Giles stood in line patiently at the magic shop. It's been a week and they're safely riding the mellow in Spike and Drusilla's wake. He came here to get ingredients to desecrate the Duelac cross they pulled from the debris of the church to make sure it can never be used again.

Ethan looked up and saw the line. "This is intolerable old man. I won't be babysat. I'd much rather you just thrash me and get it done with."

Giles rolled his eyes no chance is he leaving Ethan alone for a second in a magic shop. The two British men looked forward and caught the conversation with the customer in front of them.

"So I follow the compass, sprinkle the dust, and say some words. Seems easy enough that even I could do it."

"Yes that's right, do you need me to write it down for you sir?"

"No, I got it."

"Thank you have a nice day."

"You too."

The customer turned around revealing he was Xander as he headed for the exit only to be spotted by the two Englishmen. "Giles…" Xander looked at Ethan for a moment "Evil Giles."

"It's Ethan" The man responded and looking at the teenager's supplies. "Working a spell I'd be happy to help, I do have an act for it."

"After your last spell, I'll pass." Xander replied looking at him with a murderous glare.

Ethan quietly nodded. "Very well, but with a racidian compass and futurane powder I'd say your about to summon one powerful oracle."

Xander glared at the elder man. "You're not going to shut up until I toss you down a flight of stairs are you."

Giles looked into his bag and saw Ethan was right. "Xander, those are very potent ingredients, it's not a spell to be taken likely, neither are the words of whoever you wish to summon."

Xander nodded well aware but he's down to 27 hours seeing shamans and mystics, and they all say see him. "I know, it's just I killed Eyghon with power I've never felt before Halloween. I'm just curious about my power is all."

Giles nodded in understanding. "Yes well, if you need help."

"I'll come running. But the ritual is a solo act." Xander replied. "Until then I'll see you around G-man."

Giles nodded and saw him out. He's keeping a lot to himself but he seems happy and growing with power since what Ethan told him was true about how he killed Eyghon.

Xander stretched his neck looking back in the outside world at three o clock at night in Los Angeles. "OK one eighteen north twenty one Thirty four degrees twelve minutes north, and I'm here." He quietly prayed, please don't tell me I mixed up East and West again." He looked up and quietly muttered. "OK… every mystic on earth dies." Xander looked at the sight in disbelief. They took him to a burger stand, a statue of a burger man. "You're supposed to be a statue. I guess you are... kind of."

Xander closed the compass and applied the powder to the statue. "Mange sec Loa, algebra, accept this offering - and open the gates of truth."

A red light flashes and the hamburger comes to life, growing bigger in front of Xander's eyes. Its eyes begin to glow red as it reaches ten times its size and speaks. "How dare you call on the Loa?!"

Xander looked at him he keeps growing he just might have to see if the Zyusouken can actually summon Dragon Caesar. What were those words again? "I-I - I come in supplication, oh great one, begging for answers to questions only your power can reveal."

Loa looked at him unimpressed. "You have answers, human. You search now, only for the question."

Xander looked at him. "Then you know my question?"

Loa looked at him stuck in the hamburger's smile. "That if you were to break the spell... all it would do is break the time you have left. That much is certain."

"Then the question I ask is how do I give myself more time?" Xander asked as Loa growled.

"Not within my sight to know." Loa finished moving his arms.

Xander looked at him. "Then tell me who can or you're a waste of time, over rated, hack."

"You risk your life human, insulting the Loa?" The giant burger warned.

"And I'm risking getting locked into a loony's nest by talking to a third class Mayor McCheese about my life." Xander countered.

Loa attacked blasting a red energy shot stunning Xander and knocking him down. "Your life is simple mortal, your pain is just beginning, and time is running out."

"Fine then, what is the point of my simple life." Xander asked.

Loa looked at him. "The portends that change."

"And those are?" Xander asked.

Loa looked at him. "The first portend will the change the tides. The second will weaken one and strengthen another, and the final is the first corrupter."

Xander looked at him. Why did he have to be cryptic, he hates cryptic? "I don't understand."

"I've answered your questions mortal. Heed the signs, and trouble the Loa no longer."

Xander watched as the Loa shrunk down and became a lifeless Loa burger statue. He'd redo the ritual but he's pretty sure Loa would kill him. "Well... THAT ANSWERED NOTHING!"

The Next Day

Buffy rolled her eyes seeing her ball disappear. Now she can do a lot of things well. Mini golf however is not one of them. Her slayer strength is hard to control especially when you're hitting something. Add to the stress of the almighty Ted and it's amazing if she doesn't hit it into oncoming traffic… on the highway. She didn't even want to be here today. She shot Ted down. Then Mom yelled at her for shooting him down and Buffy yelled at her for yelling at her. It was a regular yell fest.

Buffy walked with Willow and whispered. "Remind me why I'm here again before I use my putter on Ted."

Willow smiled a bit after that cookie she feels great. "You're doing this for the greater good, your driver's license."

Buffy smiled remembering the compromise she made with her mother and Angel but mostly mom. She plays dutiful daughter, gives Ted a shot and she can take her driver's test again at seventeen even if they wouldn't even let her behind the wheel last time.

At the next shot Buffy is regretting this, who needs a license it's not worth it to listen to anymore of this. First boys, then school, he's dead. She's going to kill him. She's going to drive the putter into the side of Teddy's big fat head.

"Eye on the ball... watch those elbows..." Ted warned.

Buffy tried to stay calm but between Ted and slayer strength a tap from the club and her ball goes wild into some bushes.

"Bad luck, little lady." Ted said with a smile.

Joyce was much more sympathetic knowing Ted inadvertently struck a nerve earlier with school. "We won't count it."

Ted looked at her. "We won't?"

Joyce looked at him. "Well, it's just miniature golf."

Ted simply nodded. "It is, but the rules are the rules. What we teach her is what she takes into the world when we're not there, whether it's at school or an unchaperoned party..." Ted looked at Buffy and smiled. "I don't mean to overstep my bounds; this is between you and your mother. I just think right is right."

Buffy looks to her mother for the tie breaking vote.

Joyce smiled Ted makes such good points. "He has a point..."

Buffy glared clearly not what she wanted to hear. "Yeah. I'll just go hit from the rough." Buffy disappears into the bushes. No one can see her. She picked up her ball, walked to the turf, dropped it near the hole and kicked it in, calling back over her shoulder. "Hey, how 'bout that, I got a hole in two."

"Beg to differ." Buffy whirled around at the voice. Ted is standing right next to her.

Buffy shrugged. "Okay, so fine my score or whatever..."

Ted glared at her his anger quickly increasing. "I think you're missing the point here, little lady..." Ted starts tapping the golf club against his shoe. Creepy like. Although he's still the friendly salesman, Buffy gets her first glimpse into his dark side side. "Right is right. Wrong is wrong. Why don't people see that?"

Buffy looked at him. "It's just a game.

Ted looked at her still hitting himself. "Right. It's just a game. Do your own thing..." He takes a step closer, the golf club hitting his leg harder and faster. "Well I'm not wired that way. I'm here to tell you it is not a game and it does count and I don't stand for that kind of malarkey in my house."

Buffy had her fill driving isn't worth it. "Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not in your house."

Ted glared at her. "Do you want me to slap that smart ass mouth of yours?" Buffy reacts as Joyce and Willow come into view. And the nice guy smile comes back to Ted's face. "Who's up for dessert? I made chocolate chip cookies."

Ted pulled out a big baggie of cookies.

"Cookies." Willow said excitedly.

Ted put up his Stepford act once more. "I made too many, so you guys are gonna have to take some home..."

Buffy takes a step back, watching this viper as the people she cares for most about gather innocently around him for cookies.

Joyce took a bite as a smile spread over her face. "Oh, you have to try one of these, Buffy, they're really good."

Buffy lay asleep that night all the vampires have fled from her. Apparently her more savage methods from the last couple of nights had reached word of the demonic underworld. Being the slayer however means she's always been a light sleeper so when someone grabbed her by the shoulder she instantly knew the grip was too heavy to be Joyce and flipped him onto the bed and put her on top of him straddling her attacker and choking him.

Buffy smiled flipping on her lamp. "Let's watch you die." She instantly let go seeing who it was and immediately let him breath. "Xander, I'm sorry."

Xander caught his breath as his face turned blue to flesh again. "My life just flashed before my eyes, what if that was your mom's boyfriend."

Buffy looked at him. "How do you know about Ted?"

Xander looked at her nervously. Well this is a mess. "I was there. I saw you over the water." Or in the water in his case.

Buffy glared at him. "You couldn't say hi, we only ever see you in life or death situations anymore."

"I was going to." Xander defended himself. "Then I saw him beating himself with a putter, after the night before I thought I was seeing things and decided against it."

Buffy looked at him. "What could you have done last night that could make you think you were seeing things?"

"Got into an argument about a spell with a giant talking hamburger… it was a spell I was taught." Xander explained.

Buffy looked at him. "Funny thing is it's too weird for you to make it up. And Ted bashing his leg in was very real."

Buffy's enhanced hearing allowed her in to the fact that someone was about to open her door and not wanting to explain this mess like Xander's sword and the 1 AM bashing of Ted. She quickly lowered her head as the door opened revealing Joyce and Buffy quickly lifted her head giving the impression she was kissing him. "Mom!"

"Buffy" Joyce looked at her upset. "Xander"

"Mrs. Summers"

Joyce glared at him. "I'd like to see both of you downstairs in two minutes, or I'm going to get cranky."

Buffy weakly nodded. "We'll be right down. Just give us a couple minutes."

Once the door was shut they were both on their feet.

Xander looked at her. "Not that I'm complaining mind you. But why didn't you just say we were talking."

"Yes mom we were innocently talking as friends at 1 in the morning, just ignore the dagger strapped to his waist and the big old broad sword attached to his back." Buffy quipped.

Xander took them off and threw them into a tree to recover after he leaves. "Point taken I was going to look into Ted but he was at his house."

The two teens walk down and in a way Xander is almost nostalgic, since Halloween it's just been him and Cordelia when it's not fighting.

Joyce looked at the two. "So you want to tell me how long you two have been seeing each other."

Xander looked at her. "We're not seeing each other. My parents were fighting I asked her if I could stay the night… on the floor of course." Xander finished.

Joyce looked at him. "I didn't find you two on the floor."

Xander nodded. "It wasn't…"

"He asked me why I never wanted to be more then friends." Buffy finished. "Mom, you remember that dance last year, you brought me that dress everyone loved."

Joyce nodded. "Yeah, the wrong guy... oh."

Buffy weakly nodded. "I couldn't think of an answer… so I kissed him… which was like kissing a brother. And then you came in and took the awkward factor up to eleven."

Xander looked at her upset. Wow, right in the pride. Well two can play this. "Ampata was a better kisser anyway."

Buffy glared at him. She's a much better kisser then an Inca mummy girl.

Joyce looked at the two before pointing to her only child. "You bedroom." She pointed at Xander. "You couch. Goodnight Buffy, Xander"

Buffy waited till she heard the door closing. "So are you staying the night?"

"No, I've got a place a lot comfier then a couch. Want me to look into Ted." Xander offered.

Buffy shook her head. "Not till tomorrow we're having dinner at six. So that should give you plenty of time to see what he's hiding. Good night."

Xander quietly hopped out the window and once he made it to the tree climbed back up for his weapons.

The next day at school while walking to their next class Willow gave Buffy a murderous glare upon finding out how the slayer spent her night. "Xander was in your bed?"

"Only for like a moment" Buffy replied not sure why she's defending herself since nothing happened. "Oh, and he agrees with me on the whole Ted is evil thing."

Willow looked at her. "Want me to research him?" She's lost two to one might as well roll with the punches.

"Yes, please."

Buffy replied as the two had a laid out plan as she opened the library doors. "And then see our librarian stick his tongue down the computer teacher's throat!"

Giles and Jenny break apart as unknown to Buffy and Willow someone else heard Buffy talking about having Xander in her bed. Aura smiled, this should be good. She told Harmony and knowing Harmony, she quickly told everyone within earshot of her.

Later that night Xander was outside of Ted's house looking for an extra key. Xander spent two minutes before saying. "Oh the hell with this." He grabbed his sword's sheathe and used the hilt as a battering ram breaking the glass and unlocking the door.

"You know that's called braking and entering."

Xander turned around and saw Cordelia. "Yeah, but I think the lapseless room is outside their jurisdiction."

Cordelia nodded in agreement. "Speaking of that, did you at least try to find something to help you?"

Xander nodded. "Yeah but all I got was cryptic. One will change the tides, the second will weaken one and strengthen another and the last is the first corrupter."

Cordelia gave a shrug not knowing anything either. She hates that cryptic crap. "So apparently you had sex with Buffy last night?"

Xander looked at her. "I'm sorry… I what with who?"

"Harmony told me you two losers slept with each other last night." Cordelia replied.

Xander looked at her for a moment with a smile. "And you believe the words of Harmony the empty headed bimbo why?"

Cordelia had a smile. "Well… you are dead...ish now… kind of is her type." She looked at Xander with the horror of what she said. "Oh god… I..."

Xander put his hand up stopping the apology. "It's OK Cordy." He learned a long time ago she just gives her blunt honest opinion.

Cordy nodded and looked at the broken window. "OK, I gotta admit. I just spotted you… but what the hell are you doing?"

Xander looked at the window. "Looking at the new parental figure in Buffy's life. Care to give me a hand?"

Cordelia shrugged. Hanging out with the dangerous guy that got kicked out of school while breaking and entering. It might even help her rep. "Yeah, OK"

Xander looked around the place lots of boxes stacked on top of each other… and that's it. "There's nothing here but boxes." Xander looked at something new and smiled. "Oh, and cookies."

Cordy rolled her eyes and kept looking. "All that's here is a guy with a tacky taste in rugs. I don't think we're going to find anything here."

Xander smiled and patted her on the shoulder and held her close. "Don't be such a negative Nancy, we'll find something."

Cordelia looked at Xander eat the cookie and pried herself away. "Did… you just call me a negative Nancy?"

Xander looked at her. "Nothing good ever came from worrying. Now show me this rug."

Cordy shrugged and showed him the rug as Xander moved it. The two looked seeing a secret door leading to a drop down ladder.

Xander looked up and what he saw caused him to smile... seeing a vampire with a soul. "It's Angel, look Cordy, its Angel."

"I... uh see that." Cordy replied.

Angel looked at him with a raise eyebrow. Xander is happy to see him? "What the hell is wrong with him?"

"Inbreeding" Cordelia replied looking down the hole. "Well, last time I went down a secret basement I walked into a Freudian nightmare, so which one of you two is going down first."

Xander looked at them. "I'll go you worry warts I have a sword."

Xander led the way down first followed by Angel and ending with Cordelia.

Cordelia looked around Ted's place. The music and the ancient décor. "Feels like home, if it's the fifties and you're a psycho."

Angel nodded and looked at Xander disturbed by his friendly behavior. "What do you think of me?"

Xander smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "I think you're a good guy helping us." Xander answered as he started realizing what he's saying. "Wait… what?"

Angel wasted no time and took the cookie. He smelled it for a moment. "The cookies are drugged."

Xander instantly threw what was left against the wall. "That never happened"

Cordelia opened the window and only saw a brick wall. "And this place keeps getting creepier."

Xander looked at the vampire with a soul, stupid drugs. "How did you get in here?"

"Same way you two did. Buffy called me and asked me to track you down." Angel answered.

Xander shook his head. "No, I mean this is Ted's house how did you get invited."

Angel looked at him and realized it. "Buffy just went mini golfing with this guy he has to be…"

Xander opened the closet door bringing a stop to the conversation. Seeing four sets of remains and they all look like Buffy and Joyce. "We'll call the police, get to Buffy. Go now!"

Angel wasted no time and ran up the ladder and the apartment door closed.

Cordelia looked at Xander. "What was that about? What's in there?"

Xander quickly grabbed her and went for the ladder. "Four dead women that resemble Joyce. He's a serial killer. Remind me to never question Buffy again. Stupid devil cookie"

Xander walked her to her car. Cordy gave the police the address. Cordy caught her breath as she hung up the phone. "They'll be along in a few minutes."

Xander watched her get in the car. "You're not staying?"

Cordelia shook her head. "No, and you shouldn't either." She grabbed his wrist to prove a point as she looked at the clock. "You don't have the time."

Xander nodded seeing the clock run down to 26:30:00. "No, I guess I don't."

Cordelia looked at him one last time and kissed him. Xander pulled her ever closer. This might not be right but the truth is getting closer to Cordelia even this madness is the one thing keeping him from just going insane in the laspeless room. They broke apart and Xander could do nothing but watch as she drove off.

Xander looked at her go. "Giles! Giles can figure this out in two seconds."

Xander plays a familiar melody on the Zyusouken teleporting to the lapseless room then to Giles' apartment. Whatever Ted is he's certain Buffy and Angel combined can beat him.

Xander teleported from the lapseless room then quickly back to earth. He came down to Giles' apartment and knocked. "Come on Giles open up."

Xander smiled as the door opened only the wrong British guy came out or rolled out in this case. "Ah, where's Giles? I need to see him."

Ethan looked at the boy this isn't good. Ripper is currently in there researching the rituals this kid might have performed. "He's here but he and that computer teacher are otherwise indisposed at the moment."

"Could have gone my whole life without knowing that." Xander replied. "I need his help with some research."

Ethan looked at him. "Well they're only watching a movie. Perhaps I could be of some assistance, believe me I could use the distraction."

Xander looked at him he honestly had nothing to lose at this point. "Alright cryptic message. One will change the tides, the second will weaken one and strengthen another and the last is the first corrupter."

"And here I thought you had a challenge." Ethan quipped.

Xander looked at him. "If you know this you better start talking before I start with the other leg."

Ethan looked at him. "The moon, transference, the devil, good night." Ethan replied as he slammed the door.

Xander pulled out the Zyusouken after the door slammed and played a familiar set of notes going back to the lapseless room. Moon, transference, devil that's what he has to look out for? He doesn't even know what that means. He looks at the candle ever burning down. If he wants to figure this out in time he's going to have to do it and do it fast.

Author's Notes

Thanks for the reviews