Stabbed

It was a quiet week for the Scooby Gang, and the free time allowed Xander to complete a single rune weapon. The blade length was 31.8 inches tempered crucible steel with decorative etched runes, but the overall length was 38 inches. The guard was 7 inches, and the handle was leather-wrapped. The guard and pommel were inlaid with non-magical silver and gold since he couldn’t get his hands on charmed, hexed, or bewitched precious metals. Xander’s first runic sword was a shorter version of Excalibur, and it looked stunning.

He hammered a single rune within the body of the sword as a test run, because every rune would take three to five days to hammer in and predict how it would stretch in the folding process. Xander didn’t know how long he had in the month-loop, but a one-rune sword would reveal much quicker if he was forging correctly, rather than forging for a month before learning if he did it properly. Though his Excalibur was a test run, it looked better than anything he’s made in the week-loop.

Before walking around back to show Pete and the boys his sword, Xander spoke the incantation. The Norse blacksmith Eitri, the Avalonians, as well as Merlin all spoke an incantation of sorts that signaled to the ethereal a home had been crafted for their habitation. The phrase was Elven for the Avalonians, Latin for Merlin, and Norse for Eitri, however, it voiced the same statement: The final step with light and hearth lit, My always coming home.

With each end of the sword held up by his hands, Xander softly voiced to the blade, “Finalrinn step með ljós á ok fire lit. Minn always koming heima,” then he waited. In the memories he’s inherited, there’s generally a glow of light from the blade, whether faint blue, yellow, or white.

After ten seconds of nothing from the sword, Xander tried in Latin, “Ultimi gradus cum luce et igne accenso. Semper domum meam veniens.”

When nothing happened, Xander sighed and sagged his posture in defeat. “Guess it wasn’t good enough,” he whined. Lifting the lustrous blade, he inspected it, wondering how the runes must’ve warped during the forging, and commented, “At least you’re a looker.”

Xander went to the back of the shop where the rough and tumble men of Wild Dinks relaxed and gabbed on about their wives, movies, video games, or metalwork. There’s also a testing area for anything with a razor edge, whether swords, knives, or axes. They could set up any test, but they mostly used rolled tatami mats since they simulated bone density well enough. The dirty smiths were shocked and in awe of Xander’s sword; primarily because he was a teenager forging like a veteran with decades of experience. The men stood around Xander to watch him cut the seven rolled tatami mats positioned side by side and took bets on how many he could cut through.

Xander was the only one who bet on himself to cut through all seven rolls.

With Achilles’ sword technique, Xander only needed a second of concentration before he cleanly sliced right through all seven of the hardest testing rolls. All the men hollered like loons as each cut roll fell to the floor. To Xander, the ultimate test would be the Slayer stamp of approval, however, at their approval, he couldn’t keep the grin off his face. Though older men teased their youngest smithy for being a baby, they complimented him on his evident talent all the same, and Xander really enjoyed himself. Pete was so impressed the sword retained its edge, he offered to buy it himself. Being around other good men who shared his interest was such a different atmosphere than being with Buffy, Willow, and Giles. The young boy was surprised it could feel so pleasing.

Willow and Buffy did their usual things during the slow week and Xander would join them when it didn’t involve clothes, gossip, or Angel; so he wasn’t around much. Not that he minded. Making crucible steel was incredibly difficult. And anytime he wasn’t at the forge, or with his friends, he was with Cordelia.

For five straight days, Xander would tease the school’s most coveted cheerleader. Cordelia was a trendsetter—even if he didn’t get the trend—and could easily date the captain of any Sunnydale sports team, or college boys. Xander Harris—one of their school’s many geek outcasts—had been petting, caressing, and kneading Cordelia’s sexy body as they made out in closets, empty classrooms, or storage rooms all week. It was a situation he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around.

Of course, Xander could see how stunning she was, but that was as far as it went for him. The second she spoke, he recalled all the embarrassment the popular girl put him and Willow through for years. The thought of condoning that bullying by giving in to her allure was frustrating. And yet, Xander enjoyed making out with her. On paper, they made no sense. In practice, making the aroused girl feel amazing with his ability and affection somehow also made Xander feel amazing as well.

‘This must be what they call glutton for punishment,’ he thought.

In the morning, during lunch, and after school, Xander and Cordelia would snap together like horny magnets, fusing their lips and pelvises. As they tongued each other, he’d press all her buttons, making her moan as his strong hands massaged her lower back, hip flexors, strong shoulders, and elegant neck. The sexy girl vibrated when he gripped her firm ass and pressed her against the wall as they snogged. She’d hook a leg around his hip and Xander guided her pleasure to high heaven.

The teens wanted each other. They wanted a bed and privacy for no less than an hour, but more importantly, the second he felt her hunger for more, he’d pull away. After a dozen instances of leaving her hot and bothered, she gripped his shirt to stop him from leaving, and the look of surprise on her face was an expression he’d never seen on her face. Xander knew he was getting closer, and that very night, he showed up at her house unannounced.

Cordelia was dressed casually in a wine-red, short-sleeved pajama dress with a deep V-neck. She looked incredibly sexy as she crossed her arms and immediately demanded to know, “What are you doing here?”

With a confident expression, he simply answered, “Wanted to watch a movie.”

Looking at him in disbelief, Cordelia snorted at his lame response, however, she didn’t reply. After a moment of making certain he knew how lame he was, she let him in. With the maid gone, Cordelia was home alone. Her father worked in the city and her mother traveled often, so the teens were alone in her house. Sitting on the couch of her living room, they were ten minutes into From Dusk till Dawn before they started making out. She spread her legs so he’d fit snugly on top of her, and he pressed his throbbing hardness into her humid center, whipping her arousal into a frenzy.

His weight on her frustrated body, hot and hard for her, Xander was sucking on Cordelia’s sensitive neck, making her moan deeply, as his left hand kneaded her large C-cup, while his right massaged her ear and scalp. His slight thrusts made her thrust back and soon the hormonal teenagers were dry humping each other. Losing higher brain function as they dove deeper into the sexy sensations, they became more and more frustrated with the clothes in their way.

She was thrusting harder and faster, which he fluidly matched, only, he was also sucking that spot on her neck that drove her crazy, gripping her hair and tugging slightly with one hand, while the other moved to massage her toned ass with passion. Xander kept going until Cordelia’s moaning reached a certain peak, and she was close to climax. Then he stopped.

Feeling a flushing shock from being horribly robbed, the wide-eyed girl practically yelled, “W-what- Why! Why! Why! What are you doing?”

Xander gazed into her lovely brown eyes and annoyed her when he innocently asked, “What do you mean?”

A look of anger came over her face, and she snarled, “Don’t play dumb with me, Dweebo! You know damn well what I mean! I know what you’re doing! You think I don’t, but I do! You can’t-”

Xander moved like he was going to kiss her, pressing his hard body hot against her, and stopped just short of her flushed red lips. She leaned in to close the distance, but he moved away as his right thumb circled her hard nipple, poking through her loose nightdress. It made her moan and lean into his ministrations.

Xander then stood up, clearly displaying his raging erection in her direct line of sight. Cordelia couldn’t miss his bulge, only adding to her frustrated confusion. He straightened his shirt, giving her plenty of time to look before telling her, “Get some sleep, Cor. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He turned to leave, but the unfulfilled girl jumped off the couch and grabbed his elbow, making him look at her. Both of them expected some retort, but the anguish on her silent face told him everything she couldn’t put into words. Cordelia was a proud girl and had every right to be. He could see her furious internal debate; she wanted more, but to get so intimate with him of all people—a boy she’s never had a high opinion of since they met in kindergarten—it was confusing.

Her Cordelianess shone brightly, however, when she ordered him, “C-Come by earlier tomorrow. I will not risk my valuable beauty sleep for anyone!”

Taken aback, Xander replied, “You really need more?” Wrapping his arms around her waist, he humorously claimed, “You get any prettier, and you’re never going to need to sleep again.”

“Better than the beauty hibernation some people need,” the confident girl leveled, tilting her head and eying him accusingly.

Raising his eyebrows in shock, Xander couldn’t believe he slipped again. He paid her a compliment, and she threw it back in his face with her trademark sassy flare. He was impressed, but he was also eager to pay it right back, and candidly retorted, “Wow. It’s a shame that beauty sleep can’t do anything for your personality. Seriously, if you had a guardian angel, they’d quit and go to therapy.”

She inhaled sharply for a long moment, and he can feel her winding up before retorting, “You know, I used to think you just had bad luck thinking, but now I know you’re just stupid!”

“Of course I’m stupid,” he yelled back. “I’m dating you!”

“As if this insanity could even be called dating!”

“Fine! Then what is it?”

“I don’t know!”

“I don’t know, either!”

Their glaring softened with every feature of the other’s face—from brown eyes to black eyebrows & hair, nose, cheeks, lips—and soon, the hypnotized teens were making out on her soft couch for the next twenty minutes. After their already intense dry humping, Cordelia reached the edge much more quickly, prompting Xander to leave the gorgeous girl on the verge of climax, yet again. She yelled her hatred of him all the way to the door, and yet still insisted he arrive earlier the next day.

On his way home, twirling a stake in each hand, the teenager was confused by the workings of their relationship. Even the Casanova within would avoid a pairing like them, but Xander knew he’d be back. He could barely stop thinking about the girl and Cordelia was just too much fun.

The following day, Xander planned to meet Willow and Buffy for pizza and a movie after meeting Cordelia. Kendra was still waiting for him to reveal to Buffy the truth about Angel’s curse, and he didn’t want to take too much of her time. Delaying too long would just be unfair to the beautiful Jamaican, so Xander rushed to Cordelia’s luxury house from the forge. His hair was still wet and glossy from his shower, and he wore his spare smithing clothes; a long sleeve, wool white shirt, cargo pants, leather boots, and his backpack. Despite using a lot of soap, he probably still smelled like fire and metal.

The gorgeous cheerleader opened the door for him and was surprised that he wasn’t wearing dorky clothes. With his lustrous hair and swollen arms from all the hammering metalwork, she leaped at him like a magnet. Mouths passionately locked together as Xander picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They were kissing intensely while he made his way to the expensive couch in the living room.

“Mmnn- No,” she told him after pulling back. She kissed his neck before ordering, “Put me down.”

Slowly, he allowed her light weight to drag down against his body, and the friction only aroused them more. Cordelia took his hand and led him upstairs, where he pressed into her from behind, kissing her neck as his hands massaged her hips. She could feel his hardness press between her ass cheeks as they walked to her room and her skin flushed with building desire. She led him to her bed before wrapping her arms around his neck.

Eying him sternly, she promised, “If you leave at any point before I want you to, I will sick my dogs on you. And I haven’t fed them in days.”

Raising a curious eyebrow, Xander noted, “You don’t have dogs.”

Her face didn’t crack as she stubbornly asserted, “...I’ll get some. Real hungry ones too. With a taste for dweebs!”

“Oh, just like their owner,” he smugly replied, making her glare at him absent any genuine anger. Xander snickered and smiled before asking, “Then how far do you want me to go?”

With a radiant smile of her own, she replied, “I’ll let you know.”

Xander took his shirt off before the couple began making out again. Even with their mouths joined, she stepped backward as he led her to the bed. Upon touching the edge, they only stopped kissing for Cordelia to frantically slip off her low V-neck top, leaving her in a black lacy bra and pink short-shorts. Less than sixteen percent body fat on her hourglass figure, toned from years of cheerleading, and offering up delicious C-cup breasts. She was dripping so much sex appeal, Xander forgot about his time-prison. The horny boy’s only thought was to make this gorgeous girl moan his name in unadulterated bliss.

Cordelia fell back into her ultra-fluffy bed and Xander followed suit. He kissed her tenderly while his hands stroked the pleasure zones of her large breasts. With his pelvis between her legs, Xander smoothly pumped his restrained erection against her damp womanhood. His pelvic thrusts rocked her whole body as his fingers toyed with her body, and Cordelia couldn’t believe his level of skill. The pleasure he was giving her was unexpected, and she couldn’t keep from mewing and moaning as her orgasm grew dangerously large. She was hot, sweaty, and moaning freely when she gripped him, ready to feel an explosion of release.

Then Xander stopped and backed away.

Her eyes snapped open at the abrupt end of her promised reward. She was right on the edge and yelled, “Xander! Why! Why! Why!” The frustrated beauty queen smacked his shoulder in obvious frustration, demanding, “Why won’t you just- Eeek!”

Xander lifted her toned legs before resting them on his shoulders. His fingers gripped her pink short-shorts, and he paused, giving her a moment to stop him if she wanted. The frustrated and nervous girl averted her gaze and Xander slowly slid her silk shorts down her lusciously toned legs, followed by her lace black underwear.

There was just enough evening light coming through the window for him to admire her lady lane. It was a beautiful pink slit, wet and swollen with arousal, and Xander had the impression she didn’t have as much experience as the line of ex-boyfriends would suggest. Without delay, Xander leaned forward and prepared to make her see white.

With her warm thighs hugging his face, Xander’s mouth played with her leaking labia and swollen clitoris. His left hand massaged her breast while his right entered her pulsing womanhood. Two fingers were caressing and searching for her most sensitive folds, curling and pumping as he listened for when Cordelia moaned the loudest.

“Oh, my God! Oh, my God! MMMmmmn,” she howled from the electricity of pleasure coursing through her flush body.

She was panting and perspiration coated her tan skin as his fingers were pumping in and out of her. His mouth was sucking her mound and his tongue licked the sensitive pearl whilst his fingers stroked the most sensitive cluster of sex folds—electrifying the bundle of pleasure nerves. Xander’s other hand was kneading her large breast and hard nipple with the perfect balance of pressure and pleasure.

Less than a minute later, her legs were twitching, her back was arching and her moaning was sweeter. The girl was in pure bliss, making him pump, suck, and knead harder until he finally sent the gorgeous girl over the edge. Her back arched as she moaned deeply, “OOhhhhhh GGGAAAaawwwwwwwdddddd!! MMMNnnnnn, mmmmnnnnnn.”

Her strong legs snapped closed around his head, but he kept lapping up the juices squirting out of her erupting cunt. Electric waves flooded her entire body as the groaning, sweating girl had the strongest orgasm in her life. Her spine stayed arched for several moments as the pleasure decimated her body while euphoria fogged her mind.

After several minutes, Cordelia’s body settled down and Xander moved her listless body toward the center of the bed. Only then did she notice he was naked and remarkably erect. Her eyes only left his nearly 5.9-incher when he called, “Cordy?” They looked into each other’s eyes before he asked, “How far?”

Swallowing her nervousness, she removed her lacy black bra before cockily replying, “I said I’d let you know.”

Xander crawled over her, and soon they were making out again. He was fairly sure she could taste herself on his lips, but she only kissed him harder, diving her tongue into his mouth. They kissed passionately as he positioned himself between her legs. When she felt his glands press against her slick folds, Cordelia froze and ended their kiss. To Xander, she looked like a girl trying to hide how nervous she felt, and he was fairly certain she was fighting herself to remain in control.

“Hey,” Xander softly voiced, making her focus on his caring eyes. He smiled before assuring her, “It’s me, Xander. You hate my guts, remember?”

Nervously, she smiled before returning, “Not as much as you hate mine.” Xander smiled before he began entering her, then she suddenly yelled, “Stop! Stop. Sorry. Sorry.” She apologized repeatedly while sitting up, then rubbed her conflicted face before asserting, “It’s not like I’m a virgin or some weak crap like that. It’s just…”

Xander, Sherlock, and Casanova reasoned she was a guarded girl, however, the more experienced personas deduced she must’ve been let down before and likely doesn’t like the idea of him letting her down as well. Though Xander thought it odd, he wasn’t put off by her vulnerability. All he ever knew about her love life was the long list of ex-boyfriends and what he heard from popular guys in the locker room. Eying her distressed expression as she tried to put into words what she was feeling, Xander simply wanted to learn more about her past. He gathered her up in a bear hug and they fell on their sides, naked.

“It’s okay,” he softly voiced to the sensual girl in his arms. “Despite your tough, She-Devil in Prada act, I know you care a lot. And you don’t want to let the wrong person in.”

“How would you know? Don’t think you know me just because I let you into my bed.”

“If I got it wrong, I’ll leave-” she grabbed him before he moved an inch.

“No… just… stop being Mr. Introspective and hold me.”

He held her close, but it was impossible to prevent his still hard cock from pressing against the apex of her legs. At her heavy blush, Xander snorted a bit, making her shove him away. He laughed some more as she yelled, “Oh, that’s it! You’re getting too cocky, mister!”

The determined girl moved between his legs, and without hesitation, gripped his throbbing meat-stick. Her hand was rough, but she leaned down and covered his rod with her ravenous mouth, sucking hungrily on his warm manhood. Her full lips varnished every inch of his throbbing length, making Xander groan deeply as he closed his eyes in bliss. His hands gripped his damp hair while the young, naked girl between his legs bobbed her head up and down, sucking wantonly on his prick and shooting waves of pleasure up his body.

Cordelia licked up and down the sides of Xander’s shaft, leaving trails of saliva across its soft skin. Her pert nose rubbed against the underside of his member when she massaged his balls, encouraging each aching orb to let loose in her mouth. Feeling close to snapping, Xander grabbed either side of her head, making her try harder. She let his cock slide deep into her throat and moaned, making his tense legs twitch from the vibration.

Her tongue writhing over his cock, basting it with her warm saliva, and no more than five seconds later, Xander coughed, “Cordy! I’m cum- I’m gonna cum! I’m gonna-”

Xander’s blue balls contracted and expelled a week’s worth of pent-up frustration into her mouth. Cordelia closed her eyes and concentrated as he came inside her oral cavity. As it’s been a while, he held her head as thick globules of white man-milk filled her cheeks. When Xander finally relaxed, she pulled away and reached for the tissues at her nightstand to spit it out. Due to the volume, she needed multiple tissues to clean herself up as Xander heaved beside her.

After a minute, a delirious Xander commended her. “Cordy… That was amazing.”

Sitting straighter, she proudly replied, “Let that be a lesson to you! You’re not the only one who can make the other feel good.”

Xander snickered, then laughed before pleading, “Never change.”

“Pffft! As if perfection needs to change.”

They took a nap together in her enormous bed, and after an hour, Xander woke up to meet Willow and Buffy. Though he felt nervous at the thought of his mission that night, Xander knew Buffy and Angel couldn’t be together. Eying the sleeping beauty beside him, Xander sighed and pondered his motives.

He told himself, ‘What I have to tell Buffy tonight has nothing to do with any lingering feelings, and everything to do with saving lives. I’m kinda with Cordelia now, and Buffy doesn’t matter.’

Xander hated how little confidence he had in his own words. He wanted to be with Cordelia, but his stubborn heart wouldn’t let the slayer go. Xander had to wonder how long he’d feel so conflicted about the women in his life and prayed he’d eventually be sure, one way or the other. From the expert on women, Casanova would likely say, ‘Never rush in love, for when it’s real, it cannot run out.’

“Don’t rush,” Xander repeated. Inhaling deeply, he simply stuck to what he had to do. ‘Make it out of the loop, stop Angel from turning, and don’t be anything like that cheating bastard,’ he thought.

Xander first called Buffy to let the slayer know he was on his way, then called Kendra to let the second slayer know he was telling her that night. The Jamaican beauty assured him she’d be nearby and ready if anything happened. After kissing Cordelia goodnight, he was on the transit to Buffy’s neighborhood.

On the bus, Xander thought it fortunate that Angel was still on the mend after the ritual with Drusilla and wasn’t at full strength. Though he’s fought plenty of vampires, he knew some were better warriors than others and didn’t want to be around Angel when she broke up with him. Xander was pleasantly surprised to see Buffy and Willow waiting for him at the bus stop.

“We came to walk with you,” Buffy answered his surprised look.

Meeting him at the bus stop just to walk back together… the sentimental teenager was touched that his friends would do that. Then Willow voiced, “Yeah, in total agreement there, but, we’re also trying to get away from Ted.”

The boy felt the swelling joy in his chest deflate. At the sight of Buffy’s upset expression at the unfamiliar name, he had to ask his friends, “Who’s Ted?”

Xander met Ted Buchanan at Buffy’s house. Standing over six feet tall, the middle-aged man was clean-shaven with an all-business haircut and wore a blue dress shirt with a golden tie. Buffy didn’t seem to like him, and Xander could see why. The jovial man stood very close to Joyce, almost like he was going to grab her and run to the altar. Buffy was clearly unsettled by him, however, she wasn’t the only one.

Something about Ted’s practiced smile rubbed Xander the wrong way. He was getting bad vibes, similar to Ford. As the adults prepared dinner, Xander was leafing through his Old Man memories for any information on Joyce’s boyfriend. Normally, the cookies and pizza-rolls Ted made would’ve endeared him to the middle-aged man right away, but with no recollection of him and a timeline to protect, Xander accepted nothing from the clean-cut man.

They were all having dinner together when Ted struck up a conversation about computers with Willow and it only irritated Xander further. The teenage boy knew Ted’s existence was going to bug him until he finally remembered and he wracked his brain trying to figure it out but came up with nothing. As he watched the charming man make Joyce laugh and impress Willow, Xander cursed Old Man Xander’s horrible memory. Once dinner was done, the teenagers went outside.

Willow, Buffy, and Xander were in the spacious backyard, looking up at the night sky, and it was the best time Xander could hope for. After a hard swallow, he tapped Buffy’s shoulder awkwardly, getting her attention before asking, “Hey, Buff? There’s something pretty serious I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.” Turning to his childhood friend, he added, “You can stay too, Will.”

Both girls looked at each other with apprehension, curious and scared by what he might say. Buffy nodded before asking, “What’s up?”

Just then, they hear the faint sound of the doorbell ringing. Not more than a moment later, Buffy was called over by her mother. The three were unprepared for the interruption, but entered the house and walked to the front to see Giles standing at the entryway.

“Buffy, Mr. Giles is here for you,” a concerned Joyce said.

The three looked at each other curiously and equally grew concerned at the flustered sight of him. Giles was very courteous around Joyce and the charming Ted, however, the three could tell something urgent must’ve happened. Giles explained a close friend of theirs was in the hospital and requested to see Buffy. The Scoobies didn’t even question the cover story, and though Joyce raised concerns for the time of night, Buffy convinced her to let her see her friend.

Buffy took her mother’s hands and proclaimed, “I promise I’ll call as soon as I get there. And Willow and Xander’ll be there too. So… can I?”

Joyce clearly worried about her daughter, which always touched Xander to see. He was sure Willow felt the same. When Joyce reluctantly consented, Giles drove Buffy, Willow, and Xander out of Buffy’s neighborhood. The three teens could tell Giles’ mind was running faster than his antique gray car. Both of his hands gripped the wheel tightly, and the man was nervous about what must’ve happened.

Immediately after her house was in the rear-view mirror, Buffy asked, “Okay, what’s going on?”

As he drove away from the main populous of Sunnydale, Giles stuttered to explain how they were dealing with something they had never come across before. Xander was wracking his brain, trying to recall anything that might help. When Buffy asked for specifics, he wouldn’t offer any, which scared them.

“Giles,” a distressed Buffy implored from the passenger seat, but Giles remained elusive. What surprised Xander was how torn Giles seemed, as if he’d be betraying someone else if he spoke. Xander couldn’t think of another person Giles was more loyal to than his charge. As they left the road to drive on unpaved ground, Xander felt like the watcher was driving them to their graves.

Giles pulled over in a wooded area surrounding a well-hidden building; Angel’s apartment. The Scooby Gang panicked when they saw ten old men dressed in long, maroon garbs surrounding a weakened Angel on his knees and bound in thick steel shackles. The handsome vampire also had silver chains around his neck and body, burning into his skin, and worst yet, Kendra was standing behind him. The ebony slayer held the kneeled vampire around the neck with one arm, while her other hand held a stake double the normal length against the center of his back.

The threat was unmistakable. Buffy and the others feared for Angel’s life, while Xander feared looping back. They had Angel’s life in their hands, which meant Buffy and the Scoobies would do nearly anything they asked. Overwhelmed with longing, Buffy took a step toward Angel, intent on reaching her captured love, however, Kendra pressed the stake into his flesh just enough to make Angel’s eyes widen as he held in a groan in pain, stopping Buffy in her tracks.

The threat was clear and an anxious Buffy turned her emotional eyes from the prone Angel to her stern sister-slayer before yelling, “What are you doing, Kendra!” Scanning the group of older men, she yelled at all of them, “Who are you people?!”

“Bu-Buffy,” Angel weakly called through the pain. When Buffy took a step closer, Kendra pushed the stake deeper into his back, making him nearly scream and halting Buffy once again.

Raising her hands to show compliance, the blonde slayer begged, “Alright! Alright! Stop. Just stop- stop hurting him.” She took the tiniest step back and desperately tried to bargain with the strangers. “Look, whatever you want… you can have it… or- or I can get it for you… Anything, I swear. Just, let Angel go.” Xander may not be Angel’s biggest fan, but he agreed with Buffy. He’d do whatever he had to, to keep the vampire from dying.

Of the ten men present, the eldest, and likely leader, stepped forward and removed his hood before speaking in an elderly English accent, “Watcher Rupert Giles, step forward.” Glumly, Giles stepped forward to stand ahead and to the side of Buffy and she stared at him in utter confusion. The elder man continued with a raspy yet powerful voice, “You were charged with caring, guarding, and instructing the Slayer to the best of your abilities.”

“Giles, who are they?” Buffy demanded of her watcher.

For a stressful moment, Giles wasn’t sure who to answer, but eventually addressed the old man first. “Y-ye-yes, t-that is correct, High Watcher Travers.” He then turned to Buffy and explained, “They’re the watcher’s council.”

The Elder watcher confidently stepped forward between the groups, continuing, “Giles, we were quite displeased to hear a very distressing report concerning your charge.”

Xander looked between Angel and Kendra, and his stomach sank when he figured out what must’ve happened. Giles looked between the weakened Angel and the head watcher and likely understood as well. Still, the librarian asked, “What would that be, Mr. Travers?”

“Kendra Young reported to her watcher every detail of Buffy Summer’s love affair with a vampire,” he slowly began to reveal. “A report which you have failed, spectacularly, to notify us of. And for the vampire in question to be none other than Angelus, the Scourge of Europe,” he said while indicating the beaten and weakened Angel. “One of the most notoriously ruthless vampires to ever walk the delicate face of this earth.”

With growing terror and tears, Buffy yelled to Travers, “He’s not like that anymore!” The blonde girl couldn’t stop herself from taking another step forward, but again, Kendra stood ready to stake him, making Angel contort his face in agony as a pain-filled groan escaped his lips. Distraught, Buffy stopped again and wiped the building tears from her panicked greenish-blue eyes.

Sighing in disappointment, Travers warned Buffy, “I’ve given Kendra strict orders to stake him immediately should you come any closer. Even if your emotional folly would attempt to kill any of us, Ms. Young is instructed to destroy it before subduing you.”

Ignoring the old watcher she didn’t know, the agonized Buffy pleaded with her sister-slayer, “Kendra, please. You know he’s good! You saw him! He’s not evil anymore!”

“…Yes,” Kendra slowly admitted, making grief-stricken Buffy quirk her brow. “Not evil now, but he will be.”

Confusion replaced her teary-eyed face as Buffy asked, “What… What does that mean?”

Confused herself, Kendra turned to Xander and asked, “Have you not told her yet?”

As if the wind was completely kicked out of her, a shocked Buffy whipped around to Xander, tossing drops of tears with the momentum. Giles and Willow turned to him as well, and their eyes wondered if Xander betrayed them to get rid of Angel or simply did something stupid again. Xander couldn’t stop the nervous swallow, which likely only made him look guilty to his friends.

The Sherlock within didn’t even need to assist for Xander to know that all of this was happening because he told Kendra how Angel could revert to Angelus. Despite asking the Jamaican slayer to keep it between them, she obviously told her watcher, who then informed the council. A slayer in love with a vampire; the watchers clearly thought it merited their personal attention. Xander only wanted Kendra’s help in making sure Sunnydale didn’t lose its heroine. He never expected she’d go this far.

Awash with guilt, Xander tried, “Buffy-”

But she angrily cut him off. “What! Did! You! Do!”

He put his palms up, asking, “Just let me explain-”

“What could you possibly say that would justify this?” she yelled. Suddenly realizing why he would betray her, she returned her attention to her detained and bleeding boyfriend as she deduced, “There’s only one reason you’d want Angel out of the way. Because he’s my boyfriend and you’re not.”

Though Xander couldn’t deny he didn’t approve of the vampire being her boyfriend, he maintained, “That’s not it-”

“Go,” she practically growled at him, her eyes torn between staying focused on the wounded Angel—as if she thought he might disappear the moment she looked away—and yelling at Xander. “I don’t ever want to see you again!”

Willow stepped forward and pleaded with her friend, “Buffy, just let him explain-”

“Go!” she yelled at Xander, taking a threatening step toward him. Glaring at him, she added, “Before you make me do something I’ll regret.”

Stunned, Willow gasped, “Buffy…”

Suffering from powerlessness and anguish, the blonde girl told Willow, “You can leave too if you’re taking his side-”

Fed up with just sitting there and taking it, Xander yelled, “It’s not about sides!” Giles, Buffy, and Willow focused on him as he hastily explained, “I asked Kendra to stay behind as insurance.” Turning to the Jamaican beauty, he added, “Though I didn’t think she’d stab me in the back!”

Dutifully, Kendra didn’t even wince.

An irate Buffy retorted, “Doesn’t feel good, does it?”

Xander huffed before revealing, “The thing I was going to tell you tonight was-”

“How you were stabbing me in the back?” a tearful Buffy interjected before staring helplessly at Angel’s dreaded state.

Xander took a breath and ignored her ire to press the issue. “If you stay together… If you’re both so happy he forgets his curse, Angel turns into Angelus again.” Willow, Giles, and Buffy looked lost by his assertion. He continued, “A moment of pure happiness. That’s all it takes to break his curse. Then he’s no longer your friendly neighborhood Angel. He’s evil Angelus again, and the murder-show continues in Sunnydale.”

Buffy shook her head slowly, and he could see the denial in her watering eyes. Softly, the tearing slayer asserted, “You’re lying.”

Growing frustrated with her unwillingness to think clearly when it involved Angel, he asked, “How?” Opening his arms out, he demanded to know, “How am I lying this time, Buffy?”

“I don’t care! I don’t care if he’s Angel or Angelus!” she yelled before turning to the group, sprinkling tears on the grass, and screaming to Kendra, “Just get away from him!”

“So sad,” Travers voiced with a shake of his head.

Giles stepped forward and pleaded with his senior watcher, “High Watcher Travers, please reconsider. If you would just listen, and- and- and allow me to explain Angel’s many contributions in the fight against-”

“Kendra,” Travers grimly said, and Kendra drew back the elongated stake.

“WAIT!!” several voices yelled at once, Xander and Buffy the loudest among them.

Angel looked at Buffy, as if for the last time, and began to express, “I lov-” before Kendra impaled his heart with her stake, turning him into slow-forming dust.

Then there was nothing.

Xander woke up to his all too familiar blaring alarm and gagging on the all too familiar stench. He looked around the pigsty of a room; from the trash and clutter to the yellowish stain on the ceiling and the pile of dirty clothes. His body felt flabbier and weaker, like someone sucked all the strength right out of him. Xander lost Cordelia, he lost his sword, and Buffy believed him to be a backstabber. All because of his shortsightedness and Kendra.

Xander cursed at the top of his lungs, “FFUUUUUUCCCK!!!”