Wesley tried several times to get Giles alone so they could talk, and they desperately needed to. Giles hadn't done the spell to maintain the Hellmouth's cloak over Willow, Tara and Buffy, as he had done over Cordelia, Gunn and Angel. Wesley wasn't sure what was going on, he'd even called the Council several times, something he'd sworn to never do again, but no one had answered. That in itself was frightening. There should have been someone on duty, there was always someone on duty.

The very thought of killing the Guardian was ludicrous. It couldn't be done. And anyone who tried would die, swiftly and painfully. Oh, there had been rumors about a spell that could sever the bond between a Guardian and a Hellmouth, but no one had ever actually seen the spell, let alone tried to use it.

And if some insane fool should actually find and use the spell, the results would be horrific. An uncontrolled Hellmouth would wreck havoc all across the country, thousands would die and heavens only knew how the demons in the area would react.

Wesley stared at the back of Giles' head and wished for a moment that he had the ability to read minds, he really wanted to know what the older man was thinking, if he were thinking at all.

*****

Rupert huddled in his seat, the ancient scroll open on his tray table, the two witches crowding him as he explained the proper pronunciation of the obscure text. He didn't, however, translate the warning at the top of the scroll. The warning that stated most emphatically that whomsoever used this spell, would die at its apex, and the Hellmouth would be free to do whatever it wished, and no one would be able to stop it.

In the back of his mind, Rupert could hear the other, the one known as Giles, screaming in fear and rage. The spell that bound him was holding firm, Giles couldn't break free to warn the Slayer or the witches. Soon that same spell would completely eradicate the persona of Giles, leaving only Rupert, mild-mannered Watcher, the one who followed orders and didn't ask questions.

*****

Gunn watched Wesley out of the corner of his eye. He knew something was wrong, but Wes wasn't talking. This whole mess was giving Gunn the willies, something about the Sunnydale's crew story didn't sit right. Gunn repeated their conversation in his head and finally realized what was wrong. The entire thing had been rehearsed, and Gunn wanted to know why.

He grabbed Wes by the arm and pulled him towards the rear of the plane. Hustling him into the cramped bathroom, Gunn locked the door and pinned Wes against the sink. "Tell me what's going on, Wes. And don't say 'nothing', I know you better than that. Something is seriously freaky about those guys."

Wes started to deny everything, but the conviction in his friend's voice made him wonder. "What do you mean, Gunn? It could be important."

The muscular young man shrugged, "They're acting like puppets or somethin'. And they keep saying the same thing over and over. 'The Guardian is evil and must be destroyed.' They're givin' me the creeps, man."

Slapping himself in the head, Wesley groaned, "Of course. How could I be so stupid? They must be under a compulsion spell." Staring into Gunn's eyes, Wesley asked quietly, "Charles, do you trust me?"

Gunn nodded, "Yeah, man. You know that."

Wesley nodded, "Just checking." Wesley grabbed Gunn by the head and pulled him forward until their foreheads touched and began chanting under his breath. Gunn couldn't really hear the words, but he could feel them pounding through his skull. He winced in pain, but didn't pull away, trusting Wes to not do anything to hurt him. The pain in his head finally became words he could understand, but had trouble believing.

Wesley finally released him and moved back as far as the small space allowed. "Charles? Are you all right? Do you understand?"

Gunn shook his head violently. "Yeah, I'm fine, could use some aspirin though. Is this for real? I mean about the vampires and shit?"

Wesley's face was solemn, "Yes, Charles, it's very real. And very dangerous. No matter what else happens, they can't be allowed to attack the Guardian."

Buffy turned and headed back to the front of the plane. Leaning over Giles' shoulder she whispered, "Wesley and Gunn are going to try to stop us. I heard them. What do you want me to do?"

"We'll have to lose them at the airport. They can't be allowed to interfere."

"I could maybe..."

"No, Buffy, you will not harm them. They are obviously being influenced. Once we've dealt with the Guardian they'll revert back to normal."

"I could maybe 'convince' them to help us, Giles." Willow whispered.

The Watcher shook his head, "No. We can't take the chance that the Guardian would be able to locate and break the spell. We'll just have to do this on our own."

"What about Angel? We're going to need him, Giles." Buffy said.

"See if you can separate him from the others, Buffy. Feel him out, carefully, make sure he hasn't been compromised."

Buffy nodded and went to sit next to Angel, completely ignoring Cordelia. The seer finally got tired of being ignored and moved to sit back with Wesley and Gunn.

Gunn looked at Wesley, then pointed at Cordelia. Wesley raised one brow and shook his head. Gunn folded his muscled arms over his chest and glared at his friend. Wesley sighed and turned to the seer. "Cordelia, do you trust me?"

"Well, duh, Wesley. What's going on? Why is everyone acting so wonky? Can we say Stepford Slayer?"

Gunn just grinned, Wesley sighed and started chanting.

*****

Xander moved swiftly through the black liquid, breathing easily. What is this stuff? he asked his guides.

'It is hard to explain, Xander. It is us, and yet it is not.'

Oookkkaaayyyy. I understood that, not. But how come I'm not drowning?

'You are part of us, we are a part of you. Open your mind to us, you will understand.'

Xander looked and finally understood. He wasn't bonded to the Hellmouth, he was the Hellmouth. The three of them had become one, single being. The black liquid was the body, the mini dragons were the mind and he was the spirit that held them all together. None of them could exist anymore without the others, but Xander didn't mind. He, no they, would never be alone again.

They finally reached Spike's resting place. The vampire, cocooned in a bubble, was sleeping peacefully, a dopey smirk covering his face. Xander laughed silently and scooped Spike up in his arms. His two guides quickly towed them back to the opening. The vampire didn't need to breathe, but there was no sense in taking chances.

Xander pushed Spike up and out then turned back to the little dragons. I'll be back, soon. Maybe you guys could show me around some more.

The two little creatures nuzzled against his cheeks, 'Yes. Soon.'

*****

Nathanial heard the shower come on and crawled out of bed, leaving Asher sleeping like the dead. Snickering to himself, the were-leopard walked into the huge bathroom, wanting to spend some more time with the Guardian. Nathanial came to a quick halt when he realized that Xander wasn't alone. The Guardian was trying to hold onto a slim but muscular blonde and not doing a good job of it.

"Hi, Xander. Need some help?"

The Guardian turned quickly and smiled when he saw Nathanial. The sight of that nude body partially covered by long, red hair, really made Xander wish he were still in bed. "Yeah, Spike is kinda slippery."

Nathanial moved under the spray and grimaced when he got a good look at the black goo covering the two taller men. "Yuck. What happened to you? And where did he come from?"

Xander grinned brightly, "He followed me home."

Nathanial returned the grin, "Are you going to keep him?"

Xander snagged Nathanial by the back of the neck and pulled him in close before kissing him deeply. "We. We are going to keep him."

Nathanial panted for air and rubbed his hard-on against Xander's hip, "Good idea."

Xander tried to rush the shower, but between an unconscious Spike and a horny Nathaniel, it wasn't easy. Finally deciding they were clean enough, he shut off the water and grabbed some towels. After making a cursory attempt to dry Spike's limp form, he carried the vampire into the bedroom and tucked him into the bed. Nathaniel followed them with extra towels and took his own sweet time drying Xander's back.

Xander finally had enough teasing and tossed the were-leopard onto the bed, covering him with his body. "You," he said, "are a tease."

Nathaniel grinned, "Not teasing," he said as he wrapped his legs around Xander's hips.

Xander ground his erection against Nathaniel's, making the younger man pull in a shaky breath. "You are in so much trouble." Xander whispered.

Nathaniel raised his unusual violet eyes to the ceiling and said, "Thank you."

Xander cracked up laughing, the jostling of their bodies smearing the pre-cum leaking from their erections across their bodies. Nathaniel licked a path up Xander's throat, growling against his skin, the vibrations making Xander shudder.

The Guardian snagged the lube from the nightstand, quickly coating his cock and a spread some on Nathaniel's fingers. The were-leopard grinned and quickly prepared himself. The sight of the muscular young man writhing on his own fingers made Xander's blood boil. He pulled the redhead's legs up onto his shoulders and quickly slid balls deep into satin-smooth warmth.

******

Spike woke up when the surface he was lying on began to move. He opened his eyes to a sight he'd never expected to see. The Harris whelp had a man with long red hair pinned down and was fucking him through the mattress. Not that the redhead was complaining, he was begging for more. Spike closed his eyes and shook his head, convinced that he was having a bad dream. He opened his eyes again and found the whelp staring at him with eyes that had gone completely black.

Spike jerked back and bumped into the cold body resting behind him. He whipped his head around, even more surprised to find Asher lying there smiling at him with sleepy blue eyes. "Well, well, well, William the Bloody as I don't live and breathe. What are you doing in our bed?"

Asher leaned up and looked over Spike's shoulder, smiling when he saw the Guardian and Nathaniel 'entertaining' each other. Asher looked back at Spike and laughed, "Are you one of us now?" Asher nodded his head at the energetic couple, who were showing no sign of slowing down or stopping. "The Guardian could use you, hell, I could use you." Asher said in his softly accented voice. "The boy is going to wear me out."

Spike's mouth opened and closed several times, before he finally managed to say, "Guardian? The whelp is the Guardian!?" Panicked blue eyes darted around the room before the vampire leapt out of the bed and ran from the room.

Asher started to follow, but Xander stopped him with a quiet word. "Let him go, Ash, he won't get far."

"But, Xander..."

Xander shook his head, "No, Ash. Leave him alone."

Nathaniel reached up and tugged on Xander's hair, "Hey. Ignoring me here."

Xander smirked and slammed back into the pliant body beneath him, making the were-leopard moan. "Not hardly." he whispered, slowing down again when he felt Asher climb into the bed behind him, Spike was going to have to wait.

*****

Wesley and Gunn waited impatiently while Cordelia effortlessly put the fear of God into the hapless baggage handler. Their luggage had inexplicately become trapped in the conveyor belt leading to the pickup carousel, the effects were, to say the least, catastrophic.

Cordelia had taken one look at her shredded clothing and proceeded to tell all and sundry that damage would be done, heads would roll and the devastation would be complete, unless someone immediately took steps to placate her anger. Wesley was more than a little impressed, he'd had no idea the Seer could be that eloquent. But time was wasting, Angel and the others had gone ahead to the hotel and he didn't really trust them at the moment. Willow had looked amazingly guilty as she had left the terminal with the others. Wesley was sure that the young witch had done something to cause this problem.

Looking at his watch one more time, the former Watcher decided to take steps. "Cordelia, we must leave now. Time is wasting." The young woman turned her glare on him, but he didn't flinch. After spending enough time on the receiving end of 'The Look' one became rather immune. "We have urgent business, Cordelia. Or had you forgotten?"

Cordelia opened her mouth to say something scathing, but suddenly took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. "Sorry, Wes, but...my clothes!"

Wesley gently patted her on the back as he led the way out of the terminal, "Don't worry, Cordelia, if we survive this, we'll get you new clothes."

Cordy suddenly got a greedy look on her face, "If we save this Guardian dude, he can get me new clothes. I mean, he's going to owe us, right?"

Wesley suddenly wished he'd never gotten out of bed that morning.

*****

Xander slid into a clean pair of jeans before he went looking for Spike. The Guardian stepped outside and immediately located the vampire sitting on one of the benches scattered around the courtyard, the dim light of the false dawn making Spike's pale skin glow. Xander chuckled to himself, if Spike wanted to hide, he was going to have to learn to put some clothes on first.

Xander sat in the grass in front of the bench, not wanting to make Spike any more nervous than he already was. They sat there quietly for a moment before Xander said, "Spike? What's wrong?"

The vampire stared at him, "What's wrong? Are you bloody daft?"

Xander frowned slightly, "No. At least I don't think I am. I'm not really sure of anything right now. It's been a really rough couple of days. I break up with my girlfriend, move halfway across the country, start a new job, get chosen to be the Guardian of a new Hellmouth, have to take on the Council, get bonded...it's all been a little weird."

Spike gaped at him for a minute and then started laughing, "Only you, Harris, only you."

Xander shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face. "Hey, it's not all bad, actually, it's pretty cool. I don't have to worry about being a demon magnet anymore, even the Council is afraid of me now."

"The Council? You don't mean The Council?" Spike asked in shocked voice.

Xander laughed and nodded, "Yep, The Council. Man, what a bunch of dicks."

Spike stuttered and stammered before finally joining in the laughter. "They are that, mate. They are that." Spike rubbed his hands over his eyes and sighed, "I could really use a fag about now."

Xander concentrated for a second and then handed the blonde a pack of smokes and a new lighter. "Here you go, Spike." The vampire lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply, a look of contentment on his face.

Xander stared down at the ground and plucked several blades of grass, trying to figure out how to say what needed to be said. He finally decided to just go for it. "Spike, listen. I'm really sorry about the whole Hellmouth thing. It was trying to protect you. And about what Asher said...you don't have to stay here. I mean, you can stay here, but you don't have to...you know." Xander managed to get out.

Spike raised one brow, "That was a surprise, mate. Didn't know you were that way."

Xander's face turned bright red, "Neither did I, but Nathaniel and Asher, well..."

Spike chuckled, "I'd always thought you more inhibited than that, Harris."

Xander joined in the laughter, "I think Nathaniel sucked all my inhibitions out through my dick."

Spike laughed so hard he fell off the bench backwards, "Oh, hell, mate. That was good. Hadn't heard that one before." The laughter gradually died down and Spike said, "What about Anya?"

"Anya? What about her? We broke up, you know that, you were there." Xander said confusedly.

Spike nodded, "Yeah, I was. I was the one who broke you up, remember? What are you going to do to me?" he asked quietly.

Xander rose to his feet and reached down to pull Spike to his. "Nothing. I was pissed, still am kinda. But if I hadn't have caught you, I never would have come here." Xander shrugged, "The Hellmouth said it had been waiting for me, it knew I was coming. Everything was supposed to happen this way I guess. If Anya really loved me, she never would have jumped you."

"Oi! I'll have you know that I'm very jumpable." Spike said indignantly.

Xander let his eyes slowly roam over the vampire's naked form, impressed by what he saw. "Yeah, you are." he said quietly.

Spike smirked at him, "What are you going to do about it, whelp?"

Xander threw an arm around Spike's shoulder and led him back into his rooms. "You know, Spike, as one of my consorts, I could do some really nice things for you."

Spike shivered as the husky voice washed over him, "Oh really? Tell me more."

Xander slid silently out of the bed, leaving Spike, Nathaniel and Asher snuggled together under the blankets. He and Spike had talked for hours after returning to the room, whispered conversations and stifled giggles to keep from waking the others. They hadn't had sex, not yet, but Xander had thoroughly enjoyed himself, and he thought Spike had too. It was...nice...to just talk, to get to know each other a little before things got out of hand. And get out of hand they would, Xander was sure of that much.

Exerting a minuscule amount of power, Xander dressed himself and was just opening the door to the garden when he heard a faint sound. Turning, he looked straight into sleepy, violet eyes. "Nathaniel," he whispered, "go back to sleep."

"Where are you going?" the were-leopard asked in a husky voice.

"I'm heading back over to the mainland, I'm starving. You want something?"

Nathaniel yawned and moved a little closer to Asher's sleeping form. "Nah. Maybe later. Be careful."

Xander grinned, "Go to sleep, I'll be fine." Xander shut the door quietly behind him and headed for the gazebo to say good morning, afternoon, whatever. "Hey, you guys awake?"

"Of course, Guardian."

"Cool. I'm going over to the lodge and get something to eat. Keep an eye on them for me, will you?"

"Yes. But you need not leave, we will provide anything you require."

Xander sat on the floor and let his fingers trail through the black water, "I know, but I want to see how Harry and Cheryl are doing. Everyone else is still asleep, but could you make sure there's plenty for everyone else to eat? I know the hyenas will be starving when they wake up. I'll be back soon."

"We will care for them, Xander. Please, give the Warden and his mate our regards, he served us well during his tenure. We are...grateful...for his service."

"I've got a better idea, why don't you guys tell him yourself? I know he'd like to talk to you. I'll bring him over later." Xander said with a grin. "Now, I've got to get some food or I'm going to pass out. I hope someone left a boat on this side, I don't feel like swimming right now."

"Follow the trail, Guardian, there is no need for you to swim."

"Okkkaaayyy. Whatever you say." Xander headed down to the shore and was shocked to see a ribbon of black stretching from the island over to the dock on the mainland. He cautiously set a foot on the path, laughing when it felt solid beneath his foot.

He'd made it halfway across the lake when he heard a deep laugh coming from the shore. Looking up he saw Harry and Jake waiting for him. "Well. That's a sight you don't see everyday." Jake said, with another laugh. "Didn't know Guardians could walk on the water."

Harry just shook his head, "Neither did I, but I'm guessing we're going to be seeing a lot of new things. Xander doesn't really stay inside the lines much, does he?"

"Nope. But I think that's going to be a good thing." Jake said, quietly.

Xander finally made it to shore and grinned at his welcoming committee. "Hey guys, how's it going? Harry, do you think I could talk Cheryl into making me something to eat? I'm starving."

Harry slapped him on the back and led the way to the lodge. "Xander, I think if you don't let her cook for you, she's going to be pissed. And a pissed off Cheryl is one thing you want to avoid."

Jake nodded his head in agreement. "Yep. Love that girl of mine, but she does have Satan's own temper. Takes after her mother that way. 'Sides, I think she was wanting to thank you herself. I want to thank you, too, Guardian. That was a good thing you did, saving my girl like that."

Xander's face turned bright red, "I couldn't not do something, Cheryl's been really nice to me. I like her. Besides, those Council guys are a bunch of assholes, they deserved it. And you don't have to call me, 'Guardian', it's going to take me a while to get used to that. I'd really feel better if you just called me Xander. Or Most Exalted One would be of the good."

Jake choked on a laugh and had to stop to breath. Wiping the tears from his eyes he said, "He'll do, Harry. He'll do just fine."

*****

Cheryl wrapped Xander in a bone crushing hug the second he came through the door. "Xander, thank you." she whispered in his ear. Pulling back, she smiled tearfully at him, "how can I ever thank you?"

Xander blushed when his stomach grumbled loudly. "Food?" he asked, with a pitiful expression on his face.

Cheryl immediately became all business. Pushing him into a chair at an empty table she said, "You sit right here and I'll get you a piece of pie to start with." Bustling to the kitchen she called out, "Mama? Xander's here. Come meet him."

An older woman who bore a striking resemblance to Cheryl came out of the kitchen wiping flour from her hands. Xander stood up to greet her and soon found himself wrapped up in another one of those bone crushing hugs. "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart." The older woman released her death grip on Xander's shoulders and stepped back. "Where are my manners?" Holding out her hand she said, "I'm Mary Franklin, and I'm very pleased to meet you."

Xander shook her hand, "Nice to meet you, too. I'm Xander."

Mary grinned at him and pushed him back into his chair, "You get comfy, honey." Shaking her head she tsk'd, "Why, you're nothing but skin and bones. Cheryl! Bring this boy something to snack on while he's waiting!"

A huge piece of chocolate cream pie suddenly appeared on the table in front of Xander, "I've got it, Mama. Come on, let's get cookin'."

Cheryl pulled her mother back into the kitchen, leaving Xander with a small piece of nirvana to sample. Jake and Harry laughed outright at the moans and groans of pure bliss that came out of Xander's mouth as he dug into the pie. "Oh my God, this is good. This is better than good. This is perfect."

Harry patted the tiny bulge of his own stomach and snickered, "Xander, you ain't seen nothin' yet."

*****

Xander was enjoying a cup of coffee with his friends over the remains of a truly wonderful meal when the deluge began. News crews, buses, vans and cars seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Jake and Harry both started cussing, much to the dismay of their wives. "Harry? What's going on?" Xander asked, totally confused.

Jake snorted, "They're here for the Guardian. Bunch of vultures."

Harry sighed, "I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you before they descended on us, Xander. There are going to be a lot of people wanting things from you now. News crews will want interviews, people will be trying to take pictures, and complete strangers will be acting like your best friend wanting you to make their lives easy for them."

"And then there are the wannabes." Jake said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Gonna be a whole bunch of people wanting to be one of your concubines. Men, women, you name it. Hell, there's probably even gonna be demons in that bunch. And the fanatics will be arriving in droves."

Xander was seriously starting to freak out now. "Fanatics? What kind of fanatics?"

Mary patted him on the hand, "Don't you worry none, Xander. It's just a bunch of religious morons who seem to think that the Guardian is the incarnation of Satan himself. They can't hurt you. They're nothing but talk. Besides, they won't know you're the Guardian. You're just a guy having coffee with some friends. Relax. Let Harry deal with them."

Xander groaned and thumped his head down on the table. "Can this get any worse?"

Just then the bell over the door tinkled and a seething mass of humanity poured into the lodge. There was shouting, questions, threats and bribes flying fast and furious. Then Stell appeared in the middle of it all.

Pointing one, obviously fake, nail at Xander she yelled, "There he is! He's the new Guardian!"

The crowd surged forward and surrounded the table. Xander could feel the Hellmouth in the back of his mind, his ward was getting just a little pissed off. "Uh, guys? It's going to get ugly in here in a second."

Harry whipped his head around and cursed when he saw Xander's eyes clouding over black. "Oh Hell, not now. Xander, you better make a run for it. We'll hold them off as long as we can."

Xander nodded and stood up. The crowd moved a little closer, much too close for Xander's piece of mind. Then the crowd parted, forcibly, and in the middle of the room stood the Scooby gang, along with the LA crowd. "Ah shit." Xander pulled the power around him and disappeared in a cloud of black.

Harry suddenly found himself dangling in mid-air, held up by a tiny little blonde girl. "Where did he go? And what did you do to him?"

Spike felt something enter the room and forced open gritty blue eyes in time to see a seething cloud of blackness coalesce in mid air over the bed where he'd been sleeping.

The vampire shoved his bedmates one way while he rolled the other. The cloud split and down poured Xander. The Guardian was hyperventilating and shaking like a leaf.

"Xander?" Nathaniel whispered, "What's wrong?"

The infamous Harris babble spewed forth. "Ate. Great food. Then they came. Lots of them. Reporters and people and they all wanted stuff and Harry told me to leave and no one would know. But Stell...she's the one with the really bad makeup job and way too much hairspray...she hates me cause I got the job she wanted, but I didn't know she wanted the job. Anyway, she told everyone who I was and then they showed up. I bagged."

Asher and Nathaniel both stared at their new lover in dumbfounded disbelief. The image of the Guardian as all-powerful and all-knowing was in serious jeopardy. Spike just shook his head. "Harris, what are you babbling about now? Makes some sense, man."

Xander sucked in a deep breath. "She's here. Buffy is here."

Spike's eyes grew wide, "Oh fuck."

*****

Anita stepped out of her cabin and cursed when she saw the news vans. "Fucking reporters. I'd rather face a pack of rabid were-rats." The Executioner was turning to go back into her cabin when an immense crowd of people came spilling out of the diner in a panic. Anita pulled her Browning and ran for the hysterical crowd, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder to shout at Jason as he emerged from Jean-Claude's cabin. "Trouble at the diner! Get Richard and Jean-Claude!" she shouted as she continued running, anything that could scare a crowd of reporters away from a story had to be bad.

*****

Anita slid up to the corner and dared a quick glance through the glass. What she saw didn't make her feel any better. A little blonde girl was holding the Warden by the throat, the heavy man was dangling in mid-air from one tiny hand. A group of strangers surrounded the pair. One tall, dark haired vampire was standing between the Warden and his wife. Cheryl was crying and trying to get around the vampire, but he kept pushing her back. An older couple, Cheryl's parents by the look of them, were trying to help, but the vampire was just too fast for them.

There were three people that were obviously trying to diffuse the tense situation, but they weren't having much luck. Anita glanced over just as Richard and Jason joined her beside the door. "Where's his Highness? Still doing his hair?"

Jason shook his head, "There are tunnels under the cabins that lead into the diner. He'll come out somewhere in the kitchens. What's happening?"

"Don't know yet, but we can't wait to find out." Anita said, in the second before she burst through the door, Browning aimed at the back of the blonde's head. "Put the Warden down, very, very carefully, and step away."

The blonde didn't even turn around, "Stay out of this, it doesn't concern you."

Anita took off the safety, "Harry happens to be a friend of mine, so it does concern me. Put him down! NOW!"

Jean-Claude literally flowed out of the kitchen and faced off with the other vampire. "Angelus." the Master of the City snarled. "Who gave you permission to enter my territory? I had not thought the order of Aurelius had so many childer that they could afford to throw them away like so much trash."

The contempt in the softly accented voice was more than Angel could bear. He didn't recognize the other vampire, but then, he didn't need to, knowing the other was a Master was enough to ignite his infamous Irish temper. He bowled over the humans he'd been guarding and attacked.

Anita couldn't spare the time to break up the fight. Jean-Claude was a big boy and could take care of himself, but that didn't stop her from worrying. With a terse nod, she told Jason to get the humans out of the path of the snarling vampires. The were-wolf didn't ask any questions, now was not a good time to be pissing Anita off.

*****

Spike cuddled Xander in the middle of the bed, quietly explaining the situation to the confused pair sharing the bed with them. Asher growled in his throat when he heard that the Slayer was in the vicinity.

Nathaniel was completely lost. "What the Hell is the Slayer?"

"The Council's pet Pitbull. A more vicious, inhuman, unpleasant bitch you'll never meet." Asher snarled, visions of rending the Slayer limb from limb dancing in his mind.

Xander made a choked sound and Asher immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Xander. I know she is your friend."

Xander rubbed his head against Spike's smooth chest. With a choked laugh in his voice he said, "Buffy is more like a rabid poodle than a pitbull."

Spike howled, "Ya got that right, Pet. Slutty is a bitch, in the truest sense of the word."

"Buffy? The Slayer's name is Buffy?" Asher asked increduously.

Spike nodded, red-tinged tears of mirth streaking down his cheeks, "Little blonde bimbo." Spike suddenly grew deadly serious. "She's good mate. Probably the best, ever. She'll do whatever it takes to get the job done."

"What do you think she's here for?" Nathaniel asked worriedly.

Xander sat up and his eyes grew distant. "We're about to find out. Anita and Harry are going to be bringing them here. We don't have much time." Swirling black eyes looked up at Spike, "What are we going to do, Spike? She'll try to kill you, all of you. I don't even want to think about what she's going to do to me." Xander said with a shudder.

Spike smirked, "Let her try, Pet. You're the Guardian, remember? She can't do anything you don't want her to."

Despite the waves of power radiating from Xander's body, the young Guardian still looked worried. Spike kissed him gently, "You have the power, Guardian, use it."

Xander took a deep breath and nodded, "You're right. I'm the Guardian, I should start acting like it." Without even making a gesture Xander dressed himself and his three lovers in identical black leather pants and silk shirts.

Nathaniel ran his hands down his own thighs and sighed, "I love leather." Hopping off the bed he spun in a circle, "How do I look?"

The other three men stared at the muscular red-head, relishing the way the leather accenuated the curve of his ass and his muscular legs. Nathaniel giggled, "That good, huh?" Crawling back onto the bed, the were-leopard settled easily in Xander's lap. Licking the Guardian's lower lip, "Let's get rid of them quick. I want to see what other kinds of leather you can come up with." Nathaniel said with a purr in his voice.

Xander nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

*****

Anita wiped away the trickle of blood from her cut lip. The so-called Slayer had managed to get in a lucky shot, and that's all it was. Anita shook her head, why anyone with half a brain, which was probably giving the Slayer more credit than she deserved, would dress in skin tight clothes and high heels when they were planning on fighting was beyond her. It was just asking for trouble. And all those kicks? The Executioner choked back a laugh, it might look impressive, but any decent fighter could, and would, exploit the obvious weak points. It was hard to duck a bullet when you were in mid-air.

Luckily, or not, she hadn't had to actually shoot the girl, but she was thinking that a bullet might do wonders for the Slayer's personality, it certainly couldn't hurt.

"Anita? Thank you." Harry smiled and shook his head, "I seem to be saying that to you a lot lately."

"It was my pleasure, Harry. So...what are we going to do with them?" Anita asked, looking down at the demoralized group.

"That's for the Guardian to decide. It'll be dark soon. As soon as the sun goes down we'll head over to the island."

Anita settled in to wait, keeping a close eye on their prisoners. The two quiet ones were up to something, she just didn't know what. Yet. But she would be waiting for it. Actually, the whole fight, while it had seemed drastic while it was happening, had been just a little too easy to win. Anita's eyes narrowed down to slits, she had the feeling that she'd just been set up, and she hated it when that happened.

*****

Willow and Tara were chanting quietly before they even got off the boat. They had to be ready to snare the Guardian the second they saw him, they knew they wouldn't get a second chance. Once he was immobilized, then they could seal the Hellmouth, permanently. Once it was sealed, the Guardian would be just another deposed God-wannabe. Buffy would take care of him then. Willow fought back a smile, yep, business as usual, then they could find Xander and take him home where he belonged. The witch went pale for a second, she hoped that nasty Guardian weenie hadn't done anything to Xander. Cause if he had...

*****

It had taken a lot of arguing, and even some threats, but Xander finally managed to get the pack to leave the audience chamber. He wasn't going to take the chance of them getting hurt when Buffy came in. Tut and Ling Si had declined his offer to send them home via the Hellmouth, they wanted to watch.

Actually, what Tut said was, "Oh no, brother. We're staying. We wouldn't miss this for the world. There hasn't been anyone born stupid enough to try a stunt like this in over 500 years. I'd thought that kind of inbreeding had been abolished, and I'd really like to see what you decide to do as punishment for their audacity."

Ling Si nodded in agreement, "Yes. Indeed. What you do here today will set the standard for years to come. Please, do try to avoid just killing them outright. That is so blase, not to mention boring."

"And it's so difficult to get the blood stains out of the carpets." Tut said helpfully.

Xander gaped at them for a moment then busted up laughing, the last of his fears laid to rest. Now, all they had to do was wait. And from the screetching coming from the corridor, they wouldn't have to wait long. Xander winced, he didn't know where she'd come from, but he'd recognize Anya's voice anywhere.

Unfortunately, so did Spike. "Oh this should be bloody good. Ya hear that, Xander? Sounds like the demon chit decided to join the party."

Xander nodded tersely, "Yeah, I heard her." Settling back in his throne, Xander nodded at the door, "Here they come."

Harry swung open the double doors leading into the Guardian's audience chamber and nodded once in satisfaction. Xander's brother Guardians and his concubines had obviously done their jobs, and done them well. Xander had lost the panicked looked in his eyes and was firmly in control of himself and the Hellmouth.

The tableau set before them was one designed to give the overall impression of power, and it was working. Quite well from everyone's reactions. Xander sprawled across an opulent throne fashioned of pure Hellmouth power, his brother Guardians occupied identical thrones on either side of him.

The young were-leopard, Nathaniel was curled up at Xander's feet, looking like a pampered, well-loved pet. The two blonde vampires stood directly behind Xander's throne, both of them leaning on the sculpted back with careless insolence.

Harry stumbled when someone pushed him from behind, hard. He whipped his head around to see the blonde that had joined their little party at the docks pushing her way past the others. Harry shook his head, she claimed to be Xander's girl friend and had been very vocal in her insistence that she see Xander, and she wanted to see him now. Harry had finally given in just to shut her up. That voice could peel paint.

*****

Only Nathaniel and the two blonde vampires could feel the tension in Xander's body as Anya came to stand at the base of his throne. Nathaniel nuzzled the curve of Xander's knee and felt him relax slightly. Turning his head, the were-leopard smirked at the blonde woman glaring at him. The harder she stared, the bigger his smile grew. Finally Nathaniel decided that while the staring contest was entertaining, pushing her over the edge would be better. He carelessly tossed his waist length auburn hair and slithered into Xander's lap, curling up like the overgrown cat that he was.

Anya stamped her foot on the floor and glared at Xander. "Xander Harris you stop that this minute. Get off that throne and quit acting like you're the Guardian. We all know better. You can't even keep a job, forget about becoming the Guardian of a new Hellmouth. Get over here. Now. I haven't had orgasms for days. You're my boyfriend, it's your job to keep me happy."

Anya's voice became ever more strident until Xander was cringing from the ringing in his ears. Enough was enough. "Anya. Shut up. I don't want to hear it. You were my girlfriend. That was until I found you in my bed with someone else."

Spike cringed at that and brushed his hand over Xander's shoulder in apology. Xander tilted his head and pressed a kiss against the back of Spike's hand. "Don't worry about it. You did me a favor." Turning back to the former vengeance demon, the Guardian said, "Get over it and get out, Anya. I have nothing else to say to you."

Anya reached out to drag the red-haired man from Xander's lap and found herself flying across the room. Xander slid Nathaniel off his lap and stood up. Glaring down at Anya lying on the floor he said coldly, "You want orgasms? Fine. Let's see how much you can handle."

Anya immediately started groaning and thrashing on the floor. Everyone just stared, it was plain what was happening, they just didn't believe it. Anya finally screamed in ecstasy and wilted, a smug grin on her face. That grin quickly turned to disbelief when the feeling of being fucked, kissed, stroked and teased returned, even stronger than before. This orgasm was the most powerful she'd ever felt, and it just kept coming and coming. Pleasure overwhelmed her and she passed out, only to immediately wake up and start over. The ecstasy was quickly becoming pain. Anya whimpered, "Xander, please, enough."

Xander settled back in his throne and cuddled Nathaniel in his lap, ignoring the snickers coming from behind him. "Already, Anya? We're just getting started. You should be careful what you ask for, you might get it." Xander flipped his hand at her and she disappeared.

Anita broke through her shock first, "What did you do with her?"

Xander shrugged, "I put her in another room, all that screaming and groaning was distracting. Besides, that sort of thing should really be done in private."

Harry cleared his throat, and tried to act like the adult he was. "Guardian, we have a slight problem."

"Yeah, I know, Harry. So guys...what are you doing here? And where did Willow and Tara go?"

Anita turned to see that the two quiet girls had disappeared, pulling her gun she headed for the door. "Shit. Sorry, they must have snuck out in the...uh...confusion."

"Don't worry about it, Anita, they won't get far."

Buffy smirked and crossed her arms over chest, she had to buy the witches the time they needed to complete the spell. "I should have known that you'd be stupid enough to get messed up with the Hellmouth, Xander. And Spike...I can't really say I'm surprised to see you here, but I'll take care of that."

Pulling a stake out of her jacket, Buffy sprang across the room and headed right for Spike, only to find herself hovering in mid-air. She struggled wildly, but couldn't get down. "Dammit, Xander, put me down." she shrieked.

Xander shook his head, "Sorry, Buffster, Spike is mine and I'm not going to let you hurt him. You're not needed here, why don't you go home? I don't want to have to hurt you."

Buffy laughed, "You? Hurt me? Get real. I'm the Slayer, you're nothing."

Xander's eyes turned dead black, "Well, the thing is, Buffy, I've changed." he said coldly. Buffy found herself pinned to the floor and unable to move, the harder she struggled, the more the force holding her built until it was actually painful. "Quit fighting it, Buffy, you can't win. The harder you fight the more it will hurt."

*****

Angel struggled to break free of the grip Jean-Claude had on him so he could help Buffy, but the older vampire just shook him like a dog with a rat. "Stay still, or I will take a great deal of pleasure in teaching you restraint."

Richard could smell the arousal and anger wafting from the two vampires and shook his head. It looked like they'd have to get another pillow for their bed soon. He'd fought against Jean-Claude for months, but the overly beautiful vampire had finally worn him down, and then worn him out. Richard quickly adjust his jeans against his erection, thinking about being caught between the two vampires was doing nothing for his equalibriam. Now if they could only get Anita to join them, it would be perfect.

*****

Buffy had been horrified to learn that her friend was the man she was going to have to kill, but not anymore, now she was looking forward to it. She just wished Willow and Tara would hurry up with the spell already.

"Giles, you know better. What were you thinking?" Xander asked the older man quietly.

Giles didn't answer, he couldn't. He just stood there like a statue, unable to speak or to move. Wesley shook him slightly and stared into his eyes, "Of course, I should have seen it before." Turning to Xander he said diffidently, "Guardian, I believe he is under a compulsion, could you maybe...?"

Xander crossed the room and looked deep into Giles' eyes. His black eyes saw his old friend and mentor fighting to break free. "Take it easy, Giles. I'll take care of it." Xander put one hand on the top of Giles' head and easily found the spell holding him prisoner. A silent conference with the Hellmouth told him how to remove the spell without harming the man. In a second, it was done, and Giles' slumped into Xander's arms.

"Oh thank heavens. Xander, I'm sorry. I couldn't..."

Xander grinned and slapped him on the shoulder, "It's okay, G-man, don't worry about it. It's over now."

Giles shook his head, "Not quite. The others, the same compulsion is controlling them. Willow and Tara, oh dear lord, they're going to close the Hellmouth, we have to stop them!"

Xander headed for the doors and was more than a little irate when they wouldn't open. "Nice one, Wills, but did you really think this was going to stop me?" Xander muttered as he flexed his power and the doors blew off their hinges and slammed into the walls. "Oops. Sorry, I don't quite have the hang of this yet."

Xander raced down the hall, closely followed by his concubines, the Warden and Anita. As they emerged from the building, the first thing to greet their eyes was the vision of the two witches pouring every ounce of power they possessed into the Hellmouth in a vain attempt to close it, forever.

Xander slammed them with a wave of pure force, knocking them unconscious instantly. Standing over his oldest friend and her lover, Xander checked them both, hoping he hadn't hurt them too much. He looked for the spell controlling them and found nothing. Looking deeper he saw the truth. Willow and Tara had put the compulsion on Giles, and they had done it at the Council's behest. The mystery of Willow's sudden increase in power and control became abundantly clear. The witches had sold their souls to the Council for power and knowledge. Now, he would have to deal with them.

*****
Xander held a hushed conference with his brother Guardians, Harry, Asher and Spike offering their own opinions. Spike, naturally, wanted them all dead; Slayer, Watcher, Witches and 'The Bloody Poof'. Surprisingly, or not, Ling Si agreed with him, wholeheartedly.

Tutankhamen and Asher both voted for exile, permanently. Preferably someplace cold, dark and nasty. Harry, while certainly angry about their actions, wasn't the type of man who relished pain, any one's pain. The Warden decided that he couldn't decide, but would back Xander 100%, no matter what.

Xander finally looked at Nathaniel. The were-leopard had been completely silent through the whole thing, which in itself was surprising. The redhead liked to talk just as much as Xander himself did. "Nathaniel? You got any ideas? I'm fresh out."

Nathaniel nodded emphatically, "Oh, yeah. I know exactly what you should do. Give them what they want, and let them deal with it. You know, like you did with that girl. And, by the way, what the Hell were you thinking when you took up with her? Can we say 'ho'? That's just...icky...that's what that is. Yeecchhh! If I weren't already gay, I would be after that."

Xander's face turned bright red, but he managed a grin. "Well, you got that right. The last part, anyway. Actually all the parts. Thanks, Nathaniel, that's a great idea."

"What's a great idea? Giving them what they want? How can that be a great idea?" Spike wanted to know, disappointed that there wouldn't be any bloodshed.

The Warden started laughing, "Actually, that's perfect. Truly perfect." Looking at the irate vampire he said, "Two sides to every coin, Mr. Bloody. A blessing and a curse." Harry hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and rocked back on his heels, a devious smirk on his face. "No one, at least no one with any sense, will bother you after this, Xander."

Xander touched the Hellmouth with his mind and was overcome with the urge to giggle, courtesy of his wards. The two beings were laughing and laughing hard. Xander grinned evilly, "Oh yeah, this is going to be great. Come on, I want you guys to see my impersonation of King Solomon."

Tut snorted under his breath, "Good mind, but that man really needed to take a bath once in while."

*****

The Scoobies and the LA crew knelt at the base of Xander's throne, trepidation evident in their posture. Xander gazed at them calmly for a moment before saying, "Buffy Summers and Rupert Giles, rise."

Buffy glared at him, but Giles shushed her and pulled her to her feet. "I've given a lot of thought to what your punishments should be. On one hand, you tried to destroy me and the Hellmouth that I guard, that is unacceptable. On the other, you have been my friends for a long time, the good with the bad and the bad with the good. This, then, is my decision. Buffy, you always refer to yourself as The Slayer. Not a Slayer, or the current Slayer, but The Slayer. So that is what you now are." Xander said, sadly. "All other Slayers are released, they are free to live a normal life, to live, grow old and eventually die. Something you will not do, Buffy. Your punishment is to spend eternity doing what you do so well. Try to find some peace with it."

Giles was stunned by the sheer compassion and cruelity in Xander's decree. He shuddered to think about what Xander had in mind for him, he soon found out.

"Rupert Giles, I know how much your position as Buffy's Watcher means to you. Therefore, you will spend eternity with her, guiding and watching her as always." With a quick glare at Buffy, Xander further proclaimed, "And since you wouldn't think of that as a punishment...from this day forward, Buffy will do everything you tell her to. And I do mean everything. She will have no choice. Stop and think before you speak, Giles, you're going to have forever to regret anything you might, or might not, say."

Giles turned pale, but didn't even try to protest Xander's decision. Buffy opened her mouth and he said quietly, "Buffy, do be quiet." The Slayer's mouth shut with a snap and Giles groaned, this was going to be incredibly difficult.

Next Xander pointed at the two witches and they slowly rose to their feet. Tara looked scared, but Willow had a big smile on her face, certain that her oldest friend would never hurt her, no matter what. Xander quickly disbused that notion. "Willow and Tara, you are both guilty of consorting with the enemy for your own gain, do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Willow pouted at Xander, "But, Xander, we did it to help. We needed those spells to get more power so we could help Buffy and keep everyone safe."

Xander shook his head, "Nice try, Wills, but it's not going to work. You knew who and what you were dealing with, don't even try to lie about it. And then you tried to kill me. You already knew I was the Guardian before you left Sunnydale, but you didn't tell anyone because it didn't matter to you. You have one chance, renounce the Council and the black magic you've been doing and I'll be lenient."

Willow frowned at him and shook her head, "No, I won't. The knowledge is mine, you can't take it from me."

Xander took a deep breath, he really had hoped Willow would be reasonable, he should have known better. "Very well, if it's knowledge and power the two of you want, then that is what you shall have."

A black mist formed around the two witches, obscuring them from view for a moment, when it had cleared they looked exactly that same. Then Willow screamed in rage and Tara grabbed her own throat, a look of total panic on her face. "There you go, Willow, all the knowledge you could possibly ever want. And that knowledge, those spells, are all you will ever see for the rest of your life, but the power to use them is with Tara now. Unfortunately, Tara can no longer speak, so she can't say the spells for you." Xander turned to the Warden, "Harry? Can you...?"

Harry nodded, "I'll have it taken care of, Guardian."

The two witches were led from the room and the remaining prisoners stared at the floor, unwilling, or unable, to look Xander in the eye. Xander sighed and called on Angel next. "Angelus, come here."

"Deadboy, you really should have known better, spell or no spell. But in light of Willow's actions, I'm going to give you a choice. I can either make your soul permanent, or I can release your demon and make you human." Xander held up one hand, "Before you decide, think about it, very carefully. If you become human, you won't have the special skills you have now, how many people will die because you were no longer a vampire? And if you choose to keep your soul, you can never earn your way back to humanity, you'll be a vampire until you die. It's your choice."

Angel looked up at Xander, longing for the sun in his eyes, but before he could answer, Cordelia grabbed her head and screamed. Angel rushed to her side, Xander right behind him. "What's wrong with her?" Xander asked, nervously.

"She's having a vision, Guardian." Wesley replied. With a worried frown at the young woman, he added, "They're getting worse, I wish there were something we could do, but the Powers won't allow it."

Xander glared at him, "There's something I can do." Xander laid one hand on Cordy's head and quickly absorbed the pain shooting through her skull. He reached out with that same hand and formed a spinning globe of power in the center of the room. The Guardian reached into the globe and pulled out a man and a woman, throwing both of them to the floor. Pointing at his former girlfriend, the Guardian snarled, "You will fix this, or I will rip you to shreds."

The Powers climbed to their feet, embarrassed to be seen as less than perfect. "You have no place in this matter, Guardian. It does not concern you." they said in unison.

Xander gave them a evil grin, "Either you fix it, or I will. You will teach her how to control the visions and remove the pain involved or else. And you really, really, don't want to find out what the or else will be."

The two beings held a silent conversion then turned to the Guardian. "We can remove the visions from her, permanently. That is all we can do since she is merely human."

Cordy tried to sit up, "No. You can't remove them."

"Cordelia, please, think about what you're saying!" Wesley urged.

Cordy just shook her head, "No, Wes. We're needed. I can deal with it."

The Powers both looked shocked, "You are willing to accept the pain?"

Cordy nodded, and then looked like she wished she hadn't. "Yes. Now unless you have something to tell us, could you go away? Those robes are making my eyes bleed."

The Powers looked at each other and then at the Guardian. "With your aid, we might be able to help her. We can not teach her control because she is human, but if she were not..."

"What are you talking about?" Xander asked, on the verge of losing his temper.

"There are many forms that while closely related to human, are able to receive and comprehend our visions without pain. If she could be changed to one of those forms, we could train her."

"You want to make me a demon?! NO. Not happening."

Angel put his hand on Cordy's shoulder, "Maybe it wouldn't have to be a demon, listen to them, please. I don't like seeing you in pain."

"No way, Angel. I don't want to be a wrinkly or spiny and ugly. Or, eeeeewwwww, have horns on my head. Do you have any idea what horns would do to my hair. I don't think so."

"Actually, Seer," the male said, "there are many non-human forms that are quite lovely. Nymphs and Dryads for example. They are also immortal, you would remain young and lovely forever."

Cordelia allowed Wesley and Gunn to help her to her feet. Tucking her arm into the male's, she led him to the back of the room. "Okay, lets talk. And I want to see these non-human forms before I decide."

Angel turned to Xander, "I'd like to keep my soul, Xander. Cordelia is going to need someone to help her, and I'd like to be that person."

Xander actually smiled at Angel for the very first time, "Done, Deadboy. And here's a hint. She loves chocolate, but don't buy her too much or she'll get pissed. And flowers, the expensive ones, she really goes for that. And if you tell her every day that she looks better than ever, your life will be a lot easier."

Angel frowned, "I'm going to help her, Xander, not be her boyfriend."

Xander laughed and slapped the vampire on the shoulder, "That's what you think."

Xander returned to his throne and got comfortable. Smiling at Harry he said, "Warden, you've done a great job, and we hope we can continue to count on you in the future." Harry smiled and bowed slightly. Xander returned the gesture and continued, "The Hellmouth would like to reward you for your service, Harry. What would you like to have more than anything in the whole world. Ask and it's yours."

Harry did his impersonation of a fish for a moment before laughing ruefully. "The offer is all the thanks I need."

'Xander, children. He and Cheryl want children but can't have any. We can change that.'

'Really?'

'Easily. But keep it to yourself. If the rest of the world found out, they'd beat down the doors trying to get to you.'

'Got it.' Xander smirked at Harry, and the Warden suddenly became very, very nervous. "Harry, the Hellmouth tells me that there is one thing that means more to you than anything else. But since you won't ask for that...well, we're just going to give it to you anyway. Why don't you go home and spend some time with Cheryl."

"Xander? What are you talking about? I don't..." Harry fell silent and his eyes grew wide.

Xander's grin was infectious. "Yep. You got it. Give Cheryl a hug for me, will you?"

Harry started laughing and practically ran for the door. Just as he reached the threshold, he stopped and looked back at the Guardian, "Be expecting visitors tomorrow, Xander. And fair warning, Mary's hugs have been known to bring a man to his knees and Cheryl is just as bad."

Xander just shook his head and listened as Harry's joyous laughter finally faded in the distance. "Well, we're almost done here. Finally. Wes, Gunn, I owe you and I always pay my debts. What can I do for the two of you?"

Wesley pushed his glasses up on his nose and shared a telling look with Gunn. "We've discussed this and decided that there's nothing we actually need, but we were hoping that we could call on you for information in the future. We wouldn't ask you to solve our problems for us, but a reliable source of esoteric knowledge could come in handy from time to time."

Gunn groaned, "What Wes is trying to say is that if we run into a problem we can't figure out on our own, can we call and ask you questions?"

Xander nodded, "Oh yeah. Hell, I'd be pissed if you didn't. What are friends for?"

Xander finally turned his attention to the last person in the room. "Anita. It has been a pleasure. And I'm sure we'll probably be seeing each other again. Probably sooner than you think. Thank you, from both myself and the Hellmouth, for protecting Harry and Cheryl. They mean a lot to us. Is there anything you'd like?"

Anita nodded, "Yes. Actually there is. I want the Slayer."

Shocked didn't even begin to describe Xander's expression. "Excuse me?"

Spike, of course, just had to throw his two cents in. "Well, well, well. Didn't know you were that way, ducks. Tell me...will there be video?"

Anita merely quirked a brow, "Nice try, but you're not even close. I realize that the Slayer can't die now, but I'm assuming that she can still be hurt?" Xander nodded solemnly. "Her Watcher has done a great job, but I can do more. I can teach her things that a man never could. I'm also a Necromancer and she has the power. She has to be trained, or it could get away from her. I doubt that you want her to accidentally raise an entire graveyard and be unable to control them. I'm surprised that it hasn't happened already. I'll take her and her Watcher back with me to St. Louis and train them both. And to be honest, I could use some help. There are going to be a lot of demons heading this way and people are bound to get in their way."

Xander glanced over at Buffy and Giles, surprised to see that Buffy actually looked eager for the opportunity. "You've got it, Anita. If you need any help, let us know." With a fond look at Spike he added, "Spike gets bored if he can't kill things occasionally."

Anita grinned and led the Slayer and Watcher to the door. "Okay, the first thing we have to do is go shopping. You need some decent clothes for fighting. And you're going to need more than a stake. We'll get you a Browning. There is no such thing as too much firepower. And Buffy? Screw the force...trust in the spread of the gauge."

Once the room had cleared, Xander turned to his brother Guardians. "Well, how did I do?"

Ling Si smiled, "I'm impressed. Do you mind if I borrow some of your ideas? I still have a few malcontents in my homeland that I'll have to deal with eventually."

"Be my guest. But I want video." Turning to Tut, Xander raised one brow.

Tutankhamen smiled, "I'll give it two thumbs up. Nicely done. I did have a question though. What are you going to do with the Pack? I know they're completely loyal to you, but they're going to need more room to run."

"I don't know. I haven't gotten that far yet. You got any ideas?"

"Yes, actually I do. Let a few stay here as honor guards and send the rest home with me. I have literally miles of open ground for them to run when they feel the need. And just to be fair we can rotate the honor guards out every few months."

"I'll think about it." Xander said. "But I'll have to talk to the Pack first. I'm not going to make them do anything they don't want to do."

"Fair enough. Now, if you don't mind, I really need to get some more sleep before I make the trip back to Egypt." With matching bows, the other Guardians left the room, leaving Xander and his consorts alone. Finally.

Xander flexed his power and repaired the doors leading into the throne room. Looking at his consorts he asked, "Well, now that that's over with, anyone got any plans?"

Asher grabbed one arm and Spike the other, practically carrying Xander back into their bedroom. "Uh, guys? What are you doing?"

Nathaniel, following close behind the trio, laughed, "Xander, if you don't know, we need to have a talk."

"If the middle of the day?" Xander practically screeched.

"Day, night, don't care. Now be a good love and get in the bed." Spike said with a leer.

"Oh. Okay." Xander crawled up on the bed and settled back against the pillows, trying not to draw back as the two suddenly naked vampires started crawling towards him from the foot of the bed. "Hey, Nathaniel? Could you, uh, close the curtains and stuff, please?"

"No problem." With the a glare at the vampires, the were-leopard said, "Save some for me." As he closed the doors leading out into the courtyard, Nathaniel groaned. "Play time is over guys."

"What the Hell are you talking about, mate?" Spike mumbled while licking a path up the inside of Xander's leg.

Nathaniel pointed out the into the courtyard. "Well, let's see. We've got some soldiers, a mob of religious fanatics if the signs they're carrying are anything to go by and of course, there are the vultures."

"Huh? Vultures?"

"Yep. Reporters. I hate reporters. They always ask such stupid fucking questions. 'How do you feel? What was your reaction?' A five year old could come up with better questions." The were-leopard threw a completely guileless look at the Guardian, "Can I eat them? Can I, can I? Please?"

Xander groaned and pulled himself away from the two men who were doing their best to give his entire body a tongue bath. "We better get dressed and see what's going on now. And Nathaniel? Keep that thought."

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