A/N I know I've said I don't like writing two stories at the same time, but the Shadows au is intense and I did promise I'd continue this story as well, so I think I'll alternate back and forth, chapters for one intense story one day and chapters for one fun, adventurous story the next day. Obviously this is an experiment, so please bear with me as I try something new.

Thank you to everyone who reads my stories and to all those who review, favorite and follow. And keep those plot bunnies coming because they result in stories like this. 😃

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"No more vampires at all?" Willow clarified as the two old friends walked back to the High School.

"I felt the spell work." Xander answered. "Or rather Dr. Strange felt it work. This is weird, Willow. I remember everything he knew, Magic and spells and enemies he fought, sure it all comes out of the comic books, but I didn't read all of them, there's decades worth of them. But the transformation spell gave the costume power and since the Magic used in the comics is the same as Magic in the real world, it worked. Some of it's slipping away, it's too much knowledge crammed in at one time, my mind can't hold it. But I can learn it, in time I can get it all back."

"You really want to? Learn it, I mean, learning's hardly your thing."

"I take the same classes you do, Willow and I do just fine." Maybe some of Dr. Strange's arrogance was also still hanging around because Xander defended himself against Willow's usual casual dismissal of his intelligence. "The only class I've ever needed help in is Math. So obviously I can and do learn, you just haven't bothered to notice." He was practically biting the words off as he finished speaking.

Willow's eyes immediately filled with tears at the harsh tone and Xander sighed as she said. "Well, I think I can be forgiven for not noticing considering you act like an idiot most of the time!"

"You mean when I direct the attention of bullies away from you or other kids? Or when I'm trying to act like everything's alright when it's not?"

"What could possibly be wrong, Xander? What could you possibly have to be upset about, that Buffy likes Angel instead of you?" She asked acidly.

"Maybe there was some jealousy but mostly there was disgust, he was a vampire for gods sake, Willow! How could that ever be a good thing? And if you don't know what I have to be upset about besides Buffy's weird dating choices how can you claim to be my friend? You're the only family I have left! Remember why?" Xander stormed down the street, wanting to be away from Willow before he said anything else. He should be happy, the girl he loved like a sister was alive, so why was her usual attitude so irritating? If he was being honest, than maybe it was because it was her usual attitude. Dying didn't seem to have changed it. But being Dr. Strange for a couple of hours may have changed him, because he was refusing to put up with it.

Willow glared at Xander's back and tried to understand what he meant. 'What does he mean only family left? He has his parents, aunts and uncles, cousins. He's got lots of family and we're not even related, so why is he saying family?' She hurried to catch up to Xander, needing answers to her questions. "Xander! You have lots of family, why are you acting like you don't? Is that a left over from Dr. Strange, did he lose his family?"

"Yes, but that's not the point, I've considered you and Jesse to be my family, my real family, since we were kids. And Jesse's gone, remember what Giles said 'it's not your friend, it's the thing that killed your friend.' Jesse died and a monster took over his body, the same monster that Angel had in his before the spell changed him."

"But he has a soul too!" Willow frowned, not understanding why Xander couldn't seem to understand that.

"So do Tony and Jessica and they've never been parents. So do your parents and you almost never see them. So did Hitler. Having a soul doesn't make someone a good person, having a soul means they can tell right from wrong. They have a choice and many choose evil, a vampire just is evil because they're a demon. Angel has a choice because of a curse and he chose to be a coward and hide. Do you really think human Angel is any different? According to the Chronicles, Angelus was a vicious bastard, the soul made Angel and Angel chose to be a coward. Now he's human, what choice will he make now?"

"He loves Buffy, so obviously he'll choose her!" Willow insisted. "And Buffy loves him so she won't be choosing you anyway! And why do you insist on calling me family?"

"Because I love you like a sister, Willow and Buffy can choose who she wants and now that Angel's human, the only impediment is his age. Look, I don't want to argue with you, Willow, you died and I used Magic to revive you. I just want to be happy that you're alive! Let's not argue, okay?"

"You think of me as family?" Willow stared at him, noticing he called his parents Tony and Jessica, was that a leftover from Dr. Strange too? "But your parents -."

"Have never acted like parents or don't you remember your bat mitzvah? That's their normal behavior, Willow. It's why I used to pretend your house was my home and why I consider you my family, you're not anything like them and that's a good thing."

Willow was stunned as she suddenly understood that Tony and Jessica must act like that all the time. How had she missed it?

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A/N Mention of Willow's bat mitzvah comes from the episode Hell's Bells.