Adult-FanFiction.org : Buffy

The Strength Behind An Enemy	By : caliadragon Category: BtVS Crossovers > Misc - Slash - Male/Male Views: 6877 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-The Strength Behind An Enemy
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9
- 10-10
- 11-11
- 1
- 2
Title: The Strength behind an
Enemy

Author: CaliaDragon

Rating: FRAO

Disclaimer: I don't own them

Summary: Xander Harris and Willow
Rosenberg had been Buffy�s hidden weapons for years. That has changed and Sylum has new members.

Type: Slash

Author�s Notes: This takes place in the
Sylum universe. In it Buffy is a human woman at war with vampires. Xander and Willow are real, something that
no one, vampires included, knows. Xander and Willow are the total opposite of
the characters on the show. Xander is a quiet, emotionally damaged teenager who
is borderline agoraphobic and only talks to Willow. For years they have worked
as Buffy�s weapon crafters and researchers never knowing she was lying to them
about the vampires� true nature.

Elliot
Stabler was turned three years earlier by Munch, but had to transfer to the New
Orleans police force and lives at the Manor. Spike is a rogue who rarely works
with anyone but the main council his sire Angel, and Riddick.

Warnings: Slash, violence, het, AU

Fandom: All the CSI�s, SVU, 24, Buffy, NCIS,
Riddick, Xena, through the Sylum universe.

Feedback: Caliadragon@gmail.com

Archive: Sylum Clan and Beyond Canon once it is finished.

Thanks to LynnDoc for the beta she made it more cohesive and
understandable.

Part: 1/?

Xander
clutched his ribs and took a slow, even breath before
turning back to the computer to continue his search for the real Rupert Giles.
There must be something on the vampire somewhere. Xander knew through Buffy
that he was real and that Angel was real, but he wasn�t sure going to Angel
would be a good idea since he had been designing weapons that had been used
against the man�s people. Then again, going to any vampire might be dangerous,
but it was worth it.

He
knew that the blood he was feeding Willow wasn�t helping her; he
didn�t know if it was because they weren�t giving her enough or if it was
because it was animal blood. Neither Willow nor Xander were willing
to take the chance of her accidentally killing a human and Xander had no way of
getting human blood, so they were stuck with the animal blood. Xander shook his
head and let his mind wander to what had brought both himself and Willow to this point.

//Flashback//

Xander
came awake in an instant, looking around him in confusion. He knew something
was wrong, what it was he was unsure. Sitting up he reached over to turn on the
light only to be tackled before he could. He felt tears against his chest where
his attacker was laying against him. Gasping, he tried to figure out what was
happening. �What?� he asked, unable to think of anything else to do. The person against him was crying, but other than the
initial attack had not tried to harm him.

�Xander, oh God Xander! I�m a vampire!� The person against him had
exclaimed it was then that he realized that it was Willow he was holding. His Willow, the only person in the
world that cared for him, was a vampire.

Xander
had groped past her and finally located the lamp, turning it on he could see
his friend clearly. What he saw enraged and frightened him. Willow had gone on a trip to
pick up supplies in San Francisco and wasn�t due back for
four days. Now though, she was dirty, pale and terrified. �What happened?� he
asked, ignoring for a moment that Willow still felt like Willow to him, not
like the evil creature that Buffy claimed all vampires were.

�I
was attacked the night after I got to San Fran. I was on my way home from a
club. I was alone, and yes I know it was stupid! The next thing I know I�m a
freaking vampire! I don�t know what to do. I�m afraid to tell Buffy. I don�t
feel evil. I don�t want to kill anyone but the asshole who turned me and your
parents, but that�s nothing new. What are we going to do?� Willow babbled out nervously.

�We�re
going to find another vampire and get you help.� Xander said, already beginning
to plan a way to protect his Willow and keep Buffy from
killing her. It also confirmed what they were both beginning to fear for a
while: Buffy had lied to them.

Xander
had begun to fear that Willow and he were being lied to
not long after Buffy came out with the show. Everything about them on it was
practically a lie. Even though the people they had gotten to play them on the
show looked like them, Xander was still disappointed in how Buffy had had them
portrayed. That and the fact that Willow and Xander had been best
friends since Willow had hidden Xander from
his own parents when they were six. Since that day the pair had been
inseparable. Willow had met Buffy through the
other woman�s younger sister. When Dawn was killed, Buffy convinced them that
vampires were real and that they had killed her family.

It
was then that Xander and Willow, still only thirteen at
the time, began to do what they could to help Buffy fight vampires. Not long
before his fifteenth birthday, Xander had begun to create weapons for the older
girl and experiment in more long-distance range weapons that Buffy could use.
Buffy had told Willow that there were benefits
to having a pair of kiddie geniuses helping her and with the show no one
believed that they were real so they were safe from vampires.

Now
though, with Willow being turned, there was no way that he could believe that
Buffy was telling the truth, which meant that Xander was responsible for
helping Buffy commit murder on innocent creatures that had done nothing to
deserve it. This made Xander want to throw up, but Willow needed him to be strong,
so he would be.

//End of Flashback//

Everything
had been going fine, until Buffy had come looking for more weapons and found
the blood packs in the lab�s refrigerator the night before. Willow was off getting pieces
that Xander needed for a weapon he was forging to give to the first vampire
they found that would help Willow. It was one of the few
things that Buffy had told them that they believed.

When
confronted about the blood, Xander became nervous, and Buffy began to hound him
until she forced the truth out of him. She then proceeded to try and beat Willow�s location out of him.
When he lied and told her where Willow was supposed to be, she
left him there wounded and barely conscious. It was how Willow found him when she
returned.

Neither
wasted any time. They packed the bare essentials and a few of Xander�s more
unique weapons � ones they had never showed Buffy � and locked Buffy out of the
lab. Only someone with the proper codes could get into it now. They had then
fled to the nearest town and a hotel, paying with cash and waiting to see if
they could find the vampire that was Willow�s best chance at
survival. Xander sighed and stood; he wanted to check on Willow, who was resting in the
bedroom of their suite. He was tired and his stomach hurt, but after he checked
on her he would go back to searching.

As
he started into their room, he sensed something wrong. Xander spun around,
swaying dizzily, and focused his eyes on the three men standing in front of
him. Alarm filled him and he backed away, lunging for the bag just inside the
door. He yanked out one of the cross-blades and pointed it at the intruders,
and at the same time he kicked the doorjamb, alerting Willow to trouble.

Willow was instantly at his side
and gasped as she saw the three men, though she recognized the smaller blond
man. �What do you want?� Willow asked worriedly.

�To
help you and your Chosen luv,� the blond said honestly.

Xander
looked at them, and then slowly lowered the weapon looking down at Willow. �Yes, he knows me. He
killed the vampire that Turned me.� Willow told him.

Xander
leaned down and pulled out another weapon. He casually threw it to the blonde,
who caught it with a raised brow. �What�s this for luv?�

�Are
you Spike? And that�s for killing the bastard that Turned
me.� Willow told him calmly.

�Yes,
he�s Spike. Who are you? You don�t seem freaked about vampires, your own
situation not withstanding.� Jack said calmly.

�We
are the real Xander Harris and Willow
Rosenberg and we�ve been helping Buffy fight you so-called evil beings.� Willow said bitterly.

�Holy shit! You�re real?� Riddick said speaking for the
first time.

�Holy shit! Spike�s real?� Willow said sarcastically,
making the three men smirk.

�What�s
the kid�s deal? Why hasn�t he spoken yet?� Riddick asked.

�Xander
doesn�t talk to anyone but me, and then only if he knows no one is around.
Except for that bitch Buffy. She forced him to tell her that I had been Turned and then where I was supposed to be. We ran after I
came back and found him.� Willow said with bitter rage.
Xander crooned to her, placing a gentle hand on her arm. She looked up at him
and smiled softly. The love and devotion between the pair was obvious.

�Why
would Buffy hurt him?� Jack asked.

�She
hates vampires, she really hates
vampires. She lied to me for years and I was stupid enough to believe her and
to get Xander to help me help her.� Willow said angrily.

�What
have you been feeding on, you seem really weak.� Jack said.

�Pig�s
blood,� Willow said with a grimace. �We were afraid for
me to even try feeding on a human.�

�Animal
blood is really bad for you. You need human, soon as possible. We can help you
with your feeding, walk you through it and make sure you�re safe.� Riddick
growled out.

Xander
immediately bared his throat. �No Xander!� Willow cried. Xander looked at
her hard, then at the three vampires. Willow�s shoulders slumped.

�Turned
with your own Chosen already in the wings,�
Spike said with a chuckle. He walked over and started to touch Xander, Willow stepped in front of him.
�I wasn�t going to hurt him,� Spike said with a growl.

�I
didn�t think you were, but Xander would panic if you tried to touch him.� Willow said soothingly.

�Because I�m a vamp?� Spike asked.

�No
because you are a person. Xander doesn�t like anyone but me to touch him.� Willow said softly, looking over
and Xander, who was looking at his feet.

�In
that case, I�ll tell you what to do and when to stop,� Spike said coming closer
to them, but not touching the boy. They both looked at him gratefully.

The
next few minutes were spent feeding Willow. When she pulled away,
Xander fainted. Willow panicked. Riddick pushed
his way past them and scowled. �He was too ill to give blood. We need to get
them to the Manor. I�ll call Nick and let him know we�re on the way. Jack, call
the airport.� Riddick ordered.

As
Riddick began to call, Willow and Spike settled Xander
onto the bed. Once she was sure he was safe she began to gather up their
possessions. She then turned to look at Spike. �How did you find us?�

�Jack
started tracking you after you and the boy started hacking into databases
looking for Giles. I was following you after you ran away and Riddick had been
hunting the rogue that I killed, we decided to find you together. We all have
connections everywhere and I was able to track you using them. Though I didn�t
know about you really being who you are, just thought it was a coincidence.�
Spike told her honestly.

Meanwhile�

Nick
looked away from Warrick and answered his phone. �Riddick?�

�We
found the new vampire. She and her Chosen are ill; we�re bringing
them with us. They were the ones looking for Giles.� Riddick said shortly.

�Why
were they looking for Giles, did the rogue tell them about him?� Nick asked
coolly.

�No.
You�re not going to believe this, but they are the real Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris and they are nothing like
the show. Rosenberg is the one that was Turned.� Riddick told him with manic delight.

�What?!� Nick asked stunned. �Did you just say that
Willow Rosenberg is real and has been Turned and that
Xander Harris is her Chosen?� Everyone in the room turned to look at Nick, a
stunned look on their faces.

�Yes,
and Buffy beat the shit out of the boy.� Riddick answered amused by Nick�s
reaction. �We�re on our way to you. See ya in a few.� Riddick said before
hanging up the phone.

�You
enjoyed that didn�t you?� Jack asked amused.

�Of
course,� Riddick answered just as amused.

Riddick
moved over to where Willow was finishing gathering up their belongings. She had
reached for the cross-blades and stopped as Riddick picked it up. It was
fashioned in the same manner as a crossbow, but instead of shooting arrows, it
shot elongated blades. Riddick had seen a weapon similar to it the last time
the Clan had run across Buffy. She had used it to kill several vampires at once
before fleeing.

�Where
did you get this?� Riddick asked as he lifted it.

�It�s
Xander�s newest model, he�s just finished it. Buffy had the prototype. I�m
think it will probably be the last weapon Xander ever makes.� Willow told him
honestly. Riddick looked at her. The boy
had been making Buffy�s weapons.

�Why?�
Spike asked; he really wanted one of those cross-blades.

�Xander
and I didn�t know that Buffy was lying to us. When he realized that she had
lied and that we had been helping her commit murder it really hit him hard.
Xander thought he was saving people, not hurting innocents.� Willow said sadly,
looking back over to her gentle friend.

�You
really are nothing like the show,� Jack said, thinking of the show they watched
just to make fun of Giles.

�Not
even. Xander would freak if anyone tried to touch him and the thought of him
and a girl is giggle worthy. Me, I love both sexes, so that was at least right,
the blond was a hottie, but then so was the werewolf.� Willow said with a
wicked grin. All three men snickered; they liked her.

�Okay,
we ready to go?� Spike asked as he looked around the room, still trying to
think of a way to get the weapon. Willow smirked, noticing the looks at it.

�As
soon as you�re done lusting after the cross-blade,� Willow said slyly. They all
gaped at her and Riddick snickered. Spike rolled his eyes and walked back over
to get the boy, with Riddick trailing after to help.

~~~~~

�Nick?
What was that about Willow and Xander?� Greg asked wide-eyed.

�They�re
real, Willow�s been Turned, Xander is her Chosen, they�re ill and on their way
here and they were the ones looking for Giles. Xander is hurt, Buffy beat the
shit out of him. They are nothing like the show and Riddick is highly amused.�
Nick said before grinning.

�He
would be,� Speed said with a smirk of his own. �This is going to be amusing.�

~~~~~

Xander
was conscious by the time the reached the airport and with Willow's help was able to get on
the plane. As soon as they were aboard Jack brought her a glass of blood
and told her to drink. She looked at Xander who nodded, and she downed
it. When she had finished she looked at him again. He smiled at her
and opened his arms. She went to him sighing in pleasure as he held her
close. "You need to strap in, we're taking off." Spike
said as he watched the pair.

Willow nodded and the pair followed
his order. Once they were in the air, Willow was out of her seat belt
and back in Xander's arms. As she snuggled down he looked at each of
them intently. His eyes strayed to Riddick the most, but he said nothing.

"So
where are we going?" Willow asked calmly. She
was really sleepy and really worried about Xander. His fainting had
scared her more than she wanted to admit. It brought back to many bad
memories of finding hiding in their lab before they were finally able to get emancipated.
Her parents were never abusive, but they hadn't known what to do with a
genius and were happy to allow her independence. Xander's lawyer was able
to prove that he was abused and that his parents were using the money he was
making from his inventions to provide only for themselves and their drug habit.
If it hadn't been for the fact that he made money for them Willow was
certain they would have starved Xander to death. She still had to be
careful to make sure he ate at least one meal a day and for him to take the
vitamins that she provided.

"We're
going to the manor, the central location for the clan. It is in New Orleans." Jack answered her.

Xander
shifted and Willow looked up at him.
She blushed, "I forgot." She turned and looked back at the three men.
"What are your names? I mean we know Spike's but who are you
two?"

"I'm
Jack Bauer." Jack told her, wondering how she knew what the boy wanted.

"Riddick," Riddick answer shortly eyeing the pair
curiously.

Willow looked up at Xander, and
then nodded. "Xander wants to know if the three of you are cops?"

"Yes,
among other things." Spike answered with a smile.

"Okay,"
Willow said easily. She
then burrowed her face into Xander chest. He stroked her hair gently
smiling when she purred slightly and closed her eyes.

"How
old are the two of you?' Jack asked.

"Nineteen,"
Willow answered drowsily.

"Nineteen?"
Riddick growled, swearing once again to kill Buffy some day.

"Yeah,"
Willow answered.

"How
long have you been helping Buffy?" Jack asked, stunned by their age.
He knew they were young, but not that young.

"Since
we were thirteen, Xander started making her weapons when we were fifteen and
that's when I began to create the dampeners that Buffy was using for awhile.
We had devised a way just recently to combine the cross-blades and a
dampener that would make it possible to hide her location and fight
vampires. Xander was going to give it to her after I returned from San
Fran with the parts we needed. I got turned first though." Willow told them.

Riddick
gapped and he wasn't the only one. They had been designing the weapons
that had kept Buffy alive and made her more dangerous for the last four
years. The cross-blades had been interesting, and the dampener explained
the last battle with Sanctuary and Sylum at the last gathering. She had
managed to injure several vamps and killed two before running away. Even
Riddick couldn't find her and now they knew why.

"That
explains her last escape." Spike said furiously. Both Willow and Xander tensed and
looked at them warily. "Relax kids, we ain't blaming you.
Obviously you didn't know the truth and we don't blame children for the actions
of adults."

A
look of pain crossed over Xander's face and he looked away. Willow reached up and turned his
face towards hers. She kissed his cheek and lay her head back
down. That was the last words that were spoken between the group.

___________________________________

By
the time they reached Sylum Willow and Xander were noticeably exhausted and
Xander smelled of pain and anxiety. Willow was nervous and the pair
had yet to move very far away from each 0ther. Jimmy and Noah had been
the ones to pick them up at the airport and they were surprised by the
pair. The resembled the kids from the show, but the boy had green eyes
and the girl was more out going of the pair. Xander only looked at them
intently, and then nodded in greeting. It had unnerved both of the older
men.

When
they reached Sylum they were greeted by more people than usual. Riddick
noticed that Vachon and Angel were among those present. As well as Will
and Jack. Xander and Willow had frozen at the sight
of so many people, but most especially at the sight of Rupert and Angel.
The pair looked at one another, and then looked at Angel.

"Are
you going to kill us?" Willow asked bluntly. This
startled everyone and they gapped.

"No,"
Nick said in a hard voice. "No one here will hurt you."

Willow suddenly grinned
impishly, "Not even if we ask nicely?' Xander
looked at the ceiling; they could all smell amusement coming from him.
The men with them grinned at the startled looks that the pair received.

Xander
ran a hand trough Willow's hair and she looked up
at him. "I don't know. Wait yeah it's in the case. No,
I'm sure; I think it would be good. Yeah, okay I'll ask." Willow turned to look back at
them.

"Xander
wants to give you a gift Angel when he gives the others theirs. He also
wants to know if he can lie down, he's not feeling well. Oh and can we
have a room together or near one another?" Willow asked.

"You
got all of that from a look?" Angel asked calmly.

"Yeppers,
umm�we're really sorry that we helped Bitch hurt you and your friends over the
years and if it helps she can't get access to the lab, so she can't get any
more weapons or power supplies for the few that she still has." Willow said suddenly.

Xander
closed his eyes again and looked down. Sorrow hung in the air from the
boy and Willow cuddled closer to him. When he
looked at them they could see the remorse in his eyes. "She lied to
them," Jack said and looked over at Nick. "She's been using
them since they were thirteen to fight us and having them make weapons for her
since they were fifteen."

Angel
growled and he wasn't the only one to become angered by those words.
Buffy had always been ruthless and using children shouldn't have surprised them
since she had targeted human chosen before to hurt various vampires that she
had hunted. Xander pushed Willow gently behind him and
looked at them warily.

Nick
shared a look with Warrick and looked around at the clan; they all had the same
look of disgust and anger on their faces. Only cowards used children for
their own gain. "Riddick said you were ill." Janet said
drawing attention to her. She and Alexx were standing side by side on
the stairwell.

Willow answered for Xander,
"Buffy beat him pretty badly and he fainted after he gave me blood.
Which he shouldn't have done."

Xander
cupped her cheek and turned her to look at him. A look
of resolve on his face. "I know that you would die for me,
but I don't want you to. I love you too, ya big softy." Willow told him affectionately
as he kissed her forehead.

"Why
don't we get the two of you upstairs and we'll examine Xander." Janet
said. Xander looked panicked for a moment.

"It's
okay Xander; I'll be with you the whole time." Willow assured him. He
nodded reluctantly and looked at his feet. Janet motioned for the
pair to follow them and the elders watched as they walked away.

"Have
they been talking like that from the moment you met them or was
that just for us?" Rupert asked.

"From the beginning. Willow said that Xander doesn't
talk to anyone but her and he doesn't like anyone but her to touch him
either. It's weird, but it seems to work for them." Spike said with
a shrug.

"What
weapons were they talking about?" Angel asked.

Spike
grinned and pulled out the small cross-blade that Xander had given him.
"I want one of those!" Lara called as she and several hunters came to
see the weapon.

Riddick
picked up the case with the cross-blade. "Wait til you see what's in
here." He said with a smirk as he led them into the main parlor. He
placed the case on the nearest table and opened it calmly pulling out the
cross-blade. Several people actually oohed.

"Wait!
That's the thing Buffy used against us," Will said
as he took the weapon and examined it. It was a work of art and Will had
wanted to study one from the moment he saw Buffy's weapon. This was only
the second time that Sanctuary had gotten together with Sylum, but the leaders
started coming along with Yelina and Ray when they brought the kids in to see
their family.

"The
boy made it and all of the weapons in here. I think these are going to
be what he gives as gifts. Willow also told us how Bitch managed
to get past us." Spike said with a grin at Riddick, who flipped him
off. Riddick was still smarting over the fact that she had eluded him.

"How?" Rupert demanded.

"Dampeners,
they created them to be used against vampires. They block our
senses. This cross-blade has a dampener included in it."
Riddick said with a grin.

"They
created that?" Vachon asked, a contemplative look
on his face.

"You
can't have them," Rupert growled, surprising everyone.

"Why
is that?" Lara asked after she came out of her shock.

"Willow is my mate."
Rupert answered with a sigh.

Spike
and Jack nearly fell to the floor roaring with laughter. Riddick
chuckled. "Rupert ended up with Greg and Abby in one girl." He
said with another laugh. Slowly, but surely the laughter trickled
through the room. Nick and Warrick were snickering, while Tony and Speed
were collapsed on the sofa laughing.

Elliot
however, was the only one not laughing his attention was on the stairs.
Munch and his mate both noticed his preoccupation. "Elliot?"
Munch called.

When
Elliot turned to face them there was a troubled look on his face.
"What is it?"

"The boy. There was something about him. Something familiar." Elliot answered confused by the
way that the boy had drawn his attention.

________________________________

An
hour later both Janet and Alexx came back down the stairs the rage the two were
putting off made everyone look at them warily. "Speedy, I
don't care about politics or anything else that baby is coming home with us
when we go back to Miami." Alexx
snarled.

Speed
and the others looked at them in confusion and shock. "Um Alexx the
girl is Giles' mate." Horatio told her.

"I
wasn't talking about Willow; I was talking about my
poor boy. Oh Speedy, Buffy hurt him badly, but the scars." Alexx
said anguished. Peter stood and went to his wife.

"I
want his parents and Buffy dead." Janet said in a cold ruthless voice.

"Janet?"
Nick asked worried.

"That
child has scars from being tortured. It took us an hour to examine him
because he was terrified of us! Willow said he is nervous of
men, but he is scared of women. His mother gave him most of he
scars. She asked if there was a portable alarm anywhere that they could
use because they forgot Xander's. When we asked what she needed it for
she told us it was to remind Xander that he was allowed to eat!" Janet
shouted the last word.

"Allowed?"
Warrick asked coldly.

"Yes,
Xander had alarm when he was growing up. It went off at exactly the same
time everyday to tell him that he was allowed to get food. Willow couldn't or wouldn't tell
us anymore than that. God, how can anyone do that to their child?"
Alexx asked in a pained voice.

"Alexx
was finally able to get through to him and Xander seemed to become more at ease
with her. Willow didn't have to calm him
before she could touch him and he actually smiled at her." Janet said also
upset by what they had learned.

"He
blames himself for what Buffy did. Willow said that he doesn't want
to make anymore weapons." Jack said quietly.

Alexx
sighed, "After the pain medication took affect Willow told me that he doesn't
hate his parents, she does it for him. She said that he is the gentlest
person she ever met and when he learned that Buffy had lied to them and was
killing innocents with his weapons that it made him sick. He tried to hide it
for her sake, but she knew."

"Wait,
did you say that Willow was Giles' mate?"
Janet asked suddenly.

"Yes,"
Speed said with a grin.

Janet
and Alexx looked at one another and howled with laughter. "Honey,
you're in for it with that one." Alexx said with a snicker. Giles
groaned, then turned to look at the door way. A few seconds later Willow came into the room, a
smile on her face.

"Hi
I was wondering if I could borrow a book from someone. Xander woke up
and I thought I would read to him until he fell asleep again."

"What
does he like?" Speed asked.

"Anything,
though lately it has been thrillers," she said with a bright smile.

"Come
with me and we'll get him a book." Speed said with a smile in return.

"Aye, aye captain." Willow said with a sassy salute
and a laugh. Grins broke out around the room.

Giles
stood, "I'll go with you, I have work to
finish."

Willow turned to look at him and
purred, "Hello yummy." Giles sputtered. Riddick
snickered and the others fought laughter. This was definitely
going to be fun.

~~~~~

Xander
wandered the halls, looking around him with avid curiosity. He and Willow had
been in the Manor for four days now. At the moment, Willow was off tormenting Giles,
who Xander was certain was Willow�s mate. He had heard the
others talking about vampires and their mates and how destiny and fate played a
role in it, Xander believed it. He had had very little interaction with the
Clan; he had been bed-bound until today and only saw Willow and a few other
members of the Clan, mainly Janet and Alexx, whom he had quickly come to care
for.

Both
women were different from any female he had ever met. They felt good and kind,
not a feeling he was used to associating with women, except for Willow. The few
men he had come in contact with were different than those he was used to as
well. Of course he didn�t really have a wide range of experience with people,
especially in the last three years. Willow and their advisors had been the ones
to handle dealing with other people, while Xander had been allowed to hide in
the lab and ignore the world.

Now
that had changed. Xander knew that he would no longer be able to hide. Willow
was a vampire and soon she would be mated and Xander would have to begin a life
without her. He was scared to death, but knew he had no choice. Xander always
knew the day would come when he and Willow would be separated, and then he
would be truly alone. Xander didn�t begrudge her a life or her mate. In fact, he
was excited for her; he wanted her to be happy and loved the way that she
deserved. He had no intention of holding her back.

As
he reached the main foyer, he could hear voices and thought about turning
around and going back to his room, but he knew that he needed to present the
gifts to the clan leaders and to the other two men that had rescued him and
Willow. It was only right that they be given a token to show some of the
appreciation that Xander felt for what they had done. He also wanted to give Janet
a weapon and Alexx some of the jewelry he had crafted over the years.

Jethro
looked up along with Horatio as Xander walked down the stairs. The boy paused
and gave them a long intense stare � both men felt as though the boy were
looking into their souls. Xander blinked and nodded to them, though he did not
speak.

�Hello
Xander. Willow is in the salon with Giles and the others,� Horatio told him
gently. Xander smiled at him in thanks and with a nod headed to the room that
held his friend. Horatio and Jethro followed quietly.

Willow
looked up as Xander and the other two men came into the room. She bounced to
her feet and held out her arms. Xander smiled and walked over to her, giving
her a gentle hug. When they drew apart he turned his attention to Rupert who
was sitting nearby. He then looked back down at Willow and brushed a hand down
her check. �Yes, it�s true.� She said softly. �I won�t be leaving you alone, I
won�t! I don�t care, please.� She said in a pained voice.

Xander
put his forehead against hers. �Where will you go?� he straightened away.
Willow growled. �NO! You won�t go back there. Buffy will try to hurt you again.
Yes, she will! Xander you are
important. Yes you are! Stay here.� She whispered painfully as he brushed a
kiss against her forehead.

�What�s
going on?� Nick asked confused by the conversation. The others were worried as
well.

�Xander
knows that Rupert is my mate. He�s decided that he has to let me move on with
my life and that he has to go back to Sunnydale alone, because he isn�t
important enough to worry about.� Willow said tearfully. They all looked at him
in silence.

�Your
place is with the Clan. If you want to give Willow space, you can come and be
with one of us. Alexx has already decided that you had to come back to Miami
with us,� Speed told the boy, who looked up at him in surprise, a shy smile
crossing his face.

Willow
giggled when Xander looked back at her. �Xander likes Alexx; he says she feels
good and kind.�

�Are
you an empath or a psychic?� Abby asked from where she had been sitting quietly
by her vampire. Xander turned to look at her and again he gave an intense stare
before relaxing. He just shrugged at her question and looked down at Willow.

�Xander
I told you, not all women are like your Mom and Buffy.� Willow said with a
sigh. Xander shrugged again.

�What
was that?� Lara asked as she looked between the pair.

�Xander
said he didn�t realize that there were other females besides me that were kind,
but then his mother is a rabid she-bitch that must die and Buffy is too,�
Willow said angrily. Xander petted her hair gently. �Well they are,� Willow
said with a pout. Xander merely shook his head. �Now?
Okay, I�ll ask them to get the others and Janet and Alexx. Who else? Riddick and Jack? Okay.� Willow turned to look back at
group.

�Xander
would like to give some gifts to the Council and to Alexx and Janet, and to
Jack, Riddick, and Angel if they are still here.� Willow told them with a
smile.

She
knew that Xander wouldn�t be going back to the lab. �We need to figure out who
we need to call to move the lab and your stuff. Then someone to pack up my
apartment.� Willow told him as the others were gathering the people that Xander
had requested.

�Yeah,
I know. It will have to be someone that can be trusted and someone who can
handle delicate equipment. I�m not sure you should go back there, even if it is
just to help. Okay, but only if you promise not to go alone. I don�t know, I
think Speed and Greg wanted to get a look at the lab and I think Riddick would
love your prototype for the zapper.� Xander had a thoughtful look on his face.
Then he looked at her in question. �Really? Wow! I
thought you had given up on it. I finished the stream, it�s in the red cabinet
� you could add it while you�re there, but where would we test it? I mean I
don�t want to make any more bombs. We could get into trouble for that. We were
lucky we only blew up those three buildings last time.�

Horatio
choked. �Excuse me? Did you say you built
a bomb?�

Willow
turned to look at him, her eyes wide and innocent. �Only a
little one.� Riddick snorted in laughter. �Xander�s very good at making
things, even things that go boom. See, we built a prototype,
only it had a few kinky bugs in it and didn�t work the way it was supposed to.
We only lost a couple of sheds and a garage, no biggie. Xander�s fixed it so
that it will work now, and I�ve finished building the software. He wants to put
it together and see if it will work.�

�What
is it?� Riddick asked, wondering if he could get his hands on it.

�It�s
a bomb finder; if a bomb is set to a timer you push a button and it makes the
timer stop ticking, and not actually reach the countdown part. Or if there is
C4 being used, it melts the connectors to the C4. It�s remote access, so you
don�t even have to get close to a bomb. Also if it�s possible, you can pick up
the bomb, put it in a containment field and blast it without a human having to
get anywhere near the boom-boom.� Willow said with an eager grin. �We wanted to
get the kinks out of it before we put it on the mass market. That and we wanted
to use it in a few real world situations before we market it. So that means
bombs, but I really don�t want Xander to make one again. I mean it was fun when
we were fourteen, but not anymore.�

Horatio
whimpered. �Fourteen?� he rasped.

�Yeppers.� Willow said with a smile.

Jethro
looked over at the other man and they shook their heads in unison. �There is no
way you are not coming with either me or Horatio. Making bombs at fourteen?�
Xander nodded and shrugged.

Eric,
who had come in with Riddick, grinned. �Hey H, maybe we can get him to let us
handle one of those so that you don�t have to go into any more wired
buildings.�

�I�m
for that,� Speed said with a look at his mate.

Xander
looked intrigued. �What do you mean?� Willow asked for him.

�Horatio
used to be on the bomb squad before he joined CSI. He still tries to do
that job too,� Speed answered. Xander straightened up and looked Horatio
intently.

�Would
you be willing to look at our prototype, maybe even see if the department would
like to use it?� Willow asked for Xander.

�Yes,
but how much would it cost?� Horatio asked, thinking of how much he would like
to see the machine.

�Nothing. We don�t charge for the prototypes and their
use. Until it�s ready for mass market and we�re sure the kinks have been worked
out, we don�t make people pay for it. Also once it�s ready, the people who have
helped us test it get the product free and only have to pay a nominal fee for
upkeep.� Willow answered.

�Is
that wise, financially speaking?� Rupert asked.

�Probably
not, but we owe loyalty to the people helping us with our inventions and people
come before money,� Willow said with a shrug. �It drives our lawyer and
financial advisors insane, but Xander and I won�t deal with people who don�t
realize that helping people is more important than charging them. Xander and I
have enough money, even before our investments, that we won�t ever be able to
spend it all. Some of our stuff we just volunteer to the more cash-strapped
departments, even though we charge Uncle Sam out the wazoo for some of the
stuff we make. Charlie, our lawyer, makes us.�

Horatio
smiled; he liked that kind of attitude. �What�s the name of your company?�

�Willox-Harsberg
Inc.� Willow answered with a grin.

�Holy crap! You�re the ones that came up with the new mass
spectrometer!� Abby squealed. �I love
you!�

Xander
blushed and Willow giggled. �We love all of those Discovery Channel shows about
CSIs and Xander started looking into some of the equipment and decided to
update that one.�

�Way
to go baby, the lab was positively giddy when the new one arrived.� Alexx said
as she came to sit beside Willow and Xander. He smiled at her shyly.

�Okay
everybody�s here Xander and Riddick brought our cases. So let�s get this show
on the road.� Willow said with a bounce. Xander nodded and stood, walking to
the cases that Riddick had laid out. He opened each of them and then turned to
study the people in the room. Lara was the first one he gave a weapon to. It
was a cane. Xander pressed several different buttons and a blade shot out of
one end, a hook came out of the opposite side of the handle and it bent in half
for easy concealment.

�Xander
loved Daredevil as a kid,� Willow told her with a smile.

�Thank
you, I love it.� Lara told him warmly. Xander blushed and looked at his feet.

He
quickly turned and drew out the next weapon. It was carefully handed to Nick.
Unlike the others, this was a sword. It was heavy with intricate carvings and
it held symbols of the Roman gods. Nick�s eyes widened as he took in the sword.
�It�s beautiful. Thank you.�

Xander
gave him a shy smile, and then turned back to the case. The next thing that
came out was a velvet box. He walked to Alexx and handed it to her shyly, not
sure of what her reaction would be. Alexx gasped as she opened the box and
stared at the necklace inside. She placed the box on her lap and pulled out the
delicately crafted necklace. It was silver with Celtic symbols etched into it.
In the center was the image of a woman. �She represents the mother goddess.�
Willow said in a soft, awed voice. Xander had made it, and then quickly packed
it away. She had only seen it once, and that was just after it was finished.

�Thank
you baby, it�s beautiful.� Alexx told him in a choked voice. Xander surprised
all of them by gently kissing her on the cheek.

Willow
looked at her with shining eyes. �Thank you.� The room was silent as they
realized just what a breakthrough had been made. Alexx merely smiled back at
her, also awed by the trust that she had just been given.

Indy
was given a weapon similar to Lara�s except it could also be used as a whip.
This brought laughter from those that knew the older man. He merely grinned and
thanked Xander.

Warrick
was given a sword with a ship and compass etched into it. Warrick had grinned
at that and thanked the boy. Each weapon given touched on the personality of
the person being given the gift. Speed�s sword had scrolls etched into it.
Horatio was given a sword of Celtic design, with markings of a protector etched
into it.

Tony
was given a cross-blade with a cross etched into it and a blessing in Italian
scrolled across its surface. Jethro was given a cross-blade also, but his held
the symbols of honor, courage, and bravery etched into it. Gabriel received a
cross-blade that was similar in appearance, but had the symbol of the Church
etched into it.

Rupert
received a sword with books and the Celtic symbol of the bard etched into it.
Jack received a cross-blade that bore the symbols of the protector of man
etched into it. Angel received cross-blade with the words for father etched
into it in Gaelic.

Janet
was given a sword as well. It was smaller than the others, with a delicately
carved hilt and the symbol of a healer etched into it. She also received a kiss
and a shy smile. When it came time to give Riddick his gift, Xander stood still
for a long time, before reaching into the second case. They all gasped when
they saw the weapon he pulled out. It was the newest cross-blade. He turned to
Riddick and smiled sadly.

�That
is the last weapon that Xander will ever make. It is yours,� Willow said
softly.

Riddick
looked down at the weapon and then looked at Xander. �Why stop making weapons?�

�I
only give them to you because I know they won�t be used for evil, like
everything else I have ever made has been,� Willow said for him.

�You
do realize it is not the weapon, but the one who uses it. You said it yourself.
What Buffy did wasn�t your fault; she�s the one who is evil. Will makes swords,
and if someone uses one to kill an innocent, that doesn�t make it his fault and
that has
happened. He has kept on making his swords, so should you.�
Riddick told him calmly. Everyone looked at the pair; there was something going
on between them. Eric watched it, but he didn�t feel threatened by it. He liked
Xander, even though he didn�t know him well.

Xander
cocked his head to the side and handed the weapon to Riddick. �Here, it�s
yours. If you want anything else, just let me know and you can have it.�
Xander�s voice was low and smooth, very pleasing to the ear; they all gaped at
him in shock. Willow bounced gleefully and smiled as he came to sit beside her.

Everyone
looked at one another then at Giles, who stood and walked over to the computer
on the sidebar. �Who won the bet?� Speed asked.

�Damnit! How does he do
that?� Giles growled.

�Warrick
won,� the others said in unison. Warrick merely smirked.

Willow
and Xander shared a look. �You bet on who Xander would talk to first?� Willow
asked.

�Yeah,
we bet on pretty much everything. Warrick always wins.� Tony said with a smirk.
Xander laughed and shook his head. Willow grinned. She had definitely not
expected Xander to talk to anyone and certainly not expected him to voluntarily
touch anyone, especially a woman. These were a special group of people and
maybe they could help Xander heal.

�So
when do you want to go to the lab?� Speed asked. He really wanted to see the
layout and then they could start looking for similar place for Xander to work
in Miami.

�Anytime
you want to go,� Xander said shyly, also looking around warily. He was still
uncertain that he wouldn�t get hit for talking.

�How about now? Do you suppose Will could go with you as well?
He would like to study your design for the cross-blades.� Angel said.

Willow
and Xander shared a look, and then nodded. �Sure, he can have a copy of the
specs if he likes. The weapons designed for Buffy were never meant for anyone
but her and us to see. We�d be happy to share.� Willow said.

Jethro
sat forward. �I�d like to take a look at the dampeners that we were told about.
Do you think they would work beyond vampires?�

Xander
nodded. �They�re designed to turn the senses against the person they are being
used against. It�s kind of like a sense invisible ray. If the person can avoid
detection visually, then they can go where they will without being captured.
The dampener can even mask body heat signatures.�

Jethro�s
eyes widened and he and Jack shared a look. �Have you offered this to the
military?�

�No,
should I?� Xander asked, looking at the people in the room.

�I
deal in anti-terrorism; this could be used to extract POWs and hostages.� Jack
said carefully. He was also thinking it could be used to take out terrorist
cells.

Xander
looked over at Willow. �It could also be used in war.� Xander pointed out.

�Yes
it could be,� Jethro conceded.

�Would
there be a way to insure that no foreign powers would get their hands on the
designs?� Xander asked.

�What
do you mean?� Nick asked.

�I
don�t mind my government having the information or using the dampeners to
protect people, but I don�t want to take the chance that someone intent on
killing innocent people can get their hands on this.� Xander said calmly.

Nick
smiled. �If there was a way to insure that, would you sell the information to
the government?�

�Yes,
and if you want, I�ll give someone you approve the specs to make them for the
Clan.� Xander told him.

�You
will?� Warrick asked, pleased.

�Willow
is part of the Clan. You took us in and because of that I met Alexx and Janet.
It is my duty and pleasure to do what I can to protect you and them anyway I
can.� Xander said with a shrug.

Nick
shook his head in bemusement. Usually Chosen were found after they were rescued
by the Clan. While Xander and Willow had been rescued by them, Xander had
already made himself a Chosen for Willow. They were merely benefiting from
that.

Xander
then turned to look at Giles and he smiled shyly. �She�ll make you happy,
please be good to her.�

Rupert
cleared his throat and nodded. �I will. I have waited centuries for her. I have
no intention of letting her come to harm.�

Xander
smiled again and looked down at Willow, he kissed her cheek. �We should get
ready to go.�

Willow
nodded and looked at the others. �We can contact a moving company and Charlie
to get my stuff moved to here or wherever, but we�ll need someone qualified and
trustworthy to move Xander and the lab. Do you happen to know anyone?�

Abby
frowned slightly. �Why someone special to move Xander?
I mean, why not hire movers for his apartment too?�

�I
live in the lab,� Xander told her with a shrug, looking down again. Willow had
a sad look on her face and stroked a hand down his arm. He smiled at her and
she nodded as he stood and left the room.

�I�m
sorry,� Abby said regretfully.

�It�s
okay, he was just going to put his shoes on and change.� Willow reassured her.

�Why
does he live in the lab?� Eric asked softly.

�It�s
a secured facility; his parents can�t get to him in there and trust me there
have been times that they have tried, especially after he was emancipated. To
be honest, until Buffy tried to kill me, Xander hadn�t left the grounds or the
lab in three years. Xander�s mom is really psychotic and the only reason she
didn�t end up in prison is because Xander refused to press charges or talk to
the police about what she had done to him. Sometimes I think he�s still
convinced that he did something to deserve what they did to him.� Willow said,
her eyes dark with pain.

�Three
years � he lived there for three years
without leaving?� Janet asked, stunned.

�Yeah,
I can count on one hand the number of times that he has been in the company of
anyone but me and still have fingers left over. The only other people he has
dealt with were Buffy and our lawyer and our financial advisor. Of course, he
was only around Buffy a few times � he was never comfortable with her. I was
shocked when he kissed both Alexx and Janet. Not to mention talking to Riddick
and then the rest of you. I want to thank you for that. I don�t know how, but
you�re all getting through to him in ways no one else ever has. We�ve known
Charlie and Kendra for seven years and not once has he ever spoken to either of
them.� Willow�s voice was awed, and her eyes shone with unshed tears. Alexx
placed a gentle hand on her arm and she smiled at her.

When
she turned back to look at Riddick, her gaze sharpened. �You call to him. I can
see it, I don�t know why, and to be honest I don�t care, but I am asking you to
go back to Sunnydale with him. Please?�

Riddick
nodded. �What�s this Zapper thing?�

That
made Willow grin widely. �It disrupts the electrical flow of any machine and
wipes the memory. It can also disable a car. One other thing it can do on its
very lowest setting, is act like a taser on a human,
the only thing is it doesn�t cause the pain a taser
causes. Xander never trusted Buffy enough with it to tell her it existed so it�s
never been tried.�

�I
want one.� Blade, who had been standing at the side of the room, Lara, Indy,
Angel, and Riddick said in unison.

Willow
giggled. �That�s up to Xander, but I�m pretty sure if Riddick asked for it he�d
give it to him.� Riddick smirked at the glares he received over that.

�I
want to see the lab too. I�m going to get Gil and Greg.� Abby said with a grin
as she bounced up and out the door.

�Are
you going to go as well?� Giles asked Willow.

�No,
this is something that Xander wants to do without me. Actually, I think it
something he needs to do without me.
With Riddick there I think it will be okay to stay here.� Willow told him with
a smile.

�I
would like to go as well.� Artemus said looking first to Willow then at Nick. �I
would love to see some of your inventions.�

�That�s
fine with me. We have all sorts of stuff in production at the moment. I�m sure
Xander wouldn�t mind showing you what we�re doing. Just whatever you do, don�t
open the green cabinet.� Willow warned.

�Why?�
Riddick asked.

�Sometimes
Xander puts his explosive stuff in that one. He�s real particular about it
being opened in a certain way. I tried to warn Buffy not to open it once and
she didn�t listen.� Willow paused, a delightfully dreamy look on her face.

�What
happened?� Angel asked.

�She
was green and purple for a week,�
Willow said with pure relish. Silence reigned for several moments, and then
laughter exploded through the room as they imagined the imperious blonde in
Technicolor.

�Green and Purple?!� Lara gasped out between bouts of laughter.

�Yep,
I have a picture somewhere � ask Xander to show it to you.� Willow said with a
laugh.

�Can
I make copies?� Nick asked with a snicker.

�Sure,�
Willow said still laughing.

�Master
Nicholas, Lady Heather and Mistress Evie are here.� Thomas said from inside the
doorway. Nick stood, along with several others. They all turned to look as
Nick�s Sire and her mate came into the room. They both smiled in greeting.

Lady
Heather was about to greet them, when she felt a presence behind her. She
turned and froze a look of surprise on her face. �Love?�
Evie called gently, wondering what it was about the boy that had caught her
mate�s attention.

Lady
Heather walked to him slowly, reaching a hand out to cup his face. Willow
cringed, expecting Xander to pull away, but he didn�t. He just stared at her,
fascinated. �Do you know one another?� Evie asked.

�Not
yet in this life, but I knew him when he was Eli, my adopted child and a holy
Avatar of the Gods.� Lady Heather whispered.

Shocked
gasps filled the room. �What?� Nick asked, coming to stand beside his Sire
looking at Xander again. He looked deeply and then stepped back, stunned.
Warrick took his hand and looked at him in confusion. �I can�t believe it.�
Nick whispered a look of stunned pleasure on his face.

�Who
was Eli and if he was an adopted child, why wasn�t he Turned?�
Willow asked,
wanting to know about the person they were talking about.

�Eli
was a powerful magic worker and a gentle gifted boy. He believed that all
people deserved the freedom to love, live and worship as they chose. He was a
healer, in the truest sense of the word. We traveled together for several
years; I called him my son and waited for him to grow up so that I could make
him my childe. Not long after I turned Nico, an illness broke out in a nearby
village and they came seeking Eli. He went with his guard, a young Amazon hunter
named Ephiny. It was a trap. They killed Ephiny as she tried to fight their way
out of the village. They dusted her before she could free Eli. The leader of
the group, a woman known as Livia, Daughter of Rome, gave Eli a choice: watch
as the village was slaughtered or stand meekly and let her kill him.

Eli
let her kill him, but instead of the death he thought she would deliver, she Turned him. By the time we found them he had been badly
abused, but still held onto the fact that we would save him. As we got to them,
Livia shoved him to his knees and screamed that he would not leave her, that I
would not take her mate from her. He knew he was going to die, I could tell
when Eli looked at me. He told me that he loved me and then as I watched, Livia
dusted him. We fought, but she managed to escape as we dealt with her army. It
was the last time I saw the soul of my son, until today.� Lady Heather�s voice
was soft and sorrowful. Evie placed a hand on her shoulder in support.

Through
it all Xander never moved he just looked at her. He lifted his hand as she
finished and covered the one on his cheek. He smiled gently at her and blinked
away tears. He had no memory of the life she spoke of, but he felt drawn to
her. She made him feel wanted and protected.

�I
hate to say this, but I�m glad that he was dusted. If he hadn�t been, I never
would have met him and my life has been better for having him in it.� Willow
said honestly. Xander turned to look at her, smiling in pleasure at her words.
Lady Heather smiled at her in response.

�Destiny
finds a way,� Lady Heather said, before placing a kiss on Xander�s cheek.
Xander blushed vividly. He wasn�t used to being the focus of so much attention
or of such devotion. Only Willow ever treated him kindly until they came in
contact with Sylum. He wasn�t deserving of such treatment and mourned the fact
that some day they would realize it.

�Are
you staying for awhile?� Riddick asked.

�Yes,�
Evie answered looking at Riddick with a raised eyebrow.

�Good,
you can catch up later. Xander promised to show me weapons and the rest of us
his lab,� the younger vampire said with a smirk. Evie and Lady Heather rolled
their eyes, while everyone else laughed.

Lady
Heather turned her attention back to Xander. �We will talk more when you
return. I look forward to learning more about your life.� Xander nodded, but
felt despair fill him. She would know sooner than he had hoped how worthless he
truly was.

�Stop
that,� Willow snarled. Xander looked at her sharply, a frown on his face. �I
know what you�re thinking buster and it ain�t true. Don�t make me come over
there and tickle you. You know I�ll do it.� She threatened. Xander�s eyes
widened and he backed away, his hands lifted in surrender. Willow smirked.
�Hah, still got it.� Xander laughed freely, his eyes dancing with amusement. He
lunged forward suddenly, tickling a shriek out of Willow and making her dance
away. He gave her a sly look. �Okay, you still got it better than me. No fair
that.� Willow said with a fake pout. Xander laughed again, and then stepped
forward, pulling her into his arms and hugging her gently. She hummed in
pleasure. �Xander hugs are the best.� He smiled again and kissed her forehead
before stepping back looking towards Riddick and the rest of the group waiting
to head back to Sunnydale. He nodded to Lady Heather and allowed Janet to take
his hand and lead him away.

After
they were gone, Willow turned to face the elder vampiress and she smiled. �I
think you�ll be good for Xander.� She said.

�Tell
me of his life,� Lady Heather urged.

�Okay,
but I know you won�t like it.� Willow warned her. Nick led them back into the
salon, and Willow began to tell of the frightened and damaged boy that was her
best friend in the whole world.

Elsewhere

Elliot
sat in the room watching as the boy gave out his gifts and was enchanted by his
manner. He was also saddened by it. His years as a cop had given him insight
into the behavior of others and what he saw spoke of abuse and neglect. He
hadn�t had to hear the stories of abuse or be told of the scars by anyone. They
were clear to see if only you knew what to look for.

Elliot
couldn�t figure out the draw he felt towards the boy. No, that wasn�t true, he
knew what it was, but he wanted to deny it. How could this have happened to
him? How could that damaged and shy child be his mate? How would he ever get
close to him, how would he get him to want or even see him as more than just
another potential abuser? Elliot wasn�t sure. He didn�t even know where to
begin to search for the answer.

When
Xander walked from the room to get ready for the trip, Elliot stood and walked
out the side door, cursing at himself for wanting to follow. He needed to think
of a way to go along on the trip back to Sunnydale. He knew that Riddick and
everyone else going would guard Xander, but he couldn�t let his mate go back to
the site of so much pain and abuse without him.

�Want
to tell me what�s wrong?� A voice asked from behind him.

Elliot
turned to see Munch and House behind him. �He�s my mate.� Elliot said in an
anguished tone.

�What?
Try full sentences, maybe then sense will be achieved,� House drawled.

�Xander,
he�s my mate.� Elliot bit out.

�Damn,
Elliot, nothing easy for you. Are you sure? Everyone is drawn to him, even the
Prince of Sarcasm here.� Munch said with a look at his mate, who merely
shrugged; there was no need to deny the truth.

�I�m
sure. God help me, but I�m sure.� Elliot said angrily.

�Well,
let�s hope He does because I have a feeling you are in for one hell of a
courtship.� House said with a smirk that made Elliot want to deck him, but
instead he just sighed.

The
trio walked back in and Elliot walked over to Riddick. �I want to go with you.�
Elliot told him.

Riddick
raised an eyebrow, but shrugged, one more person wouldn�t be a problem. It was
then that Elliot caught sight of Lady Heather and Xander; what he heard made
him groan and he glared over at House. �Not. A. Fucking. Word.�
House merely smirked and Munch grinned.

�You�re
in for it now, sonny boy. Let daddy give you some advice: get on mommy�s good
side. Otherwise, any move you make towards Xander will be met with hostility on
that front,� Munch told him before smirking at his cursing Childe. The vampires
standing around him looked at him and then looked at Xander.

�You�re
screwed,� Tony said with a smirk, and then winced when Gibbs smacked him on the
back of the head. Riddick growled at them, and Elliot looked back at him
coolly.

Riddick
and Elliot glared at each other, neither looking away until Eric elbowed
Riddick. Riddick sighed and shook his head. �Good luck, you�ll need it.� Elliot
nodded, that was something he knew very well. Riddick then turned and pulled
Xander�s attention to them. After a few more minutes they were on their way,
Elliot with them.

~~~~~

The
flight to Sunnydale was hectic and amusing. Xander watched the interaction
between the group and realized that he didn�t feel
afraid of them; if anything he felt at home in their presence. He really liked
Greg and Abby, they were amusing and inquisitive. For that matter so was Eric,
who Xander learned was Riddick�s mate. Xander was sure he could see the
connection between the two men even from where he sat. For that matter, he
could see that same connection between several of the people in the plane. He
figured it was because they were mated.

He
had never questioned how he knew the things that he did, or the fact that he
and Willow could communicate without his ever speaking. It had been that way
since their first meeting. Xander had been afraid and hiding from his mother in
the small lab at Sunnydale University. Out of nowhere a beautiful, red-haired
girl came into the lab and from that moment on they had been together as
friends and partners. Now though, after hearing Lady Heather�s words, it made
sense. He figured that his gifts had been passed on in some way through
different lifetimes. He knew there was a part of him that was constantly searching,
or at least trying to search for his own mate, but he had firmly closed that
off long ago. He no longer believed that he would find the one he was meant to
be with.

It
was shame. If he had looked, he would have seen the man sitting across from him
and he would have known no one would ever throw him away again.

Somewhere in Sunnyvale

�My
Lady, the boy has returned. With him are several members of Sanctuary and
Sylum,� the young vampire told the lounging woman. She turned to look at him
and smiled coldly. The young vampire shivered. He and all but a selected few
vampires served her not because they chose to, but because they knew no other
way than to serve. All of the younger vampires were just that � young. Out of
the ten that served her reluctantly, none were older than a year in vampire
years. The four eldest vampires, the ones that controlled and Sired for her
were centuries old. One of the elder vampires had been hunted and dusted by the
rogue hunter Spike. Livia also controlled a small army that traveled with her
and settled close to any area she lived in. They were only allowed to hunt;
only Livia and her generals were allowed to kill or Turn anyone.

She
had been furious and it was they that took the brunt of her anger. She had lost
out on having her mate and the girl she had chosen to make her concubine. �What
of the girl?�

�She
is not with them my lady,� the young vampire answered.

�Very
well, leave me and send in my generals.� The vampiress ordered.

�Yes,
my lady.� The young man answered and backed out of the room. Once he was out of
the room, he turned and quickly headed down the hall to where the three elder
vampires were entertaining themselves.

When
he walked in they looked up. �Lady Livia wants the three of you.� The young man
said softly, not bothering to look up at them.

�Later
honey,� Livia�s first-in-command said as he pushed away the young man on his
lap and zipped up his pants, heading down the hall. The other two followed his
lead and left the young people to themselves. No one spoke, though they were
all thinking the same thing. Please let their captors be destroyed.

Livia
watched the three men walk into the room, each beautiful and dangerously
seductive. Each of them had been Turned by her. They
each served a purpose and they entertained her. The eldest of the group was
Commodus; he had been an emperor before she had Turned
him. He was responsible for the slaughter of thousands and was quite insane.
Then there was Kai Sing, deadly, ruthless and intent upon mayhem and
destruction. He was her youngest childe to date, only one hundred years old.

Then
there was Patrick; she had Turned him in 1762. He had
made a name for himself through the centuries, ruthlessly murdering men and
women, and he had fun changing identities and profiles for each century he
lived in. At least three of his identities were infamous in time. She had
greatly enjoyed the fear that he caused.

Her
last child, her lost child, Smith, had been dusted after Turning
her concubine. He had been Turned in 1238; he had been
a member of the Inquisition. He would be missed, but he would also be avenged.
She wanted her mate, and she would do whatever she had to do to get the boy.
She had been searching for Eli�s soul for too many centuries to let the fact
that he had been taken in by Sylum concern her. She had taken on Nico before
and had survived and she intended to do it again.

Once
she had claimed her mate, she would go after the girl. They would be a treat
for her. She was bored with the quiet life, bored with the never-ending stream
of playthings. Oh, her generals brought her beautiful toys, they were fun to
play with, but eventually she grew bored and threw them away or if they were
lucky, they ran away and were taken in by one of the clans.

She
no longer cared about that; what she did care about was claiming her prizes.
These three men were going to be the ones to help her do it. If worst came to
worst, she would just kill Eli again and wait for his soul to be reborn so that
she could take him again. That had happened twice now; first when he was still
Eli and later when he returned as a young woman. That had been a distinctly
pleasant form, but she had had to die since she had been about to be discovered
by Tony and Timothy during the Civil War and the girl had been about to wed
another.

Livia
found it ironic that she had managed to elude detection for so many centuries.
Of course most vampires thought she was living the quiet life in the unclaimed
territories or that she was dust. The truth was that she had traveled the world
over, she and her generals, turning their slaves, tossing them away and never
staying in the same territory for more than a few months or a year at a time.
This was also the first time in centuries that she had used her own name. Livia
left her musings and focused once again on her generals.

�Sylum
and Sanctuary have returned with my mate. I want him, destroy them and bring
him to me. I don�t care how you do it.� Livia ordered. The three men nodded,
though they thought it foolish to take on so many members of the clans at once.
After all no one crossed Livia. Without a word they turned and left.

Willox-Harsberg Inc.
Secure Lab, Sunnydale

Xander
took a deep breath and climbed out of the Suburban. It was strange to know this
would be the last time he was in the place he had called home all of his life.
He walked to the main doors of the lab and turned to look at the people that
had come with him. All of them had eager or curious looks on their faces and he
hoped that the lab met their expectations. Stepping to the side, he placed his
hand on the place proclaiming their name and then drew it back. The panel
lowered and in its place was a keyboard and retina scanner. Xander quickly typed
in the sequence needed to deactivate the alarms and then he stood still and let
it scan his left eye. He then placed his hand in a small opening and let the
machine fingerprint him and confirm his DNA. It also confirmed that
he had a body temperature.

Finally
he stepped back again and the panel resealed itself and the doors opened. He
turned and noticed the curious looks on the faces of the people behind him.
Xander blushed. �I�m really paranoid.�

�You�re
not paranoid if they�re really out to get you. Besides from what you and Willow
have been telling us of the work you do here, you need tight security. I�d like
to go over it while we�re here.� Jack said with a raised eyebrow.

�Okay.
Willow and I designed the security ourselves. We were high on sugar one night
and watched a bunch of old spy movies and decided to integrate as many of the
security ideas as were on the screen. I have to disable the last one since it
makes sure you have a base level body temperature when you disable the
security; it also takes a DNA sample.� Xander told them
as he led them into the lab.

They
gaped in astonishment. Janet was very impressed and thought of several
buildings that could use that sort of security. Jack was thinking the same
thing and wondering if he could talk the pair into giving the information for
the system to the government. �When did you design and enact this system?�
Riddick asked.

�Just
before Willow was Turned. We
finished it and we used it for the first time when we ran away from Buffy.�
Xander told him. Riddick nodded as they all followed him into the lab. The main
area was a sitting room � there were plants everywhere. The sofa was large and
plush, with sitting tables and a television in the center of the room.

Beyond
it was a kitchen area and a hallway that branched off in several different
directions. Xander led them to the left and came to another sealed door. At
this one he keyed in a code quickly and led them into the lab. Once they
entered Abby squeaked and Speed laughed. �Oh man, this is like every lab we�ve
ever wanted in one place.� Greg said, wide-eyed. The lab was divided into
different parts, but each area was large and open. They could see a centralized
area with a sitting area in it as well.

The
largest area was obviously dedicated to the making of weapons as it had many of
the same features that could be found in Will�s shop. There were also machines
in the space and several lathes. The
next area was full of computer equipment and computer parts. The third area
held microscopes and test tubes. There was a ballistics area and the dreaded
green cabinet sat against one wall. Each section of the lab was designed to be
open, yet safe to experiment in.

�Do
you mind if we look around?� Speed asked Xander.

�No,
just don�t open the green cabinet. For those of you not interested in the lab,
I can take you to the testing ground and the storage room to look at the
finished products, and then I can get started on finishing a couple of things
before the movers get here.� Xander answered easily. They could tell that he
was feeling more secure in his own space.

The
others agreed and soon everyone was splitting up to look around the lab and at
the equipment. Normally Xander would be upset and distrustful of so many people
in his lab, but he knew that he could trust everyone not to do any damage to
his work.

When
they reached the storage room, Riddick, Angel, Blade, Indy, Lara, Jack, and
Gibbs spread out looking at the various weapons and technology that were stored
there. Riddick and Blade made their way to the sword displays looking at the
various weapons, but also noticing the daggers and the first stages of the
cross-blade.

Xander
left them to their exploring and made his way back to the third lab. There he
began to install the software for the B.R.A.D. He wanted to make sure that it
would be ready for Horatio when he returned to Sylum. As he worked, he forgot
the people in the lab or that he was supposed to be preparing to move. Instead
his mind became focused on the work and the finishing process. Each step was
tedious and exacting. If he input the information in at the wrong juncture, he
would have to wipe the memory and start over.

He
had no idea that several of the group had situated themselves on the sofa in
his lab and were watching him work. Elliot was one of those people. Like the
others, he was impressed with the lab, but he was also trying to decide if he
could be comfortable living in such a setting. Thinking back to the front
rooms, he decided that yes, he could be comfortable living there. He only hoped
that Xander could eventually accept him being there.

~~~~~

Xander
was uncertain how much time had passed, but when he finished the last step of
the installation, he realized that everyone was settled into the sitting area
and were watching him or talking. He blinked and looked around him. When he
stepped away from the table he swayed slightly and shook the spots from his eyes.
Janet caught the movement and was instantly on her feet. �That�s enough for now
Xander, come sit down and we�ll get you something to eat.�

�How
long?� he asked looking around.

�Four
hours.� Speed answered without looking up from the book he had found. It was
very interesting and one he had yet to read. It was on the senses and how they
could be used to trick others into not realizing you were present. Speed
figured this was where Xander and Willow got the idea for the dampeners.

�I�m
sorry, I didn�t realize�.� Xander said anxiously.

�It�s
okay! We�ve been having fun looking around the lab and trying to figure out
what some of the stuff you�re working on is. Speed found a book called Dampening the Senses and Will found your specs for the cross-blades and has been
pouring over them.� Greg said with a grin.

�Don�t
forget that Gil found some new bug books,� Abby said with a grin looking over
at the older man and where he was reading.

Xander
grinned shyly. �I used the behavior of some types of bugs to design a few
weapons, they�re still in the early stages or I�d show them to you.�

They
all grinned. �Willow said you would show us the Zapper if Riddick asked, but
even though I�m not Riddick can I see it?� Lara asked him. Xander smiled at her
shyly and nodded.

�It�s
in the green cabinet, wait here.� Xander answered, he walked across the room
and standing to one side, carefully opened the doors. They all held their breaths
and released it softly when nothing exploded or lunged out at him. Xander
stepped in front of the door and pulled out a case the size of a CD holder.

When
he walked back over to them, he passed the counter and reached in, pulling out
a small computer and inserted the CD. He then walked over to Lara and handed it
to her. �The CD neutralizes the charge so that you can look at the equipment
without taking everything around you out.� He explained as he handed it to her.
Lara grinned up at him and took the computer from him.

Xander
swayed again, and was caught by Riddick and pulled down to sit between him and
Elliot. Xander smiled weakly.

�What�s
wrong?� Abby asked concerned.

�Nothing,
I just forgot to eat again. It�s no big deal.� Xander assured her.

�It
is a big deal. Where is the kitchen? We�ll get some food into you.� Janet
argued.

�There�s
no food in the house; with everything that was going on I forgot to tell Willow
and then we left so I didn�t worry about it.� Xander said with a shrug.

�Hey
Riddick, the movers are here,� Tony said as he and a rumpled Gibbs walked down
the hall.

Xander
looked around him anxiously, wondering where his things were going to go.
�Don�t worry Xander, while everyone else was playing tourist I managed to find
you a nice building in Miami. It�s just a few miles away from Horatio and
Speed. It�s in the same layout as this building and the movers know how to
handle sensitive equipment and know not to hurt anything or they�ll be in
trouble. They are all Sylum loyal as well.� Artemus said with a smile.

Xander
nodded, pleased. �There is a place nearby that we could go and eat before we
head back to Sylum if anyone is interested.� He offered shyly.

�Food? I�m definitely interested.� Abby said standing up quickly.
Greg stood quickly, a grin on his face.

�Food
it is then,� Indy said as he stood and looked around him.

Lara
pouted. �Does this mean I have to give up the zapper?�

�No,
we also need to take the B.R.A.D. with us for Horatio,� Xander told her
hesitantly, looking over at Riddick and Speed as he answered.

�They�ll
get it to the plane before we leave.� Riddick told him and nodded.

When
the movers made their way down the hall, Riddick met them and told them that
the B.R.A.D. was to be delivered to the plane before they left. After the
orders had been given, the group left. It took only a few minutes for them to
reach the restaurant and the conversation was lively. Everyone had found
something that they had been interested in and Xander had given Speed and Gil
permission to take the books with them when they left. No one was expecting an
attack, no one but Riddick that is, but then Riddick was always expecting an
attack.

They
had just gotten out of the SUVs to go into the restaurant when they were
swarmed by vampires on every side. The Sylum and Sanctuary vampires began to
battle the attacking vampires and try to protect their human members. At one
point during the battle, Jack was certain that he recognized one of their
attackers as the vampire that had turned him.

�XANDER!� Abby�s scream seemed to freeze the combatants
and everyone turned looking in horror at the sight of Xander standing in front
of Abby with a sword in his back. The vampire that had stabbed him screamed in
terror, he looked appalled and terrified by what he had done. One of the
vampires that were attacking them kicked Eric in the head and knocked him
backwards.

�You
fool! You�ve killed Livia�s mate,� The Asian roared as he lunged forward,
beheading the vampire that had stabbed Xander and trying to reach the boy. The
attackers were beaten away by the Sylum clan and those not dusted, fled in
terror.

Abby
was sobbing and she and Greg were trying to help Xander lay on his side. In
Sylum Manor Giles was holding a screaming and distraught Willow. No one could
get her to talk and all they could do was hold her as she screamed Xander�s
name.

Riddick
pushed his way past them, snarling in rage. Xander looked up at the man as he
reached down and pulled the sword out. Xander did not cry out in pain, he just
gasped at the feeling of the blade being pulled from his body. Riddick looked
down at him with his intense silver eyes. �Do you consent?� Riddick asked.
Xander nodded. The group watched as Riddick drained and Turned Xander right
there on the street.

�Let�s
get out of here, I want to be back at Sylum by the time his change is
complete.� Speed said as he ushered everyone back into the vehicles.
Remarkably, sadly, Xander was the only one to sustain any injuries.

At
Sylum Manor, Willow had stopped crying, but had burrowed into Giles� arms.
�Willow?� Lady Heather asked, frightened.

�Riddick
had to turn Xander,� she whispered before beginning to cry again.

They
all looked at one another in horror, then watched as Nick pulled out his cell
phone and called Speed. He listened as Speed told him what happed and turned to
the rest of the group. His eyes fell on Lady Heather and he looked grim. �Willow is right; Xander has been
Turned by Riddick. The group was attacked as they went
to get something to eat. One of the vampires they were battling tried to kill
Abby and Xander stepped in the way, taking a sword through the back. Riddick
asked Xander if he consented and then Turned him when
Xander agreed. They�re on their way home.� Nick told them.

�Do
they know if it was an attack on Sylum?� Horatio asked.

�It
wasn�t Sylum related. One of the attacking vampires killed the vampire that
stabbed Xander. He said that the vampire was a fool and that he had killed
Livia�s mate.� Nick said grimly.

Lady
Heather�s eyes darkened in rage. �She�s come back.�

�Yes,�
Nick said grimly.

�She? You mean the woman you were talking about earlier? The one that killed Eli?� Horatio asked appalled.

Lady
Heather nodded.

�Elliot
is Xander�s mate, not that psychotic bitch.� Munch said angrily. This had to be
tearing Elliot up � for that matter it was hard on all of them. For everything
bad that had already happened in the boy�s life, this had to cap it, being
murdered on the street for no reason.

�You�re
right. Eli was never Livia�s mate, but she fixated on him. She even murdered
her own Sire because he and Ardeth told her that she couldn�t have him. I must
call the Council. They have jurisdiction over Livia. They have been hunting her
for centuries. Her murder of Paris led to the death of Achilles. Hector and
Ulysses have been waiting for revenge for their deaths. For that matter so has
Daniel; he Turned Paris and Hector at the same time. They then Turned their mates. Paris� and Achilles� deaths are still
mourned by the members of the Council, the Medjai and by Daniel.� Lady Heather
said calmly. Nicholas nodded, he and Warrick both went to make the calls that
would bring more hunters to their lands. Livia needed to pay for her crimes,
but they also wanted to protect Xander from the insane vampire. Horatio got on
the phone and called Speed to get an update on Xander and also tell them of the
situation.

~~~~~

Speed
answered the phone quickly; Xander had finished dying on the way to the
airport. They had the plane ready to take off immediately upon their arrival.
�H?� he answered. He swore as he listened to what was being said and looked
over to where Xander was lying, his Sire at his side.

�There
is no way that Riddick, Jayne, and the Twins are going to stand aside and let
someone else hunt Livia and her group. For that matter, I think you�re going to
be hard-pressed to keep any of our hunters from getting on a plane. They�ve
already decided to return to Sunnydale and begin hunting the rogues that
attacked us.� Speed said furiously. He listened for several minutes, and then
sighed. �Alright I�ll tell them, but let Nick know that Riddick, Jayne, and the
Twins will probably be going hunting on their own,� Speed said before he hung
up the phone and turned to look at Riddick who was looking at him with a cold,
blank expression.

Eric
was the one holding Xander in his arms and Elliot was kneeling at their side.
�I want in on this,� Elliot hissed having fanged up in his extreme duress.

Xander
had only stirred once since his change began. He hadn�t made a sound, but had
merely looked up at Eric who was holding him and buried his face in the older
man�s chest. From that time on, he had been silent and still. Once they
transferred him to the plane, he had allowed himself to be moved into Eric�s
arms again and gone back to his extreme stillness.

�Xander? You need to feed,� Janet said gently as she came
to stand by him.

Xander
turned to look at her and they could see his eyes were devoid of life. Janet
paled, but touched his face.

�She�s
angry,� Xander whispered.

�Who?� Janet asked gently.

�Willow,
she�s angry and in pain. Have to get to her,� he slurred out. Shock from his
death and the pain of his transformation had sapped his strength and confused
him. All he knew was that Willow needed him.

Speed
cursed and opened his cell phone again, calling Horatio back and getting Willow
on the phone. When she was on the line, he walked over to Xander and handed
Janet the phone, she held it to Xander�s ear since he seemed unable and
unwilling to release Eric.

Sylum Manor

Willow
took the phone from Horatio and waited until she knew Xander was holding the
phone, and then began to talk. �It�s okay Xander, I�m okay. I just thought I
lost you for a minute and I am so sorry that you were hurt. I love you too, no
I�m okay now, and you drink the blood that Janet has for you and rest. I�ll be
waiting for you. No, no I�m glad that you were turned by Riddick, you need a
good Dad, and from what I hear, you�ll have a big brother and really cool
sisters too. Aww�don�t cry�it�s okay, I promise. I
love you,� Willow said gently before handing the phone back to Horatio and
closing her eyes. They all watched as she took several deep, cleansing breaths,
before opening her eyes and wiping away her tears.

When
she looked at them they could see that she was calmer and more in control of
her emotions. She smiled tremulously at the assembled people before moving back
into Giles� arms. She had felt as though her soul were being ripped apart when
she felt Xander being stabbed and when he had confirmed that he was injured,
she had feared for a minute that he was too badly injured to be Turned.

After
knowing that Riddick had Turned him, her tears had
been of relief and remorse for the way that her friend had been Turned. She had
wanted him to be Turned, but not that way. She had hoped that he would be Turned under the mate�s bond. Unfortunately, her sweet
Xander could never have things work out that way for him.

Willow
could only hope that the person responsible for Xander�s death would be
punished and that Xander would be protected.

~~~~~

Rick
watched as Ardeth surged to his feet, a look of rage and horror crossing his
face. When Ardeth turned to face him there was a cold rage in his eyes and the
warrior came to the forefront of his being. Something had happened and he had a
feeling it would lead to them going on a hunt of their own. By the time that
Ardeth got off the phone Alexander, Jonathon, and Jim were in the room.

�What
is it? Has something happened to Heather or Evie?� Jonathon asked worried.

�No.
Livia has returned; Rick and I must go to Sylum.� Ardeth told him, his eyes
burning with rage.

�Who
is Livia?� Jim asked confused.

�Livia
is an ancient vampire Turned by Paris of Troy who was Turned
by Daniel. Paris had only been a vampire for sixty years
when he Turned her. She was loyal for a while, but
then just after Nico was Turned, Heather�s human child came to Livia�s
attention. Livia swore that he was her mate, but she was wrong. When Paris
ordered her to stay away from the boy, she murdered him. Achilles died, but not
before telling us who had slaughtered his mate. A few months after murdering
Paris and Achilles, she tricked Eli into coming to a village she was holding
prisoner and threatened to slaughter the villagers if he did not submit to her.
He submitted to save the villagers and she Turned him.
During the time that he was in her control, she foully abused him and when it
became obvious that she was going to lose him back to Heather and Nico, she
dusted him. During the battle, she managed to escape and for years no one knew
where she was. She�s surfaced twice since then. The first time, it was to
create a childe, Commodus, the murderer of Maximus� mortal family. The next
time it was to try and kill Marc Antony in hopes of seizing control of Rome and
Sanguen.� Ardeth told them. Rick�s face darkened as he thought of the deaths
that she had caused and the men that were still mourned even all these
centuries later.

By
all accounts, Paris had been a gentle man who was devoted to his clan, his
family and his mate. He had turned Livia after raising her from infancy. She
wanted power and the holy avatar and when denied, she murdered the man that had
loved her.

�What�s
brought her back?� Jonathon asked in a hushed voice.

�Eli�s
soul has been reborn in the form of a teenage boy. She is still obsessed with
him and her obsession has led to his death once again. This time though, he is
the childe of Riddick.� Ardeth answered.

�Please
tell me you�re joking,� Alexander said with a shudder.

�No,
I am quite serious,� Ardeth said slightly amused.

�Riddick,
Jayne, and the Twins are going to destroy everything in their path to protect
him.� Jonathon said in a fearful, awed voice.

Ardeth
merely smiled grimly. �It gets worse. It seems that all of Sylum has become
attached to the boy and Sanctuary has sworn vengeance on the boy�s behalf. Add
in Sanguen, the Council and our clan, and Livia is a much worse situation than
she has ever imagined.�

Rick
shook his head. It would be an all out hunt/war against the vampiress.

~~~~~

�What?�
Jack demanded as she answered the phone a scowl on her face.

�Bring
Kyra and Alessandro and get to Sylum � we�re going hunting,� Riddick ordered.

�Who?� Jack demanded.

�The
bitch who led to the birth of your new little brother,� Riddick answered
shortly before hanging up the phone.

�We�re
leaving,� Jack snarled.

�Why?�
Kyra demanded.

�We
have a new baby brother and we�re going after the bitch that led to his death.�
Jack said shortly. Kyra began to pack. No one hurt their family and lived.

~~~~~

Mathilda
listened to Warrick as he explained the reemergence of Livia. When he was
through, she told him she would call him back and went to inform her clan
leader of the news. Alexander was in the main hall of the castle with Marc
Antony enjoying a quiet evening for a change. Everyone knew what Livia had done
and that she was still wanted for execution by both Alexander and Marc Antony.

They
both looked up when she came in, and as she told them what was happening
Alexander snarled, �Prepare the jet. We will be going to Sylum. I want that
bitch dead.� Mathilda went to do as he ordered and to inform Warrick that they
were coming.

~~~~~

Minerva
answered the phone and listened as Nicholas told her of the latest occurrence.
A hard look overcame her face and she informed him that they would be sending a
delegation to hunt for the woman and destroy her for good. She then went to
inform Hector that his brother�s murderer was definitely alive and in Sylum
territory.

~~~~~

Sam,
Teal�c, and Jack all looked up as a roar echoed through the halls of the mountain.
Boomer and Starbuck also looked up as Daniel stormed past them. People stepped
out of his way; none of them had ever seen Daniel looking so enraged or
dangerous. As he made his way past his team, Jack jumped to his feet and ran
after his friend.

By
the time that he caught up with him, Daniel was already in Hammond�s office.
�Danny what�s going on?� Jack demanded.

�I
have to go to Sylum, now.� Daniel said in a hard voice. At that moment, his age
and strength shone from his eyes.

�What�s
happened?� Jack demanded.

�The
murderer of one of my Children has resurfaced; she has led to the death of a
human boy who is the reincarnated soul of another human child beloved of Lady
Heather. Livia has been trying to claim his soul for thousands of years. I have
to leave now. She will not get away
with what she has done.� Daniel said in a hard, controlled voice.

They
nodded and Jack calmly led Daniel from the office; where Danny went so did he.

~~~~~

The
members of Sylum sat back and awaited the arrival of the players in their
future hunt and for the arrival of their newest child. Livia had set into
motion a storm of vengeance and justice. The vampire that killed Xander might
not have been the woman herself, but he was one of hers and for that she would
die, that, and her other many crimes.

~~~~~

The
enslaved vampires ran away, each and every one of them. They were seeking out
the Chosen left behind at Livia�s mate�s home, each of them praying that they
would find acceptance and freedom from Livia. At the moment that they were
reaching that home, Livia was being informed of what had happened with Xander.
Her children were the ones to know her rage and later the hunters that had gone
with them were the ones to know theirs. The mansion was filled with agonized
screams well into the next day.

Livia
knew that they had to move on, to hide someplace else, but not too far. She
would not give up her mate. She would have him this time and no one and nothing
would stop her.

~~~~~

His
eyes were closed; he lay in the shelter of Eric�s arms and felt his mind slip
away. Memories of lives gone by � of friendships and hope, of love and of loss
barraged him, one after another. He was unsure if this was because of his own
nature, or if this happened for every vampire. Memories of Eli, of his mother,
of Nico, of Ephiny his friend and guard, of watching her die. He remembered
being born time and again. He remembered being taken by Livia again and of his
friend and fianc� dying trying to protect him. He recognized his friend�s soul
in Willow. Memories of her in each life they lived, together, through life and
through death. He shared this knowledge with her through their connection and
felt her amusement and pleasure. Suddenly it occurred to him that for the first
time, he could feel her. Usually she could only feel him. He
wondered what was happening.

Xander
opened his eyes and looked over at Tony and Speed. �Are you supposed to
remember your previous lives when you�re Turned?� he
asked softly. His eyes were lit with curiosity.

�Flashes
are all you should get,� Speed answered.

�I
remember everything, every life I�ve lived and how I�ve died in all of them. I
remember Willow being with me in every one of them. We always died together or
within days of one another. We never made it past twenty,� Xander told him with
a sigh.

�Are
you kidding?� Tony asked shocked.

�No.
I remember it all. Including the fact that Livia killed me when I was a girl during
the Civil War; she also killed Willow, who was Robert at the time. She doesn�t
just want me, she wants Willow too. She wants me as her mate and Willow as her
lover, at least that�s what she�s wanted in the past. Every time we refuse her
she kills us.� Xander said softly, disturbed by the memories.

�Man,
what a bitch,� Greg said with a shiver.

Xander
surprised them by laughing. �Oh yeah,� he agreed and then closed his eyes
again. Eric reached down and brushed his hand through Xander�s hair. �It�s
strange, I�ve been a healer, a doctor, an inventor and a nurse, yet I never
made it past my twentieth birthday. I�ve never been a fighter, and in the times
when I would have normally been drafted for war if I were a boy, I was a girl.
I wonder why?�

�Some
people just aren�t meant to be warriors.� Jethro said calmly. Xander opened his
eyes and looked at Jethro and smiled slightly.

�Yeah,�
Xander agreed. He then frowned slightly as he looked over at Elliot, something
about him was familiar and his eyes widened as he saw the threads that
stretched toward him. �Uh oh,� he whispered, gulping.

�What?�
Janet asked.

�I
uh�I�uh see the thread. It�s coming towards me,� Xander said in a raspy voice.

�Thread?� Artemus asked.

�Everyone
here has a thread attached to them, it�s constantly seeking someone. For those
of you that are mated, it�s tied to one another. For the ones that aren�t
mated, it�s going out into space searching. Elliot�s thread is trying to join
with my thread,� Xander whispered, his eyes wary as he looked at Elliot.

They
all gaped at him in surprise. �You can see a bond link?� Tony asked shocked.

�Yes,
your and Jethro�s pattern is all silver and red, while Janet and her mate�s is blue
and silver. Actually each mate bond has silver in it,� Xander answered looking
at each of the bonded pairs. They stared; as far as they knew no one had ever
been able to actually see the bonding link between pairs. Nor had they ever met
a vampire that remembered every life from beginning to Turning.

�Any
other surprises you want to spring on us?� Tony asked in amusement.

�I
can feel Willow. Before it was only one way, but now I can feel her emotions
and almost hear her, that�s never happened before,� Xander answered with a
slight shrug.

Tony
gaped. Abby snickered. �You asked,� she pointed out when he looked at her.

By
the time they reached Sylum, rooms were already readied for the visiting
hunters. Willow was waiting impatiently for Xander to arrive and when he did
she rushed past all of them and drew Xander into her arms. Together with
Riddick they got him upstairs and into the warm bath that was waiting. Xander
was grateful and realized that that was what the conversation and last call between
Speed and Horatio had been about. He knew his clothes would have to be
destroyed and wasn�t upset about it. He was tired and was trying not to dwell
on the fact that he remembered every life he had ever lived. Or that he could
see the bond trying to form between himself and the cop, Elliot.

It
was Riddick who stripped him down and Willow who helped him bathe. They had
more blood waiting for him and soon he was clean and in bed. Willow was lying
against him, quiet and thoughtful. �You�re afraid
still.� she said softly. Neither of them took any notice of or cared about the
people in the room watching them.

�She
wants you too,� Xander said softly.

�Me, why do you think that?� Willow questioned,
sitting up to look at him.

�I
remember all of my lives, from Eli to me now. Livia has killed me twice and
arranged your death three times. The first time when you were
my guard Ephiny, the second as my fianc� and now as my friend. I can�t
prove it, but I think the vampire that Turned you was
one of hers. When we were Eli and Ephiny, she told us she would have you as her
concubine and me as her mate. When you started to fight her, one of the
vampires killed you and she killed the other vampire. She said that she would
have me even if she could not have her concubine.

When
we were Teresa and Robert during the Civil War, we were friends who had decided
to marry. You were injured in the War and had returned home to try to help on
the farm as best you could. My lover had been killed in the War and I was
pregnant with his child. To protect me, you claimed the baby was yours and we
were set to marry. The day before we were to wed, Livia and her childer came.
Livia�she hurt you and with your injuries from the War you died. She had wanted
to Turn you, but by the time she realized what was
happening it was too late and you were dead.

She
then turned on me, but before she could Turn me she
was told by Commodus that Nico and his family were coming. She said that she
would have no time to wait for me to have my babe and be Turned
before they were found. She killed me and the baby. We have lived lives
afterwards but we never seem to make it past twenty before we�re dead. I still
haven�t figured that out yet.� Xander told her softly.

�That
is weird. But it isn�t what you�re
afraid of.� Willow chided him gently.

Xander
sighed and looked over to where Elliot was standing watching him. Lady Heather
and Evie were also in the room, along with many of those that had gone to
Sunnydale with them and all of the ruling council of Sylum. �Elliot is my
mate,� Xander told her softly.

�I
know, Munch told us after it came out that Livia was back. Elliot had told
him.� Willow told him.

�How
am I supposed to be a mate? I�ve never even had a date before!� Xander asked
her, upset. Willow sighed. She had figured this was going to happen.

�Relax
Xander, Elliot is going to take time to woo you and get to know you.� Willow
told him gently.

�How
do you know that?� Xander asked her confused.

�Simple.
If he doesn�t, I�ll lock him in a room, chain him to a chair and play a
marathon of the Teletubbies, Barney and any other annoying children�s show I
can possibly get my hands on. Then as an encore I�ll give him to Alexx, Lady
Heather, and Janet.� Willow said cheerfully before turning to smirk at Elliot.

�Wow,
Willow I didn�t know you could be that mean,� Xander said in a shocked voice.

Willow
smirked, �It�s a gift.�

Alexx
chuckled and looked at the other women in the room; they had similar looks on
their faces and turned to look at Elliot where he was standing against the wall
watching the pair. Elliot looked over at her and nodded; he knew that he had an
uphill battle before him. Not only was Xander young and inexperienced, but he
was also a child of abuse. Elliot had no intention of ever hurting Xander if he
could help it.

Xander
made a soft sound in his throat and wrapped himself further around Willow,
before closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep. Willow smiled and looked
over at Giles. She didn�t feel jealousy in their link, which was a good thing
since she had no intention of ever giving up her closeness with Xander.

Not
that she expected them to be bedding down like this for much longer. She knew
that he would be okay the next day. Despite the trauma of his life, or perhaps
because of it, Xander had been able to find ways to cope outside normal
reactions to trauma. He would be ready to work on something tomorrow and would
probably be lost to his work in no time.

She
looked over at Tony and the others. �What did you think of the lab?� she asked,
changing the subject.

Speed
was the one to answer. �I think most of us have lab envy and I think we all
fell in love with some part of the lab. I have a feeling when Calleigh gets a
load of it we won�t be able to pull her out. Gil and I found a lot of really
great books and we brought some of them with us.�

�Which ones?� Willow asked curiously.

�Gil
brought some bug books and I brought the Dampening
the Senses book. By the way, who wrote that? It�s very insightful.�
Speed said thinking about the book.

�Oh,
Xander and I did. We used several articles that we found from various sources,
contacted a couple of professors and then questioned Buffy about what she knew
about vampires. We wrote that so we could have a book of comprehensive data
while we were working on the dampeners. Charlie had it bound for us as a gift.�
Willow answered with a smile. Speed blinked and looked at her in shock.

�Why
didn�t Xander say he helped write it?� Tony asked confused.

�That�s
just Xander for you,� Willow said with a grin.

�We�ll
leave the two of you to rest; we need to prepare for the council and our
guests.� Nick said with a smile for the teen. She nodded and all but Alexx,
Elliot, and Riddick left the room. Once they were gone, Willow turned her
attention to Elliot.

The
playful light faded from her eyes. �You�re going to go to Miami with him aren�t
you?� she asked suddenly.

�Yes,
I have no intention of letting him out of my sight.� Elliot answered swiftly.

�Tell
me about yourself, how did you become a vampire?� Willow asked.

Elliot
looked down and sighed. Alexx and Riddick looked interested as well. No one
really knew how Elliot came to be a vampire or Munch�s childe. They knew the
pair had worked together for several years, but nothing else. �John and I were
on a routine case, it was an investigation into charges levied by a woman
against her daughter�s boyfriend; she was claiming statutory rape. We really
didn�t think any charges would be pressed since they were both sixteen, but we
had to follow through, talk to the kid and his parents. When we got to the
building, we walked into the middle of a gang bangers �disagreement�. I was
shot point blank in the chest; of course I wasn�t wearing my vest. I was dying;
there was no way an ambulance could get there in time. John gave me a choice:
permanent death or living. I chose to live. Unfortunately, before we could hide
my Turning, my partner and John�s arrived, and I died in front of them. I had
no choice but to start over.� Elliot said calmly. This was something he really
didn�t talk about often. Nick, Warrick, and the rest of Sylum had taken him in,
created a new identity for him and even helped John find a way to explain the
loss of his body. He was no longer Elliot Stabler, but now went by the name
Elliot Allheart. A name that John had picked just to annoy Elliot and that he
had ended up stuck with.

�Did
you leave behind family?� Willow asked gently.

�An
ex-wife, my kids and my friends on the force,� Elliot answered before looking
away. He hadn�t wanted to leave his kids, but he knew that they were protected
by Sylum and that he would be able to watch over the next generation of his
family.

�I�m
sorry, that must have been very painful.� Willow said in sympathy.

Elliot
nodded. �Almost as hard as finding out that a kid only a few years older than
my oldest daughter is my mate.�

Willow
gaped at him for a minute then chuckled. �So that�s why you were close, but not
too close to Xander all this time.� Elliot merely nodded.

~~~~~

The
council meeting had finally ended and Warrick and Nick were alone for the first
time all day. Warrick watched as his love got ready for bed, but he could see
that the older man�s mind was not on his task. �Nick?� Warrick called.

Nick
turned to look at him and smiled slightly. �It�s strange; I never really
thought that I would ever see Eli again. In the short time we were together as
a family he kept me sane so that I could avenge the deaths of my family. He
understood my need for justice even if he didn�t understand the violence that I
wanted to shed to get it.�

�He
must have been very special,� Warrick said thinking of the boy upstairs that
seemed so kind and compassionate.

�He
was, is. I can�t figure out why I didn�t see it before. Willow and Xander are
just like Eli and Ephiny were. They had a balance between them that no one else
could figure out. Ephiny always knew when Eli needed her and vice versa. When
Eli went with Ephiny the people sought her out as much as they sought out Eli.
What really boggles my mind though is that in the past few years we have had
three reborn souls of vampires join our clan; one
mated to Riddick, one Turned by him and one found by him with Jack and Spike.
It makes me wonder what�s coming next.�

Warrick
nodded. �Don�t you mean dread what�s
coming next?�

�That
too,� Nick agreed.

~~~~~

The
next morning came and with it the arrival of the twins, Daniel and Jack, more
members of Sanctuary and the various clans that had been called to deal with
the issue of Livia. Xander was working in one of the labs, constructing
something that no one exactly had a clue as to what it was. No one that is, but
Willow and she was so busy helping him that no one could ask any questions.

Daniel
and Jack went with Janet and Lara to look in on the new members of their clan
and were not really surprised to see that they were not alone. They arrived in
the lab just in time to witness Xander and Willow finishing their latest
zapper. Since Lara had liked the one that Xander had already finished so well,
he decided to build another and let her keep the first one. He had run off
several disks for disarming the zapper so that it could be programmed to the
individual user�s preferences.

Both
Willow and Xander looked up and caught sight of the people standing in the
door. They pushed up their goggles and looked at them curiously. �Hello,�
Willow called out while Xander looked at them warily.

�Hello,�
Daniel called with a smile and stepped out of the way as Janet and Lara stepped
into the room. The new group watched as Xander�s face lit in pleasure at the
sight of the two women.

�Lara,
I was just on my way to find you.� Xander said with a smile.

�Oh really? Well, I�m always pleased to be sought out by
beautiful young men,� Lara said with a smile, laughing slightly as Xander
blushed.

�We
built another Zapper so you can keep the one you were looking at yesterday.�
Xander told her with a shy smile.

Lara
grinned manically when protests broke out from behind her.

�We
want one too,� Riddick and Blade called as they made their way past Daniel and
Jack.

�We
get one of those gizmos too,� Tony said for he and
Gibbs.

Willow
and Xander shared a look and shrugged. �Okay.� They said in unison.

�We
need more parts though, we only have enough to make two more and we thought
Bauer might want one.� Willow said with a smile.

Daniel
raised an eyebrow. �What is a zapper?�

�Ooo�I
want to tell him!� Tony said with a manic grin.

�Okay,�
Willow and Xander said in unison again.

�I
thought Jack and Kyra were the only ones to talk in unison?� Daniel asked with
a raised brow.

�Nope
they do too.� Tony answered.

�Tell
us about the Zapper already,� O�Neill said impatiently.

Tony
smirked. �It stops the electrical flow of any machine and wipes out the memory
of said machine. It can also be used on humans on the lowest setting and
doesn�t hurt like a tazer.�

�I
want one of those,� O�Neill said with a wide-eyed look. �We could blast snake
faces and take out ships. Oh can I have one please?�

Willow
looked at Xander who shrugged. �I don�t know. You work for the military and
Charlie told us we�re not allowed to give the military anything without
charging them for it or at least making them swear to name a country after us.�
O�Neill gaped at her and Willow grinned wickedly. Laughter came from those in
the room and O�Neill shook his head.

�You
can have one too, but only if Nick says so. We already asked if we could give
one to the others and we planned on giving one to Riddick.� Xander answered
softly, still somewhat shy of strangers.

�I,
too, would like one of those zappers and of course one of the cross-blades that
Angel has been showing off.� Ardeth said from his place inside the door.

Both
Xander and Willow turned to look at him, but it was Xander that showed
recognition. �Ardeth,� he said softly. �You can have one. I�ll have to make a
new cross-blade since I gave Dad my newest one.�

�Dad?� Shang asked as he looked at the two children whose deaths
had brought Livia back to their attention.

�Riddick
is my Sire,� Xander said shyly.

�Riddick?� Hamlet asked turning to look at the silver eyed
man and his mate. Riddick smiled, enjoying the looks of horror and the shudders
that this pronouncement created.

�Well
things just went to hell. Are Jayne and the twins here?� Sundance asked,
looking around for the two young women. Riddick, Jayne, and the twins
protecting a new child: they�d be lucky if anything was left standing once the
three were finished.

�Yeah,
they�ll be here to meet their new little brother very soon,� Riddick said with
another of his insane grins.

�Looks
to be a fun time had by all,� Jack Sparrow said looking around the room with a
grin.

�I
always knew you were an insane person; what sane
person becomes a pirate?� Frank asked from behind Ardeth. Laughter filled the
room at that, while Willow and Xander merely looked at one another and
shrugged.

�The
B.R.A.D. is it here?� Xander asked suddenly.

Tony
blinked. �Yes.�

�Horatio!� Willow and Xander said in unison.

�I
wonder if Horatio would let me build a small bomb to make sure the software is
working correctly?� Xander said looking at Willow.

�NO!�
Tony and Jethro said, making the pair turn to look at them in confusion.

�Okay,�
they agreed again.

�What
is a B.R.A.D.?� O�Neill asked.

�It�s
a Bomb Retrieval And Detonation unit. Xander and I
designed them to be used to stop the boom-booms without having to get to close
to them. Horatio said he would use one and test it out for us through the Miami
PD.� Willow answered.

�You
built a bomb?� Daniel asked.

�Only
a little one,� Willow answered easily.

�When?� O�Neill asked.

�When
we were fourteen,� Xander answered for her, he turned his attention back to the
Zapper and screwed the housing on to the case. He wanted to check out the
B.R.A.D. and then talk to Nick about who was allowed a zapper before coming
back into the lab and working with Willow.

The
adults that hadn�t heard the story before blinked in astonishment. �Where were
your parents?!� O�Neill asked, furious that anyone would allow a child that age
to build a bomb.

�I�m
going to go find Horatio,� Xander said abruptly and left out the side door of
the lab.

�Xander�s
parents are right here in me and Riddick. Don�t mention the waste of space that
gave birth to him or supplied the sperm again.� Eric said before heading after
the younger boy.

�I�m
gonna go see if I can�t find Artemus and ask for more supplies,� Willow said
abruptly before following after Eric and Xander.

O�Neill
watched them go and frowned. �What did I say?�

Janet
sighed and then told them what they knew about Willow and Xander�s lives before
they became a part of Sylum. When she finished, the newcomers looked murderous.
�They tortured their own child?� Ardeth asked in a cold clipped voice.

�Yes.
Willow has made it clear that until they came to Sylum she was the only one
that he spoke to or allowed to touch him. He�s made a lot of progress, though
there are times when he is still nervous or unsure of the people around him. We
were afraid that being stabbed in the back and having to be Turned might have
been too much for him, but he was more upset about having a mate than he was
about being dead.� Tony said sadly.

�Because he doesn�t know how to act with another person?� Sundance asked.

�Yeah,
everyone has agreed that his mate Elliot has a pretty hard courtship ahead of
him.� Janet said with a slight smile.

TBC�.
- 1
- 2
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Strength Behind An Enemy