By David MycockWalking the Path 7/

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the vampire slayer or any other of the characters in this story they belong to Joss Whedon and whoever else created the characters used in this story. Any characters I created I own.

Pairing: Janna Kalderdash/Xander Harris

Summary: Set after the love spell episode. Xander begins to walk his own path after leaning of his true origins. This also has a twist from the love spell episode with Xander actually sleeping with Jenny during the spell and the reactions from the rest of the group.

L.A Airport:

Xander stood at the airport terminal along with Janna and Sarah awaiting the arrival of Kendra and her watcher, the fact that the African slayer had jumped on the earliest plane to get to Sunnydale pleased Xander immensely as it meant she took him seriously.

The one thing he actually found pleasing about his split from Buffy and the others was that he didn't have to hear them belittle him anymore especially Buffy. He looked down to where his hand held Janna's and he felt an inner piece he had not felt in a while, he then looked to his left to where his mother stood looking a lot happier since she had decided to file for divorce from her husband in light of the journey they would undertake once they had dealt with Angelus and his kin.

Of course the decision had also come out of the fact just maybe there would be a hope of finding his father still alive when they returned to the Lavelle clan. Finally his attention rested on the terminal again as he noticed Kendra finally emerge from the gate followed by an older asian man who had to be Sam Sabuto.

"Xander" Kendra nodded at him as she came to a stop in front of him

"Hey Kendra" Xander returned "Mr Sabuto a pleasure to meet you" he added as the asian man came to a stop

"Same to you Mr Harris" Mr Sabuto responded with a grim smile

"Don't call me that please, it's just Xander" Xander told him with a wince

"Very well" Mr Sabuto said with a frown at Xander's tone

"We better get moving, it'll be night fall when we arrive" Janna spoke at the tension that filled the silence that followed

"Our car is this way, we'll fill you in properly as we go" Xander told them as he turned and began walking towards the car.

Buffy Summers was having a bad week, made all the worse by her former friends actions since the botched love spell. She hated him and that Romany harlot he was hanging around with, she blamed her even more than Xander.

She didn't understand how Xander could choose to stand by Miss Calendar's side rather than by his friends after everything she had done for him, she was happy Giles was at least staying loyal to her and had dumped the computer teacher.

Any chance of recgonsiling their friendship had been destroyed when Xander had destroyed the disk that held the soul curse that could of saved Angel. She knew from Giles that Xander was trying to find someway of killing Angel and she had decided to stop him until she had gotten Miss Calendar to retranslate the Soul curse and performed it as payment for her betrayal.

"So what happened?" Kendra asked as they drove back to Sunnydale after picking up their luggage

"It's a long story Kendra but it has no happy ending sadly and will most likely destory the group completely" Xander replied

"It sounds as if Mr Giles has lost control of Miss Summers from what Kendra told me of your conversation last night" Mr Sabuto commented

"He has" Janna answered "Rupert follows Buffy's lead in everything concerning the Slayer these days including her decision to allow Angelus to survive and escape his destruction at the mall" she added

"It's hard to believe that someone with Mr Giles reputation could allow something like this to happen" Mr Sabuto said with a shake of his head

"He's changed a lot since the end of last year" Xander spoke up "I think he felt guilty about almost allowing her to die when we discovered she was prophecies to die at the hands of the master" she added "He believed as he was trained to believe that there was nothing he could do to save her and when I refused to listen and saved her he felt like he let her down and I think that affected him badly" he continued

"I see" Mr Sabuto said with distaste "We will have to come back to that later, for now tell us what has led to this situation?" he asked

Xander spent most of the ride explaining everything he could of the situation bar the more personal discoveries he had learned about himself, he wasn't ready to tell anyone about his own link to the Romany.

"This is bad; I take it Miss Summers will not be of any help in taking Angelus down?" Mr Sabuto asked

"Afraid not in fact if she learns you guys are in town and after Angelus Kendra may found herself facing off against Buffy to kill Angelus" Xander replied with a dark frown

"I will do my duty no matter what and if that means I have to go through Buffy to do it then I will" Kendra told them with determination

"I hope it doesn't come to that Kendra I really don't" Xander said not liking the idea of the two slayers going head to head as it would only help Angelus

"You will have our help Mr Sabuto, and before you question that Xander is an able fighter having saved my life by beating Angelus himself and me and Sarah are witches" Janna told the Asian watcher

"Janna I told you I got lucky" Xander interrupted

"I think Luck played less in your victory than you think, it was more likely his over confidence and the skills you have managed to keep from your possessions that helped" Janna shot back

"Anyway you won't be going into this alone" Sarah decided to stop the small argument before it could escalate

Kendra nodded her head with a small smile having gotten used to how the Sunnydale crew worked and was not averse to having help as she had read up on how dangerous Angelus and his kin were especially together.

Up on the other plain of exsistance Cassandra and the tall man watched the car re-enter Sunnydale, both were certain that with the help of the true slayer Alexander would destroy Angelus quite quickly and then he would be free to start his quest.

"It is almost time" Cassandra said with a smile

"You are more involved in this than is good for you" the tall man cautioned her

"I can not help myself my lord" Cassandra admitted "I have waited a long time for Alexander to be born and even more for him to start his quest and now that moment is so close I found myself almost wishing I could aide him more directly" she added

"I know you do but you cannot, I may allow you to give advice from time to time but not yet he must prove he is worthy and such help" the tall man said with a smile

"He will prove it my lord, he will not fail with his family's future on the line" Cassandra told him "They will be his greatest strenght especially Janna" she added

"Yes" the tall man nodded in agreement "Janna will be the one who will teach him how to survive when he travels to the gypsie tribes" he told her

Xander sat lying on the couch at Janna's house thinking twenty four hours ahead when he and the others would begin their hunt for Angelus, he knew it was dangerous but he was determined to destroy the insane vampire.

Janna entered the room and quickly curled up next to him pulling a blanket over them with a smile as she felt self

"You ok?" she asked

"Actually I think so now that Kendra is there to help" he answered

"You like her?" she asked timidly

"Not like that, she's a friend Janna that's all" Xander reasured her

Janna nodded her head a little unsettled by her small bout of jeoulsly and she realised that she was still getting over the sudden loss of Giles. His actions had ended their relationship faster than normal and she was just starting to explore her love for Xander and was afraid of it ending too suddent even though she knew in her heart that Xander wouldn't leave her.

"We better get some rest" Xander told her as he kissed her before closing his eyes and began to fall alseep followed closly by Janna.