Dark Past 3/
By Dave Mycock
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or any of the other characters except those I have created, they belong to Joss Whedon.
Pairing: Xander/Laura:
Summary: Set ten years after season five or maybe six. Xander and the remainder of the Scooby gang.
Tara sat thinking about the events that now surrounded them; Alexander's confession had added more strain to an already strained situation. Buffy had calmed to at least a point where she was willing to listen to what they had to say even though Xander's refusal to help weighed on her conscious.
Laura was also confused due to the fact that she knew something was wrong with Xander and she also knew Tara herself knew something about it but wouldn't tell her.
She hoped things would hold together long enough for them to deal with Angelus and his followers when they finally came to find Buffy and Alexander.
Laura punched the practice dummy as her mind continued to ponder the strange behaviour of her friend Xander and the look he had given her before he had walked off. She was sure whatever it was he had done it was to do with her; she just needed to find out what it was.
"Your mind is wondering Laura" Tarik spoke up interrupting her whirlwind thoughts
"I know Tarik" Laura sighed as she stopped her training and sat down "How is Buffy?" she asked
"Apart from Xander's refusal to go near her she is okay" Tarik replied "I am puzzled by his behaviour though" he added
"Me too, Tara knows what's wrong with him but she just won't tell me" she told her watcher
"And that annoys you?" he inquired
"Not really but it does add to the weirdness about what's going on" Laura said "He told me he might have to stay away from me for a while whilst he helped Buffy but instead he won't even be in the same room as her what am I supposed to think?" she asked
Tarik got a bit more perplexed by this bit of news, the souled vampire had become a valued member of the team something he had not believed possible when he had first arrived in new York and so far his actions had always been understandable but since the arrival of Miss Summers he had become quite unreadable.
"I do not know what to say to help but to have faith he'll tell you eventually what is wrong" Tarik told her hoping to put her mind at ease he nodded as his charge gave him a small smile
Angelus growled as he sat in the back of the truck they were using to get to New York, he couldn't wait to arrive and cause some havoc. If Harris was still alive he would make sure he lived long enough to suffer a few years worth of pain before he died and then he would bring Buffy back under his control by reminding her who he was.
Darla he knew wanted to kill the former blond slayer whilst Drusilla wanted to find Harris and play a few games with him; his insane child had always had a soft spot for Harris ever since he had done that love spell. She had also hinted that some old foes awaited them and he knew that meant the remainder of the so called Scooby gang which might even include Spike and he too would die if he was there.
Xander wondered through the grave yard with Spike and Faith flanking him, both were mindful that soon they would be a fight they had not engaged in since they had all left Sunnydale. Fighting Angelus and his followers was a more complicated fight than the other master vampires they had engaged due to the fact that Angelus and Darla were very smart and did not rush into any situation. The last time Xander had faced off against his hated foe he had almost died, that was no longer a possibility he could afford not only for him but for Laura's continued survival.
"What we going to do X when they get here?" Faith asked
"We do everything we can Faith to kill them" he answered "We have to come up with a plan to narrow their advantage of numbers" he added
"Tara's magic will be our biggest advantage" Faith mused "It's become much stronger since you last saw her" she told him
"I guessed as much but we can't rely solely on magic" Xander warned her "We need something more" he said
"What?" Spike asked as he lit a cigarette
"I don't know Spike, but we need to come up with something other wise we're doomed" he answered
Before anyone could say anything else they were attacked by a group of vampires, Xander and Spike both back dropped their opponent whilst Faith dropped to her knee's and swept her left foot out taking one of the vampires down and then staking it. Spike killed another by ramming his hand through its chest whilst Xander jumped another and nailed it with a right hook and then a side kick knocking it to the ground and then staking it, the two left over vamps quickly fled.
"You know these vamps around New York are nothing like those in Sunnydale" Xander said thoughtfully
"That's because they get no boost from the hell mouth" Spike told him "Makes them weaker and not as over confident as those in Sunnydale" he added
"Will that affect Angelus and the others?" Faith asked
"Afraid not as they'll carry a small fragment of the hell mouth energies for a few weeks before it dissipates" he informed them
"Come on lets head back, we'll have to see if the others can come up with anything" Xander said dreading facing Buffy but knowing he couldn't put of seeing anymore not with danger close by