Standard Disclaimer Applies
AN: Things have been crazy in the real world so I apologize for the gap between updates but it couldn't be helped.
Big Thanks to the Wolf as always.
Chapter 16 – History never repeats
For Xander the experience of finding out that vampires existed had been truly terrifying, but for awhile he had managed to delude himself into thinking that they might be confined to a limited part of the world. California defiantly but beyond that he had assured himself, beyond that they couldn't possibly roam. People would have noticed surely if vampires were spread throughout the world, it was after all very hard to miss the signs. Disturbed graves and missing bodies could conceivably be attributed to grave robbers but bodies drained with blood and seriously someone would notice immortal men impervious to gunfire, at least, wouldn't they?
The discovery of Angel and his worldly travels and colourful history had destroyed that delusion completely and he had been forced to see that Vampires could be anywhere, everywhere. Xander had seen them too, when he had ventured from the city limits of Sunnydale, Xander had seen them everywhere and he had killed as many as he could.
Sliding into his Mother's house, gun drawn and ready to face the unknown the sickly realisation hit him, the men he had seen with Jack, the pale faced NSA turned away by a non-invitation and the strong feeling in his gut, the growl deep in his mind. Vampires had come to Colorado Springs and he'd brought them here and he promised himself, he would be the one to drive them back out.
The interior of the house is dark and Xander can make out the shape of the hallway in the dim light cast by the moon, but much of the house remains in shadows. Jack leads the way ignoring the light switches on the wall and pads silently across the floor. Not turning he points to the living room and with a couple of automatic flashes with his hand he lets Xander know that he wants to be covered, while he checks out the room. Xander making out the gesture in the darkness moves to cover Jack as he enters the room and sweeps it for intruders.
Jack's movements are silent and Xander listens for any indication that someone or something is in the house but there is no sound, but for the sounds of the night outside. Not that that means anything. If there is one thing the un-dead know it's how to be silent. Jack appears again and points towards the rear of the house, and Xander follows him down the hallway and waits again as Jack slips into each room they reach and slips out again.
They clear the kitchen and head past the open backdoor and an ajar screen door towards Mike's study, where a single light has been switched on, the glow of the lamp filtering out into the hallway. Jack moves forward as Xander looks back between the open door and the single light on. Something doesn't feel right and as Jack enters the room Xander watches the screen door, a breeze ruffles his hair slightly but the screen door makes no movement.
Xander heads back towards the kitchen, leaving Jack in the study. He feels his heart beat quicken as he rushes the screen door, planting his left foot and hitting the metal bottom of the screen door with his right boot, the door crashed backwards with a clang and from outside came a grunt of pain.
" Alex!" Jack yells bursting from the study as Xander hits the outside light switch and charges through the door.
A man in a dark suit lay on the ground blood rushing from his nose, but he ignores the injury to try and reach a gun that had been knocked from his hand. Xander gets to the weapon first and toes it out of reach as he holds his own weapon on the man. He looks up at Jack who was also covering the man.
" Who are you?" Xander asks the man lying on the ground his arms raised in surrender.
" You just assaulted a federal agent. I suggest you put the gun away, son." The man answers. Xander nods sarcastically while Jack bristles at the man calling his boy son.
" Sure thing strange man who was breaking into my house." Xander scoffs and he looks up at Jack.
" Are they in there?" Xander asks and Jack looks back inside the house towards the stairs and the second story.
" You all right covering him while I check upstairs?" Jack asks after a moments hesitation and Xander nods once and smiles coldly down at the man in front of him as Jack disappears.
" Oh look, all alone what should we talk about?" Xander asks sarcastically and the man stares back up at him and make a move to get up.
" Move and I'll shoot you." Xander warns and the man laughs for the first time showing Xander the first glimpse of his true nature with a flash of pale yellow eyes.
" You can't hurt me."
" Not even with shiny silver bullets blessed by a priest and carved with a cross?" Xander asks and the man stops moving and keeps his hands where Xander can see them, " Where are Sara and Mike?" Xander demands and the vamp shakes his head.
" You'll have to kill me before I tell you where they are! "
" So you have got them, where did you take them? Who has them?" Xander demands his grip on the gun tightening in anger.
" Where are they?" He yells when the vamp doesn't answer, his finger itching on the trigger.
The vampire stares up at him and then bargains
" I tell you where they are. You'll let me go? "
" Sure thing." Xander lies.
The vampire launches himself off the ground with frightening speed and he is nearly on Xander before he can pull the trigger and the dust settles in the echoing of the gun shot.
" Shit!" Xander yells moving away from the dust cloud in frustration and drawing his weapon at a sound behind him, but he lowers it immediately when he sees Jack who is standing by the back door the colour gone from his face. His own weapon held in shaky hands in front of him.
" What happened?" Jack demands his voice tight, looking around the empty back yard.
Xander looks down at what is left of the vampire and looks back up at Jack.
" He knocked me off guard and took off, " he explains shaking his head, " Dammit!" He yells frustrated with himself his anger in part an act for Jack.
" I heard a gunshot, " Jack gets out, his body relaxing from the horrifying experience of being in the same position he had been all those years ago. Hearing a single gun shot and knowing his son was in danger.
" Yeah, I guess I pulled the trigger as he knocked me back, " Xander offered apologetically with a grim smile.
" Give me the gun." Jack orders stepping forward.
" Excuse me?" Xander asks insulted and Jack holds out his hand.
" Give me the god dammed gun!" Jack shouts and the sudden outburst makes Xander act. He immediately clicks the safety on and hands the weapon over to Jack handle first.
" I'm fine Jack." Xander says softly as Jack struggles to regain his composure, " I'm OK." Xander says reassuringly as Jack stares down at the gun in his hand contemptuously.
" I'm taking you up to the mountain. You can wait there while I find Sara." Jack says his voice unsteady and Xander reaches out and grabs hold of Jack's arm just above the elbow.
" I'm not going to the mountain. I'm OK, nothing happened that I couldn't handle and I'm going where ever you go to find Sara." Xander tells his Father in a calm voice.
" You're going to the mountain." Jack insists his voice tight with anger and fear and his hands are still shaking.
" I'm not, and we can stand here arguing about it or we can go inside and try and figure out where they took Sara." Xander explains trying to get his calm voice to make Jack see reason.
" Dammit Alex, I'm not getting you involved in whatever the hell this is!" Jack shouts pulling his arm away from his son with a jerk and he turns walking back inside the house.
" We had a deal!" Xander calls out angrily after him, watching as Jack plucks the phone off the wall.
" Deals off." Jack says softly as he looks down and punches in the number of the SGC, sighing to release the tension that has built up over the past ten minutes.
" Jack, when are you going to figure out that I can take care of myself?" Xander demands and Jack ignores his son turning his back on the boy and leaning against the wall for support.
" Look, Alex. I can't … I won't lose you again. I can't." Jack states his voice shaking.
" Alex?" He asks turning and looking up when there is no response.
Xander stands in the open doorway staring at Jack his eyes filled with compassion and anger, his body is rigid with tension and Jack can only stare at the gun jammed harshly into his son's temple. Then a deep voice commands.
" Drop the phone, lose the gun or he dies twice."
AN: Read and Review I like it!