the fridge and shook his head and made a face. He'd have to correct THIS soon. Margarine, for crying out loud. Heathen women. The eggs wouldn't be up to his exacting standards without it, but there was nothing for it. Then he started smelling the sausage and knew instantly it was missing something and went to the spice rack and found the sage and lightly dusted the meat with it.

Then he started the bacon and placed a pinch of salt and pepper into the eggs and mixed it well. He flipped the sausage and started the eggs as Buffy came down.

"Wow...that smells really good, Mom," she said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Thanks, but I'm not as good looking as your Mom, Buff," Xander said with a grin.

"Xander? You cook?" Buffy asked.

"Yes I do. It's become something of a birthday tradition up time with the girls. They LOVE my breakfasts and beg me to cook all the time," Xander said as Dawn came down and smiled as she saw the spread Xander was preparing.

"Sorry Dawn Patrol, you get cereal after that little stunt you pulled last night," Xander said in his best drill sergeant voice and the ten year old wilted.

"Still mad at me?" Dawn asked throwing puppy eyes.

"Furious would be a better term, young lady. You do realize you could've been killed right?" Xander said. He'd been too busy beating up himself last night to get into last night's lecture.

"I just wanted to see," she said, sounding a bit more contrite then she had with her sister or mother the previous night.

"Yeah, well you're too young to see it. Your mother's too young to see it. It's dark and it's ugly and I wish it didn't exist. But it does and your sister has to fight it. She can't do that worrying about you. How would you feel if Buffy got hurt because she was too busy worrying about you?" Xander said he'd never raised his voice, didn't swear or cuss but his tone had been enough to reduce the young girl to tears.

"You're mean!" she shrieked.

"I don't want to be mean, but I will be if it keeps you alive. I wasn't lying yesterday about loving you Dawn and it would KILL me if you got hurt or worse and you don't have the right to inflict that on me. Are we clear?" Xander asked.

Dawn sniffled and nodded mutely while Buffy looked in awe.

"I didn't hear you, are we clear?" Xander said in that same tone.

"Yes, sir," Dawn said meekly.

"Still didn't hear you," Xander said.

"Yes, sir," Dawn said louder.

"Better, and don't Sir me, I work for a living. Now come here and give me a hug," Xander said returning to his normal voice and Dawn went over and hugged him tight while Joyce nodded in approval from the doorway of the kitchen.

Buffy and Xander were walking to his house so he could get a change of clothes before school.

"Where'd you learn that?" Buffy asked.

"Survival, my parent's aren't much on the taking care of me thing after all," Xander said.

"Not that, the thing with Dawn. You got through to her where Mom and I couldn't," Buffy said, still in awe.

"Soldier guy's memories," Xander said.

"Soldier guy?" Buffy asked.

"Next Halloween a chaos mage changed everyone who bought a costume at his place into their costumes. I went as a soldier, retained his skills. It's been honed in dealing with mini-Slayers," Xander said as they arrived at his house. He went to his bedroom window and crawled in and two minutes later came out with a gym bag.

"You should just bring some clothes over you know," Buffy said.

"Can't, it'd make it too easy," Xander said.

"Make what too easy?"

"Staying at your house," Xander said.

"And that would be.." Buffy started.

"Premature," Xander finished for her.

"Ah...can't take advantage of me, huh?" Buffy asked.

"It's more than that. I want you to be SURE when we take that step. I've got some experience in what can go wrong when you go off half cocked," Xander said.

"You do?" Buffy asked, sounding a bit jealous.

"I am twenty-five, Buffy. This body has never had sex before, but the mind inside it has," Xander said.

"Do you mind me asking about your first time?" Buffy asked.

"Not at all, though I wish it had been different," Xander said sighing at the memory.

"I assume it wasn't with me," Buffy said sadly.

"No, it wasn't," Xander said looking down.

"Who? Willow?" Buffy asked.

"No, it was Faith. I was eighteen, it was senior year, I had just saved her life," Xander said.

"And she was grateful?" Buffy asked.

"No, she was horny and I was handy," Xander said a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Oh...I'm sorry Xander," Buffy said.

"Wait before you say that. After we were finished I was looking forward to getting to know her after...getting to know her she had other plans. She threw my ass out in my boxers," Xander said.

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"At the time she saw guys as disposable douchebags, good for only scratching an itch," Xander said as they approached the school.

"And she lives with us?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, she's better now. Still has attachment issues, but she's better," Xander said, leaving out the homicidal side of the equation. It was bad enough that Buffy thought her future sister Slayer was a slut, but she'd think that five seconds after meeting Faith, so no real damage done.

"You want to help her, don't you?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, for better or worse she's my friend and as much your sister as Dawn is," Xander said.

"Really?" Buffy asked.

""Really, now I've got to hit the showers, I'll see you later, ok?"

"Ok, love you," she said, kissing him.

"Love you, too, Buff," he said with a grin.

Xander went to the Library after his shower and sat at the table with his notebook. Giles was there and came over to him.

"How are you doing, Xander?" Giles asked.

"Been better, G Man. Dawn tried to follow me and Buffy last night, I ended up crashing at her house again," Xander said.

"And you are worried that you'll give into temptation?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, when it happens...I want her first time to special. In my memories her first time didn't go so well," Xander said.

"That is usually true about such matters," Giles said.

"Yeah, but getting kicked out in your boxers is a bit different than your lover losing his soul and trying to end the world," Xander said.

"Well….yes that is rather bad, indeed. On the plus side, the bar is set rather low on improving on that," Giles said.

"I don't want it to be just better than Angel, Giles I want it...you're pulling my chain, aren't you?" Xander said.

"Yes, and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Xander, it's good that you are concerned about it, it really is, but don't let it get in the way of the fun of being in love, or you might do worse than you fear," Giles said.

Xander thought about what Giles said and nodded, "Thanks, G man."

"You are quite welcome, though I would appreciate it if you wouldn't call me that," Giles said.

"Sorry, Giles, but you had nine years to get me to stop in my memories and you failed. Anyway, I wanted your opinion on Dawn," Xander said.

"Whatever for, I would think her mother would be the person to discuss her with," Giles said.

"I have I just wanted your opinion. I hope it's not needed, but she can be stubborn," Xander said.

"Well, what is your idea?" Giles asked.

"Angel. He's a vampire that has been cursed with a soul. In my memories he was in town," Xander said leaning back..

"A vampire? With a soul? Intriguing," Giles said rubbing his chin.

"Yeah, not so much, seems the cures comes with escape clause," Xander said sounding annoyed.

"Who would be foolish enough to place a soul into a vampire only to leave a possibility of it being broken?" Giles asked, sounding disturbed.

"Those wacky gypsies!" Xander said.

"Foolish is more like it, what were they thinking? What is the method of him losing his soul?"

"A moment of true happiness. In Angel's case that was deflowering Buffy," Xander said tonelessly.

"How do you feel about that?" Giles asked.

"I don't like it, good grief, it was seven years ago and they aren't still mooning over each other, but…." Xander trailed off.

"You wish it hadn't happened," Giles said.

"Buffy deserves better than her first time to be with someone who loses his soul and tries to kill all of her friends," Xander said.

"And it won't be that way this time Xander. As I haven't ever seen or heard of Angel other from you it seems he isn't here this time," Giles said.

"Yeah, that's because I paid him a visit my first day here. Told him everything. He chose redemption. Guess Buffy was right about him after all," Xander said.

"You had doubts?" Giles asked.

"There is a prophecy in some book that says that Buffy will be killed by the Master. Angel gave up on her, but I didn't. I had to force him to take me down there. She was face down in a pool of water when we found her. I did CPR and revived her. Still don't know why Angel didn't do it himself though. Said some crap about not having breath, but he talks which means while his lungs don't extract oxygen, but they would be able to force air into hers," Xander said.

"Maybe in some small way he knew you were meant to be together," GIles said.

"If that was it it was buried kinda deep considered what happened, but that was as much on Buffy as him. Its not like she's a wilting flower afterall," Xander said.

"True enough, so your plan if Dawn doesn't learn her lesson is to have Angel scare her straight?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, plan of last resort though, Buffy and Joyce aren't happy about it," Xander said abesntly.

"Joyce?" Giles asked.

"Buffy's mom. I stopped calling her Mrs. Summers a long time ago, and using her first name was better than calling her Mom," Xander said.

"You were close to Buffy's mother in your memories?" GIles asked.

"Very, she was Willow's and mine adoptive mother in every sense but the legal," Xander said glad for the time that he didn't have to think about what he was talking about. Even with the previous nights disclosure, he still had to be careful around Buffy. The warning bell then rang.

"Time for class, I'll see you later G Man," Xander said.

"Have a good day, Xander," Giles said to him

It was all Xander could do not to bust out laughing when Buffy misinterpreted Willows sniffing him with a guess of B.O. She'd gotten the first two right. Then the bell rang and Dr. Gregory proved he wasn't an idiot by calling out Willow's help. Of course Buffy leaning over to see around him probably tipped him off. He asked Buffy to stay after class and Xander became uneasy. There was something about this that was triggering alarm bells in his head and he never ignored his instincts, they'd saved his life far too many times, but why would Buffy being asked to stay after class trigger them?

He thought hard and realized he didn't know much about Dr. Gregory and that he'd died...right around now. What had killed him?

"Xander? You ok bro?" Jesse asked. Both him and Willow were looking at him concerned.

"There is something bad coming," Xander said frowning.

"Bad?" Willow asked.

"Dr. Gregory is going to be killed," Xander said.

"What? Who would want to hurt Dr. Gregory?" Willow asked.

"What happens?" Jesse said at the same time Willow asked her question.

"I don't remember all I know is that he was found dead at school," Xander said, rubbing his head.

"Hey, what's with the glum?" Buffy asked seeming pretty happy for being kept after class. She kissed Xander's cheek.

"Dr. Gregory is going to be killed soon, Buffy," Xander said, softly.

"How?" Buffy asked, her voice promising pain to whatever was going to off her new favorite teacher.

"I wish I knew, I'm sorry Buffy," Xander said.

"You remember something, right?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, but it's pretty vague, after all after nine years, as horrible as it is, it kinda gets mixed up in the everyday weirdness that high school was for me," Xander said and Buffy's face fell. "Hey, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have survived High School, so don't look guilty."

Buffy looked up at him, "But knowing me puts all of you in danger, and I'm not strong enough to push any of you away."

"That's nonsense and you know it. Living on the Hellmouth puts us in danger, not you," Xander said hugging her close.

"Je t'amie," she said as she settled into the hug.

"Je t'amie trop, ma moitié," Xander said softly and chuckled when Jesse and Willow looked at each other and shrugged. "I was in Africa for a year looking for newly called Slayers. Picked it up there."

"Africa?" Willow asked.

"Don't ask, he gets sullen and won't talk about it," Buffy said.

"That bad?" Jesse asked.

"Later, right now we have to focus on keeping Dr. Gregory alive," Xander said.

"Of course," Willow said wistfully.

"Any leads?" Buffy asked taking Xander's hand.

"He was found at school, so he was probably killed here," Xander said.

"Who replaced him?" Jesse asked.

Xander froze…"Oh god...how could I have forgotten!"

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"Miss French, she replaced him as a substitute, only she wasn't human. She was a giant praying mantis," Xander said blanching.

"Xander, you're scaring me, you don't get worked up like this over vampires just how bad is this?" Buffy asked.

"Actually, not that bad, you can totally kick her ass, Buff. Its...it just wasn't a fun episode for me."

"What happened?" Willow asked.

"I wouldn't talk about this, but...Jesse, if we don't stop her when she goes after Dr. Gregory, stay away from her, promise me," Xander said.

"Why?"

"She's here looking for boyfriends, do you know what a praying mantis does after she's finished mating?" Xander asked.

"No, not really," Jesse said.

"They eat the male, starting with his head," Xander said and Jesse paled.

"Ok,..no hanging out with Miss French," Jesse said.

"Just remember that, she oozes sex man, even KNOWING what she was and what would happen there was a part of me that was still tempted, granted it was just ten percent with the other ninety being sheer terror but still, I should've been one hundred percent sheer terror. Don't underestimate her, especially when she looks human. Its a nice package and the pheromones will make resisting her nearly impossible," Xander said.

"So she tried to...mate with you?" Buffy asked scrunching up her face.

"You saved me, Buffy. Thought I have to say that compared to what she would've done to me, Faith was downright romantic," Xander said getting Buffy to laugh.

"We'll watch Dr. Gregory until she makes a move," Buffy said.

Jesse looked at Xander and at Buffy then back to Xander, "So this is the same Faith that was convinced that you and Buffy were...in the future?" he asked.

"One and the same, and you aren't getting the rest of this story unless I'm well gone and drunk. Right up there with my trip across America that ended in Oxnard," Xander said.

"We better get to class," Willow said looking uncomfortable about what she'd learned about her best friend.

Xander, Jesse, Willow and Buffy went to Dr. Gregory's classroom after class heard him cleaning up. Xander peeked around the corner and saw he was alone.

"So how long do we wait?" Jesse asked.

"Dunno, its not like I was there when he was killed, even at sixteen I had standards. Not many, but I had them," Xander said.

"Lemme guess, seeing the hot new sub beheading the old teacher would've put her off the dating list?" Jesse asked.

"Oh yeah," Xander said.

"Nice to know there are somethings that are a turnoff for you," Jesse said.

"What are you dweebs doing out here?" Cordelia asked as she came around the corner.

"Cordelia, just what we don't need," Xander said.

"She is an extra pair of eyes, Xander," Jesse said not QUITE drooling.

"Why would you need more eyes? Its not like you're here to steal a test or something. Willow's not cool enough to be part of that. She actually LIKES school, so what is going on?" Cordelia asked.

"Well...Buffy…" Jesse started then stopped as Xander slapped a hand over Jesse's mouth.

"Was just working up the courage to ask Dr. Gregory for some extra credit work to get her grade up. Isn't that right, Buffy?" Xander said.

"Yup...real nervous about that extra credit," Buffy said, squeezing Xander's hand.

"Whatever, just do the world a favor and DON'T breed," she said as she saw Xander and Buffy holding hands

"Hey, I think Xander's and Buffy's kids would be cute!" Willow said.

"You are defending this? I thought you were pathetically in love with the dufus," Cordelia said.

"They are happy, they are my friends," Willow said.

"Right...like that isn't awkward unless...ewww...you and Jesse? Please, I beg you….all four of you! Never breed," she said as she walked away.

"Wow….she's sure got procreation on the mind," Xander said.

"Sorry guys, she just can't resist my manly physique. She hides it well though," Jesse said.

"Jesse, I dated Cordy in the previous timeline, trust me that isn't her, 'You make me so hot' look," Xander said, eliciting whimpers from both Willow and Buffy.

"I think you just stepped in it, man and you GOTTA tell me how!" Jesse begged.

"Just a moment, bro," Xander said and kissed Buffy's pout. "Of all the lips I have ever kissed, yours are the best."

"Awww…" Willow said as Buffy blushed.

"Ladies, if you will excuse me, I need some guy time with my brother here," Xander said, then saw her come down the hall. "Or not, bug lady at twelve o clock."

"It's a quarter to four, bro," Jesse said.

"I meant straight ahead!" Xander said.

"Oh...wow...she's...wow…" Jesse said.

"I know, Buffy go kill her before I say something that will make you want to hurt me," Xander said.

"You say the sweetest things," Buffy said and headed towards Dr. Gregory's classroom.

Xander followed watched as Buffy flew into action just before Miss French could kill Dr. Gregory. The beastie in the guise of a beautiful woman backhanded the Slayer to the floor. Xander winced, it was an amature move on Buffy's part and one he didn't associate with her. In fact if one of the girls up time did something similar she'd have been on latrine duty for a week. Part of him worried that Buffy was actually hurt until she got up.

"Ok, you try to eat my boyfriend in another timeline, kill my favorite teacher in same said timeline and now you made me break a NAIL! You are SO going to die!" Buffy said as she went at Miss French.

Xander shook his head. Leave it to Buffy to get that pissed off over a broken nail. Or maybe she was just quipping. It was hard to tell sometimes. He grabbed Dr. Gregory and pulled him out of the classroom as Miss French shed her disguise to fight better. Willow and Jesse paled when they saw the mantis.

"Run, Doc, let us professionals deal with you're mantis infestation," Xander said and the science teacher nodded and took off down the hall.

"Xander! You never said she was EIGHT feet long!?" Buffy shrieked.

"Get her to follow you Buffy! We'll lead her to the Library," Xander ordered.

"Right!"

"Jesse, Willow! Get to the library and get the weapons out, we'll need them. Preferably the pikes," Xander said.

"And just how is a fish gonna help?" Jesse asked.

Xander stared at his friend and realized he hadn't taught them anything yet, he was used to dealing with people that KNEW what weapons were what.

"Its ok, Xander I know what you're talking about!" Willow said and dragged Jesse behind her.

"Xander! She's got the door blocked!" Buffy shouted.

"Coming, sweetheart!" he called out sweetly earning a growl from Buffy. He stood outside the class and waved his arms. "Yoo hoo, Miss French! I have to say you were the WORST kisser I ever had the displeasure of locking lips with, and I've kissed some weird things over the years."

The mantis turned and looked at him and made a horrible noise and started charging him.

"Gee, Xander, I think you hurt her feelings," Buffy said coming out of the classroom, sliding under the big bug and coming up to her feet next to Xander.

"Time to run," Xander said.

"Agreed!" Buffy said and the pair ran for the library. As they ran through the halls they past Cordelia.

"He wants you to dissect something, doesn't he Buffy!?" Cordelia said stepping into the hallway.

"Cordy! Less talking more running!" Xander cried out.

"Run? From what?" she said turning around to stalk off only to see the mantis rounding the corner. She screamed and joined Xander and Buffy in their retreat. "What is it with things wanting to eat me when you people are around?"

"No time!" Buffy shouted.

"What IS that thing!" Cordelia asked as they ran from the mantis.

"Ex Girlfriend. She's not happy I'm dating Buffy now," Xander said, forgetting to censor himself.

"Oh please Harris, I'd have known if you ever had a date in your pathetic life, even with a big bug monster!" Cordelia said as they approached the library.

"Not now Cordy!" Xander said.

"You really did date her, didn't you?" Buffy asked.

"AS IF! Xander Harris if you've been spreading that around school you are SO dead!" Cordelia shouted.

"It was another life!" Xander said as they hit the library doors. Xander wished his shoulder was better so he could help, but undoing his progress in healing wouldn't help anyone.

"Buffy!" Giles called out tossing her a pike.

"Thanks Giles!" Buffy said taking up a guard stance at the door. The mantis crashed through the door and impaled itself on the pike's spike. Buffy pulled out the spike and twirled bringing the axe head down taking the mantis' head off. The body then collapsed.

"I would axe for an encore, Buffy, but we're fresh out of bug people," Xander said to the groans of the room.

"I am so out of here," Cordelia said and headed out of the library as Dawn and Joyce came in.

"Wow! COOL!" Dawn said seeing the dead mantis.

"Buffy?"

"Don't look at me, its Xander's ex," Cordelia told Joyce.

"Xander?" Joyce asked.

"Long story Mrs. Summers," Xander said with a grin on his face.

"I'm sure it is and you can share it while we clean up this mess," Giles said.

"No mops for me, I'm still healing," Xander said his grin getting wider.

"If you want smoochies later, you won't rub it in," Buffy warned.

"Shutting up now," Xander said as Jesse and Willow shook their heads.

"Is this what the rest of high school is going to be like?" Jesse asked.

"Nah...sometimes its gets freaky," Xander said.

"Great," Jesse said as he started to help.

Buffy and Giles were out burning the remains of the mantis and the floor was already clean.

"Ok, Cordelia, how?" Jesse asked sitting next to his friend.

"You want to get with Cordy? Its simple. Just get trapped in Buffy's basement by a bug guy, say you hate her, have her tell you she hates you then find yourselves in an inexplicable lip lock," Xander told his friend.

"When was this Xander?" Joyce asked.

"About a year from now….I think," Xander said.

"So some crazed exterminator was trying to kill you and Cordelia?" Jesse asked.

"No, he was a guy made of bugs, little worm like things," Xander said and was rewarded with looks of disgust on his audience's faces.

"Why would something like that want to hurt either of you?" Joyce asked.

"He was actually after Buffy. He was an assasin a member of the Order of Taraka I think," Xander said.

"An assassin?" Joyce asked.

"All the cool things happen to Buffy," Dawn said. Still angry about being grounded.

"It was NOT cool, Dawnster. It was icky and scary, and that was just the kissing of Cordelia. The bug guy was pretty gross too," Xander said getting the ten year old to laugh.

"Bug guy?" Buffy asked as she came in.

"Xander was telling me how to get Cordelia to go out with me. It sounds like a lot of work actually," Jesse said causing Xander to laugh.

"That's one way to put it, buddy," he said.

"Do I want to hear this story?" Buffy asked sitting next to Xander taking his hand..

"Probably not," Xander said kissing her.

"EWWWW!" Dawn said.

The next few days were pretty peaceful, by Sunnydale standards and Xander found that many of his plans required a positive cash flow. Money had always been tight, even up time and Xander wondered about how to solve that problem. Being only sixteen many of the jobs he could think that he'd like to have wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole, not that he had much time anyway, not that he could work with his shoulder anyway. Jesse and Buffy had gone to the video store for movie night and he and Willow were at Buffy's house.

"What are you working on?" Willow asked.

"Plans for the future," Xander said, distracted.

"What kind of plans?" Willow asked.

"Hmmmm….plans to make saving the world easier," Xander said, as he continued writing.

"We're supposed to be having fun," Willow said disapprovingly.

"Huh?" Xander said and really looked at his friend for the first time since he'd arrived. "I'm sorry Wills, I'm just not sure where I'm going to get the money I need for a quarter of what I'd like to do. The council's resources aren't limitless, even if they like to pretend they are."

"And you don't trust them," Willow said.

"True. I don't and would like to get Buffy completely out from under their thumb, but going to war with them will take money and we aren't ready yet. No where near it," Xander said and sighed. Rubbing his temples.

"Let me help, this is obviously driving you crazy," Willow said taking his note pad. She looked it over a bit while Xander flopped back boneless into the couch.

"Wow...that is a lot of money. Name off the three biggest companies in the world," Willow asked.

"Google, Apple and Microsoft," Xander said in quick response.

"Apple and Microsoft I've heard of, but what's Google?" Willow asked.

"You've got a computer, google it," Xander said tiredly.

"What?" she asked.

"Huh? You know...google it," Xander said and realized what he just said. "Oh god...I live in the freaking Stone Age! No Google, no Netflix, no YouTube, no Pandora...the list is endless."

Willow was busy writing down the names he was mentioning as she figured they'd be worth watching as potential investments.

"Sounds like we've got a lot to look forward too," Willow said.

"You don't know the half of it. Itunes...blessed be Steve Jobs," Xander said sighing.

"And I thought I was the technophile here," Willow said grinning.

"I'm a boy of the Twenty-First century, Willow and I miss my toys," Xander said as Buffy and Jesse returned.

"How was the trip to the mark of the Dark Ages, the video store?" Xander asked mournfully.

"What's with him?" Buffy asked.

"He's missing his toys from the future," Willow said.

"Aww...poor baby," Buffy said giving him a kiss.

"You know, I think there are maybe four things one of your kisses can't fix," Xander said smiling at her.

"Feeling better?" she asked with a grin.

"Get a ROOM!" Dawn complained as she came downstairs and went into the kitchen.

"What did you get?" Willow asked.

"Interview with a Vampire," Buffy said thumbing to Jesse when Xander grimaced, "Only You, and Lion King," Buffy said.

"Only You?" Xander asked.

"Some chick flick, your girlfriend insisted," Jesse said sticking his tounge out at Buffy who returned the display of immaturity adding in a raspberry.

"Ah! Raspberry! Only one man would dare give me Raspberry!" Jesse said.

"LONE STAR!" Xander and Jesse said together causing the girls to laugh.

"Lets go pop some corn, even this benighted age has microwaves," Xander said with a smirk and he and Jesse went into the kitchen.

"Still green, you'd think that an Angel capable of slamming me back in my sixteen year old body would've given thought to making sure I avoided food poisoning. Maybe get us Gordon Ramsay as a school cook?" Xander complained.

"Xander!" Buffy said exclaimed at Xander's cavalier conversation.

"Sunnydale effect meet Buffy," Xander said motioning to a empty chair, "Buffy I'd like you to meet my very good friend the Sunnydale effect."

"Nice to meet you, Mr….Effect," Buffy said looking at her boyfriend like he'd just grown antlers. "What are you going on about, Xander?"

"Simple people in this town Don't Want to Know. So they don't. We think its actually more an effect of the Hellmouth. We saw the same thing in Cleveland," Xander said.

"Interesting. Oh! Willow! Look who's sitting alone?" Buffy said suddenly changing the subject.

"Who? He looks familiar but I can't place him," Xander said, bugged by this. When he'd been sixteen he'd know almost every student by name, but except for the ones that lived to graduation he couldn't remember them.

"Owen Thurman? He always sits alone," Willow said shrugging.

"He reads, poetry. Emily Dickins or something," Buffy said.

"Dickinson," Willow and Xander said at the sametime causing Willow to look at her best freind as Jesse came to their table with his tray.

"Mini slayer tutor, remember," Xander said.

"That is still such a weird concept, now Willow, Owen's lonely over there, he needs company. Someone who has read Emily Dickinson," Buffy said.

"What is this green stuff?" Jesse asked.

"It is so good to have a guy in the group," Xander said and the two freinds fist bumped.

"What brought that on?" Jesse asked.

"Buffy is trying to fix Willow up with the Lone Reader over there," Xander said.

"Hey, I think they'd be cute together," Buffy said.

Xander shrugged, "Maybe, remember I have a hand's off policy on all romantic interests except Buffy's, where I have a very hands on policy." He grinned and started tickling Buffy.

"Stop it!" Buffy said laughing.

"You love it," he said.

"Ah..rats," Buffy said.

"What?"

"Cordelia," Buffy said.

"Oh...well he'll probably like her better anyway," Willow said, softly.

"Hey, no glum face. You are a great catch, if Owen wants Cordy at this point in her life than he's a loser and you don't need him. If you want to see what might happen you WILL need to take action. If not just stare at the toxic waste they call lunch around here. Either way I'll support you," Xander said and hugged Willow.

"Thanks Xander, that helps.

"So, how did Buffy's night go?" Jesse asked, sounding a bit uncomfortable in the middle of the Dr. Phil moment. Not that he knew who Dr. Phil was.

"Not much, Giles got on to me about my technique, thinks I waste too much energy," Buffy said.

"He's right, the longer a fight goes on the more likely you are to get hurt, and I for one am pro anything that keeps you from being hurt," Xander said stopping the daggers in Buffy's eyes just as they were being born.

"Yeah, but this vampire and a ring on him. Order of Aurelius. Giles seemed freaked by it.

"That's never good," Xander said.

"Yeah," Buffy said and frowned.

Later Xander was with Buffy at her locker when Owen came up. He looked nervous and seemed to be working up the courage to say something and he finally spoke, "So, Buffy, were you planning on being at the Bronze tonight?"

"Hadn't really thought about it, Owen," Buffy said, conversationally. Xander waited for a pang of jealously as the boy asked Buffy out, and realized there wasn't one. He was completely secure in his relationship with Buffy. He hadn't even had that with Anya

"Mumphf," Xander let out.

"What, Xander?" Buffy asked looking at him.

"Just realized something, I'll tell you about it later," Xander said.

"Ok," Buffy said facing him.

"Yeah, its ok, Buffy. I see that you're with Xander," Owen said sounding like a kicked puppy and started off.

"Owen wait!" Buffy called after him.

"What?" he asked.

"We've got a friend that I think you'd have a lot in common with, we can make sure she's there and you might hit it off with her," Buffy said and Xander rolled his eyes. This was a bad idea.

"Who's your friend?"

"Willow," Buffy said.

"Willow Rosenburg?" Owen asked.

"Are there any other Willows at Sunnydale High?" Buffy asked.

"Willow?" Owen said with a puzzled look on his face.

"There's nothing wrong with Willow, is there?" Buffy asked.

"Well...no...but I didn't think she was interested in dating. Kinda heavy on the learning, you know?" Owen said.

"She is a brain, but she's SO ready to start dating," Buffy said.

"Sweetie, don't you think you need to discuss this with Willow before you set this up?" Xander whispered in Buffy's ear and fought a grin and he felt her shiver.

"Well...if you think so. I'll see the three of you a say seven?" Owen asked.

"We'll be there!" Buffy said smiling. As soon as soon as Owen's back was turned Xander facepalmed.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Is this really a good idea?" Xander asked.

"Is what a good idea?" Buffy asked.

"Playing matchmaker," Xander said as they started walking.

"Why wouldn't it be a good idea. Willow needs someone, and Owen's nice, he's booky. I think they'd be cute together," Buffy said.

"Buffy, it's great that you're worried about Willow's happiness, but I have it on good authority that she is and will be happy," Xander said.

"You know, skipping to the end of the story is cheating," Buffy admonished.

"Blame Az for that, sweetheart," he said with a grin.

"You really think its a bad idea?" Buffy asked.

"Actually on the fence on this one. If Willow's comfortable with it I have no problem with it. If she's not...as I said at lunch I'll support whatever she wants to do in dating, but I'm not pushing either," Xander said.

"Is he in your memories?" Buffy asked.

"Not answering that," Xander said.

"Why not?" Buffy asked.

"Cause it'll influence you and you'll influence Owen and Willow without even meaning to. Case in point, what if I said that Owen and Willow were happily married with three kids, what would you do?" Xander asked.

"I dunno, are they?" Buffy asked with hope.

"Not going to say one way or the other, now what if I told you Willow was gay when I died? What would you do?" Xander said.

"I see you're point, but you don't need to be absurd to make it," Buffy said.

"Je t'amie," Xander said.

"Je t'amie, trop," Buffy replied and leaned up for a kiss which he happily granted.

"Now lets find Willow and tell her the good news!" Buffy said and Xander rolled his eyes.

"Owen Thurman wants to meet me at the Bronze?" Willow asked.

"Yes, he's totally into you," Buffy said excited.

"Then why hasn't he said anything to me?" Willow asked, confused.

"Cause, he thought you were too busy with school to be interested in dating. We'll be meeting him at seven. This will be huge!"

"If you say so, but I don't think its that much to get excited about," Willow said, sounding unsure.

"It totally is!" Buffy said and then she saw Giles. "Giles! Tell her its a big deal!"

"Its a big deal, now come with me!" Giles said.

"See, Giles agrees with me," Buffy said.

"Well, you were right after all, Buffy. I'm actually proud that you found the connection," Giles said.

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked as the three of them entered the Library. Jesse was also there.

"What are you talking about?" Giles asked.

"Boys!" Buffy and Willow chorused.

"I resemble that!" Jesse said and Xander chuckled at his friend and went over to sit next to him.

"Yes, Jesse I'm well aware of that. I however wasn't talking about members of my own gender. I was referring to a great evil rising," Giles said.

"Evil? What the sitch?" Buffy asked.

"The Order of Aurelius. Aurelius himself was a vampire seer of some talent and he foresaw his followers joining the Master and bringing him the Anointed," Giles said.

"Ok, so what happens?" Buffy asked.

"He writes that from the five the Anointed will rise, on the evening of the thousandth day from the Advent of Septus," Giles said.

"That's just under three years from this Advent of Septus, Giles. Why would this prophet use an event so far from his own time to mark from?" Willow asked.

"Its a milestone, Willow. The Advent of Septus did occur and a lot of people died, I've done some calculations and the rising of the Anointed is tonight," Giles said.

"No! It can't be tonight! First Aunt Buffy story happening tonight!" Buffy wailed.

"Aunt Buffy? Kinda jumping the gun a little there, aren't you Buff?" Xander asked.

"More like alot," Willow said.

"Says the guy who's going to be the father of my children so they can save the world," Buffy said with a smirk.

"What?" Willow and Giles said at the same time.

"You told her?" Giles asked.

"I really wasn't doing so great with the secret keeping anyway Giles," Xander said with a shrug.

"Ohhh boy! I get to be Aunt Willow! I have to start shopping!" Willow said.

"Hey, slow down,Wills. Its going to be a couple of years at least," Xander said.

"I would hope so," Giles said.

"So, can I get the kid a Dodge Charger? I'll be Uncle Jesse after all," Jesse said with a grin.

"If you can afford it, I won't stop you," Xander said with a grin.

"You can play matchmaker later, Buffy, tonight is important," Giles said.

"Its ok, Buffy. Jesse and I will be Willow's wingmen," Xander said.

"Dibs on Maverick," Jesse said.

"No, I'm Maverick, you're Maniac. You look more like him anyway," Xander said.

"Oh like you look so much like Mark Hamill," Jesse said.

"Do you have any idea what they are talking about?" Buffy asked Willow.

"Computer game," Willow said.

"Oh," Buffy said.

The three of them arrive at the Bronze just after seven and soon saw Owen and Cordelia was sitting with him, or closer to on him. Willow looked down and frowned.

"Seems like Cordelia has him," she said.

"Au contraire, Willow. That boy about as comfortable with her as Wile E Coyote sitting on a cactus," Xander said knowingly.

"You sure?" Jesse asked.

"Positive," Xander said.

"So what should I do?" Willow asked nervously.

"If you want to see if you and Owen will hit it off, you need to go over there and be somewhat assertive. If that is your plan, I really wish you had let Buffy dress you. If not, we go get drinks and hang like always," Xander said.

"No pressure?" Willow asked.

"None," Xander said.

"Let's go hang, there's no way I can compete with Cordelia," Willow said wistfully.

"Whoa...no one rags on my friends, especially yourself you have as much if not more to offer Owen than Cordelia does," Xander said forcefully.

"I'll go distract her so Willow can swoop in and claim him," Jesse said trying to help.

"Not just yet, buddy. I'm not forcing Willow to do anything if she's actually not interested, but if she'd like to make a play for him I'm not going to let Cordy fear keep her from doing it," Xander said.

"Is he the one?" Willow asked.

"Not answering that, Wills. But you seem to have somethings in common, but its up to you," Xander said.

"Come on, not even a clue?" Willow pouted.

"Will, I've had to endure your pouts my whole life then I had to endure Buffy's and Dawn's pouts. I think I'm immune," Xander said.

"No fair," Willow said.

"I can't become a crutch for you and Buffy, Wills. Now what is it going to be, Sprite and pining for what might have been, or are you going to take a chance?"

"Ok, fine, I'll take a chance," Willow said.

"That's my girl!" Xander said hugging her. "Now Jesse, go left, make a pass at Cordy. I expect you'll flame out, but it'll distract her long enough for Willow to ask Owen to dance. Once you hit the dance floor with him I'll swoop in and make sure Cordy isn't a problem."

"Just watch this, you won't need to do a thing, I'll have her eating out of my hand," Jesse said confidently as he went off.

"Ok, Wills, go!" Xander said as he picked up his grape soda. It would be a shame to waste it like he was planning, but one does sacrifice for one's friends.

Xander watched as his two friends executed his battle plan. Jesse got Cordy's attention and predictably flamed out just as Willow came in from her flanking position and didn't flame out. Owen practically jumped out of his chair for a reason to escape Cordy. Then Xander moved in for the kill. He really hoped that he wouldn't have to resort to the drink, it really was good.

"...so get out of here dweeb!" Cordelia said to Jesse.

"Ooo...dweeb. So harsh Cordelia," Xander said to her.

"Whatever, come on, Owen….Owen?" Cordelia said as she looked around and pure rage twisted her face as she saw Willow and Owen and she started to move toward them but Xander stopped her.

"No, Cordelia, he's been wanting to bail all night, he just didn't have anything better, now he does. Do yourself a favor and stick to the guys who have permanent concussions, you won't bore them to death."

"Now you see here, you cretin. No one tells Cordelia Chase who she can and cannot date," she said.

"Give yourself some credit Cordy, you don't need a trophy boyfriend to be special. Just look inside. There's a human being in there, honest!" Xander said and then walked off giving Willow a thumbs up. Of course this brought up another problem. If Willow was going to hit it off with Owen, eventually Scooby action and Owen action would meet. Then he frowned, why did he suddenly get the feeling that such a meeting would go very badly. He shook his head and turned to see Jesse making another pass only for Cordelia to give him a right cross and storm away.

"Hey buddy, let's go get some ice on that," Xander said to his friend patting him on the back.

An hour later Buffy came in and quickly found Xander and Jesse. "What happened to Jesse?" she asked.

"Took one for the team," Xander said.

"Not quite, buddy, earned this all on my own, Buffy. Though I might say that my distraction went beautifully," Jesse said as they clinked root beer bottles.

"I see it worked," Buffy said eyeing Willow and Owen.

"Just a little, not that she needed much help, though honestly I think Owen would've gone with a gorgon just to get away from Cordy, but don't tell Willow that," Xander said.

"How'd you keep her away from them?" Buffy asked smiling.

"Gave her something to think about," Xander said.

"Glad that this worked so well for Willow," Buffy said and then got a look in her eye and turned to Jesse who suddenly looked very afraid.

"Buffy, no...I'm still trying for Cordelia," Jesse said shaking his head.

"I'm on a roll! Come on what's the worse that could happen?"

"He could almost get eaten, find out the girl is a mummy that needs to leech the water...what? Dating on the Hellmouth is hazardous," he said as Buffy and Jesse stared at him.

"You aren't helping," Buffy said, arms crossed.

"I appreciate the thought, Buffy, I do, but I want to do this on my own," Jesse said.

"Doing it on your own got you a black eye. Who knew Cordelia had a punch like that?" Buffy asked. Xander raised his hand and she swatted his chest. "You don't count."

"Je t'amie," Xander said sweetly.

"I love you, too but I AM finding Jesse a girlfriend," Buffy said determination in her voice.

Xander looks over at a smiling Willow as she danced with Owen, he smiled and said, "At least she can sense whether or not they are demons before you date them, buddy."

"Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?" Jesse asked.

The next week the five of them were at the zoo and Willow, Jesse and Owen found Buffy looking at the elephants. Xander handed her a funnel cake causing Buffy to smile at him.

"Now, what's got you down that it takes funnel cake to make you smile?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, Buffy, you've been kinda glum today," Willow chimed in.

"We just did this at my last school. I mean how many times can you see a bunch of caged animals after all?" Buffy said.

"Sweetheart, we aren't in class, that's a plus," Xander said.

"Says the guy that in the last six weeks has raised his average from a D+ to a solid B and headed to an A," Buffy said.

"Just because I've become good at it doesn't mean I like it," Xander said.

"I for one am glad, you don't hog Willow anymore," Jesse said.

"I never hogged her, besides because of MY girlfreind you now have TWO brains to pick," Xander said grinning at his friend.

"Actually I've got THREE, yours counts now," Jesse said.

"So what happened to get your grades turned around anyway, Xander?" Owen asked.

"Something just clicked, dunno really," Xander said knowing that the group was going to have to talk about Owen soon. He was WAY too smart and while it had only been a week since Buffy had got Willow and Owen together it was looking like a lasting match, if Owen didn't freak when he got involved in Scooby related stuff.

"Hey, isn't that Lance?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, what's he doing with those four?" Jesse asked.

"Nothing good for him no doubt," Xander said heading over to the Hyena House. Alarm bells were going off in his head but he wasn't sure why. Then it clicked. "Oh no." Xander then took off toward the Hyena House at a trot.

"What's with Xander?" Owen asked. "He looks like he's seen a ghost."

"He just….really hates bullies," Willow said quickly as Xander went into the Hyena House.

"Xander! Be careful!" Buffy said and started running to catch up. Xander heard the zookeeper stop her as he went deeper into the enclosure. He saw Kyle, Rhonda, Heidi and Tor pushing Lance around and he saw the circle on the floor and swore.

"Kyle! You guys have to get out of the circle!" Xander said.

"And who's going to make us? You, Harris?" Kyle said.

"Yeah, Harris you aren't so tough without the sociopath you call a girlfriend around," Rhonda said.

Xander took a breath and tried again, "Its dangerous in here, guys. Something really bad is going to happen if you don't get out of here right now!"

"Yeah, something bad is going to happen! To Lance," Tor said and he and Kyle picked up the hapless student and started to dump him over the railing and Xander moved to stop them. As soon as he crossed the circle he felt it. A nightmare from his past returned. It slammed into him and it was there...laughing.