Chapter 1

February 2009 Sunnydale, CA

"So what do you think?"

Anya spun slowly showing off the black sequined gown. Low cut in front and almost indecent in back, it was truly magnificent, and fit her newly slim figure like a glove. Xander swallowed. Even after 7 years of marriage, and two children, she was still the sexiest, most beautiful woman he had ever seen. However…

He sighed, "Anya, sweetheart. That dress is gorgeous, and You’re gorgeous, but…"

"But?"

"Well, according to Martha Stewart, it’s just not considered good form for wedding guests to outshine the bride. Plus Buffy said that it’s just going to be a small private ceremony, in a judge’s office, not to mention that black just isn’t a wedding color..." he trailed off waiting for the explosion. Anya had been so moody these last few months.

"I thought that black was perfectly appropriate, considering that it’s Spike," Anya snapped. Then she brightened, "Do you really think I’d outshine Buffy? I guess that wouldn’t be very polite." She looked sadly down at the dress.

Whew, thought Xander, I dodged that bullet! Thank goodness for Martha Stewart, Anya’s goddess.

"But I don’t have to return it do I? I’m sure I could wear it somewhere." She asked hopefully.

From where he was standing, Xander couldn’t quite make out the numbers on the price tag hanging from the gown. However, he could see that there were four digits before the decimal, and the first wasn’t a one.

"Uh, Anya, sweetheart, have you by any chance been nominated for an Oscar?"

"What?"

"Or possible an Emmy, or one of those Broadway things? That dress is too fancy for the MTV Video Awards. Maybe a Grammy?"

"All right Xander. I get the point. There is no occasion in our drab meaningless lives fancy enough for me to wear this dress. I will return it."

"I’m sorry honey. I know we don’t have a very glamorous life. And you’ve been stuck here at home since Shasha was born. But tomorrow we’re going to New York. And that will be fun won’t it?"

Anya sighed. Xander came over and took her in his arms, "Hey, I’ve always wanted to kiss a woman in a slinky black dress like this."

Anya returned his kisses but then pulled away with a mischievous smile, "If we mess this dress up, I won’t be able to return it."

Xander pulled away, and hastily smoothed the front of the gown, which had gotten slightly crumpled. "Well, I’ve got the visual now. We’ll save the rest for later. Anyway, I’d better go check on Alex…he’s being very quiet."

"I’ll get changed and be down in a minute."

Xander stopped in his son’s room to see what junior was up to. The 8-year-old was engrossed in a computer game. This was no surprise to Xander. Practically since was old enough to could sit up, Alex had been addicted to computers. He certainly didn’t inherit his brilliance from me, thought Xander. Must have been those strange ex-demon genes. "Hey, big fella. Fifteen more minutes and it’s time for bed, okay? Ill be up later to say goodnight."

"Sure, Dad." Alex replied automatically, eyes glued to the screen.

Xander went and peeked in on Sasha sleeping peacefully in her crib. At four months old, she was the sweetest thing that Xander had ever seen. He tiptoed away and went downstairs.

He plopped down into his recliner and reached for the remote. He was surfing through an assortment of reality programs, when the doorbell rang. It was almost 8-p.m. Willow was supposed to drop off a backpack for Alex to bring on the trip. It was probably her. Still, a lifetime of living in Sunnydale had made him cautious. He peeked through the curtained window in the front door. The visitor wasn’t Willow.
In fact, it was somebody that Xander hadn’t seen in many years, and never thought to see again. He hastily opened the front door. The visitor stood in the doorway, looking much as Xander had remembered him. Tall, with sandy hair that flopped carelessly over his Iowa farm boy face. "Riley Finn! My God! This is a total shock! Come in!"

Riley smiled, that boyish appealing grin, "Hey Xander!"

He walked into the foyer, looking around at the attractive home Xander and Anya had built a few years ago. "Nice place!"

"Thanks. I built it myself. Uh...I’m in the construction field these days."

"Yeah," said Riley, " I remember…you were just getting started in that when I…left."

At that moment, Anya came downstairs. "Was that Willow? Oh! Riley Finn!" She frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Anya!" Xander looked embarrassed, "Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"An old friend?" Anya said in a loud stage whisper," If you ask me, he is about seven years too late to be an old friend. However, you are right. He is a guest in our home and I will be polite." She gave Riley her best Magic Box annoying customer smile and went into full hostess mode. "Sit down, Riley. Would you like some lemonade? I make it from actual lemons. There are also many leftovers from dinner."

"Thanks, Anya. I’ll have some lemonade. No leftovers, though, I just ate."

"How about some home baked tollhouse cookies? I make them from the recipe that is right on the bag of chocolate chips." She went into the kitchen.

Xander laughed awkwardly. "Since she’s been stuck home with the baby, Anya’s turned her energies towards cooking. She has been making me these gargantuan meals that even Olaf wouldn’t be able to finish!"

"Olaf?" Riley had taken a seat on the sofa.

"Oh, the troll! I guess that was after your time."

"Yeah. I guess I missed a lot."

"I’ll say. All hell kind of broke loose after you took off. We even had another apocalypse. A really nasty one. Not that they are ever fun, really."

"I’m sorry I missed it."

"Hmmm. Well, we could have used your help. I won’t lie to you. But I guess you hadda do what you hadda do. All water under the bridge, anyway. I see that Army life has treated you well. You look terrific."

Riley did look terrific. Seven years had hardly made a mark on him. Unlike Xander who had gained a good 20 pounds in the last few years thanks to Anya’s cooking.

"Well you look…prosperous." Riley smiled. "A great home, kids?"

"Two; a boy Alex and a new baby girl, Sasha. And my own construction business." Xander beamed. Not bad for a buttmonkey who had never gone to college.

"How’s Buffy?" Riley asked abruptly. "I stopped by her house first, but different people were living there. They knew you though. Told me where to find you."

"Oh…those are the Wilsons," said Anya coming into the living room with a tray laden with refreshments. "Really nice couple. Betty and I share the same obstetrician."

"Yes," said Riley absently, "I noticed that she was pregnant. Buffy? "

"Oh. Well, that’s a pretty long story. Short version. She’s a widow now, living in New York City."

"We’re going there tomorrow," spoke up Anya, "Ow! Xander…you stepped on my foot! Oh! For a visit…we’re going there for a visit." Anya finished lamely, belatedly realizing that Riley might not be too happy to know that Buffy was about to marry Hostile 17.

"Is she still the Slayer?"

"Well, she’s A Slayer, but not THE Slayer. She’s retired. Actually, she still works free lance. For an agency." Again a dangerous subject, since Xander didn’t know Riley’s state of mind these days, and he didn’t want to get Buffy’s fiancé staked.

Anya sat down on the sofa next to Riley. "Have some cookies! They are excellent. "

Riley took a sip of lemonade, and reached for a cookie. "How about the rest of the gang? Willow, whatshername, Tara? Giles? Uh, Spike?"

"Well, Willow and Tara are still together. They adopted a baby girl from Guatemala. Sorry to say Giles died a couple of years ago. Heart attack. Spike...well, uh he’s not here any more. He left Sunnydale years ago."

"Oh. Too bad about Giles. He was a good guy."

Xander felt curiously reluctant to fill him in on all the details of the past seven years. There was something about Riley that was making him slightly nervous. As if he were asking all the dutiful questions, but with an agenda of his own. He was a secret agent after all, thought Xander. "So what brings you to Sunnydale, after all these years?"

"Well, actually, it was Spike that I wanted to talk to. You don’t know where he is?"

"Spike?" Xander laughed. "The ungrateful dead? Why would you want to talk to him?"

"I’m on a mission."

"Oh…a secret mission? " Asked Anya eagerly.

"Not really. I’m looking for his ex-girl friend."

"Harmony?" Anya asked.

"Drusilla, right?" Xander shook his head. This could get sticky.

Riley’s eyes flashed. "Yeah. Drusilla. Do you know where she is?"

"What could you possibly want with Drusilla? That bitch is a total psycho."

Riley’s eyes flashed again. "She infiltrated one of our installations in Brazil. Turned one of my friends. Made off with some top secret government hardware. I was the one who knew about her connection with Spike, so I volunteered to track her down."

Well that made sense. Perfect sense. Xander knew the story. With the help of Darla, Drusilla had stolen a chip decoder from some secret Government installation and had de-chipped Spike. Fortunately that had turned out to be a blessing instead of the disaster it could have been, but no thanks to either of them. Darla was dust, but according to Buffy, Drusilla had managed to escape, possibly with a little help from Spike. At any rate, her present whereabouts were unknown.

Xander was just about to tell Riley what he knew of the story, when the telephone rang, startling him greatly. Anya had her mouth full of cookie, so Xander jumped up to answer it. "Just a minute, Riley…that’s probably Willow."

He picked up the phone in the foyer. "Harris residence."

"Xander." It was Willow.

"Hey Will. I thought you were coming over. You’ll never guess who is sitting in our living room even as we speak!"

"Xander, listen, something horrible has happened."

"What?" He had that sinking feeling he always got right before things went seriously wrong.

"I was just out at the drug store getting some Dramamine for the flight tomorrow, you know?" Willow suffered greatly from airsickness. " I had forgotten the backpack for Alex, so I went home first before coming to you. Anyway, I went past Revello Drive, the way I always do. And there were all these police cars in front of Buffy’s old house. I saw Mike Sheffield...you remember him…he’s a cop now, and he told me that the Wilsons…both of them…were dead! Xander…he said they think it was a vampire!"