Title: A New Destiny

Author: Caliadragon

Fandoms: Buffy/Anita Blake

Catagory: Crossover/AU

Pairings: None this part.

Warnings: Violence, Slash and Het. Character Deaths.

Spoliers: All of Buffy and Up to Cereleun Sins. Which I'm reading right now.

AN: Don't expect canon or Buffy bashing. This will eventually be slash. None of our group will be paired together. They will all end up with someone from Anita's world. Let me know who you're interested in seeing together. Xander, Willow and Andrew will be slashed! No het for these three.

AN2: I know some of you are screaming that I haven't finished the others. Rest assured I will finish them, but this is to overcome writer's block. I can't seem to get the others to cooperate. I will be working on them between this and preparing old fics to be beta'd and streamlining them.

Archive: Anyone with prior permission and BC.

Feedback: On list or at: Caliadragon@myself.com

Disclaimer: They aren't mine and if you think they are I have ocean front property in Oklahoma to sell ya.

AN3: I got the idea for the change in the world from another fic and author that I read. I'm sorry to say I can't remember the author's name as of this moment, but as soon as I find he/r I'll post an acknowledgment here.

Thanks to Edi for the beta and fics and Scribe for the lovely reads.

A New Destiny
By Caliadragon

Prologue: And So It Begins

Xander Harris was a young man who had seen too much. Too much violence, too much pain and certainly too much death. The day his life changed was the day the world changed. Xander had not lived in denial for longer than it took to watch his best friend's body turn to dust in an instant. Part of him, until that moment, still believed in the fantasy of protection from the night.

After a while, he began to forget there could be a life where there was no evil, no pain and no death. Through the hardships and the agony, three constants remained. Willow Rosenberg, his best friend since they were mere sprouts, Buffy Summers the first true crush that he had and the second truest girl friend that he had. She filled the void left by the passing of Jesse. Then there was Rupert Giles; he was the mentor, the friend and the father that he had always needed.

Through the years others passed through their lives. Some stayed, some left and, sadly, some died. Yet through it all the three remained. Fights, neglect and fear drove them apart, but love, friendship and true emotion brought them back together.

On the fateful day that the world changed, the four stood together. In that moment they re-cemented their bonds. While there were others there to help, it was a ceremony performed years before in the fight to stop another evil that would change the four and change the world.

Many were lost, two of whom had a special place and were deeply loved or at least cared for by the core. Again, their deaths would be mourned, but again they, the core, would be together to do so.

As the battle for the Hellmouth raged and the magic was used to awaken the warriors, Willow, the greatest white witch to walk the world in centuries, called on the deep, abiding love she bore her three friends and by extension Dawn Summers. In that moment the old spell manifested itself. It changed Dawn, Giles and Xander. Ultimately it was what made them able to survive.

The potentials became Slayers. All over the world changes began to come. The Hellmouth, through the aid of Spike, closed for good. Yet what they didn't know was that the new Hellmouth closed as well. The world began to twist and to change. Vampires writhed in their coffins. Demons were ripped from the world and lycanthropes were changed; no longer were they mindless beasts.

The Powers rejoiced in their victory and set about changing the world to suit the new life. Only seven would retain the knowledge of what had changed. Only seven would see the new world and know that it was not the one they started off with.

That night, as the survivors of Sunnydale slept, the Powers swept through them. Removing all but seven of them. Implanting new memories in the minds of those they removed and waking the seven that remained.

They had a new destiny and a new world to explore. They had a new home to reach and new allies to embrace. For while the world was changed, there was still evil and darkness to be fought.

*

"Wake up, chosen," a sweetly musical voice ordered. The seven sleeping people opened their eyes slowly and looked around them in confusion. Only three of them had fallen asleep in the same room.

"What's going on?" Andrew asked as he sat up, confused.

Dawn shrugged and looked at Faith, who was wrapped around her. Xander and Willow sat up, still holding one another, and Buffy, who was on the other side of Giles, still holding him.

Giles gasped at the sight before him. "You're the Oracles!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, we are. We have come to you to thank you for what you have done, and to tell you that you have changed this world. Because of you and those that fought with you we were able to set this world on its true destiny." the female said.

"A destiny that you will all still have a say in. Willow Rosenberg, the spell you spoke was old magicks. By doing it you set in motion the changes that have been wrought. Unknown, even to us, you also changed those around you. By benefit of this battle, the two oldest slayers were granted immortality. However, the spell you did that defeated the entity known as Adam, awakened. In doing so it sought out those who lived in your heart and chose Dawn Summers as the conduit for the vampire Spike. In doing so she, Rupert Giles and Alexander Harris have been changed and are now immortals. Thus marking them further for the light," the male said.

"What about Andrew?" Xander asked before he could stop himself.

"Anyanka was another element we did not count on. In sacrificing herself for him an old curse came into play. We can change the make up of the curse, but in the end he will be with you all. Immortality with visions. He is now the seer for this group. Alexander, your life will be changed even further. You are the conduit of the Powers. A healer of the mind and the body. Your eye will be returned to you. Dawn, you are the light and the future of your group. You are no longer the key. Like Alexander you will be a healer, but you will also help in seeking knowledge. Rupert, you are the mind and the wisdom of your group. You will be the leader, as always.

Faith and Buffy, you are the ruthlessness and the hunters of your group. You will be their strength and you will help to protect them. It will also be your duty to teach Alexander, Dawn, Andrew and Willow to fight.

Willow, you are our light. The strongest and bravest white witch to serve us in centuries. Without you we would have fallen. You will continue as you are. Providing your love and your magic to those in need and those you love," the female said. Then knowledge and memories began to flood their minds.

Knowledge that the world knew of vampires. That they were accepted, and legal citizens. Knowledge that they were needed in St. Louis and that a house and life was waiting for all of them.

As these memories flashed through their consciousness they were transported away from the dingy hotel and into their new homes. And into their new lives.


Chapter 1: Was It Good For You?

Xander groaned and opened his eyes slowly. Shock, joy and sorrow burst through him. Turning his head he could see Willow curled up against his chest. While Andrew was drapped over his left side.

Across the room from him, Buffy and Faith were sandwiching Giles and Dawn between them on the floor.

He started slightly as Dawn looked over at him and smiled. *Xander? Can you feel it?* Dawn asked him in his mind.

Xander smiled, he could feel it. They were connected in a way he couldn't explain. The others were at the edge of their consciousness, but they were linked. He could feel her in his mind and in his heart. They laughed softly and began to project images and compare their new lives. It seemed that the Powers had aged Dawn in this new world.

They had also changed the history of the seven. They all bore the same last name in this new reality. Giles was now Rupert Giles Champion and officially their father. The others kept their first names, but shared Giles' new last name.

He and Dawn were supposed to be twins, while Faith and Buffy were their older sisters. Andrew was their younger brother and Willow was in between them.

The change had given them a mind link. There would no longer be a problem of worrying about the other. They would always know where the other was and if they were in danger.

*Should we wake the others?* Dawn mind spoke.

*Probably* he answered back.

Gently, so as to not jar the pair, Xander gently raised his hands and nudged the pair sleeping on him. When they opened their eyes and looked at him the memories came to life for them and Andrew looked at them in awed silence. "We're family," he breathed, shocked.

"Cool. The Powers just made things legal. We've always been a family," Willow said excitedly.

"Got that right, Red," Faith said in a husky voice from where she awoke across the room.

"Yeah, but how come I gotta be the older sister, when Xander's the same age I am?" Buffy asked with a pout.

"You're only a few months older than me. We're all adopted. Our mother, Joyce, married our father, Rupert Champion," Dawn pointed out with a grin.

"Ah, no more highschool," Xander said with pleasure, not really liking the idea of having to go back now that he was Dawn's twin.

The others laughed at him and sat back to remember their lives as a family and to figure out what they were to do next.

Chapter 2: He Walks In Beauty

It had been three weeks since the beginning of the new world. Three weeks in which they had gotten used to their new identities and their new lives. Xander, Dawn and Andrew were all going to the Danse Macabre to meet up with Faith and Buffy. Giles had wanted a night of quiet and they all wanted a night of fun and dancing.

They had adjusted fairly well. They all owned and worked out of a local business that catered to the lycanthrope community. They did repair work and also training in various martial arts; that was Faith and Buffy's contribution.

Xander and Dawn worked as healers and ran the apothecary side of the company. Giles and Andrew were researchers and helped find programs where shifters could find jobs, and helped new lycanthropes get out of the goverment's care and placed into clans.

Willow ran the magic part of the store and consulted with and kept tabs on the local magical community. Surprisingly, it was Anita Blake that they kept coming back to. Both Willow and Giles were worried about her. She was powerful, but seemed not to realize the path she was heading down. It was almost as if she were denying a major part of herself.

Tonight, however, their focus was on fun and dancing. They weren't thinking of their business or of potential witches somehow having a loss of control.

They should have been.

The moment they walked through the doors of the club they felt it. Magic, sex, blood and the energy that screamed shifter. What they weren't expecting was to be sought out by the Executioner. They were not expecting to suddenly be between two warring ex-lovers. But then Richard and Anita weren't expecting to get slapped down either.
_____________________________________________________

Asher sat against the wall in his accustomed place. He had not wanted to be here tonight. Knowing that Richard was coming and his habit of tearing Anita in two. He knew, they all knew, that Anita had loved the wolf more than she had loved anyone, Jean-Claude included. The Ulfric had destroyed the last part of Anita that allowed her to love unconditionally. Now they were all suffering for it.

Unfortunately the pair could no longer avoid one another. So a meeting had been set up in public in the hope that they would not tear each other apart while other's watched. Personally, Asher thought that a pipe dream. The young cub, Nathaniel, sat near him, pressed between the wall and two vampires. Himself and Damien.

In front of him, leaning back against Nathaniel, was their Jason. Like Nathaniel, Jason was outcast. Anita had ordered them to remain by the vampires and had ordered Damien to protect them. She had asked Asher to tend to them, as well.

Asher felt it was because Richard would harm the two young ones, both of whom had shared Anita's bed and her love. For it was obvious to any who saw the way Anita treated them that she did love them. Not the love she felt for Jean-Claude or for even Asher himself. But it was love just the same.

They all felt Richard's entrance and knew that there would be trouble. His power was already leaking out. For an alpha of Richard's strength to be leaking power was a danger all on its own.

They had all been there for no more than twenty minutes when there was a sudden surge of power so strong that every preternatural creature in the room felt its entrance. It coincided with the sudden blow up of rage and emotion between Anita and Richard.

Richard had lashed out at one of Anita's pard only to strike a young woman near them instead. For a few moments time seemed to freeze, then suddenly the feeling of power increased and Richard was suddenly surrounded by seven very angry and dangerous children.

Jean-Claude and Asher both rushed forward, while everyone else scrambled to get out of the way. Anita pulled her gun on the group.

They all watched in terror as the small blond girl took it from her, bent it in half and gave it back. "Look, I don't care what your problem is, Ulfric. Nor yours, Blake, but you hit our sister and that we don't tolerate. You want to kill each other, that's fine. Do it somewhere where no one will get hurt in the process. I-"

The dark haired boy stopped talking suddenly and the seven all turned their attention to Jean-Claude and Asher. The two vampires froze under the combined stare. "Oh, can we keep them, Xander?"

"Yeah, X, they're hot!" Faith and Buffy snickered at Xander's rolled eyes.

"Can you two get your mind out of your underwear for about five minutes. No playing with the pretty vampires. Besides, I get the blond."

This started an argument between the seven. The two vampires, Anita and Richard all listened on in bemusement. "Why do you get the blond?" Dawn demanded.

"Yeah, it's not like you saw him first," Andrew pointed out.

"Yeah, but I called dibs," Xander said, effectively ending the argument.

Anita just gaped at them. "Okay, how about lusty's friend?" Faith asked, licking her lips and looking the vampire up and down.

Anita growled, "Mine!"

Faith looked over at her and grinned, "Way to go, girl."

"Yeah," the other six agreed.

"So who's tall, dark and growly?" Willow asked, amused.

"My ex," Anita answered, slightly amused. Though why she couldn't say for sure.

"Ahh," the seven said, nodding.

"That explains it," Buffy said sagely. Then turning her back on them she turned to her siblings. "Do we dance or do we argue some more over the blond?"

"Can't we do both?" Andrew asked.

The seven laughed and walked away as a group, still laughing. Stopping long enough to turn back to Asher. "Don't go anywhere. We want to play."

Asher couldn't help it, he laughed outright. Everyone near shivered over the power of his laugh. "Oh yeah, we're definitely going for you," Faith said with a shudder and a shimmy.

Xander was sitting beside Dawn as they worked on their latest project. Both of them had been told by the Oracles that they were going to be getting additions to their family and that one of them was ill. So Xander and Dawn had spent most of the morning brewing and creating new spells to help the ill shifter that was coming to live with them. None of them were quite sure who the new members of their family were going to be. All they knew was that the Powers had already arranged it so that Jean-Claude and Richard knew that they were coming and were out of their realm of control. Xander and Dawn looked up as the soft silver glow filled the store room, signalling the arrival of the Oracles and their new family members. When the group coalesced into being, Xander and Dawn both surged to their feet, a look of pleasure and excitment on their faces. T he Oracles smirked at one another before disappearing without a word. The moment that the two Infinite beings had disappeared both Dawn and Xander were running across the room and pulling the two arrivals into their arms. "Spike!" "Oz!" The two men were shocked by their greeting and heartened by the way that the two younger people reacted to their coming. Both of them had been nervous about what would happen once they arrived, but they had not expected to be greeted so lovingly. "This is so cool!" Dawn squealed. Xander laughed and the two changed places, each hugging the other man tightly. Spike gaped in astonishment as Xander stepped away from him. "So ya'll remember everything too, huh?" Dawn asked with a grin. "Yeah, is Wills here?" Oz asked somewhat shyly. These two were so different from what he remembered. "How about the others?" Spike asked. "They're here, they are all working on various projects," Xander said before closing his eyes and summoning the others. When they arrived, Spike and Oz were once again surprised by the way that they were greeted. All of them rushed forward, taking turns hugging each man and welcoming them home. Part of the reason for the easy greeting was the manipulations of the Powers. While they still remembered everything from the other time line, the petty rages and the resentments that they felt had been removed. The new memories had Oz as a cousin of theirs, an orphan like them, who had been raised by Giles and Joyce. For the last few years he had been traveling the world with his lover, Spike. This was a reunion on two different fronts. It gave the Scoobies back their 'cousins', but it also returned Spike, who had died to protect them, and Oz, who they had honestly missed and worried about after he had left. Oz had not been changed by the spell that had changed the rest of the world, and as such his wolf was damaged and in need of help. That was where the spell and the potion came in. As one, which seemed to be how they did any healing, Xander and Dawn turned away from the group and hurried over to their work table. Xander grabbed the potion and Dawn gathered the sheaf of paper containing the spell. They walked back to Oz and, with a smile, Xander handed him the potion. Oz gave him a look, but took the potion just the same. Dawn joined hands with Xander, and the others stepped away from the trio. Dawn closed her eyes and, drawing on the strength granted to her by Xander's touch, she began to chant the spell. As it finished, her eyes snapped open and seemed to glow with the arcane power flowing through both herself and Xander. As the spell reached its peak, the group could almost feel the difference in Oz. The werewolf smiled at all of them as he felt the sentience of his beast for the first time in his entire existence as a were. "Wow, Nibblet, you got the mojo going on," Spike said softly. This brought on a burst of laughter and soon words were flying and an impromtu party had started. Spike couldn't help but think that it was the same situation, just a different reason to celebrate. If there was one thing that the kids knew how to do well, besides stop the world from ending, it was party. This time, however, Spike didn't feel like an outsider. Instead, he was happily involved in all parts of the celebration. Later, while they were enjoying the quiet, Xander spoke up. "Thank you, Spike." he said, surprising them all. Spike looked at him in confusion. "For what?" "For dying for us. For loving Buffy. For being there when we needed you, even when you weren't given credit for it. Thank you for never killing us, even though you could have, very easily. Just thanks," Xander told him with a warm smile. The ot her Sunnydale natives smiled and echoed Xander's words. There had been plently of times that Spike could have turned against them. Despite his claims to the contrary and what they had all tried to assert, Spike was dangerous even with the chip. He could have had them killed or turned on them any number of times. Yes, he had sided with ADAM against them, but the truth was their treatment of him had led to that. If they had treated him better, he would never have turned on them. Though even in the end, he had helped to protect them from the monsters in the Initiative's base. Now that he and Oz were back with them there was no way that they were going to allow past mistakes to ruin what they had going on between them. This was a family and they were going to act like it. The rest of the evening was spent talking and exchanging information with one another. Both Oz and Spike were amused when they heard about the impression that they had all made on the locals already. Both m en figured it was par for the course.