A/N Credit reviewer SamonIllmantrim on Tony Harris' backstory. I promised him I'd use his idea in a story.

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While Lupe fussed over the others Cordelia fussed over Xander, in her own way.

"Seriously, Xander, it is not cool running off and scaring me like that!" She lectured, even as she cleaned the cuts on his hands. "How many bones do you think you've broken, huh?"

"Several in my right hand and wrist." He winched slightly as Cordelia probed a tender spot.

"Serves you right." She muttered. "Going off on your own like that. You're constantly harping about Giles and the Watchers sending Buffy out alone to chase vampires and then you go and run off by yourself! If Tor and the others didn't have this connection to you, you'd have been there all by yourself, fighting for your life. Not even Buffy could handle those kinds of odds! And I wouldn't have known if you were dead or alive, being tortured maybe or worse, something coming after me wearing your face. You do not go off by yourself, do you understand me?!"

"Thanks for caring." Xander murmured, leaning his head against her stomach and feeling her fingers in his hair. "Not giving up on me?" He asked quietly, hopefully.

"You haven't done anything stupid enough to make me give up on you." She assured him. "But if you keep acting like an idiot I may revisit the idea." She grumbled. "Seriously, Xander, be smart about this."

"I just needed to vent, I guess. Vampires, demons, they keep taking things and people away from me. Vengeance, my parents, Willow will never be the same and they take from everyone and so few people ever see it. And I hate them. I hate Darla for killing Jesse, Angel for destroying Darla before I could and yeah, I know he saved Buffy when he destroyed Darla, but I wanted to destroy her. Buffy stopped me from destroying Angelus because all she could see was Angel and Angelus stole any chance I had of doing something about Tony. Anything. It's not right and it's not fair."

"No, but it's also not fair to Buffy." Cordelia reminded him. "Yes, her relationship with Angel was gross on so many levels, not the least of which is he was a walking corpse, but they did have something in common. They were both alone in their pain until they met the other and had someone to share it with. But the curse that made that possible, also made any relationship impossible. And it's not fair that the demon got to wear Angel's face and taunt Buffy with it. She's hurting too, Xander."

Xander sighed. "When Giles figures out how to get us to Pylea, I'll go find her, bring her home. But I don't know if I can forgive her, Cordy, I really don't. Both she and Giles ignored all the red flags that said Angel was a problem that was going to bite us all in the ass eventually. They knew for months about the curse and never investigated it, never even verified that his claims were true even when he oh so conveniently knew where the Pergamon Codex was and it led Buffy right into a trap and he had the gall to tell me he was too afraid to help her when I found him reading a book with his shoes off. He was so afraid he was relaxing with a good book and a wineglass of blood." Xander said, still disgusted. "And then they decided to blame Ms. Calendar for not telling them she was Kalderash and acted like the curse breaking was her fault!"

"No one's asking you to forgive, Xander, especially only a few days after your parents were murdered and Willow was attacked. But you may need to learn to live with Buffy being in the same town as you and living her life. And Willow may not blame her at all and still want to be friends, to keep Willow in your life, you may have to at least act civilized around Buffy."

Xander groaned because it was a thought that hadn't even occured to him. Lupe finished fussing over the others and the group moved toward Xander and Cordelia. "How fast do you think you guys'll heal?" She asked. "Because the cuts and abrasions are almost gone, as it is."

"Not as fast as Buffy, but a lot faster than a normal human." Xander responded. "I'm pretty sure my hands were as messed up after pounding on Angelus' face and that was just a few days ago and they were fine almost overnight. A bigger bone being broken might take a week, maybe a little more, but not much."

"Amazing." Lupe shook her head. "But I've heard stories all my life about Magic and animal spirits and demons and I believe it. I'll make you guys something to eat, Mr. Chase should be back soon with news for you, Xander."

"Yeah, thanks, Lupe."

She squeezed his shoulder as she passed him, heading for the kitchen as the others took seats in the chairs and the other couch in the Chase's living room.

"You throw a mean party, Harris." Tor grinned at him.

"I'm not allowed to throw parties." Xander mumbled. "It's one of Mr. Chase's rules for letting me stay in the pool house." Cordelia tucked her feet up on the couch and leaned against Xander's side and the six teenagers continued to talk and enjoy the snack Lupe brought them until Charles Chase returned and asked Xander to join him in office.

"Me too?" Cordelia looked at Xander, wondering if he minded her being in there with him. He grasped her hand. "You too." He decided and they followed her father into his office as Tor and the others decided it was time for them to head to their own homes.