"I don't want to be in the sewers." Xander muttered as he followed Angel though the sewer tunnel on the way to the Library. Giles had called and asked them to meet him and the girls so they could make some decisions regarding the future and Xander's situation. "How the Hell can you stand the smell? It was bad before, but now it makes me want to vomit."

"It's a good exercise for you to help you manage your new senses." Angel answered. "You're designed to be a predator, your sense of smell was already one of your strongest senses as a human, as a vampire it's even stronger. You can tell a lot from smell regarding your prey."

"Humans are not my prey! I'm a techno vampire, not a demon, I hope to God I never, ever think feeding on a human is okay. But my problem right now isn't so much the smell, as the memories."

"Because Buffy died in the Master's lair and you made me show you the way there."

"That's part of it, but I had a problem with the sewers before then."

"Why?"

"The day I met Buffy, Willow and my best friend were taken by your Sire, Darla. Buffy and I managed to save Willow. Jesse dusted on a stake I was holding the next day."

Angel froze, he hadn't known that. It explained a lot about Xander's hated of both him and vampires in general.

"I dusted Darla to save Buffy."

"Which I'm both angry and grateful for."

"Because Buffy's alive and because you didn't get revenge yourself."

"Got it in one."

"I could have stopped it." Angel admitted.

"Stopped what?"

"I could have stopped Darla from taking them. I was following Buffy, I hoped to keep her from going after the Master. I didn't think she could handle him. I could have helped, but it never occured to me."

"It didn't occur to you to help two humans in trouble?" The dangerous, cold tone alerted Angel to Xander's intentions and he braced himself as the techno vampire, who couldn't even hope to match him in strength, grabbed his arm and swung him around and delivered a punch that would have broken a human's jaw. Neither he nor Xander even flinched from the blow, but Angel knew Xander would need a bag of blood to help heal the broken knuckles he now had. "Jesse might as well have been my brother. I know you're not aware of that fact, but that doesn't change the fact that you had a chance to help people and didn't even try. Having a soul doesn't make you a good person, but it should give you a conscience. Try using it. It's only because of the soul that I'm not currently reaching for a stake, I won't condemn a soul to Hell. You want to be human so you and Buffy can have a shot at a life together, try working on being a good person, human or otherwise."

Xander shoved passed Angel and reached the ladder that led up to the sewer entrance in the Library and ignoring Angel, climbed out. Angel followed, deciding leaving Sunnydale today would probably be for the best. As would that working on that being a better person thing.

"Ah good, you're both here." Giles greeted them. "Xander, word is already spreading that you've become a Sunnydale statistic. Willow has finished creating your paperwork on that infernal machine of hers. She's arranged for a license and a birth certificate with a new year of birth to be delivered to the Crawford Street Mansion for you with that as your official address."

"That's good." Angel spoke. "Since as of today, it's Xander's home. Once this meeting is done I'll be leaving Sunnydale. I'll let you know where I end up in case you ever need my help."

"That's good." Giles nodded, while Buffy looked sad and Cordelia took a seat on Xander's lap. "In the meantime, I suggest Xander, that you take the GED test. I had Willow check into the requirements, there are four sections of study and each can be studied for and completed separately. Once all four have been completed you'll be awarded your GED. It can all be done online."

"That sounds best." Xander agreed. "I'll need it to find a decent job. Anything else of interest?" Not mentioning Angel's confession and his response.

"I'll arrange a Ward, Willow can help me to put it up."

"I researched Wards over the weekend." Willow offered. "The vampire Ward is simple and you just need to remember the Sunnydale Rules, never invite anyone in."

"I will." Xander nodded and they went on to the next topic of conversation.