*Reposted to remove the internal monologue about flight that I somehow managed to reuse from chapter 4.*

AN: I own nothing that you recognize here.

I have removed the old version of this story and update the title to remove the "rewrite" term.

Chapter 05 – First Steps

"This definitely could be claw damage." Xander noted while inspecting Cordelia's car. She had been on lover's lane the night before with her latest boyfriend, when she had been attacked by a monster. Something big, hairy, and snarling, according to her. "Given the time of the month, it could be a werewolf."

"It was so awful," the cheerleader whined, "Daddy just had his car detailed."

Xander rolled his eyes, "At least you're not hurt. If it had bitten you, you'd be turning hairy every month."

"What's the word?" Buffy asked as Giles approached with a newspaper in hand. It had only been a week since the girl's birthday, but she seemed to be doing alright. While still grieving the temporary loss of her boyfriend, Xander was working to keep her distracted, to keep her spirits up.

"Well, it seems there were ah, several attacks by a wild dog around town. Several animal carcasses were found mutilated."

"You mean, like bunnies and stuff?" Willow asked, looking at Oz who was now officially part of their group. "No, don't tell me."

The musician looked down at his new girlfriend, "Oh, don't worry. I mean, they might not look it, but bunnies can really take care of themselves."

Giles proved to be quite excited at the idea of werewolves, referring to them as "one of the classics". Xander guessed it was on his bucket list.

"So, what do we do about it?" He questioned, wanting to see the man's stance on the subject. "Do we kill it?"

"Kill- no, of course not. Werewolves are people inflicted with a curse. The person who is transforming might not even know they are so afflicted. They may be a victim. No, we need to capture the creature alive, and we can lock it in the library cage until morning. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until next month's full moon."

"What about tonight's full moon?" Willow asked from where she was standing with Oz. That shocked the librarian, the possibility that the accepted legend about a werewolf transforming once a month may be false astounding him. The man became quite excited at having a place to begin his research. Leaving him to his own devices, the teenagers headed to the gym where the coach would be teaching basic self-defense. Seeing Larry Blaisdell, a jock and member of the football team, harassing a girl drew Buffy's ire. She sidled up to poke at the boy's masculinity only for Willow to pull her aside.

"Don't forget, you're supposed to be a meek little girly-girl like the rest of us."

Xander snorted. "Since when? Did you forget all the people in this school whose lives Buffy has saved? Trust me, they know how strong you are. You want to teach him a lesson, I say 'go to town'."

Buffy's grin was reminiscent of a shark's toothy maw as she headed back to the jock. Minutes later, he was on his back groaning in pain. Xander stepped over, kneeling next to the boy, and spoke to him quietly so he wouldn't be overheard. "You're overcompensating. Dial it back a few notches if you don't want everyone to figure out what you're hiding."

Ignoring how the teen's eyes went wide in shock, Xander stood and strode away. It wasn't until they were in the hall after class that Larry caught up with Xander and pulled him into an empty classroom.

"How did you know?"

Xander rolled his eyes as if it was obvious. "You're hardly the first person I've seen hiding what they are out of fear of not being accepted. At least, now, you're mostly wrong. People are much more accepting than they used to be. This isn't Victorian England, after all."

"You… you think so?" The boy asked hopefully.

"Yeah. I won't say it'll be all smooth sailing, there will always be people who hate things that are different than they are, but generally you won't be a social outcast. If nothing else, my group of friends will accept you even if no one else around here does. Just be proud of who you are. You are Larry Blaisdell, gay and proud. If they can't accept that, then they can screw the hell off."

"Yeah." The boy said, regaining some of his confidence. "Yeah. Screw 'em."

"If it helps any, high school is a closed system, what matters here doesn't matter nearly as much to the rest of the world. Once you are out of here, college is a different world where being gay is almost a badge of honor. They'll love you there."

The larger boy grinned, "Thanks, Xander."

"No problem, Larry. Glad I could help."

After classes, the Scoobies met up in the library to be briefed on the results of Giles' research into the nature of werewolves. In a mystical sense, the moon held great sway over many aspects of the world. All manner of biological life was affected by the lunar phases, there were numerous magical plants that needed to be harvested at specific times to have the necessary potency, and werewolves were forced through a painful transformation three days a month because of it. Once changed, the lycanthropic creatures were nearly mindless, driven only by their baser instincts.

Buffy geared up to battle a werewolf and left with Giles, heading to the bluff that was the local version of lover's lane. After they left, the group broke up leaving Xander to be pulled into an empty hallway by Jenny Calendar, who he noticed had been deep in thought for days.

"Well, hello to you too." Xander said with a grin, but Jenny wasn't biting. She was far too serious for his liking.

"Do you really think I should tell them? About me, I mean?"

"I can't imagine it'll go over well, but it'll be better coming from you directly, than if they find out some other way." The woman nodded without speaking, clearly lost in her own mind. Xander turned and stepped out, leaving her to her thoughts. He had other things to worry about right now.

Once he was outside, he used his telepathic ability to seek out any minds in the area and plant the suggestion that they move away. He then began to transform, turning into a bird once more. He took flight, gliding through the air for a time before descending, landing in the alley behind The Bronze. He altered his appearance into that of Boros once more and strode from the alley, a telepathic suggestion planted in the mind of the bouncer ensuring his entrance to the club. The music was blaring, the drinks were watered down, but given that it was the only place in Sunnydale that allowed entry to underage teenagers, no one complained. Boros did not partake since his enhanced physiology wasn't affected by mundane alcohol. Instead, he crossed the club and headed for the stairs that ascended to the upper lever which looked down upon the dance floor. He took up a position against the railing and waited, knowing this was one of the few places other than lover's lane that would be a powerful draw for the werewolf.

Nearly an hour later, he spotted Cordelia enter the club with a group of people before separating from them and sitting alone on a couch. She carried an air of expectation and Boros was surprised when she was joined shortly after by Jesse. The boy was flirty, and Cordelia was snarky in response, but she didn't immediately make him leave or get up to go herself. How interesting.

Boros' musing was interrupted by the werewolf crashing down through a skylight, landing on a table right in front of the two teens. Jesse threw himself in front of Cordelia to protect her, which proved unneeded as Boros wrapped an arm around the wolf's neck, having vaulted over the railing to drop down into the club. Pulling the creature away from the teens, he twisted and tossed it to the side. The creature yelped, scrambling around to quickly get to its feet. Boros bent forward into an aggressive crouch, ready to lunge as the wolf did the same. In preparation, he increased his body's density to make himself more resistant to physical damage.

When the wolf pounced, Boros raised an arm in response. He shoved the limb into the creature's mouth and could feel the pressure of a vice as it attempted to rend his arm from his body. He raised his off hand, which lengthened and turned into a round metal collar, which snapped shut around the wolf's neck. A jerk of the cuff caused a sharp noise as Boros' arm was pulled from the creature's mouth, its teeth scraping against his hardened, now metallic flesh. He pulled the wolf away and pushed it back, lengthening his arm so he could manipulate the creature like it was held in an animal Catchpole. At that moment, Buffy stepped into view, having arrived outside right about the time the wolf crashed through the skylight. She approached cautiously, bemusement on her face as she watched the wolf struggle in Boros' metallic grip. Giles hung back a bit, not wanting to get too close to The Immortal or the cursed being.

"You keep doing my job for me. If you keep this up, I could retire soon."

"I don't think you would trust anyone else to run things in your stead." Boros replied with a grin.

"So," She gestured at the wolf, putting aside the thought of retirement for the moment, "what do we do with this guy?"

"Did you come here with a plan to contain it? I would telepathically induce sleep, but its mind is too foreign in this form."

She shrugged non-noncommittally, "We brought a chain."

He rolled his eyes, "Apparently I'm going to be working quite hard to keep you alive."

"It would have worked!"

Boros shook his head. He debated a moment before sprouting a second set of arms, the Catchpole shifting up his body until it was mounted in the center of his chest. Buffy was wide eyed as he struggled with the beast, attempting to wrangle it and hold onto all four limbs so she could wrap it tightly in the chain that she withdrew from her school bag.

"Giles was planning to get a tranquilizer gun," She explained defensively, "we just can't get it until tomorrow."

"It's fine. The chain will do." Boros grunted, as he used a modified martial art submission hold to pin the beast. "Wrap its limbs."

It took some work, but eventually the creature was bound tightly, unable to do more than struggle. Finally, The Immortal was able to release the cuff from its neck and reabsorb the extraneous limbs.

"I would assume that your plan was to lock this thing in the secure book cage?"

"Yeah, Giles cleared it out for this."

Boros nodded and moved to tear down one of the heavy curtains that were meant to block the back-stage area of the club from the front, giving them a sturdy material to wrap the animal in. After it was no longer visible to anyone that may be waiting outside, he hefted the bound creature onto his shoulder and walked toward the exit. Outside, they approached Giles's car, the man opening the trunk so that the creature could be transported to the school. Finally, the Watcher turned to Boros.

"I don't know what your purpose is, helping Buffy with the things you have... but thank you." With that, he got into the car and started the engine.

"Yes, Thank you." The Slayer repeated. "Yet again, I find I owe you one."

Boros waved a hand dismissively, "you don't owe me anything. I'm just glad I can make your life just that tiny bit easier."

While they were talking, Boros was eyeing a man who was watching them, his body language screaming 'frustration'. "Friend of yours?"

"His name's Cain," Buffy explained, disgust audible in her voice, "He hunts werewolves."

"Does he, now? For sport?"

Buffy shook her head, "For money."

"Interesting. I know a few people who will want to meet him. The type of people who frown on the killing of sentient creatures. If you'll excuse me." He approached the hunter while reaching deeply into his mind, preparing to give a single command. "Sleep."

The man dropped to the floor with an audible thump, Buffy gasping in surprise. Boros smiled up at her as he crouched to gather up the softly snoring man, "human minds are easy."

He slung the man over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and strolled into the darkness. He needed to contact the MACUSA, or Magical Congress of the United States department of Law Enforcement.

-oOo-

To say everyone was surprised when the werewolf resumed its human form the next morning would be an understatement. "Oz!?" The wolf turned boy now lying on the floor of the cage jerked awake at Willow's piercing shout, only to look around with lidded eyes.

"Okay… interesting." He turned to the people standing outside the cage. "Explanation?"

"Werewolf." Xander replied.

"Huh." The teen nodded. "Weird."

In the end, he called his aunt who confirmed that his cousin Jordy, who had bitten his finger earlier in the month, was indeed a werewolf. Xander knew that the boy had a rough life ahead of him. He would have to always be careful to keep himself locked up during the three nights of the full moon and to always be cautious not to bite anyone. At least the surprise that Xander had arranged would make things a little bit easier. As planned, the door opened, and a red-haired girl walked into the library.

"Siobhan, what are you doing here?" Buffy questioned in surprise. "Giles, this is the girl I told you about."

"Boros asked me to come, special delivery." She opened the small messenger bag that hung by her hip and pulled out a large, mostly opaque, brown-glass bottle. Giles' eyes bulged as it was noticeably larger than the bag that had contained it. She held it out to Oz, who eyed it carefully.

"What uh... what is it?" Giles questioned, taking the lead.

Ignoring the older man, her attention was entirely focused on the teenager, "It's called Wolfsbane Potion. If taken properly, it will allow you to remain in control of yourself when turned into the werewolf."

Oz's eyes went wide, even as Giles spoke up, "I've... I've never heard of such a thing."

"You wouldn't have. It was invented by a wizard in the UK. He's part of an entire magical society that uses spells to keep themselves separate from the 'non-magical' world." She made air-quotes with her fingers as she said those words, her disdain for the separation clear in her voice, "Very few people outside of their society know they even exist; the statute of secrecy is one of their highest laws. I'm committing a serious crime right now by even telling you about them."

Giles harrumphed, frustrated at the idea of such useful knowledge that he didn't have access to. As far as he was concerned, all knowledge was meant to be shared, at least among those that could handle it. "Despite its name, it doesn't actually contain any Wolfsbane, does it?"

"It does, actually, quite a lot."

"But- But Wolfsbane is incredibly poisonous."

"Indeed, it is, which is why it has to be very carefully brewed, so you don't kill the drinker."

"How does it work?" Oz questioned, ignoring the man's protests. If it could stop him from hurting people as the wolf, he would do almost anything. And the worst-case scenario... if it killed him, then he would no longer be a threat.

"Oz, you can't be serious! We don't know anything about this potion."

"It works." Siobhan stated, ignoring Giles' stuttering. "It is safety used by many werewolves around the world." She turned her attention to Oz. "Unfortunately, it is too late to prevent you from losing control during the full moon tonight. Each bottle contains eight servings and is to be taken each of the five days preceding the full moon, and then on each of the three days during. One warning, I've never tasted it myself, but I am told it is... quite bad, and you can't add anything to make it better or it will no longer be effective." She shrugged, "Sorry."

"Thanks." Oz replied, inspecting the bottle.

That night, Oz locked himself in the library secure book cage to wait out his transformation, and the following morning, Willow agreed that if the potion worked, he should take it. The whole ordeal had been rather unnerving for the mousy girl. The following days passed swiftly after that, and Valentine's Day was soon upon them.

-oOo-

"Hey Giles." Xander said as he entered the library with Jesse. The man was bustling around with a bounce in his step, humming as he organized the returned books. At the study table, Buffy and Willow were seated, the blonde looking particularly miserable. With her boyfriend on the other side of the world during the most romantic day of the year, she was not a happy Buffy.

So of course, Jenny chose that moment to drop a bombshell.

"Hello, everyone. I um... I have something really important to tell you." The way she was nervously wringing her hands had everyone's attention. "Something you may not like. This is something that I have had to keep secret but I think... I think I have to tell you."

Giles set down the book currently gripped in his hand and moved closer cautiously, his form radiating concern, "Jenny, what-"

"My..." She swallowed hard, "My real name isn't Jenny Calendar. It's Janna and I am a member of the Kalderash, the same Romani tribe that cursed Angel with his soul. The reason I am in Sunnydale is because I was sent here to watch over Angel, to make sure he still suffers."

The moment of shocked silence seemed to go on forever before Buffy was on her feet, "You're the one Boros talked to. You made Angel leave!"

"I had to!" She cried in response, her voice pleading, "The elder of my tribe saw that the curse was weakening. I- I had to-"

"You had to betray us?" Buffy stated, "You had to lie to us and destroy my relationship?"

"I didn't want-"

"Don't. Just leave. You're no longer welcome here."

"What?" Jenny looked to Giles, who refused to even look at her, his gaze locked on the tabletop, "Rupert?"

"She said leave."

She stared at the man with a stunned expression before turning and fleeing the room. Xander stood, the force of his anger nearly knocking the chair back, "I'm surprised at you, Giles. I can understand Buffy blaming Jenny for this, she's a teenager and doesn't know any better, but I expected more from you."

He left the library, reaching out with his mind to locate the distressed woman, finding she hadn't gone far. She was curled up in a corner less than thirty feet from the library, her head in her hands as she sobbed quietly. He strode toward her, his body altering into Boros, before he dropped down next to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against himself, the woman responding by clasping onto him tightly and pressing her face into his neck. He held her as she cried, making soft comforting sounds until she began to calm. Eventually, she pulled back and looked up at him, confusion on her face. "Why are you here? You should be with your friends."

"I'm none too happy with them at the moment." He said, "watching Buffy lash out at one of our own hasn't exactly left me with a lot of warm feelings toward her. Besides... right now, you need me more than they do."

They sat for a while longer before standing and exiting the building, heading for the yellow VW Beetle that was Jenny's car. The doors unlocked as they approached, Boros' using telekinesis to open them from within. He gestured with an arm for Jenny to get in the passenger side, to which she snorted and stopped walking, "You're not driving my car."

"Do you know where we are going?"

"I'm going home." She stated.

"So you can sit there and stew on what happened? No, I have a better idea."

The teacher stared at Boros for a few seconds before nodding and getting into the passenger side of the car, allowing him to drive. Unbeknownst to either of them, Jesse was standing on the far side of the parking lot, having exited the school moments earlier. He was on his way to pick up his younger sister when he had spotted the hottest teacher in the school talking to the same man he had seen in the ally outside the sunset club weeks before. They had gotten into an older yellow beetle and driven off together. He thought that was pretty strange and would think it stranger still when he found out later that Jenny had fled from the library with Xander following soon after.

-oOo-

After leaving the school, Xander steered Jenny's car southwest, instead of heading east toward the residential part of town, as she would have expected.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"San Diego."

"What? We're not driving to San Diego."

"Of course not. I have a plane waiting."

Jenny stared at Boros for nearly a minute, trying to decide if he was kidding, before concluding that he wasn't, "why are we going to San Diego?"

"There is a fundraiser this evening at the Zoo, and you need a distraction. We'll stop in the fashion district to get you a dress for the event."

Jenny nodded, the suddenness of this leaving her speechless. Xander pulled the car up to the entry gate at the small Sunnydale airfield, showing an ID to the guard. Once they'd passed through, he drove to a large hanger with an open door, through which she could see a sleek looking private jet waiting for them. The hatch was lowered, a set of steps allowing access to the interior. Boros parked the car off to the side, handing Jenny the keys before heading toward the plane. "Go on in. I need to complete the pre-flight check before we can take off."

She nodded numbly and approached the boarding stairs, all the while wondering when her life had taken a sudden and jarring turn toward the surreal. Taking a private plane to attend the type of event she had only seen on television wasn't something she thought she would ever do. She stood at the bottom of the steps for a moment, debating just walking away, before ascending onto the plane. The inside was surprisingly warm and comfortable with cream colored leather chairs that matched the walls and beautiful wood cabinetry. Her inspection of the cabin was interrupted by a red-haired girl who stood by the entry to the cockpit. She was looking over Jenny with an expressionless face, making her feel like she was under a microscope. Finally, seeing something that seemed to please her, the girl nodded and smiled.

"Hi, I'm Siobhan. You must be Jenny. I've heard a lot about you."

"Uh, hi. I... know nothing about you."

The girl smiled, "You wouldn't. He's big on secrets. Can't really blame him. Come on, I'll show you around and we can talk."

Jenny had many questions, never having been on a private jet before, but there was one that was bothering her more than any other. "Who are you? I mean, I know your name, but who are you to him?"

Siobhan chuckled, "I'm not even slightly surprised that he hasn't told anyone yet. I'm his daughter."

-oOo-

The plane was taxing toward a hanger, having landed in San Diego after a relatively short flight, yet Jenny was still having trouble wrapping her mind around what she had learned. Siobhan was Xander's daughter. Xander's. Daughter. Well... technically, she was his adopted daughter. The girl had told her about how her parents had been killed by vampires when she was an infant and Xander had decided to take her in after dispatching the creatures. Analytically, she knew how old Xander really was, and it was entirely reasonable that he had raised children, but she was still having trouble wrapping her mind around it. Four months ago, he was a hopelessly immature sixteen-year-old. Now he's a father, and a devoted one from what she could see. The way he spoke to the girl, taught her how to fly the plane, it was clear that he loved her deeply. Watching the two interact, Jenny smiled slightly. It reminded her of Rupert. In fact, it was the fatherly way he acted with Buffy that had first attracted her to the man.

The next few hours flew by. They disembarked the plane and rode to the fashion district in a stretch limousine. Without a second thought, Xander dropped thousands of dollars on a black slinky dress for her and a flowing gold number for Siobhan. Almost every girl has a fantasy when they are young about a wealthy prince charming coming along and saving them from a life of mediocrity. As they get older, their fantasies are subsumed by reality. So, why did she suddenly feel like Julia Robert's character from Pretty Woman, plucked out of her boring life and pulled into a fantasy?

-oOo-

After a delectable five-course meal at the San Diego Zoo Gala, Jenny once more asked herself if this was real. The food was delectable, and each individual course probably cost more than she made in a year working at Sunnydale High School. Even more unbelievable than that was the company. Looking around the room, she identified people that she was only familiar with from magazines or television. At one table, she recognized World famous treasure hunter Lara Croft. At another, business magnate Thurston Howell the fifth. Rubbing elbows with some of the richest people in the world... when did this become her life?

Soon, music began to fill the room. Jenny was surprised when Xander offered his hand, but she allowed him to lead her out onto the dance floor. Unsurprisingly, he was a very good dancer. They twirled and spun the night away, all the while the immortal man who held her in his arms softly told her stories about his past. She could feel his mental touch as he telepathically gave image to his words. She listened as he told tales of wars waged and nations toppled. Rulers deposed and loved ones lost. It was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. He was telling a story about a woman who he had raised from a baby, only to watch her die protecting her own children from invading soldiers during the civil war when he reached up and pressed a warm palm to her cheek, his thumb gently wiping away a single traitorous tear that had escaped her eye. The woman's sacrifice still fresh in her mind, she looked up into eyes that held more compassion than she had thought any person capable of and before she could stop it from happening, her lips were pressed against his. Her eyes slid shut and she lost herself in the moment before reality returned and she pulled back. She felt a sense of confusion across the mental connection that was still in place before she spun and ran from the event. She was surprised at the emptiness she felt when the mental connection disappeared, but pushed that aside, instead overwhelmed by the guilt she felt. She was supposed to be in a relationship with Rupert Giles, yet here she was, kissing another man. Admittedly, she had lied to Rupert, and he had turned his back on her, they might have broken up, but it only happened a few hours before. It was a bit soon to be kissing someone else.

She wandered the darkened zoo for a while, eventually stopping at the edge of the savannah zone. She could hear soft huffing laughter from what she quickly realized were a pack of Hyenas. She leaned against the railing and watched them roll around for a few minutes before the sound of footsteps made her turn. Siobhan moved up and leaned against the railing next to her, watching the animals. She spoke, with a slight chuckle in her voice.

"Ironic you should end up here. Did you know he was possessed by a Hyena once? Back before Halloween. Some kind of... primal warrior spirit thing."

"I heard about it from Rupert." She replied with a nod. There was another minute of uncomfortable silence before she spoke again. "You're going to tell me to stay away from him?"

Siobhan snorted, "Just the opposite. He's been lonely for a long time, and I think you are good for him. He may not show it, but you hurt him. He likes you. I don't think he realizes it himself, but I recognize the signs. Clearly, you feel the same, which leaves me trying to figure out why you ran."

"I'm already in a relationship with Rupert Giles."

Siobhan pushed away from the Hyena enclosure, and strode away, leaving Jenny with a single comment. "No offense, but I don't think you are anymore."

Standing alone in the dark, the teacher felt a weight on her chest as Siobhan's words echoed in her ears. She needed to get back to Sunnydale and talk to Rupert.

-oOo-

The flight back was awkward for Jenny, even though Xander didn't seem to show any concern over what had happened. He was piloting while Siobhan had fallen asleep on the couch. Staring out the window at the city lights below, her mind went over the events of that evening again and again. She couldn't deny an attraction to the mysterious immortal, but she wasn't the kind of person to run off with every person who drew her interest... at least, not anymore. Were she fifteen years younger, things might be different. She was much wilder then.

Once the plane landed, she thanked Xander for the wonderful evening before driving home. All the way, her mind never left the events coming up and the conversation she needed to have with Rupert. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.

-oOo-

The sun was shining down brightly as Jenny strode along the path to Giles' apartment. She had come here, knowing he wouldn't be at the library, due to it being the weekend. She hadn't been able to sleep at all, spending the night tossing and turning while thoughts of Xander, Giles, and Siobhan's words about both echoed in her mind. Standing on the stoop, she knocked firmly on the door and affixed a smile on her face, hoping that Giles would greet her with a smile of his own. The next few moments were the most anxious of her life, until finally, the door opened, and Rupert stood before her.

"Uh, yes, uh... Miss Calendar. What can I do for you."

His voice was flat, even glacial, and Jenny felt a stabbing in her chest as she realized that Siobhan may have been correct about the state of her relationship after all. She had tears in her eyes as she spoke, "I was hoping we could talk."

"I think we have said all that needs to be said."

"I know you feel betrayed."

The watcher sighed, "Yes. Well, that's one of the unpleasant side effects of betrayal."

"Rupert... I was raised by the people that Angel hurt the most. My duty to them was the first thing I was ever taught. I didn't come here to hurt anyone, a-and I lied to you because I thought it was the right thing to do. I... I didn't know what would happen. I didn't know I was gonna fall in love with you."

An embarrassed laugh escaped her lips, "Oh, God. Is it too late to take that back?"

"Do you want to?"

Her mind jumped to the kiss she had shared with Xander the night before, but she forced that memory away, "I just wanna be right with you. I don't expect more. I just want so badly to make all this up to you."

"I understand. But I'm not the one you need to make it up to."

Jenny snorted, "Buffy isn't going to forgive me. In case you hadn't noticed, she can be a bit stubborn, especially when it comes to thinking she knows better than everyone else." The moment the words were out of her mouth, Jenny knew she had said the wrong thing. Giles' face hardened, his emotions even more closed off, and the man nodded once as if in confirmation of his own thoughts. His voice was flat, unemotional when he spoke.

"Thank you for coming by Miss Calendar. I will see you at school tomorrow."

She nodded with a sigh of resignation and stepped back as he closed the door. She stood there for a minute longer before giving up hope that she could salvage her relationship. With head hung low, she turned and walked back to her car. She was almost at the driver-side door before she noticed Boros was leaning against the side of the car waiting for her.

"That did not look like fun."

"It wasn't." Jenny groused in return.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry that I've made this more difficult for you." His face showed an honest look of compassion. He observed her for a moment before pushing off the car, "Get in. We've got things to do."

Jenny sighed and unlocked the driver side door, glaring at Boros as he dropped into the passenger seat, "Do you make a habit of this, showing up out of the blue and telling people what to do?"

"Not normally, but this is a special case. Siobhan has convinced me to share my secrets with you and there's a lot to see, so we need to go."

Jenny froze, not able to deny the sudden immense curiosity that rose within her, paired with the realization of the privilege he was offering. It didn't seem like he shared his life with many people, so the fact that he decided to share it with her was... oddly pleasing. She began to drive, following his directions to a gorgeous sprawling mansion on Crawford Street, one that she had never seen before. When she first moved to Sunnydale, she had familiarized herself with the town and she remembered a run-down abandoned mansion here, the foliage on the property nearly overgrown. Now the lot was meticulously landscaped, the building much larger and fancier than she remembered. At the end of a short driveway was a wide heavy gate that swung open easily as they approached, leading into an enclosed courtyard. Boros pointed to a covered parking area on the left, Jenny stopping the car there a moment later.

The house was two stories and sported arches, stucco walls, and terracotta roof tiles in the Spanish colonial style. They crossed the courtyard on foot, the feeling of magic in the air nearly making her skin tingle. As they approached the building, two wide heavy wooden doors swung open on silent hinges, allowing entry into a foyer with marble floors in which was inscribed the image of a coiled snake eating its own tail. Against one wall was a glass case filled with an array of items, many of which looked antique. There were gold coins, an engraved stone tablet, and other pieces of history. Another wall was decorated simply with a pair of roman Gladius swords on either side of a shield, with a full set of Roman armor adorning a mannequin standing beside them. Xander didn't pay them any notice as he led her through the hall, into an area that looked much more comfortable. Worn couches encircled a dark wood coffee table littered with school textbooks, past which a wall of glasses windows looked out onto a luxurious patio with the biggest private swimming pool she had ever seen.

As he led her around the building, the continuous tingle of magic was present in every room. Finally, it wasn't long before her curiosity got the better of her, "There's so much magic here. What is it all for?"

Boros explained how the entire property was protected with spells that repelled vampires, kept insects away, and prevented inclement weather. The walls and windows were magically reinforced and enchanted with security spells. He even claimed that the entire building and surrounding grounds could be shifted to another location using magic, which explained why she couldn't recall seeing it before. According to Xander, the house hadn't been here prior to Halloween. Jenny's mind was boggled at what he was saying, the use of magic for things like controlling the temperature in the house, pest control, and construction went against everything she had grown up believing was safe.

"Using magic like this, isn't it... dangerous?"

"It can be. You're used to magic being drawn from the environment and channeled through you. Overuse of that can have unexpected consequences, as your body is not designed to resist the reality altering effects. However, the wizards that enchanted this house are part of a small group of people who are born with the ability to generate magic within their very bodies. They are naturally resistant to the rigors involved in spellcasting."

"I've never heard of such a thing."

"That is by design. They live in secret with strict rules preventing the disclosure of their existence to the greater world."

The tour continued, soon taking them to a hallway to the left of the foyer, which held the entrance to the library. It was a massive three-story space, every wall of which was lined with bookcases. The entry was on the ground floor of the house, but was the second level of the library, the bottom level being below ground. The centerpiece of the library was a 'floating' platform that held a comfortable seating area next to a giant antique globe and two long cabinets covered in books and more pieces of his unending collection. Standing on the short path that connected the door to the platform, Jenny looked down at the ground below. Underneath the platform were two 'C' shaped bookcases, forming a mostly enclosed space, while the rest of the ground floor was lined with more waist-high bookcases, more cabinets storing pieces of the collection, more... just more.

"It never ends." Jenny muttered, completely overwhelmed by everything she was seeing.

Xander nodded, "and these are only the books I reference frequently. On top of the mundane books here to read for entertainment or research, I also have one of the largest collections of magic and demonology texts in the world, surpassing even the watcher's council. The less used books, or those I hold only for the sake of owning, collecting, or protecting, are kept at a secondary location." He gave her a moment to absorb what he had said before continuing, "but that's not why we're here. Follow me." He led the way down the steps to an alcove directly under the entry door before stopping in front of a bookcase no different than any other. He glanced at Jenny, pausing momentarily before speaking, "What you are about to see is extremely dangerous. It is vitally important that you absolutely do not touch anything."

He then pressed a finger to the wooden frame between shelving sections and drew it slowly downward. A series of heavy bass clicks, like very large locks disengaging, sounded before the entire bookcase swung away from the wall, proving to be the disguised door of a heavy-duty vault. It was dim in the space beyond, and much larger than the library they were coming from. Jenny's eyes roamed around, noticing numerous items had been positioned around the room, some in glass cases on top of pedestals, others free standing. There was even a car, a cherry-red 1958 Plymouth Fury that had been suspended from the roof by heavy chains.

"Over the years, I have seen many people have encounters with harmful magical items. I've made it a personal mission to gather up as many of these items as I could and remove them from society." He gestured to the objects positioned before them, "The ones that could be destroyed were, but often the magics involved tend to prevent that, so the most dangerous items get locked away here in the 'dark vault'. These are the items that tend to have minds of their own, items that seek out or draw in victims."

Looking around again, the innocuous items in the room took on a whole new meaning in her eyes. There was a palpable dread in the room, knowing that if she got too close to one of the objects, she could have her soul devoured, or face some other equally terrible fate. A small tittering laugh drew her attention to a porcelain doll wearing a Victorian style dress, before the rumble of an engine made her look up at the suspended car, which was vibrating slightly where it hung. She cocked her head in confusion about how it seemed to be running before a glint of light shining in her eyes pulled her away. The light was reflecting off the blade of a large wicked looking knife that was sitting on a pillow in one of the cases. It was a beautiful weapon, the handle wrapped in gold filigree and vines carved along the blade. It was so wrong to keep something so beautiful locked up like this. She took a step forward and -

The hand grabbing her shoulder snapped her out of the haze that had overtaken her mind. Boros gently pulled her back, a knowing look on his face, "I told you this stuff was dangerous. If you let your guard down, even for a moment, they'll try to draw you in."

"What is that thing?" Jenny asked, her eyes now gazing at the dagger with much more wariness.

"It's one of the nastier items in this vault. It attracts people to pick it up, then drives them kill with it. That thing left a swath of blood and bodies across Europe before I found it."

Jenny nodded, actively looking away from the blade that had ensnared her mind. She looked around the room once more, before nodding upward, "Why is there a car here?"

"It's sort of alive. It forms a bond with the person who owns it and acts on its own to kill those who would take their attention away from the car.

Jenny shook her head in disbelief, "A possessive car. What will you come up with next?"

"How about a puzzle box that opens a portal to a hell dimension when solved?"

"Seriously?"

"Yep." He pointed at what looked like a wooden cube that was approximately three inches square and covered in decorative gold leaf. "Or a rabbit's foot that creates real tangible good luck."

"Why is that one in here? Good luck sounds like it would be nice to have."

"It is at first, but when you lose it... and you will lose it because that's part of the cursed effect, that luck turns. It turns so bad you'll be lucky to survive the day. No pun intended."

They spent a little more time discussing the items in the vault, which included a chest full of gold coins that cursed anyone who removed one, a 'Zoltar' arcade machine that granted real wishes, and a camera that cursed anyone whose picture it takes, before leaving

-oOo-

They left the vault, Boros resealing the heavy door behind them. Jenny spent some time wandering the library, her eyes taking in the nearly twenty-thousand tomes lining the shelves, the hundreds of manuscripts, maps, and artifacts littering the room, all while Boros watched with a slight smile.

The entrance to the library was in a hallway that also contained several paintings and portraits with many more lining the next hall they entered. Just around the corner from the first, Boros stopped in front of a particularly large piece that spanned the entire height of the hall, nearly touching the floor and ceiling. The image was of a beautiful woman with long black hair wearing a flowing blue gown. She was holding a book and staring regally into the distance.

"Good morning, Ro'." Boros said.

To her surprise, the woman in the painting moved, looking down at them with a slight smile on her face and spoke, "Hello father. Are you going to visit the elves?"

"I'm giving Jenny the full tour."

The image looked at his companion for the first time, taking a moment to inspect the woman, "oh really? That is interesting. Have fun."

Jenny blinked, sure that the painting's last words were a bit... suggestive. Boros didn't react, just staring her down until she smiled innocently. The painting swung outward, proving to be a secret door that hid a room no larger than a coat closet. It was entirely empty aside from a large wooden cabinet made of dark wood with gleaming golden fixtures.

"This is a Vanishing Cabinet. When it's created, spells are used to connect it to a second cabinet that is built at the same time." He stepped forward and held out his hand, which she took cautiously, allowing him to pull her into the cabinet. They were engulfed in darkness as he shut the door, only to immediately open it again, only this time to a completely different location. While the previous one was brick and plaster, this was carved rock like they were now standing in a cavern. It was also lined with matching cabinets, each with a sign next to it listing different locations. One said 'London', another 'New York', another 'Sidney', and on and on. It seemed they had stepped into some sort of transport hub, full of doorways that could send them all over the world.

"When you said 'connect', you meant that literally."

"Yes. These became very popular during the last dark wizard uprising in England's magical community. They offered a quick escape to people who were attacked. At least, to those who could afford them."

"So, where are we?"

"Antarctica." He answered, before leading her to a short tunnel that exited onto what looked like an African savannah. They were standing on a cliff face looking down on a grassy field that was dotted with bushes and bisected by a lazy river. Jenny's eyes went wide as she watched a group of Rhinoceroses, a 'crash', mosey up to the river to drink. "Welcome to the Savage Land."