I do not own Supernatural or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Timeline: Happens in the summer after the seventh season finale for Supernatural and many years after the Buffy series finale.

Xander sat in his car staring at the steering wheel. His father wasn't Tony, but a man named John Winchester. John Winchester? Why did that sound so familiar? Then it came to him, John Winchester the legendary John Winchester, the man who had taken out so many non-Hellmouth supernatural creatures. Of course, he also heard that he was dead. If that was his father and not some other John Winchester, it could also be that Sam and Dean Winchester, legends too in their own right, although most of the hunting world looked down on them now ever since they had started the Apocalypse, could be his half-brothers. Of course, they had also ended it as well. He had heard various rumors about the Winchesters, and since he had never seen them before he wasn't sure which were true. He took out his phone without realizing it and once it was out, he knew that he needed to talk someone. Needed to tell someone, needed to get this off his chest. He dialed a number and waited anxiously as it rang once, twice and a third time.

"Hello," she sounded happy. That would probably change once he told her what was going on.

"Hey Willow," he tried not to sound as freaked out as he was.

"Hey Xander, I miss you. When do you think you'll make it out to Cleveland?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't know but when I do I'll give you a call."

"So, are you injured?" Willow asked. Why did she always ask that question first or second? Did he sound like he was injured?"

"Just some minor scrapes and bruises." The first time he had gone hunting, he thought he knew everything about the world, then he had met a non-Hellmouth vampire and had tried to stake it. Of course, it hadn't worked, and he had barely been able to get away from it with his life. That's when he realized that A, he didn't know how to fight, his previous method of hid behind Buffy until she kills it wasn't going to work if Buffy wasn't there. B. Apparently, things off the Hellmouth were different than things on it. C. If he was going to survive he would have to learn how to fight; which would require some time to learn. So, all in all, his little fight for independence was short-lived, because he had gone back to slayer headquarters and after a while convinced Buffy and Faith to train him. It had been a long and hard process, but if he hadn't done it, he probably wouldn't have been alive at the moment.

"But you're taking care of them, right? Disinfecting and bandaging."

"Yeah, of course."

"Good or else you would in a lot of trouble mister." He almost smiled, Willow was so protective of him and he was just as protective of her.

"Yes, I would."

"So what are you hunting now?" Willow had had a hard time at first accepting that Xander wanted to hunt, or even saying the word hunt but she had it down now.

"Nothing, I'm between hunts...my mom been pestering about coming to see her and since I didn't have a hunt, I ran out of excuses and finally just went to go see her...Willow, I need to talk to you about something," Xander said nervously.

"What is it?" She sounded very concerned.

"I found out that my Dad was not who I always thought it was, but a man named John Winchester."

"That sounds familiar," Willow said pensively.

"Maybe, because you're thinking about John Winchester, the famous hunter. Father of two other famous and infamous hunters, Sam and Dean Winchester. Of course, I don't know if I really his son or some other John Winchester's son."

"Wow... that's wow," Willow said shocked.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Xander scoffed.

"So, what do you think about that?" she asked concerned.

"I don't know... I just barely found out. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, add that to the fact that my mom's dying and.."

"Your mom's dying?" Willow interrupted concerned.

"I didn't mention that?" His head was in so many places at the moment, it wouldn't surprise him that he didn't.

"No, you did not mention that. What's wrong with her?"

"Cancer, liver cancer." 'That's what she got for drinking her whole life' though after he thought it, he felt guilty. Maybe his mother hadn't been the greatest mother in the whole world but she had been his and now she was dying.

"Oh, Xander! I'm so sorry. Is there anything I or we can do?" She asked her voice filled with sympathy.

"They say she has at the most weeks left," Xander choked out, he didn't want to say that. He didn't want to admit out loud, not even to one of his best friends.

"I'm so sorry. How are you?"

"I'm still in the processing stage on both fronts. If she had told me this when she wasn't...I would have been so mad at her...but she's...and I can't," he was starting to choke up a bit so took a moment to compose himself.

"Just when I thought my life was finally mapped out for me this happens. The universes way of saying you're still my butt monkey," he said with a small humorless laugh.

"Xander," her voice was filled with compassion. Suddenly, he wished he was in the same room with Willow rather than just on the phone with her. He wanted a hug, he wanted psychical comfort, but Cleveland Headquarters was days away and with his Mom dying he couldn't leave town until...it happened.

"Willow...I don't know how to deal with this. With my Dad, there wasn't any warning."

"Maybe you should talk to Buffy...I mean Joyce..she had cancer too," Willow said slowly.

"I don't want to bring that up. She was much closer to her mom that I am to mine."

"But maybe it would help you to talk to someone, someone who's been through a similar experience."

"It's not the same. She was young, barely in college when it happened; I'm a grown man."

"Still, I think it might help...you can talk to Dawn as well." Xander disagreed even more with that comment.

"No that's even worse. Dawn was still in high school and she nearly brought Joyce back from the dead because she missed her so much...I can't...not about that."

"Well just think about it then. I don't know anything about that. Both my parents are still alive, although we don' t really talk much." Her parents didn't like she did Wicca, dropped out of the college, and was gay, although she had finished college since Sunnydale, the other two were not things they really liked. Joyce had been the best parents of all of theirs, that's why they had all missed her so much when she had died. Great now this was bringing up bad memories about Joyce's death. Another reason he didn't want to call Buffy or Dawn.

"Xander... my class is starting in about a minute. Let me just call to cancel it." Xander shook his head.

"No Willow, it's okay. I'll be okay. I just need some time to process."

"Xander, it's fine I'll just call," This time, she was insisting.

"Willow it's okay, I'll be fine."

"Xander I really think..."

"Bye Willow." He hung up and put the phone on his lap, a few seconds later his phone started to ring. He picked it up, saw it was Willow and put back down on his lap. He didn't want to talk anymore. Xander looked at the house again and knew he couldn't come back until tomorrow. He also knew what he wanted to do till then. He was going to find out whatever he could from where ever he could about the Winchesters.