The Witches' White Light... (BtVS/Charmed)
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Charmed. They belong to Joss Whedon and Constance M. Burge respectively.
When Angel's sucker punch puts Buffy's white knight permanently out of commission, a higher being decides that Xander can still be useful on the hellmouth and sends him back as a different kind of warrior of the light.
A Darkened Alley; Sunnydale, California
March 16th 1999
"Man, where've you been? You gotta find Buffy – she's going to her place and stocking up on…" Xander was cut off by Angel's fist slamming into his face. All he could do was crumple to the pavement in response to the devastating injury.
As his world faded to black, Xander could hear Angel's last words to him echoing softly. "That guy just bugs me…"
In another time and another place, Angel's blow would have left Xander unconscious with a rather nasty bruise. Unfortunately for the Xander of this reality, the vicious-looking punch Angel had used to maintain his cover proved to be all too effective in killing the mortal that was Xander Harris.
The Upper Plains
March 16th 1999
The only thing Xander was sure of when he awakened was that it was way too bright. "Anybody get the number of that truck?"
"I'm afraid that what hit you was a vampire, not a truck."
Xander spun to see a slightly built man walking up to him with an air of serenity that eased Xander's mind. "You the guy that patched me up? I mean I'm feeling pretty good for a guy that just had his face rearranged by an overzealous vampire." A cold fury formed in his gut. "And speaking of that vampire…"
The man smiled softly before gently interjecting. "I'm afraid I didn't heal you, Alexander. My name is Leo Wyatt and I'm an Elder."
Something about that niggled at the back of Xander's mind. After a moment or two he simply gave it up for a waste of time. "An Elder what?"
The man grinned as if he was enjoying some secret joke. "The Elders are known by many names. We are the Guardians, the Protectors… some even call us the Powers that Be. Essentially we are the Creator's primary representatives on the side of good."
The cold fury in his gut congealed into a block of ice. "I'm dead, aren't I? That stinking, overdressed, gel-encrusted, broody little…"
The Elder attempted to adopt a stern look but failed rather spectacularly. "Yes. I'm afraid so, Alexander."
The response took the wind out of Xander's sails momentarily. "So… Why am I here if I'm dead? Is this the afterlife?"
Leo shook his head. "No, Alexander. It is not. This is the place of judging. Mortals like yourself who have been touched by the supernatural and remained uncorrupted by it are often offered a choice to become whitelighters. And you are particularly desirable as a whitelighter because you grew up on the active hellmouth."
Xander adopted a look of polite confusion at that statement. "Err… Why exactly is the fact that I grew up on an active hellmouth a good thing as far as my being a whitelighter?"
Leo sighed. "Most whitelighters are unable to weather the dark energies that surround a hellmouth for very long. The hellmouth is saturated with evil and we are creatures of good. It is much like vampires attempting to enter particularly significant religious sites like the Vatican."
The whitelighter candidate nodded sagely. "And the difference when one has been raised on the hellmouth?"
Leo smiled again. "A person who has lived their life on the hellmouth develops a strong resistance to its effects when they become a whitelighter. Unfortunately the hellmouth's corruptive influences makes the pickings very slim there. With the last whitelighter born on a hellmouth being destroyed over a decade ago, we've been waiting anxiously for a new one to work the hellmouth."
"What about Kendra? Wouldn't she have been whitelighter material?"
Leo grinned benignly. "Kendra did not live on the hellmouth, Xander. Besides, the nature of the slayer essence is demonic. This prevents slayers from becoming whitelighters, regardless of how good of a person they might be."
Xander let it go, though part of him wanted to pursue the demonic origins of the slayer. "So I'm being drafted as a whitelighter ten? Whatever a whitelighter is…"
"A whitelighter is a mentor and guide sent by the Elders in order to keep good witches on the right path."
Xander grinned. "So I'm being assigned to Willow? That's great! That means I can…"
Leo shook his head resolutely. "Willow Rosenberg is a practitioner. Witches are born that way. Likewise, Rupert Giles is a practitioner. No, Xander. Assuming that you accept my offer you will not be seeing your friends. You will not be able to see them at all until they have had time to grieve. The only exceptions would be if you were assigned to one of them, since you would be the only whitelighter able to go to the hellmouth. However, as I said, none of them are witches."
Xander growled softly at the idea of not being able to see Willow, or Cordy or the rest. True, he wasn't really popular with them right now but that didn't mean he didn't still love them. "So who are my charges?"
Leo smiled broadly. "So you accept then?"
Xander shrugged. "I don't see any other choice."
Leo frowned at Xander. "You can also simply move on to the afterlife. whitelighters are not drafted. They are good people who deserve their rest but choose to fight the good fight some more."
Xander cocked an eyebrow. "I still don't see any other option."
Leo shook his head sadly at Harris' hard-headed attitude. Xander was a paladin at heart and did not know the meaning of the word quit. "Your current assignments are Amy Madison and Tara Maclay."
Xander thought hard for a moment. "Never heard of any Maclay in Sunnydale. And isn't Amy a rat at the moment?"
The Elder looked unconcerned as he replied. "Miss Maclay lives in New Mexico at the moment. I am assigning you to her because the omens point to her resettling in Sunnydale within the year. As for Miss Madison, she will be restored soon."
"And how exactly am I supposed to watch over two witches in New Mexico and California at the same time?"
Leo grinned. "You didn't think whitelighters don't get a few perks did ya? I'll start you learning this stuff as soon as you take the whitelighter's oath."
Xander smirked. "Lay it on me oh elder one."
Leo winced at the vaguely insulting title. "I, insert name here…"
"I, insert name here…" Xander paused for a long moment before he gave in to the death glare that Leo was spearing him with. "I, Alexander Lavelle Harris…"
"Do solemnly swear to give my aid, protection and advice to the witches in my charge…"
"Do solemnly swear to give my aid, protection and advice to the witches in my charge…"
"To abide by the dictates of the Elders and of my conscience…"
"To abide by the dictates of the Elders and of my conscience…"
"And to maintain the highest moral standard in the performance of my duties, to the best of my abilities…"
"And to maintain the highest moral standard in the performance of my duties, to the best of my abilities…"
"I swear this upon my life, my honour and my immortal soul."
"I swear this upon my life, my honour and my immortal soul." A crackle of thunder from up above them shook Leo and Xander out of the moment.
Leo looked up, smiling joyously. "The Creator accepts your service with great joy. For too long has the hellmouth been without close supervision by the side of good."
Xander shrugged. "So what's next, Boss?"
The Elder grinned. "Next up is your training, young whitelighter. And after that you'll go meet your charges. Prepare yourself, Alexander. Your journey has only just begun."
Some rules for this one. Xander cannot begin a romance with any mortal, especially his charges. Not only has that been done before (Leo and Sam) but it resembles Angel's romance with Buffy which Xander would never emulate. If you want to 'ship Xander, I'd suggest using a whitelighter like Natalie or even Paige.
Please note that while Angel might not have meant to kill Xander, Xander doesn't see it that way. ;)
Anyone who'd like to pick up this plot please drop me a line via the reviews and it'll be all yours.
Jasper