A/N Magic doesn't exist in the Argeneau series, so I have no idea how it might have affected someone in world. Something this fic has in common with Sparkle on the Hellmouth is that Xander is going to look different once the transformation is complete. It sets all the 'vampires' at an optimal age and keeps them there. Optimal age being 25 in universe and in perfect health. That's the main point of the kind of vampire he's becoming, perfect health.

######

Inside Xander's body the vengeance demon's power was racing through his blood stream collecting trace metals and minerals and forming them into microscopic machines called nanites. These nanites then began moving through his body making changes and repairing damage. Evidence of healed fractures was smoothed away, his immune system was getting a boost, he could still get sick but between the boost and the nanites he'd recover much faster with no lingering after effects. His eyesight was being improved, increasing his night vision and giving his chocolate brown eyes a luminous golden brown tone. His hearing was being kicked up a notch as well. His physical strength would be at the extreme edge of normal. But the most significant changes where being done to three areas of his body, the nanites were accelerating his growth, taking him from late adolescence to mid twenties and freezing him there. His brain was being altered as well, making him capable of reading and controlling human's minds and eventually blocking others of his kind from reading his own thoughts. His incisors were being transformed into the equivalent of hypodermic needles, sharp enough to pierce skin and capable of siphoning blood from a vein and transferring it via ducts in the area along side his teeth and into his body. The blood bringing with it the metals needed for the nanites, far more advanced than anything current technology could ever hope to achieve, to replicate themselves. He was becoming the embodiment of the last experiment of the lost city of Atlantis, an immortal forced to adapt to survive the fall of Atlantis. Forced into eternal life, not undead, by medical nanites that couldn't be shut off and were following the simple directive, keep the body at optimal health. Unfortunately, no human body could produce enough to keep up with the nanites second directive, replicate when its own effective life ceases.

The doors to the library swung open and Gwendolyn Post walked in. "Mr. Giles, are you still researching? Have you found anything useful?"

"The Glove was housed in the van Hauptmann Crypt." Giles answered without looking at the annoying woman who was constantly criticizing him. "Buffy gave it to Angel to destroy and she and Willow have gone back to help him, they're at the Crawford Street Mansion, it's not hard to find, it's the largest structure on that street. You're welcome to help them." He dismissed her and resumed searching for key words, female and scorn, in the book in front of him. Mrs. Post glared at him and intent on her goal, retreated back through the door, having completely ignored Cordelia and not having noticed the occupant of the book cage. She had to hurry, the Glove belonged to her, they couldn't be allowed to destroy it.

Angel set the Glove by a large bowl and began adding the spell ingredients he'd collected, following the directions for the correct order, he glanced up as he heard two sets of footsteps approaching and looked at the door as Buffy and Willow walked in.

"Giles wants us to help you." Buffy told him.

"I take it they know I'm back?"

"Yes, big argument, Giles is going to run tests on you, if you're Angel you have to leave town, I'm not allowed to see you anymore, if you're Angelus, he'll destroy you."

"Why do I have to leave?"

"Because we can't trust you and Buffy together." Willow informed him. "Xander saw you guys kissing when he checked out why there were lights on in this place. We feel Buffy can't be objective about you and we won't risk Angelus being loosed again."

"If I choose not to leave Sunnydale and Buffy?"

"You might want to be on the other side of the world soon." Willow smiled grimly. "Buffy did something stupid."

"Hey!" Buffy protested. "I had no way of knowing anything would happen!"

"This is Sunnydale, Buffy, Murphy's favorite vacation spot. We're the embodiment of everything Murphy stands for, if it can go wrong, it will."

"What did Buffy do?" Angel asked.

"Made a wish and a vengeance demon granted it."

"What was her wish?" Angel asked.

"She wished Xander was a vampire so he'd understand what it's like for you."

Angel blinked and stared, incredulous. "You turned Xander into a vampire?!"

"Not me, a demon!"

"Oh crap. Xander Harris as a vampire is a terrifying idea!"

"Why? It's just Xander." Buffy protested. "He won't be much of a vampire."

"I take it he never told you."

"Told me what?"

"Angelus went to the hospital when you were sick, he thought you'd be easy prey. Instead he ran into Xander and Xander challenged him. Angelus believed him when Xander told him and I quote, 'you're going to die and I'm going to be there.' Angelus was absolutely convinced by the look in Xander's eyes that he'd destroy Angelus even at the cost of his own life and Angelus was equally certain, Xander was capable of carrying through on it. The clown is a mask he wears, Angelus saw what was under that mask and it made him back off."

"A mask? Xander's only pretending to be who we think he is? Why?" Buffy asked, confused.

"Because he doesn't want to hurt people, but knows he's capable of it."

"Buffy," Willow said anxiously. "you just told me how he threatened you if you got me killed, remember? Did you believe him?"

Buffy remembered the way Xander had looked at her when he'd said it. Yes, she'd believed him. "I thought it was a one time thing."

"No, I don't think it is." Angel told her. "If he blames me for that wish, I think he could do something I'd certainly find very painful. Let's get this Glove destroyed and then we'll make some decisions."