"The Xander Zone"

Author: Gia
Email: gia@everysixseconds.com
Pairing: Initially B/Other, ultimately B/A. (Trust me!)
Notes: BtVS s6ish; with a little help, Buffy finds a new way to deal with being returned from heaven. Darla was never resurrected, so there's no Darla and no Connor. Borrowed some concepts from Indie's fab fic, Damage.
Additional Notes: Xander Cage, aka XXX belongs to Revolutions Studios and Columbia TriStar Entertainment. Vin Diesel, sadly, does not belong to me either. *g*
Thanks Copper for the beta!
The Dungeons & Dragons references are from Planet D&D (http://www.planetadnd.com), "The Gamer's Nook" (http://www.gamersnook.com), which contains an interview with Vin Diesel and Conan O'Brien on the character ‘Melkor' and verified and added to by Zippy. *g*
And if you care, here's a list of X's tattoos: On the back of his neck, three X's. On the small of his back, two guns crossed to form an X. On his left arm, a tribal band on his bicep, a bull charging out of flames and clouds. On his right arm, the words "dis" and "order" by his wrist, two eagle wings going up his arm, three stars on his elbow, a bull on his bicep, the word "chaos," wrapped in blue filler, on his forearm. (And the heart with the X&Y that I made up). On his right shoulder, a star with an eye in the middle. On his stomach, the word "Melkor," the name of Diesel's real-life Dungeons & Dragons character. On his bellybutton, a chaos symbol topped by flames. Around his right nipple, a star. Yeah, I did my research. *G*

"Yes!" Gunn shouted with a small whoop as he stared at the computer screen on Fred's desk in the lobby of the Hyperion.

"What is it?" Fred glanced over from where she was standing at the file cabinet, sorting and refiling their closed cases.

It was just after ten pm on a Friday night in Los Angeles and the team at Angel Investigations was bored. They were between cases, the demon activity seeming to be at a lull, and no one had anywhere better to be so they hung around the hotel, making busy work, or as in Gunn's case, surfing favorite sites on the Net.

"The new one. It's up." Gunn replied with a grin as he clicked the mouse and then leaned back in the chair.

"What's up?" The slender brunette asked curiously as she methodically slipped the stack of files back into the drawer one after the other.

"Oh, this must be that Internet demon fighting thing again." Cordelia looked up from the desk where she was sitting and flipping through the latest issue of "W" to glance at the computer screen. "Honestly, Gunn, you're an addict."

"Hey, don't mack on my choice of entertainment. I seem to remember that you were the one who couldn't miss an ep of that bad shit 'The Bachelorette.'" The young black man replied with a smirk, his eyes never leaving the screen where the now downloaded video was beginning to play. He frowned, playing with the volume controls.

"That was... educational. As a single woman in Los Angeles, I need to understand the criteria for choosing acceptable men." Cordy airily retorted, her gaze now fixed attentively on the screen.

"Uh-huh." Gunn snorted, "Are you sure it wasn't about that Harvard man you thought was so hot? Or maybe you're hoping to be the Bachelorette number two?"

Ignoring the question, Cordelia pulled up a chair and sat next to Gunn, pushing him over slightly for a better view of the screen.

"So now you want to watch?" Casting her a look of irritation, Gunn once again adjusted the volume on the computer. The sound of crickets came through the speakers as the camera panned through a densely wooded forest.

"It looks interesting." Cordy shrugged as Fred glanced back over her shoulder with a small grin. "And I'm always willing to expand my horizons ... unlike some people."

"Ah. There we go." Sitting back again in his chair, Gunn crossed his arms over her chest to watch.

On the video, the camera once again passed over the outline of the large muscular man that had initially been on the screen when the video began. Just ahead of the man, a flashlight illuminated a tall beefy demon shrouded in a black robe. A pair of yellow eyes gleamed maliciously from the dark swarthy face at the camera. The video shook as the person holding the camera seemed to jump back. A deep voice broke the silence with a narrative:

"This here is a... They're bloodthirsty ... They have ... organs. This one a real bad ... feed ... the area ... last coupla ..."

Gunn cursed softly and fumbled with the speaker cords as the audio sputtered intermittently.

A woman's voice off camera mumbled something and the camera wobbled slightly catching a glimpse of blonde hair before zooming in on the large tattoo on the back of the man's neck before he turned back to face the camera.

"You know ... " His rich deep voice purred at the camera just before the audio broke off again.

"Who is this guy anyway?" Cordelia asked as the camera moved back to scan the demon.

Angel, sitting at a desk behind them and studying an ancient demon anthology text, spoke for the first time. "Some idiot that's going to get himself killed."

Gunn shook his head adamantly as he found the end of the almost completely unplugged cord. He reached beneath the desk. "No way man. This dude is bad ass."

On screen, the man and the demon circled each other cautiously. When the demon lunged forward, the man threw a punch and the fight was on. The loud thud of each blow could be heard as the force of each thrown fist or kick seemed to reverberate through the camera.

Gunn smiled proudly and sat back in his chair. "Ah. Now we have sound."

With a low hooking kick, the man managed to sweep the demon's legs out from under him and the creature dropped to the ground on its' back. Gunn stopped the video and moved the arrow back to replay that bit of the video again. "Watch this move right here. See that? That takes power and skill. Besides, X took out that Manikesh demon in Cartegena in less than an hour."

Angel shook his head. Amateur demon hunters were dangerous to themselves and to those that they drug into the action along with them. This guy apparently brought along someone to hold the camera while he was showing off his questionable skill and who knew how many others. Mostly likely his death would be caught on film, so maybe the next guy who had such a stupid idea would be less likely to try it. He sighed with resignation. They should probably see if they could find the guy and stop him before that happened.

Fred nodded, now standing behind Gunn. "It was pretty impressive."

Cordy looked up and over at the normally shy girl, her eyebrows quirked upward in question.

"What? So I watch it with Charles once in awhile." Fred replied somewhat defensively with a shrug. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glanced at the computer monitor covertly once again.

The brunette seer grinned. "You watch it because the guy is hot. Look at those arms. Oh, and that butt. Um-mm. That is real salty goodness."

Angel glanced up at Cordy then leaned around to glance curiously at the screen. The guy fighting the demon appeared large and muscular, though the tight fitting black shirt could have been just padding to show off. Certainly a guy like that would want to make himself look good if he was planning on broadcasting his exploits across the Internet. The vampire looked closer. Definitely looked like padding. He shrugged, returning his attention to his book.

"He is hot, isn't he?" Not even pretending any longer not to watch, Fred sat on the desk behind them, her eyes fixed on the screen.

"Why don't they show their faces? Or when they do, they're all blurry?" Cordelia asked, trying to get a good look at the guy who was rolling around on the ground with the demon. The arms were definitely impressive, she thought, watching the muscles strain to hold the large demon away from him.

"So you won't recognize them." Gunn replied matter-of-factly. "Some of X's stunts are, well, less than legal."

The camera panned back, giving the viewers a wide view of the fight and the surrounding area before once again zooming in on the man and demon.

"Oh my god!" Cordelia exclaimed suddenly, slapping Gunn on the arm. "That's in Sunnyhell. Those are the woods near Lovers Lane."

Fred and Gunn cast interested looks at the brunette. Angel's head came up sharply. Despite his preternatural eyesight, nothing of what he could see on the screen looked distinctive. Not that it mattered that much really; it just meant if that guy was local, it'd be easier for them to find him and put a stop to the idiocy.

"What? I grew up there. I remember things." The former Sunnydale cheerleader snorted indignantly, smoothing her hair. No need to elaborate on other reasons why she easily recognized the woods where teenagers in Sunnydale often parked to make-out.

"Uh-huh. Spent some time there in a backseat or two, did ya?" Gunn grinned teasingly and nodded as he turned back to the screen.

"That's none of your business." Cordelia shot back with a look that clearly indicated no further questions on the subject would be entertained.

"Damn. Right in our own backyard." Gunn said, just as the man on the screen landing a hard kick to the demon's chest that sent it backward a few feet.

As they watched, the demon lunged forward again and with a far-reaching wide arm swing, swiped at its' attacker. The long claws ripped through the man's shirt almost completely tearing off one sleeve to reveal a heavily tattooed arm. The man cursed, his deep voice clearly audible on the screen, and kicked the demon hard away from him. He rose to his feet, looking down at the bloody gash. He then reached out to tap the hand of the small blonde woman entering the picture next to him, almost as if tag-team style. She glanced at the wound on his arm, tracing it with her fingertips as she spoke with him briefly but her words were muffled. He smiled and laughed then gave her a hard kiss on the lips. She then turned and landed a hard kick to the demon's gut.

"Like you wouldn't recognize that arm if you saw it naked somewhere?" Cordelia asked with an interested smile that almost qualified as a leer. "I'd never forget a bicep like that one, much less that tattoo." Leaning forward, she rested her chin on her palm. "So who's the girl?"

They all winced as the petite blonde slammed hard into a tree from the force of the demon's blow. She rebounded quickly, drawing a small knife from her belt and lunging at the demon with graceful skill.

"My guess is that she's X's new girl." Gunn said as the cameraman panned the girl's figure clad in the tight black leather pants and pale yellow halter. She'd dropped the leather coat that she had been wearing only moments ago, although the tiny string back halter offered little protection.

"Damn, she's hot." The young man added with admiration as she landed another four or five blows to the demon's head almost without effort. "And a hell of a fighter."

"If you like small, blonde and perky." Cordy sniffed almost indignantly. She cocked her head curiously, her brow creasing into a frown. Blonde. Sunnydale. Demons... Surely it wasn't...

"And tattooed." Fred added, noticing the tattooed design across the girl's lower back. The wide tribal pattern spanned the small of her back, just above the low cut leather pants.

"It's all good." Gunn grinned with approval as the camera once more stopped on the girl's bottom in the tight black leather pants. Off camera you could hear the man's deep voice shout, "Yo, C.J. up with that already." The camera was then jerked upward just in time to catch the demon land a brutal upper cut to the blonde's jaw. She tumbled hard to the ground.

The viewers at Angel Investigations all flinched simultaneously. None of them expected the girl to get up from the blow, but she sprang to her feet with the smooth moves of an experienced martial artist. She quipped something, but again her voice was muffled. The man that Gunn referred to as X, laughed, his words clear on the audio as the camera panned to him then back to the demon, "Okay, baby, it's your beast then. But you'll owe me."

"What is it?" Angel asked, looking up again and seeing a glimpse of the dark demon.

Cordelia leaned forward, squinting at the screen. "I'm not sure."

"I can't tell." Fred replied, picking up a pair of glasses from the desk and putting them on. She leaned forward peering at the screen then took the glasses off again. "Nope, still can't tell."

Gunn answered distractedly, "It looks like a heart with wings in the middle. The rest is some sort of tribal pattern."

"Not the tattoo." Angel muttered with exasperation looking up to the ceiling. "The demon. What is it?" He suddenly wished Wes hadn't been the one to go for take out. He could have picked it up. So what if he didn't eat Thai - or any food - it would have gotten him out of the office for a little bit.

"Ooh, man that had to hurt." Gunn drew back from the screen.

"But look, it's still getting up." Fred pointed anxiously as the demon on the video struggled to its feet once more.

"I like the tribal pattern." Cordy arched and looked back over her shoulder as if trying to see the base of her spine. "I wonder if I can add that to the sun that I got. You think it would go?"

"She's as good or better a fighter than he is." Fred commented with admiration as the girl leapt from the ground to land a hard side kick to the demon's ribs.

"They only hooked up recently. This is only about the third time I've seen her. The first was that Isalina demon vid about a month ago. She was in a skydiving one a couple of months before that."

When the camera lingered on the girl, still for a moment while she sized up the demon again, Cordelia leaned closer, studying the screen intently. "Hey! That looks like..." Abruptly the brunette seer shut her mouth, glancing nervously at Angel. "No. No, it can't be. She doesn't have a tattoo... Besides, that guy's a hottie. No one that hot would... give... her..." Glancing at Angel again, she trailed off as she moved her chair, deliberately blocking the screen.

Gunn shot a quick questioning look at Cordelia. "What's up? Do you know-"

"Nothing." The former Sunnydale cheerleader interrupted abruptly, answering the question she guessed was going to be asked. She enunciated each word clearly and specifically, her eyes demanding that Gunn drop it. "No. Not. Me. I. Don't. Know. Anything. At all."

"Well, it makes sense really. The Hellmouth is there, so it would be a good spot to find demons if you wanted to videotape slaying them." Fred said with a small shrug, as if stating a common, well know fact. She completely missed the byplay between Gunn and Cordy, although Gunn still look at Cordy with a trace of confusion.

"We need to find him." Angel stated with a resigned sigh.

"What? Why? You're going to look for this X guy to get an autograph or something?" Cordelia asked over her shoulder, her eyes flitting to Angel nervously. "Why would you want to find them? Er, him?"

"I wouldn't mind throwing down a beer or two and shooting the shit with him. I'll bet the man has some stories to tell." Gunn said emphatically, watching as the petite blonde snapped the burly demon's neck and dropped him to the ground. One or two pairs of hands clapping could be heard on the audio.

On screen, the girl walked confidently over to the big muscular guy that Gunn referred to as X. They exchanged a few words, all muffled on the tape, but it seemed to be joking banter. With a sudden burst of energy, she jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist as their lips met in a hungry kiss. The camera stayed on them for a few seconds then panned down, zooming in slightly to catch a pair of large hands sliding along her thighs to cup her leather clad bottom before the video cut off.

Gunn whistled loudly. "Damn. Now that's how all demon killing should end."

"Can we see it again?" Fred suggested timidly.

Angel stood suddenly, jerking his head around to glance at the door.

At the sound of the chair scraping along the floor, Gunn looked back over his shoulder, "Yo, what's up, man?"

The door to the Hyperion slammed open with a bang. In the next instance a very drunk Spike staggered through the opening.

"Looks like we have company." Angel said softly, walking to around the desk to stand near the counter.

"Yeah, if you call dead and overly peroxided company." Cordelia muttered as she rose to her feet and stepped next to Angel. She reached beneath the counter where a stake and several other weapons were hidden.

Gunn turned down the volume on the computer and came to his feet as well, pushing Fred behind him.

"That's not a very nice welcome now, is it pet?" Spike slurred as he staggered his way across the lobby to the counter. Leaning heavily on the cluttered surface, he took a drink from the brown paper wrapped bottled he held in his head.

"That's because you're not welcome here." The brunette seer declared firmly, raising the armed crossbow. "Or did you not remember that part?"

"Now there's no need to get your ..." Spike swept her body with his eyes, stopping at her crotch before lifting his pale blue eyes to her face. "lacy thong in a wad there. I'm not here for trouble. Just stopped in to commiserate with an old, well not pal...we're not exactly friends, now are we, Angelus?" His gaze drifted to Angel as he mused drunkenly, "Acquaintance, then? No... No... one's sire would be considered more than that I suppose..."

He looked at the others briefly as if contemplating something before returning his eyes to Angel's face. "Oh, who the hell I am kidding. I'm here to salt some wounds."

Slamming the now empty bottle on the counter, he reached in his pocket and pulled out another one. As if he didn't care that a crossbow was aimed at his chest, he unscrewed the cap on the bottle of liquor concealed by the brown bag with clumsy fingers. He grinned almost triumphantly when he got it open and took a big swig. He wiped sloppily at his mouth and frowned thoughtfully down at the counter. For a few seconds, he looked as if he might be about to cry before he collected himself.

Angel studied the younger vampire warily. "What are you doing here, Spike?"

"You see, Peaches, she won't see me either." Spike muttered in an angry petulant whine before taking another drink.

Spike cast a quick, impatient look at Cordelia. "Oh, bloody hell, would you put down that crossbow? You're making me kinda twitchy."

"You're going to be twitchy dust in a minute if you don't get gone." The brunette seer replied, not changing her stance a bit.

"What are you talking about?" Angel asked quietly. He didn't want to ask but something compelled him. Perhaps it was the fact alone that Spike was standing in the lobby of the Hyperion. Last time he had seen the younger vampire, Angel was being tortured to reveal the location of the ring with the gem of Amarra. Not exactly the kind of thing you forget - or forgive. Spike risked his unlife by simply walking through the doors of the hotel. The question was why.

"She up and dumped me." Spike moaned, wiping at his eyes. He choked up as if he were going to cry then pulled himself together, taking another drink from his bottle. "Not that she was actually with me. Not yet. But she woulda been. I just needed a little more time."

"She who? Who are you talking about?" Cordy questioned suspiciously. "Are you talking about your skanky girlfriend, Dru? And even so, why should we care?"

"Cordelia." Angel warned softly, wary of Spike even with Cordelia armed. He knew that his childe could be unpredictable and dangerous, even when drunk. Spike wasn't someone you wanted to underestimate in any circumstance.

"The goddamn Slayer, you dumb bint. What, did LA sap your brain? Oh, that's right. You never had much of one to begin with." Spike slammed his bottle down on the counter, his eyes meeting Angel's. "Buffy Summers. Your ex. My should be ex." He laughed resentfully. "Not X's ex or anything. Who goes by just an initial like 'X' anyway?"

"X?" Gunn questioned softly, cocking his head to one side.

"Ever since that bleedin' wanker rolled in to town, it's motorbike racing and sky diving and all these extreme sports. You'd think slaying would be excitement enough, but no, it's like she's turned into some sort of adrenaline junkie." Spike continued with a wave of his arms as if Gunn hadn't spoken. "If she's not racin' around somewhere, it's Xander this and Xander that. It's bloody annoying, that's what it is."

"Xander?" Angel and Cordy question in unison.

"Yes, Xander. Is there an echo in here? And what is it with you anyway, Angelus, the wide open spaces and all the windows..." He gestured at the wide lobby and high windows in the hotel. He quirked a brow at Angel and staggered slightly, leaning heavily on the counter. "Death wish, perhaps?"

Noticing Fred peering around Gunn, Spike leaned forward and smiled slightly at the slender young woman. In his current state of drunkenness, she reminded him slightly of Dru. "Well, hello there."

Gunn moved Fred back behind him again, his eyes narrowing angrily at the vampire.

Spike frowned at Gunn's protective stance and glanced at Angel again. "I mean, if he hadn't shown up I'm pretty sure I would've have a chance with her. We kissed, you know? There was no tongue but there would've been next time I'm sure of it - but then suddenly he's the only one she has time for."

Angel's eyes narrowed at the thought of Buffy kissing Spike. And what had pushed her into Xander's arms? He couldn't deny that the boy was ... normal. Well, almost normal. Still, the idea of Buffy with Xander made his stomach churn. He had wanted better for her.

"Xander?!" Cordelia's laughed trilled out in the lobby as she lowered the crossbow slightly. "Oh my god. That's priceless. Buffy and Xander Harris. Who would have ever guessed?"

Spike spat the mouthful of alcohol out, spraying the counter. "Harris? Xander Harris? Bloody hell, you really aren't the sharpest tack in the box here, are you? Course look at the lot of you..." Taking another drink, the blonde vampire grumbled, "Xander Harris, indeed... now there's a waste of a human life. I wouldn't even bother to bite that one."

The brunette seer's eyes widened abruptly as realization dawned. "Oh. My. God." She turned slowly to stare at the computer screen.

Wiping at his mouth with his sleeve again, Spike looked up. He leaned over the counter, almost to the point of lying sprawled across it to see what caused the normally chatty brunette to shut her mouth so unexpectedly.

The video was looping once again on the computer screen.

"Well, well. What'd we have here?" With a nod, Spike smirked and gestured at the screen.

Angel tensed, a bad feeling creeping along his spine. Reluctantly he looked at the playing video.

Gunn cleared his throat slightly and adjusted the volume on the computer. The man's deep voice sounded clearly through the audio as he narrated the beginning of the hunt.

"This here is a Tramscaposa demon. They're bloodthirsty vicious killing machines. They have a thing for internal organs. It's a delicacy to them. This one has been a real bad boy, feeding in the area for the last coupla weeks."

A woman's voice off camera mumbled something and the camera wobbled slightly catching a glimpse of blonde hair before zooming in on the large tattoo on the back of the man's neck before he turned back to face the camera.

"Well, you know what we do to demons like this one don't you?" The rich deep voice purred at the camera just before the audio broke off again.

A woman's short laugh could be heard nearby just before the man speaking stepped forward and punched the demon hard. With a growl and another punch, he added, "Welcome to the Xander Zone!!!"

Angel pushed the others aside to move closer to the computer screen. He leaned forward on the desk and watched the video in stunned silence, a low growl rumbling from his chest and growing steadily louder, turning into a snarl when the girl jumped into the man's arms and kissed him.

"Buffy." The tall dark haired vampire ground out through clenched teeth.

"Oh, so you have seen Buffy's new man then." Spike asked with a cocky grin. "That, boys and girls, would be Xander. Xander Cage. Or, as his friends call him," he continued in a mocking tone, "X."

In the next instant the blonde vampire slumped to the floor unconscious, Angel having slammed his head solidly on the counter.

Sunnydale, Six Months Earlier...

"You got to be kiddin' me," Xander Cage braced both hands on the balcony railing as he looked down at petite blonde sitting at a table near the dance floor, watching as her friends danced.

"Have I ever made jokes with you about serious business?" Augustus Gibbons questioned as he adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves. He felt somewhat conspicuous in the dance club, clearly out of place by both his age and his dress in the Sunnydale club known as The Bronze.

"No, but there's a first time for everything..." X, as he was known to his friends, turned around and leaned back on the railing with his elbows. "Although, I did think you were pulling my leg when you sent me after that first demon in Tajikistan."

"And so now you know that demons and vampires actually do exist." The director of the NSA replied with bored indifference, his gaze roving the crowded club speculatively.

"Yeah. The last coupla months in Cartegena sort of proved that." Xander replied with a smirk.

The outskirts of the Columbian capital had become the hunting ground for a several groups of vampires. The eldest vampire, Arturo, had been young when turned and abandoned by his sire, so the typical vampire familial pattern had broken down - there was no strong, single leader, no defined boundaries of acceptable behavior, as much as either existed among vampires at any rate. Instead, they had splintered into several smaller warring groups that were hell-bent on exceeding the other in destruction, death and mayhem. Family members of the recently turned were particularly vulnerable to the other groups as forms of retaliation, as they were either murdered or turned and forced to serve those that had once been their enemy. X and a small team of highly trained specialists were dispatched to the area, where, after almost two months they were finally able to wipe out the various vampire nests.

Xander stayed on for an additional couple of weeks, tracking and finally killing a Manikesh demon that had been living in the area undetected thanks to the vampire activity. It had been the first demon expedition where he had taken, at the urging of his Internet video producer, his small video crew. Augustus had chastised him about that later, but hadn't forbid him from doing it again.

"Do let me assure you that werewolves, ghosts and other creatures of the night exist as well, along with hundreds or thousands of types of demons we've yet to identify."

"Okay. So I believe you." Xander turned and glanced down at the girl again. "But, I'm finding this whole Slayer business a little hard to swallow. And that's even without the being brought back from the dead part."

"Let me get this straight, you believe in ghosts, werewolves and vampires, but you do not believe that there could be such a person as a Slayer to oppose them?"

"Not one that looks like that, no. Someone a little more... sturdy ... you know, more of Xena type, bigger with a square jaw. Probably even would have that hair on the lip thing goin' on." X replied flatly, his deep voice sounding like a rumble. He watched as the petite blonde came to her feet and moved across the crowded dance floor with a purpose.

Augustus paused, a fleeting smile crossing his lips. "I'd take her on a money line bet over your punk ass any day."

"You're confidence in me is overwhelming." Xander sighed dramatically, noting that the young woman had gone through the back door and into the alley. He rolled back around to face the man that had been his direct manager for almost four years now, since his first undercover assignment for the NSA.

"My confidence in you is why you're here." The scarred black man turned and walked toward the balcony stairs. Several pairs of eyes followed them as they made their way outside, albeit for different reasons. Augustus Gibbons, with his heavily scarred cheek and dark blue wool suit, looked decidedly government employed and out of place in the hip club. X, with his tattoos, shaven head and large muscular frame, attracted attention for an entirely different reason... much of it from the female population, although he seemed largely oblivious to the attention stirred in his wake.

Once outside, the two men walked a short distance to the Espresso Pump. Augustus ordered two Café Americanos and they took a table in the far corner. Out of habit, they sat with their backs to the wall looking out into the center of the coffee shop and on to the street.

"In the past two months there have been four break-ins in the holdings that once belonged to an operation that was referred to simply as The Initiative. A great deal of The Initiative's work was around the domestication of demons, turning the creatures into harmless shells of their former selves. Other projects were, well, let's just call those unsanctioned." The NSA director took a sip of his coffee before continuing, "The majority of the intelligence was believed to have been moved to another facility when the Initiative was disbanded, but quite frankly, they were sloppy and irresponsible."

"And?" Xander's gaze flicked absently over the patrons of the coffee shop before dropping to glance at the dark rich brew in his cup.

"And we need to find out what was of such interest to prompt four thefts." Augustus paused thoughtfully, "One, we can understand. Maybe its just kids fooling around, maybe it's just a recon to check things out. But four. Four means that not only did they find something worth stealing, but it was interesting enough to come back."

"So you want me to find what's been gafted." X finished as he lounged back in his chair, setting aside the cup of coffee that he had decided appeared to be just short of road repair tar. "And who's behind it."

"That's the first part of this little assignment. The second has to do with the Slayer herself." The NSA director said as he glanced at Xander speculatively.

The young agent shifted his position, one arm stretched on the back of the chair next to him. His casual demeanor hid his interest - from everyone except those who knew him well, like Augustus.

The scarred black man smiled slightly. "Let's just say that it was more than a little surprise to see her back on the job after reports of her death. Resurrections, I can assure you, are rare despite the magic that proliferates this rather obscure aspect of society. We'd like you to keep an eye on her, see how she's handling things. Make sure she's adjusting properly."

"Why?" X questioned bluntly. He wasn't opposed to getting to know the young woman at all... in fact he rather liked the idea. He just didn't like the idea that it was part of his job.

"Why? Because helping her out helps us out." Augustus tapped the table lightly then took another sip of his coffee. "We don't have to deploy a team in this area when we have Ms. Summers on duty. She's efficient, capable and perhaps more importantly, appears to be morally incorruptible. Without her handling the preternatural as well as the less supernatural creatures in this area, we would have more messes on our hands than we could possibly deal with. Despite what you might think, the NSA only has a few highly trained specialists that can do what you do."

Standing, the NSA director finished with a smile. "Besides, I think you'll find that you can learn a thing or two from Ms. Summers."

Several images of the beautiful blonde drifted through his mind before X smiled. "You're not wrong about that."

After several days of following the Slayer covertly, Xander had to admit he was more than impressed. Her fighting skills were well honed, her moves strong, lithe and graceful and more often than not, placed with perfect accuracy. He also noticed though, that there was an underlying abandon in her attacks and that she took more risks than he thought necessary, as if she no longer cared whether she lived or died.

That observation combined with the melancholy expression all too often on her face when she thought no one was looking made it all too obvious to him that she was hiding her unhappiness from her friends or her family. Her isolation and sadness stirred something in Xander's heart that he thought had been untouchable since Yelena's disappearance almost two years ago. It was also something that he recognized from experience.

Just after Buffy stabbed the scaly lizard-like creature in the throat, Xander came out of his hiding place on the outskirts of the small clearing. The clapping of his hands echoed loudly in the stillness of the night.

"Stalking is illegal in all fifty states." Buffy said over her shoulder. She hadn't turned around, currently engrossed in determining what to do with the body of the demon now prostrate at her feet.

"What makes you think I'm a stalker?" X questioned with a smile in his voice was he came closer to where Buffy stood. He surveyed the demon briefly before turning his gaze to her profile.

"Well, let's see... How about the fact that you've been following me for days? Or that I've seen you at the Bronze for the last few nights? Oh, and then you turn up here... out in the middle of nowhere where I just happen to be." Buffy finally turned to look at the man that had walked up behind her so quietly. Her highly attuned Slayer senses had told her that he was there, but otherwise he had moved soundlessly through the tall grass. That was unusual, particularly for such a large man. "I may be blonde but I am not going to buy the idea that you and I have the same schedule."

"You caught me." Xander open his arms playfully, holding them out to his sides. "The question is, what are you going to do with me?"

Rolling her eyes, Buffy reached down to grab the demon's claw like feet. Without a word, Xander grabbed the other half of the creature and helped her toss the body in a small ravine to the left of a thick growth of trees.

"Thanks." The Slayer questioned brusquely, wiping her hands on her pants as she turned on her heel and began to walk away. "Now maybe you'll tell me what you want."

"Maybe I just want to talk to you." X said good-naturedly, falling in step behind her.

"I'm not interested." The diminutive blonde tossed out as she pushed her way through the shrubs surrounding the small meadow.

"Even in a conversation?" Xander questioned, dodging the swinging brush as he followed her. "How about a cup of coffee?"

"I don't think so." Pausing, the diminutive Slayer turned and glanced warily up at the man behind her. He wasn't classically handsome, yet he was obviously powerfully built, the black thermal style shirt stretched tightly across his broad shoulders and deep thick chest. His eyes were deep set and serious as he looked down at her, her gaze moving over his face.

"I'm harmless." Cocking his head to the side, he smiled. He was pleased by her interested albeit subtle perusal - it was at least a step in the right direction.

"You expect me to believe that?" She arched one dainty eyebrow skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm mostly harmless. Is that better?" His rich deep voice rumbled from his chest and despite her reservations, Buffy felt a spark of interest as the sound rolled over her like warm honey.

She tossed her hair slightly, an almost flirtatious gesture that had rarely been seen since her high school days. Pursing her lips slightly, she studied him in the dim moonlight for the space of a few seconds. "I don't think I believe that either."

As Xander studied her face, he debated his options, the possible things he could tell her that might eventually win her trust or, at the very least, provoke her interest enough so that she would talk to him. Finally he settled on the truth.

"Look, you know something about the Initiative and I could use your help." His expression was serious all teasing and pretext gone.

Her expression wary, Buffy looked over the man in front of her again. He looked nothing like anyone she had every seen in the Initiative, much less anyone with government or military connections. Still, it never hurt to be cautious. She'd learned long ago that things weren't always what they appeared.

"Who are you?" She asked directly, her eyes intent on his as if determined to see the truth through his eyes.

"Xander. Xander Cage. But my friends call me X." X extended his hand in greeting, as if they were meeting at a more formal social occasion rather than on a dark Sunnydale street. "I'm here to do a little clean up and check out the recent thefts. My boss and the other government types he works for want to see their research fall into the wrong hands. Something I think you might agree with."

"You work for the government?" The petite blonde questioned skeptically, both eyebrows lifting in surprise.

"I know it's kinda hard to believe, but yeah."

After several long seconds, Buffy hesitantly extended her hand. "I'm Buffy. Buffy Summers." She wasn't sure why she thought she could trust him, but she did.

They talked as they walked, Xander telling Buffy what little he knew about the break-ins at the Initiative's facilities and she in turn told him what she knew about the clandestine organization and their operations in Sunnydale.

Buffy was surprised and a little flattered when he insisted on walking her home, smiling slightly when he teased her that it was for his own protection. She doubted that a man that was a big and looked as intimidating as Xander had to worry much about, even in a town as full of demons and other riff-raff as Sunnydale.

"You've been a big help, thanks." Xander said as they neared her porch. "It'll save me some leg work, no doubt."

"Sure." Buffy replied softly. It had been a long time since she had felt so comfortable with anyone. Since her return, her friends had treated her differently, as if she were fragile or perhaps not completely competent. Spike seemed understanding enough, but Buffy knew that his underlying motives were selfish and controlling. Xander just made her feel... normal.

Her hand was on the doorknob when she heard his voice again, calling out to her from where he stood halfway down the walk toward the street.

"I was thinkin'..." X began almost hesitantly, "If you're interested, maybe you could help me out. You know, check this out with me."

At her continued pause, he winked and gave her a roguish smile, "I could use the extra muscle."

At her door, Buffy smiled, a rare genuine smile. After a minute hesitation, she nodded.

Xander ordered a cranberry juice and club soda then made his way through the crowd to take a position along one side where he could easily see the door. As he watched for a familiar blonde head, he thoughtfully contemplated the events of two nights prior.

He and Buffy had been following footprints in a remote part of the woods when they were ambushed by a group of three vampires. He managed to take out two of them before Buffy reached him, giving her a first glimpse of his fighting skills. She had been sufficiently impressed with his expertise, as well as the demon knowledge he had shown her over the course of the previous two weeks, and had told him so. He, in response, had kissed her.

She returned his kiss hesitantly at first, then with gradually more ardor until they were both breathless and panting. Several heated kisses later, his forehead resting against hers, he had offered to accompany her on future patrols - especially if they ended so pleasantly - and Buffy had jerked away from him as if she had been stabbed.

Her eyes wild with panic, she had told him that she didn't need his help and that she no longer wanted to see him. He didn't need her help with the Initiative, there was no reason for them to see each other any longer. She had turned and run from him then, disappearing into the dark night.

Since then, Xander had given her space. If he had learned anything about Buffy Summers in the last two weeks, he had learned that she was not only beautiful, but intelligent, funny and possessed with an incredibly keen sense of intuition. She was also extremely gun-shy of anything that seemed to come too close to touching her emotionally. He had surmised that she had been badly hurt and rather than risk any such pain again, she had simply closed herself off.

Tonight he was hoping to find her. He had given her enough space.

Buffy slipped through the backdoor of the Bronze, having completed a sweep of the alley behind the club as part of her usual pattern. She took a seat at one of the small tables across from the dance floor, her eyes scanning the crowd for her friends even as her thoughts were preoccupied.

She felt that she had to pay her dues tonight and see her friends, since she had admittedly avoided Willow and Xander, as well as Dawn, several times over the last couple of weeks in order to spend time with X. It hadn't taken her long to start calling the NSA agent by the abbreviated name that was written in tattooed ink across the back of his neck, Buffy wanting in all ways to differentiate him from her high school pal by the same name.

X talked to her as if he valued and respected her thoughts and opinions; he treated her like a partner or equal. Buffy sighed softly. It had been so long since anyone had treated her that way. Even Angel rarely...

Shifting her thoughts away from her vampire ex, Buffy mulled over the short time that she had known X. The night after he introduced himself to her, she had shown him around Sunnydale - starting with the Initiative's former base of operations. They spent many hours searching through much of the debris together, exchanging theories on what the thieves would have taken and following up on the few small leads that they found. Under the guise of additional research, they met for dinner or coffee, occasionally spending hours in conversation about anything but the Initiative or the break-ins. Gradually she found herself opening up to him, sharing stories about slaying and demons. In turn, Xander told her about the world of extreme sports and his travels around the world as a government agent.

And then he had kissed her... feelings sparked inside her that she thought had been long gone.

But when he had offered to patrol with her... she had panicked. It was too much, too close, too soon.

A small noise in front of her brought Buffy's head up with a jerk. Her gaze landed on the man currently occupying her thoughts. Her heart skipped a beat, forcing her to acknowledge her interest in the impossibly large, tattooed man with the shaven head now standing in front of her.

"I may be outta line here..." Xander said thoughtfully, shrugging his broad shoulders, "but there are better ways to deal with your issues than closing yourself off."

"You are way out of line." Buffy replied, a niggling bit of attraction along with an unexpected sense of pleasure moving through her at seeing him again and hearing the deep rumble of his voice. She was unexpectedly pleased that he had sought her out though. Still, relationships - of any kind - were hard and cold and painful things to be avoided. The warmth that flickered in her expression faded abruptly. "Besides, you don't know anything about my issues."

"No, maybe not. But I'm not going anywhere soon." Pulling out a chair, X spun it around and sat down with the back facing the table. Crossing his arms in front of him, he leaned forward. "So why don't you tell me?"

Present, Angel Investigations...

Stepping back from where he had been leaning on the desk studying the screen, Angel turned abruptly to face Gunn. When he spoke, his tone was low and frighteningly calm. "You said there are other videos with Buffy in them?"

Gunn looked apprehensively at his boss and friend, slightly alarmed by the chill in his voice and the turbulent look in his eye. It was a look he hadn't seen often - perhaps only a time a two and then only in the heat of an intense fight. He reflexively took a step back, away from the vampire. Warily he replied, "Yeah, there are two others."

"I want them. Now." Angel responded in that same deceptively calm tone, only his dark eyes betraying any sign of his underlying emotions.

"Sure, man." Gunn took at seat at the computer, moving the mouse to open up the folder containing the data files. "I've downloaded all of them. Just give me a sec here."

His jaw clenched, Angel stepped back and looked over the counter at Spike who was now slumped on the floor. With a smooth economy of motion and effortless strength, he walked around and grabbed the smaller vampire by the coat, hefting him up and depositing him roughly in a nearby chair.

"Get me some rope." Angel directed to the room in general, his hand firmly on Spike's chest holding him in place.

Fred glanced with wide eyes at Cordelia, who only shrugged in response. Gunn didn't even move, preoccupied at the computer. Skirting both vampires, the slender brunette retrieved a length of rope from the weapons closet then returned, handing it to Angel with an outstretched arm as if afraid to get to close.

"Why tie him up? Why don't we just, you know..." Cordy asked, pantomiming a staking action with her fist. It was hardly necessary to be vague since Spike was still out cold, but no one thought to mention that to the seer.

"I want to know what he knows about Buffy and that... that GUY." Angel snapped angrily, leaning down and wrapping a length of rope around Spike and binding him tightly to the chair. It was a good thing that the vampire didn't need to breathe. Next he began to secure each of the Spike's arms to the arms of the chair.

"Ooh-kay. Like he'll know anything..." The brunette seer replied unenthusiastically, turning her attention back to the computer screen and watching as Gunn navigated through the various folders of saved files. Under a folder entitled "Gunn" he double-clicked on one titled "vids" to reveal several more folders. As he double-clicked on the one he wanted, Cordelia pointed at the screen and let out a short laugh.

"Why do you have ‘hot' as the folder name?" She teased with a wide smile, showing perfect white teeth. She rested her hand on his shoulder as she leaned forward and scanned the names of the video files in the folder, reading them aloud, "Bambi, charlotte, jaime, lashelle, x-girl1, xgirl2... zorya, zorya-pierced. Zorya-pierced?! I so do not want to know what that one is."

Bristling with a touch of embarrassment and more than a little annoyance, Gunn shook away her hand with a twist of his shoulders. "So I group my some of my vids by that name. Big deal." Turning around in the chair, he nodded to Angel. "Here you go, man."

"Here. Tie his feet." The vampire tossed the remaining length of rope to Cordelia as he returned to the desk. "Make sure he's secure."

"Why do I have to-" The brunette began to protest indignantly, jabbing the hand holding the rope out in front of her to punctuate her words while her other hand settled on her hip.

"Just do it, Cordelia." Angel growled impatiently as he took Gunn's seat in front of the computer. He shot her a quick look then turned his attention to the screen. Gunn motioned to the first video, x-girl1, and with a quick click of the mouse the player opened up and the video began to load.

With a roll of her eyes and an exaggerated sigh, Cordelia stomped over and knelt down in front of Spike. As she looped the rope around the still unconscious vampire's legs, she grumbled loud enough for the others to hear, "This is so not good."

"What? What isn't good?" Fred asked, the only person that seemed to be paying attention to the brunette seer. Angel and Gunn had their attention focused on the video that was now beginning to play.

"Tying him up? Or not... dusting him?" The slender young scientist prompted, inching only slightly closer as she pointed to Spike. The peroxide blonde vampire made her a bit nervous, as did Angel's obvious agitation.

"Well that isn't good either, but I actually meant him." Cordelia answered, nodding in the direction of the computer as she tugged firmly on the knot, tying it securely. "He's got Buffy face already."

Apprehensively, Fred glanced over at Angel's broad back. "Is that bad? I mean, he doesn't talk about her much..."

"Oh, it's bad. Trust me. Buffy face can last for weeks." Standing, Cordelia walked around the desk and wiped her hands off on Angel's coat that was hanging on the chair. "He hasn't even seen her - well, not in the real in person sense - and already the brooding has begun."

"Oh?" Fred mouthed, her eyes once more riveted on her rescuer from Pylea, the man she revered practically beyond all else. She had hoped that his former girlfriend had been all but forgotten, especially since his brief meeting with her that he wouldn't talk about, but it would seem from his behavior that perhaps that was not the case.

"And I have a bad feeling about this..." Cordy continued, watching as the two men stared intently at the screen. "I say batten down the hatches - this one is going to be the worst one yet."

"So, I've got three orders of pad thai, the basil eggplant, five chicken satays, three scallop satays, but I forgot the nuer ta cai..." Wes declared as he strolled in the room, intently studying the contents of the two bags. He didn't look up until he almost reached the counter. His expression betrayed none of his surprise as he took in the unconscious vampire tied to the chair.

"Oh. I see we have company."

Sunnydale, four months earlier...

"And this one?" Buffy questioned with a smile, her fingers tracing the elaborate lettering of the word ‘Melkor' across the lower stomach of the man lying on the bed next to her. It was quiet in the house, the fading afternoon sunlight streaming through the blinds covering the windows and casting the occupants of the bedroom in a warm golden glow. Buffy lay on her stomach, the white sheet draped over her behind her only covering as she examined the various tattoos that covered her new lover's exquisitely muscled body.

Reclining against the pillows, one arm behind his head, the other loosely draped around the woman that had been his near constant companion for almost two months now, X smiled. "I spent a lot of years playing D&D - Dungeons and Dragons."

"Oh really?" She teased, her small feet with their pink painted toenails swinging in the air behind her. She knew some of the gamer-goobers, as they were often called, that were into D&D from school; X didn't fit the profile at all. "You were into role playing?"

"Not long. Only for like twenty-four years or so." Xander returned good-naturedly, one hand sweeping the golden strands of hair back from her face as he looked down at her. "It was a pretty good training ground for the imagination, not to mention what I'm doing now."

"So what's Melkor?" Buffy asked as she inched up in the bed, her head now level with his shoulder. Her gaze drifted back to the elaborate lettering of the tattoo, which was partially covered by the shared sheet that was also draped over his lower body.

"A character I created. A Drow witch-hunter. Double-specialized witch-hunter." he replied with mock seriousness, his deep voice a rumbling purr. "The Drow are an evil offshoot of the happy go lucky elf race."

"So, you're an elf then?" She laughed teasingly, finding the idea even more incongruous to the man that she had come to know. "Aren't elves, like short and squat and..." Pausing, she wrinkled her nose, "smelly?"

"Hey now!" He swatted her playfully on the behind, a smile on his face. "No mocking the powerful Drows. I'll have you know that they live underground in a cruel and dangerous society. They even worship a Spider Goddess, who is the embodiment of cruelty and spite. Okay, so they're sort of racists, believing in their own superiority over the other races, like the hobbits, humans or other elves, but they have reason to think that since they're pretty damn smart. Bad ass Drow Witch Hunters prowl the masses of humanity, searching for ‘blasphemous' magic and foul Chaos mutations. So, they may be elves but they are feared as well as respected."

"Okay, so then you're a bad ass elf. A little tall for an elf, but okay." She murmured with a smile, her fingers drifting higher up his chest as she settled comfortably in the crook of his arm. "So why'd you get it tattooed on your stomach?"

Adjusting the pillow behind his head, he lowered his arm to wrap it around her, pulling her firmly against his side. "Most of my tats either tell a story or mark an event in my life or just serve as a reminder of something. That one... I guess I identified with the character for a long time; I felt like I was living my life underground, and that we do live in a cruel and dangerous society. It's about how to survive... Now - well, now I guess I can also say it was something of an omen." He gave a short laugh as he ran his hand down her arm in a gentle caress.

"And you said you got all your tattoos at the same place?" She asked curiously, struck with the idea that each of his many tattoos had a special significance. Her eyes roved over the arm draped across her waist, the words "dis" and "order" were scripted by his wrist, above that there were two eagle wings going up his arm. The word "chaos," wrapped in blue filler was written on his forearm. The work was undeniably well crafted and beautifully designed.

"Yeah, a place called Last Rites Tattoo in LA. Indie. She's a helluva artist."

"Take me there." Buffy said after a minute, turning her head to look up at him.

"Why? You want a tattoo?" He questioned with a lift of one eyebrow. His lips curved upward in a small smile. He admittedly found tattoos sexy - he certainly had no objection if she wanted one.

"Maybe." She said evasively, turning her head back to resume her perusal of the ink covering his arm.

"Then maybe I'll take you there." He returned, dropping a kiss on her hair.

"What about this one?" Buffy asked, her fingertips now tracing the small heart with the intertwined "Y" and "X" on Xander's forearm. The tiny heart was almost hidden amongst the other tattoos that covered his skin on his left arm. She paused for the space of five seconds before asking, "Did you love her?"

X's gaze moved from the woman lying next to him on the bed, to the small design. He knew without looking which inked pattern she was referring to; he'd studied it often over the years - had even contemplated having it covered with some other design - but had never been able to bring himself to do that. Perhaps he hadn't quite given up or perhaps he wanted to keep the reminder.

After a brief pause he answered simply, "Yes."

"What happened?" Buffy asked without hesitation; in their brief time together no subject had been untouchable or off limits. X listened, but never judged. He asked questions and genuinely cared for the answers. He pushed gently when she hesitated to talk, his open acceptance managing to bring out years of tucked away thoughts in only a few short weeks. He hadn't even quirked an eyebrow when she finally told him about her former cradle robbing creature of the night ex boyfriend.

"She left." X replied honestly, his gaze drifting from the beautiful blonde at his side to the windows. Outside the tree branches swayed with the wind and the sun sank lower on the horizon. "One day, she just took off."

"I'm sorry." She replied, truly sympathetic. She knew what it was like to have someone that you loved leave without even so much as a goodbye. It left an open wound that seemed to never heal.

"It was a couple of years ago." He returned his attention to Buffy, his hand lifting hers to his lips. He kissed each fingertip gently.

"I'm still sorry." Buffy said, shaking off the painful reminder of her past relationships including her meeting with her vampire ex only a couple of months ago, only a few days after her... resurrection. All of it was also so hard to acknowledge - it almost didn't seem real. She could hardly believe that it had all taken place only a week or so prior to her first meeting with Xander Cage. How much things had changed in such a short time.

"Have I told you today how incredible you are?" His grin was effortless and intimate and Buffy wondered how many times he evaded serious conversation with that expression. X pulled her up and into his arms. "Or how you amaze me with your many... talents?"

She grinned back, suddenly grateful for the distraction; the change in subject was better than dwelling on painful memories. "No, but you can tell me now."

He rolled her beneath him so she felt only the silky friction of his muscles beneath the smooth skin but none of his two hundred and fifteen pounds. "You're an amazing woman, Buffy Summers. Smart. Sexy. Hot." He murmured softly, the rumbling vibrations of sound passing between them and giving her that warm liquid glow that often flooded through her after hearing that rich, deep voice. "Maybe I'll get a ‘B' right here in your honor." He pointed to a small patch of skin on his upper arm.

"Somehow," she smiled, her lips close to his, her eyes matching his teasing glance. "I don't think you're serious."

"Maybe I am." He murmured against her lips, "But right now, why don't I show you some of my talents..."

"Hey, Buffy. I didn't hear you come in last night. Or the night before that." Willow said with false cheerfulness as she came through the door into the kitchen. There was a trace of censure in her voice, which was not uncommon as of late. She hadn't come right out and said so, but she didn't like or trust Xander Cage and wasn't happy about Buffy spending so much time with him.

"Oh my God!"

"Hey." Buffy, who had been leaning over and examining the contents of the refrigerator, whirled around in surprise at her friend's exclamation. "What?"

"That- that - thing... on your back... a tattoo..." Willow stammered, her eyes wide. "That's uh, new."

Craning her neck, Buffy looked over her shoulder to glimpse the ink design across her lower back at the base of her spine. The healing tattoo was framed perfectly between the low-rise jeans and cropped shirt that she wore. Returning her gaze to Willow, she smiled happily. "Yeah. What do you think?"

"It's uh, nice. Angel wings, huh?" The red-haired girl asked, staring once more at the design as Buffy turned her back. "And heart in the middle that's kinda all brokeny."

"Yeah, and?" Buffy replied, scooping some fruit and cottage cheese in a bowl on the counter.

"Well, it's er, nice, I guess. Kind of an unusual choice of... er, designs." Willow sighed resignedly. She should have known that Buffy would do something like this given the person that she was spending so much time with these days. "So, where'd you go and get your body all permanently drawn on with ink and risky needles?"

"LA." The blonde Slayer replied matter-of-factly as she took a bite of her breakfast.

"LA?" Willow parroted in question, leaning on the counter between them. She suddenly wished Tara were here; Buffy seemed to open up more to her than she did to anyone else.

"Yep, LA. The woman that's done all X's tattoos is there and I wanted quality work, so... Well, we went. It was way cool. I told Indie kind of what I wanted for the design then she sketched it up, we made a couple of changes and then she just did it. I think she did a great job."

"I guess so, if you like that sort of thing." The red-haired girl mumbled disapprovingly. She didn't exactly object to the idea of a tattoo as much as the reasons - and perhaps the men - behind it. Buffy was so easily influenced at times, or so Willow thought. Of course, with the mention of LA, the design made a little more sense now. "You didn't happen to see-"

"LA's a big place, Will." Buffy interrupted firmly, her gaze clear and direct. She took another bite of her food before continuing, "And no, I didn't see anyone I knew."

"You know Buffy, is he - X - really... Is he really the right guy for you?" Willow ventured, sweeping imaginary crumbs from the table and avoiding Buffy's eyes. "I mean, not to judge, but well, first it's patrolling, then it's motorcycle racing, and then a tattoo... I'm all for you having a guy and well, dating and stuff, but..."

"It's not like I got his named tattooed on my ass, Will." The petite blonde returned with a smile, recalling X's teasing conversation about getting a ‘B' added to his tattoos and the amorous activities that followed. He hadn't, of course, followed through with the tattoo - she wouldn't have wanted him too at any rate - but it made her feel important and special just the same. Something he was so often good at.

"And what does it matter anyway? I don't know if he's the right guy. I just know that I like being with him. He listens to me, he makes me laugh. I have fun with him. I need that right now. I'm not thinking about anything beyond that. Besides, he makes me forget-" Buffy trailed off, turning away and glancing out the window.

"Forget what?"

"Stuff. He just helps me to forget stuff." Buffy stared outside for a few minutes before she shook the uncomfortable feeling away. She hadn't told her friends that she had been in heaven before they yanked her out of there for what they perceived to be her own good. They didn't know what it had been like - nor did she want them to know. "I like spending time with him."

"You take him patrolling with you." Willow stated almost accusingly, knowing the significance of such a concession from Buffy.

"Yeah, so?" Finishing her breakfast, Buffy washed the small bowl in the sink.

"You didn't even take Riley with you on patrol - at least not when you could help it."

"I know, but X is different," Buffy replied, opening the cabinet and putting away the dish. "I don't worry about having to take care of him - he can take care of himself. It's more like ... I don't know, an equal. A partner."

"But how do you know you can trust him, Buffy?" The red-haired Wicca questioned with a frustrated wave of her arm. "You don't even know him." She chose to ignore the fact that the pair had spent several nights together in Buffy's room; and from the muffled sounds, indulging in more intimate pursuits that just talking.

"I just do. I trust him." Buffy said defensively. She honestly didn't understand her friend's objections to X, but she also wasn't about to compromise his job by revealing anything about his reasons for being in Sunnydale to them. As a matter of fact, they were fairly certain they knew who had stolen from the Initiative; now they only needed to find out what and why.

"I mean, the fact that he already seemed to know about vampires, demons and stuff. That's just one more thing. Doesn't that seem a little suspicious to you?" Willow stated adamantly, "Doesn't that just reek of... badness?"

"Not really." Buffy replied with a small shake of her head. "You know about them, Xander knows about them. Why would X be any different?"

"Maybe he's part of the Initiative. Have you thought about that? He could be a spy! Or worse!"

The petite blonde smiled. She thought a lot of things about Xander Cage when she first met him, including the thought that he could be part of that stiff government agency. That hadn't lasted long - and in fact, now seemed almost ludicrous. "No. He's not. Trust me on that."

The sound of the front door opening jolted Buffy and she glanced over at the clock. It was twenty minutes to nine.

"But Buffy-"

"Look, Willow, I'm sorry you have reservations about X, but I like him. A lot."

"Let me guess. You're talking about X the wonder boy again." Xander Harris said in a mocking tone as he walked into the kitchen. "Just what's up with the big goon this time?"

"Xander." Buffy admonished with a roll of her eyes as she walked into the dining room. Her duffle bag sat on the table next to her jacket and a few other items of clothing.

"Where are you going this time?" Xander asked, following behind her. He cocked his head curiously at Willow who was trying to send him some sort of signal with her eyes.

"Out." The blonde Slayer stated matter-of-factly as she tucked the few remaining things into her bag.

"Out? As in out with X again?" Xander questioned with a sneer. He'd disliked the burly man in Buffy's life since just about the first minute he had met him, a little over a month ago.

"Yes, out with X." Buffy said firmly, casting her friend an irritated look. She was familiar with this routine, having been through it several times before. She knew Xander disliked her boyfriend of the same name; he made no attempt to hide his feelings on the matter, often calling X a tattooed freak.

They had had this same conversation - or a version of it - several times since she had introduced X to her friends and again in earnest, just two weeks ago when Xander came over in the morning before work to find X in Buffy's kitchen making breakfast. The fact that X had obviously spent the night with Buffy made Xander Harris ballistic. Since then, his jabs and barbs had gone unchecked - though he was careful never to make a single comment within X's hearing.

"Oh my God, a tattoo?" The brown haired boy exclaimed loudly, finally picking up on what Willow was trying so hard to point out. His eyes narrowed angrily. "Did that freak - did- did he make you do that?"

"No. Of course not." Buffy replied flatly with a roll her eyes. "And I told you not to call him that. Or if you're going to, then I think maybe you should start calling him that to his face and see if he likes it."

"Honestly, Buff, I can't believe how rash and irresponsible you're being." Xander declared with a shake of his head. "First you went off for two days with that-that guy leaving Dawnie alone. And then you go and get a tattoo..."

"Dawn was here with Willow and Tara, Xand." Buffy stated matter-of-factly as she shrugged into her jacket. Outside the window, she saw a blue Pontiac GTO stop at the curb. "Or are you saying that they're irresponsible, too?"

"No, of course not," he replied grudgingly, "But I'm saying that you're neglecting your sister just so you can do the monkey love thing with X or whatever his real name is."

Casting an assessing glance in his direction, the blonde Slayer only replied dismissively, "I gotta go." She didn't want to argue, nor did she want to discuss her love life - such as it was. Her friends had never been particularly understanding or supportive regarding her choice of men; she doubted that anything had changed in the regard after her resurrection.

"You're just leaving again?" The brown haired young man demanded questioningly as he followed Buffy to the door. "You just got back! You coming back today? Tomorrow? Next week? I mean, we might want to know. And where are you going anyway?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but X is taking me skydiving," Buffy said as she peeked out the window on the door. X was coming up the walkway to the house. "And I'll be back tonight."

"Skydiving? Skydiving?!" Xander snapped, "Well that's real responsible, Buff, real responsible. Go get yourself plastered all over the face of the earth so that psycho Slayer Faith can take over. Oh, wait, she can't. She's in jail."

Ignoring her friends, Buffy opened the door with a smile. "Hey."

"Hey." X replied in greeting, a smile curving his lips at the warm welcome.

"Hey there, X." Willow said with false cheerfulness from her position behind Xander and Buffy. It was an attempt to soothe things over, but Xander's expression hid none of his feelings.

"Hey." X greeted politely before giving Buffy a quick kiss. With his hand on her shoulder, he turned her around slightly to examine the tattoo on her back. "So did you put that cream I gave you on that or do I get the pleasure?"

"Oh, I think I'll let you." Buffy replied in a low voice, glancing back at him over her shoulder. With his hand on her waist, X kissed her cheek and whispered something to her in reply that made her laugh softly.

"Oh please." Xander muttered bitterly, rolling his eyes at the affectionate display. He was jealous of the man that shared his name for more reasons than one: the big guy had brought Buffy out of her shell; making her laugh and smile again for the first time since they brought her back. She spent more time with the big goon than she did with her real friends anymore and then to top it all off, she took him out on patrol with her. They were her patrol buddies; they backed her up. Now suddenly she didn't need them anymore.

"Hey, so why don't you guys come with us?" X invited good-naturedly, aware of the tension between Buffy and her friends. His dark eyes met those of Xander Harris almost challengingly, though it wasn't overt. He knew what the brown haired boy thought of him, and he didn't particularly care - though for Buffy's sake he always tried to get along with her friends.

"Skydiving?" Willow asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, it's a rush." He replied, glancing at Buffy before returning his gaze to her friends.

"No," Xander said with a trace of hostility in his voice. "And you shouldn't go either, Buffy. I still can't believe you're going to do that. It's stupid and irresponsible. And dangerous."

"We're videotaping it. I'll let you watch when we get back." Buffy said as she picked up her bag and started out the door. "Then you can tell me if you believe it or not."

Present, Angel Investigations...

"Food. Yay!" Cordelia gave a little clap and hurried over to where Wesley stood at the counter. Pretending to peek into the bag, she muttered under her breath, "Uffy-bay is on the ideo-vay. She's with another uy-gay."

Leaning forward, Wes whispered sardonically, "Despite your attempt at secrecy there, I'm pretty certain that Angel can understand the ancient code of pig-Latin." Pulling away from the brunette seer, he walked around the counter and sat the bag of food on the desk. Pulling out a chicken satay, he began to nibble on it as he stepped behind Angel to watch the video playing on the computer screen.

There were about half a dozen people in the back of an airplane securing their gear - goggles, helmets, parachutes. One of them was, in fact, Buffy. She was dressed in a black jumpsuit that had patches of yellow on the sleeves and legs. The man standing next to her was wearing a similar style jumpsuit only his was a solid olive green, a red ‘X' was emblazoned across one pocket. He already had on goggles and a helmet and was helping Buffy - who was smiling up at him - secure her own helmet.

Angel stared at the screen, unable to believe that the girl he was watching was the same girl that he had known in Sunnydale, the same girl that he had seen only months ago. Granted, their meeting at the deserted beach between LA and Sunnydale had been all too brief and certainly painful - but he would have never thought that the girl - no, the woman, he corrected himself as he thought of the changes in her since their earlier years together... the woman he had seen that night seemed unlikely to be the same one that he was now watching on a skydiving video. What had pushed her to take such risks? Granted, she was still the slayer... but wasn't that risk enough? Too much, a voice whispered in his head, reminding him that he had already lost her more than once to the perils of her job.

"When was this filmed?" The vampire asked, suddenly curious. He glanced briefly at Gunn, standing to his right.

"I don't know when it was made, but I downloaded it on..." Gunn took the mouse and moved the video window over slightly to see the date of the file. "February 12. It was probably made in January or February then if it's true to form. X's vids usually come out within a week or two of when they're shot. He's got a pretty awesome video crew." He clicked once more on the video, bringing the window back to the front.

With a brief nod of acknowledgement Angel turned his attention back to the screen. With a few clicks of the mouse, he started the video over again, as if he might have missed a few significant seconds. Awesome video crew my ass, he thought peevishly as he watched the footage. It was probably a bunch of idiots just as foolish as X himself apparently was. And who used a name like ‘X' anyway?

Wes looked questioningly at Gunn who only shrugged slightly in response. After the video played for several minutes, past the part they had seen once before, the occupants of the airplane filed to the open door and began to jump.

"Doesn't she know that's dangerous?" Angel muttered as he watched anxiously as Buffy did in fact walk to the open doorway. After a few seconds of additional encouragement and a rather suggestive kiss from the big guy she was obviously with, she jumped out the plane doorway with him.

"Looks pretty cool if you ask me." Gunn offered, watching the couple float through the air. Beneath them, the ground appeared as a distant smudge of green and brown. Obviously, the person with the camera was with the couple - and an expert skydiver as well - as he or she continued to film their descent.

"The latest data from National Safety Council puts it at one death per every 82,000 jumps." Fred piped in cheerfully. She now stood next to Gunn, the carton of basil eggplant in her hand. "Of those, one in 10 is due to malfunction of the parachute."

With a slow turn of his head, Angel blinked and gave the brunette physicist a cold look.

"Well, those odds are actually better than slaying..." Wes added matter-of-factly before he noticed that Angel's cold glare had landed on him. Clearing his throat, he ignored the vampire and rummaged through the bag for another chicken satay.

On the video, X did a backward flip then drifted over to where Buffy was, reaching out to take her hand.

"That looks wicked fast." Cordy declared as she pulled up a chair next to Angel. Taking out a pair of chopsticks, she rubbed them together then dove into the carton of pad thai, scooping up a healthy portion of the egg noodles and bringing it to her mouth.

"It is fast if you consider 90 to 100 miles per hour fast. They'll get 115 to 130 on the initial jump." Fred offered readily, happy to share her extensive knowledge of obscure data and facts with the others. "You go faster if you dive or stand - sort of cutting down on the wind drag if you will."

Angel turned his stare on Fred once again. He didn't need any more reminders or data that told him that what Buffy - his Buffy - was doing on this video wasn't safe. This X guy was completely irresponsible. First with the demon slaying on video and now skydiving - it was bad enough that the guy did it himself, but to drag Buffy into this and who knows what other unsafe acts... His eyes flared angrily at the possibilities crossing his mind and he whipped his head back to the screen. What else was she doing with the guy - other than the obvious - that was unsafe?

Noticing the curious looks of the others, Fred said defensively, "What? So I remember things."

"It's actually quite exhilarating." Wesley interjected proudly, nodding toward the video where the skydivers were now popping open their chutes. Six parachutes appeared in the sky indicating that all the jumpers were now successfully drifting to earth.

"You jumped?" The brunette seer questioned with unabashed surprise, her eyes wide as she glanced over to where Wes stood. "You? Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, former watcher, librarian and rogue demon hunter, you jumped out of an airplane?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I have." Wes replied indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Several times."

"Really?" Fred asked with admiration, offering a bite of eggplant.

"Yes, really." Wesley shook his head at the offered food, "Why is that so hard to believe? I'm not without daring. And actually, it doesn't surprise me in the least that a Slayer would choose such a sport. After all, when one is constantly on the edge, near death..." The former Watcher paused, noticing Angel's dark eyes once more trained on him, the vampire's expression almost menacing. Glancing back at Cordelia, Wes continued, "One would perhaps crave..." as if he could feel the weight of the vampire's continued stare, he trailed off once again. "Ahem. Well, I'm sure you understand what I mean."

"So you jumped. You wore the jumpsuit too?" Cordy teased, completely ignoring the obvious tension in the room. Her eyes roved over the good-looking Watcher as she imagined him in the figure hugging outfit. She smiled brightly as she tilted her head toward the screen, "That kind of jumpsuit?"

"Of course." Wesley replied almost primly before he amended, "Though perhaps not as... snug or revealing."

"They are cute in a sort of ‘I want to hurl myself at the earth in impossible speeds way' but I can't really see you in one. Why do they wear them anyway?" Returning her gaze to the video, she watched it almost thoughtfully. With a shrug of one shapely shoulder, she added, "Maybe it makes the clean up easier."

"I'm surprised that Buffy would do that really." The brunette seer continued after she finished another mouthful of noodles. "I mean, Willow said she died by jumping into some portal or something - so you'd think that our little Slayer there would have issues - to say the least - about jumping off things or out of things."

Angel ran one hand through his hair in exasperation and turned to face Cordelia.

"I'm just saying..." The former Sunnydale cheerleader shrugged, her eyes wide and innocent.

Without a word, the vampire returned his attention to the video.

"Yes, well, given the trauma that she has been through, it wouldn't surprise me if she has a need to reenact similar events and then live through them - only to prove to herself that she can." Wesley stated matter-of-factly, "In fact, such behavior is only one of many possible reactions to post-traumatic stress disorder - something Buffy no doubt must have suffered from after both her death and resurrection, two undeniably traumatic events. It's quite common for the person suffering from such to shut down emotionally, to feel disconnected from the world around them-"

"That or maybe she's got some weird wish to relive her death." Cordelia interrupted, not particularly concerned with the details that Wes could no doubt recite by heart. Her brow creasing in concentration, she added, "Or would that just be a death wish?"

Placing his hands flat on the table with a resounding thud, Angel clenched his jaw. His attempt to ignore the running commentary from the AI team was failing miserably.

"Leave," he snapped angrily, his eyes never leaving the screen. The skydivers were now reaching the ground. Even though he was certain that she made it down safely, Angel felt compelled to watch to be absolutely sure. He didn't need a reminder of how Buffy had died; he already had nightmares about not being there to help her, about watching her fall and not being able to catch her, no matter how hard he tried...

Cordelia stuck her tongue out at the back of Angel's head but otherwise didn't move from her spot. She considered him to be all bark and very little bite when it came to their small group; he might talk a mean game but he wouldn't actually do anything to hurt any of them.

Fred pointed at the video, watching as the camera zoomed in on the faces of the exuberant skydivers. They were removing helmets and goggles now that they had reached the ground. "Is it hot there you think? They look hot."

"Well, I don't know about her..." Cordy smirked, a grin on her face. The camera was panning the back of X just before zooming in closer to get a close-up of the three x's tattooed across the back of his neck. It was as if the person manning the camera had been searching for him in the small group of skydivers now milling around on the ground. "But he's definitely hot. Very hot. Fills out that suit nicely."

Angel closed his eyes for a brief second, trying to control his temper. His friends were not helping his mood at the moment. Opening his eyes again, he focused on the video just in time to see a smiling Buffy swung up in the man's arms. They kissed hungrily as the video panned back slowly before switching abruptly to dark static and ending.

"I'd have to say they're both hot right there in that last bit." Gunn said with a grin. There was no mistaking his meaning, his words obviously on the heated kiss rather than the temperature. "And I'm not seeing any signs of that emotional disconnection you were talking about, English."

If Angel had thought that there would be something more gut wrenching than watching Buffy do something so dangerous as skydiving, he had been wrong. Seeing her in another man's arms, watching that man kiss her... that was worse. Much worse.

He reminded himself that he had left her so that she could find someone new; someone ‘normal' that could love her and that she could love; someone that could take her on picnics in sunlight; someone that could make love to her and that could give her children. So why was it so hard to accept?

The last thing he wanted for her was someone that would encourage her to take more risks than she already had to as part of her duty... what kind of guy was this X anyway? How could he possibly make her happy? How could he possibly love her as much as he... Pausing, Angel corrected himself - how could this guy love her as much as she deserved? What kind of life would X - or whatever his name was - offer her? No doubt he'd end up dead as a result of one of his foolish stunts and Buffy would be left alone... Strangely, that macabre thought cheered him.

"This the other video?" Angel asked, pointing at the one labeled "X-girl2".

"Yep." Gunn affirmed with a nod.

Sunnydale, three months earlier...

Warren grunted and floundered around on the floor, but was unable to dislodge the boot resting firmly in the middle of his shoulder blades pressing him to the debris covered floor. Nearby, Jonathan and Andrew both lay prostrate on the ground, their hands cuffed behind their backs.

"Let's see... here we have files on Project 314," Buffy said cheerfully as she pulled folders out of the boxes along the wall. She flipped open a few of the folders and glanced through them, stopping and unfolding a diagram. "For those of you playing the home game that would be the plans to build another ‘Adam'. Oh, and lookie... they've made their own anatomically correct additions."

"Let me guess," X said in a deep rumble as he secured Warren's hands behind his back with the plastic cuffs that had been used on the others. "Are we talking about certain female attributes?"

"Oh, excellent guess." The blonde Slayer replied with a short laugh as she pulled out another box of files and rifled through the contents. Several folders later, she sat the box aside and declared, "This one looks like some sort of weapon."

"You guys broke in here without any kind of warrant or paperwork. There's no way this is going to stand up in court." Jonathan mewled from the floor, twisting his head around in a attempt to look up at either Buffy or the man she was with. They'd seen the big guy around Sunnydale, but didn't realize that he had been working with the Slayer. They thought he was hanging around her like so many other guys in town did - just hoping to get into her pants. They had to admit from the snuggling they had witnessed at the Bronze along with the suggestive dancing, that this guy might have gotten farther than most.

"I'm not too worried about that, fellas." X said as he glanced over to where Buffy was now leaning over and digging through yet another box. He eyed her shapely bottom appreciatively, a slow smile crossing his face. "You aren't exactly going to court." Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a small cell phone and flipped it open.

"This looks like surveillance equipment, definitely government issue." Buffy said as she sifted through the various pieces of equipment in the box. Her voice was muffled as she was still bent over the box.

"What do you mean not going to court? We have to go to court. It's the law." Andrew squeaked, thrashing around as he tried to turn over.

"Hey, so we found your thieves." Xander said into the cell phone after the person on the other end answered the call. "You sending a team in to pick them up or what?" He listened for a few more minutes before snapping the phone closed. "They'll be here in less than 15."

"My guess is that most of whatever they took is here." Dusting her hands off on her pants, Buffy turned around and surveyed the rest of the modified garage with a quick glance. She would have never guessed that the geeky trio would have turned out to be as shrewd as they had been. They had managed to elude capture for almost three months, leaving very little evidence to tie them to the scene of the crime. Their own egos eventually gave them away as they grew careless in their assurance that they were too smart to be caught.

Tired of waiting for them to slip up and give themselves away, Buffy had given in to her impatience and simply walked up to the door and knocked. Seeing her standing there, the trio had panicked; after a short but ineffective attempt to subdue the Slayer, followed by an attempt to flee out the back door - which only led them straight into X, who was casually leaning against the wall - they were captured and the stolen collateral from the Initiative offices was discovered. What the trio planned to do with most of it - well, Buffy and X left that to Augustus' NSA team to figure out.

"So I guess you'll be off to some new exotic location now." Buffy asked with a forced smile as she wandered absently around the living room, stopping to examine the various knickknacks and pictures along the fireplace mantle.

From his position on the couch, X watched her thoughtfully. They had driven back to the house on Revello Drive after Augustus and a small team had arrived to collect the various materials from the Initiative along with the three perpetrators of the crime. Warren, Jonathan and Andrew would be shipped off to some undisclosed location and would be dealt with accordingly; there would be no trial, no formal proceedings. When it came to certain aspects of government business, it was handled quickly and in a clandestine manner. The trio would not been seen in Sunnydale any time soon, if ever.

Buffy toyed absently with the cherub figure that sat on the edge of the mantle, one arm lifted and blowing a kiss. One of the wings showed a tiny crack where it had been glued back on; otherwise there was no hint of the damage that had been done when it had been knocked to the ground when zombies had invaded the house. The figure had been a rare gift from her father so Buffy had kept the pieces in a box for months, unable to throw it away even though it was broken in several pieces. Angel had found it and carefully glued it back together for her, claiming he had more spare time on his hands than he knew what to do with after his return from hell. The gesture had touched her deeply at the time.

Pushing away her musing, Buffy turned to face her companion of the last few months. His silence only confirmed her suspicions. Xander Cage had a job that took him to exotic destinations all over the world. His most recent assignment here in Sunnydale was now officially over with the arrest of those responsible for stealing from the Initiative's former buildings. Logically it followed that he'd be moving on soon.

"Come here." He rumbled, reaching a hand out for her as he dropped his feet to the floor from their previous position resting on the coffee table.

Quietly, Buffy laced her fingers through his and allowed herself to be tugged forward between his knees. She should have known this was coming; eventually everyone left her, they even left Sunnydale. It was ironic really since she'd be stuck here on the Hellmouth until she died - again. Idly she wondered if X would say goodbye or if he'd just disappear one day.

Xander dropped her hand and, grabbing her belt loop, tugged her forward a few more inches. With his hands on her waist, he looked up at her face. His expression was serious as he contemplated how best to address what he guessed was on her mind.

"Nah, I'm not going anywhere. Not yet anyway." He answered her question after a few minutes. "I do have a job in China coming up in a week or so but I thought I might keep my place here in Sunnydale. I need somewhere to come back to."

"Really?" The blonde Slayer placed her hands on his broad shoulders. The disappointment that she had felt beginning to consume her only seconds before receded slightly as a trace of hope surfaced. She traced the star on his shoulder with one fingertip, the white sleeveless shirt he wore leaving it uncovered. "And why is that?"

"Well, the weather here is pretty good, there are some great motorbike trails nearby and there's this really great coffee shop here..." With a sudden movement he jerked her forward into his lap. His lips curved upward in a slow smile as he enfolded her in his embrace, "Why do you think?"

Smiling in surprise, Buffy kissed him sweetly before she answered. "You really like the weather here?"

"I do." X replied as his lips met hers again.

"You do have a nice place. Good deal on the rent too." She murmured against his lips as she settled more comfortably in his lap.

"Definitely a plus." His lips drifted across her cheek and down her throat.

"And then there's the company." Buffy returned in a husky whisper as she began to run her hands over the bulging muscles in his arms.

Standing, Xander swept her up in his arms then tossed her over his shoulder. "I thought you'd never get to that one. It's my favorite."

Buffy laughed as he carried her up the stairs. Her expression, however, was serious when they reached her room and he set her down on the bed. "You're not leaving?"

"No Buffy, I'm not leaving Sunnydale - at least not permanently - and I'm not leaving you. Not on your life." He replied in a deep rumble, his expression as serious as hers as he brushed a strand of long blonde hair back from her face. "I have a job to do, but as long as you want me, I'll always come back to you."

Buffy's eyes searched X's dark ones for a long moment. It was the closest thing she had felt to being loved in a long time. He had been the only person to come close to filling the void that Angel had created in her heart and in her life when he had walked out on her years ago. If she lost X too - if he left her - she wasn't sure she'd ever let anyone get close to her again.

"Thank you." She whispered finally, holding her arms out for him.

"So Buffy's up there with freakazoid again, huh?" Xander Harris questioned, his eyes rolling toward the ceiling. Low murmurs of laughter drifted down the stairs occasionally, but otherwise the couple had been quiet for most of the evening.

"Yeah. They've been up there since this afternoon sometime." Willow replied blandly without glancing up from the magic text she was studying. "I saw X when the pizza delivery guy came. He came down and got it along with a bottle of wine then went right back upstairs."

"What does she see in him, Will?" Xander pulled up a chair at the table and sat down. In the kitchen, Anya and Tara were chatting quietly. Dawn had left earlier to meet some friends for a class project and study group. "I mean, with Angel there was that whole bad boy, tall, dark broody, vampire thing that girls seem to love - but this guy? I don't get that same vibe."

"Oh, I get the vibe." Anya said as she came into the dining room from the kitchen, a plate of cookies in one hand, a sugar bowl in the other. "Okay, so maybe it's not the broody bad boy vampire vibe," the former vengeance demon corrected at the stern look from her lover, "but there's a vibe. A sexy hunky beefcake vibe. The arms. The tattoos. Yep, there's definitely a vibe."

"Thank you, Anya, for clarifying that." Xander replied with a sarcastic roll of his eyes.

"He's good for her." Tara said as she sat a coffee pot and several mugs on the table. She returned to the kitchen and came back with a small pitcher of cream, taking a place at the table next Willow. "He makes her laugh."

"But we do that. We're her friends and we're here for her. She doesn't need him." Xander insisted, leaning forward and placing his elbows on the table. "I mean, what do we know about this guy? Nothing. He breezes into town and into Buffy's pants before we even know him. And I'll bring this up since no one else seems to, but I know we're all thinking it - I don't really think she's in the best condition - you know, mentally after... you know... to make good decisions."

"Xander." Willow admonished in a hiss, looking up for the first time. They didn't talk about Buffy's sojourn into hell - or so they presumed - at all, not wanting to upset her by bringing it up.

"I'm just saying..." The brown haired young man began unapologetically, reaching for a cookie and stuffing into his mouth. The rest of his sentence was an unintelligible mumble.

"Maybe-maybe... she needed someone - someone that she could love. You know, a lover." Tara stammered softly, not used to asserting herself with the group. She genuinely liked X and was happy that he seemed to be a healthy influence for Buffy. So what if they went motorbike racing or skydiving or if Buffy got a tattoo? It wasn't like those were things other people didn't do.

"But why that guy? I don't get it." Xander protested resentfully with an exaggerated wave of his arm. "Can you honestly tell me that girls really go for that bald head, bulgy muscles and tattooed look?"

Willow gave a small half-smile as she glanced at Tara. "You're asking the wrong girl."

"Yes, they do." Anya declared firmly, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "What? You asked a question. I answered." She amended, noting Xander's disgruntled look. "You want me to lie?"

Tara smiled at the two of them as Willow set aside her book and reached for her laptop.

"I kind of like him. He's nice and fun to look at with all those tattoos and muscles." Anya replied defensively as Xander continued to eye her irritably. "And I'm guessing he's really good in bed since Buffy likes to spend so much time with him there."

"Oh, stop it." Xander held up one hand and half covered his eyes, "Don't say that. I don't even like to think about those two doing... that. Even though I know that they're... doing... that... over our heads even now."

"I-I think they're cute together." Tara said quietly, adding cream and sugar to her coffee.

"Well, I think it could be trouble." Willow said quietly as she turned on her laptop. "I did a little looking around the other day to see what I could find out about our Mr. Xander Cage."

"Willow!" Xander grinned, a mischievous gleam in his eye. He shifted excitedly on his seat, looking from Anya to Tara then back to his childhood friend again. His excitement was barely restrained. "So - spill Will, what'd you find about the big goon? Let me guess - he's done time behind bars."

"Well, he's never been convicted of anything, but he was a suspect in a number of things. Car theft, reckless endangerment-" The sometime hacker said as she opened up a file of notes on her computer.

"Drunk driving? Robbery? Murder?" Xander added enthusiastically, only too happy to find out that Buffy's boyfriend had a colorful background that he most likely hadn't shared with her. Xander could hardly wait to see her face when they told her about this latest development.

The soft creaking of footsteps was heard upstairs followed by a low feminine laugh and answering deep voiced rumble. A door closed and the shower started promptly.

"Nooo..." Willow corrected as she glanced up at her friends, "Nothing like that. Some political statement stuff, but most of it's related to doing extreme sports type things when or where you're not supposed to. I did find though, that he has a pretty big following on the Internet for this thing called ‘The Xander Zone'."

"Xander Zone? What's that? Dirty movies?" Anya sat forward eagerly, glancing at Willow's laptop. "Can we see them?"

Xander rolled his eyes and shot his girlfriend a dirty look.

"No, not dirty movies. Just sports clips mostly though there's a demon hunting one from somewhere in South America." The red-haired Wicca said thoughtfully. "I'm pretty sure that he's a government agent but I don't know which branch or what he wants with Buffy."

"I know what he wants. And he's getting it right now." Xander jerked his thumb toward the ceiling. Snorting with disgust, he continued, "And a government agent? If that big freak is a government agent, then I'm a nuclear physicist."

"So what do we do?" Tara asked quietly, studying Willow's pensive expression. "Do we tell Buffy?"

"I don't know yet." Willow replied, glancing back at her computer screen. "I guess I should tell Buffy what I found out but-" Trailing off, Willow chewed her lip thoughtfully.

"But?" Tara prompted softly, reaching out to touch her partner on the arm.

"But I can't just tell her I found all this stuff." The red-haired hacker said with a shrug, "She'll know that I went looking for it and I don't think she'll be all too happy about that."

"So?" Xander snapped, "You only did it because you care about her and don't want to see her hurt by tattoo boy up there. We only care about what's best for Buffy here."

"Maybe." Willow mused, squeezing Tara's hand.

"We have to tell Buffy, Will." Xander urged animatedly, "We're her friends. We're just looking out for her."

"Tell me what?" Buffy asked from the doorway, a bright smile on her face. She was wearing sweats and a white thermal shirt that was several sizes too big for her. Her hair was combed back but was still wet from the shower.

Four pairs of eyes swiveled around to stare at the blonde Slayer almost guiltily. Beneath the table, Xander nudged Willow's leg but no one said a word.

"Ooh, cookies!" Moving to the table, Buffy took two of the cookies and placed them carefully on a napkin.

Willow looked at Xander with a frown, then back at Buffy. With the primary topic of conversation still upstairs, neither of them wanted to broach the subject with the blonde Slayer just yet.

Closing the lid on her laptop abruptly, Willow gave a small nervous smile. "About the cookies. We wanted to tell you about the cookies."

Anya snorted and opened her mouth only to have Xander grab her hand and pull her to her feet. "And we have to go now, but maybe later we can all get together and ... have cookies. You know, just the five of us. It'll be like old times. Right Will?"

"Sure, yeah." The red-haired wicca said agreeably. "Later we'll all get together and ... have cookies."

Buffy looked from Xander to Willow speculatively before her gaze landed on Tara, who was studying the contents of her now empty coffee mug intently. She had no doubt in her mind that it would be another "we-know-what's-best-for-you-Buffy" conversation. The topic might be X, it might be slaying or it might be any other thing that she choose to do that they didn't seem to like or agree with; she couldn't imagine that they had anything new to say that they hadn't already said before. She loved her friends dearly, but it was getting tiresome.

"Later though, okay guys? Tonight I have plans with X." Without a backward glance, Buffy turned and went back up the stairs. X was waiting for her.

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