Disclaimer in Chapter One - No Teachers, No Help, No Feelings, No Crying

Author's Notes 1: Next chapter up, sorry for the delay... And it might be the norm from now on... My passion for updating on this site is waning as no feedback means no drive to post here... Sorry.


Many Years Ago...

"They came out better than I expected," Dracula smiled, holding one of Xander's freshly tattooed hands. "The spell work was tricky, but I believe you will find it was worth it in the end."

"I still don't know how I feel about this..." Xander said oblivious to Dracula's words as he stared at the corpse slumped in the corner of the room.

"She was a needed sacrifice," Dracula turned a lazy gaze at the lifeless body of the girl.

Xander frowned, staring at the glazed over eyes of the girl. Blood still dripped from her throat and coagulated on the stone floor. His master grabbed his other hand and continued to inspect his work. She had been so young, barely older than twenty. And he had ended her life.

For power.

He had tried to justify his actions as they had hunted her down. She had tortured a village. She maimed dozens and came close to killing innocent people, all in her quest for revenge and more magick. He and his master were doing the outlying villages a service by killing the rouge Witch. But he had done it, not his Master; he had performed the killing blow. He ended a human life by his own hand, moved the knife though her throat under his own free will. And why did she have to die? He had debated it over and over with the old Vampire. Why did she deserve to die when Willow had been in the same boat and saved?

But in the end the answer was always the same.

He did not know her, had never met her, he did not have a yellow crayon story to talk her down with. She hadn't killed anyone like Willow had, but the torture and pain... Drac had been impressed with the Witch's technique, and had expressed that under different circumstances, he would have liked to have brought her into his protection.

She wouldn't be dying in vain, would she? The power he took for himself would help to undo an injustice in the world. And if not, he will use it to end a Demon that had more blood on his claws than any Vampire or Witch combined.

"You are ready," Dracula smiled at his Manservant.

"I don't feel ready Master." Xander smiled weakly at the Vampire, trying to dismiss his thoughts of the dead Witch in the corner.

"Forget about her Alexander," Dracula soothed. "You needed power and you did not want to take it from an innocent. You should be grateful she had tainted her soul so much."

"But that's the thing Master," Xander sighed. "She had a soul, she was human... She was just like Willow..."

"No!" Dracula snapped, shaking Xander. "The Red Chovexani killed one man and only out of grief for her mate!"

"And she didn't," he all but yelled as he stepped around the Vampire. He crouched down next to the dark haired Witch's body. Her skin was now deathly white from the blood loss, the dark veins on her face now contrasted even more. He reached forward and closed her dark eyes with his tattooed hand, the ink still red and raw. "She tortured to find the men who killed her family."

"Andreea tortured an entire village!" Dracula growled. "And then when she had found those responsible for her slain family she all but destroyed them. If she had killed them once she was done it would have been a mercy, but she left them broken-"

"I could have talked her down, I've done it before." Xander berated himself.

"No, you could not." he stepped close to the crouched man, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Willow was a special case, even I can see that. Besides, you can help redeem her by using your new gifts to fix your heart."

"D'Hoffryn..." Xander stood up, his blood now pumping at the thought of the Demon Lord.

"Yes," Dracula smiled, putting an arm around him, leading him out of the small room and away from the mutilated corpse.

"You are sure this will be enough?" Xander asked, holding up his hands.

"Yes," they stopped at an ornate door, symbols and glyphs etched into the wood. "Blood of Magic, Tears of Vengeance, Power of Death and the Spark. This weapon will serve you well." Dracula smiled, a hand running over a rune etching in the wooden door, it was wet and red with blood. "I will leave you to your task," he placed a hand on his shoulder. "It is not too late, I could bring you into the Moroi, I know the Sisters would enjoy bringing you into the family."

"You flatter me Master," Xander blushed. "But if I ever wish to return to my friends..."

"I hate when you talk of leaving me." Dracula turned from him.

"I'm sorry Master," Xander sighed. "But you know that is my place."

"To kill my brethren." the Vampire spat.

"Stopping them from hurting innocents and destroying the world." he corrected.

"That is my saving grace is it?" Dracula turned back to his manservant. "I now only kill when threatened. You think me soft?"

"No, no," Xander took a step towards him. "You could drink a village dry in one night if you wished." he looked at him with admiration. "But I won't lie it makes me happy that you have curved your bloodlust since I joined you."

"Only for you," the Vampire smiled, cupping Xander's face. "The way you looked at me when we would hunt..." he shook his head, straightening up and holding Xander at arm's length to look him up and down. "But you have somewhere to be, I will leave you to your task." he clapped him on the shoulders.

"Thank you."

Dracula smiled once more before turning to leave.

"Master?" Xander called to his retreating form.

"Yes Alexander?" Dracula turned, his cape flaring, causing a smile to grace Xander's face as he revelled in the movie villain pose.

"Stay close?" He looked at his feet, unsure of himself. "Just in case...?"

"As you wish..." His master smiled, his fangs showing as he turned and continued walking.

Xander turned and stared at the large doors before taking a breath and clearing his mind. He smiled sadly as he pushed the heavy door open and walked in to the dark room, the door closing with a thud that echoed across the small room's stone floor and walls. Crouching in the middle of the room he detached a small pouch from his belt and began to pour red sand around him in a large circle. Once complete he knelt in the middle, beginning to chant the words his beloved had recited all those years ago.

"Beatum sit in nomina D'Hoffrynis," he pulled a small Amulet from his pocket, it had been stolen from his childhood friend a couple months ago before he joined his master. With a quick glance at the amulet he placed the string around his neck, making sure the symbol rested on his chest correctly. "Fiat hoc spatium. Porta ad mundum Arashmaharris" he intoned, the small metal object beginning to heat up.

The world around him turned dark.

He squashed his instinct to get ready for a fight and kept the place where he knelt in the darkness. Just as his eye was getting use to the lack of light a being began to shimmer into existence before him.

"Behold, D'Hoffryn, Lord of Arashmahaar..." The voice bellowed as the demon began to appear, his robes long and flowing, his hands tucked into the sleeves of each arm before him. He stood straight and rigid before the ex-carpenter. "He that turns the air to... Oh, it's you." the demon relaxed, rolling his eyes as he realised who had summoned him. He let out a sigh and took a more casual stance as he took in the ragged look of the man before him.

"It's the Gallant one, nice patch, is the Pirate look set for a comeback already?" The demon lord sneered with a chuckle.

"Well, those movies are popular." Xander let out with a sad smile.

Silence fell as Xander looked down at his hands, not sure where to start his request. D'Hoffryn watched the man, a small smile on his blue-ish grey, age lined face. He enjoyed the look of sorrow on the face of the one who had hurt his most prized creation.

"We fought..." he began. "We fought The First Evil," he could do this. "We won, but there were casualties."

D'Hoffryn's face lost its smile as the reason for his summoning slowly began to clear.

"She..." Xander paused. "Anya... She fought and lost. She fell at the hands of one of The First's followers, a Bringer. I wasn't with her, maybe if I had been..." He let the comment die on his lips. "It doesn't matter..."

"It does!" D'Hoffryn snapped.

"Yeah, you're right," Xander looked the demon in the eyes. "It was my fault..."

"Yes, it was..."

"...I taught her to stay, to not run away from those you cared about." Xander sighed.

D'Hoffryn let out a low growl, "You taught her to be Human!"

"Yes..." Xander hung his head.

"Why have you summoned me boy?" The demon looked down at the man before him. He didn't have time for this; he didn't have time for anything these days. Her Human friends might have moved on, but he himself had vowed to never forget her, she was his greatest creation after all. None would come close to reaching her bloodlust, well, maybe the Red Witch if she dipped into the dark again, but none under his charge could compare to her. "I do not have time to waste with her former bed mates."

"I called for this audience to ask a request from you..."

"A request, from me?" D'Hoffryn scoffed. "You dare ask me for something? You dare to show yourself to me and don't think I would tear you limb from limb?"

"Yes I dare!" Xander bellowed standing as D'Hoffryn took a step back at the outburst. Xander sighed, balling his fists and closing his eye to calm himself. "I... I want her back." he said in a small voice.

D'Hoffryn didn't answer right away, his own thoughts and memories playing before him as he thought of his lost child. And the pain he still felt whenever he tried to say her name. He wanted to be angry at the man for summoning him just to ask for this fruitless endeavour, but instead he felt one of his hearts break.

"I cannot..." He barely whispered.

"Huh?" Xander looked to the old Demon.

"I..." D'Hoffryn began his voice low. "I... Cannot, her death... It was non-magical..."

"What?"

"Non-Magical Death..." D'Hoffryn said again, this time his voice stern. "I cannot change..."

"What?!" Xander almost screamed. "You're D'Hoffryn! Lord of Arashmahaar!" he stepped forward "Arashmahaar, where demons are spawned." He repeated. "Of all the stories she used to tell of her old ways you were the one she claimed was the most powerful!"

"Yes!" D'Hoffryn snapped. "Power to create Vengeance. Unlimited Rage, a being of such immense importance that a small tick such as yourself could never understand!"

"Exactly!" Xander agreed.

"But even with all my powers I cannot change the laws of Magicks," D'Hoffryn growled. "You Humans! You scuttle around like the bugs and vermin you are, thinking you're the only beings in all the dimensions that ever cares for another!" he yelled, throwing his claw like hands up in frustration. "I made her! I pulled her out of the slime that is humanity and set her on her true path. I made her Anyanka!" He said triumphantly, saying her name for the first time out loud since he had felt her leave this world for the afterlife.

"So bring her back!" Xander cried. "Fold time! Reach into The Ether and pull her soul back to me!"

"I cannot..." The Demon looked to the ground. "She is finally lost to me... The Laws of-"

"-Magicks, yes..." Xander said solemnly, silence falling again as each felt the sorrow of their loss, a sorrow both recognised in the other.

"Anyanka... Was my favourite." D'Hoffryn said quietly. "If there had been anything..."

"The Laws of Magicks..." Xander interrupted.

"Yes..."

"No..." Xander replied with a look of determination on his face. "You cannot change the laws of Magicks, fine, but Anya created a whole dimension based on a casual wish made in anger. There were Vampire versions of both me and Willow, and yet we're both still alive here..."

D'Hoffryn studied the man before him before letting out a sigh. "And you would ask me to grant you such a wish?"

"Yes!" Xander nodded. "I just want her back; I want to be with her, to hear her laugh, to see her smile, for her to say my name, to smell and touch her hair as she wraps her arms around me in a hug. To watch her face light up as she counts money in a cash register, to have her lips touch mine, hear and feel her breath in my ear as she sleeps besides me. Her squeal of joy as she realises how much money is in her checking account. I want her back!" Xander raised his voice. "You have the power!"

"But do you have the sacrifice?" D'Hoffryn said softly. Xander paused as the demon stood to his full height. "The Magicks to create a whole other reality takes a substantial sacrifice as well as power. Anyanka only managed to create that other world with help from the Hellmouth's presence and the Chase girls' life."

"So you can do it?" Xander looked up at the Demon Lord. "You can grant me my wish if I give a sacrifice big enough?"

"Yes," D'Hoffryn grinned. He had the man, all he had to do was get him to wish Anyanka was alive and he would take him. "Are you willing to sacrifice what you hold in your heart?"

"No..." Xander's shoulders slumped. "Not me..."

"What?" The demon gasped.

"The only sacrifice I'm willing to give up is you." Xander sneered, his fist flying before him, catching the Master Demon on the chin.

D'Hoffryn was caught off guard, it had been almost millennia since someone dared to strike a blow at the powerful demon, let alone any that could actually hit him. The second blow forced him back, surprise still plastered on his face.

"You think I turned her into a human?" Xander yelled. "At least she had a life with me!" He grabbed the demon by the collar of his robes and threw him across the void they stood in. "She was happy!"

D'Hoffryn let out a half groan, half bark of laughter as he picked himself up. "She was happy? Really? Is that why you left her at the alter and she came under my employ a second time?" he snarled, ripping off his outer robe to reveal himself dressed in a tabard that matched his robes, his own seal emblazoned on his chest. He moved into a fighting stance, his claws outstretched before him.

Xander charged, fists raised as D'Hoffryn snarled, swiping him with his claws. Xander felt his shirt rip and his flesh tear on his chest as the claws raked across his left pectoral muscle. He let out an anguished yell as he swung and caught the demon on the chin, D'Hoffryn merely smirking as his other claw caught him on his side, four more gashes being rendered into Xander's flesh as the carpenter managed to knee him in the stomach.

Xander let out a grunt of anger and pain as the demon backhanded him away, the old lord trying to force air back into his lungs. Xander took the small break in the fight to mentally chastise himself as he placed a hand on each wound, his blood now coating his shirt. He had acted in anger and ignored the plan he had spent months creating with his Master. He closed his eye, centring himself as he began to mutter the chant he had learnt, the one his Master had taught him. D'Hoffryn's eyes went wide for a moment as he picked up the rise of power the boy suddenly had.

"But she still returned to being human didn't she D'Hoffryn!" Xander yelled as he raised an open palm. "You forget I was there. I saw what you did to change her back, I saw the sacrifice!" his hand began glowing brighter and brighter before a ball of bright orange flame burst into existence in his grasp, his entire hand covered in the bright flame, the fire dancing across his skin. "Never go for the kill when you can go for the pain!" Xander grabbed the demon by his robes, "No Slayer to hold me back this time!"

Xander's fist hit the Demon Lord across the face, his skin sizzling from the impact, his beard smoking as it began to smoulder. Xander smiled as the demon took blow after blow from him, its mouth bloody now, several fangs either cracked or broken fully, and lying on the floor around them. D'Hoffryn tried to grab at the man, his magical energies trying to stop the living flame from consuming him with each blow, the effort forcing him to his knees.

"Do you like it?" Xander sneered, pausing his attack, showing the vivid fireball that covered his fist to the demon. "Living Flame, I had to taint myself just to get the runes to stick, and it's all for you," he said as D'Hoffryn's eyes went wide as he truly realised what that meant. "Living Flame, one of the most powerful weapons you could use against evil, or anything really." he made to punch the demon once more.

D'Hoffryn caught the fist this time, the two of them struggling with each other. Xander tried to push his hand to flare more, D'Hoffryn fighting through the pain to overpower the man.

"It really is neat, isn't it?" Xander asked as he stained against the demon. "Because unlike most other weapons like Stakes, Holy Water, or Swords, Living Flame destroys everything... Everything except...?"

"Magicks..." D'Hoffryn gasped before letting out a wail of pain as the man's fist flared, flames bursting though the demon's claw, burning it to the bone.

"Yes, Magicks" Xander let go of the Demon Lord, D'Hoffryn fell, pulling the remains of his claw to his chest to distinguish the flame. "Now," Xander huffed, straightening his back to look down at the demon. "You're gonna grant me my wish. And you're gonna sacrifice yourself, for her..."

"Yes..." D'Hoffryn mumbled, interrupting, staring at the remains of his claw. It was black, most of the flesh gone now, parts of his bone exposed and cracked from the heat. It was useless to him now, besides the pain he could not feel the appendage, couldn't move it. "Do it. Just do it."

Xander paused.

"Do It!" D'Hoffryn screamed up at him before turning back to his burnt flesh. "Strike me down! It will bring her back," he began to move his remaining hand in front of himself, magicks beginning to swirl into existence. They slowly coalesced into a shimmering globe between the two, and in the centre, as if moving through a fog came a visage of Anya, long haired and smiling as she excitedly spoke to someone unseen, silent.

"Wha-?"

"Do it!" The demon bellowed, tears welling in his eyes as he tucked his disfigured hand into his robes. "I should never have taken her from her life all those years ago..." he sighed. "But her creativity was one of the most interesting I had ever seen, turning her bed mate into a troll, genius." D'Hoffryn sighed. "I miss her... I miss her so much."

Xander took a step back from the Demon Lord, his anger subsiding slightly as he stared at the happy Anya in the sphere before him.

"She was ruthless, always her mind, heart and soul on the job... She was perfect." D'Hoffryn too stared at the sphere, reaching out his remaining claw to cup the visage of Anya, his fingers moving through the illusion. "I deserve it, kill me," he muttered, his claw falling into his lap and he looked past the sphere and into Xander's remaining eye. "Strike me down boy, all you have to do is dispose of me and she will be returned; only my death can bring her back..."

Xander stared at the Demon, tears falling freely down its face. He looked back to the vision of Anya, as his own eye began to tear up, pain building up behind his patch as the damaged tear duct tried to shed a tear. Tiredly Xander extinguished the Living Flame, silence falling once again over the pair. Neither looked at the other, their loss and grief washing away their hopes of seeing the Ex-Demon again. After a few moments D'Hoffryn glanced up at the one eyed man standing over him, when it was apparent he wasn't going to kill him he stood up himself, brushing off his knees and hugging his mutilated claw closer to his chest.

The sphere before him continued to show Anya, smiling and laughing as she went about her day somewhere in some other reality where she had survived. Reaching his claw out to the sphere it slowly reduced in size until it could fit into his palm. He plucked the spell out of the air and put it into his robes, Xander watching him sadly. The Demon Lord looked about them into the darkness before turning back to the ex-carpenter.

"Do you want to get a drink?" D'Hoffryn spoke with a heavy sigh.

"Oh, Good, Gods, Yes!" Xander sighed himself, holding his bleeding side. "Send us back to the Castle and Dracula can come too."

"Dracula...?" D'Hoffryn raised an eyebrow at the man as he waved his claw and they returned to the small room Xander had begun his summoning. "Maybe I miss judged you..."


"And now Anya's alive..." Xander finished his tale. "But why would he do this now after all these years? We were over it, we both agreed, he looked me right in the eye patch and said it didn't hurt to think of her. He didn't even care that I had destroyed his hand, he said his new claw was even more bloodthirsty than the last..."

"You killed a woman?" Faith asked, staring at Xander as he was deep in thought.

"A Witch," Xander said quickly. "But you know this..." When Faith's staring look didn't change he began to clarify. "Andreea, her family was caught in the crossfire of a shootout between rival gangs; they were hit by stray bullets as the gang members fired blindly at each other. She delved into a Dark Magicks hole even Willow wouldn't have been able to pull herself out of. In her quest to find the men responsible and get revenge she tortured and mutilated anyone who stood in her way, men, women, children, whole families were left broken in her wake..." he looked down at his hands. "I absorbed most of her power into my tattoos, amongst others. I don't have power like Willow has; I'm just a Watcher with a few tricks up his sleeves, and even then I get depleted pretty fast... I'm not sure if it was worth it sometimes, her life for my party tricks... Sometimes I still hear the noises she made as I used the knife..." his shoulders slumped.

Before Faith to ask another question the door to the room opened, a redheaded slayer quickly entering.

"What?" Faith asked pointedly.

"Sorry Faith," The slayer stared at Xander, a look of hatred on her face. "Dracula stormed the grounds, went right for the girl that came with him." she took a step closer to Xander's cage, eyeing him. "I was ordered to guard this as they dealt with the Vampire."

"Good, he'll take care of her until I get out of here." Xander sighed. "I just hope he doesn't do anything to the person who put Katie in those chains." he said quietly, his hands glowing for a second as he made fists.

"What did you just say?" the slayer said, an edge in her voice as her hand rested on the taser on her hip, her other hand to the small of her back where Xander assumed she kept her knife.

"Nothing," Xander looked her up and down. "Who are you? You don't look familiar."

"Name's Sam," she relaxed her arms, pulling a small axe from behind her back. "Sam Walker."

"Walker, Walker..." Xander repeated as he hid the surprise at seeing the axe. "Nope, sorry."

"Not as sorry as you'll be unless you tell us who you are." Sam took a step closer threateningly, the axe rose in her hand, Xander now recognising it.

"That will be all Sam." Faith instructed.

"Where did you get my Axe?"

"How dare you show up here," Sam continued, the axe held before her as if she were going to fight him.

"That's my favourite Axe! Who said you could take my Axe?"

"I figured Xand would be fine with me using it on the thing that looks like him. Do you have any idea what your presence is doing to everyone?" Xander looked at her confused. "Why did you have to pick that face? Why today? Huh? Did you think we would be grateful and welcome you with open arms?"

"Lady, I don't know what you're talking about." Xander held out his hands. "I just wanted to come home, shower and get some sleep, maybe have a tumble with Faith if she was agreeable-"

"How dare-!" Sam began, moving to swing the axe at the magical barrier of Xander's cage.

Neither of them saw Faith move, only the aftermath as she slammed Sam down on the table, one armed pinned under her chest, the other twisted behind her, the axe falling to the floor as Faith's knee dug into her back. The dark Slayer pulled the young Slayers head back by her long red hair, a sneer on her face.

"Sam, knock it off!" she almost growled. "I buried the only man I actually cared about that didn't try to screw me over today, and tasered another that not only looks like him, but might actually be him..." she let the girl go, the slayers head bumping onto the table with a thump. "J-just... Enough..." she let out a shuddering sigh before pulling out the chair from the table and sitting down in the corner of the room, her head in her hands, her body feeling drained.

Xander slowly slid down the magical barrier at his back, his gaze somewhere off into the middle distance as he processed what Faith had let slip. She buried...? They thought he was... Dead.

Dead.

His mind tried to understand. He tried to wrap his head around this new information.

"W-we... We buried you," Faith whispered as she stared off into the middle distance, herself, not looking at Xander, but not looking elsewhere.

"What...?" he asked his girlfriend softly.

"You died..." Faith sniffed, the tears again welling in her eyes.

"Faith!" Sam hissed, still rubbing her neck after being held by the older Slayer.

"Three days ago," Faith ignored the stern slayer. "You took a group of Firsties out on a field trip to a mausoleum. It had been a nest, cleared out a couple days before, it was normal," she paused, looking down at her hands. "You had done it a hundred times before, showin' the girls the signs to look for when patrolling, but..."

"I didn't..." Xander paused, his head reeling.

"They must have missed a couple..." Faith blanched, closing her eyes. "You told the girls to run, get to an on patrol Slayer in case there was more as you handled the Vamps... When they got back with help you were on the floor, bleeding out, covered in Vamp dust... Oh God X..." she sniffed shaking her head. "You were so pale when they brought you in... You were cold..."

"Some of us were pissed that Xander dusted the Leeches," Sam added. "There was nothing to hunt down and torture..." she sneered.

"Faith, I...?" Xander began, standing and placing a hand on the magical barrier before him. He closed his eyes and concentrated before his hand went through the barrier, his body followed.

He moved in front of Faith and knelt down, pulling her into his arms as she began to cry earnestly, her arms moving to hug him.

"What the F-" Sam began, her hand once again moving to her taser.

"Back off!" Xander growled, levelling a steely gaze at the slayer as he stroked Faith's hair and she wept in his arms.

"Sam, stand down!" Willow entered the room, stopping in the doorway, staring at the embracing couple on the ground.

"Ma'am," Sam straightened as she came to attention.

"Will," Xander nodded at the Witch as he continued to soothe the crying Slayer in his arms.

"Xander..." She gulped, her face a mixture of happiness and sadness.

"What's going on?" he pleaded, holding Faith tighter.

"We're about to find out."


Giles directed him and the two Slayer sisters down a brightly lit corridor, bright windows letting the evil sunlight in all around him. He had been assured that the harmful rays that would burn him to a crisp were not a risk by some special glass, but he quickened his step if ever a beam crossed his path. People, slayers, Watchers and others watched him as he followed the head Watcher, the Head Slayer and her sister following behind, in a sort of silent guard, the effect losing power with Dawn's silent tears all while staring at the young girl in Dracula's arms.

The girl still clung to him, still trembled slightly in his arms at each quick movement or loud noise. Dracula was not sure how he felt at the moment. He was the Prince of Darkness, and here he was cradling a crying child and speaking softly to her in a caring voice to help soothe her. He chastised himself silently, he did not care for the people around him, they could all rot for letting his manservant fall, but because he sensed his power in the girl, the same power he could sense in the building getting closer, he felt for the young slayer. He was getting sentimental in his old age; it was the curse of Xander Harris, a curse he had welcomed in the short time the man had been under his thrall.

They were soon in a part of the building that had an almost old world feel, rich carpets and dark woods lined the walls and floor, a sharp contrast to the other buildings, all school campus and brand new despite being over ten years old. They were soon joined by another Watcher, the man who had performed the service for Xander. Gordon Wylie nodded to Giles as he fell in step next to the man.

"The others are waiting in Conference Room One Sir," Gordon informed Giles.

"Thank you old friend," Giles smiled to the man. "Is Chuma and his daughter Dalili there?"

"Yes Sir," Gordon nodded.

"Anya and-"

"Yes Sir," Gordon cleared his throat quickly, casting a quick glance at Dracula.

"Good, good, good..." Giles nodded too. "Willow?"

"She is bringing him as we speak..." Gordon's face contorted in a grimace. "And I did as you asked. He is still there." He watched Dracula again as they came to a stop at a large door. "I felt... Given the circumstances, that I would leave him there, he's earned the rest..."

"Yes, I agree." Giles sighed. "Only Xander would crash his own wake..." Both Watchers gave a sly look to Buffy; the Slayer in response just crossed her arms. "Yes, well, shall we?" Giles opened the door and gestured Dracula and the Slayers to enter before him.

When Dracula had walked into the large conference room before everyone, the girl still in his arms had tightened her grip around his neck as he stopped at seeing all of the beings assembled. Drac looked around the large mahogany table and the many faces seated around it he recognised from the service for his Manservant. The old man who had blessed the coffin regarded him with a careful eye, even as the woman standing behind him leaned down to whisper something to him, the old man waving her away. He let out a low growl as he was directed passed the chief Vengeance Demon D'Hoffryn, the Demon Lord sneering back from his seat as Anya, sitting next to him placed a hand on his shoulder.

Giles gestured to a chair at the other end of the table and Drac looked, with slight disdain, at the black leather office chair before sighing unnecessarily and sat, Kate now sitting in his lap. As soon as he settled her arms moved from around his neck to around his waist and underneath his cape, a small snigger sounding from D'Hoffryn.

"Something amuses you?" Drac hissed at the bearded Demon.

"I was not aware you had turned nurse maid." D'Hoffryn outright laughed, sitting back in his chair.

"It has been awhile since I ripped out a Demon's throat," Drac threatened. "Especially one as old as you, do not make me start with you..."

"I'll help," Kate said in an audible whisper. "I don't care what happens... He's all I've got now..."

"Shhh my child," Dracula soothed, looking into her eyes.

"I wouldn't go counting me out just yet..."

Kate froze, her eyes going wide as she stared at Dracula, a warm smile slowly gracing his face. Her eyes began to water again as she silently pleaded with the Vampire to confirm who had spoken, the old demon nodding his head slowly before turning to the entrance of the room. Kate took a deep breath before looking at the entrance herself, a large smile breaking out on her face as she sprang from the dark one's arms.

"Xander!" Kate yelled, jumping across the room in the blink of an eye, Xander caught the slayer, staggering back at the force she propelled herself at him and let out a small grunt as she grasped him with all her might.

"Theysaidyouweredeadandburiedandtheyputmeinchainsagain,he'shere,he'scomingforme,I'magoodgirl,I'mnotdirty,I'mnot! Pleasedon'tlethimtakeme! I'mnotDIRTY!" She began to whisper hysterically as she got worked up again, Dawn sunk into a seat next to Dracula, tears starting anew at the sound of the distraught teenager.

"Hey, hey, shhh..." He held the girl, stroking her hair as she cried in his arms, her grip on him tight and almost cutting off his air supply, but he didn't care as they both sank to their knees. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere... Shhh..."

"But... H-he's gonna take me away..." Kate said with a whimper.

"No he's not," Xander said with an edge to his voice. "What have I always said to you about your Grandfather?"

"The n-next time you saw him you were gonna use more than y-your fists to stop him..." she replied meekly.

"Yes, like my shotgun or my longsword," He moved a strand of hair behind her ear. "And what else did I tell you?"

"That none of the Scoobies would ever let him near me," she said with more confidence.

"And?" He looked to Dracula and the confused look on the monsters face.

"And Dee would drain him dry if he ever laid eyes on me, let alone was in the same state as me..." she turned to Dracula, sniffing slightly.

"Exactly..." he wiped a tear off her puffy cheek with his thumb. "So stop being a dummy, give me another hug and then we'll sort everything else out." he smiled down at her as her own smile grew and she buried her face into his neck.

"I thought I was alone..." she whispered, those with supernatural senses hearing her.

"Yep... Dummy..." he squeezed her tighter before lifting them both up and directing them over to Dracula again. "Sit with Dee," he gestured the girl back to the Vampire. "Master, can you help sooth her."

"As you wish my Alexander," Drac smiled up at his confusedly.

"I'm guessing you don't know who she is either huh?" Xander placed a hand on the Vamps shoulder as Kate crawled into Drac's lap.

"No, but..." he began stroking the girls head on instinct. "She feels familiar, as you once did, all those years ago..."

"That's because you put her under your protection just as you did me."

"You do not have my protection anymore," it was a statement more than a question.

"No, you helped me long ago too..." he held up his hands and Dracula's eyes widened at the sight of the tattoos.

"Did you kill the Idiotule?" He smirked. "Was răzbunare satisfied?"

"Nu," Xander glanced over his shoulder at D'Hoffryn and Anya next to him. "I-am arătat milă..." at Dracula's disapproving look Xander shook his head quickly; the Vamp looked around the room quickly before nodding. "Vei sta lângă mine, dacă am nevoie de ea?" Xander asked the Vamp in Romani.

"Da," Drac nodded.

"Vă mulțumesc maestru," Xander bowed before turning to Giles, his face darkening. "Now," he returned to English. "Who the hell put Katie in chains?!" He turned an angry look at the council members in the room.

"Xander, we were following protocol." Giles stepped forward. "We had an unknown slayer on the Campus grounds..."

"I-it's OK Giles..." Dawn took a breath before squaring her shoulders and stood before Xander. "I did it..." She looked him square in the face, her own a mix of regret and resignation. "I was on auto-pilot, I was thinking about today and then you came back and... And then I saw her on the floor... She looked so small... I..." She sniffed, tears again threatening to fall as she straightened her back and tried to school her features.

Xander watched her, looking Dawn up and down, a curious look on his face. He felt like yelling, he felt like hitting someone, if it had been anyone else he might have floored them by now too. Then a light clicked on in his head, he took in her appearance, how she stood before him, how she had fluidly stood from her chair and now how she held herself as she confessed her part in Kate's imprisonment. He looked Dawn in the eye and the woman stared back resolved to her fate. He gave a small nod to her before balling a fist and punching her square in the jaw.

The woman staggered back from the blow, her hand going to her now split lip as she shook off the stars she had momentarily seen before her eyes. Buffy took a step forward, as did Giles and Willow, ready to defend Dawn, whereas Faith stood passively, staring at Kate.

"I deserved that..." Dawn said, straightening up and moving her jaw back and forth.

"Yes," Xander said in thought. "And believe me, I wouldn't normally do that, not to you Dawn, but I had to check a theory..."

"And what theory was that?" Buffy said behind Dawn, an edge to her voice, her own fists clenched tightly at her sides.

"Dawn's a slayer." he gave her an up and down look again.

"Yeah, and?" Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"She isn't on my world." Xander turned from the sister slayers and to the Vengeance Demon sitting next to Anya. "And speaking of my world, what did you do?" He strode over to D'Hoffryn, resisting the urge to grab the demon around the neck. "Why did you bring us here?"

"Me?" D'Hoffryn turned a lazy eye over Xander. "Why would I bring you back? This is the first time either of us has actually spoken to each other as far as I can recall."

"Oh really?" Xander leaned forward. "Then how would I know..." He leaned into the Demon Lord's ear to whisper.

D'Hoffryn's eyes shoot wide and he jumped up, his chair falling to the floor as he hissed, baring is teeth and raised a claw, ready to slash at the one eyed man. Dracula watched from his seat, silently pleased his Manservant could get such a rise out of the old one, the others in the room growing tense.

"How do you know that name?" D'Hoffryn all but yelled. "No one has uttered that name to me since the Old Ones fought to stay in this realm."

"You get chatty when you get drunk." Xander said simply. "Now, what did you do?" He asked again, his hands again balling to fists. "You told me you were over her; we both agreed she was finally at peace!" Xander said with a growing anger. "You said you would not bring her back to me, to us..." He shot a quick glance to Anya than back to the demon.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," D'Hoffryn sneered.

"Really? 'I miss her so much Xander, she was my best student, and she was more of a daughter to me than any of my offspring, the carnage she could cause...' The amount of times you would start muttering about her after a few dozen ales..." Xander said in a voice mocking the Demon Lord.

"Xander, as I said before," Giles stepped forward. "Anya never perished on S-Day..."

"She did in my world!" Xander said over his shoulder as Anya let out a gasp at Giles' words.

Not wasting any time Anya grasped the necklace she wore with both hands and began to whisper to herself. Her face changed, wrinkled, veins popping out as she embraced her demon side and her Magicks.

"He's right..." She said lowly. "It's there, just on the edge, he is from another world, and one I'm not a part of... But..." She closed her eyes and bowed her head; D'Hoffryn moved behind her and placed a claw on her shoulder. "I can't see..."

"I can," D'Hoffryn said, his own eyes closed. "But the Magicks are clouded... Not of our ilk, not Vengeance, not mine." Willow crossed the room and placed her hand on Anya's shoulder as well, her eyes closed as she too tried to follow the same Magicks they were.

"I think I recognise it..." Willow's face screwed up. "The energy that brought you both..."

"Ah-hum" Chuma raised his hand, a sheepish look on his face. "I might have done this..."

"Not this again..." Xander rolled his eye, turning back to the old man and his daughter.

"Yes this again Alex," the old man smiled. "I mixed the brew myself; Africa has blessed you and brought you back to us."

"I only saved some cows, that don't mean I should get eternal life." Xander sighed.

"You saved my life." Dalili, Chuma's daughter said behind him with a small blush.

"And our Villages livelihood." Chuma added. "Not to mention the treaty you brokered with the Mapopobawa-"

"I didn't do shit but trap the Popobawa, Dalili was the one who wrote up the contracts." Xander waved the old man off again. "And besides, I don't think your brew worked..." Xander said looking around the room. "I'm not... He's not..."

"Our Xander is still in his final resting place." Gordon stepped forward, his head bowed.

"Then I was not successful either," Dracula spoke up.

"Master," Xander said without thinking.

"I added my own Dirt, my Magicks to the grave; I had hoped you would find your way back to me, but..." He looked down at the girl in his arms. "But I suspect this one would not be here if I had succeeded." He trailed off as Kate hugged him tighter.

"So..." Xander looked around the room. "How did we get here? When did we get here?"


Days Before the Wake...

"The Light has gone out."

Hushed whispers grew amongst the gathered demons.

"What shall we do?"

"The Light! The Hellmouth it truly gone now, we will starve!"

"This mouth will not sustain us for very long!"

"This is the end of us, the Light!"

"This is grave, grave in deed..." The eldest one murmured, playing with his short beard at the end of his pointed chin.

"All this time preparing," a demon next to him shook his head. "It was meant to be our salvation!"

"The vessel is no more!" a female demon cried, throwing its claws up into the air. "We will die, the Old Ones will awaken!" it shrieked.

"No..." the eldest demon said, reaching into its robes.

"The energies will awaken them!" the demon shrieked again. "We cannot contain them without the Hellmouth! The Light!"

"No..." the eldest said again, the others looking to him as he pulled his claw from his robes and threw something on the floor.

"The Well will swell with their awakening!" she cried as all others quietened and looked to their eldest.

"No!" the eldest said more forcefully, pointing to the ground and the objects he had thrown. "Look, the Spiritus, the Animus, the Sophus, the Manus, the Tenebris..."

The female demon looked down at the bones and tokens that lay on the ground, she too reading what they showed.

"There is another," she gasped pointing a claw to the symbol that showed the Manus. "But how can that be, the Light..."

"There..." the eldest pointed. "The Adulescens, they are connected to the Animus."

"And the Tenebris," another demon pointed to the three symbols. "But the Animus fades..."

"No, it breaks through..." the eldest reached into its robes again and pulled out a book. "Here," he said opening it to a page and pointing to a spell. "And we will help it, or risk the old Ones awakening."

"The plan can continue?' the female demon asked.

"The Light will shine again; the Hellmouth will be whole once more..."


Author's Notes 2: Who are these new demons? Will there be ramifications to Xander hitting Dawn? What did Xander say to Dracula? (That last one is easy to figure out if you want to, I only used google translate... But its not required if you don't... I wouldn't)

Please review, I like the email buzz I get on my pebble time.