Help To Move On

Author: norgco

Type: ANGST WARNING: Not my standard work.

Challenge fic from Tarazone, `two years ago Willow was at the window and Tara has been alone ever since. Dawn, now 18, decides to help her. Bonus points for including Willow plausibly, in a hellmouth kind of plausible

Rating: NC-17 sex, mild by my standards but still…

Couples: Dawn/Original Character, Xander/Faith, Tara/Faith

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters except Jason Matheson


Help To Move On
By norgco


A room in a California maximum security prison, used for `contact visits'

Faith was riding Xander like he was a wild stallion, her head thrown back and her whole body bouncing up and down. He was looking up at her, watching her breasts bounce as they both climbed towards climax. The small part of his brain capable of rational thought at this point felt that this time they were going to cum, rather than have her slide down at the last minute before starting up again.

Not that he had any doubts about the `pop you like warm Champaign' comment she had made once, not at all. She had popped him enough times since these visits started to know exactly what she meant. His conscious mind ceased rational thought, what pathetically little it had been capable of since the dark slayer had started her now standard `Vegas strip tease' act when the guards locked the door. An unknown amount of time later he lay on the bed holding her, feeling wonderful

"If I could make a wish,
I think I'd have…
Can't think of anything I need,
No cigarette, no sleep, no light, no sound,
Nothing to eat, no books to read.
Making love with you,
Has left me peaceful warm inside,
What more could I ask,
To desire
Peace came upon me and it leaves me weak
So sleep silent angel, go to sleep

Some times
All I need is the air that I breathe and to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe and to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe
…"

She couldn't get over how cheesilly romantic he could get. Here he was, with her in a sealed cell in a maximum-security prison, and he was singing. Singing one of the songs Oz had played for them when he found that Giles had it in his record collection, The air that I breathe, by the Hollies. And wasn't that an old one, it always made her cry, happy and sad at the same time, it had been her fathers favourite song before he died and mom took to hooking and drugs. It reminded her of better times and he knew it, which was one reason he sang it, the other, he said, was that it suited his mood at these times.

"I never thought I'd say this but I miss B." Faith announced eventually.

"I'll tell her when I see her, I'm sure she'll be glad to hear it." Was Xander's response. He smiled and cuddled her as he spoke, she got so down sometimes during these visits and he had to cheer her up. It was his job after all.

Faith gave the former Zeppo a peculiar look and leaned into his arms. She was crying as he held her, he was going to be talking to B soon, and she was going to be… No she had brought down the mood here too much already.

"Yeah Xander, tell her how much I regret hurting her and everything."

"Be glad to pass the message on."

"And I'm so sorry about trying to kill you when you wanted to help me, I mean you just wanted to be a good guy and…"

"Its alright Faith, it was alright after the first dozen times you apologised to me." She was crying again and he smiled for her sake. She needed the strength more than he did now.

There was a pounding on the door and the guard announced they had ten minutes before the room was opened and the visitor had to leave. Faith was led in one direction and he in another, one a free citizen and the other a convicted murderer, one to the outside, the other to a tiny cell.

The free citizen of the United States of America drove towards Sunnydale, in glorious sunshine. It was a convertible and driving with the top down helped clear the mind. Eventually Revello Drive came up, then 1600 and the car stopped. Contact visits were always done alone, discipline kept the emotions in check for the trip home Dawn ran up and opened the door, anxious to talk.

"How is he Faith?" The slayer collapsed into her and Tara's arms.

"Oh god there going to kill him Dawnie, they're going to kill him." Death row having a fairly brisk turnover of guests these days, after all.



Part 2

Restful Slumber Cemetery, Sunnydale, Saturday March 13th, 2004

Tara Maclay sat on the grass looking at the headstones, one for each of the people who died `that day.' Sometimes it felt like it was yesterday she had held her beloved Willow in her arms, feeling totally right with the world. Sometimes it felt like centuries. In any case the woman she had loved with all her heart and soul was lying here, alongside the other fatality of the day.

Buffy Summers had died on the operating table at Wilkins Memorial, a few hours after being shot. She and Dawn were both under heavy sedation by that stage and Xander was already hunting down those he felt responsible, preparing for the messy end game that led to his current legal status. Maybe if he had left Warren's remains in a state where DNA testing was not needed to prove they had ever been human…

Of course, killing Rack in the offices of Wolfram and Heart, just before he was to sign away all his rights, property etc in exchange for protection from the rampaging former Zeppo probably had more to do with it. The Senior Partners had been SERIOUSLY pissed. Having a law firm that literally owns the souls of several Politicians, District Attorneys' and Judges decide it has to make an example of you is never a good thing.

"I love you Willow, I love you so much." She said eventually. "The others, especially Dawn, try to get me to move on, but I can't. Last week I saw a woman who looked, ah, hot, and I felt so ashamed at feeling that way."

Lying back for a bit she enjoyed the breeze and the peaceful feeling here. It was so different in the daytime. In the daytime the trees and grass and flowers made it feel like a haven of life and peace. Like a nice place to spent eternity, and certainly a nice place to sit and be with someone you loved while they were alive. She spent a lot of time here, enjoying the peace and feeling like it was Willow responsible to some extent, it was so her. Setting the alarm function on her watch to an hour before sunset she lay back on her picnic blanket and went to sleep here, where she was near her beloved.



Caritas, Friday April 23 2004, 7:47pm

"Mr Angel I don't understand the reason for all the cloak and dagger." Father Patrick McManus said in a somewhat exasperated tone as they headed down the alley. "Xander has been secretive about his background and motivations for two years, and when I finally think he trusts me instead of talking to me he calls you. Now Our Lord was not averse to having a drink or two with friends and neither am I, but why so we have to be in a bar to discuss…"

The words tapered off as the priest saw the crowd. The noise in the room, even the singing, petered out as the crowd saw the priest. Silence reigned for a time until a creature in a loud suit with green skin and red horns walked up to the newly entered pair.

"Don't let the response get to you father but we don't see many of your persuasion here. Angel, interesting company you're keeping these days." Lorne had not been warned but he wouldn't have succeeded in this business without being able to think on his feet.

"Father McManus is Xander Harris's prison chaplain." Angel said loudly. There was a sudden renewal of conversation from the crowd, and the looks the churchman was getting changed rapidly.

"Whoa, a celebrity." The Host said, waving his Sea Breeze around as he spoke. "I take it Mr Harris wanted us to show the good father the nightlife? Well, he's come to the right place."

It turned out everyone had a Xander Harris story, if not from personal experience than from `a friend of a friends cousin heard it in a bar' sources. The Slayers helpers were a curiosity in the demon world anyway, that the `harmless normal guy' turned out to be so dangerous just made everyone who had dealt with the Scooby's and unlived to talk about it seem so much more impressive.

Rather than a loser who was lucky to escape with his life, which was the alternative interpretation. Not surprisingly the stories had lost nothing in the retelling, and anyone trying to sort fact from fiction would have a hopeless task.

The priest sipped his Guinness and listened to the tales. As soon as he walked in he could tell that at least some of these creatures had to be real, unless he was the victim of a practical joke that would have cost millions in costume and effects budget. At least now he knew why the prisoner had laid waste to the Wolfram and Heart building in the process of getting to his final target. Most of the crowd here had apparently thought about doing exactly that at one time or another, and Rack himself had gained an awful lot of enemies during his life.

"A friend of mine knows the guy who sold him the flamethrower…" This being the fourth creature making that claim. Being responsible for crashing the computer security system was another favourite, and certainly the attack had required support. There had been a statewide manhunt on by this stage, a legend was in the making, and every demon worthy of the title wanted to contribute to the bloodbath.

Tara Maclay's bed, that night

She was dreaming of being with her beloved, which was perfectly normal for her, when Willow appeared. She walked right into the middle of an otherwise standard dream scene involving them being a middle aged couple with grandchildren visiting. There were XXX rated fantasies too of course, but not on this night.

"Tara, I've been given permission to talk to you by The Boss."

"Not the Powers That Be?"

"Those bunglers?" Dream Willow – or was it Vision Willow – said dismissively. "No, anyway He wanted me to tell you that the bit in the wedding vows about `till death do us part' is there for a reason. It's ok for you to be attracted to other women, it's ok to act on that attraction."

"But how can we be together after I die if I have someone else, I feel so guilty when …"

Faith was living in the Summers abode with her and Dawn, and seemed to have never heard of the nudity taboo. Dawn, being straight as an arrow, had quickly gotten used to it. Tara, who had not had sex since Willow, had in fact not even masturbated since Willow, REALLY noticed it. To what extent that was the point of the exercise from the dark slayers perspective she was not sure.

"Tara, I am not allowed to explain the details, but TRUST ME. It will work out but you really need to restart your life. Children need a happy, loving household and yours…"

"Children?" They had talked a little about that, before.

"Sorry, I got reminded I can't go into detail. Please, you know I want you to be happy, even if you don't believe it's me visiting you believe I want you to live a happy life." Then Vision Willow looked at her with that smile only she and Oz had ever seen, sexy Willow. "Try girl watching in the park, I prescribe half an hour a day. Oh, and at least three times a week use the vibrator while imagining one of the girls you saw that day."

"You prescribe that?" Now this was more like Willow in their bedroom, kinky Willow that none of her friends ever met or imagined existed.

"For now." That smile again. "Doctor Willow will be monitoring your condition and you'd better follow the Doctor's orders missy! And don't you DARE feel guilty about it."

And the dream went immediately back to the fantasy future with the grandchildren and white picket fence. In the morning she remembered the Willow visit with absolute clarity. It was the end of something and the beginning of something else.



The Prison secure visiting room, Wednesday, May 6 2004.

"Deadboy, good to see you." Xander said over the microphone. Normal visits were non-contact, it minimised the need for searches of visitors. He noticed Angel was wearing a much-mentioned gift. "New look for you, fashion by Father McManus."

The fashion statement was the t-shirt he had given to the souled vampire. The Caritas visit had led to a long talk between vampire and churchman about Angel and Angelus and guilt and the human soul and… Anyway the item of clothing had a saying on it that originated in World War II with the Marines on an otherwise beautiful Pacific island called Guadalcanal. It read.


I'M BOUND TO GO TO HEAVEN
`CAUSE I'VE DONE MY TIME IN HELL.



Flashback – a gift for a vampire

"Isn't this a little blasphemous father?" Had been Angel's first comment on seeing what had been bought for him.

"Liam my son, it's not blasphemous when it is the literal truth. Your soul was sent to hell, which it couldn't be without gods consent, and then returned, which needed his direct intervention since the evil one wouldn't have tried to make you kill yourself that Christmas if he was happy to have you back on Earth." The earnest face of the priest stared in at him, the eyes focused and passionate. "Whatever sins you burdened your soul with in the past Liam O'Brien, you've paid for them. You were given a clean slate boyo, try to keep it that way."

It was a lot to think about. And think a lot about it he certainly would.

End flashback



"You know Xander for `the most brutal spree killer in California history' you seem to be very upbeat." Were the vampire's first words, quoting the much repeated description of him. It was a great headline for the tabloids and they had run with it, people all over the world knew him, and many pages in worthy intellectual journals had been devoted to how `the runner up for class clown', his other press description, had turned into a monster.

"Well the modern vicious mass murderer needs a sense of humour, its not like the good old days when you just rode in, slaughtered the townsfolk and declared it a glorious victory for civilisation." Said the smiling man behind the security glass.

Most of the body count had been in the law firm of course; he'd made very sure to empty and dump the heavy, awkward flamethrower as soon as possible and gone on with just the satchel of grenade, MP-5 and Axe. He still felt no pity; they had volunteered to work for a firm where promotion had been known to involve providing your children as human sacrifice victims after all.

Angel had thought of himself as a mass murderer in need of redemption. Liam, after a lot of counselling from the priest, accepted that he was not responsible for Angelus's actions. The reversal of positions between him and the Scooby was a source of both bemusement and humour between the pair.

"So, how's the kid?"

"Connor's nearly two now, and he's quite a handful. Cordelia mothers him like she was his own." Holtz, fresh from the pre-industrial age when he arrived, had been run over by a bus, derailing the whole insanely over elaborate plan to bring Jasmine into existence. "He's a really strong little tyke too."

There was a silence, they were no longer hostile to each other but keeping up a friendly banter was not natural. Conversation didn't really flow so much as sputter along.

"Dawn's been trying to get Tara to go out and meet a nice girl and she's tried to get Faith's help." Angel suddenly announced. Finally, the former Zeppo thought, the reason for this visit. "And it turns out Tara's become fond of Faith."

"Tara is dating Faith?" Shock in the prisoner's voice. Going from Willow to Faith!

"No, not really, but Faith wanted your permission just in case."

"And she couldn't be here to ask in person because of some Watchers Council thing, right?" When Buffy died Giles had used up every favour he had getting the tweed set to arrange for the pardoning and release of the Boston slayer instead of her assassination. While there was some leeway in her personal life the idea of putting competence ahead of obedience was considered radical and untried. Any disobedience could result in a 9mm migraine and a new, more pliable, slayer.

"Some sort of training and indoctrination session. It's just a `when I say jump all I want to hear is HOW HIGH SIR!' exercise, they've made it clear she's free to have whatever social life she wants as long as she slays for them."

"Tara's dating Faith?" He couldn't quite get his mind around the idea. Going from Willow to the slayer was the biggest contrast he could imagine short of going to men or something like that.

"She's started smiling when Faith flirts with her." Which was as natural as breathing with the east coast born slayer, she came on to everyone. "Dawn says it's a coy sort of smile, which may just be wishful thinking on her part."

"And Faith is not so much bisexual as open to offers." Given that he was her sex partner for the past year or so he knew these sorts of details. Her basic tastes were actually fairly conventional but she would try anything that might be fun. "Sounds to me like wishful thinking on Dawn's part, but ok."

Given the press obsession with him, and the governor's Justice Delayed is Justice Denied Campaign, she was going to have her own `moving on' issues fairly soon otherwise. It wasn't like they were married or anything, but they were close friends now and she felt guilty about being free while he was only leaving in a pine box.

"Tell them its fine."



Jason Matheson's bedroom, Sunnydale, Monday evening.

Dawn Summers, 18 and graduating high school soon, snuggled up in bed with her boyfriend. If her mother had lived she might behave differently, but as it was she had only had Faith, Tara and Xander to advise her about sex during the years when it was a subject of genuine interest to her.

Given that Tara, while doing her best, ultimately found her interest in boys incomprehensible, and Xander, who she only saw on visiting days anyway, was in full `protective elder brother' mode, her most influential advisor on sex and boyfriend issues was Faith. The end result was about what you would expect. Hence the conversation earlier in the evening.

"I, ah, I want to ask you something?" He had said hesitantly.

They had been lying in bed after sex, just being close and listening to the sound of his parent's house. Jason's mother in particular liked Dawn and encouraged her, telling her she was `good for my boy.' The half empty box of coloured, flavoured, ribbed condoms on the desk next to the bed was a present from her, along with the admonition `don't break his heart or make me a grandmother anytime soon.'

"What?" she had asked quietly, seeing how nervous he was.

"I, ah, how would you feel if, ah, would you like to…"

"Spank you? Make our own porno movies? Do a threesome with another girl?" She asked playfully, watching his face as she did so for clues. Keep in mind her only source of advice on situations like this was from Faith. "It's number three right, you want me to go down on another girl while you watch, right?"

"Ah, well, ah, you're not angry?" The dark slayer, who had done all three of the suggested acts before the age of 16, had cheerfully told her it was all good fun. Xander, when asked, had gone Giles on her for a while but eventually admitted to the probability of boys she dated wanting to ask even if they could not work up the nerve to. When she didn't explode immediately he timidly continued. "Well would you do it?"

"How would you feel about me fucking the football team, it's the equivalent fantasy?" And didn't that stop him cold.

The silence dragged on for a while.

"J, it's a `turn about is fair play' deal. You can't do another girl without giving me the right to fuck other guys, do you want that?" And anyone who had known the dark slayer for a while could have guessed who had prepared this little speech for the surviving Summers. "I'm not really into girls but I know some bi girls who would just use you for a night and give you back, so that can be arranged. But as you imagine yourself with her wonder who I'd be doing at the same time. Or would you want us all in the same room so you can watch?"

At this point her guy was staring at her bug-eyed with an erection the size of the statue of liberty. She was stroking it slowly and smiling at him as she continued.

"You're a guy you like girls, I understand what goes with that." The east coast slayer had been less diplomatic `he's a guy, he wants some variety in the pussy he pumps, it'll be nothing personal when he cheats on ya and ya shouldn't let it hurt ya', Faith's involvement with Xander was undermining her `all men are animals' credo, but she still held to it publicly. "If my being a girl who likes guys is more than you can handle say so and I'll get dressed, call a cab, and never bother you again."

She looked across at him, smiled, and slid a condom on with her mouth, letting her teeth slide gently on his flesh the way he liked.

"Think about it after." She smiled as he climbed on top of her. "I'm not asking YOU to do anything we haven't already done."


Contact Visit room, Death Row, that weekend

"So how's Tara?"

"Absolutely sensational boytoy, I mean she does this thing with her tongue that's just WHOOHOO!!" The dark slayer shouted the last bit loud enough to be heard down the cellblock.

"Well that answers my `has she slept with you question' but I meant how is she emotionally?"

"Getting better, she actually worked up the nerve to ask for a fuck finally, which is how I know about the MAJORLY OK tongue action." Faith was trying to keep the mood upbeat, as she always did, and failing, as she always did. Mentioning screwing the Wicca was part of raising his spirits, among other parts of his anatomy. "She has a date with one of the women from the Lesbian Collective Tuesday night, an engineering masters student apparently, name of Indira something unpronounceable. And whatever it was between Dawn and Jason got cleared up."

"There was a problem?"

"Oh, I sent ya a letter on Wednesday, I thought ya'd of read it." Which was not totally true, she just knew a mention of `Dawn in trouble' would get his attention. He was like the dad on `Father of the Bride' still seeing her as a little girl instead of the young woman she was. "They were comparing their kinks apparently, and you know how Dawn is these days, little miss `never back off, never back down, my way or the highway', she raised the ante and scared him a little. They worked it out, he came over last night with flowers and all that."

"Dawn has kinks?" `But she's a child' he had nearly said, as he had the first time

"She's my protégé." That was the term her watcher had used. "Hey, I taught her restraint, I learned my lesson. But I won't ever encourage her to feel ashamed of having her own needs, you know."

And then she lay back in his arms, enjoying being naked with a man she respected in the warmth of the room. Things were actually going well for the survivors of the Scooby gang, except for the little detail that this person she had come to like, respect, even love to some degree, was going to be put down like a rabid dog in a few weeks. Which was a major thing wrong and oh god was she going to start crying again?

"Shh, its ok, I trust you, its ok." Xander said, thinking she was worried about whether she was doing the right thing with the surviving Summers girl. "Dawn will be ok, honest."

The dark slayer didn't even attempt to correct him on what was upsetting her. She just cried in his arms as he comforted her. As he did so he wondered if Dawn, having gotten one of `his girls' headed back on track would be willing to handle another. If not, Angel/Liam genuinely cared about her, he'd have to speak to him on his next visit. There would be a few more before his execution, plenty of time to get the ball rolling.

A room somewhere

"He has great potential for our organization." Said the first speaker.

"And the sort of pre-existing reputation that cannot be purchased with mere money." Added a second speaker.

"He seems content with his situation however, which is most curious." Countered a third speaker.

"We should at least open negotiations." The first speaker replied.

"Yes, there is little to be lost by asking except time." The third speaker added.

"Is it decided then, we will open negotiations for his services?" The second speaker asked in a formal tone.

"Yes." The other two replied.

*

"Dawn, what are you doing?" Tara Maclay asked as she wandered into the lounge room. She had just arrived home from her date with Kimberly and was feeling good. Then she saw what was playing on the video. "Porno movies, ah, should I leave you in private?"

"No its mostly girl/girl, not my thing really, just curious." There was a male star but he was missing from most scenes.

"About girl/girl, why watch those for that? I could teach you anything you wanted to know."

"Ooh Tara, take me to bed or lose me forever." The Summers girl said with a coy smile and fluttering eyelashes. It had become a joke between them after all the girls from the lesbian collective automatically assumed they were a couple. And then a fair number of other people had picked up the idea; it was proving impossible to completely kill actually. "No, its just that Jason said one of the girls looked like Faith, and I needed to see it somewhere where I could actually look at the movie."

Because they never got very far into one of these before life began to imitate art, which was not condusive to intellectual film criticism. There was a tall blonde going down on a short redhead on the screen at the moment, eventually they finished and two black haired women were on, one doing the other with a strap on dildo. Eventually Tara said.

"Faith and Kimberly, Kimberly fucking Faith with a 13 inch strap-on." She sounded like she was in shock.

"Wow, you could hurt a girl with a thing that size." Was the younger woman's comment. The guy who was pumping in and out of the Wicca's new girlfriend from behind was not much smaller, for that matter.

"No actually it just feels real good." Was Faiths answer from the doorway. She was smiling and looking at the screen, then the faces of the other two, as she had been for several minutes before they noticed her. "So, that's Kimberly is it, I know her as Michelle."

"Porno movies Faith?" the younger Summers asked, still looking a little stunned. Seeing the uncertain look on her protector and mentor's face she quickly added. "Wow, my friend is a Superhero, and a hard core porn star, and I never guessed. I feel very Lois Lane all of a sudden."

"I never guessed." Tara added into the silence, no one was talking and the sound was off on the TV, deeply meaningful intellectual dialog not being a foremost feature of these sorts of movies. Noticing the apparent age of the stars, she asked. "When did this get made?"

Well at least she wasn't breaking down in tears, throwing things and demanding the east coast girl leave town. And Dawn was clearly trying to be supportive to both women in the sort of situation that leads to a surprisingly high percentage of all murders.

"It was the last one she made before the pregnancy test came back positive." Faith explained. She was telling the simple truth. This having been kept a secret was understandable; whereas if the blonde witch later found out she had been lied to as well…being turned into a rat was probably the kindest fate that would result. "I'm sure she really does love you, but this isn't the sort of after school job you talk about casually, ya know."

"So he's Patricia's father?" Tara had taken a real liking to the older woman's daughter, a cute kid with a passion for Cowboy Bebop.

"Probably not, they hadn't been in that many movies together but there's no way of knowing. She worked with a few dozen guys over the critical time; she was a star with a busy work schedule after all. Anyway it's why she quit, she could have caught AIDS just as easily and she freaked."

The movie was still going and no one made a move to turn it off. Tara was aroused, despite her shock, by the Faith/Kimberly action, Dawn by the Kimberly/guy action, and Faith was remembering doing the scene very fondly indeed.

"I have to call Kimberly." The lesbian of the group suddenly announced as she stood up.

"I think she kept the strap-on as a souvenir if you want to try it out." Faith said helpfully to the retreating back. The Wicca blushed, smiled at her and nodded quickly. "So Dawnie, are ya gonna tell J-boy the truth?"

"Would it be a problem if I did?" The youngest present really didn't know what to do at this point.

"Nah, it's clearly me and you'll just make trouble for yourself if you deny it." Was the response. "Besides compared with the other stuff I did that year its practically something to brag about."

Things like nearly murdering boytoy for daring to try to hear her side of the Finch killing, becoming a hired killer for a would-be demon who wanted to kill the whole town, trying to take away Angel's soul… No, paying the rent by sucking, fucking and licking on camera while still a minor was practically first page of the resume material.

"Oh, heard from Angel, there's all these rumours going around about X-man in the demon community." With the movie still on it was hard to focus on anything but turning it off would be an admission of how horny it was making them. Which was not a problem for Faith, but Dawn was a little more reticent. "All this stuff about how there going to fake the execution and send him to work for something called Section."

"He told me when I was on the phone with him this morning." Was Dawn's response. "The Order of Taraka was one of the other candidates."

"So basically Xander is being set up to become some kind of undead and demon version of Elvis, if Elvis was an avenging slaughterer of evil dudes." Faith answered. "I knew demons were superstitious, but conspiracy buffs as well?"

The video was over and Dawn put it back in its case before calling Jason and asking if he wanted to stay over at her place tonight. The Dark Slayer was heading out the door, to meet the council strongarm squad that was supporting her patrolling now, when she turned and spoke.

"Dawn, what if it's true."

"Faith the security involved in faking the execution of one of the worlds most feared mass murderers would be ridiculous. They'd have to have something REALLY major planned for him to justify it and even then they couldn't keep it totally under wraps, there are already rumours."

"Yeah, but what if?"

Xander Harris's execution Friday November 26, 2004

Death was to be by lethal injection. There were observers in a viewing booth and a doctor to pronounce death. A series of injections was involved, the first of which put the condemned to sleep. After that various body functions were shut down, all this recorded by instruments whose results the observers could see. Finally a doctor pronounced Alexander Lavelle Harris, killer of 57 people, mostly lawyers and security guards at Wolfram and Heart, dead.

The body was removed and cremated. The ashes were returned to Sunnydale for interning beside the graves of Willow Rosenburg, Elizabeth Anne Summers, Jessie Tobias, and Jenny Calender. Where the graves were not together, as they were not for the last two, the ashes were divided up and some placed with each after gaining the consent of next of kin. These were the final wishes of The Zeppo.

After

Tara and Kimberly stayed together, eventually marrying and moving to San Francisco; Patricia became a famous concert pianist. They were said to be a happy, loving family.

Dawn Summers joined the Watchers Council, and continued the reforms her father in spirit had started. She married a bank manager and had two children.

Faith lived to be 31, the oldest living slayer up to that date. She was pregnant when prisoner Harris was executed, a boy who eventually became an astronaut and was part of the Second Mars Colonisation team. His family remained important in that worlds politics for generations.

Rupert Giles made fundamental changes to the structure of the Watchers Council, making support of the Slayer a more important achievement than control of her. He was proudest, however, of being asked to give away the bride at both Dawn and Tara's wedding. He was eventually buried with the other Scooby's in Sunnydale with a headstone that included the line `Beloved Dad'.

The repaired Wolfram and Heart building was totally destroyed, with all inside, two months to the day after Xander's execution. The computer-controlled security was overridden and a lockdown initiated that trapped all inside and pumped propane from an obsolete bomb known as a `Daisy Cutter' through the building. This weapon was designed to clear tropical jungle from several acres and in a confined space was of course devastating.

Less publicised massacres occurred regularly from then on all over the world. The common feature was that powerful demons or demonic organizations were obliterated, with few or no survivors. Civil war among the more violent demons of the region for control of whatever the late powerful had controlled were also common. It was notable that peaceful demons were left alone even when it might be simpler to just get rid of them too.

Over the decades a legend grew up about the supposed source of these attacks. Xander Harris, The Sunnydale Avenger, a.k.a. The Butcher of Sunnydale, was held responsible, and conspiracy theories concerning him flourished.

The instrument readings showing his death were faked, it was claimed. He was cremated to make sure his remains could never be exhumed and
positively identified it was said. He was an Immortal it was rumoured, some said he was born that way; others the he was placed under a powerful spell to achieve this. Still more claimed he was the beneficiary of advanced and experimental medical treatment, with nanotechnology.

Like Elvis and Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories, none of this could ever be proved or disproved, except for the massacres themselves and the long term effects of them. Demons, including whole species, that treated all and sundry around them as food or slaves, who were cruel and brutal and tried to end the world, died. Those that were being brutalised and enslaved were protected. A new religion arrived in due course, since The Avenger might protect you if asked, and WOULD kill you if provoked.

None of his old friends ever spoke to Xander Harris after he was officially pronounced dead. But they were aware of the growing legend, and were comforted by the knowledge that their friend was becoming known for protecting the weak than as a feared criminal. His misdeeds were forgotten or re-interpreted in the light of his myth. He had become legend.


END

NORGCO@YAHOO.COM