Title: Xander

Series: Pretending 1

Author: Xandria

Rating: NC17+ Slash, het m/m/f, Xander/Spike/Anya

Spoiler: season three and four

Fandom: Buffy / The Pretender

Summary: A little of Xander's history

Warning: child abuse, violence

Archive: Ooh, if you like. Anywhere at all. Just let me know so I can look.

Date: Monday, December 04, 2000

Feedback: Yes please. I love it. And it leads to more stories usually.

E-mail: tonicorn_1@yahoo.com

Notes: A few vignettes of Xander's life, up to beginning of story.

Notes 2: The Pretender plot bunny Bigbucks put in my head a few weeks ago. At last, I can write it!

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, they belong to Joss, and that's that. *SOB!*. Heck, if I did own them, I'd be in Queensland with all the boys attending to my every little whim! {I can dream can't I?}

By Xandria

NOVEMBER 2000 SUNNYDALE

There was a knock at the door to Gile's apartment, and as the closest, Xander answered it.

"Hello?" He said politely to the three who stood there. He remembered one of them, and the woman looked familiar, but he didn't have a clue as to who the bald guy might be. He liked his shirt though.

"Excuse us, but we're looking for a Buffy Summers?"

"Sure" He said, not taking his eyes off them. "Hey Buff, it's for you!" Buffy came into view and Xander left them. He bent over and whispered to Anya and Spike then sat down between the two of them. Anya leant her head on his shoulder and Spike snorted and stretched, yawning.

A minute later the four of them stood in front of the couch and Spike could heard Xander's heartrate, already high, go even faster, and smell the fear as well.

"Xander, do you remember Professor Asimov?"

"Asimov? Oh, I do like reading his books, though. Like, I, Robot, or..."

"Not that one, Xan. The one you worked for when he was here. I mean, you two were close enough while he was here."

"You mean Jarod? What about him?" Spike stiffened and began to edge away. All of a sudden Nummy was calm, his heartbeat slowed down, and his smell changing to excitement instead. Last time that had happened Spike remembered waking up a few days later to Xander saying he had no idea what had happened to Spike.

Xander explained in detail, later, what would happen if Spike ever tried doing that to Anya again and to wait for an invitation next time. Which would have been soon, but not now. And he kissed Spike, hard. And the invitation came. Spike shifted a little as he remembered that time, all three of them together. He smirked.

"We represent a corporation known as the Centre. Jarod was one of our major consultants and left suddenly, taking an invaluable resource with him we want back." The first man said smoothly, a European accent adding a smooth air of sophistication to his words.

Xander's eyes widened as he looked at the man. Sydney? It was. He remembered him, he was nice. But he worked for the Centre. So the woman? A few times he had seen her, younger, before he had been smuggled out. Miss Parker. So who was the third guy?

"So what do you wanna know? Oh wait, I have something for you. Jarod said to give this to anyone asking after him. So are you Sydney and Miss Parker?" He said, taking a notebook out of his jacket as he looked at them with an innocent face.

"And Broots" The bald guy muttered. "Why didn't he mention me?"

"Because you're insignificant." Miss Parker said before holding her hand out and grabbing the notebook and leafing through it impatiently.

"What does it say?" Sydney said as he looked over her shoulder.

"It's just a series of newspaper articles about abused children, no one in particular. No wait a minute, this part is about prodigies, children pushed to the point of abuse to perform." Sydney closed his eyes in pain.

"Is that what he thinks I was doing?"

"Excuse me, just what is going on here anyway?" Buffy demanded.

"Sorry Miss Summers, but this is none of your concern. If Jarod gets in contact with any of you could you please get in contact with us?" He held out a card to Buffy and the Slayer took a hold of it.

"If he stole something from you why don't you just call the police?" Willow suddenly said from where she had been sitting quietly with Tara. In the meantime, Broots, who had been steadily looking through the notebook, found a photo and held it out.

"Wow! Hey Sydney, it's a picture of you! With a baby?" Sydney came over and took it.

"Give me that! Probably it's a fake. No...it is me. And the baby...who is it? He looks familiar." He handed it to Miss Parker.

"Why would I know who the kid is? No wait a minute, he does look familiar." Spike could feel Xander's heart start to pound again and he frowned. Now what was going on with him. He'd been jumpy since the three had come in. Right then. He stood suddenly, drawing attention to him.

"I'm off. Watching you lot is about as exciting as watching paint dry." He sauntered out, giving Anya a quick wink.

"Spike is right. I'm bored. I want sex. Come on Xander." And she walked out too, leaving everyone to stare after her in astonishment. Xander hopped up and grinned nervously at them all.

"See ya!" and he ran out.

"Wow!" Broots exclaimed. "Are they always like that? I mean..." He looked down in embarrassment. Giles took his glasses off and pinched the top of his nose.

"Unfortunately yes. And if you don't mind, I'd like you to leave, please. You have what you came for and I'm afraid we can't help you anymore. We, however, were in the middle of something and must get on with it."

"Oh well. Could you please thank the boy for passing on the notebook when you see him?"

"We will. Goodbye." The Watcher said, firmly ushering them out the door.

"Giles, that was so unlike you." Willow said, staring at him.

"I don't know, Wills, they gave me the wiggins a little."

"Yes, did you notice that they never answered you about the police? Now, about this Gaffehred Demon..."

XANDER'S APARTMENT

"Oh Anya, you were brilliant! Aren't you glad we worked out the signals like that? And Spike, that was great!" Xander said, kissing each one in turn.

"Well it was pretty boring and I thought you two might want out as well. So, who were they, Pet?" Spike said. He felt Xander stiffen in his arms and he and Anya exchanged a look.

"I'm gonna have to go."

"What?"

"Leave Sunnydale. Jarod warned me they were after him and now they know I'm here. It won't take them long to figure out who I am. He was really sorry, if he had known I was here, he wouldn't have come. He was after the Initiative, and didn't know they had gone, either."

"Wait a minute, why would they be after you and Jarod? And why was he after the Initiative?"

"Well, Jarod was taken by them again for a while and was out of the loop. He was originally going to get them months ago. If he had you'd no longer have the chip, Spike."

"What?!" Spike said, going into Game Face and letting of Nummy and Anya, to pace about angrily.

"Well, he has more experience than me of how to do this. Me, I've spent years in hiding instead. It's only been the past year or so I've been able to practice a little more." Xander mumbled.

"Practice?! What in Soddin' Hell is bloody going On?!" Spike yelled. A figure suddenly appeared from the shadows, tall, a floor length leather coat, and a rich voice. He came into the light and spoke.

"He's like me." Jarod said.

End: Xander