A New Start: How Xander got his Freedom by Katrina
Summary: To save the only one that could kill them all, he was sent to a new dimension where he could live a real life. Landing at the feet of the men that would save his soul from the separation, Xander Harris slowly blossoms into the man that he should have been. Join him on his journey to learn the rules of a land without the demons of hell, and as he slowly makes a place for himself in a new world. --NaNo 2008--
Categories: Buffy/Angel Crossovers > CSI/NCIS, Buffy/Angel Crossovers > Other TV Characters: None
Genres: Action/Adventure, AU, Romance
Warnings: Angst, Character Bashing, Het, Major Character Death, Minor Character Death, Slash
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 6 Completed: Yes Word count: 62504 Read: 100348 Published: 2008.11.03 Updated: 2010.10.13
Story Notes:
This story reached 5000 words on Nov 13, 2008. Hopefully it shall be done by March 2009

1. Chapter 1 by Katrina

2. Chapter 2 by Katrina

3. Chapter 3 by Katrina

4. Chapter 4 by Katrina

5. Chapter 5 by Katrina

6. Chapter 6 by Katrina

Chapter 1 by Katrina
Author's Notes:

This is the fist two days of my NaNo entry... it makes Chapter 1 as well.... do enjoy! (10,698 words)

I do not own any of the characters from Buffy: the Vampire Slayer, Magnificent Seven, NCIS, CSI, CSI:Miami, or CSI: New York. They are all owned by their respective producers and writers. The Magnificent Seven Alternate Universe in the ATF was created by Mog, and credit goes to her for her brilliance. I simply own the plot and the characters in this usage.

*winks*

                The girls were falling, as were their support. The waves of demons were making a last stand, and Willow knew that she wanted one of her friends to live. Sending another volley of magic at the demons to kill their spell casters, she thought over her options. Buffy deserved her rest. Willow had been selfish once and now understood why Buffy needed to be here, it was her time. Dawn, while it would be good for her to have a normal life, she wasn’t normal like she wanted to believe. It wasn’t that she had anything against Dawn, but sending her away would be too tempting for the other demons to follow. Giles deserved his rest after a full life. He had finally gotten Ethan off of his addiction to Chaos Magic and both were attacking the demons with a mixture of magic and brawn that would make any Slayer proud. Faith was a slayer, and to send her off would be a punishment more than a reward for the dark Slayer, and Willow refused to hurt the reformed Slayer that way. That left Xander; her best friend. He had gotten his eye back after hunting down Slayers, rogue or not, protecting several shaman. His Hyena was a bit more active, but now he had use of both eyes, and he was using the gift given to him to protect some of the Slayers from the demons surrounding them. Smiling sadly, Willow began to chant a specific spell onto Xander and gave him a small shove after he saved one of the Asian Slayers from a rather nasty looking demon that was all arms and no head.

 

                “Help him, keep him safe, tell him we love our Xander-shaped friend and want him to have the life he should have had.”

 

                With those words, Willow let out a pulse of magic, forever blocking the demons from finding Xander, and removing the last trace of anything magical in their dimension. This was their last battle, and while they would die, she knew that she sent the one who deserved the gift of a second chance to live the life she knew he deserved in the first place.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Seven men watched in shock and awe as a blue shimmering circle appeared in their work area. As the small circle grew bigger, each man slowly moved a bit closer, hands on their weapons, and waited, still partially hidden to stay safe, to see what the circle was going to show them. The sight and sound of a body and metal hitting a carpeted floor was loud in the quiet room, and it startled the youngest as he looked at the body in shocked horror. The figure on the ground seemed to be dead as a soft voice was barely herd, begging anyone who was listening to keep the man, if that was what landed in the lobby was, safe from harm. As the voice faded from the minds of the people in the room, a soft groan had them all assessing the lump on the floor. The body shifted, and allowed the assembled people to gape at the wounds on the man. He was covered in blood, dirt and other things that made the men in the room want to vomit, and bruises were blooming on the golden skin. The clothes were ripped and torn limply hanging off the man, showing off hidden scars and gashes that needed to be cleaned. The man slowly sat up and opened his pain-filled eyes to look around the room.

 

                The fall had been painful, but at least the ground was clean. That was the first thing that registered into the mind of the young man. Slowly getting his bearings, glazed brown eyes opened and looked around at everything and nothing. Brown hair was matted down with blood, slime, dirt and paste. Everything he fought for was gone. His girls, all his beautiful, strong and willful girls were dead and gone. Sightless, haunted eyes looked everywhere to find any trace of his girls, but he couldn’t see through the blood that was obscuring his vision. He raised his hand slowly to wipe away at the blood and finally got a good look at his surroundings. He was confused, wasn’t he dead? He was in a room, possibly that of an office as there were desks. Frowning at the sight, his mind slowly focused onto the bits of conversation that he heard. He tried to latch onto it, for he was more afraid of being alone in a new place than being dead.

 

                “…Nasty looking head wound…”

 

                “… Needs medical attention…”

 

                Focusing on the voices, he could make out the shape of several men around him. They were all dressed in good clothes and suits, making him wonder when the Feds had shown up to bug them about another apocalypse.

 

                “… Came out of …. Not normal…”

 

                He snorted softly at that then winced at the pain it caused to his ribs and back. What was that man talking about? He’s the normal one, the Zeppo, the useless one.

 

                “…Wicked looking axe…”

 

                That was his axe thank you very much mister hyper person. It got him through many battles and helped him kill many demons and vampires that were trying to destroy the world, or take over countries, cities, and even people.

 

                “…Seems to acquire…Relief is on its way…”

 

                The tone was off, but the words were comforting. Big words reminded him of friends and family, and apparently held common sense too as he called for help.

 

                “…Looks lost…”

 

                Of course he looked lost. Where were his friends? His girls? The battle? He wasn’t supposed to be here, and he’d know if he was dead, wouldn’t he?

 

                “…You ok?”

 

                The last question made him look up into concerned blue-green eyes. A glass of water was given to him, and he gave the man in black a small, humorless smile.

 

                “Others?” He asked once he drank a bit of the cool liquid. “Where are they? Alive? Safe?”

 

                Blue-green eyes looked him over with a dark assessment and gave him a small, sad smile.

 

                “You appeared alone. Something shimmered here in the lobby and you fell with that axe in your hands, startling all of us.” Brown eyes blinked in shock as the green eyed man continued. “There was a soft voice that seemed to whisper at us to help you and to keep you safe, but other than that, nothing else came.”

 

                “Oh.”

 

                “I’m Chris Larabee, you are?”

 

                “Xander, Xander Harris.”

 

                Xander shut down after that and simply let his mind wander over what the man had said. He was alone in a new place, and it was probably Willow that sent him away. He could only hope that they survived, and that if they did die, that they took as many of the sons of bitches down with them. He was so deep into his thoughts on how the rest of the battle could have gone when he heard his name being called.

 

                “Xander, our medic, Nathan, wants to look at your injuries before the ambulance gets here to take you to the hospital.”

 

                “Ummm… Ok…” His tone was hesitant, but before he could change his mind, the black EMT pounce to look him over.

 

                Xander was quickly stripped of his shirt while Nathan checked over each wound.

 

                “Damn, we’re going to have to clean off most of the dirt and gunk off of you. It’ll be too hard to treat your injuries otherwise.”

 

                As Nathan spoke, three of the men had left the room and came back a few minutes later with two bowls and a bag. After setting down the items, Xander noticed that one bowl was filled with hot water, and the other was probably filled with warm water. Also, the bag had a pair of sweats, a white t-shirt and a pair of sandals. As the men worked with Nathan to clean Xander up, the brunet looked at the assembled men around him in confusion, and with a hint or wariness. Why were they helping him? What did they want in return for their services?

 

                Chris watched the young face before him and silently raged at the ancient eyes looking warily at his team.  He saw that his undercover agent, Ezra Standish, was also looking at the young man, but his eyes looked at him with an understanding look.

 

                It took the group a good half hour to remove all the traces of blood, dirt and demon guts off of him, and just before Nathan was about to do a serious check on his wounds, the paramedics entered the office. Not wanting Xander to be alone at the hospital, Chris was about to order someone to go when Ezra stood.

 

                “I’ll join you gentlemen in escorting our young friend to the hospital. It would be callous of us to leave him to his own devices while he is in a foreign city.” Xander blinked at Ezra and gave a small chuckle. The chuckle is what caused Chris to nod and watched as the pair left the building to go the Mercy’s General Hospital.

 

                “Alright, JD I want you to start to set up a background for Xander. Once we see him at the hospital, we’ll be able to set up the rest of his identity while he’s here. Vin, Buck I want the pair of you to finish the reports from our last bust. The sooner we get those done, the more time we’ll have to helping our new friend. Josiah I want you to begin a profile on Xander, and Nathan can help you with the minimal medical background that he noticed while cleaning the gunk off of him.” Getting nods from his men, Chris picked up the axe and placed it in his office before going back and cleaning up the items on the floor. Making his way to the bathroom, he dumped the water down the sink before putting the dirty rags in the plastic bag and putting it in the garbage. Now all that was left was informing AD Travis. That wasn’t going to be fun.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                The ride to the hospital was tedious as Xander told the paramedics the least amount that needed to be said about his injuries. Ezra watched in awe as Xander babbled on about anything and everything, yet didn’t say anything of importance to the paramedics. Upon arrival at the hospital, Ezra waited for the doctor to arrive and inform him about the extent of the injuries that ailed the young man. Xander Harris was a puzzle to Ezra, and it had been a good long while that he had a decent puzzle to work with.

 

                The energetic young man seemed to be biding his time and Ezra knew that he would run if given the chance. He had a feeling that Xander could find what he needed to survive and get on his feet in, what was obliviously a new world and life. Putting his musings aside, Ezra smiled at the doctor as he came in to lead the way to the brunet’s room to give him the diagnosis of the newest patient within the walls of what Buck had dubbed ‘The Magnificent Seven Room’ as they always got this room when one of them were injured. Upon seeing the doctor and Ezra, Xander frowned and looked between the pair in confusion.

 

                “What’s going on?”

 

                “I was just about to inform Agent Standish about your injuries and the precautions that you need to take while you are healing. You are going to be in a lot of pain, and while I know that you want to leave, you have to remain here over night at the least.”

 

                “But--”

 

                “No buts Mr. Harris. I know that your team will take care of you and that you really want to leave, but we just want to monitor your health for the night to make sure that there are no complications with your wounds.”

 

                “Fine.”

 

                Ezra sat heavily into the chair by Xander’s hospital bed as he was given the young man’s diagnosis. He had three broken ribs on his right side, his left arm was cracked in four places and he sprained his left knee and right ankle. He also had a concussion as well as minor abrasions and many bruises.

 

                After weathering the grumblings of the youth, Ezra had to hide a smile at the sight the brunet was in the hospital bed. The nurses had wrapped him up in blankets. Sitting there in bandages and an air cast, Xander had a dangerous pout playing about his lips, and his eyes shone with his displeasure at being stuck in a hospital bed.

 

                “It could be worse, Mr Harris.”

 

                Xander interrupted Ezra.

 

                “Name’s Xander, Mr. Harris was my scumbag of a father.”

 

                “Xander then, you could be stuck here for a week, eating the slop that they call a meal.” Xander shuddered at that and gave Ezra a dirty look.

 

                “I hate hospitals. I mean, yeah I might be hurt, but I’m taking up a bed that someone with injuries worse than mine could use. Besides, I would have been fine with a bed and a shower, maybe a couple of bandages, but other than that, I didn’t need a hospital.”

 

                Ezra could only smile sadly at the young man with his casual mentioning of his wounds. Like himself, Xander obliviously preferred to deal with his injuries in private. The only reason that Xander was in here at all was because he was in a strange place, and he had arrived in front of Chris and the rest of them.

 

                “Well, if we are lucky, the others will arrive before the evening repast and bring some decent cuisine so that we can get some substance into you. Ah’m not sure about you, but Ah do not believe that they serve food in these establishments. Ah think of it as a reason not to return.”

 

                Xander laughed softly at the words spoken with a southern drawl, nodding at the wisdom of the man beside him.

 

                “I know that it’s supposed to be good for you, but that guarantees that it’ll never taste good.”

 

                Ezra smiled and nodded at the bed ridden man and smirked.

 

                “Ah do believe that you speak the truth.”

 

                “Amen to that.” Ezra and Xander looked at the door way and saw the others slowly shuffle in.

 

                Nathan reached for the clipboard at the foot of Xander’s bed and whistled at the injuries. Now that he could see the others better, Xander began to commit each man to memory.

 

                Ezra had been godsend as Xander had waited for the others. The man’s dry wit and dark humor matched his own very well, and he was hoping that the well dressed, sharp tongued man would become a friend. It reminding him of his discussions with Giles and Cordy, as they allowed him to use his wit to get his point across, and he did enjoy learning new words.

 

                The eldest sat by the window watching the room at large and gave Ezra a small smile. His face was weathered by age, but Xander could tell that he was pleased with his life so far, and enjoyed it where he could.

 

                The tall man with the mustache was beside the older man and seemed to be playing a game of thumb war with the youngest man in the room. While the man may look relaxed, Xander could see the stiffness in the man’s shoulders and wondered if it was because he was trying so hard to win, or because he wanted to ask questions.

 

                The youngest man seemed to be the same age that Xander was, maybe a year or two younger. He seemed to be worried, but was willing to let the others take control at the moment and give Xander a chance to catch his bearings around the group.

 

                Nathan was pacing and asking Ezra questions about what the doctor had told him about the injuries that Xander had received, and he was secretly glad that it wasn’t him that was being asked. He’d be too tempted to say he was fine, and he knew that was the wrong thing to say to the man that seemed to be hell bent on mothering him.

 

                Finally the one that had spoken upon entering was watching him with sharp eyes, even though he was sprawled in the other chair by his bed. The long hair suited the man and made him look harmless if you didn’t know where to look. Xander had a feeling that this man would be similar to Oz back home. He seemed like a man who was soft spoken, and who didn’t let anything faze him, unless it hurt his friends.

 

                Spotting the laptop on the corner of his bed, Xander snagged it and pulled it closer. He was curious about the daily life in this new world, and he had to know if Sunnydale had ever been a part of this place. As he browsed the internet, Xander missed the curious looks being sent to him by Ezra, Vin and Nathan.

 

                Feeling the bed dip by his side, Xander peeked from beneath his lashes and saw that it was Ezra who was sitting beside him. Checking out the web pages and internet maps, Xander silently mourned that Sunnydale never existed in this place. Finding out that Oxnard did, caused a wry grin to slowly spread on his face.

 

                “Oh! Chris said that we had to set you up with identification. So we need as much information that you can give us. It’ll be things like name, parents’ names, date of birth, city of birth, schooling, job history, what your good at, and all that. Also, we need to know what you want to do for a living, and what you plan on doing to start.” The youngest jumped up and kept talking. His babbling reminded Xander of Willow when she was excited about something.

 

                “Also—ackk!!”

 

                “Let the kid talk JD, and don’t forget to breathe!” The man with the mustache playfully ruffled the curly black hair on JD’s head.

 

                “Buck!” Xander snickered at their antics and let JD take the computer from him.

 

                “Well, I’m Alexander LaVelle Harris. Mock my middle name and suffer. I was born September 14, 1981 to Jessica and Anthony Harris. Since Sunnydale doesn’t exist here, I’d have to say I was born in LA and lived in Oxnard until three years ago.” Xander paused and drank some of the water that Ezra gave him, smiling in thanks.

 

                “I went to an average school, have a straight D+ average, and yet have 1200 on my SAT’s. I know I have a learning disability as I can pick up languages really well, but my English sucks. I was a foreman in construction, and have a good grasp on demolitions as we had to level some buildings before we could do anything. I know my weapons, from archaic to modern, and I know how to modify weapons.” Xander smirked at the gob-smacked look on the faces around him and nodded.

 

                “I can also plan assaults and I have a passing familiarity with undercover workings. I know how to sneak, hide, lie, kill and hunt, but I’ve never killed a human. I’ve wounded many, but I’ve never killed and plan on keeping it that way.”

 

                “That’s what I wanted to hear Xander.” Chris’ voice startled the injured man, and all eyes fell on the door.

 

                “Xander, this is our boss, AD Travis. He’s heard your tale and has come to basically debrief you on what your options are.”

 

                “Mr Harris, I’m glad that you are cooperating with Team Seven as they set up your new identity. Now, I want to know what your plans are, so that I can help make sure that you get the best chances out there.”

 

                “Call me Xander, please. I know I want to help people, but there are many ways to do that. But I love do weapons, so something similar to the job these guys are doing?” Xander looked hopeful. “I don’t want to be in the day to day on the floor shooting, but I would love to work with weapons all day.”

 

                “So, a ballistics tech.”

 

                “A what?”

 

                “You’d be in charge of making sure that the weapons taken off the street matches the crimes that they go with. Like if we get a crate of guns and there are six that are linked to murders in other states, then you write that up and inform the labs at their locations.”

 

                “That’d be cool. I can do a GED then start at a College to begin the training.” Xander shuddered. “I hate school.”

 

                The others held back their snickers from the distraught young man. AD Travis smiled and shook the young man’s hand leaving the room to finish the paperwork needed to make him a real person. Before anyone could make a comment to break the silence, the doctor entered the room.

 

                “Ah, I’m glad you made it Agent Larabee. You should have your men follow this young man’s example when it comes to letting us doctors in doing our jobs. He’s a wondrous patient, and for that, the nurses offered to order him Chinese.”

 

                “SWEET! General Tao’s Chicken please!”

 

                “That’s what they wanted to know. Also, you’ll need to be with someone when we release you tomorrow afternoon.”

 

                “He’ll be with me.”

 

                “Ezra, I don’t want to put you out.”

 

                “Nonsense, I offered, and I wouldn’t make an offer if I didn’t have the means to help you.”

 

                “Thanks Ezra. I appreciate it.”

 

                “Good, now, your meal should be here in forty to fifty minutes. This will give you enough time to freshen up. Do you need any more painkillers?”

 

                “I’m good. Thanks doc.”

 

                “Very well, push the button if you need assistance.”

 

                The doctor left the room and Xander gave an innocent look to the team as they looked at him, and Ezra, in shock.

 

                “What, I’m a good boy.”

 

                That broke the silence as Vin burst out laughing and patted Xander on the head.

 

                “You’re going to fit right in with us Xan.”

 

                Xander smiled and let the group talk over him. While he was upset at having to go to school, Xander knew that these men meant well. He was sure that he could count on them for help in doing the homework needed to pass his courses.

 

                The smell of Chinese wafted through the door, and after flirting and thanking the nurse, Xander devoured his meal in record time. Team Seven watched in fascinated awe as Xander packed away the meal at a fast rate. Xander only noticed that he was being stared at after he finished his last bite and stared back in confusion.

 

                “Was I supposed to share? Sorry ‘bout that.”

 

                “Ain’t that Xan, don’t think that the boys saw someone eat food that fast.”

 

                “Oh. At home it was ‘fend for yourself’ when it came to food.” He shrugged, “If the parents weren’t passed out and smelt the food, they’d try to take it from me.”

 

                Xander’s voice was matter of fact when it came to the situation, and that bothered the seven men more than they knew. Ezra and Vin had an idea that there was more to the fending for himself, but they would ask Xander in private later. Wanting to break the tension before it made Xander more uncomfortable, and before one of the others embarrassed the young man more, Vin spoke up.

 

                “Xan, I have a friend in Las Vegas who’s a Ballistics expert. I can have him come up and talk to ya if you wanted to know more about his trade. He’s realistic about what you can and can’t do, and he’ll know more about the ins and outs of the lab setting than we would.”

 

                “I’d like that. Do you think he’d let me pick at his brain?”

 

                “Well, maybe not actually pickin’ at it, but I can see him answering questions.”

 

                “Ha ha, smart ass.”

 

                Vin shrugged and smiled a small secretive smile.

 

                “Do you want to do more than just weapons?” Chris asked after he managed to calm himself down after the hidden bombshell that he found about the young man’s home life.

 

                “What do you mean? I like weapons.” Xander pouted, causing Chris to chuckle.

 

                “You could also do field. You said that you were good at pretending, if you were a field tech too, I could see about you doing undercover with Ezra.”

 

                Both men looked at Chris with wide eyes, before assessing each other.

 

                “You wanna try something tomorrow when I get out?”

 

                “Ah do believe that would be a most excellent idea. We will have to see if we can pull it off together though.” Ezra raised an eyebrow at the wave of Xander’s hand.

 

                “No worries Ezra. I have a feeling that we can pull it off. My legs will be fine tomorrow, and I have no doubt that we can prove our worth as a team.”

 

                “Wanna bet?” Buck’s voice snapped the attention of both Xander and Ezra.

 

                “What’s the prize?”

 

                “Who’ll end up losing, buys the drinks for the next three days, at the Saloon.”

 

                “How long do we have to get ready?”

 

                “You leave tomorrow, I’d say three days from today. That gives you both at least one full day to get your bearings.”

 

                “I’m game. You Ezra?”

 

                “Ah do believe I will accept the wager.”

 

                “I think they’ll be able to do it.” Vin spoke first.

 

                “Not enough time.” Nathan spoke up and gave both an apologetic look.

 

                “I think they can.” Josiah spoke for the first time in the room.

 

                “I think they can do it!” JD’s enthusiasm made everyone smile.

 

                “I think, like Nathan, it’s just too little time. Sorry boys.” Chris spoke with an apologetic shrug.

 

                “So, it’s three for and three against. Nice.” Xander spoke and snatched a pad of paper from the side of the table.

 

                “What are you doing son?” Josiah’s voice made Xander look up and give a wicked grin.

 

                “I have three days old man. That means we have to start now!”

 

                “Calm down Xan, the boys will be leaving soon, and that’ll give you and Ez a bit of time to get the basics down pat. Also, you’ll have tomorrow morning to start fleshing out your character while Ez does his at work.” Xander sighed and pouted at Vin’s words.

 

                “Fine, I’ll wait.”

 

                Before the others could start a new conversation one of the nurses came into the room.

 

                “I’m sorry gentlemen, but visiting hours are over and the patient needs his rest. You can show up tomorrow, but I have to ask all of you to leave.”

 

                “Of course; we will just say our goodbyes and leave Xander in your capable hands, my dear.”

 

                “Thank you.”

 

                “Now, Ah shall be down by noon the latest to pick you up. Here is my number to the office. Please call if you are discharged earlier.”

 

                “Thanks Ezra. Night guys,” he yawned. “I’ll see all of you tomorrow.”

 

                The seven men left the hospital all wondering what the next day would bring; now that they had a new friend to add into their circle. Xander snuggled into the thin sheets and smiled softly. While he was sad that Willow had sent him away, Xander was glad that he landed near these people. The seven men that were with him were all doing their best to make him feel comfortable, and they were succeeding. He only hoped that if he attracted anyone, that they would not be evil, and that he would be somewhat safe.  Now it was time to find a job, so that he could invest and make what Anya had called baby money.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                The next morning, Ezra was glad that he stopped by the hospital on his way to work. Xander had been dressed and ready to go, getting a smile from the undercover agent. Helping him into the Jag, Ezra drove in silence until they reached the Starbucks close to the office.

 

                “Caffeine goodness, here I come!”

 

                Ezra chuckled at the look of bliss on Xander’s face as he drank his sugary coffee, and followed him like an eager puppy to the car.

 

                “I have a plan that we can use to get the guys to think we are someone different.”

 

                “Oh?”

 

                “Do you have stage makeup? If we show up as a pair of girls and then tease and torment Chris and them we can use it to our advantage. Also, if we go to one of the sex shops we can get what they call ‘double sided breast forming tape’ it’ll let us attach fake breasts to our skin without causing irritation. Buffy liked it cause it let her go braless more often than not, which freaked Giles and me out when she went into share mode with us.”

 

                “Ah do believe that this can benefit us. There are certain styles of dresses that’ll fit your frame better than mine.”

 

                “Yeah, and we can use Nair when it comes to our legs and all as it’ll just wash away the hair and we won’t cut ourselves. We’ll also have to go out and buy the special padded underwear that’ll let us hide the fact that we have a penis too.”

 

                Ezra burst out laughing and Xander shook in shock.

 

                “Ah love the idea; now, accents or dialects.”

 

                “We’ll be from New York, from the Bronx district. They have a heavy accent and mannerisms would show off two different people. New Yorkers are loud, rude and obnoxious. They are also very opinionated and like to speak their mind. We could have been street girls that take crap from no one and became very successful in our chosen field. Say, fashion? I know tons about fashion because of Willow, Buffy, Faith and Cordy.”

 

                “Ah do believe that we have our bodies and tones. Now, we need names, and we need backgrounds, including what each person likes.”

 

                “Well, I’ll be Cordelia Janna Kalderdash and you can be Anyanka Kendra Jenkins. I can tell you ‘bout Anya and you could use her attitude towards your part. She was blunt, and had a bunny phobia. She loved money and sex. She also knew her limits. She was a Cosmo girl and loved to shop and get sparkly things. If it shone or gave her money, she was happy. She had the best imagination when it came to torturing men for hurting women and girls who were scorned. She could walk circles around you with her words, but you have to remember that she didn’t use big words. While she wasn’t an airhead, she preferred to keep everything simple, unless she was psyching you up for some mental torture.”

 

                Ezra licked his lips. “So, Anyanka Kendra Jenkins is a hard woman that keeps her girls safe with money and mental torture. She’ll do what she has to in order to survive and she does enjoy a good spot of violence. She loves sex, and the more she gets the better. She has a finical mind and loves it when she makes money. She has a deep sated fear of bunnies and rabbits, and is the financial manager of their clothing line.”

 

                “That’s right. I’ll be Cordelia Janna Kalderdash and I am the queen of snark. I can dress a man down with a verbal tongue lashing that’ll leave even the toughest man in tears. Fashion is my life, as is my dream to be an actress. Since we have so many friends that need to strip to survive, our fashion is suited more towards their profession. We do, however, also make clothes for the high class society and make a mint off of them. Cordelia has been known to be blunt and is devious with a computer. The girls on the street call her a techno-pagan as whenever she deals with electronics it’s like she’s working magic.”

 

                The pair of them stepped out of the Jag once Ezra was parked at the office and they stopped in for a pass for Xander. Nodding to the receptionist, Xander went back to telling Ezra about their new identities.

 

                “Both are all about the fashion, and love their fruity coffees. They are also very weight oriented. With my build, I had been a bouncer and a weight lifter in the underground networks. You would have been a kick boxer or martial artist with your build and worked best with a whip and knives.  We can flesh out more later on because I think we’re at your floor.”

 

                Ezra chuckled and led the way as Xander smirked at him. “Ah’ll enjoy working with you on this project, Xander, as Ah have a feeling it will give us delightful reactions.”

 

                “Xander! I thought you were getting out later today.” JD’s voice brought the attention of everyone to the brunet and Xander smirked.

 

                “Well, the doctor said that I had been such a good boy that he would let me leave early in the morning. I didn’t even have to call as Ezra seemed to have a premonition and picked me up at the hospital. I didn’t even have to ask about drinks, as we stopped for nummy coffee. Anything else?” Brown eyes batted at JD causing the others to laugh at the blushing and stammering computer expert.

 

                Taking pity on the young Bostonian, Chris gave Xander a pointed look and got an innocent look in return.

 

                “What, I’m a good boy. My knee and ankle are fine, as long as I take it easy, I know I won’t hurt my ribs or jar my arm. Now, do you have a spare computer that I can borrow? I wanna step up some accounts on line and start looking for a simple job to keep me busy during the day.”

 

                Chris rolled his eyes and pointed at the spare desk and Xander practically squealed as he was between Ezra and Vin. This way he could plot with Ezra and get Vin’s input when it came to good jobs in the area. While he was staying with Ezra, he was going to have to go shopping and get clothes. That meant he’d have to find a way to get funds, or borrow clothes until he could purchase his own. He’d have to see if there was a Thrift store nearby, or a Salvation Army.

 

                After turning on the computer, Xander quickly set up an account on hotmail, yahoo and Gmail. He wanted options of multiple emails if he needed and made one of them perfect for job hunting. Xander quickly wrote a note to both Vin and Ezra asking for information. He wanted to know the most about the city of Denver as possible.

 

                Two emails quickly popped into his Gmail account and Xander’s wicked chuckle caused heads to turn as he bestowed the group with an innocent smile. Seven pairs of eyes were watching him now and Xander quickly ignored them in difference to hunting for the best places to get clothes and personal items for his stay in Ezra’s town house.

 

                Finding several places that needed help, Xander was surprised that there were plenty within walking distance of the building. Xander kept browsing until he saw that a hardware store three blocks away was in need of a wood worker. Brightening up at the find, Xander sent the link to Ezra and Vin asking if it would be alright if he was that close to the building, and if it would be possible to get his information quickly so that he could apply at the store later today. Getting back two replies of yes, Xander’s face split into a wide happy smile and he began to hum as he now began to hunt for good thrift stores to help and make sure that he had enough clothes. He really did miss his shirts.

 

                Seeing the banks that were nearby, Xander asked Ezra which was the best to deal with. Getting back a list of several banks in the area, Xander decided on the US Bank, which was a block from the office. Sending them a quick email, Xander got an appointment that afternoon at two to open an account. Sending that note to Vin and Ezra, Xander went back to hunting for more jobs, and slowly building more background for the persona that he was going to show off in two days.

 

                “Alright ladies, I need those reports by five this afternoon, and we’ll get three days off. Xander, Ezra, for your bet, we’ll meet you both at the Saloon at noon to prove to us that you can win the bet.” Chris spoke to the group and missed the shared look between Xander and Ezra.

 

                Vin spotted the shared look and wondered about the look of amusement that Xander and Ezra shared, but figured it had to do with their bet. He knew that betting against Ezra was a bad thing, and had a feeling that Xander wouldn’t be a disappointment either. The fact that they want to meet up in public will test the outfit better and cause the group to show a higher appreciation towards their undercover agent.

 

                Ezra was laughing at the possible reactions that the group would give, and Ezra would make sure to tease their leader. If what Xander had said was right, then Anyanka was a woman that knew how to turn a guy on with the right words as well. Since she kept things straight forward, that implied she had no tact. He could work with that. He also knew that the use of his ‘thousand dollar words’ were more to aggravate the others than anything else. They expect him to act a certain way, so he had planned on capitalizing upon that. Now that Xander was here and understood those words like he was always around them made Ezra smile. He wouldn’t have to repeat everything to at least one person, and he knew that Xander would translate it for him if he head to now.

 

                Xander was bouncing in joy as he continued to surf the net. Chris was giving them an audience, and Xander knew that he acted best with a large audience. His brief tour as a stripper showed him how much he loved showing off to those around him, and he had a feeling that Ezra was the same. You could melt into the groups better by acting the right way, and since New Yorkers loved shows, well, he was sure going to give it to them. Spotting the time, Xander mentioned his meeting with the bank and Xander practically skipped out of the office after clearing the computer in front of him, leaving behind a smirking Ezra and Vin, and the rest all confused. All Ezra had to do was wait for the young man to return and then they could leave to finish their outfits for the day after.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Six men sat at the Saloon a few blocks from the ATF building as they waited for their bets to walk in. The only problem was that they didn’t know what they would look like. Two young women watched the six men and smirked at their increased frustration and confusion. Catching the eyes of the blue eyed man both ladies left their spots at the bar and made their way over to the table.

 

                “Well hello there, I’m Cordelia and this is my friend Anyanka. We flew in last night and were wondering if you’d give us a tour of the town.” A heavy Bronx accent and a light voice made its way to the table and the six men had to swallow.

 

                Both women were dressed in designer threads. One was a larger build, but that was because of the obvious muscle mass that she had, and due to how she held herself. Sandy brown hair and bright green eyes looked at the assembled men before landing back on the blue eyed man, giving him a sweet smile, softening her look. Her green dress showed off her impressive cleavage and tapered off to show that she had long, strong legs. The other was a bit slimmer and had the build of a fighter. Her fiery red hair and blue eyes landed on the man in black and she sashayed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was in a red wine cocktail dress and was letting the blond man pillow his head in her large chest.

 

                “Well hello sexy. I can be sure to make you a very happy boy if you agree to show us around town.” Her voice was a deep purr and her accent simply oozed sex.

 

                “Cordelia, Anyanka, we’re sorry to decline, but we’re awaiting a pair of friends. They have to finish getting a few things before they meet up with us, that’s all.” Nathan’s voice was a bit wobbly, but he managed to speak without showing how much their accents and bodies were affecting him.

 

                “Well, are you sure that you don’t want to give us a tour? You see, a friend of ours told us that the men at this table would be more than happy to show us around. I can’t believe he was wrong.” Anyanka spoke with such sadness and before anyone could say anything, she pulled Chris in for a tongue tangling kiss.

 

                “Ah, Anya, always able to get what she wants.” Cordelia spoke with amusement and she bent down to give the blue eyed man a kiss.

 

                “We could have had great sex together blondie, too bad and too late now.” Anyanka spoke after her kiss, leaving a glazed eyed man sitting and looking dreamily at the one that controlled his mouth.

 

                Anyanka waved Cordelia closer, after she finished sampling the blue eyed wonder and shared a smirk. The two stepped close to each other and linked arms. Looking at the six men who were looking between the two with expressions of lust, want and disappointment, they let loose a set of wicked chuckles.

 

                “By the way, for the next three visits, drinks are on Chris, Nathan and Buck.” Ezra’s voice came from Anyanka’s lips making the looks of lust, want and disappointment to shift to shock, confusion and disbelief.

 

                “See you boys later!” Xander’s voice floated from Cordelia’s mouth and the pair left six shocked men to dive into the fact that they were just cock teased by the two that they had been waiting for.

 

                “Oh my God!” JD’s voice knocked them all out of their stupor. “I can’t believe it! They were like perfect! They acted like they were really women! I never knew that they could act so well. They even got the voices right. That and they could walk and show off that they were women. No trace of them being men, and they didn’t look anything like Ezra or Xander. My God! I have to know how they did that!”

 

                Before JD could dash towards the door, Vin’s hand held him down.

 

                “We should let them get changed before you chase after them JD.” He licked his lips. “While I have no doubt that they’ll answer your questions, I think they want to get changed first.”

 

                Twenty minutes later Ezra and Xander walked back into the bar. The only thing that remained of their stunts at Cordelia and Anyanka was that fact that their hair was still the same colour as the girls wore. Upon seeing the fiery red hair, Chris’ eyes glazed once more at the reminder of the kiss and he sulked at his beer. Xander and Ezra sat by Vin and smiled sweetly at the assembled men.

 

                “Well gentlemen, Ah do believe that Xander and Ah proved that we could slip in without you discovering who we were.”

 

                “How did you guys make your chests look so real?” JD’s excited voice made Xander smirk at Ezra.

 

                “Told ya it’d be the first question asked.” He put his hand out and Ezra slapped a fifty in the man hand.

 

                “We had silicone falsies that we simply put in a bra and held them in place with double sided breast tape. Finding the right size bra was a bit difficult, but we managed. I think the sales woman had a good laugh at our expense for it, but it was worth it.” Xander gave a wicked smirk to the table, “Next question?”

 

                “Where did ya learn to act like a girl?” Vin asked quietly.

 

                “Well, I learned because I was surrounded by girls for most of my life; Buffy, Cordy, Anya, Willow, Tara, Joyce, Jenny, Kendra, Faith, and more. We lived, bled and cried together; just like a family. We loved, we lost, we fought and we did what we had to. But the girls were always given the chance to be girls, so after being around them for so long, I simply acted like they did.”

 

                “Ah learned watching my Mother. As you know, Maude is all about appearances. If you acted rich, you were rich. If you acted like a sad, lonely widower, you were a sad lonely widower. The goal was to see behind the masks. Also, Xander told me how Anya acted, so I simply made myself act as she would have.”

 

                “Yes Chris, Anya would have kissed you like that and then mourn the loss of a sex partner since you had declined her in the first place.”

 

                “Damn.”

 

                “Be grateful, Xander mentioned that she had a very active imagination for people who insulted her, especially against men. She liked to describe the unspeakable acts of torture that she would rain upon them for hurting those she cared about, and apparently she was very graphic.”

 

                “Yeah, Ahn was like that. She’d normally want sex right after it too.”

 

                “WHAT?!” Six voices shouted at once.

 

                “Yep; sex, money and torture were her favourite things.”

 

                “Damn kid, you don’t do things by half do ya?”

 

                “Almost married her to; left her when her friends intervened and told us how much we’d hate the married life together. I refuse to become my father, so I left.”

 

                “What do you mean refusing to be your father?”

 

                “Anthony Harris is a self-pitting drunk who regularly beat me and my mother. He hated the fact that he was stuck in a low paying job and that his son had dyslexia. His wife was so cowed by his anger and size that she took to drinking and popping pills to seem happy. I would have ended up beating Anya, and I refuse to even entertain the idea, so I left her. She died two years later when the town sunk from an underground cave collapsing.”

 

                The table was silent after the revelation and Ezra patted his friend’s hand and Vin laid his upon the man’s shoulder.

 

                “Why did you choose those names?”

 

                “Ah went as Anyanka Kendra Jenkins. Xander wanted to honour the women he knew, so I was given those two names. You were told about Anya, but Kendra was a fighter. She enjoyed a good fight and had won many town championships. She met with Xander in his senior year and was killed by serial killer. She was compassionate and had a childish curiosity. Xander mentioned that she was almost like a child in her innocence.”

 

                “I went as Cordelia Janna Kalderdash. Cordy was a powerful woman. She could knock a man down simply with a dressing down. In school we said she had a whip for a tongue as she would lash you to pieces, making you cry like a baby. She was all about saying what she wanted and didn’t care what you thought. While she projected a shallow image, Cordy had depth and helped out people, even if it wasn’t in the open like most people would think she would do. I remember her helping a girl from a lower income family get a good dress for the prom, and then only ask that if she was going to keep it that she help someone else like that some day.” Xander took a sip of his beer.

 

                “Janna Kalderdash, or Jenny Calendar as we knew her, was a good woman. She was our computer teacher in school, and she had a wicked sense of humour. She was so good with computers she called herself a techno-pagan, simply because she made computers dance with very little effort. She dated our school librarian who was like a father figure to us and was killed two weeks before Kendra was by the same serial killer. He was sick and left her for dead in Giles’ bed, candles burning and everything romantic.”

 

                “Jesus…” Josiah whispered.

 

                “Yeah, but she went down fighting. She got the info together to help us get the facts to help the police.”

 

                “Damn kid…” Buck muttered.

 

                “We lived, and moved on, even though we missed her like mad. But those were the four women we used to introduce ourselves to you.” Xander spoke with fondness.

 

                 The six that hadn’t heard the story about the girls the first time were in shocked awe at what had happened. Xander watched them all through heavy lidded eyes, and slowly sipped the beer sitting in front of him. He was willing to take a chance with these men; he could only hope that they took one in return.

 

                “So, I guess that means that we get free drinks for the next three visits, right?” Three groans were heard while five men laughed.

 

                As the group chatted and spoke about what was going on in their lives, Xander sat back and let the conversations flow lover him. He knew that he would learn more about the people around him by listening to them talk, and he was surprised that only Nathan was in a relationship. As he talked about his date with a woman named Rain, Xander watched as Buck and Chris shifted and slid closer together. Smiling softly, Xander knew that there was a hidden component when it came to the blond leader and his second in command. He would keep their secret, and support them when they came out. He knew the dangers of the job would increase if others found out, and Xander refused to allow that.

 

                “Xan, I got a message back from my friend in Las Vegas. Bobby said that he’d be willing to come up for a weekend to talk to you about it. He offered two weeks from now.” Vin spoke quietly, watching and smiling at the others as well.

 

                “Two weeks from now is fine. I only start working after that weekend anyways. The new boss liked my credentials so he said I could start in two weeks.” Xander gave a wicked grin, “Helps that I began to rattle off construction materials. I explained it as working under the table for a few crews in my hometown when I needed the extra cash.”

 

                Vin chuckled and both sat back and enjoyed the conversations flowing around them once more. Catching Ezra’s eye, Xander smiled and flicked his eyes to the door. While he did enjoy a good time out, drinking and alcohol still bothered him when he was surrounded by it.

 

                “Gentlemen, Ah’m sorry to say that Xander and Ah must go. As we have the time off because of the last successful bust, Ah have promised him a tour of our fine city.”

 

                “Alright, both of you enjoy the time off. Oh, and get the kid some new clothes.” Xander stuck his tongue out at Chris for that.

 

                Waving as they left, Xander smiled at the thought that his new life was slowly coming together.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Two weeks passed by quickly and before Xander knew it, he was sitting in the Jag and pulling into Vin’s driveway. Over the past two weeks only Ezra and Vin really got past his defenses. Finding that the happy and confident young man was hurting worse than they could ever imagine, the pair did what they could to make Xander feel at home.

 

                Willow’s single-mindedness to have him live a good and happy life, away from demons, struck him as egotistical in her regard to him. He knew that he wasn’t a Slayer and had finally gotten to the point where he could step back and let the girls fight. However, he wouldn’t have traded his time working alongside Buffy and the others for anything. The trials and battles that they had fought made him the man he was today, and Willow making this decision for him hurt him greatly.

 

                They had been discussing what they might be like if they had never jumped into the Slaying business, and Xander said that he’d probably be working construction or dead by the hands of a demon some night later. Willow had gone quiet after that, and while Xander figured that she was planning something, he just had to remind her that this was his life, and he was happy that he lived it so well so far.

 

                Before he could, however, the alarm sounded and everyone was getting geared up. The demons were trying to strong hold them by doing a surprise attack. Grabbing several grenades and other long distance weapons to help them out, Xander made sure to save as many girls as he could. He knew that a lot of girls, witches and watchers were going to die in this battle, but he had hoped to see it through.

 

                He knew something was wrong when he felt a tug and then a hard push, and silently screamed at Willow for ripping his choice away from him again. Just as the portal closed, he felt his best-friend and everything he had called home be destroyed by Willow’s magic and mentally screamed in anguish at the unfairness of it all. He was supposed to die in that battle with the others, by sending him away, he was doomed to live alone without the family he loved and wanted to be with once more.

 

                Ezra and Vin had to work past the post traumatic stress disorders that plagued Xander’s mind, and slowly began to build a new friendship base that helped Ezra as well. Due to Ezra’s past with the FBI and his mother’s teachings from a young age, Ezra had as many walls that Xander did, and knew the only way to help him was to slowly tear down his walls as well. While he still spoke with his bigger than average words, Xander and Vin enjoyed it as it let them know when he was exasperated or simply in a teasing mood.

 

                The two weeks of working and playing together gave the three men a chance to feel more at ease in more and more activities that were held at Chris’ ranch, the Saloon and the others’ homes as well. Being around the others Xander slowly let the mask of a joker fall off his face, and was finally able to breathe without the constant strain of trying to stay in a mold from his youth.

 

                During his stay at Ezra’s townhouse, Xander was the one to get his Southern friend to unpack his belongings, his words of wisdom struck a chord in Ezra that he doubt that he would forget anytime soon.

 

                “If you expect the norm to be what will always happen, then you will always be proven right. The more you look for the bad things, the more they outshine the good. Try looking for the good things and you’ll see the same efforts that are being pushed towards me are still coming towards you.”

 

                Because of Xander’s words, Ezra took a moment to look over the past year and saw that he was right. The team was trying to reach out, and hoping to befriend him. Slowly reaching out in return, Ezra was surprised at the warm welcome, and made a silent declaration to help Xander as well.

 

                With a new ideal on life in place, Ezra worked with Xander and Vin to finish unpacking his home. When the final box was folded down and put away in one of the hall closets, where the linens and spare coats were hung, Ezra was startled by the doorbell ringing. Making his way to the door, in a pair of faded blue jeans and a dirty old t-shirt, he was startled to see the rest of Team Seven on his door step with beer, and food.

 

                Now that Xander and Ezra were more comfortable, it was time to meet with Vin’s friend Bobby. They had been good friends in school and had managed to keep up with each other over the years, even with Vin’s bouncing around in the foster care system. Knocking on their friend’s door, Xander shifted in place, wondering what the guy would be like. He knew that he still babbled when he was nervous, and let him ask the questions that he needed to ask about the job.

 

                “Xan, Ez, come on in. Bobby made the coffee and we got some snacks to go over the chat with and all.” Vin’s soft drawl allowed Xander to relax and both men smiled as they entered the small, tidy apartment.

 

                Spotting the blue eyed blond on the sofa, Xander introduced himself.

 

                “I’m Xander Harris, thanks for coming out to see me.”

 

                “No worries. Grissom wanted me to use up my accrued leave, so it was a good time as any, and I haven’t seen Vin in a long time, so you just gave me an extra excuse to come see him.”

 

                Vin snickered, causing both Ezra and Xander to look at him with a confused expression.

 

                “His boss has more leave built up than our team combined does.”

 

                “Damn.”

 

                “Yeah, but Grissom is a good man. He helped me out when my Ma got sick. So, Xander, what did you want to know about Ballistics?”

 

                “Well, what are you hours like? What does the job entail?”

 

                “Well, you have to understand that its sixty hours a week, if there isn’t a buildup of crime. Some weeks you might have very little to do, others you’ll be swamped faster than a flood in New Orleans. For the job, it’s basically a search system. You get a gun or a bullet and find out which one did the damage. If you got the bullet, it can help you figure out which model and bullet type is used, and can also determine the killer if they are using the most expensive types that are registered in the system. The majority of guns are registered, and locked into the system, helping us by winding down the suspects. Then there is also the fact that each gun has a unique firing pin mark as well as unique groves that can break a case wide open. Ballistics is also the simplest form of Forensics but also the most desired. DA’s like it when weapons like guns are used because it is normally the piece that locks the verdict against the person responsible.”

 

                “Would it be better if I went through the Academy as well?”

 

                “Depends on what you’ll be doing. You can always end up doing refreshers within your department that you end up at. This will also allow a better way for you to remain a part of your team and give a better cohesion. I didn’t go through the Academy, but I’m just a lab tech.”

 

                “Does it make a difference when it comes to being hired?”

 

                “Not really. One of the guys that I worked with is in the field now and he started off as a pure lab tech. He was DNA and now he’s a CSI level two. He was harassed a bit for it, but showed that he was able to hack the job. I know that the CSI’s that I work with do both lab a field, but that’s up to you for your preference.”

 

                “What if I wanted to help in busts and undercover work?”

 

                “That would be something you discuss with your bosses. I know that if you are the only Ballistics tech, then you’ll be shit out of luck. However, if there are several other ballistics techs, then you might be able to help with the busts on occasion.”

 

                Xander pondered the information. Bobby was knowledgeable in his field and he might be able to give him the insight he needed to make the final decision.

 

                “What if I wanted to do only field?”

 

                “Well, then you might be asked to do a minor as well, but then you’d be dealing with the clean up, the scenes, and the bodies. As a tech, you only deal with one part of the crime, where as if you go into the field, you deal with all aspects of the crime, right to the capturing of the perpetrators. Now, nothing is stopping you from being both. A lot of CSI’s these days are going that route, and it also makes you more sought after by labs and government agencies.”

 

                “How so?”

 

                “Well, if you have field and another lab qualification, you are looked into by several different agencies. I know that there are a few agencies, like NCIS, that has one tech that does everything in their labs. However, Abby is a genius and they have a smaller case load than most other labs.”

 

                “I’m sensing a ‘but’ here.”

 

                “There are labs and agencies that do prefer to have their hires as either lab techs or field techs. A lot of the smaller labs prefer this as they don’t have the budget for anything else. This way, they get the county to either do the lab work, or they have a small lab that has to outsource to another lab for one or two things. Also, the better your marks in school, the better your internship will be. For your in-school one, depending on the University you’ll be at, I’m sure you could work here at the Denver ATF building. Elsewhere, I know that Grissom might give you a hand, or you could work with Abby at NCIS, but she tells me that they deal mostly in computers than anything else.”

 

                “Wow.”

 

                “I know it may seem like a lot to remember, but as long as you do good in school, and are careful with your internship after you’ve passed, then you’ll be fine.”

 

                “I can do that. Tutors are fine, right?”

 

                “Tutors are fine.” Bobby said chuckling, and Xander relaxed.

 

                “What made you choose Ballistics as a field?” Ezra perked up at that, seeming that he was just as curious.

 

                “Well, Papa loved his guns and we were always going hunting when I was a kid. He and my Grandpa taught me to shoot, and showed me how to respect a weapon. When I found out that there was a job that let me play with guns all day, I was ecstatic, so I became a ballistics tech.”

 

                They talked into the night about the different aspects of ballistics and why Xander wanted to go into that field. Just by having someone there to answer the questions that Xander had been thinking up over the past two weeks, had helped to remove any doubt that Xander had about this new turn of events.

 

                After talking for over three hours, Xander thanked Bobby for his help and the information before stepping out with Ezra. Pleased with the gathered information, Xander now just had to find the right school to go to for the degree in forensic ballistics.

 

                “Hey Ezra?”

 

                “Yes Xander?”

 

                “Could you help me find the right school to go to for my degree?”

 

                “I would be delighted to help you.”

 

                “Thanks Ezra.”

 

                Pulling into the townhouse, Xander smiled as his options began to look up once more. Now all he needed to do was go to school and pass with high enough marks.

End Notes:
*cackles* do enjoy the fic.... more crossover love in later parts!
Chapter 2 by Katrina
Author's Notes:

The characters are not mine, so no.... you can't get mad at me for playing with them.

 I only take credit for the plot.... and my twisted little mind.... :D

 

Word count for the chapter - 9,583

Four Years later…

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander made his way across that stage with a shocked smile. He graduated top in his class and in his field. Seeing the rest of team seven cheering him on, Xander gave them a copy of Ezra’s salute. Eyes sparkling in joy, Xander practically skipped to seat and waited for the awards to end. He was nervous and excited at the opportunities presented to him. While he would have liked to do his out of school internship with Bobby in Las Vegas, Xander was headed towards Miami. Since Bobby had gotten him for his two internships within the school year, Xander knew that he’d be going elsewhere for his next posting before AD Travis could snatch him up.

 

                Walking over to the guys, Xander was pounced on by JD.

 

                “You’re done! This is so cool! One more year and the eight of us will be together again!”

 

                The group laughed at JD’s enthusiasm and slowly left after Xander returned his tassel and gown. The Graduation made him smile since it was much better than the ascension that he had to deal with back in High School. As they were leaving Xander turned at the sound of his name be shouted and caught a missile of Greg Sanders.

 

                “You’re done and we got here in time to congratulate you before the convention starts, and we heard that you did really good and that you’re the best of the best that came from the program and – ackk!” Greg had begun to babble and David stepped up behind the excited DNA turned Field tech.

 

                “Sorry ‘bout the babbling, he’s been into the sugar again. Congratulations on your good work. Too bad we couldn’t get you in Vegas again this year, we did enjoy the floor show when you managed to out Texan Nick and to beat Warrick at sounding gangster.” The wry grin on David’s face made Xander snort.

 

                “Wasn’t hard when it came to Warrick, but Nick had the whole Shy boy Texan thing going, so I just mimicked Vin here. He’s just as bad as Nick when it comes to complements on his person.” On cue a bright red blush spread on Vin’s cheeks, and he ducked his head muttering about Californian bastards that enjoyed taunting him.

 

                Dancing out of Vin’s reach, Xander gave the tracker a wicked smirk. The shy Texan was fun to tease, and Xander always got him to blush at least twice a day when they were in the same room. It also allowed Ezra to slowly diffuse the situation by offering Vin to help prank him.

 

                “I can see that your brand of humor is as well received here as it was by Nick.” David smirked at the innocent look that appeared on Xander’s face.

 

                “I don’t know what you’re talking about David.”

 

                “Just be glad that you helped me snag my techie and I’ll let it drop.”

 

                “Oh I am glad. You’re not as snarky, which is a shame. I liked snark.”

 

                David snorted. “Good to know Princess. Now, shoo. Enjoy your evening before being shipped off to fake tit central.”

 

                Xander chuckled. “Yes David. Enjoy your DNA snuggly!”

 

                Skipping off to the Jag, Xander waved as Team Seven left the University. Humming with the radio, Xander did a mental check list to make sure that he had everything he’d need for the year he’d be in Miami.

 

                “Ez, we did get me a place close to the lab right? I know that my stuff got shipped out and all I have to do is drive my bike down, but I can’t remember if I’m close to the lab or not.”

 

                “You’ll be a good ten minutes from the lab. Remember, you’ll be flipping the house that you’ll be staying in to ensure that you get your money’s worth when you leave.”

 

                “Yeah, that I knew; but most houses in downtown Miami are as expensive as the waterfront ones.”

 

                “True, but it was a DEA seizure, considering it was a meth house at one point. So you can make a tidy profit that’ll help your nest egg to grow.”

 

                Xander smiled. Once he had gotten a job, he had gone to Ezra to ask for help in managing his money. Anya had been the banker out of the pair of them, and had been slowly teaching Xander before she was killed when the Hellmouth closed. However, Ezra had years of study on the matter and was happy to help his friend in setting up the stocks and bonds that would enable him to have a small pocket of wealth to help him when he was in a bind. The profits from the house in Miami would be split between his nest egg and his RRSP.

 

                Upon arriving at the Saloon, a round was poured, and Xander had to remind the others that he was driving out in the afternoon and didn’t want to deal with a hangover. While he no longer shied away from alcohol, Xander was still wary of its influence, and still drank very little of it. When Chris and the others asked why he had been so amandant about not drinking, he showed them the scars on his back and told them about his life at home with a drunk and abusive father. After that the others did what they could to make Xander see that not everyone turned that way with alcohol.

 

                As they chatted, Buck was the first to broach the subject of visiting.

 

                “Xan, when we get time off, would you mind if we came down for so relaxation?” The word relaxation was accompanied by a leering grin, and Xander chuckled.

 

                “Not at all; in fact I’d be insulted if you didn’t show!” Chuckles floated around the table and Chris asked again.

 

                “You sure about us coming down, Xander? We don’t want to cause any problems within the team that you’ll be with for the year.”

 

                “Yeah I’m sure. I’d miss you all too much if we all stayed apart for the full year. Besides, when you visit, you can help me fix up the house!” Laughs flowed around the table and Xander was punched in the arm playfully by JD.

 

                “I can’t wait to head on down! I just know that it’ll be fun and everything!”

 

                “All I ask is that you give me a month to get settled before you come down; oh, and to call first.”

 

                The night passed on with very few drinks, and the eight men wished Xander a good trip before heading home. Xander slid back into the Jag and let out a small sigh.

 

                “Anything the matter, Xander?”

 

                “Hmm, oh, no, just thinking about how long it should take me to drive down to Miami when I leave around ten thirty tomorrow morning to miss all the heavy traffic.”

 

                “Ah’d say about four days, three if you push it.”

 

                It had taken Xander a year and a half to get Ezra to stop using so many fancy words. He had mentioned that being formal in his own home was cruel to them both and Xander laid down the rule that if anyone other than himself and Vin were there, he didn’t have to used the company manners. At first, Ezra was aghast, but he eventually saw the point in Xander’s logic. He could now relax and be himself a bit more, and including Vin into that would help him in the year that Xander was down in Miami.

 

                “So, my saying that I’d be there in two weeks will give me a chance to settle in and start the cutting for the parts that need to be cut.”

 

                “Ah believe so.”

 

                “Good, so, are you and Vin the first ones that’ll be visiting me?”

 

                “Yes, we shall. We’ve already informed Chris of our plans. Ah am also pleased to say that he is still vexed that Ah call him Mr. Larabee at the office, and at the Saloon.”

 

                Xander snickered at that, following Ezra into the townhouse once the Jag was parked.

 

                “I can see that. Chris doesn’t realize that you do it simply to yank his chain, doesn’t he.”

 

                “Nope, and that is what made Vin laugh so hard earlier about at the Saloon.” Xander snickered louder at the angry glint in Chris’ eyes at being called Mr. Larabee, and Vin’s laughter that caught Chris’ attention as well.

 

                “I have a feeling the two of you will be getting a pissy deal for that.”

 

                “Ah do believe that you are correct.”

 

                “Night Ez, and I’ll see you before you head to work tomorrow.”

 

                “G’night my friend.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander wove through the streets of downtown Miami four days after his goodbye to Ezra and Vin. He was given a second cell phone to be used in emergencies that would allow the pair of them to get back up to him as quickly as possible if the Miami-Dade Police Department failed their duty. Smirking at seeing his new home as he turned onto his street, Xander saw that the outside was still in good condition. As he got closer, he also saw that the last owners had a metal roof, and it brought a smile to Xander’s face. Apparently the druggies had wanted to make sure that the outside was sound in structure. All that he had to do now was check the interior.

 

                Stepping up to the house, Xander waved to his neighbor, and smiled as she walked over. She was obviously a Latino from her skin colour, but was curious to why she was coming over.

 

                “Hello miss, I’m Xander Harris. I’m interning with the Miami-Dade Police Department. Can I help you?” Xander hid his confusion at her smile and shook the extended hand.

 

                “I’m Yelina Salas. You’ll be seeing me often, as I am a homicide detective attached to the MDPD labs. I noticed that you’re moving in, you do realize that the house needs serious repairs right?”

 

                “Yeah, but as I’ll have little to do because I’m an intern, I figured that this would be a good side project to keep me busy. That and my friends from Denver will be popping around, so it’ll give them something to do when they get down.”

 

                “Friends?”

 

                “You might have heard of the “Magnificent Seven” of the ATF in Denver, yeah, it’s them.” She chuckled and smiled.

 

                “Well, I am glad that you’ll have friends that’ll be coming over to visit. Are you going to need any help?”

 

                “I might a bit later on. Right now I just want to make sure that I can get all the supplies in so that when I start working I’ll have everything I need on hand; why do you ask, if I may know.”

 

                “I have a son, and I was wondering if he could help out to see what it’d be like. He has mentioned that he was looking into construction as a possible job, but I’m wary of having him join a crew.”

 

                “Sure, have him drop by in three days and I can see about putting him to work. It should take me that long to get everything delivered and set up to start working.”

 

                “Since you just drove in, how would you like dinner in thanks for giving my son a chance?”

 

                “I’d appreciate it. Just give me thirty to shower and change. I fell grimy after driving for so long.”

 

                “Of course, just knock and come in. Oh, my brother-in-law will be showing up for dinner as well, just so you know.”

 

                “That’s fine, as long as my joining won’t cause any problems?”

 

                “No, it’ll be fine. I’ll let you get cleaned up.”

 

                “Thanks again Mrs. Salas.”

 

                “Yelina, call me Yelina Mr Harris.”

 

                “Only if you call me Xander.”

 

                Nodding, Yelina went back to her home while Xander entered his new place. The interior wasn’t as bad as they had feared, so Xander was optimistic with his timetable. With Yelina offering her son’s help, Xander might get to do some decorative touches as well. Whistling a jaunty tune, Xander skipped up to the bathroom on the second floor and winced at the sight of bullet holes in the walls. That would have to be fixed first, that and the kitchen.

 

                Pulling out a couple of towels from the box marked linens, Xander sighed as he assessed the damage to the walls and what he could do to fix it. Stepping into the bathroom, he put the towels on the rack and stripped out of the outfit he had been wearing since he entered the lower part of Florida. Xander hummed as he washed away the grime of the road, as well as the sweat from the humidity, and wrapped himself in one of his fluffy towels before stepping into his room to get dressed.

 

                Getting dressed, Xander checked and smirked as he heard the dial tone on the phone in the kitchen. Dialing the number for the office where the seven worked, Xander hummed as he fussed with his hair.

 

                “ATF’s Team Sevens office, this is Agent Dunne, how can we help you today?”

 

                “Hey JD.”

 

                “Xander! Give me a sec and I’ll put you on speaker.” There was a click before JD’s voice came back on. “Can you hear me Xander?”

 

                “Loud and clear.”

 

                “How was your trip?” Buck’s voice came over the line and Xander smiled.

 

                “Good, got here a few minutes ago, and you’ll be happy to hear that the place I got wasn’t as bad as we thought. Oh and I live next to one of the detectives that I’ll be working with.”

 

                “What’s their name?” Chris’ voice came over the line, causing Xander to chuckle.

 

                “Detective Yelina Salas. She’s really nice; she even offered her son’s services to help me with the construction here in the house when I’m not working to give him some experience.”

 

                “What are your plans now that you’re down?” Josiah’s voice came though, bringing a smile to his face at the care that his friends were showing.

 

                “Well, I’ll do a tour of the house to see what needs to be fixed and make a list and tomorrow I’ll be off to the hardware stores to get everything I need. It’s great that I have just over a week to get the main things fixed, like the floors and at least one of the guest rooms. Then kitchen is gonna be the hardest, but that’ll be a good two days of constant work, so I’m looking forward to it. Oh, and Ez, Vin, when the pair of ya get down here, I’ll need help deciding on a theme.”

 

                “Why ask them?” Nathan’s voice was curious.

 

                “Their coming down first.”

 

                “Yes, Mr. Tanner and Ah have already informed Mr. Larabee that we’ll be heading down in one month’s time to help Xander and to us some of our accrued leave first.” There was smugness in the tone, making Xander laugh.

 

                “Now, now, everyone play nice. Also, I can’t get all of you into the house as it is right now, so Vin and Ezra will be conscripted into helping me fix the kitchen, and the upstairs rooms. Those are nasty.” The others could hear the shuddering in Xander’s tone.

 

                “You gonna be ok there pard?” Vin’s quiet question brought a small smile onto Xander’s face.

 

                “Yeah, I’ll be ok. It’s only for a year, and then I’ll be back with you full time. The time away is simply to make my skills even better than before. You’ll be dazzled by what I can do when I get back.”

 

                “Looking forward to it,” Was Vin’s reply to his boasting.

 

                “I’d love to chat more, but Detective Salas has offered me a meal, so I should get going. I’ll talk to you guys on Sunday. You’ll all be at Chris’ ranch, right?”

 

                “Yep, the boys will all be there. You enjoy your meal; these clucking hens need to get back to work.”

 

                With a laugh and a goodbye, Xander hung up the phone and made his way over to Yelina’s house. Knocking on the door, Xander stepped in and smiled at the sight of the beautiful Latino. She was obviously talking to someone and turned once she heard the knock on the door.

 

                “Xander, come in and have a seat. Would you like something to drink? I have tea, coffee, beer, wine, juice and water.”

 

                “I’ll have a glass of water please. Thank you once more for letting me come over.” Xander walked into the kitchen and blinked at the sight of his new boss at the table.

 

                “Nonsense; since you offered to let Ray help you with the renovations of your home, it’s the least I can do. You know Horatio already, and I mentioned earlier that he was going to be joining us for dinner.”

 

                Xander thought back over the conversation and realized that he was her brother in law. Biting his lip, he wondered if he should ask where her husband was. Horatio decided to save his the trouble.

 

                “My brother Raymond was killed in the line of duty, working as an undercover agent to bust a drug ring.”

 

                “I’m sorry for your loss.” Xander held Horatio’s eyes while he spoke, showing his sincerity, and that he understood what it was like to lose someone as well. Horatio simply nodded his head in thanks.

 

                “So, if you don’t mind me asking, what are your plans for your home?”

 

                “I plan to fix up the inside. I’ll be here for a year, and while I do have money saved, I agree with my friend; it’s cheaper for me to buy a house, fix it then sell it than it would be for me to rent a place for the year I’ll be in Miami.”

 

                “So, you’re flipping it?” Yelina asked as she cooked at the stove.

 

                “Yep. I built a lot of homes when I was in Africa before I was deleted from the system because of a virus. I was lucky to run into team seven upon my return and they’ve helped me a lot over the past four years.” Xander stuck to his cover story, and he would believe it fully, if he still didn’t have nightmares from his former home.

 

                “You don’t believe that you’ll remain in Miami?” Horatio was curious about the answer.

 

                “I don’t think I will. I’m sure that Miami is a beautiful place, but AD Travis has a spot for me to work with Team Seven as their main Lab personnel. I’ll be dealing with over haul of whatever the team will be bringing in as well as helping with under covers.”

 

                “What if you found a reason to stay in Miami?”

 

                “We’ll see if and when that happens. I’m not saying that it’s a sure thing. AD Travis wants me to do the best I can, and if I have to do another year of work before I can have that, then I’ll do as he wishes. But Team Seven is the one that you’ll have to fight with. Chris already claimed me, as has the rest of the team.”

 

                “Chris?”

 

                “Larabee.”

 

                “Then I will wish you a good year here in Miami.” Horatio smirked, “We’ve all heard tales about Larabee and his ATF team. How true are they?”

 

                “How true are yours?”

 

                “Touché.”

 

                Xander gave Horatio an innocent grin and was spared more probing when the door opened with a bang.

 

                “Mom! I’m home!”

 

                “In the kitchen Ray.”

 

                The teenager that came around the corner reminded Xander of a mix between him and Larry. He had a feeling that the kid had it rough because of his late father and the fact that all of his family was law enforcement.

 

                “Ray, I want you to meet Xander, he’s our new neighbor and is going to fix up the house next door. I told him that you were interested in construction and he is willing to let you help.”

 

                “I’ll be paying you nine dollars an hour. That’s about what you’d be making after taxes on a regular site. How much you get per day will depend on how long you worked that day. We’ll keep a total of when you get in to help me and when you leave and I’ll pay you at the end of every week; that good for you?”

 

                “Really?! You’ll pay me?” The kid’s eyes got wide and looked startled.

 

                “You’ll be working for me; I can’t see why I shouldn’t pay you for your time. When my friends come down, they’ll be paid in food, beds and beer. You should have some pocket money for things you like or for dates. You could even invest it, if you wanted to. I’ll pay you to help, and I’ll teach you at the same time, win-win if you ask me.”

 

                “Wow. When will I start?”

 

                “Three days from now.”

 

                “So that means Friday, right?”

 

                “Yeah, I have to make a list and get measurements and all that. Also, I have to buy the materials and have it delivered since I’m on a bike. That and I want to get my ID as early as possible, that way they have a few days to put me in the system, and I don’t get batched with the other interns. Horatio, can I scope out the labs tomorrow too?”

 

                “I don’t see why not; just make sure you have your ID out if you do.”

 

                “Thanks Horatio.”

 

                Yelina put the meal on the table and Xander savoured the meal.

 

                “Delicious meal Yelina, could I get the recipe off of you? Ezra isn’t much of a cook, and something like this would make the nights after he comes back from a bust good.”

 

                “Ezra?”

 

                “Yeah, I stayed with him while I was in school. He’s Chris’ under cover man. He’s really good, and we conned them good when they bet that we couldn’t get them to think that we were someone else.”

 

                “How did you do it?” Ray asked.

 

                “We dressed up like women and confused them by acting and sounding completely different.”

 

                “How did you do that?”

 

                “Well, Ez has stage makeup for undercover busts and everything, and he did a lot of drama in school. Then we found special tape that didn’t aggravate the skin or pulled too much hair and was able to attach fake breasts and got special padded underwear to hide the fact that we were male. We could have used the tape down below, but I’ve seen people needing the emergency room for doing it wrong.”

 

                “Wow, what else.”

 

                “Colour contacts and temporary hair dye. Three washes and its gone.”

 

                “Cool, can you teach me?”

 

                “We could practice when not working on the walls and during breaks and all. Ez is also coming down in about a month and he’d be more than happy to teach you too.”

 

                “Wicked!”

 

                “Yep, and to test drive it, Halloween is good, right?”

 

                “That’ll be so cool! Mom, can I?”

 

                “We’ll see when the time comes Ray.” Ray sighed and nodded, getting up to start the dishes and putting the leftovers away.

 

                “We can talk more this weekend. Yelina, I want to thank you for a lovely meal, and I will endeavor to make one for you as well.”

 

                “I simply wanted to thank you for helping Ray out.” She tried to wave off the offer.

 

                “There is nothing simple about it. You didn’t have to offer me a meal, and in return I shall make one for your family. But it’ll be a while since I need to redo the kitchen.” Xander shuddered at the thought of his new kitchen.

 

                Thanking them all once more, Xander left Yelina’s home and checked the exterior a bit more thoroughly to make sure that there would be no problems with the foundation. Smiling at the obvious good work, Xander entered the house and pulled out a pen and pad of paper from his messenger bag. Starting at the main entrance, Xander began to catalogue each thing into two categories; what needed to be repaired and what could be repaired.

 

                The main things, in the house, that had to be fixed were a few parts of the floor, and the kitchen. The walls could do with a coat of paint, that that was an end project more than anything, or something that Vin and Ezra could do on the days he was at the lab. Making his way up the stairs, Xander noted that the banister needed replacing and marked down the fact that the bullet holes had to be filled and painted over on the second story, if not then have the walls replaced.

 

                Wrinkling his nose at the spare room, Xander knew that this had to be the first project done, and marked down that all the bedrooms had to be revamped. There were holes in the walls and charred marks on the floors, so Xander knew that he basically had to redo the upper part of the house. Lucky for him, all the bathrooms were in perfect condition, and there was nothing wrong with the taps or drainage. Nodding, Xander checked the windows and was pleased once more at the good quality work. Seeing that it was only the interior walls that needed to be fixed, Xander walked down the stairs to the main floor and cocked his head at the sight of Horatio in his door way.

 

                “Can I help you Lieutenant?”

 

                “I just wanted to welcome you to the lab now, as I’ll be holed up in meetings tomorrow, and Horatio is fine.”

 

                “Thank you Horatio. Before you go, do you know where I can find a good hardware store? I’d like to see if I can get all this ordered tonight and have it delivered tomorrow morning.” Getting the directions to the nearest and best hardware store made Xander smile. It was close by, and since he was close to the store, delivery should be free.

 

                “Thanks for the help Horatio, and if I don’t see you tomorrow, I’ll see you in a week’s time.” With a smile and a wave, Xander locked up and straddled his blue Ducati and headed towards the hardware store, missing the nostalgic look on Horatio’s face at the sight of the bike.

 

                “Yes, until then Xander, until then.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander was contemplating on how to work on the floors, Friday afternoon, when the doorbell rang. Wiping his hands on the rag attached to his belt, Xander smiled upon seeing Ray standing there, dressed in old jeans and a t-shirt.

 

                “Ray, I’m glad that you could make it! Come in, and keep your shoes on. Do you own work boots or something similar?”

 

                “No, I don’t own work boots, why?”

 

                “They protect your feet if you drop something on them. I knew a guy that dropped his hammer and he didn’t have boots, he almost lost a toe. So, this weekend we’ll see about getting you a good pair that’ll help with any outdoor chore, or project.”

 

                “Oh, that makes sense.”

 

                “Yep; but today, we’ll be working on redoing the floors. I managed to pull the old cabinets out of the kitchen and ripped up the old flooring. Gods, it was a mess. Luckily, we don’t have to do much to the second story. I’ll be putting up floating floors there; down here we’re putting in hardwood.”

 

                “What’s the difference?” Ray asked as he put down the time and date that he had entered at on Xander’s little board.

 

                “Floating floors take about a full day for a floor. Hardwood takes a bit longer, but is basically glued in place. You’ll see as we do it. I’m also doing a floating floor upstairs because I have to fix the walls and everything too. The only thing that I don’t have to touch is the bathrooms, which I’m glad, because bathrooms are hell to work in.”

 

                Ray snickered at the shudder that flowed through Xander and they began to work on the floor. As they worked from one corner of the living room to the other, Xander explained why getting the first floor finished would be a good thing.

 

                “Only the bedrooms are upstairs. We have one small bathroom down here, basically a toilet and a sink. When getting a house ready, you want to work towards having as many parts functional as possible while working. Since we’re just doing repairs, even though they are major ones, getting the main floor done is key. As of right now, I have no kitchen. I have appliances coming in on Monday, so we have the whole weekend to get the kitchen up to standard. I have the supplies in the garage and once we get the flooring done, then we can slowly begin to set up the lower cupboards before the main cabinets.” Motioning Ray to follow him once they finished the living room, Xander pointed at the marks on the walls.

 

                “The markings on the walls in the kitchen are there to tell us where each appliance has to go. The dishwasher goes here, the stove there, the fridge over here. This will give us room to maneuver as we don’t want it to be too tight and leave no room for the appliances to work. That is why there is always a gap between the wall, cabinets and stove, dishwasher, and fridge, when they have specific spots in a kitchen.” Leading Ray back to the hallway they continued to work on the floor.

 

                “Why did you choose construction?”

 

                “I love working with my hands. Just watching a home come together with some sweat, effort and a few people swearing when they hit their thumbs, it’s all worth it for me. You know how an artist will be pleased and all glow-y when they finish a piece? Well finishing a project is like that for me. It’s a sense of accomplishment that goes ‘I built that’, and it’s a hearty feeling.”

 

                “Wow, so it’s like when Uncle H solves a case and puts the bad guys away.”

 

                “Yep, just like that.”

 

                The pair continued to work in silence and managed to finish up to the kitchen before the doorbell rang. Wiping his hands, Xander blinked at the sight of Yelina and Horatio on his front step. Opening the door, he gave both a wry smile.

 

                “Can I help you with anything? Ray and I are almost done with the floor, and we’re about to work in the dining room before doing the kitchen.”

 

                “No, it’s not that, Horatio and I were just wondering if you needed any more help.”

 

                “Not at the moment. It’s just a two man job right now, but tomorrow, we might need an extra hand or two, we’ll be doing the cabinets then.  For that, we’ll need two people to hold and two to screw in, if we want to work faster, why?”

 

                “Would you mind if we helped?”

 

                “Not really, but Ray needs to get work boots to keep helping me. I don’t want him to get hurt because he was wearing the wrong foot wear.”

 

                “We can get that for him now.”

 

                “Cool, work boots need to be about half a size bigger than what he’d normally wear. Feet swell pretty fast when one is doing construction. Oh and you should get him some wool socks to put over a pair of cotton ones to help with the buildup of moisture.”

 

                “Why?”

 

                “It’s to keep him for chafing his feet to the point where he loses a layer of skin or two. I’ve seen people get hamburger feet from not wearing the proper layers when it comes to working on your feet all day and it’s downright nasty. Also, it’ll keep him from getting blood blisters and an infection if he does it that way too.”

 

                “Oh; so, old clothes and work boots?”

 

                “That’ll be perfect Yelina.”

 

                “Ray can you come here for a minute, your mom needs your shoe size!” Xander called to where Ray was getting the packs of hardwood flooring out to do the dining room, and smiled when the teenager came over and told his mother his size.

 

                “This is the brand I use. It lasts a long time, as my last pair was eight years old before I had to buy these one brand new.”

 

                “Thank you and we’ll be by tomorrow, around nine-ish?”

 

                “Nine is good, gives me time to eat and freshen up. Also, it’ll give me a chance to get some food in for when it’s time for a snack.”

 

                “Until tomorrow then, and Ray, dinner is in the oven for you.”

 

                “Thanks mom.”

 

                With that, Yelina and Horatio left, leaving both Xander and Ray watching them with bemused expressions.

 

                “Well, that floor isn’t going to finish itself.” With that, both went back to tacking the floor into place, before the buffering and shining could be done.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                The week had passed fairly quickly, and Xander was pleased with the downstairs portion of the house. Hardwood floors gleamed in the light, walls were painted in earthy tones, the kitchen looked like a real kitchen, and the furniture had arrived on Friday to fill up the dining room and the living room.

 

                The living room held two leather sofas, three lazy boys, two black marble coffee tables, three massive bookshelves, in cherry wood – one for movies, one for books and one for pictures and knickknacks – and the walls were painted a blue grey that let the rest of the room stand out. The drapes were heavy and thick, for the days when the sun was too bright, and allowed the room to be bathed in darkness, perfect for nights where watching the game, or movies, on the fifty-two inch flat screen television.

 

                The kitchen was decked out in classic dark marble counter tops and cherry wood cupboards, accenting the pale blue walls and fluorescent lighting that Xander installed to give the most light for the least amount of wattage. All of the electronics were black, giving the room a darker and cleaner look.

 

                The dining room had the cherry wood table, with throne chairs, two china cabinets – one full of fine bone china and the other with the regular dishes – and a chest that held silverware and tablecloths for all occasions. The walls were painted in a soft shade of sandy gold, and were accented with ‘Lady Luck’ green stencils of various western scenes.

 

                 The banister and stairs were done with a fine black marble finish, and had been accented with more of the cherry wood that dominated the house. Xander had made a small closet under the stairs for shoes, windbreakers, umbrellas and a few towels. The door seemed to melt into the paneled wall, and Xander smiled when he got the door to seem invisible unless you were facing it directly.

 

                He would have to work on the bedrooms after work and on weekends from now on, as Xander knew he was going to start work the next morning. Luckily, he had a locker already set up, and had all of his gear locked away. Horatio was the only one with a spare key, and the only other person allowed into his locker unless there was an emergency. He already had his permit to carry weapons, open and concealed, listed in the federal database, so he didn’t have to worry about changing the thing, only to have to change it back when he returned to Denver.

 

                Sighing as he wandered into the kitchen, Xander pulled out a packet of pizza pockets and zapped them in the microwave while he dialed Chris’ number at the ranch.

 

                “Hello?”

 

                “Hey Chris,” Xander could hear the exhaustion in his own voice and mentally told himself to go to bed when he was done talking to the others.

 

                “Xander, you ok? You sound like you’re about to kneel over.”

 

                “I’m ok, just really tired.” He yawned, “Good news, I got the first floor of the house done, and I’ll send you guys the pics after work tomorrow; should have the net up by then.”

 

                “Good, give me a minute and I’ll have ya on the speaker so that we can all chat with ya.” Xander waited for the click and smiled upon hearing it. “Can you hear me Xan?”

 

                “Loud and clear, cowboy, I hear you loud and clear.”

 

                “God dammed it, I ain’t a damned cowboy!” Xander snickered and could hear the others laughing to. Pulling out his pizza pockets, Xander began to eat.

 

                “So, what’s new in Denver?”

 

                “Just busted a major player here, and just so you know, we’re all coming down at the end of the month. Apparently the police down there need our help with something, and we were called in specifically by a lieutenant Horatio Caine.”

 

                “Fuck.”

 

                “What’s wrong Xan?” JD’s voice came over the line.

 

                “Caine is my boss for the year that I’m here.”

 

                “Well shit on a stick.” Buck’s voice was muffled and Xander had to bite back a bark of laughter.

 

                “You think there’ll be a problem with us coming down?” Josiah’s voice came over the speaker.

 

                “Well, I’ll have to invest in popcorn and drinks, but no, I see no issues with the seven of you coming down. I do think you’ll have to help me fix the upstairs of the house when you get in, but that’s about all the problems I can see from it.” Xander was positive that they could hear the smirk in his voice, and wondered if Chris was going to rain down upon the people of Miami.

 

                “Xander, will you mind if Mr. Tanner and Ah stay a bit longer in Miami? We did say we were going to visit you.” Xander let a wicked smirk take over his face.

 

                “I don’t mind. The pair of you could go bikini watching while I’m at the lab for my lousy thirty hour weeks.”

 

                “Thirty hours?” Nathan’s voice sounded strained.

 

                “Yeah, it’s to teach interns how to deal with the lab setting. Once we’ve been here a while, then we slowly do more work alone, but since we only get two to three grand a month, they can’t make us work too much.”

 

                “That still sucks pard.” Vin’s voice was soft as it came over the line, bringing a smile to Xander’s face.

 

                “I know, but it’s to help me climb the totem pole of being a ballistics tech.”

 

                “Well, we wish you luck with that, and remember not to get too carried away at work, you have to finish flipping the house you’re in.” Chris’ voice came over the line with a hint of teasing.

 

                “I know that! That’s why I’m paying a kid to help me when he’s not in school. I get a helper, he gets cash and experience.”

 

                “Good, now, off to bed with you. You’re three hours ahead of us and it’s seven at night here. You have to be at work for eight I believe, so off to bed with you.”

 

                “Yes dad, night guys!” With that Xander hung up with a laugh at Chris’ curses that he wasn’t Xander’s father.

 

                Washing his dishes and locking the doors before wandering upstairs, Xander let out a yawn as he made his way into the master bedroom. Stripping down to his boxers, Xander slipped under the covers and smiled, Team Seven would be here in three-ish weeks. He wondered how bad Chris and Horatio would react to each other’s Alpha dog syndrome. With that thought in his mind, Xander drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Parking his bike in front of the lab, Xander was curious as to why he was being looked at oddly. Horatio had done the same thing upon seeing his bike, the blue eyes turned stormy with sadness and regret, making Xander wonder what his Ducati had to do about it.

 

                Putting his things in the locker room, Xander signed in and practically skipped towards the ballistics lab. Upon entering the room however, a petite blond woman was glaring at a brown haired man in a sweater-vest. Deciding that knocking would be a good thing, Xander tapped on the frame and gave the pair a wry smile.

 

                “Hi, am I disturbing anything? I’m the new ballistics intern and was told that Calleigh Duquense was in Ballistics and waiting for me.”

 

                “Wolfe, leave, I need to instruct my new intern.” Xander was shocked at the coldness towards a coworker and made a mental note to befriend the guy.

 

                Calleigh went over the dos and don’ts that were part of working in the labs, and Xander shied away from her preppy attitude. Someone who could be cold to a coworker but nice to a stranger the way she was would only get professional courtesy from him. He refused to allow a closer friendship with someone who was as bad as the popular girls in high school.

 

                As Calleigh spoke, she had a feeling that befriending her new tech would be an uphill battle. So, putting on her brightest smile and attempting to seem as kind as possible was her main goal. She hoped that she could talk to him and warn him about Ryan Wolfe, he had joined too quickly for it to be a coincidence that he was hired as Speed’s replacement.

 

                Xander nodded in all the right places and took notes as Calleigh went over everything. Once she was done, she asked him to name each piece in the exemplar cabinet and to clean them if necessary. Nodding his head, Xander got to work and began to ignore Calleigh unless she wanted him to work on a case for her.

 

                “Xander--”

 

                “Call me Harris or Alexander, only friends can call me Xander.” He cut Calleigh off before she could go any further and went back to his task, never looking at the woman who would be watching over him.

 

                “Okay, Alexander, I wanted to warn you--”

 

                “If I wanted to be warned about anyone, then it would be who you are friends with. If someone could be so callous to a coworker, and then treat a stranger with more compassion, I don’t want to know you or your warnings.” With that, Xander pulled out an IPod and ignored the shocked blonde behind him.

 

                The pair worked the whole day in silence, and it was only broken by to occasional person that visited Ballistics to pick up or drop off evidence. Horatio had been by once or twice, but Xander was still too angry at his supervisor to notice.

 

                By the time lunch had rolled around, Xander found the guy that Calleigh had ousted from her lab and gave him a wry smile.

 

                “Hey, can I join you?” Xander was hesitant, but he’d rather hear why the guy was being shunned from his own mouth than from the others in the lab.

 

                “Sure, but why aren’t you eating with Calleigh, considering she’s your boss and all right now.” The guy sounded confused that someone would willingly sit with him, and Xander felt a flash of anger at the people of the lab.

 

                “I hate people that can be cruel to team mates and coworkers but be totally nice to a complete stranger. I’m Xander by the way.” He stuck out his hand and smiled upon the handshake.

 

                “Ryan Wolfe.”

 

                “I was wondering if you could answer something for me.” Xander slowly broached the subject as they ate.

 

                “I might not answer, but go ahead.”

 

                “Why are they so cool towards you?”

 

                “Just over a month ago, Tim Speedle was killed in a shootout during a case about a kidnapped boy. I was signed on a week later.”

 

                “Shit and they’re taking their anger out on you.” Xander was disgusted by the actions of the people he had to work with for the year and wondered if he could be transferred, and get Ryan to go with him.

 

                “I guess so. They’re grieving, so I try not to take it to heart.”

 

                “It’s still wrong! Fuck, what if because of this you get hurt or killed in the line of duty as well?!” Xander’s heart sank at the shrug that he got from the brunet in front of him.

 

                “Then I’ll be dead.”

 

                “Jesus, when I leave in a year, if things haven’t gotten better, I am taking you to Denver with me. I don’t care what anyone says, and I know that Chris and the others will take you in too.” Xander wanted to hit something when the shocked look appeared on Ryan’s face, and had to hold back a scream of outrage.

 

                “Why, you barely know me.” The voice was soft and almost impossible to hear.

 

                “No one should be subjugated to the shit you’re being thrown into, and damn Ez would laugh that his words are rubbing off on me.”

 

                “Who’s in Denver? Why a year?”

 

                “My internship ends in a year. When I’m done here, I’ve already been promised to be the tech for “The Magnificent Seven” who are all located in Denver. You got Chris Larabee, the leader; Buck Willington, the second in command and explosives expert; Josiah Sanchez, the team profiler; Vin Tanner, the best sharpshooter in West; Nathan Jackson, our field medic; Ezra Standish, our undercover operative; and finally JD Dunne, the best and brightest computer expert. They are the Magnificent Seven, and when all is said and done, I’ll be with them.”

 

                “John Daniel Dunne? From Boston?”

 

                “Yeah, why?”

 

                “I used to go to school with him. He lived a block away with his mother and the pair of us would always be up to an adventure. I didn’t know he was an ATF agent in Denver, last I knew he was an officer with the Boston Police.”

 

                “Wow, it’s a small world.”

 

                “Do you think I could talk to him? It’d be nice to hear from an old friend.”

 

                “Sure, I’ll send him a message when I get home tonight and give him you email address. That work for you? JD loves people, so I’m sure you’ll both be chatting away in no time. Oh, and if you want to meet in person, he’ll be down at the end of the month with the team. Apparently Horatio wants them down to help with a case or something like that.” Ryan smiled softly.

 

                “Thanks Xander, I really appreciate this.”

 

                “Hey, no worries; it’ll be two birds with one stone, if you ask me. You get to reunite with JD and get to meet Team Seven from Denver.  They’ll like you, trust me on that.”

 

                “Alright, though we should get back to work. I don’t think anyone will be favorable if we’re late.” Ryan began to clean up his lunch.

 

                “Yeah, I can see that. Want to do lunch again tomorrow too, if you’re not gonna be too busy.” Xander began to clean his spot up too and smiled at Ryan’s answering smile.

 

                “I’d like that. Talk to you later, Xander.”

 

                “Yeah, later Ryan,” With that both men left the room, missing the redhead slipping out of the shadows. He had heard the entire conversation and realized that his team was being harsh with Ryan Wolfe. He would have to put a stop to that; he didn’t want to lose another trace tech, he didn’t dare acknowledge the little voice in the back of his head saying that he didn’t want Ryan to go for other reasons either.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander’s meeting with Eric Delko was just as bad. The Latino male tried to throw his weight around when Xander stuck up for Ryan, so Xander simply fought back.

 

                “So, you think you’re all big and tough; bitching at the innocent party about life being unfair, and making him miserable. I never met Tim Speedle, but you’re just pissing on his grave by acting like this. I’ve lost people, and when someone else came in and took their spot, I didn’t try to beat them down and mold them into the other person’s shoes. I at least gave them a chance to fuck up on their own, instead of putting the last person on such a fucking high pedestal that not even God could reach. So grow up jackass, or someone will say something, and there are enough witnesses to prove it, even if Ryan wouldn’t snitch you out like he should.”

 

                “Prove it that you understand.”

 

                “I lost my ex-fiancée, who I was still good friends with, to a natural disaster. When the people around me tried to set me up with another girl, I didn’t bitch and moan at the chick that was attempting to make something of it. When we lost people in Africa, we didn’t bemoan the new people that came in to give us a hand. The way you’re acting is like a spoiled little brat; way to desecrate your friend’s memory.”

 

                With that Xander went back to his lab, leading Ryan away from the irate Cuban-Russian. He couldn’t help but glare in frustration and sighed when Ryan shook his head at his new friend.

 

                “He’ll be worse now.”

 

                “Then I’ll do what I can to help you out. They have no right to use you like this Ryan. You are not an outlet for their pain. Yes, Tim Speedle is dead, and I know they cared for him deeply, but this lingering will only hurt everyone else more in the long run. Just wait and see.” Ryan nodded and gave Xander a sad smile.

 

                “I know, but rubbing it in their faces doesn’t help either.”

 

                “I’ve seen grieving Ryan, and this team isn’t grieving. They’re all in denial. Oh, they like to think that they’re getting over Speed’s death, but the truth is, they don’t want to believe that he’s dead. With you being here, it’s forcing them to see reality, and they don’t like it.”

 

                “Still, just, be careful, ok?”

 

                “Yeah, I will, as long as you are too.”

 

                “Deal.”

 

                With a shake of hands, both men quickly entered their designated areas, and Xander began to work on the open case before him. One year, and then he would be back in Denver. That meant that Miami had one year to get their heads out of their asses and grab onto Ryan before Xander took him with him.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander was having his first day off when he got the call from the hospital. Ryan had been shot in the eye with a nail gun. Grabbing his keys, wallet and jacket, Xander sped down the roads to the hospital that his friend was staying at. JD was going to be pissed when he came down with the others in three days. Ryan had been well liked over the phone, and through emails, by the group, and they were going to take Miami by storm once they heard that Ryan was hurt. Parking his bike and shutting off the engine, Xander dashed to the main desk.

 

                “Ryan Wolfe was just brought in. I’m his emergency contact.” Xander was trying to catch his breath, worried out of his mind that his friend was seriously injured.

 

                “Please follow Nurse Brown to his room, the doctor will meet you there.” The receptionist told him with a kind voice.

 

                “Thank you,” He gave the woman at the desk a smile and motioned his guide to lead the way.

 

                “Do you know if he’s ok? I know the doctor will tell me, but Ryan hates hospitals and I know that he loves his job but the eye is so delicate and-” The nurse cut him off.

 

                “The nail entered the tear duct, and he will be fine. All that he’ll have to do is keep the eye covered for two days and takes his medicine.” Her voice was kind and Xander sagged in relief as he walked.

 

                “Thank God for small miracles; JD would flip if it was going to be worse than that.” The nurse beside him chuckled and pointed at the door before them.

 

                “You’re friend is in here. The doctor will remove the nail in a few moments. He wanted to make sure that it doesn’t require surgery.”

 

                “Thank you Nurse Brown, you are a lifesaver.” Kissing her on the cheek, Xander slipped into the room and nodded at Alexx. She was the only one out of the entire field CSI’s, other than Horatio, that he could stand.

 

                “Doc should be here in a few minutes. So, Ryan, you get a sexy eye patch for a few days. Eye wounds suck so no depth perception for you for forty-eight hours.”

 

                “He’s right,” The doctor entered the room and smiled kindly at Ryan. “We can pull it out; it went into the tear duct only.”

 

                With that said, the doctor pulled the nail from the wound, causing Xander the shiver as he remembered how his eye had been gouged out. Ryan would be lucky, with the right meds; he might need glasses in ten years instead of losing his sight.

 

                “Alexx, what happened? Where was his back up?” The sigh was his answer, and he waited for Alexx to confirm it.

 

                “This was supposed to be Eric’s case. But because of a situation, Ryan was called in and took his place. Eric was supposed to back Ryan up as he looked over the crime scene again, and only showed up after Ryan got shot in the eye.” Sad brown eyes looked up at Xander and he gave her a strained smile.

 

                “Ryan, you’ll be staying with me. I have two of the guest rooms set up, and the guys can puppy pile in my living room, the other fixed spare room, or bunk with me. I can guarantee that Nathan will look you over, JD will fuss, Chris will glare at the wound, not you, Buck will cuss up a storm, Ezra will plot, Vin will begin to make plans to hide the bodies, and Josiah will cook for an army. Now, I want you to sleep while Alexx gets your medicine, and I’ll sit here with you to keep the son of a bitch out.” Getting a sleepy and pained smiled; Ryan finally succumbed to the drugs in his system as Xander began to keep watch.

 

                “How is he?” Xander wasn’t surprised to hear Horatio’s voice and looked at the man with old eyes.

 

                “He’ll be fine with some rest, food, and medicine. Will you discipline Eric?”

 

                “Action is already being taken, I give you my word.”

 

                “Good; I’d hate being in jail because I killed your underwater recovery agent. If he makes one pot shot at Ryan, I make no promises on my temper; same with Calleigh. Both have been bitchy about Ryan for no reason, and while I know you and Alexx are trying, those two are hurting him badly Horatio. Please fix it, or Chris will when he’s down in three days.”

 

                “I promise Xander, that the pair of them will see past this and work accordingly. If I have to have Ryan work with me, then we’ll do that if it comes down to it.”

 

                “Thank you Horatio. I know you’re trying to get them to see, Alexx too, but this was just too far. Eric can have all the issues he wants, as long as he warns you before hand, that’s fine. But he reeks of pot H. I know he’s not high, but he reeks of it, and that is a major problem.”

 

                “Someone in his family is ill.”

 

                “That’s fine, I don’t need to know. But if IAB finds out, he’ll attack Ryan first. Ryan saw rolling paper in his kit. That is not something you see at work, and IAB is bound to ask him if he knows anything. This could hurt the team as well. Give Eric time off if you have too H, just make sure that he stops smelling like pot when he gets his ass to work.”

 

                With his piece said, Xander went back to watching over his friend, and prayed that Eric stayed away. The Cuban-Russian was causing too many problems within Ryan’s psyche, and he knew that the continuous barbs were killing Ryan’s self esteem. Team Seven hadn’t arrived to work with Ryan yet, so even their platitudes couldn’t help until three days from now, and they were going to flip. The people at the MDPD would rue the day that Eric Delko let his team mate get so injured. The fact that he had sick family and didn’t tell anyone made it just that much worse, since it implied that he didn’t even trust his boss with that critical information.

 

                Horatio watched Xander for a few moments before leaving with a sigh. His intern had a right to be upset with Calleigh and Eric. His two level threes were acting like children with broken toys. The only thing that kept him from firing them was their records, and that they were still dear friends of his. Seeing Eric coming up the hall, he went to stop the other man, simply because Eric and Horatio would be thrown out if Xander lost his temper, and let Eric have the verbal lashing he deserved.

 

                Xander watched Horatio leave, and heard him talking to Eric. There were a few heated words followed by a sullen ‘yes Horatio’ before both men left. Sighing, Xander waited for Alexx to return and the time to bring Ryan home.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

End Notes:
Total word count - 20,282 words and 42 pages.......
Chapter 3 by Katrina
Author's Notes:

There is Sex in this chapter.... and NCIS is introduced....

 *cackles* do enjoy

                Three days later, Xander was making his way to the break room for his lunch when he spotted Ezra and Vin. Letting a bright smile spread on his face, Xander took several long strides before tapping Ezra on the shoulder.

 

                “Ez, Vin, I’m so glad you guys made it! Why didn’t you tell me when your flight got in, I would have picked you up!” He gave both men a strong hug and pulled back, leading them to the break room.

 

                “We’re here to help ya make popcorn pard. Chris will be here soon, and we thought you’d like to see the floor show.” The twinkling blue and green eyes made Xander cackle in glee.

 

                “I am so there.” Entering the break room, Xander spotted Ryan and waved.

 

                “Hey Ryan, these are my friends from Denver, Ezra Standish and Vin Tanner. We’re here to make popcorn so that we can watch Chris and H show down. Wanna come watch?”

 

                “Why?” Even as he spoke, Ryan was gathering his food and putting three bags into the microwave.

 

                “Simply because the testosterone match will be highly amusing and Ah do not wish to miss our astounding Mr. Larabee and your Lieutenant Caine from their verbal match.” Ezra’s eyes were glowing with mirth and Xander began to chuckle at his friend’s desire to watch Chris rip strips off of someone else.

 

                “What does Mr. Larabee have to yell at H for?” Ryan’s tone was confused and Xander gave his friend a small sad smile.

 

                “He waited too long to correct an attitude, it got you hurt in the process.” Xander patted Ryan’s hand. “Congrats, you are now one of Chris’ men!”

 

                “Oh, okay, I think.” Ryan looked at the three before him with wary eyes, and suppressed mirth. Hearing the microwave ding, the three bags were pulled out and poured into a blow before they left the room to hunt down the battle between Chris and Horatio.

 

                Seeing Chris and the others around the receptionist desk, and Horatio making his way to the group, the three got comfortable, and motioned JD to sneak over.

 

                “Agent Larabee, I’m glad you could make it.” Both men shook hands and Xander nearly choked when they sized each other up.

 

                “So am I. Now, Lieutenant, why did you call us and not the ATF group down here for the disposal of the weapons and drugs heading to the incinerator?” The Larabee glare was aimed at Horatio, and Xander bit back a smirk when Eric, Calleigh and Alexx showed up as well.

 

                “The ATF in the area just got a group of younger agents, and since the last three disposal trips were all attacked at one point in time from between the lab to the incinerator, the Chief and I decided to ask for an outside group to help deal with the transport.” Horatio was now fiddling with his glasses, like he wanted to put them on, but knew that it would be useless as they were inside, and not about to go outdoors.

 

                “He’s telling the truth about that Chris. When I called the ATF here they mentioned that they had too many green Agents for this, as well as the fact that the Mala Noches kept trying to get their stuff back whenever there is a dispo run.” Buck’s voice seemed to calm Chris down, which caused Xander to give Vin and Ezra a smug smile. Maybe some matchmaking wouldn’t go astray.

 

                “Fine, but I get to pick who works with us. I know that you’ll have to be on this trip with us Lieutenant, but I get to pick the CSI and Lab tech that goes with us.” Chris made sure that Horatio knew who was boss for the run.

 

                “Very well, though, who do you plan on taking with you?” Horatio had a feeling that it’d be Xander and possibly Calleigh, but he wasn’t too sure about that.

 

                “Xander Harris and Ryan Wolfe.”

 

                “What?!!” Eric’s voice was heard and Horatio turned a glare similar to Chris’ on his CSI.

 

                “Eric Delko, you will cease to act like a child and you will obey Agent Larabee’s ruling. If you don’t like it, too damn bad. I trust Ryan and Xander to do the job, and I know that Larabee’s men won’t let anything harm our staff. Now, you will go back and work on your cases, or I will have you confined to the lab. Do I make myself clear?” Blue eyes were dark with anger at Eric’s reaction, and he waited for the agreement.

 

                “But H-”

 

                “No buts,” Horatio growled. “As of today you are confined to the Lab CSI Delko. If I hear that you are causing any problems for our visiting agents, we will be having words. Am. I. Clear.”

 

                “Yes H.” The voice was a mixture between petulant child and guilty coworker making Xander bite back a snicker.

 

                As the group ate the popcorn, Josiah and Nathan came over to where Xander and the others were sitting.

 

                “It is good to finally meet you face to face Ryan.” Josiah spoke softly, as to not deter from the amusing sight of Horatio Caine and Chris Larabee facing off.

 

                “Xander said that your eye was hurt. Would you mind if I looked at it?” Nathan asked just as quietly.

 

                “Alexx wanted to check it later, if you want, you can come down while she looks it over.” Ryan gave into Nathan, after hearing Xander’s tales of what the black man did to Vin once when he refused to be treated by Nathan or the doctors. He refused to be pinned down and checked over like a child, so he gave into the will of the EMT with some dignity intact.

 

                “I’m glad that you can show a heavy hand Lieutenant.” Chris’ mocking voice stilled the group eating popcorn, and Xander’s eyes narrowed.

 

                “While I admit, that trying to let my team grieve, on their own may not have been a good idea at the time, I’d rather discuss that with you in private and not as a floor show to the entire department.” Horatio’s voice was cold and Xander bit back a wince.

 

                “Oh I’d say that it’s very informative.” Rick stepped out of the shadows as he watched the scene between Horatio and Agent Larabee unfold.

 

                “Who the fuck are you?” Blue-green eyes glared at the man that seemed to ooze duplicity.

 

                “Sergeant Rick Stetler, IAB.”

 

                “Why do you care what I say to Horatio Caine?”

 

                “He’s been like that since my brother Raymond was killed as an undercover operative with narcotics.”

 

                “So he’s like the FBI in regards to Ez.”

 

                “If you mean looking for something, anything, wrong with what I do, then yes.”

 

                “Private it is then.” As the workers of the lab began to disperse, Rick gave Xander a nod and left the floor as well.

 

                “Why did he nod at ya Xan?”

 

                “Cause I got bigger balls than him and got him the information he wanted on Raymond’s case. You gotta love the assholes that forget to protect important documents from hackers’ sticky fingers.”

 

                “Who got it for you?”

 

                “Abby did. Oh, she wants us to visit, since she’s almost positive that I’ll be the next her, just for ATF and Chris instead of NCIS and Gibbs.”

 

                “Damn pard, you don’t do things half way do you?” Buck’s voice filtered over the group as they began their trek back to the break room.

 

                “Why do things half way when you can go the extra mile and piss a whole new level of people off?” The cheeky grin made a new appearance, and got a booming laugh out of the group.

 

                “That is true. So, what do you do for fun kid?” Buck poked Xander to emphasize on ‘fun’.

 

                “I work on the house or I go for a spin on my bike. Oh, I’m also helping Ray with his Halloween costume. He’s going as Cordy.” That caused the group with him to suddenly start coughing, while Ezra burst into laughter.

 

                “Oh dear, now that will be an amusing sight!”

 

                “Yeah, and I was wondering if you could help me with it Ez. You could help him with the vocal lessons, as I got the movement and clothes down pat. He’s fun to work with too.”

 

                “Ah shall endeavor to help you and your young apprentice out. Besides, Ah cannot, in good conscious, leave his training unfulfilled because Ah did not help him when you asked.” Xander opened the door to the break room and ushered the group in to sit and enjoy a quick meal before they had to return to work.

 

                “Good, good. So, did you guys drop your stuff off at the house yet, or were you waiting for me to finish work today before you swarmed my home?”

 

                “I’m hurt that you think we’ll swarm you! We’ll simply be living in your back pocket.” Buck winked at Xander causing him to laugh.

 

                “Well, only my room and two spare bedrooms are fixed. Ryan is staying in one because Alexx wanted to make sure that he would be alright, and he has to stay with me at least until tomorrow, for her peace of mind. So, who’ll be sleeping where?”

 

                “Chris and I can share a spot. We’ve done it before and have no issues with it.” Buck spoke with a thoughtful look on his face.

 

                “Ez and I can bunk together.” Vin smiled at Ezra’s nod.

 

                “Josiah, JD and I can share a room.” Nathan smiled at the agreement to his statement as well.

 

                “Alright, so, JD, Nathan and Josiah, you can sleep in the living room. The couches are sofa beds, so that’s not an issue. Chris and Buck can sleep in the other spare room, while Ez and Vin can bunk with me. I love day beds.” Seeing that everyone agreed to the arrangements, Xander and Ryan cleaned up their meal just as Horatio and Chris entered the room.

 

                “Gentlemen, I do hope that everything is going well at the moment?” Chris hid a smirk from the redhead and his eyes twinkled with mirth.

 

                “Everything is fine H.” Xander gave him the patent ‘good little boy’ smile and watched with suppressed glee at the new wariness that began to show on his boss’ face.

 

                “I wanted to step up the run outside of the lab. Apparently we have a mole in our department, and I’d rather not have this leaked to the wrong people.” Chris nodded at that and everyone took on a serious expression.

 

                “We can meet at my place. We’ll all be there tonight, so I’m sure you could stop by to help us plot out a route that we could use.”

 

                “Thank you Xander. Then I shall see you gentlemen later. Ryan, could you show them around the labs?”

 

                “Sure thing H. Come on, I’ll give you the nickel tour and let some of the techs dazzle you before we go down to see Alexx.”

 

                With that the group split off, Xander going back to ballistics, and Ryan beginning with the Homicide Detectives before moving back to their work area.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander trekked into his house with a weary sighs and smiled as Ray came out of the kitchen.

 

                “Hey Xander, I was wondering if we were working today? Since I wasn’t sure when you were getting home, I was doing the stenciling to hide the cupboard under the stairs.”

 

                “That’s fine Ray, but I don’t think we’ll be doing much today. You’re uncle is coming over to help plot out a route to deal with some things for work. Then I gotta get the guys settled for the night, since they flew in from Denver and the time change is murder around here. But you can keep working on it until your uncle shows up, and I might be able to find enough food to feed the eleven of us.”

 

                “Nah, mom wants me home for supper tonight. Now I know why. I’ll take you up on the work until Uncle H shows up though, thanks!”

 

                “I was your age too once and just needed to get away once and a while.” Xander chuckled and waved the rest of team seven in, showing everyone where they could store their things for the time being, before Horatio showed up.

 

                Taking this as an invitation to snoop, everyone whistled at the obvious beauty of the home in front of them, and they all shared a smile. Xander did love construction, and it showed in each room that seemed to glow from the changes done to it.

 

                “The one thing I’m glad about is that the windows don’t need to be fixed, and the outside was perfect. It’ll need painting in about six or seven years, but other than that, it’s fine.”

 

                Josiah moaned at the sight of the kitchen and everyone laughed until they saw it as well.

 

                “Damn kid, you think you could fix up my kitchen if I paid ya for it?”

 

                “I’ll have to look everything over and see exactly what you want, or it’ll have to wait even longer. Besides, you can pay me in food as well as sleeping quarters while I fix it up.”

 

                “That’d be great kid, I really do appreciate that.”

 

                “No worries, but I’ll need help to do the kitchen. Putting up cupboards is a three to four man job. Two people hold while the other one, or two, screws everything into place.”

 

                “Seriously?”

 

                “Yep, it’s cause it’s an awkward thing to hold in place, and you normally do the above cupboard before you set up the lower cabinets and granite top. Also, you have to measure everything out perfectly, and leave breathing room for the electronics, or you are so screwed.”

 

                “I can see why. But still, Xander, this is a wonderful job. I can see why you were a foreman.” Josiah’s praise made Xander beam in joy, and was then shocked as he was kicked out of his own kitchen.

 

                “I will cook, now shoo!”

 

                “But, but, Josiah!” The group laughed at Xander’s pout and he then steered them to the living room.

 

                “Oh my God! Now that is a TV!” Xander cackled in delight and flopped down onto his favorite chair, smirking as the group looked over the room.

 

                “Shit, you got one case of Movies, on for Books and the last for photo albums, frames and knick knacks.” Vin’s voice was in awe, and Xander simply sighed in pleasure as he watched his friends touch and stare at everything in awe.

 

                “Hey Uncle H! Give me a few minutes and I’ll be gone so you can go over your case stuff. Thanks again Xander!”

 

                “No problem kid! Come back tomorrow after school, we’ll finish off that other room tomorrow.”

 

                “Sweet, bye Xan!”

 

                With that the door closed and Horatio blinked comically as he entered the living room where the group, sans Josiah, was leafing through the things scattered around the room. Xander took pity on the stunned boss, and motioned him to sit down.

 

                “Josiah’s cooking supper and he should be done in about twenty minutes if you want to wait until after we all eat? It’ll help half of us think properly and give the other half to relax so they aren’t bouncing off the walls like Tigger on crack.”

 

                “Hey a poker table!” JD’s voice came from the far corner of the room, and the rest of team seven looked at Xander, who was busy buffing his nails on his shirt, and biting back a smirk.

 

                “You were planning on using that table, were you not, pard?”

 

                “Maybe, maybe not; I know that it was going back with me to Denver, as are a lot of the items that I put around the house. I paid good money for them, and I plan on keeping them even when I go across state lines. I’m just happy that Ezra’s holding my exemplar for me, I’d hate to try and lug my guns across the US, and not get arrested. There is stupid, then there is just plain dumb; and I am neither.”

 

                “Will we be playing on your poker table?”

 

                “That depends on if my poker table wants to be played on. It has a stubborn set of wheels, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was grumpy that I live alone and have very few people staying over for long periods of time.”

 

                “Boys, dinner is done!”

 

                “Thank god, I was hungry.”

 

                “There is a bathroom right before the dining room if you want to wash up before you sit down.”

 

                Xander spoke as he walked into the dining room and began to set the table for ten people. Stacking the extra chairs in the purposefully empty corner, Xander set the table with the regular dishes, and smiled upon seeing the reactions to how this room was viewed.

 

                “It’s very nice, Xander; how long did it take you, and young Ray, to finish this room, and everything that went with it?” Ezra’s voice filled the room, and Xander smirked.

 

                “It took us about three days to do, since the floor and the walls took the most time.”

 

                “What’s left upstairs in the non-finished rooms?”

 

                “Well, that would be the floors, the walls, the painting of the walls, the lighting, the wiring, the furniture, and then drapes. But, we’re lucky we have extra hands; it takes a full day to do a room. It’ll take us two afternoons, maybe a bit of a third, if it was just the two of us. When we work, Ryan is delegated to cleaning and cooking. His eye isn’t up to construction yet, and his meds make him too sleepy for the fast pace work that we’re doing, since he’s not used to it and all.”

 

                “Still, what you’ve gotten done is still fantastic in the amount of time that you’ve had.” Ezra gave a sincere smile, and Vin nodded.

 

                “I know a few community centers in Purgatory could use a helping hand like this, and they’d listen to what ya got to say. Since it’s for the kids, and they want the most money to help them as possible, I know all they are missing is a good foreman. You’d just be working on weekends and days off, ‘cause Chris will demand that you get the days off that we do.” Chris nodded at Vin’s statement, and Xander smirked.

 

                “Well, I met a few of the kids, and would be happy to help. All I ask is that when they start making a good thing out of it, that they send me a note so that I can congratulate them.”

 

                “They’ll be willing to do that. Maybe even get you to come to a barbecue or two. A lot of those kids make good chefs, so I know that the food will be good.”

 

                “Excellent, now, Josiah has made us a meal, so let’s enjoy it before it goes to waste.” With that the ten men dug into the simple meal that Josiah had made, and Horatio watched them interact with a silent gaze.

 

                Horatio knew that there would be a chance that Ryan would go with the team back to Colorado, but he didn’t want to lose the one man that made him want to live more than Speed ever did. Looking back at his actions, he could see why it was taking the team so long to smarten up. Only after Xander arrived did he begin to treat Ryan with any semblance of respect, and so far only Alexx had shown any sense. Calleigh was slowly warming up, and Eric was still a sore point to go into since the man didn’t even trust him with the news of his sister’s illness.

 

                Speed’s death had hit them hard, and he was shocked that it had hit Ryan, of all people, the hardest. He understood why it was so hard on him, and once more began to berate himself for not seeing it sooner. Before he had left, he had checked to see who had made the recommendation for Ryan to join, and there, in black and white, was CSI Level Three Timothy Speedle. Right now, all Horatio could do was wait, and apologize for his actions.

 

                “Damn Josiah that was a fine meal. Can I steal you and keep you here to cook for me? You’ll get sun and beauties.” Xander tried to cajole his old friend.

 

                “No Son, I’d never want to leave if I stayed here too long, and then I’d get bored.” Xander shuddered at that, causing everyone to laugh.

 

                “Bad things happen when Josiah is bored.” JD nodded solemnly at Ryan and Horatio’s confused look.

 

                “Before we begin, Ryan, could I speak with you for a moment?” Getting a nod in reply both men stepped out into Xander’s back yard.

 

                “What is it H?”

 

                “I wanted to apologize to you. While I may use the excuse of grieving, the team and I had no right to treat you the way we did. I know that Calleigh and Eric will take time to see things the way I do, and for that I can only offer that I’ll do what I can to tail their reactions to you.”

 

                “You saw that Speed was the one that recommended me, didn’t you.”

 

                “Only before I left the office for the day, and I had planned on making this apology when Mr. Larabee had finished saying his piece to me. While I do not want you to leave Miami, I will understand that if Eric and Calleigh don’t change their attitudes by then, it might be safer for you in the long run. I truly don’t want to lose you, you are a credit to the lab and the team, but I do understand that your sanity is much more important.”

 

                “Thank you for understanding that H, I admit that I love the lab, and I do enjoy working with you, but sometimes I just want to get up and leave. The days that Eric and Calleigh gang up on me are the worst, and even though they might try to help me, they can’t stop the snipping that Speed did it one way, or that he did it faster.”

 

                “I wish that I could offer you more than platitudes, but I will be making sure that they stop this behavior.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Inside, Chris was smirking at getting Horatio to grovel and watched Ezra, Vin and Xander as they plotted in a corner.

 

                “What are you boys up to?”

 

                “Nothing yet Chris, why?” came Vin’s innocent voice.

 

                “You keep looking at me.”

 

                “But you’re so pretty!” Xander’s sarcastic statement brought silence before everyone began to laugh at the blush rising up Chris’ cheeks.

 

                “Damn you Harris!”

 

                “Now, now Chris, the kid hasn’t seen us in over a month, I bet he’s just lonely and you were the first target that allowed itself to become opened.”

 

                “Like you wish it was your pants?” Came the innocent reply.

 

                “Yes, jus- HEY!” The group laughed louder at that and Xander smiled sweetly at the pout that both men were sporting.

 

                “We still love you guys. Now, I have a map on the TV, and it shows the lab and the industrial incinerator that we use. How long do you think H and Ryan will be?”

 

                “Another good ten minutes. Horatio has a lot to explain and apologize for, so he’ll be a while.” Chris spoke softly, just in case the pair came in sooner.

 

                “Okay then, we could play poke while we wait.” JD offered.

 

                “For chores while you guys are here?”

 

                “Why not.”

 

                “How long are you guys staying?”

 

                “Five days, why?”

 

                “Five days of dishes, two days of laundry, and one day of cleaning.”

 

                “So, eight games, dealt straight up, and we draw for the chores.”

 

                “Ezra, could you shuffle the deck, for us, and deal out the cards.”

 

                “Of course, it’ll be my pleasure.”

 

                Eight chores were put into the hat and each person was dealt five cards each, all facing upwards. Vin lost the first hand, pulling out “dishes, day 3” on the slip of paper. Buck lost the next two hands, getting “Laundry, day 2” and “cleaning, day 4” on his slips of paper. Nathan lost the next hand, pulling out “Dishes, day 2” on his piece of paper. Ezra lost next, “Laundry, day 4” stared back at him. Chris lost next, getting “Dishes, Day 5” on his paper. JD lost the last two games, getting “dishes, Day 1 and 4” as his work load.

 

                “Score, no extra work for the Xan-man!”

 

                “And I will take over the kitchen. It’s like it was planned.”

 

                “Sorry, nope! It’s one of my old decks, and even if Ezra could have stacked it, he didn’t have enough time. So it wasn’t planned, it’s just the way the cards fell.”

 

                “You believe that I’d stack the deck?”

 

                “No, but I’d try if it meant getting out of chores.” Xander shuddered as Horatio and Ryan walked back in. “I hate chores.”

 

                “Hey Ryan, Lieutenant, ready to plot our course?”

 

                “That would be best.”

 

                It took them two hours to get three possible routes, and three fall backs for each route before Horatio left for the night. Thanking Chris for coming down once more, Horatio left in his hummer, leaving nine tired men behind.

 

                “Alright people, bed!” Xander called out.

 

                Grumbling that he was thankful that he didn’t have to work tomorrow, and that neither did Ryan, Xander bit back a yawn. Sadly, that meant that Ray would be down by nine the latest, since it was a Saturday. Leading Ezra, Vin, Chris, and Buck up the stairs, Xander was happy that he had more than one bathroom. Each room had its own bathroom, and the bedrooms would match the theme set by the said extension. He was just glad that none had a Cupid or love room theme, or he would have a bathroom to redo as well.

 

                Waving goodnight to Chris and Buck, Xander slithered into his bed and curled up in the middle before he heard Vin and Ezra shuffle about.

 

                “King size, fits three.” Was his only response as he finally felt both side in around him, letting their breathing and heartbeats lull him to sleep.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                By the time that Saturday came to be, Xander wanted to hurt somebody. Eric was being a prissy bitch, but Calleigh had finally gotten her head on straight. Because of her budding friendship with Ryan, Eric began to lash out at the blonde, and Xander had enough. Dragging the man behind him, Xander forced Eric to sit down in Horatio’s office and cuffed him to the chair.

 

                “You are going to listen, and listen good. You can be upset with God all you want that your friend is dead, but taking it out on the people who had NOTHING to do with it is not only wrong, but sullying the memory of Timothy Speedle. Now, I’m going to leave you hear, and Horatio is going to get through your fucking thick skull. Just because everyone else pulled their heads out of their asses doesn’t mean that you have to shove yours in deeper.” Glaring once more for emphasis, Xander gave the bound man a chilling smile.

 

                “You think you have the market on pain? I’ve lost all of my friendships from before I left for Africa. My girls, my sisters, were killed. I lost the closest thing to a mother from a brain tumor; my best friends were killed by Satanists; my first love developed migraines so bad she ended up dying in a coma. So don’t think you got the market on pain covered. Pushing your friend’s unfortunate death into everybody’s face is disgusting, and letting your sister’s illness cloud your judgment can get you fired. So choose, do you want to keep your friends and help in the lab like a good a decent person, or do you want me to go get IAB to get them to fire your sorry ass?”

 

                With that said, Xander nodded to Horatio and left the room, slamming the door behind him and going to help Alexx and Ryan in calming Calleigh down from Eric’s verbal lashing. He didn’t care anymore that the Cuban’s sister was ill, the fact that he was using it as an excuse was bad enough. Upon entering the morgue, Xander got an evil idea that should bring Eric’s emotions in check.

 

                “Alexx, do you know the number to Eric’s mother’s home?”

 

                “Yes, why do you ask?”

 

                “Call her and tell her what he’s been up to. H doesn’t need to have a loose cannon about that wants to rip the team up because he can’t see up from down.”

 

                “That’s cruel, Xander.” Calleigh’s voice was soft and scratchy.

 

                “No, it’ll get his head out of his ass. From what I’ve heard, his mother won’t stand for the behavior that he is showing. It’s one thing to grieve, it’s another thing all together when you nearly got one teammate killed and basically attacked a good friend because she got her act together first.”

 

                “I’ll go make the call, you should calm down yourself and head back to the lab. Calleigh can clean up down here.”

 

                “Alright; Calleigh, H is talking to him, and hopefully his mother can bring the last bit of sense back into him.” He got a watery laugh, so he gave her one last hug before going back to working in the ballistics lab.

 

                Xander was simply glad that the guys were at his place and not in the labs or Eric would have been beaten to a pulp for doing what he did. You do not insult someone that just apologized for being stupid. He was grateful that he had little work to do when he got home, since the team had been working on Josiah’s and JD’s spare room. Ryan was going to his home today, and that gave Nathan his own room.

 

                Sighing as he snuggled into the warm bed, a bit earlier than usual, Xander let himself be dragged into a dreamless sleep. Thank god tomorrow was Saturday, was Xander’s last thought, never noticing that he had been joined by his two friends.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Waking up to extra heat, Xander sighed and snuggled in deeper to the two heard bodies holding him. Xander then stilled at the idea of being in bed with two hard bodies before remembering that Ezra and Vin were in bed with him. Relaxing once more, Xander cuddled before he felt one of the bodies leaving the bed.

 

                “Where you going?” He whispered.

 

                “I can’t sleep anymore, Xander.” Came Vin’s whispered reply.

 

                “Stay in bed; warmer, more comfortable.”

 

                “You sure” The tone was hesitant and Xander looked over at his friend and gave him a sleepy smile.

 

                “Come back to bed Vin.” Pushing the blankets back a bit, Vin slowly slid back under the covers, and curled up around Xander once more, letting his hands rest on Ezra’s chest.

 

                Purring in contentment, Xander fell back asleep, clutching Ezra close and locking his arm’s with Vin’s. He’d have to be woken for either man to leave now, and that brought a smile to his lips.

 

                He woke up, sometime later, to something tickling his nose. Wrinkling the appendage, Xander slowly cracked his eyes open and smiled upon seeing Ezra.

 

                “Morning.”

 

                “Morning. Now, let me up, Ah need to use the facilities.” It took Xander a minute to figure out what Ezra had said and blushed as he let the Southerner go to the bathroom.

 

                “Have a good sleep?” Vin’s amused voice came from behind, and Xander purred once more.

 

                “Yeah, better than I have in the month I’ve been here.”

 

                “Well, while Ah appreciate that we were able to help you sleep, it is time for breakfast, and Josiah said he’d make pancakes.”

 

                Xander snapped awake and practically leaped out of bed. Making sure he had some clothes on, he ushered both Vin and Ezra out of the bedroom and down to the kitchen where the meal was being prepared.

 

                “Moring boys.”

 

                “Morning Chris, need coffee.” Xander got a few chuckles at that proclamation and was given a sweetened cup of coffee, making him moan at the caffeine goodness that flowed into him.

 

                “Well, time to get the table set, because breakfast is ready boys. You three made it just in time.” Xander gave a smug grin and sat between Ezra and Vin humming while he ate.

 

                The group ate in silence, and Xander had to hide a smirk from his friends. Since this would be the first full day of the Ray experience, Xander needed his coffee to enjoy it fully.

 

                “Oh, who’ll be manning the coffee pot? Cause I warn you, I go through ten cups before noon if I’m doing construction.”

 

                “You’ll drink ten cups before noon? You’ll drink that many in three and a half hours?” Chris’ voice was strangled.

 

                “Yeah, I need the caffeinated goodness to work my awesomeness.”

 

                “Oh my God, I think I’m traumatized.” JD’s voice made Xander mock pout.

 

                “Now that’s just mean. For that, I’ll pain the room you’ll be sleeping in, PINK!”

 

                “That’s just torture man,” Was the whined response.

 

                Smirking, Xander left the dining room and quickly showered and dressed. He knew the clothes from the Thrift store would be god sent, and he slipped into his broken-in work boots, before heading to the unfinished room. Ray had cut the walls out the night before, and Xander began to hammer away, getting the support beams fixed before putting up the new walls and insulation.

 

                “Hey boss man, got ya a cup of goodness and logged in. We’re doing the insulation now?”

 

                “Yep, get me the packages so we can fill the walls with some sound proofing too. Don’t want to hear it if anyone gets lucky in my spare rooms, it’s just tacky.” Ray snickered as they filled the walls, and smirked as Xander checked over the wiring and the studs before holding the walls in place.

 

                It took the guys a good twenty minutes to see why Xander drank so much coffee, Ray’s exuberance was tiring and the caffeine was the only thing that kept them going after seeing him bouncing around when he wasn’t in the room with working on the walls and floors.

 

                “I’ll need the peacock blue paint and the emerald green one too! Once we get the floors down we gotta primer and get some lunch kid!” Xander’s voice floated down after Ray and Josiah smiled as he noticed it was close to noon.

 

                “Oh, and the boys can’t come up yet! They don’ have the work clothes needed for a painting job and only Ez and Vin fit into my clothes!” That got the men to look at what they were wearing and Ray smirked.

 

                “Go to the thrift store, its three blocks away, and buy old sweats and t-shirts, cause you gotta help paint the four walls and the ceiling.” That got five weary sighs, after Vin stated that he and Ezra would make lunch for the group.

 

                Ray went back up to hand Xander his twelfth cup of coffee when Ezra poked Vin in the chest.

 

                “Do we begin the plan to seduce him tonight? Because I must say that all this extra work does make me wonder if he’s doing his own subtle attempt as well.” Ezra turned to the fridge and pulled out the chicken salad that they had prepared the night before.

 

                “Well, he does like to touch, but he’s been doing that for just over three years…”

 

                “You noticed as well, Ah see. All the touches can be explained as that of friendship, but he does it when he doesn’t have to either.”

 

                “You think…”

 

                “That he wants us both, Ah do.”

 

                “Give it to him tonight?”

 

                “That would be fantastic Mistah Tannah.” Ezra’s accent thickened at the prospect and smirked as the others came back, bitching and moaning that they were not something to be ogled by old ladies.

 

                Xander came down a moment later; looking washed, and made a beeline for the coffee.

 

                “So, now do you know why I drink so much coffee?” He looked amused at the group getting seven weary nods in return. Ray was a force of nature, one they enjoyed in very small doses.

 

                “You never told me why you need so much coffee.” Ray pouted and Xander simply chuckled.

 

                “I keep saying that you’re a force of nature Ray.”

 

                “That’s not a reason.”

 

                “Not sure about that.” Vin muttered as offered a sandwich to Xander and the others.

 

                “No, I need to sit. Come on, the chairs in the dining room are easy to clean.”

 

                “But-” JD began.

 

                “JD, I’ve been standing and pounding for a good three hours. I need to sit for a minute to let my body relax from what it was doing earlier.”

 

                “Oh.”

 

                “Yeah; so kiddo, next we stencil then blue with green prints or green with blue prints.”

 

                “Blue with green prints would look best. The emerald green is too sharp for a room to sleep in, and the blue is good for relaxation. That and the shades we got are the same color as the green paint.”

 

                “Good, now that we’ve got a plan, it should take two hours before we can start on the stencils. God I love my paint sprayer.”

 

                “What do you mean?” Buck asked after swallowing a piece of sandwich.

 

                “Painting is tedious, and long. To get the room painted in good time, I have a sprayer used specifically for painting. It helps in getting the room done fast as well as done right. No missed spots or missing layers.”

 

                “Wow, so then you’ll do the stenciling once the paint is dry, right?”

 

                “That’s right JD. The stenciling is what takes the longest, but it’ll be worth it.”

 

                Finishing off their meal quickly, Ray and Xander went back up to their project as the others began to do a count of what they could expect from the locals when they were bringing the evidence to be destroyed. Over the two hours, muffled curses and the soft sound of a motor filled the house, and Josiah began to prepare dinner. Seeing that there was little else to do, Buck made his way to the mud room and began to do the laundry that he had been putting off.

 

                Ezra and Vin began to plot on how they should approach Xander, and before they could really go in depth with their plans, there was a knock on the door. Chris waved at them and answered the door, surprised to see Calleigh Duquesne standing there.

 

                “Can I help you Miss Duquesne?” Chris’ voice was neutral, and didn’t show any surprise upon her wince.

 

                “I came by to see if Xander, and the rest of you, were coming to the gathering tomorrow at the City Park. Ryan would have come, but I asked if I could instead.”

 

                “Xander, Calleigh is here!” Hearing a muffled curse, Chris smirked at seeing Xander wagging a finger back at Ray.

 

                “Why Calleigh, what brings you over?”

 

                “The gathering tomorrow, I wanted to know if you were going to be there.”

 

                “Can I ask why?”

 

                “Do you want to meet Eric’s mother. Alexx was going to discuss his attitude with her tomorrow.” She gave him a devilish smile.

 

                “We’ll be there with popcorn and drinks.” He returned the grin.

 

                “Glad to hear it. It’s from eleven to two in the afternoon.”

 

                “Like I said, we’ll be there.”

 

                “See you tomorrow Xander.”

 

                “Cheers Calleigh!” With that he closed the door and let out an evil chuckle.

 

                “What’s that about?” Buck asked as he watched Xander warily.

 

                “Eric’s mother is going to hear about how he’s being an ass at work, and we are invited to witness it with front row seats.”

 

                “Damn, that’ll be fun. But you’re being awful chummy with Blondie.” Vin replied, not angry but curious.

 

                “She apologized to Ryan for her behavior. Eric witnessed it and made her cry.”

 

                “You’re shitting me,” Was Chris’ deadpanned response.

 

                “Nope; he was all angry at her for forgetting Speed and all that. So, I belted him one and drug him to H’s office where I lashed back and Horatio suspended him.” With that said, Xander gave a jaunty wave before heading back up to his project, and the seven men shared a glance.

 

                Ezra and Vin shared another one as well, who knew that Xander sounded damn sexy when he was indulging his evil side.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander was tired by the time dinner was finished. All he wanted was a hot bath and a good sleep. Luckily he could sleep in tomorrow and told Ray that there would be no work, because of the gathering tomorrow. Entering the bathroom, after having stripped himself down to his underwear, Xander froze at the sight before him. Vin and Ezra were resting in his large tub, and looking at him through hooded eyes.

 

                “Umm… am I interrupting something” He fidgeted at the slow smirks that graced their faces and he had to bite back a moan.

 

                “Not at all, Xander. Now, why don’t you join us? There is plenty of room, and the water is lovely.” Ezra’s voice came out as a purr, and Xander stripped out of his boxers before slipping into the water with a moan of contentment.

 

                “Feel better Xan?” Vin’s husky drawl made him shudder, but nod.

 

                Two sets of hands began to wash him down, and Xander melted into the caresses. Each stroke was gentle and seemed to hunt for his hot spots. He let out a few soft moans before he was pulled into a deep, probing kiss. Soft hands framed his face and the taste of something so fine, like an exotic wine, which could only be described as Ezra, filled his mouth.

 

                Breaking the kiss to get some much needed air, Xander was pulled into another kiss, just as demanding s the last. Calloused fingers stroked his cheeks, and carded through his hair. Vin’s taste filled his mouth and made him think of an open field, just after a good rainstorm. Whimpering into the sharpshooter’s mouth, Xander gasped for breath when he pulled back as well.

 

                “Wow… Just… Wow…” Xander simply stared with glazed eyes, and missed the amused expressions be shared.

 

                After a few more moments of touching and stroking, Xander was lifted from the tub and dried off with a warm, fluffy towel that he had gotten for Ezra last year. Once they were all dried, Xander was led to the bed, where both men began to pay tribute, once more, to his skin.

 

                Xander was so lost in the pleasures that he was getting that he never noticed when one finger slipped in, then turned to two, then three. He did notice, however, when he was filled and stared up into deep blue eyes. He gasped and moaned as Vin slowly took him, lovingly filling him and stretching him. His face and chest was being peppered with kisses from Ezra, and Xander couldn’t form words to express himself. Hands kept batting his own away from his weeping cock as Vin slowly began to move faster, reaching his own completion before wrapping a hand around Xander’s purpling cock to stave off his orgasm.

 

                “Need, please… Need…” Xander’s pleas were almost incoherent as Vin slipped out and Ezra slipped in.

 

                “Soon love, let Vin and Ah take care of you. Tonight this is all for you.” With that, Ezra began to move at the pace that Vin finished at, moving slowly to turn Xander into a mindless mass of pleasure.

 

                Writhing and moaning, Xander had to be silenced, and the blue eyed Texan dove down for a kiss. They’d have to meet up again, without the others to really hear Xander let it loose, and Vin would be waiting for it.

 

                Ezra was having similar thoughts and began to move at a quicker pace, knowing that both he and Xander were close. Shifting, Ezra smirked when he nailed their young lover’s prostate with a hard thrust, and was soon cursing as Xander came hard between them. Latching onto a nipple to muffle his own cry, Ezra came into the tight heat, his cum mixing with Vin’s, leaving three exhausted people on the bed.

 

                “Damn, you guys were a fella out,” Was the croaked response from Xander, after he caught his breath.

 

                “We aim to please.” The equally tired response came from Ezra.

 

                “Damn, I’m so glad we get to sleep in tomorrow.” Xander yawned and was soon cleaned up and snuggled with under the blankets.

 

                Sighing in pleasure, Xander’s lips latched onto Ezra’s neck and sucked softly as he fell asleep between two warm bodies. Smiling into the smooth skin that he was resting on, Xander thought that having these two men sleep with him was the best decision he had ever made. As he fell asleep, two kisses we bestowed to his crown as he was joined in slumber.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                The group gathered in the designated park at five to eleven and made their way over to Ryan and the rest of the day shift CSI’s. The pinched look was gone from his face, and Xander saw a spark of life in the hazel eyes.

 

                “Glad you could make it.” Ryan drawled when they finally made it to him.

 

                “We refuse to not show up, we want to see history in the making here.” Xander’s eyes were practically glowing with glee.

 

                “Oh?”

 

                “I wanna see how she’ll react to Mr. Grumpy-pants about his attitude.” Ryan snorted with laughter.

 

                “Yeah, I think a few people want to see that. Luckily IAB isn’t here, and being in public is a nice thing that we can’t get in trouble for. “

 

                “I know, it’s great; we get a free showing, and there is no chance that we can get in trouble for it. Also if they show, they can’t use anything since it is off the clock and no one made any complaints!” Xander beamed in joy at the thought of being able to see Eric get the tongue lashing of his life.

 

                “You do realize that if Xander and Ah were allowed to ‘dress up’ once more, we could have given Mr. Delko another reason to be upset.”

 

                “Explain Ezra.”

 

                “He’s saying we could have gone in drag to a club that Eric was going to so that we could wreck his reputation as a ladies’ man.”

 

                “That would be going too far.”

 

                “That’s why we never suggested it.” Xander drawled out, and mock glared at Vin’s smirk when he had to shift his stance.

 

                “That would have had H breathing down your neck faster than you could say oops!” Ryan said, holding back a smirk.

 

                “Chris would beat him to it.” Was Vin’s sage voice, making the group nod.

 

                “You know, I think Calleigh said something about popcorn?”

 

                Xander pulled out two large bags of popcorn as Ezra and Vin popped open the cooler showing off soda and juice. Pulling out one each, Xander smirked at his friend and co-worker before putting their chairs in a semi-circle and kept their eyes open for Eric and his mother.

 

                They spotted Eric and his mother half an hour later. After drinking several cans of Pepsi and other sodas, Xander was anxious to see the show down between Eric and his mother. No one decided to bet, since they knew it was a sure thing that Eric would get a tongue lashing.

 

                They watched as Eric got pulled off by Natalia, and his mother was latched onto by Alexx. The pleasant face went from shocked to angry and if the bellow of “Eric” didn’t warn everyone that the show was about to begin, the marching over and pulling on his ear was.

 

                “How could you be so cruel and vicious to your team! I know that Speed was dear to you Caro, but you had no right to hurt the new boy like you did! Also, yelling at Calleigh for swallowing her pride and doing the right thing! Shame on you! I raised you better than this!” The melodious voice was getting shriller in her anger.

 

                “To think that you used your sister’s illness to try and get out of trouble as well, and on top of it you got another person hurt because you were late to back them up! I am shocked, appalled and disappointed in you Eric Delko! You know that your friend hated it when people were compared to him! He hated that attention! Also, if you had told your boss in the first place why you were late then you wouldn’t have so many problems! Marisol’s injuries can be looked at by the whole family! You have a job that makes it difficult to be in the same room as her, and you know why!” Angry brown eyes glared at her youngest son and she stepped towards him.

 

                “You will fix your attitude. We all miss Speed, but Caro, you are making things for everyone difficult. If you cannot let go of the pain of his death, then you should think of looking elsewhere for work. You told me yourself that being a police officer, even as a CSI, meant that your death could be harsh, but if you are not willing, or able, to accept that you lost Speed that way, then you should not be doing this job. I will see you at home Caro.” With that the regal woman left, leaving everyone watch Eric slowly blink before staggering over to a bench and sinking down with a bowed head.

 

                “That, gentlemen, was the kindest dressing down I have ever seen.” Xander’s soft voice melded with the other murmurs in the gathering and those around him looked him over.

 

                “What do you mean by that?”

 

                “She never hit him.” It was said in such a matter of fact tone that it took a moment for them to realize that all arguments with Xander have ended with him being hit, one way or another.

 

                Getting up, Xander made a quick meal for Eric and gave the group a jaunty wave before walking over to the depressed man and putting the plate beside him with a bottle of coke. At first Eric never moved, then he looked over at Xander with a surprised then guarded expression.

 

                “I’m not here to bitch you out, your mother did that enough. Now, I have one thing to ask you, is everything she said true?”

 

                “Yeah, it’s all the truth.”

 

                “Then, take a week off, think it over, then come back and deal with everything the way you should have in the beginning. I know that you have a good friendship with Alexx, Calleigh and H. Nothing but your own attitude is stopping the one with Ryan and me. Think over your actions, and we’ll go from there. I was hoping that you would have gotten over it on your own, but sometimes, another person needs to drive the point home. Eat, drink and think it over. No one’s gonna think less of you if you go home early.”

 

                “Why are you being so nice?” His voice was scratchy as he held back tears and emotions.

 

                “You need someone to be your friend, and since I was closest to the food, I chose to be that friend. Ryan would have come, but we had a feeling that it might have come across differently. If it makes you feel any better, he wanted to train under Speed, not take his place.” Xander patted the trembling shoulder and walked back to his group, knowing that they were going to pester him for info about what he had said to Eric.

 

                “I’ll tell you boys later. Now, I wants me some of that food. Alexx is a good cook, better than Josiah!” With that, nine men attacked the spread of food, and the rest of the gathering slowly followed their example.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                As the group entered Xander’s home, the young man hummed as he put away the leftover drinks. Watching their second youngest member with worried eyes, Team Seven sat in the living room, leaving the only place to sit between Ezra and Vin.

 

                Sauntering back into the room with a dray of alcohol, Ezra and Vin shared a worried look before Xander could sit down. Holding a bottle of beer in his hands, Xander began to pick at the label.

 

                “You all realize that my home life wasn’t all suns and roses, but what you don’t know that it was its own version of Hell. My father was a drunken lout, one that enjoyed taking his pain out on his wife and only son. Whenever my mother tried to stop the beatings, she would end up hiding in the house for a few days, before leaving her bedroom, walking stiffly. I do believe that my father would rape her during those instances where she tried to save me pain. What I hoped she never learned was that while she was healing, I got the double dose of beatings, since she wasn’t there to take part of the brunt as well.” He took a long swallow of his beer.

 

                “My best friend, Jesse, was the only one that knew how bad my home life was, and his parents did what he could to help me out. But the cops were corrupt, and didn’t care about a snot nosed kid getting beaten at home, or his mother being severely injured as well. By the time I was nine, I had a room at the hospital just for me, and all the nurses and doctors knew me by name. CPS couldn’t work in our town because of the corruption, and my only option was to take it, or run. At the age of nine, running isn’t an option, and I couldn’t leave my mother in such a place alone.” He peeled off the label and blinked at the buildup of tears.

 

                “By the time I would have been old enough to run, I had just lost Jesse, and Willow needed the support. Giles might have had an idea, but Buffy needed so much help because of her family’s divorce that he couldn’t help me at the time. By the time he, and the others, realized what my home life was really like, I had just left my fiancée. Giles tried to make up for it, but the girls were being a bear about me leaving Anya that he could only help me when they weren’t around. It didn’t help that she died a year later, and that I went to Africa right afterwards.” With that he downed the rest of his beer and sat with his head in his hands.

 

                The men looked at Xander in shock at what he had to deal with, Ezra and Vin were murmuring in his ears and rubbing his back. But the whole situation was horrible, and yet Chris was glad that they got this out into the open.

 

                “Well, I can say that your father’s brand of vocalizing his disappointments was wrong. I know that when Adam and Sarah were alive I would never hit them. Yeah, I could get angry at them, and I might have to go beat something up, but I had a punching bag for that. Taking your anger out on those that you’re supposed to love, it’s just wrong. No man should do that to his family.” Chris’ voice brought Xander’s red rimmed eyes up to meet his own.

 

                “My father was a hard man to please, but he never beat me or my sister. Yes, he abused us with words, but we were never struck by his hand.” Josiah’s voice took Xander’s attention next.

 

                “Most of us don’t remember our fathers, but I just know that if they had been there, that they would be the good fathers that you hear about.” Xander blew his nose in the Kleenex that he was given and curled into Vin and Ezra’s embrace.

 

                “Ezra, Vin, you both take good care of my boy. If he’ll be calling me Dad, then I’ll just have to treat him like a son.” Xander shot up at those words, and went to pounce on Chris, but was held back by Ezra’s arms.

 

                “Now, now Xander, he’s been waiting to do that since you called him Dad and hung up on him a few weeks back. You also know that he’ll do everything to get back at you if you pounce him in the here and now.” Ezra’s voice broke through the indignation, and he sat back and pouted at the blond man.

 

                “You’re so cruel. I thought you loved me?” He batted his lashes at the group of men, and they burst into laughter. Getting another hug, Xander sighed as he went to get a few boxes from the garage.

 

                “Well, since you’re all in such good spirits, you can help me put the furniture together for the spare room. This will give me a chance to look over the last spare room tonight and see if there is anything extra I need for it.” Sniffing one last time, as if he had been insulted, Xander marched out to the garage, and tried to hide his smile. He wasn’t successful as Buck pulled him into a headlock and ruffled his hair.

 

                They would get over the many traumas that they had, simply because they were family. A good family was there to help you when you need it, and these men were helping Xander’s soul in a way that none of them could imagine.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                The disposal run had been a success, and twenty more criminals were off the streets. Each route had a small shipment, and the plans went off without any difficulties. Horatio was so pleased that he asked Chris if he and his men could come down in four months time to teach the ATF agents in Miami on what to do for disposal runs. Chris mentioned that he would think about it, but it would give them ample time to spend with Xander and Ryan, so he made a reminder to tell AD Travis about it.

 

                Xander and Ryan seemed to be having an invigorating discussion, as the pair of them were bouncing about and had a very troublesome gleam in their eyes. 

 

                Wait, was that a head set?

 

                Getting closer, Chris saw that it was, and on the screen before them was a Goth girl with black pigtails bouncing about. Getting closer, he decided to listen in, and he was very glad that he did.

 

                “Abby, our favorite Goth girl, tell us of the foes that were slain in DC.” Xander acted everything out, causing both Abby and Ryan to laugh.

 

                “Not much, Gibbs got another addition. Katelyn Todd is her name, and I think she hates Tony.” Abby bit her lip.

 

                “Well, will you and Tony be going to the convention in just over two months?” Chris was a bit confused at the mention of this convention.

 

                “Oh yeah! I so got boss man to let us go. The things you CSI’s and lab techs come up with is so cool! Oh, and I got that database started, and I know that when you start working with the ATF, we three can finish it in no time at all.” She began to bounce.

 

                “It’ll be cool; knowing what type of explosion went off by the sight alone! That will help with so many cases! I just know that I’ll get the team’s help with this. All of the guys love a good explosion.” Ryan nodded.

 

                “Well, I can see how you’ll get better results that I would, but I did the main frame for it.” She pouted at the pair.

 

                “That’s why we wanted you in with us. You know so much about systems, it makes sense that you’d set it up! That and I know JD will want to go over it with you and help you protect it more.”

 

                “This is so cool; I gotta go, the boss man’s samples just gave me something, so we’ll chat later.”

 

                “Talk to you later Abs, oh and let Tony know that he’s welcome to visit!” With that said, the connection was cut.

 

                “Convention?” Came Chris’s dry tone.

 

                “Yep, it’s for all levels, so I bet that AD Travis will let you go, if only to give the ‘hands off’ warning to the other agencies.” Xander had the gall to give him a sweet smile.

 

                “I’m positive that all seven of us will be there. So, who are Tony, Abby and Katelyn?” Xander gave him another sweet smile.

 

                “Abby is the tech in DC that I was telling you about. Tony is Special Agent Gibbs’ senior agent and Katelyn is his newest hire.”

 

                “No stealing from Gibbs.”

 

                “I like having my balls attached to my dick man. I’m not suicidal either.” The dry response brought a chuckle from Chris.

 

                Smirking at the two CSI’s, Chris made his way to where the rest of his team was waiting, and sat comfortably beside Buck. He just loved poking at Xander, the kid poked back, just like Ezra did. With that all said and done, the seven men went over the final bits of paperwork before their last night in Miami came to an end. Only Vin and Ezra would remain behind, but only for three more days. There were many busts to consider, and AD Travis would want them working for their pay soon enough.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                It was two weeks later that Eric had returned to the lab. The man seemed to be a walking shell, and Xander frowned. However, the frown faded away as Ryan stepped up to the despondent man and some life slowly began to fill the Cuban’s body. It was that moment that Xander knew that Eric had come full circle and apologized to Ryan. He could only hope that this was a permanent condition and not a fling that would be used to cause more pain.

 

                Xander frowned upon the upset look on Natalia’s face and all the pieces fell into place. Telling Calleigh that he had to ask Horatio something about his time sheets, Xander made his way to the Lieutenant’s office at a sedate pace. His mind was working furiously at the signs that had always been there. Natalia had practically encouraged Eric and Ryan’s fights, like it was a game to her. She seemed to hunt for any bit of bad gossip that she could find about the team. Also, her pay check and past jobs could not allow her to afford the high end clothes and shoes that she was wearing. He remembered Cordelia’s lessons in shopping, and knew that every pair she wore was at least a grand out of her pocket. Knocking on the door to the man’s office, Xander smiled upon seeing Rick Stetler as well.

 

                “Please stay as well Stetler, I know who the mole is and feel downright stupid for not figuring it out sooner.”

 

                “What makes you think you know who it is?” Rick asked with a sarcastic edge.

 

                “The clues she’s been leaving.”

 

                “She, our mole is a woman?” Horatio sounded so confused that Xander had to hold back the cooing that wanted to escape.

 

                “Natalia Boa Vista to be exact.” He held up his hand to stop the questions. “Firstly, she encouraged the rift between Ryan and Eric. She would always be sneaking over and whispering that it was the other’s fault and that no one else understood what they were going through. I know this because Ryan told me when he was ranting about Eric one night and Eric told me when we met up for drinks two nights ago.”

 

                He sighed, “Then we have the fact that she is a gossip hound. Now that normally isn’t a bad thing, because we all like gossip. But she hounds on the bad stuff. Like Eric’s sister being sick and having to be around pot to help her eat, or Ryan being hurt because he didn’t have backup, or even about your brother’s stunt as an undercover operative.” He ran a hand through his hair and nodded at the stunned and angry looks.

 

                “Yeah, and then there is the final kicker; her clothes.”

 

                “Now you’re pulling straws.” Rick scoffed.

 

                “Do you know how much the outfit she’s wearing today costs?”

 

                “Not really, no.” Rick was now just as confused as Horatio.

 

                “Five grand, the top costs a thousand dollars, the pants a thousand five hundred dollars and the shoes are twenty five hundred dollars. Now, how does she make that much money on a county paycheck? Considering each outfit she has worn since she’s been here has ranged from twenty five hundred dollars to six grand.” He looked at both men and waited for their response.

 

                “How do you know the cost of the clothes?” Horatio was curious, if the clothes were really that expensive, then they had a reason to wonder.

 

                “My ex, Cordelia loved clothes; the more expensive the better. Natalia is wearing designer labels, all of which cost a pretty penny, which is too pretty for a county paycheck. If she says she got it off a sales rack, she’s lying because those are in style NOW, not last year or the year before.”

 

                “Thank you for this insight Mr Harris.” The smiles on Stetler and H’s faces were lethal.

 

                “Ask JD to hack her accounts, Chris heard that you got a Mole, and he hates spies within an office. He’d do it without batting an eye, especially if you said I suggested it.”

 

                “Thank you Xander, we’ll call him now, and speak with Miss Boa Vista tomorrow morning, with the proof and paperwork.”

 

                “We just got the lab back together, I’d hate for it to be torn apart because of someone else’s agenda.” With that, Xander left the office and went back to the ballistics lab with a spring in his step.

 

                “Why so happy Xander?” Came the voice of the one who had been under discussion.

 

                “Oh, Horatio was going over my time sheets, since I’ve been pulling a few extra hours, he told me I could get an extra day off. He’d hate to be accused of abusing his manpower.”

 

                “Alright, you know if you need anything, you can talk to me right?” She had been trying to get him into bed for a while, and he enjoyed playing clueless.

 

                “That’s cool, if I need an ear or a shoulder, I’ll come by, talk to you later Natalia.” With that he went to his lab, a small smirk on his face after leaving a flustered Natalia behind. She would reap what she sowed, and he would enjoy it.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                The next day brought a vengeful grin to his face. Natalia Boa Vista would rue the day she tried to break the team. He knew they could find the main leak through her, and while she claimed she only told good things about the lab, Horatio and Rick weren’t buying it. The proof was slapped down before her, and she folded like man who bet all his money playing Ezra at poker. She told them everything about why she had been chosen and what the plans for the lab had been.

 

                With this new information in hand, Natalia was released from her position and escorted out of the building. She was warned, however, that the only reason she could call them was if she was in moral peril. Backstabbers and liars were not welcomed in the department unless you were using it to help catch criminals.

 

                She had left with her tail between her legs and Xander got to explain to Eric and Ryan why she was the mole. They had been disgusted at how well they had been played, and Xander told them that she should have tried something other than bedding people for information. Fucking the people you work with wasn’t always a good thing. If you were going to get involved with a coworker, it should be a serious relationship, because a fling would cloud your judgment much worse than being lovers would.

 

                When asked if he had experience with that, Xander smiled softly and let his eyes glaze over with his thoughts about Ezra and Vin. Oh he knew, and he was willing to take the risks. None of the men realized that Horatio had been listening, and his blue eyes seemed to fill with determination at Xander’s words. Giving the men one last look, and lingering on Ryan’s form once more, Horatio went to his office to plan. Yes, he would follow Xander’s advice, and make it worthwhile too.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

End Notes:
This chapter is 11,510 words..... so far 31,792 words have been posted to the list.
Chapter 4 by Katrina
Author's Notes:

This chapter holds an interlude at the end..... *cackles* that is for all of those that want to see what happens to the others

 Chapter count is 10,016

 Overall count is 41,809

                Xander was just about to watch some movies when his doorbell rang. Frowning at the door, he picked up a gun and went to answer when he decided to peek out the window. Biting back a squeal of joy, Xander flung the door open and let Tony and Abby in.

 

                “Oh my God, when did you guys get in? I so would have picked you up at the airport, and why does Tony look like he’s about to kneel over and die on my front steps?” With that Xander dragged the quiet Tony to his living room and plopped him down while he turned to look at Abby.

 

                “What happened and who do I have to kill for hurting him like this?” His tone was conversational, but both heard the threat and promise of pain in his voice.

 

                “The perpetrator is in jail. He was a serial killer, and it was his reaction to Tony that’s got him so bent out of shape.” Abby babbled at high speed, and only years of listening to Willow allowed him to decipher it.

 

                “Okay, so what did he do; better yet, what did he say?”

 

                “He basically said that we were the same. I really liked the guy, he had a good sense of humor, understood me when I spoke in movies and scenes, and liked me for me. When I found that he was the killer and I was chained to him, I was having a mental breakdown as soon as Gibbs got me free. I decided to cash in on some leave time, and Abby decided to come with since she wanted to see the house. I just had to get away, ya know?”

 

                Xander nodded; it was the same with Ezra every now and then. He had to retreat behind his mask after a bad sting or undercover operation. When he came out, Xander and Vin were there to put the pieces back together. I hurt to watch, but they understood that it was all about control, and a different way of processing.

 

                “How do you unwind after a case? Do you go for sex, booze or a night in hiding from the world?”

 

                “Never have time to unwind anymore. Gibbs call, I gotta go, no questions asked.” The monotone answer scared Xander and then he was pissed.

 

                “You get NO down time? That stupid son of a bitch!” Xander growled and paced the room, letting Abby cuddle Tony. She didn’t know that Tony didn’t get down time, she’d have to tell Gibbs to give him some, or they’d lose him to a bullet and he wouldn’t care.

 

                “I’m getting used to it.” Came the quiet reply.

 

                “Yeah, and I got used to being my father’s punching bag. You are going to relax and go beach surfing. Abby will stay with you to keep you grounded, and when you get back to DC, I will hear if you get harassed by this Katelyn Todd or Gibbs. If they so much as bitch that you had to take a break, I will go to DC and bring Team Seven with me and so help me God, I will beat Gibbs into submission.”

 

                “You don’t have too…” Tony’s eyes gave him away, and the joy at being held in high regard hurt Xander.

 

                “You are going to the convention next month, right? If all else goes right, we’ll get you a new job, and away from this cycle of destruction you’re in. I don’t care if Gibbs’ begins to bitch and moan, if he keeps this up, I will do everything I can to get you away from that man. He’s going to get you killed much faster than the other Police Departments you were working at. I know Chicago is hiring, and so is LA. You have options Tony; I don’t want to go to your funeral because Gibbs was an ass and pushed too hard.”

 

                Tony nodded and Abby petted him as they thought over Xander’s words. Gibbs had been getting tougher to deal with, and Kate’s remarks were getting too cruel to be considered playful teasing. She didn’t care about not hitting below the belt, and that is what made Abby and Tony agree to Xander’s plan.

 

                “Now, the pair of you can come with me to work tomorrow, and I know Horatio would love to show off the lab. He’s geeky that way.”

 

                Tony and Abby snorted at the thought of Lieutenant Horatio Caine being called geeky, and the tension of the conversation slipped away. Reigning in their thoughts, Tony and Abby watched the movie that Xander had picked out. Vacation sounded good, so did relaxing on the beach. Maybe he and Abby could scope out the clubs and let loose like they couldn’t in DC because of their ties to the Navy. Yes, it would be a good vacation, and Gibbs couldn’t call them back because they were out of state, and had put in the leave forms.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander had been happy until a week after Tony and Abby left. His happy, go lucky attitude wasn’t prepared for the violent nightmare that ragged through him. Waking and gasping for breath, Xander crumbled and cried as he remembered his family, his friends. Not pictures had followed him, no mementos, so he had to find and make his own.

 

                He called Horatio, asking for a day off, and Horatio agreed from the sound of his voice that he could stay away. Dressing slowly and sluggishly making his way around his home, Xander needed to get wood and a good set of carving knives. He was going to bring his family back to life, the only way he knew how.

 

                It took a good two hours to get the right pieces of wood. There were twenty five cylindered pieces, extra in case he made mistakes that were three inches in diameter and ten inches long, each.  He found a good set of knives at a hobby shop, and got a pair of wet stones as well. As soon as he got home, he covered the coffee table in front of him in newspaper and began to carve, he had twenty people to remember.

 

                Giles was the first one he did. His short hair, and glasses made the carving difficult, but he managed. Instead of having the glasses on his face, he put them in his hands, as if he had just gotten up and was resting his eyes and needed a good stretch. He kept him on a mount, and with a careful hand carved in “Rupert Giles: Teacher, Father, Friend” before beginning the one of Buffy.

 

                With Buffy he started at the feet. He had to gauge the height of his friend, and she was too tiny to consider starting at the top. He put her in his favorite outfit: Black go-go boots, her dark blue mini-skirt and he backless top. She had been a vision of beauty and deadliness that night, and Xander was forever grateful that she was his friend. He kept her hair down, as it did more for her face than putting it up, and smiled sadly before carving her name, “Buffy: She chose her destiny, my Friend.”

 

                He had begun crying after he had finished Buffy’s carving and looked at the clock. It had taken him three hours to make the two, and while he wasn’t hungry, he knew he had to eat. Xander also wanted to hear the voice of a friend, so he picked up the phone and, before he knew it, he had called Vin at home.

 

                “Hello,” Came the tired reply.

 

                “Vin, are you busy?” Xander couldn’t help but sound like a lost little boy, and that put Vin on alert.

 

                “You know you can talk to me anytime pard.”

 

                “Why did they do it?”

 

                “Why did who do what?” Vin’s voice was coaxing and soon Xander was talking about everyone in his life and how they had either tried to push him away, or force him to change his mind.

 

                “I mean, they were my friends, family, and it was like they couldn’t stand me. There were times that I just wanted to step out into the dark and die, but that wouldn’t have proved anything.” Tears were still flowing down his face and Xander had curled up in his lounge chair, just outside the door of the kitchen.

 

                Xander had taken another piece of wood with him and he slowly carved out Tara’s face as he talked to Vin. Tara was the gentle witch, the understanding sister, and his confidant after Jesse had died.  Xander told Vin all about Tara as he carved her into the wood, putting Miss Kitty Fantastico in her arms and putting her gentle smile on her face. The one thing that would stand out to Vin was what he would carve on her base, “Tara: My soul sister.”

 

                As Xander began to tell Vin more about the people that had been in his life, he began another carving. It was only part way through that he realized that he was carving Jesse. A sob broke through and Vin asked what was wrong.

 

                “Did I ever tell you about Jesse?”

 

                “Who was she?”

 

                “He was my best friend, and he was killed before his sixteenth birthday.”

 

                “Damn Xan, are you sure you don’t want me and Ez to fly down?” His voice was filled with concern, warming Xander’s heart.

 

                “No, we’ll be seeing each other soon at the convention, it’s just, I haven’t thought about him in so long, and I realized how much I missed him.” He was able to quickly carve out the features of his late friend, and gave him the engraving of “Jesse: The first who saw me, for me.”

 

                Xander kept his hands busy as he spoke with Vin. It felt good to finally let it all go, and he knew that Vin would share it with the others if he asked. Joyce’s face began to form before him and Xander smiled though his tears. Joyce was the closest thing he had to a mother, and he loved her for just being there for him. She was always willing to sit him down and talk to him, letting him know that one person did still love him.  “Joyce: Mother of my heart” was her engraving, and Xander couldn’t have put it better if he had to look for better words.

 

                “Thanks for listening to me Vin, I know that you and Ezra want to be here, and trust me, that does help more than you know.”

 

                “We can still pop down if you need us Xan.”

 

                “No, I’m doing much better now. I’ll show you what caused the reflection at the convention, alright?”

 

                “Sure thing pard and call if you need to, you know we’ll listen.”

 

                “Thanks Vin, could you tell the others? I don’t think I could share this a-again.” His voice cracked once more.

 

                “No worries Xander, I’ll make sure that the boys know what you just told me. You take care of yourself and we’ll see you in three weeks, alright?”

 

                “Yeah, thanks again Vin.”

 

                “No problem, take care.” With that Vin hung up the phone and Xander stared at the new block of wood in his hand. Picking up Jesse and Joyce, he put them with Giles and Buffy, who were placed on the other table, ready to be oiled to prevent the wood from drying out and cracking. He did miss them, and it still hurt to think of most of them.

 

                Smiling down at the face of Dawn peering up at him, Xander decided that this would be the last carving he did today. He needed a bit more food and a nap after dealing with such dangerous memories. Hopefully, the people from work would let him be, he had to get his head on straight, or he’d say something that he shouldn’t.

 

                The six statues looked at him, and Xander let a few tears fall. The last one brought a deep sadness to swell within him and he stared at her engraving, “Dawn: My Extra-Ordinary Girl”, reminding him of the time she just wanted to understand the world around her.

 

                Wiping his eyes once more, Xander put a small tea light in front of each, and promised to light them that night. He would remember his friends, and maybe, just maybe, he should write out their lives so that he wouldn’t forget.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                It took him the rest of the three weeks to finish his carvings. The guys from Denver called once a week and Xander smiled upon hearing their voices. It reminded him that he was still not alone, and even though Ryan was a good friend, Team Seven had reached him in a way that Ryan couldn’t.

 

                Over the three weeks, Xander began to realize that he truly did see the seven as family. Chris was the over bearing Papa, Buck was the fun Dad that took you out to play baseball, JD was the kid brother, Nathan was the cool Uncle that tried to make you eat better, Josiah was the protective Father in Law, while Vin and Ezra were his lifelines. With that in mind, Xander had went out to get more carving wood and made each of them a small gift to show how much he cared and wanted to thank them.

 

                Xander completely forgot that he and the others would be celebrating his birthday, but packed his suit since Ezra said they’d eat fancy one night.  Humming to the tunes on the radio, Xander carefully wrapped each carving and separated the gifts from the ones he made for himself. He also had a bag of tea lights to make sure that he lit one for each friend that he lost over the years before he landed in the laps of Team Seven.

 

                As he sat beside Ryan on the plane, Xander wondered if anything had changed in Las Vegas, and if Nick and Warrick were still grumpy at his teasing. Smiling softly, he let himself fall asleep, knowing that Ryan would wake him when they landed.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander hated the noise at the baggage claim. While he was glad that he and Ryan were being picked up by Greg and David, Xander still hated the fact that the kids were screaming. Spotting their bags, Xander lead Ryan to the information booth and smirked upon seeing Greg and David enter.

 

                “Xander, you made it!” Hugging the excited blond with one hand Xander let him go for a minute to shake David’s hand.

 

                “Hey guys, this is Ryan, the friend I was telling you about.”

 

                “Cool, come on, we’ll take you to the hotel and get you settled. Oh, by the way, Warrick and Nick are going to be around, and they are just a little bit wary of what you might do.”

 

                “Are they still on the last prank I did?” Xander snickered at Greg’s nod.

 

                “That and they are still trying to understand your whole ‘the love of your life is almost always with you’ comment.” David’s dry voice made Xander gape.

 

                “They still don’t know that they should be fucking like bunnies?!” Getting a solemn nod, Xander sighed.

 

                “Well, I’ll just have to help. Oh, and Ryan, don’t forget to get H to pounce you this weekend.”

 

                “Yes Xander,” Was the reply, complete with rolled eyes.

 

                Xander stuck out his tongue and let David drive them to the Orleans Hotel, where the convention was taking place. Hopefully Xander was on the same floor as Chris and them, since Ryan was getting the keys for the two rooms that they would be using. Xander mentioned that he was going to be resting with the boys from Denver, and ended up flashing a leering grin at Ryan.

 

                They were lucky that there was no line for checking in, and Xander quickly found out that he was at least on the same floor as the team from Denver. Laughing at Ryan’s eye rolling, they left a message for Horatio, Calleigh and Eric telling them which rooms they were in. It was always fun to get to the hotel first and get the best rooms for themselves.

 

                Making their way to the elevators, they had to check the cards to see which floor they were on. Luckily they were on the sixth floor, so the ride up wasn’t that long. Xander remembered that Vin was claustrophobic, and was glad that his friend wasn’t on the top floor of the hotel.          Upon arriving on their floor, Xander was pulled into a bear hug, and he squawked at being man handled.

 

                “Josiah, it’s good to see you, but I need air!”

 

                “I’m glad that you made it Brother Xander. How was the trip down?”

 

                “It was good, except for the screaming and wailing little brats.” He shuddered, “I hate crying kids.”

 

                “That’s fine, now what rooms are you in?” Chris’ voice made Xander grin, and he poked Ryan.

 

                “Let’s see, we’re in room 628 and 629. What about you guys?”

 

                “Damn, we’re in 625 to 627. All right together!” Buck and JD cheered, making both Xander and Ryan laugh.

 

                The guys were laughing and then turned to Xander with confused expressions when they saw him enter Ezra and Vin’s room.

 

                “Why are ya sleeping in their room pard?” It was expected that one would ask, and Xander smirked when he had guessed right that it was Buck.

 

                “Why not sleep here? I enjoy the fact that I can sleep with people that understand, and who I know won’t poke me in the middle of the night if my nightmares get too bad.”

 

                “They came back?” Was Vin’s soft reply, getting a small nod from Xander.

 

                “They that bad?” Was JD’s question.

 

                “Some days are worst that others, that and the past few days weren’t too good. Ezra and Vin helped me through my last batch, so I’m hoping it’ll help with this one too.” Nathan had noticed the dark circles under his eyes and had come back out with a small box.

 

                “Drink some of this before bed, it’s a lavender and mint tea that should cure your insomnia and help flush out the toxins that are making the nightmares more regular.”

 

                “Thanks Nathan, I’ll put this in with my things. Oh, and I have a few items to show you guys while Ryan is off picking on H and the others.” Xander gave him a tired smirk.

 

                “Yeah, yeah, I know, and find out where Tony and Abby are staying.” Ryan replied.

 

                “I think the whole convention is on this floor. There are many cities that are going to be here, and you did say that the feds would be here for recruiting as well.” Chris pointed out.

 

                Xander nodded and was shuffled into Ezra and Vin’s room, beckoning the rest of the seven and waving at Ryan since he could hear the phone ringing in his room. Placing his suitcase on the bed with the other two bags, Xander pulled out his suit and hung it up in the bathroom before coming out and handing the seven their gifts. Seven faces looked at him in shocked awe, and Xander shuffled in place, embarrassed.

 

                “Umm, you guys told me that you liked old western ideals, so I found a type of person and carved each of you as one. Chris, you’re a gunslinger, since you have a no nonsense attitude; Buck, you were an ex-Texas ranger turned protection of a town, because of your instincts; Josiah, I put you as a man of the faith, because you know the value of words and could help people with the right ones; Nathan, I made you a healer, since you are a medic but back then anyone with skin other than white couldn’t be an actual licensed doctor; Vin, you were a tracker, because you knew the land and prefer it to civilization at times; JD, you were a sheriff because of your innate goodness, and belief that not everything is as it seems; and Ezra, you were a gentleman gambler, you could con a king out of his gold, and he’d never know.” JD glomped Xander after his explanation and was practically squished by the younger man.

 

                “JD, air, needs it.”

 

                “They are wonderous works of art!” Ezra gave Xander a one armed hug.

 

                “You think so? I know that I haven’t done much carving, but-”

 

                “Wait, you made them?” Nathan interrupted Xander, and got a wary nod in return.

 

                “Hot damn kid, these are perfect!” Buck exclaimed from his spot on the bed.

 

                Xander began to blush and shift uncomfortably under the awed stares, and Chris decided to take control.

 

                “Thank you for the gifts Xander, you mentioned that you had more to show us?”

 

                Before Xander could pull out the other carvings, there was a knock on the door.

 

                “Xander, open up; we need to explore Las Vegas!” Abby’s voice came through the door, and the eight men chuckled at the hyper tech.

 

                Chris let the black mini tornado into the room and let her friend in as well. Xander was trying to breathe as Abby latched onto him and the other man laughed.

 

                “Abs, let Xander breathe will you, I’m sure that he doesn’t want to pass out from oxygen deprivation.”

 

                “Oh, sorry Xander.” She blushed and once he caught his breath, Xander tugged on a pigtail.

 

                “No worries Abby, and thanks for getting her off Tony. Tony, Abs, this is Team Seven out of Denver, Chris Larabee, Buck Willington, Nathan Jackson, JD Dunne, Josiah Sanchez, Vin Tanner and Ezra Standish. Guys, this is Tony DiNozzo and Abby Sciuto. Both work with Gibbs at NCIS. By the way, were there any problems after you got back from vacation?” Xander saw the flinch that Tony tried to hide and sighed.

 

                “Do you want me to deal with Gibbs, Tony? The man is going to get you killed if he doesn’t stop harping.” His voice was filled with concern and Tony simply gave a sad smile.

 

                “He came with us and so did Kate.”

 

                “Ah, I’m guessing she said something and Gibbs did nothing as usual?” Abby nodded sadly.

 

                “I’m ignoring her at the moment, and Ducky is too. He heard what she had said, and when Gibbs did nothing, well, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ducky that mad before.” The quiet voice caused Xander to hug Abby once more.

 

                “Well, we should go and mingle at the rooms. I’m guessing we’ll be in the ballroom and the rest of the conferences will be at one of the old schools in the area?” JD nodded at Xander’s inquiry. “Cool then let’s go and mingle to see what options Tony and Abby have for new places to work.”

 

                Both tried to protest as Xander led them out of the room, but his reminder that a boss doesn’t just reprimand you made them quiet down.

 

                “Also, it’s not like you have to join the labs that you’re scoping out. It’s the principle of the matter, since you’re both burning out from the pressure he’s putting on you. Tony, he wants you to be the perfect Marine and Abby, he wants you to give him everything right away. I know you love working with him, but his methods leave much to be desired. While he can be a bastard to everyone else, he should be decent to his team and not single you out in public and reward in private. You don’t do that in the military, so why should he get away with it now that he’s out of it.” They nodded at his words, and let Vin be the last one in due to his claustrophobia.

 

                Upon arriving in the lobby once more, the group made their way to the conference rooms and the ballrooms at the other end of the floor. Ascending the stairs, the group went to sign in, and Xander perked up upon seeing Greg and David mingling about as well. They were talking to another blond man with glasses and Xander made his way over.

 

                “Hey Greg, hey David,” He smiled at the other man, “Hi, I’m Xander Harris.”

 

                “Danny Messer, I haven’t seen you here before.”

 

                “I’m interning right now at Miami before I’m off to the ATF in Denver.”

 

                “You know already?”

 

                “Yeah, AD Travis wanted me to be the tech for one of his teams. I’ll be working with Team Seven.”

 

                “Damn, a lot of people have tried for that place, but they couldn’t hack it.”

 

                “Yeah, Chris is a unique person, but I’ve seen worse.”

 

                “Oh?”

 

                “My ex enjoyed flaying men alive with her tongue, and not in the fun way.”

 

                “Ouch, that’s gotta suck.”

 

                “It did, but we became good friends after we split. She died two years later from complications in her brain.”

 

                “Damn, so…”

 

                “Yeah, glares, not that scary after being used as a whipping boy for my ex.” Danny chuckled at Xander’s bland statement, and gets a wry grin in return.

 

                Shaking hands with Danny, and they promise to talk more later on during the convention, Xander went back to the guys and was helping Tony and Abby stay away from Kate and Gibbs. If they came close, well, Xander did learn a thing or two from Cordelia and Anyanka.

 

                Ducky joined them for a moment to see if Tony or Abby needed anything, but was told that they were fine, and introduced Team Seven and Xander to the elder ME. Nathan had practically jumped the man, since Ducky was well known in the medical field.

 

                When Xander had asked what would happen if Tony and Abby left NCIS, Ducky looked at Xander for a moment before replying.

 

                “I admit that Jethro does not play well with others, but if Abby and Anthony leave, he will hunt them down to bring them back.” Xander gave the ME a wicked grin.

 

                “He could try, for I know that Tony and Abby are being sought after by other government agencies, and that while Gibbs can teach them some things, the main thing that they are learning is that you should never expect praise, only criticism. At least, that’s what the lesson is in Tony’s case.” Xander led Ducky away for a moment.

 

                “I told Tony to relax and enjoy his vacation and I got a relieved look Ducky. I normally don’t care about how people run their teams, but Tony is going to get hurt. Gibbs is killing him with his attitude and this Katelyn Todd isn’t helping with her snipping. I will get Tony to leave NCIS, for the simple reason that I don’t want a good friend of mine to die because he has nothing left to live for.” The shock on Ducky’s face made Xander nod, and the ME swallowed.

 

                “Do you have any Idea where he could go?”

 

                “Texas, Huston, Texas to be exact; I know Levon Lundy needs another hand in their PD, and it will give Tony the chance to heal in a way that Gibbs is refusing. Besides, this way Levon will finally get the experience he needs to make two full teams. Yeah, his men got some ideas on what to do, but Tony’s ways of thinking won’t be dismissed immediately simply because it comes from a movie. Movies are somewhat based on real life, and if Gibbs and Todd can’t see that, then I hope that they learn what they threw away when I get Tony to see that he could improve so much better away from DC and NCIS. Though, he will miss you and Abby.”

 

                “Thank you for telling me the severity of the situation. Though, Abigail and I might have to leave as well. Jethro has gotten much worse since Jeffery White, and I do believe that Tony would enjoy the green pastures of Texas.”

 

                Walking back to the group, Xander simply smiled at Tony’s inquiring look, and Vin slipped away to go find Levon and Joe. He only hoped that both were here, as Tony really needed to get away. Maybe Ducky and Abby could go to Miami. The pair would then still be close to Tony if he needed them, and it would be a quick and easy commute.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                The introduction was boring, but gave Xander a chance to scope out who was who and from where. He mentally pouted that he wasn’t sitting with Ezra, Vin and the others, and winced at the obvious tension between the NCIS agents that were present. If this was an intern hunt, Gibbs would scare them all off and prevent them from getting anyone. As it was, it was bad enough that Tony and Abby was quiet, and it looked like Kate was poking at things better left unsaid.

 

                Just as it was time to go, Abby’s voice filled the room.

 

                “God dammed it Kate, will you just shut up! Your bitchiness is why Tony isn’t talking. ‘Tony are you paying attention?’ ‘Tony why aren’t you flirting, know that the people here won’t even look at you?’ My God, if I knew you were going to be such a whiny little brat, I never would have befriended you! And you Gibbs, you’re just as bad! You’re basically letting her abuse Tony. ‘Oh, it’ll humble him.’ ‘Oh he’ll get over it.’ Well, if he gets over it by stepping in front of a bullet, then it’s your entire fault! Let’s go Tony; I can’t stand the sight of this person any longer.” With that she pulled Tony from the room and caught Xander’s eye, if Gibbs followed, he’d get to play beat the Marine at being a bastard.

 

                “You know, I heard that Gibbs was a bastard, but to shun own of his own men just because he doesn’t like his thinking process, now that’s just sad.” Xander spoke loud enough that the room could hear, and left the room after throwing a disgusted look at Gibbs and his newest agent.

 

                He had a feeling that Gibbs would hunt him down before he went after Tony and Abby, and that was what Xander hoped for. No one hurt his friends, and Gibbs was going to learn that first hand from someone who was much more than just an intern.

 

                “What gives you the right to comment on other’s people’s methods kid.” The gruff voice behind him brought an evil grin to Xander’s face.

 

                “I know that you don’t discount an idea, no matter where it comes from, if it has something to do with the case. If you don’t realize that all forms of fiction hold grains of truth, then you are a very sad person who doesn’t even believe the life he lives.” Xander matched Gibbs’ glare and his hand shot out to grab Kate.

 

                “Oh you get to stay here missy. I’ve heard how you bitch and moan at Tony, basically baiting him them getting pissed off when he does it back. What, you can dish it out but not take it back. Hypocritical little brat you are then.” He gave her such a look of disgust that infuriated eyes looked back at Gibbs.

 

                “Then there is you, Jethro Gibbs, second “B” is for bastard. Do you realize that people do need to hear that they did a good job? Do you realize that a dressing down is not done in public unless it is done to the whole team? Do you realize your attitude would land your ass in a brig faster than you could say ‘Coffee’? I didn’t think so. It’s fine to be an ass to the bad guys, but butting you head with other agencies and especially your own team, now that’s sad.” Xander gave him a mocking sad face.

 

                “Do you have a point kid; I have an agent to find.” The growl was more pronounced, and Xander gave the man a feral smile.

 

                “Oh, I have a point. You’ll lose your team by being cruel to your people Special Agent Gibbs, and I’ll laugh at you when it happens by poaching or beat your ass if it’s because they died. I don’t give a rat’s ass about miss Todd, because she doesn’t care about the team. I care that if something hurts Tony, Abby or Ducky, I will hurt you, and make it hurt good.” With that Xander let Kate Todd go and walked off, leaving a fuming NCIS agent and his shocked subordinate behind.

 

                The people around began to talk and Xander simply smiled sweetly at Chris for his glare, and smirked at Horatio when he shook his head.

 

                “You now know that he’ll hound you the whole time you’re here?” Came Buck’s amused voice.

 

                “I know, and it’s worth it to keep him off the backs of the three I mentioned. Tony, Abby and Ducky all deserve better. Besides, Vin is letting Tony talk to Joe and Levon, and I think that you, Horatio, should talk to Abby and Ducky. Miami is a good place for both to come and join. New York is too close, and Las Vegas is too loud. Miami is perfect, even though Abby will need the same sunscreen that you do.” With a sweet smile, Xander went hunting for pastries and coffee, he needed the sugar to be nice again, Gibbs would always rub him the wrong way. Damn Hyena instincts that never left.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander knew he was playing with fire. Gibbs hated it when someone was able to alpha dog him, and was trying to make Xander’s first day horrible. It was a shame that he pissed off Chris though. Chris had a nasty temper if someone was after his men, and Xander was one of his men.

 

                So, now Chris was having all the fun when it came to Gibbs and his confrontations, and this gave Xander a chance to lay a trap for Katelyn Todd. The woman still believed that she was in the right and Xander was going to get Josiah to give her a profile on Tony, yet not say that it’s Tony. When she’ll be done with the assessment, he’ll ask for her opinion, and he was sure she was going to tell him that it would be safer for the person to go to a new posting, as the one he was in was doing horrible damage.

 

                Xander watched as she and Josiah came past him and herd her opinion on the matter and Xander slid in behind her.

 

                “Guess what Agent Todd; I know who you just profiled.”

 

                “Who? They need help.” Her eyes were worried and he gave her a vicious smile and whispered in her ear.

 

                “You just profiled Tony, congrats on trying to get a man, who is supposed to be your team mate, killed.” With that he walked off, enjoying the paleness of her face and the dawning horror in her eyes.

 

                As Xander left the floor, he met up with Buck and JD, heading towards Ezra and Vin’s room to finish showing them the carvings he had done. He wanted to share the people that had been in his life before, and the only mementos he had were the nineteen carvings in his bag.

 

                Listening to JD chatting about the newest gadgets in the world of technology, Xander smirked as the younger man rarely paused for breath. Buck was shaking his head in amazement and exasperation at JD’s antics, but Xander knew that he cared for the young man. He wouldn’t let him go on otherwise.

 

                It took about five minutes for them to arrive at Ezra’s door, and it opened before they could knock. Xander looked puzzled as he entered, before he looked at the television and saw that they had tapped into the security cameras on the floor.

 

                “Sneaky people you, I can only wonder what made you choose to tap into the cameras.”

 

                “We’re waiting for all of you, now we are only waiting for Chris and Josiah.” Vin’s voice came from the bathroom and Xander crawled onto the bed with the bags.

 

                “They should be coming soon, Chris was giving Gibbs a piece of his mind and Josiah had Todd profile Tony. She’s properly horrified at her actions, but like they say – too little, too late.” Xander shrugged and curled up to wait for their profiler and leader, purring when Ezra and Vin sat beside him, letting him soak up their warmth and scent. He really did miss his friends and hoped that he could meet with them more often than not, Miami was fun and all, but it wasn’t for him.

 

                Just as he was dozing off into the warmth around him, he was dimly aware that the door opened and two people shuffled in. A couple of taps on his nose caused a sleepy eye to open and look up at Chris’ smirking face.

 

                “Hey sleepyhead, you said you had something else to show us?” Xander was not impressed with the amused voice, so he grunted and pulled his bag closer.

 

                “I made all of your carvings after I did these ones, and I’ll tell you a bit about each person and how I got to know them.” He pulled out the wrapped bundle with a number one attached to it.

 

                “This was Joyce; she was the closest thing I had to a mother since my real one wasn’t up to the task. She’d sit us down and give us a mug of hot chocolate before letting us talk about what was bothering us. She was a life line for me, since the others decided I was too normal, and didn’t want me around since they were too blind to see Willow’s manipulations.” He was hugged by Ezra and Vin curled a hand around his leg.

 

                “This was Giles, he was the closest thing I had to a father, but he was spelled by Willow and he only saw me for me after Sunnydale fell into the ground. He was furious with her, and had her magic bound for three months for that stunt. That was the first time I saw that he did care, and it was when I also realized that some of the people I knew were no better than my natal mother or father.” He caressed the face of his mentor and father figure and remembered how Giles had done everything he could to make it up to Xander, and that was what made Xander believe him. Giles tired and never gave up, showing that he truly had been under a spell.

 

                “Tara was my soul sister; you know that an abuse survivor recognizes another, and we hit it off. We felt safe around each other, and were the first to see Willow’s descent into the dark magics. Tara had become the confidant that Jesse had been, and when she was shot, I just wanted to curl up and follow her, but the others still needed me, even if they refused to see it.” Arms held him tighter and Xander only realized that he was crying when he was given a box of Kleenex.

 

                “Jesse was my soul in many ways; being a victim of abuse is hard enough, but he was the reason I fought to stay alive. Then, he was taken from me and a demon took his place. I had to kill my soul, and Tara, Joyce and Dawn had been the only ones who truly saw that.” He wiped his eyes, and gave Chris a watery smile when his head was patted.

 

                “Ethan was a thorn in our side until we realized that he just wanted Giles’ attention once more. They had been close friends and lovers at a young age, and Giles had just left without a reason why. Ethan then dove into Chaos magic and from there he found Giles for the first time in my junior year. It took us a while to see that Ethan wasn’t bad, he just missed his friend and wanted him back. Since all he could do anymore was chaos magic, that is how he tried to get Giles’ attention. It was fun to see them happy again. I considered Ethan our happiness, since he brought much joy to the girls and Giles.”

 

                “Dawn was my little sister; yes she had a crush on me and thought I was her everything at one point in time, but I couldn’t love her like she wanted since, to me, she was an extra ordinary girl. When we were being attacked before the fall of Sunnydale, she asked me how I managed to keep my wits, I was the normal one. I told her the fact that even though she had no super powers, the determination that made her get up and fight, or even help, is what made her special. I think she was the only one that realized that I had referred to both of us, since we were both the only ones without powers.” A knock on the door stopped them and room service was distributed. Paying the man, Xander pulled out the next figure and smiled softly at the face looking up at him.

 

                “Here’s Cordelia, she was all about the fashion but she did have a heart of gold. She could lift you up or knock you down with words and I am still amazed that she dated me for a while.  I’ve known her for a while and she always knew what was going on. She had to keep a sharp wit since she was on top of the social ladder and her word was basically law. Gods I miss her.” He stroked her face and put her on the side table with the other six figures.

 

                “Anyanka was a fiery woman that loved money, sex and her tales avenging women. She loved her job and did everything she could think of to get it back; however, she did learn that there were some things that were worth the pain. She went out fighting, helping people getting out of Sunnydale before it fell. She took a stand, and she did it with her head held high. I’ll never forget her; I couldn’t even if I tried.” He wiped his eyes and blew his nose once more.

 

                “Oz was the calmest person you could ever know. Nothing fazed him, and I have a feeling that if a nuke fell in his lap he’d look at it and say ‘cool’. He was a year older than us and was Willow’s boyfriend. They split when he graduated, but she then found Tara when she began University. When Oz found out, I was surprised at how much anger showed on his face. He was kidnapped and we were lucky to get him out. We were lucky, he wasn’t in that bad shape, but we took great pleasure in beating the sons of bitches that took him.” Xander’s smile wasn’t nice, and he calmed down only because Ezra nuzzled his neck.

 

                “Andrew was a bad guy turned good. His home life was similar to mine, but his older brother was a sociopath, and slowly began to twist his brother into that life. We managed to help him out, but not until after his brother had killed Tara with a bullet to the chest. I never hated anyone like I did Warren at that point in time. Andrew helped out, and he did what he could to help me after I lost Anya. She died helping him, and he hated himself for it. He was the first person I could forgive, because I knew that it wasn’t his fault.” Xander smiled at the memory of Andrew, he was so geeky, but the kid had a heart of gold.

 

                “Riley and Graham were Army grunts that worked in the area. They were under orders to test some new devices, but didn’t realize that their CO, who was basically a mad scientist, was pumping them full of drugs and fucking around with their heads. She was trying to make a ‘super solider’ and made a Cyborg that was once one of her men. Riley and Graham helped us out, and helped us find Oz too, since the boss lady was the one that had him kidnapped. They were good guys, and went against orders to help us. They saved our lives too.” He smirked at the two figures in front of him and arranged the twelve of them so that there was still room for the remaining eight before he put them on the table at the corner of the room when he was going to light their candles later that night.

 

                “Angel and Spike were the two oddest people that helped us. Both were reformed baddies, and they were working towards redemption. They both went out saving the world, but I still hated the fact that they fed Buffy and Willow’s delusions of specialness. Angel hated the fact that I could be with Buffy during the day, since he was older than her and done school. Spike was just an ass that enjoyed taunting people and making our lives miserable. Both got Buffy to believe she loved them, and so her mental facilities began to dribble out her ears when it came to dealing with them. Angel was the worst, since he broke her in and all, and she was positive that it was all a bad dream. Then Miss Jenny Calendar died, and she had no choice. But the y did get their acts together, and two years after Sunnydale fell, they managed to stop someone from destroying the world as we knew it. I never liked them, but I respect what they did, so I remember them too.” He gave a wry smile and patted both.

 

                Xander leaned back and let the group soothe him for a moment, he still had six more to talk about, but the pain was fading. Each tale was allowing him to look back with fondness instead of anger, and Xander was glad that his friends were with him right now.

 

                “You can rest right now if you have to Xan. You know we don’t mind waiting for you to talk.” Vin’s voice brought a smile to Xander’s face, and Ezra’s arms tightened for a moment before he pulled out the next two carvings.

 

                “Kendra and Faith were both taken from us in ways that they never should have been. Kendra was killed by Spike’s psycho ex girlfriend and was an innocent. She came to visit from Jamaica and was very shy. She loved books and was able to quote passages from many of the tomes that Giles had, and he seemed to glow with pride at her ability. Faith was a wild girl, and she was tricked into joining a gang when she accidentally killed someone. She did go to jail, but instead of being hunted down, she turned herself in.  While it was accidental, and the court found that the majority of Sunnydale’s system was corrupt, Faith served five years in jail before being let go for good behavior. She turned her life around and I am so proud of her for that.” He smiled at the two girls in his hands. Both would hit him for being so sentimental about their lives.

 

                “Jenny Calendar, or Jenna Kalderdash, was from gypsy lineage in Romania. I always thought she was a cool teacher, and she was willing to explain things, which made my day. She had begun to date Giles, but then Angel’s old gang had her killed at one point and left her on his bed. I’d never seen that much anguish in a person, and I wanted to help him kill the assholes that had done it. She was a computer genius and I know that her death hit us all hard.” He sighed and practically cradled the carving in his hands, and put her by Giles and Ethan.

 

                “When I first met Wesley I thought that he was the biggest pompous ass that I had ever seen, but after I got to know him, I found out that he was just as abused as I had been. He hid behind a façade of knowledge, but once I managed to see past it, I realized that his childhood was as shitty as mine. What was worse was that his father was still attacking him, and he was thirty years old. Wesley never had a chance to build walls to keep his father out, since his father controlled his whole life. We managed to free him and he decided that LA would be a good place to work and live. On his own, he became a good friend, and we kept in touch. He was like another brother for me.” Xander smiled at the memories he had of Wesley. He got his favorite axe from him, and Xander pouted at Chris.

 

                “Where’s my Axe, Wesley gave it to me.”

 

                “It’s at my townhouse Xander, since Ah know how much it means to you. Yes, Ah have been polishing it every day, and no, we did not bring it for you to play with.” Ezra whispered in his ear and Xander shuddered at the breathy tone and had to bite his lip to stop himself from moaning out loud.

 

                “I’m guessing the last two carvings are Buffy and Willow?” Josiah asked.

 

                “Yeah, Buffy was the girl I had fallen head over heels for. Next thing I know she’s shaking up with Angel and is trying to stop me from exercising free will and all that. I know that I could have done things differently, but at the time I did believe that I was right. She never forgave me when I got Angel to leave for eight months, and was very snippy to me for that. Buffy began to only need my help when things broke, and then I was her best buddy until it was fixed. If she needed a plan to stop the baddies, I was her man. It was only after Sunnydale left that she got her head out of her ass and saw that she was a horrible person. To this day, I still think she was faking it when she tried to repair our tattered friendship.” He smiled sadly at the carving of Buffy and kept her with Spike and Angel, away from the rest.

 

                “Willow, Willow was in a unique position. We were friends since kindergarten when she broke a yellow crayon and began to cry. We had been inseparable at that point and when Buffy came it all fell apart. She began to change, but I think she always would have. She was a hacker, and her parents kept saying that she was a genius. When Buffy came she turned from a shy person to a confident young woman. She began to dive into things that she shouldn’t have and tried to “correct” me many times after that point. She would treat me like a kid, and then expect me to still like and care for her. I know I’ll always love Willow, but it’s the kind of love you have for a dead sister. She never saw that after Sunnydale fell and fucked with my life once more. I am happy that I’m here, but her arrogance in thinking that she knew what I wanted was what made me hate her.” His eyes looked at the engraving one Willow’s carving, ‘Willow: Friend turned enemy turned stranger’ and he knew that it was the truth.

 

                Giving the guys a wry smile he looked at them all as he got up to place the carvings around the room. Joyce, Tara, Jesse, Wesley and Dawn were on the bedside table. Buffy, Angel, Spike and Willow were by the bathroom. The other eleven carvings were under the mirror on the telephone table. Placing a candle in front of each group, Xander lit them and gave them all a sad smile. If only things had been different.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                In a dark void, a group of people sat confused. Willow was wondering why she couldn’t touch her magic, Buffy was wondering where all the demons went, Giles and Ethan were curled together wondering why they couldn’t feel their connection to the Earth, Andrew was staring into space wondering if he was dead, Faith was confused at why Xander wasn’t with them and began to worry, and Dawn was glaring at Willow somehow knowing that this was all her fault.

 

                The air shimmered around the seven and they formed a circle, hoping to that they wouldn’t have to fight. They blinked upon seeing five men and five women appeared each with a clipboard and two pens, one marked good and the other evil. The blank space shifted to a court room and the ten people sat on the upper dais, looking down at the group and motioned them to sit.

 

                “Faith Lehane, step forward and face judgment.” The voice was booming and a shaky Faith walked into the center of the room.

 

                “You were called as a Slayer and have done what you could to help. You have also joined Sorcerer Richard Wilkins and done evil. However, you chose to repent for your sins, and have received forgiveness from those that you have wronged. Step in the circle and be judged.”

 

                Faith swallowed and stood in the blue circle and felt as if her entire life was being picked apart. Thinking back to Xander, he was the last person she ever expected to forgive her, and he did it with a small smile and a hug. She kept her eyes on the panel before her and smiled, she did what she could to repent, and as Xander had once told her, sometimes your best is enough.

 

                “You may go through the green door, you have been judged.” Faith bowed and left, knowing that she gave it her all. Once she was through the doors, Faith smiled at the sight of the beautiful fields. This is where her sister Slayers were, and it was where they could rest from the darkness that was their destiny.

 

                “Rupert Giles and Ethan Rayne step forward and face judgment.” Both men made their way to the same spot that Faith had stood and waited.

 

                “Both of you have done much for good and evil. You understood your nature much more than many others could, but Rupert had been repressed, thus Ethan had to restore some form of balance. Step in the circle and be judged.”

 

                Both men swallowed and let their lives play out in their minds. Both knew that there was a high chance that they would not see Heaven, but they didn’t mind. They did what they could to correct their mistakes in the past, and worked hard to ensure that there were no other issues that forced them to undergo a half life once more. They were Chaos and Order, and by having one suppressed for so long, Giles was still trying to understand what had happened in the first place.

 

                “You may go through the blue door, you have been judged.” Both men bowed and made their way to the door. Upon closing they smiled at the sight of Janus’ temple. They had a feeling that only he could properly punish them for anything that they had done. Walking into the temple before them, both men felt that they were finally home.

 

                “Andrew Wells step forward and face judgment.” Swallowing, Andrew stepped forward and waited to be punished.

 

                “You are a powerful magic user and have used your skills for both good and evil. You understand that you have done many wrongs. Step into the circle and be judged.”

 

                Andrew kept his head bowed as his life passed before him. He knew that there was a small chance that he’d be redeemed, but he felt that he should have died instead of Anya. Xander’s words rang though his mind as he stood there; everyone has a chance to do good, and by helping us as you have been, you choose to be good, not evil, and that is the beginning of your redemption.

 

                “You may walk through the yellow door, you have been judged.” Bowing, Andrew walked through the door only to stare in shock. He was not in hell, or any dimension of hell, making his way over to the group before him, Andrew bit back tears and smiled at being given a chance to help those that needed it, he would protect the new warriors with all that he was, and nothing would stop him from helping them complete their goals.

 

                “Dawn Summers step forward and face judgment.” The loud voice seemed to echo around the room this time and Dawn stood where the others had and waited.

 

                “You were created to hold the Key, and thus your existence is not common. You shall be judged only on what you truly have been alive for. Step into the circle and be judged.”

 

                Dawn swallowed at the reminder that she was really just a creation of a green ball of energy but then Xander’s words from when she was wondering about her place cemented her. Standing in the blue circle with a peaceful smile on her face, Dawn waited to be told where to go. She hoped if she passed she got to see her mother again, she missed her.

 

                “You may walk through the orange door, you have been judged.” Bowing to the ten beings, Dawn walked through the door and brightened at the sight before her. Sprinting over she pounced her mother and held her as she basked in the woman’s love.

 

                “Mommy, where’s Xander?” She looked up with worried eyes and Joyce smiled.

 

                “He’s somewhere safe and will finish living a full life.”

 

                “Promise?”

 

                “Of course sweetie, now let’s go see Tara and the others.” Following her mother, Dawn looked walked into a life where she no longer had to worry about being killed by demons.

 

                “Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg step forward and face judgment.” Both girls stepped forward and waited.

 

                “Buffy Summers, you have once been given your rewards for your trails, thus you shall be judged on when you were pulled back from them. Willow Rosenberg, you are a powerful practitioner and shall be judged over all magical acts. Step into the circles and be judged.”

 

                The pair stepped into the glowing circles and winced as their minds were delved into. Each action and inaction was watched; each spell cast and result was weighted and after a lifetime of judging both girls looked up.

 

                “Both of you shall follow us to your judgments.” With that the ten beings led Buffy and Willow to a silver door. Upon walking through it their hands were chained for a moment.

 

                “Buffy Summers, you will learn humility within one year before you are granted your final rest.” With that Buffy was pulled through a red portal and Willow was restrained.

 

                “Willow Rosenberg, you will be cast into the darkest of pits where you must survive without the aid of magic or machines. You will be normal and have to deal with the magics that you used against others. Memory spells, your plans to destroy the world, the destruction of the realm that you lived in, casting Alexander Harris to a reality where he has no natal ties, all of the spells that you twisted and blamed someone else when they went wrong, as well as the forced changing of one man to beast and his sex. You will not see the final rest for many years, for you shall be in the pit for a century at the least. Remember, you kept breaking the three fold rule, and your arrogance is now your downfall.” With that she was banished to the deeper pits where she would have to fight her way to the top. It would take her many years before she realized that as well.

End Notes:

*cackles* Huston Knights is mentioned and shall be delved into more next chapter.

Gibbs baiting is all me *evil grin*

Chapter 5 by Katrina
Author's Notes:

A new plot twist and a show of faith.

Shame that magic is so weak in this reality...

 *sighs* the bunny will never stop... Vo, I think I know how you feel with your stories now....

10178 words

                Xander spotted Nick and Warrick looking around and they were in a corner. Making his way over, Xander didn’t see Joe and Levon talking to Tony and cornering him in the other corner of the room. Vin on the other hand, was amused at how matchmakers tried their hand at things. Tony was blushing and Warrick and Nick spotted Xander too late, and were now cornered and chatting away. Catching Ezra’s eye, Vin smiled as their green eyed devil was getting Chris and Buck to slowly move into being more than friends. They all knew that Chris and Buck loved each other, and not one of them had an issue with it. They just asked that JD be given at least a months’ notice if he has to move, and Vin had a feeling that JD was going to pounce Josiah anyways.

 

                Xander smiled at Nick and Warrick, since both were wary of him from when he beat them at acting like they were from the cities they mentioned. When Xander beat Nick at being a shy Texan, he explained how Ezra had been coaching him in mannerisms and had him enrolling in private acting courses. Xander had given them the picture of him and Ezra dressed as Cordelia and Anyanka, and they both drooled until he pointed out that he had been Cordelia and Ezra had been Anyanka. He would never forget the look on their faces, and David had been nice enough to get him a copy of the shocked, disturbed and surprised look that the pair had shared.

 

                “So, when are you going to be joined at the hip like Greg and David have been for the past year?”

 

                “We’re not that comfortable with that idea man. We’re just really good friends.” Warrick was trying to down play it, but the hidden longing could only remain hidden for so long.

 

                “Warrick, I know that you’re both hot for each other. I worked with the pair of you for three summers running. Now, when are you both going to admit it? If you don’t I’m getting Greg to hound you when it’s time for me to go. You’re both awesome friends, but you gotta smell the roses. No fear of rejection guys, besides, your already best friends and share everything else, why not each other?” With a leer and a wink, Xander spotted Tony with Joe and Levon and made his way over, giving Warrick and Nick a chance to chat without him poking his nose in any further.

 

                Slipping behind Joe and Levon, Xander draped and arm over their shoulders. “You boys are playing nice with Tony, right? I don’t have to get all mean like I had to with Gibbs, cause I gotta say that I can snark and bitch with the best of them, ask Ezra and Chris; I fight back.”

 

                “We’re being good boys Xander, and we’ve been talking with Tony about seeing if he wants to come down to Huston. There are many things that he’ll like there, and we always enjoy getting the experienced ones.” Xander had to bite back a laugh at the obvious flirting and squeezes the shoulder under his arms.

 

                “Well, you two better be nice to Tony, since Gibbs was an ass, I can only hope that Tony’s been getting some sleep.”

 

                “Yeah, I’m crashing in Ducky’s room and he seems to be doing everything he can to keep Gibbs away from me. Gerard is helping out too; it seems that he’s looking forward to seeing if you can bludgeon someone to death with Jell-O. I told him only if he were to mix in cement and leave a stick in it to give him a handle. He told me he’d think about that before he tried anything.” Tony yawned and Xander nodded and Joe and Levon to take care of Tony.

 

                “Well Slick, you can crash with us if you want. Your body’s about to shut down and it might be better to do that in a bed than on a hard floor.” Levon maneuvered so that he was supporting tony discretely and Joe cleared the way.

 

                “Sleep well Tony, and be good guys.” Xander whispered and he went to hunt down his sneaky Texan and his cunning Georgian for a quick kiss before the next panel opened for them to enjoy.

 

                It was going to be another long day, thankfully Nick and Warrick had taken his advice, Chris and Buck were nowhere to be seen, JD and Josiah were whispering in a corner, Greg and David were in a conference room listening to one of the presenters droning on and Tony was just taken by Joe and Levon.  Xander wanted a snuggle and before he could find Vin and Ezra, he was wrapped in a hug from behind.

 

                “Hey Xan,” Vin’s voice whispered into his ear, relaxing the tensed muscles and he leaned back a bit. “Are you done playing matchmaker and ready to hunt down Ezra?”

 

                “Yep.”

 

                With a wink and a swagger in his step, Xander and Vin began to look for Ezra. They found him by the snack table watching the other members of the convention. Spotting them, he smiled and both quickly made their way to his side.

 

                “Can we disappear? Everyone else is. Besides, why do we need to learn about being sneaky? If we can confuse people by dressing like a woman, what else do they have to worry about?” Xander looked truly perplexed and Ezra chuckled.

 

                “There are new technologies that can help hide our equipment and let them still remain durable. It can be imbedded in other items, thus looking like normal jewelry.”

 

                “Oh, still, do we have to?” Xander gave them his best kicked puppy look and got two groans in response.

 

                “Not in public, Shifter, you know that those are lethal weapons. Do you want Chris to be mean and keep us apart longer?” Vin asked.

 

                “Fine, I’ll be good. But we are done after this, right?” He looked at both, eyes pleading that it was true.

 

                “Yes, we are free after that.” Ezra agreed.

 

                “Thank God!” With a wink and a smile, Xander led the way to the room, still avoiding the searching gaze of Tony’s boss. Hopefully this will give them time to hide until Dinner, where they weren’t even near each other to get passed the long meal. He hoped that he and Ryan could have a good conversation, and that the other members that he would be sitting with weren’t going to be grumpy old men. What would be worse would be sitting with the NCIS team and having to suffer Gibbs’ glare throughout the meal.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Once they entered their room on the sixth floor, Xander simply melted into Vin’s arms. He was so tired, and all he wanted to do was sleep since his nightmares were getting odd. Willow was in Hell, and blaming him for some odd reason. He snorted; anything she did to end up in Hell was her own fault. She probably did something stupid like destroy her reality and killed billons of innocent people and demons. He sighed, Willow would never learn. That was the main problem; she believed that she was right, even if someone wiser said otherwise. Then she bitched and moaned when it went wrong.

 

                Stripping down to his boxers, Xander crawled into bed and curled under the covers. Vin and Ezra chuckled at the small bits of hair sticking out from under the comforter, but stripped down as well and called the front desk for a wakeup call, an hour before the big dinner. They could use the nap, and hopefully Xander didn’t have any nightmares during this rest.

 

                Cuddling close to his two loves, Xander sighed happily and purred in contentment as he was petted by both and fell into a peaceful sleep. No nightmares would bother him for many nights to come.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                He hated formal wear. To Xander, getting dressed in a fancy suit, for someone other than your lover, or lovers, was simply a means to easily torment those who enjoyed a good pair of cutoff jeans and a wife beater. He wanted to glare at the speaker, but the man simply seemed to drone on, enjoying his own voice, and was ignoring everyone who had to listen to him.

 

                Xander looked around the room and smiled upon seeing Tony sitting beside Levon, and Joe was chatting away with Abby. If he read Tony’s face right, Joe was playing footsie with him and Levon was playing with his upper thighs.

 

                Ezra and Vin looked good in their suits, and Xander could tell that Vin was just as uncomfortable as he was. He was just lucky that he had Ezra with him to distract him from running out of the room, or turning into a statue.

 

                Looking at Ryan, Xander gave a weak smile as he fiddled with the food on his plate. He was still tired, thanks to the numerous nightmares that had plagued him in the weeks before, and the few emotional upheavals that he had done upon seeing his friends. Though, he was happy, his plan to get Warrick and Nick seemed to be working as the pair was whispering in low tones, and Horatio seemed to be making an extra effort with Ryan. Thinking over what it would be like to have H date Ryan, Xander had to hide a smirk with a sip of water. Yes, that would be a pretty picture, and if he had his way, Xander’s next match would be that pair.

 

                The room began to clap and Xander joined in, smiling when the pompous little man finally left the podium. He probably thought that everyone liked him, but in reality they were glad he was now sitting down. He seemed smug, and Xander rolled his eyes before pouting that another man took the stage. Luckily, it was just to mention the outstanding job that certain teams had done, and Xander had to hide a smile when Chris glared at him. He simply looked at the man with an innocent expression when the impressive list of what Team Seven was rattled off to the collective audience of police and crime scene specialists. When Chris looked away, Xander winked a Buck, and looked back at the podium, missing Chris looking back at him when Buck chuckled.

 

                Nibbling on some lettuce, Xander began to watch the room once more. He knew that while he was a new face, in the relative scheme of things, he knew a good portion of the attendees. He met Joe and Levon when they had come to Denver working on a case, and their relative ease with how they worked together was what drew him to the pair. They could laugh and joke around about anything and everything, but when it came to work, they were sharp and fast and they knew what they were talking about. He saw them call a kidnapper on his bluff, and watched as he folded with the right words. It was a hearty feeling to see that, and while the reminder that not every Tom, Dick and Harry that was caught went to jail did dim the feeling, it didn’t erase it.

 

                Tony and Abby had been met over coffee when he had to testify to a crime where the perpetrator went through the NCIS courts. Wearing a suit similar to the one he had been wearing, Xander looked at the Goth girl’s clothes longingly, since she seemed to be the most comfortable one there. Preppy boy beside him had asked if he was checking her out, and Xander simply said that he envied her since she could wear something she was obviously comfortable in. That got him an assessing glance and Xander explained that he had to act like he was comfortable, or he’d be laughed out of the courtroom. The three of them had gone out for dinner when their job was done.

 

                He knew the Las Vegas teams simply by having his “in school” tutorials at their lab and Xander smiled at how he caught Greg and David before shift had begun. He remembered clucking his tongue at them and then saying that they simply owed him a bag of Greg’s coffee. When hounded later, by an irate Trace expert, Xander simply smiled and mention that he would never mock love and it was obvious to those who looked that they were together. David had been grumpy, but was soon stealing Xander away so that he could teach the young man a few things about his trade, claiming that wasting all the potential was painful to see. Greg had simply glowed in joy, and gave Xander chocolate, something he swore to never do again as Xander did a very good impression of a demented humming bird.

 

                As Xander turned his attention away from the room around him and back to his table, Xander smiled at the rest of the Miami crew and looked over at the New York team. Before he could do more than look over their faces, Ryan spoke to him.

 

                “How are Ray Jr.’s lessons coming?”

 

                “Pretty good, I got him practicing to walk in heels and putting on the right amount of makeup.  Yelina seems to be giving him tolerant looks, and shakes her head when she hears the high heels clicking about in the house.”

 

                “Why is Ray practicing to wear high heels, Xander?” Horatio’s voice was amused, and they all knew it was for the benefit of the four New Yorkers sitting with them.

 

                “He wants to dress up like a chick for Halloween.” That got a series of coughs from the three men and the one woman, and Xander sat back smugly.

 

                “Ray’s lessons are going well; he can now talk like a lady, and has the walk down pat. We got him used to wearing the falsies and a bra, and the next step is to wear the fake boobs and walk around in the heels for a few hours. He knows how to sit, and once he’s had his growth spurt, we can get him the clothes that he’ll be able to wear for the dance. We’ll get him a wig, for the simple reason that dying his hair might be a bit too much for Yelina.”

 

                “Horatio, your nephew is going to dress like a girl for Halloween?” The dark haired man looked at the Lieutenant in shock.

 

                “Yes, and since Ezra had been coaching him, with Xander’s help, I see no reason as to why my nephew shouldn’t try and see what a girl’s life could be like.”

 

                “But, what about his…” The blond man looked uncomfortable and Xander snickered.

 

                “There is special underwear that is made just for these types of things. Not everyone can use double sided tape on such sensitive skin, and since I don’t use it, I wouldn’t expect him to. IF he needs to remove hair, well, Nair is harmless and only takes fifteen minutes to apply and wash off. Besides, we got the perfect clothes for him to wear, and who doesn’t like a woman with long lean legs, and ample cleavage?”

 

                The woman with them snorted and rolled her eyes. “So you want him to look like a cheap thing off the corner?”

 

                “No, I want him to look like sex on legs and have an attitude that’ll make most men beg. I’m modeling him after my ex, who was the Queen of my high school, and she became a very popular small time actress. She died when her migraines got too bad, after being in a coma for a year.” His reply was frosty and the woman jerked back as if slapped.

 

                “So, where will he be from?”

 

                “We’re giving him a Californian accent. He’s got it down pat as a guy, but it needs a bit more tweaking as a girl. I’m also teaching him to fight in and out of heels. A lot of guys are gonna get on his ass for this, so I’m teaching him how to fight back without looking like he’s fighting. He can even achieve it when he’s being attacked three or four against one. You gotta love momentum.”

 

                “You know martial arts?”

 

                “I know some, but I fight better with a weapon in hand. I miss my two headed battle axe; it was a present from a friend who collected. He gave it to me when he died.” Xander pouted and made the look more pronounced when he noticed that Ezra and Vin were looking at him.

 

                “Why an axe?”

 

                “Why a sword, why a gun, why a whip; I just work better with an axe as a weapon, though guns are a close second. I’ve always loved weapons and their histories, if I wasn’t going into ballistics, I would be doing everything I could possibly to do to end up working with medieval weaponry, maybe even archaic weapons. Since the history of mankind is dripping with blood, why not work with the tools that allowed it to become just that much more deadly?” He gave the group a sweet smile and stood to leave with the rest of the room. He wanted to find Ezra and Vin before they slipped away, and stripped them out of his suit.

 

                Spotting them with Chris and Buck, Xander stepped between them and smiled at his grumpy friend.

 

                “Did you like your introduction? I had the man remove much more than what he wanted to say. You need to keep some secrets.” Batting his lashes at Chris, Xander pulled Ezra and Vin away with a jaunty wave and melded into the crowd.

 

                “New York was asking questions, and their boss is a Marine.” Xander tried not to whine.

 

                “What did he ask about?”

 

                “My axe.”

 

                “What did you tell him?”

 

                “Well, that it was given to me and that I hold a deep love for weapons, the more bloody the better?” He had the grace to look sheepish, getting a sigh from Ezra and a head shake from Vin.

 

                “Well, at least you have taste.” Ezra sniffed and walked Xander and Vin to the elevators, this talk would be best in private. Hotels and casinos always had too many ears on the main floor.

 

                Upon entering the room, Xander was pinned to the door and his mouth was ravished by a persistent tongue. Gliding his hands upwards, his fingers tangled into shaggy hair, and he let out a whimper. Vin broke off the kiss, and before Xander could get more than a lungful of oxygen, Ezra dove in for a taste. Clutching to the pair as his mouth was dominated once more, Xander keened in loss when Ezra pulled back.

 

                “Do you know how much we wanted to snatch you away from your table when we saw that pout?” Vin’s husky voice slowly filtered into his mind.

 

                “You do realize that we had to find an unpleasant image to remove the affect that your pouty lips had on us?” Ezra began to nibble on his ear, and Xander’s knees buckled.

 

                “Yes, we do believe that you need to learn that teasing us is not something you should indulge in often, Alexander, for we shall do what we can to correct you.” With that, Xander was quickly stripped out of his clothes and tossed onto the bed.

 

                “Yes, this will start things off nicely.” The gleam in his lovers’ eyes made Xander wary, but he had faith that they would never hurt him, well, not much anyways. With that, both descended onto him, and began to tease and torment him with strokes and touches, licks and nips, as well as a few well placed sucks.

 

                Yes, Xander would learn not to tease Vin and Ezra in public again, but he knew that he was going to try it again anyways.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                The trio slept late the next morning and the topic of why someone was asking him questions came up over coffee.

 

                “Well, I was asked what I liked, and mentioned that I enjoyed weapons, the older the better. I said that it was my first passion, and guns were a close second, since I was a history buff when it came to weaponry. Besides, history is bloody; I liked knowing what made it so.”

 

                “Makes sense, why do you think he was fishing?” Vin asked quietly.

 

                “He perked up at the words Ballistics Tech, and I don’t put it past him to go digging into the past that JD made for me.”

 

                “What if he offers you a position?” Ezra asked just as quietly

 

                “I’m going to Denver, and nothing other than AD Travis saying so will stop me. If I can’t work with you guys when it comes to the field, then I’ll go back to being a history buff that is all about the weapons.” He shrugged.

 

                “You’d leave the field if you didn’t get Denver?” Ezra and Vin shared astonished looks.

 

                “Well, yeah. You guys are family, well, the other five are family, and you two are just mine. Besides, I did do a double major. I have a degree in Ballistics and History. I’ll be doing my Masters later in the history of Axes, swords and other archaic weapons and how they changed the world. Besides, I have a good idea for a PhD in the field, and that can only help.” Upon finishing his coffee, Xander was pounced on by two happy men.

 

                Squawking at the manhandling, Xander was soon worn out once more, and cocooned into two sets of loving arms. Yawning Xander made a note to remember that complimenting the pair lead to great sex and cuddles. Falling asleep, the trio never saw the door open, nor did they see Chris’ smile at the puppy piling on the bed. Closing the door, he smirked at Buck and motioned him to follow, as the three would not be making the panels today.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander watched as Willow was being attacked once more and he looked around his dreamscape. He could tell that it was a dream, because the view of Willow was through a mirror, and her screams were muted. A regal woman stepped closer, and Xander frowned at her.

 

                “Why did you bring me here?” He kept his voice neutral and calm, not knowing if this was a trick or a gift.

 

                “I am showing you that Willow Rosenberg is having the three fold rule returning her punishments upon her. When she sent you to your new world, she then cast a spell to remove all traces of the supernatural from the realm you were born in. That destroyed the reality, and she didn’t care that it killed billons of innocent people. She did this alone, and thus she alone will suffer for her actions. That and she has many past actions to account for. One does not try to end the world without being punished.”

 

                “Okay and what does this have to do with me?” Xander was sick that Willow had hurt so many people and looked at the woman before him once more.

 

                “As the one who suffered from her actions the most, I, Hecate, Goddess of Magic, grant you a boon. What is it that you wish to have, and remember that there is little magic in this world.”

 

                “Before I ask for the boon, what kind of magic lives here?”

 

                “The Immortals live here. Foundlings that, once suffer a violent death, live until their head is severed from their shoulder. They can survive any wound and even die, for their bodies are human, and they are caught in a parody of life called “The Game” where they believe that the last one standing receives a “gift” for being the last of their kind.”

 

                “Well shit.” He thought it over and nodded at his idea. “I’d like the gift, or boon, to know who is an Immortal, and if they are evil.” The smile on her face made him wonder if he made the right choice.

 

                White and blue lightening flashed around him and with a cry of “Done”; Xander woke up gasping in his bed at the hotel and was quickly soothed back to sleep by two pairs of hands and murmuring voices.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander hated the fact that he had so little time with Ezra and Vin at the convention, and eventually Horatio smacked him for it. He was not allowed to be grumpy at work, because it gave Calleigh a sugar rush to make up for it afterwards, since Xander always got her the good stuff.

 

                His new gift from Hecate wasn’t pinging yet, and for that, Xander was grateful. He would hate to hunt someone down and dispose of them if they were evil, since Xander knew that killing Demons was one thing, and killing humans, no matter how long they lived, was another.

 

                What made it worse, was that there was a crossover case in from New York and Mac Taylor was hounding him to see why he wanted to go Fed. He knew that being tenacious was a good trait in being a CSI, but the man was pushing it. Horatio had found it amusing at first, but when the gym began to get a serious workout from Xander’s temper, Horatio knew he had to stop Mac from getting hurt.

 

                “Not sure why you’re glaring at the bullet, unless it doesn’t match.” Came a heavy New York accent from the doorway and Xander looked up with a blink.

 

                “Sorry, Taylor was just here and I was stopping myself from beating him within an inch of his life for pushing where I don’t want to go. Is he like that with all of you?”

 

                “Nah, you’re just a puzzle to him, and Mac hates puzzles he can’t get. I’m Danny, by the way.”

 

                “Xander Harris, I think we met at the convention for a moment. Ezra is so going to laugh at that.”

 

                “I think we did, and Ezra?”

 

                “Ezra Standish, undercover operative for the ATF. I’ll be their tech, but also his back up when it comes to needing another body. The rest of the team is too well known, and it’s always safer if a two man job is done by two men.”

 

                “I can see that. Why in Denver though?”

 

                “Well, Chris’ team saved my life. They were finishing a bust when they saw me. I was pretty bad off, I really don’t remember much, but I know that Ezra and Vin stayed with me the most as I was healing. Apparently I was beaten by a few thugs before the bust went down and was left for dead. I lost a lot of memories that day, and found out, in the hospital, that my file within the government computers had been eaten by a virus and was one of the few that couldn’t be recovered.” He shrugged.

 

                “So, they set me up, helped me get a job, and then I went back to school. I had been in Africa for just over a year and was helping build homes for a few villages and setting up camps for “Doctors without borders”. They were nice enough to send over proof that I had been in Africa and wasn’t some poor schmuck lying to the government. I got to know the team as a group, and when I went to school, AD Travis told me that I would always be welcomed to the ATF in Denver. So, that’s where my job lies.”

 

                “Wow, never thought it was something like that. Mac mentioned that you pissed Gibbs off too. Can I ask why?”

 

                “He was hurting a good friend of mine and encouraging one of his people to take pot shots at him too. I got pissed on his behalf, and last I heard, my friend was headed to Huston for his shiny new job. Besides, he likes the people he was talking to at the convention.”

 

                “He told Mac that you steal people?”

 

                “That’s ‘cause I got Abby and Ducky to think about coming to Miami. I want them away from the grumpy bastard; because I know he’ll hurt them sooner or later.”

 

                “So Mac doesn’t have to worry about you getting us to leave New York?”

 

                “Does he abuse or hurt you in anyway?”

 

                “Naw, he’s a good boss.”

 

                “Then he has nothing to worry about.” Giving Danny a smile, Xander went back to his bullets and the New Yorker left the room. He’d have to tell Mac what he found out. It’d calm his lover down then he and Don could have some fun that night instead of listening to Mac mutter about confusing Ballistic Techs.

 

                But before he did that, Danny smirked as he snuck up on the contemplative Marine and goosed him, getting a good squawk, before innocently looking at the crime scene photos. He hid a smirk at the glare, yeah; he was going to have fun with his Marine tonight. Maybe Don would get to play too.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander trudged into his home and smiled. The crossover case was done and he was now free of Mac’s questions and hunting. He was just about to make himself something to eat when Hecate’s gift activated and he felt an Immortal nearby. He was good, and didn’t care for The Game, so Xander went back to making his meal. He hoped that he could get used to that feeling of being shocked whenever one was close, he’d hate to end up jerking the wheel in the car and hurting someone.

 

                Frowning when the “buzz” didn’t go away, after a good twenty minutes, Xander went and opened his door and looked outside. He didn’t see anything unusual until he felt a dark and evil Immortal enter the area. Groaning, Xander put on some shoes and took his coat, side arm, badge, wallet and keys. Making his way to where the buzz was coming from, he waited for the pair to finish fighting and so that one person could finish chopping of the other’s head.

 

                “There can only be one.” Was uttered and Xander practically sighed when the evil Immortal was killed. He really didn’t want to kill anyone today, and he could only hope that the guy took the sword and cleaned up the area to make it look like a body dump.

 

                The light show was pretty cool, and Xander stepped forward with his hands in the open when it stopped.

 

                “You ok there?”

 

                “Are you a Watcher?” The tone was dark and Xander shuddered at the thought of being a stuffy old man that became a peeping tom.

 

                “Ick, no. I’m here to help you out right now. We have to make this look like a body dump, so his clothes and everything he has on him has to go. If not, they can eventually track you down and since this is Florida, and Florida has the death penalty, well, we’ll just say you’ll be lucky to live and then not become a lab experiment.”

 

                “What do you want for this help?” The tone was wary, as if it was too good to be true.

 

                “World peace, but I’ll settle for the sword of the dead man.”

 

                “Deal,” With that the pair began to clean up the scene and Xander lead the man back to his place.

 

                “Here, put the clothes into these garbage bags. There’s an incinerator in the industrial park, the clothes can be burned there.”

 

                “Why are you helping me?” The question stopped Xander and he looked over at the jaded eyes watching him.

 

                “It’s rare to have someone help for nothing at all, so that’s why I want the sword. Also, Hecate told me to help the Immortals who crossed my path and that were not evil. I’d rather not find out what she’d do to me if I ignored her words.”

 

                Xander waited for the man to finish watching him and Xander pulled out a knife, watching as the grip on the sword changed. Cutting his hand, Xander showed that he was just a normal human and wrapped the bleeding wound.

 

                “I’m Xander Harris, who are you?”

 

                “Adam Pierson.”

 

                “I have four guest rooms if you need one. Killing me would be a bad thing, since the cops would hunt you down, but you are welcome to stay as a guest.”

 

                “Thank you.” With that the pair lapsed into silence and Xander watched as the man moved about as if he had been skulking in the shadows for centuries, not simply a few years.

 

                How many lives had this man lived to be this jaded, Xander wondered. He knew history was bloody, and had a feeling that this man could tell him true tales of those times. The fact that Xander didn’t call the man on the bluff of his name, but let the acceptance show in his eyes, was probably a point in his favor.

 

                “What do you do for a living?” The question came out of the blue and Xander blinked for a moment before smiling.

 

                “I’m a ballistics tech, though I love weapons of all kinds. I have a ninth century double headed battle axe at home in Denver. I couldn’t bring it, because it was too heavy, and I was worried it’d get stolen.” The man before him simply stared at him in shock before smiling with a hint of a smirk peeking through.

 

                The pair talked through the meal that Xander was making and Xander learned that Adam was a grad student. He was working on psychological degree and already had a passing knowledge of weapons as well. They talked about The Game and what it entailed. Also, Xander asked about the average lifespan of an Immortal and was sad to hear that it was like Slayers, you could live for one day or thousands. When he mentioned the rumor of someone being five thousand years old, Xander simply smiled and patted Adam’s leg.

 

                “I wish the man the best for living that long, but it must be lonely seeing so many people dying while you stay the same, frozen in time.” Adam nodded and gave a wry smile before heading off to bed.

 

                Xander was glad that the bathrooms were fully stocked and left a note on Adam’s dresser mentioning what times he worked at and how to reach him if he needed the assistance.              With that done, Xander went to bed, wondering how this turn of events would screw with his life, and if he could remain away from this Watchers organization.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Two months passed and soon Xander was picking up Team Seven to give the lecture on how to properly do a disposal of evidence for the newly hired ATF agents in Miami. Adam, who was soon known as Methos, had popped around for a few days, the week before, and was headed to Seacouver, Washington to visit an old friend.  Xander had waved him off and told him that he wasn’t his keeper, but to give him the number just in case something came up.

 

                Several Immortals had bounced around Miami over the past two months since he met Adam, but that was no issue, hopefully Chris wouldn’t try to interrogate the man who had needed a place to crash after “being mugged”, but he wasn’t counting on it. It was Adam’s idea of a cover story, and Xander simply shrugged and went with the flow.

 

                “Xander, it’s good to see you!” Buck slapped the younger man on the back, and Xander’s smiled turned into a worried frown upon seeing how thin Ezra was.

 

                “Ezra, what happened?”

 

                “His last undercover was hard, since it involved kids as sex slaves as well.” Chris spoke quietly and Xander had to wait until they were at his house before pulling his lover into a hug, one that he probably desperately needed.

 

                “Come on; let’s get you to the house. You could all use a good meal, and I’m sure you all need sleep too.” Leading them to the two vehicles by the front entrance, Xander let the seven split so that they piled nicely into the two hummers and drove as quickly as possible to Xander’s home.

 

                He called dispatch to have the two hummers picked up, and ushered the seven inside and, once the door was closed, molded himself to Ezra and feeling the tremors in the thin frame. Catching Josiah’s eyes, the man went into the kitchen and pulled out the ready to cook meal in the fridge and heated it up.

 

                Xander stepped away long enough to give the men that arrived the keys to the Hummers and went back inside to curl around Ezra and Vin, soothing them as they finally let themselves go after bottling the emotions.

 

                Chris smiled softly upon seeing the three curled together like puppies and leaned into Buck. He hated that the FBI and CIA had wanted to use Ezra for this operation, and he let AD Travis know that they would never get their help again after showing the man the physical damage that the man had suffered. The physical wounds would heal, but now that he was with Xander and Vin, he could heal mentally too.

 

                “Chris, could you bring dinner up to my room? I want to get Ezra showered and into bed. As thin as he is, he’s more likely to catch a cold or cause greater injury since he lost so much mass.” Xander’s voice was quiet, and Chris nodded. He could see that the Southern man was close to falling asleep, and he would feel better if he washed before bed, and ate something.

 

                Letting Xander and Vin deal with the stubborn man, Chris and the others began to look over the house and frowned at the name Adam with a phone number under it. He’d have to ask Xander who he was tomorrow, since Ezra came first tonight. Before he could finish that thought, the phone rang and before anyone could pick up it went right to the answering machine.

 

                “Xander, its Adam; just so you know I’ll be in Seacouver for a good three months, so don’t worry if I don’t stop by. Give your boys a hug and enjoy their visit.” With that he hung up and Xander came down the stairs five minutes later.

 

                “Who was it?”

 

                “Adam?” Came JD’s curious voice.

 

                “Yeah, he got mugged a few months back and I helped him out. Poor guy, lost everything, but his ID was lost like mine, luckily it had just been stolen. He’s pretty cool, I’m seeing if I can get him to help me prank Eric one day. Why? He ok?”

 

                “Yeah, his message said he’d spend a few months in Seacouver.” Nathan’s voice filled the room.

 

                “Okay then, he didn’t have to tell me, but that’s cool; now, the important question, food?”

 

                Josiah laughed and loaded up a large plate and gave Xander a fork and knife for the meal. He also told JD to follow with the juice and glasses. Xander led the way and opened the door, letting JD see that Ezra was bundled up in bed and Vin was trying to keep the man awake.

 

                “Food’s in, come on Ez, you need to eat before sleeping or no fun stuff later on.” JD blushed at bit and shook his head before leaving the room.

 

                “Leave the dishes just outside your door; we’ll pick them up for you.”

 

                “Thanks JD.”

 

                With that Xander managed to get Ezra to drink half a glass of fruit punch and about a fifth of the food on the plate. Xander and Vin finished off the rest and left the dishes and the juice outside the door before curling up with their too thin lover. Xander began to hum, and soon the three were sleeping peacefully, waking only to soothe Ezra back to sleep when he had a nightmare. They had been apart too long, and the case had only made it worse.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                The next week was decent when it came to work schedules, as whenever Xander had to be at the Lab, Team Seven had to be at the ATF buildings. Ezra was slowly gaining the weight back, and only after a call to Adam, did Ezra finally begin to talk to the team about what he had seen the men do to the children that they had kidnapped. Ezra was glad that he had mentioned that he wanted nothing to do with ‘breaking in’ the children that had been acquired, and had formed a kinship with the other men that had shared his views.

 

                Sadly, most of the men enjoyed ‘playing’ with the children, and Ezra made sure that he was on sentry duty for those who were kept apart. He and the few that had formed a kinship would see if they could help the children escape, but they all knew that they would be found out if that had happened.

 

                The day of the bust, Ezra had gotten a group of the children free, and when the men he had formed a kinship with had seen that they simply looked at him and had stated that he was a decent bastard, and they would roll to get the rest of the men to serve longer sentences.

 

                The men that had taken a great deal of pleasure in harming the children had shouted threats at Ezra before they remembered that he hated the fact that the kids were victims. Soon, fifty men were chatting about enjoying how malleable a young body was compared to an older one when it came to sex. As a result, the agents had gassed the prisoners and shipped them out to a correctional facility.

 

                Xander held Ezra as he spoke and bowed his head in sympathy for what his lover had to go through. He reached over for Vin as well, since the sharp shooter would also be hurt and in desperate need for an anchor since he hated it when children were involved.

 

                “Chris, tell me that they are suffering.”

 

                “Oh, the assholes are already feeling the pain of being child molesters and rapists. Many prisoners hate those crimes and are enjoying a chance to cause them pain. I had a few ask if they could stay longer to make sure that the filth we just locked up would stay locked up. I smiled and mentioned that I’d look into it. I never thought I’d like the feral smile a prisoner gave me, but I did in that moment.” Xander chuckled darkly.

 

                “You’re lucky I wasn’t there. I’d have killed them all Chris, and then I’d let you put me away with my head held high.” Darkness was lurking in Xander’s eyes and he turned to Ezra.

 

                “You are much stronger than I am when it comes to this. I can’t imagine the anguish and pain you must have felt, but to do the case without killing anyone makes me so proud. Yes, the children suffered, but you gave them hope that not everyone was like that, and they will see that you got them to safety, in time.” He kissed Ezra and held him close, letting him cry silent tears.

 

                The eight men sat in silence as they prayed for the children that had suffered and Xander kissed Ezra’s head once more. Lifting his lover’s head to kiss the red and swollen eyes, Xander gave him a wry grin before leading the way to the back yard. He sat on the swing and patted the spot beside him for Vin and Ezra to settle down on, and waved to the others at the door to the house.

 

                “You guys have fun, we’ll be out here.”

 

                With a laugh, Xander and Vin held Ezra close as he went over his feelings of the case, letting himself heal from the dark chapter in his life.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Chris stepped out later that afternoon and smiled at the three sleeping men in the swing. Xander had been here for six months now, and next month was Ray’s debut as a girl for Halloween. Ezra had helped the boy during this visit, and it seemed to bring some life back into him as he coached the young man on what to do and how to talk. Seeing him trying to explain girl logic was the best, however, as every explanation left Ray confused until Xander told him, “You see how Ezra is confusing you, that’s girl talk.”

 

                Ezra had gotten back at his lover for that, and bribed Vin with treats if he helped him. Now, they were about to celebrate the fact that in six months, Xander would be home. A home where a phone call every night wouldn’t have to do and his three boys could enjoy every day together instead of hours when they could meet up.

 

                “Xander, Ezra, Vin, time to come in for food.”

 

                The three slowly got out of the swing and if Chris didn’t know any better, he would have thought they were waiting for him to speak. But his trained eye saw that they discreetly stretched and slowly made their way into the house. Shaking his head in amusement, Chris walked back in and hugged Buck from behind where he was watching JD and Josiah in the kitchen. He never would have thought that those two would get together, but they fit. Josiah calmed JD and JD gave Josiah a new look on life. It was breathtaking to see, and the team was now waiting for Nathan to ask Rain, his long time girlfriend, to marry him.

 

                Seeing that the table was set the eight sat down for dinner when Josiah made a toast.

 

                “To our second youngest; may your next six months move faster than the first.”

 

                The smile that graced Xander’s face made them all pleased that they remembered that he was coming home to them, but then they all frowned when the door bell rang. Getting up, Xander asked them to hold on a moment before answering the door.

 

                “Ryan, what are you doing here?”

 

                “Sorry that I had to bug you at home, but I knew that you and the others were going to celebrate your six months until you leave. I just wanted to make sure you got this.” Xander looked at the gift in his hands and blinked at Ryan.

 

                “Umm, why?”

 

                “H wanted to thank you. He heard your speech a few months back and well, umm…” Xander began to snicker and patted Ryan’s shoulder.

 

                “Thank you Ryan. Have a good evening.” With that, Xander closed the door on the blushing Ryan Wolfe and put the gift on the coffee table in the living room before returning to the dining room.

 

                “Apparently I’m to blame for H getting his act together and jumping Ryan. I think that’s why he’s been walking funny the past few days.” JD began to choke and Xander burst out laughing.

 

                “Well, that’s nice and all, but why now?”

 

                “He only remembered now, and I think Horatio was going to ‘reward him’ if he did it tonight.”

 

                That got a good round of laughter from the group and they enjoyed the meal that Josiah and JD had made. As they cleaned up the dishes, Xander went to explore the gift and gasped at the sight of the twin daggers in the box. The Chinese markings showed which Asian country they came from, and from the leached out coloring, you could tell that they were old.

 

                Pulling them out, Xander bit his lip as his eyes hungrily took in the craftsmanship.

 

                “These are a good five hundred years old. This style of smiting ended with the feudal era in Japan.” Buck let out a low whistle.

 

                “What does that tell you?”

 

                “That they are worth a good fortune, or someone didn’t know their worth. These are not replicas, and I would be insulted if anyone had called them that. But to find such fine work without paying a mint for it, I can only wonder where Horatio got them from.”

 

                Ezra and Vin looked at the items in Xander’s hands and watched as he held and moved them with practiced ease. They knew from experience that any weapon was at ease in his hands, but the older they were, the more natural he looked holding them.

 

                “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was trying to get you to stay.” Buck mentioned casually.

 

                “He doesn’t use underhanded tactics.” Xander snorted and gave Buck a glare over his shoulder.

 

                “So, he’d let you go without a fuss?” JD asked.

 

                “Oh, he’ll try to get me to stay, but it’ll be half hearted, since he knows that Chris will kill him if he tries to keep me, if Vin and Ezra doesn’t first.” The guys snickered at that.

 

                Kissing both men soundly on the lips, Xander gave them both a cheeky smile.

 

                “Now, can you give me incentives to leave?”

 

                “That’s our cue to get the three of you to the bedroom!” Chris bellowed, making the three laugh out loud and dash up the stairs. Yes, life was good at the moment.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander chuckled pleasantly as he curled around the body pillow that Ezra and Vin had gotten. They had doused it with the scents that Xander had mentioned they smelt like, and presented the large green pillow to him the day they left. He loved to cuddle things in his sleep, and now he could cuddle all he liked, even if he did prefer to cuddle his lovers instead. Halloween was a few days off, and it was time to make the final changes to Ray’s costume. Xander was already going as Faith, and he smirked at the fact that being five foot eight was a good height to kick ass in.

 

                Since Faith was leathers and Doc Martins, Xander simply smiled as he got his outfit placed in the spare room across the hall from him, where Ray’s costume was hanging as well. Ray was going to be dressed in an autumn dress that would show off the right assets. He had gotten a few girls in on the gig, and they were surprised that Xander was the one that would be helping Ray out. The five would show up two hours before school, and Xander would get them ready for a prank of magnificent proportions.

 

                He also promised to take pictures and to set up a video so that Ray could go back and laugh at what happened that day, and Xander would get proof that many of the people at the labs were horn dogs. It was going to be fun.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Xander waved goodbye to Ray as he and the girls walked to school. Ray did make a very pretty girl when it came together, and he was glad that he had taught Cordelia’s mannerisms and fighting skills to the boy. Putting on his outfit in ten minutes, Xander was fussing with the wig when the doorbell rang. Seeing that it was Yelina, Xander smiled.

 

                “Hello Yelina” Xander used his best Faith voice and smirked at seeing her shocked expression.

 

                Chuckling, he led her inside, and showed off the pictures that he took that morning of before and after. The awe in her eyes made the hour fight to get Ray to wear the dress worth it. The fact that the girls had helped made it bearable. With that done, Xander fastened his wig to his head and winked at Yelina.

 

                “So, you’ll help me get in and have the receptionist know that I am Xander, not a biker chick?” Yelina might have thought that is was odd listening to Xander’s voice coming out of a beautiful girl’s mouth, but went with it.

 

                “You are going to tease the boys, aren’t you.” Her voice was flat and Xander batted his lashes.

 

                “Sweetie, I’m going to tease everyone, after I let Alexx and Calleigh know that it’s me.”

 

                “Not Horatio?” An eyebrow rose.

 

                “Nope, he gets to be teased. Can you do me a favor? Take a picture of Rick’s face when I do it to him?” The laugh was worth it, and if not, the video would be even better.

 

                Walking over to his bike, Xander let out a wicked chuckle as he rode to work. His ensemble was already tested, and he knew that it would stand up to his normal driving speed. Getting off the bike at the Lab, Xander sauntered over to Yelina and allowed her to get the receptionist on their side for the joke. Winking at the flabbergasted Dan Cooper, Xander made his way to the morgue where he had asked Calleigh and Alexx to wait for him.

 

                Upon seeing them, Xander just had to let Faith out to play. He wasn’t sure if he could get a chance to have this much fun again.

 

                “Well hello there ladies.”

 

                “Who are you and how did you get here?” Calleigh’s voice was flat and brown eyes twinkled.

 

                “Boytoy said I could meet you two here. He even let me take a spin on his bike.”

 

                “I doubt that” Alexx’s voice was stiff, and Xander let the smile fill his face.

 

                “I promise, I mean no harm, now, can we go where there are no cameras.”

 

                Letting them corner him in Alexx’s office, Xander sighed and pulled off the wig. Ignoring their expressions he gave them his best puppy dog eyes and held out the long black hair.

 

                “Can you help me put this on so that it doesn’t itch?”

 

                “You,” Calleigh’s voice was pretty weak, and Xander flashed him his best, I’m not that naughty boy smile.

 

                “So, can you help?” He yelped when Alexx smacked him, and he had to pout, making the pair laugh and him to be pulled up into a hard hug.

 

                “Oh, you are going to turn heads!” Alexx practically squealed as she got the wig to sit on his head properly, and not cause him to itch.

 

                “Now, how do you know how to act and move the way you do?” They both looked curious and Xander gave them a sweet smile.

 

                “Well, most of my friends were girls, so I know how to act, walk and talk through them. Ezra helped me out with how to get speech patterns, and my acting coach had me mix them together. Besides, it’s fun. Wanna help me get the rest of the gang? Yelina knows, because she got me into work today. The receptionist knows, cause I so don’t want to get into too much trouble. I managed to make Cooper drool by winking at him earlier, and now both of you know.”

 

                The two women cackled and Xander felt sorry for the lab, well, almost sorry.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Horatio was confused as he walked in the halls. Apparently Xander was nowhere to be found and his friend Faith had come in. A memory tired to assert itself, but disappeared upon seeing the dark haired beauty fighting with Rick.

 

                “Yes, I have a permit to be here! No, I’m not selling anything, and even if I wasn’t you’d get none of it! Also, think on what day it is you unmemorable prick!” Slapping the man in the face, Horatio smirked at Rick as he walked pass and began to follow the woman. He wasn’t prepared for her, however, when she spun around and began to stalk over to him.

 

                “Lieutenant Horatio Caine, I see that Xander left out how hot you were, but I understand why.” She leaned over to whisper in his ear, “I wouldn’t want to take you away from Ryan now would I.”

 

                Stepping back, she winked at him, and he frowned at the words she used. A memory was trying to surface, but for the life of him, Horatio couldn’t figure it out. Stepping into the office, Horatio looked at his calendar and felt the answer hit him like a ton of bricks. Xander wasn’t at home because Faith was here, and since it was Halloween, why not use the minds of a CSI against itself!

 

                Making his way to ballistics, Horatio smirked at the pair of “women” working. Xander really could pull off the whole acting scheme, and he stepped in with a smile.

 

                “Mr Harris, I congratulate you on your choice of costume. I must say, that I never expected you to wear it all day at work.” Xander cackled and held his hand out to Calleigh who pouted.

 

                “H, couldn’t you have waited? Now I owe him fifty bucks!”

 

                “Of course Horatio was gonna figure it out first. Ray is going like a chick today too, and to add onto the fact that no matter how often he calls to have my house checked, Yelina keeps the patrol officers from going, since she knows where I am.” Xander smirked.

 

                “I saw you with Rick this morning, and how do you hide in those pants?”

 

                “Tape and special underwear, Horatio. I’m so glad I got a big tub at home. It’s really gonna hurt to get this stuff off after a long day of sweating and walking about.”

 

                “Did Ray…?”

 

                “No, I refused to let him use it. He nearly passed out from the smell of Nair last night, so I’m not going to put too much tape on him, especially down there.”

 

                Horatio nodded and he watched the pair work for a moment before he left to tell the chief not to worry about the young lady that had joined them today. Then he would go corner Ryan and make him forget all about the dark haired woman in leather who was doing Xander’s job. He wondered if Rick could get into trouble for this, since Xander is an employee, and he was harassing him. With that thought, Horatio walked away with a smirk and a spring in his step.

 

~*~**~*~*~*~

 

                Xander had made it through the day with only the ladies finding out who he was, and Horatio. The fact that everyone else thought he really was a biker chick made them all confused when she showed up at the Halloween party that night at Horatio’s.

 

                It only took a moment for Ryan to finally figure it out and he burst out laughing. Pulling him aside, he had asked if there was any other proof, and Xander had simply smiled and mentioned something about learning a thing or two at the convention.

 

                Horatio called everyone’s attention and Xander made his way up to the stage with Faith’s walk.

 

                “Everyone, I’d like to introduce you to our best disguise. Faith Lehane isn’t a real person, and if you looked into the DMV, you’ll find that she died, seven years ago. Faith, please show everyone who you are.” With a smirk Faith licked her lips and spoke, in a very familiar man’s voice.

 

                “I’m disappointed in all of you. Only H figured out who I was, out of the guys, and all the girls were told. Though, I must say that the women’s washroom is much nicer than that of us guys. Yes, I am dressed as a chick, no this is not the first time, and yes, I did remove excess hair.” He gave them all a wicked smirk.

 

                “You’ve all heard me talking about getting Ray, who is Horatio’s nephew, dressed up like an old girlfriend for Halloween. Today is Halloween, and only Horatio put the pieces together. Though, now I know why women dress like this, I can still kick ass in these pants, even if I can’t feel my ass anymore from all of the pinching.” That got a round of laughs and a wail of discontent from the back.

 

                “But you’re too hot to be a guy!” Came the familiar voice from the back, so Xander took off the wig.

 

                “Damn, I hate wigs. But yes, I can look like the hottest chick, simply because I was surrounded by it growing up.” With a smirk, Xander walked over to Calleigh and sat down, enjoying the shocked looks before everyone began to enjoy the party once more.

 

                “I’m headed home, since the tape is starting to get itchy.” Xander kissed Calleigh’s cheek and slipped out after waving goodnight to Ryan. He truly did enjoy the night, and now, all he had to do was take the outfit off.

 

                The ride home was a bit painful, and Xander was quickly nestled into the tub, after locking up the house. He wanted no distractions as he peeled the tape from his penis and balls, thanking all the gods he could think of that he had thought ahead enough to have shaved first. Once he was freed of the evils of the tape, the falsies went next and he let himself relax in the hot water. He was going to have fun with Rick tomorrow.

End Notes:

Take that Gibbs!

Gotta love our crossdreser....

Chapter 6 by Katrina
Author's Notes:

this is the end, and thanks toe everyone that finally got the bunny moving.

Love you all!!! 

The few days after Halloween passed in good standing until Rick was knocked flat on his back by three patrol officers after he had been harassing Xander about his costume. Rick was about to make a scathing remark until he saw the darkness in the lab tech’s eyes.

“I will say this one last time Sergeant Rick Stetler of IAB. I am not on the take, I am not a whore, and I am not sleeping with anyone in this lab. Now, you will stop harassing me, or so help me God, I will ruin your career with words to the right ears. I have Federal Agents as friends, and I know many people who work in the Police force, so please, keep pissing me off.” With one last glare at the prone man, Xander stalked down to the Ballistics lab and began to fire off the necessary rounds for Calleigh before he decided to beat the shit out of an IAB officer.

“You ok Xan?” Calleigh’s voice flowed into the room after he had fired off four rounds.

“I will be after I hit the gym later today.”

“After you’re done with those you can head down to the gym, there isn’t much else to do today. Halloween is almost always a quiet period for us.”

“You sure? I don’t want to foist work onto you.”

“I’m sure; besides, you need to work up a good sweat so that we ladies can enjoy the view.” That got a laugh out of Xander and he gave her a hug, whispering his thanks into her ear, he made his way to the workout room under the labs.

Stretching out his muscles with some light weights, Xander began a hard workout to vent his frustrations at the harassment he was getting. When people are hunted by IAB, others talk. He, being on good terms with Horatio and his team, put him in dark waters with IAB Stetler, and Xander was getting more and more upset with every snide remark sent his way. Patrol had been in on his joke to the crime lab, and had HR and the other departments that didn’t interact often with the lab, but they never got this flack from being friendly with Horatio and his team. 

After giving the heavy weight bag a good workout, Xander went hunting for a place to cool down in. He wanted as much time away from the IAB as possible, since they tended to piss him off the fastest. Resting in one of the side rooms to the locker room, Xander went to get ready for his shower, then hide in the room until it was time for him to clock out. He didn’t want to see many people right now, as he was more than willing to hit first and ask questions later. Hoping that Adam wasn’t at his place when he got there, Xander let the hot water wash away the sweat and stiffness from his body.

Quickly scrubbing away at his body, Xander finished his shower and made his way to the lockers. He had much to think about, and began to ponder if he should make a formal complaint against Rick, or if that would make things worse. He’ll have to talk to Horatio about that, and from there see what he should do.

Slipping on his shoes, Xander went back to the small room and sat down. Centering his thoughts, Xander began to go over everything that had Rick on his ass for, and he frowned. It started when the Seven had come down to teach the AFT agents here in Miami how to do a proper disposal run. He’d talk to Rick first and see what was wrong, maybe there was an issue and this was the only way that the IAB sergeant knew how to get Xander’s attention.

With that in mind, Xander left the room and made his way to the IAB floor. Stopping at the receptionist’s desk, he told her to let Horatio know that he was going to IAB at the moment, and if he was looking for him, to find him there. She nodded and smiled, letting Xander slip into the elevator unnoticed by the floor guards.

Xander quickly made his way to Rick’s office and slipped in, closing the door behind him. The man was slumped behind his desk and Xander wondered if he was alright.

“Rick?” The man jumped, and Xander frowned at the dazed look in his eyes

“Xander, thank you for coming; I didn’t know any other way to get you here without telling Horatio that I wanted to talk to you, and if I did that, he’d want to be there.” Xander nodded at his confirmed suspicions.

“You could have called my cell.”

“I lost the number after the Mole was washed out.”

“Ah, so what can I help you with Rick?”

“I need you to stop Ryan from gambling. I’ve gotten reports on him going to poker halls and everything, and I’m worried that he’ll force me to fire him; especially now that he’s finally got footing in with the team.”

“I’ll fix that, and let his beau know that it might become a problem.”

“He’s seeing someone?”

“It’s too new to tell if it’ll go anywhere, but I don’t want Ryan to lose the job he loves, and maybe even a shot at love, because of a game.”

“Fair enough, and thank you for coming. Though, you should have told me you were dressing as a girl, I wouldn’t have tried so hard to get you removed from the premises if I had known.”

“It was a last minute thing, really, and only Yelina really knew before hand since I was teaching her son for his costume.”

“Very well, thank you and have a good day Xander and I am sorry for the scene downstairs.”

“No worries, though I am sorry you got hit so hard.” He handed over his cell number and left with a wave. Horatio might get curious if he was gone much longer. Now all he had to do was tell Ryan that someone saw him playing poker for cash and warned him before actions could be taken. That was so not going to be fun.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Xander paced as he waited for Ryan to show. His friend was just finishing up a double shift and the longer it took him to get to Xander’s home, the antsier he got. He didn’t want to put Ryan on the spot, but the fact that he was going to get royally fucked if he didn’t made Xander want to cry. He liked be the enforcer, but not towards his friends, and not like this. He knew Rick would have to act if he saw it again, and that was the only consolidation that Xander had.

The knock on the door brought Xander out of his musings and he quickly answered it, smiling when he saw Ryan and Horatio standing there.

“Come on in, I have some things to discuss with the pair of you.”

“What things?” Horatio asked, curiosity coloring his tone.

“Have a seat; I’ll get you both a drink.” Quickly leaving the room, Xander tried not to hyperventilate at the thought of doing this. Handing over a beer to each of his guests, Xander sat, perched on the edge of his seat, and looked at Ryan.

“Ryan, I need you to listen and please wait until I’m done.” He got a slow nod from his friend.

“Today, I got news that there is proof that you have been gambling. Now, I know the rules when it comes to playing the games of chance here in Miami, and I was asked to get you to stop. If you are caught playing, from now on, you’ll be fired, immediately.” Xander made sure to keep his eyes locked onto Ryan.

“Why you?” Came the soft question.

“Since I know the person that told me and that they will be obliged to have you fired the next time they see it. I mentioned that your new beau will be keeping an eye on you, and that it was so new, that you didn’t want to jinx it.”

“Who saw it?” Horatio asked softly and Xander gave him a small smile.

“Rick Stetler told me,” Xander said honestly, “and that’s simply because I got his head out of his ass the first time I saw him. Told him I was in Miami for a year and that I’d do my job, and bust heads over idiots and drama queens. You’re lucky the team got their act together, or I would have been cracking skulls two months back.”

“Let me get this straight,” Ryan spoke before Horatio could, “Rick Stetler, who has a grudge against Horatio that’s bigger than New York, told you that I had to stop playing poker for money or he’d have to fire me.”

“He’d have to publicly fire you Ryan.” Xander sighed and gave his friend a sad smile. “He’d have you thrown out of the station and hound you as you got your things together. Then, all the shit you would have had been in up to date would have come across as worthless.”

“Xander, how does Rick know that Ryan plays poker?” The voice was deceptively calm and Xander coolly met his gaze.

“Rick has many helpers in the department. He told me as a courtesy since I saved his career by getting him off your ass about everything when it came to your people.” Xander got up and walked away with a sardonic chuckle, “I don’t betray the people around me Horatio, you should know that; now, I’ve given you the warning, please leave.”

Ryan and Horatio winced at the tone, Xander could take any type of hit, whether it is verbal or physical, but to call him a liar, even to his face, was a dangerous thing; both we about to speak when Xander beat them to the punch.

“I asked the pair of you to leave, I’ll let you think over your words tonight, and I might listen to your apologies tomorrow, but get out, now.”

The pair left slowly, and Ryan mourned the loss of a bridge of trust. Yes, he was wrong to question Xander’s motives, but the fact that it had been Rick Stetler, of all people, who had given the warning, had confused him.

Horatio was no different. He knew that he was on shakier grounds than Ryan, and his question did come off as accusing. He winced at the memory of the blank face that swam into mind, and he made a note to see if he could apologize for the wrong tone of voice. The question was sound, since he didn’t know that Ryan was playing poker, but they were together most nights now, and it seemed that Ryan only played rarely. It was still a concern, but the bigger worry was now talking to Xander, and finding a ladder to get out of the hole they dug.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ryan and Horatio were subdued when they entered the labs the next morning. Hoping to see the ballistics tech before their shifts started, they were unprepared for the message that was given to them at the front desk. He would only speak with them after work, and it would be on neutral grounds; one of the beaches that was rarely used by the tourists and the rest of the population.

Xander did what he could to avoid the pair during his breaks and was able to keep them from finding his hiding spots within the department for the times that he just needed to be away. He was also grateful that ballistics was overflowing with samples for cases, so he was relatively busy and couldn’t step away from the lab without slowing down the progress that he and Calleigh were quickly making. Also, when she had to leave for a new case, Xander was swamped with the back log that came from their night shift tech from being in the hospital because of a car crash. 

Only a few guns remained by the time that Xander had to clock out for the day. He drove to the beach and sat down to wait. He knew that Horatio and Ryan wouldn’t be long, and then hopefully they would have thought over their actions from the night before, and would try to make up for it. The sound of a Hummer and a smaller car pulling up behind him made Xander wonder if it was such a good idea to be in a secluded place for the discussion, but then he remembered the words and tones spoken yesterday, and he digs his heels into the sand.

The sound of feet walking up behind him makes Xander turn around slowly and he looks at the pair of men. Horatio and Ryan both have dark circles under their eyes, and for a moment Xander feels a flash of guilt for not talking to them earlier.

“Xander,” Ryan steps forward and fidgets a bit under the guarded brown eyes. “I’m really sorry about how I spoke to you the other day when you were warning me about the issue with my gambling. I never meant for the words to sound as if you were lying, but Rick Stetler has been trying to discredit Horatio for a while, and I had problems believing that he would warn anyone from H’s team about being fired.”

“I also wish to apologize for my behavior.” Horatio removed his glasses and looked Xander in the eyes. “I know that Rick isn’t always as bad as he shows to the lab, but the fact that he was warning you before me is what confused me. I always know that when Rick hovers that something is going down or that one of my team members is having some issues, so the fact that I hadn’t heard anything is what made me pause. I realize I could have approached the topic differently and I am simply sorry that I made you believe that I didn’t believe you. In my desire to know, I forgot that you also have a good rapport with Rick.”

Xander looked at the pair and slowly nodded at their apologies. Both made sense, and Xander knew the reason he took it to heart was because he was much closer to Ryan than the rest of the lab. 

“Alright, I’ll let it go this time, but remember, Rick and I have an understanding. He lets me know if I have to fix anything within the lab and I help out if it’s not a vendetta against someone for something that they can’t control.”

Both men nodded at that and filed it away for future reference. Xander knew almost everything there was to know about the lab and its personnel and the next time an issue like this came up, they would keep their emotions from it.

After discussing the issues that come from gambling, Xander left the pair on the beach and drove home. There were still a lot of things left for him to do, since he left the lab in four months. He couldn’t wait to go home, he missed Denver, badly.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The last few months passed by quickly, and soon Xander was packing his things to head back to Denver. The house was being sold for a nice and tidy sum, and Xander was pleased with the final product of his first home. Ezra and Vin had flew down the weekend before to help him pack the last of his belongings. The items that he no longer needed, he had separated for the hurricane and homeless shelters as well as the low income families. 

Xander knew that he would be thrown a party by those in the lab, and he wanted everything packed and ready to be sent off before the guests had arrived. There were a few things left to do, and he was still bouncing around because all he wanted to do was leave and go back home to both Vin and Ezra. He missed his lovers, and his friends, and the fact that they could only spend small periods of time together was driving him up the wall.

He was startled when the door bell rang, and wiping his hands, Xander went to see who was at the door. A smile lit up his face upon seeing the others of the lab and Xander let them in. They knew he would be gone by the next morning, and that this was their last chance to say their goodbyes.

“Good afternoon Xander,” Horatio spoke as he walked into the packed up home that his nephew had helped to build. 

“Hey guys, come in and make yourselves at home, the movers will be here in three hours to pack up the rest of the house, so I won’t have anything left out by then.”

Settling in the living room, Horatio and the others of the Day Shift lab waited for Xander to come back with whatever he was busy with in the kitchen. They had all been to his home when it was finished, and they were all still in awe at the magic the young man could do with tools, supplies and sweat. They knew that Larabee’s team would treasure him, and that made the loss of him a bit easier to bear. Ryan and Horatio wanted to thank Xander for his help in pushing them together, and for not beating them when he helped Ryan keep his job.

“Are you driving back to Denver?” Calleigh asked Xander as he entered the room with a full tray of drinks and food.

“Yeah, I don’t want to put my bike in a shipping container to be unloaded when it gets to Denver in two or three weeks.”

“What do you have left that needs to be packed away?” Eric asked, curious at how Xander was going to travel back to Denver.

“Well, firstly, I have a back pack and saddle bags that are going to be packed with what I need for my return trip. Also, I had Vin and Ezra take back a suitcase each of my clothes, shoes, and toiletries for when I’ back. It’ll take a good couple of weeks for my things to get to Denver with the moving company. I’ve already given the clothes and items that I don’t need to shelters and thrift stores, and donated the food that I won’t need to soup kitchens.”

“So the only food in the house is what’s in front of us?” Alexx asked with a smile.

“Yep,” Xander gave a bright smile back, “So now you all have to eat, or else I have to throw away all of this food.”

Laughing in delight the group began to eat and drink the food that Xander had prepared for them. Going over the past year, Horatio could see that he was happier now than he had been since Speed’s death. Oh, he would miss his confidant and friend, but now he had something precious. Thanks to Xander and his determination – something not to be confused with bull headedness – he now had a lover and someone to share his burdens with. 

“Before we all forget, I’d like to propose a toast.” Horatio spoke softly, yet everyone stopped and looked at him.

“To Xander Harris, the one man that can beat you senseless with simple common sense. I am honored that you came to learn from us, since I know we learned as much from you.” Raising their glasses, Horatio marveled at the fact that his prize intern could still blush at simple praise, but was glad that he was still a humble man.

“Yes, I’m glad you taught us too Xander, I would have lost much more than I would have gained if it wasn’t for you and your silver tongue.” Eric gave a sheepish smile to the group and Xander hugged the Cuban.

“You helped us find what we lost when Speed was killed, and I am happy that you showed us where we were going wrong.” Calleigh gave Xander a sweet smile and wagged a finger at him, “I still want to see what you have for an exemplar though.”

“Baby, you helped each of us with everything we needed and were more than happy to let us cry on your shoulder. I want to thank you though for helping us keep Ryan, I didn’t want to lose another baby boy, and this time to harsh working conditions.” Alexx patted Xander’s hand, and enjoyed the little boy smile he gave her.

“Xan, I want to thank you for going against the grain on your first day. I’ll never forget the kindness and respect you gave me that day, nor will I forget everything you helped me with over the past year.” Ryan raised his glass once more and took a sip of the soda that Xander had served everyone.

Xander blushed at the praise that the group was showering onto him, and while he knew that he had helped the team, Xander never realized the impact he had on his friends here in Miami. Taking in each compliment with humble thoughts, Xander tried to push the blush off of his face, and hid his face in his glass of soda.

They talked through the night, and Xander smiled at each member of the team as they began to leave around eleven thirty. Calleigh, Alexx and Eric all had other places to go that day, so Horatio and Ryan stayed to help clean up the house before the movers showed up. 

It didn’t take long to finish packing the remaining items, and before Ryan, Horatio and Xander knew it, the movers were knocking on the door and loading up the truck.

As his final belongings of his stay in Miami were loaded up, Xander turned to both Ryan and Horatio with a smile.

“Thank you both for everything you’ve done for me.”

“It was nothing Xan.” Ryan said with a blush.

“Ryan is correct, we were happy to help you.”

“Still, I wish you both the best, and Denver is always going to welcome you.” Shaking both their hands, Xander gave Horatio the keys to the house so that the house could be sold.

“As Miami will always be open for you,” H gave Xander a smile and was startled at the hug that he got from the young man.

“Both of you take care of yourselves, and I’ll be seeing you later.” With another hug to the shocked pair, Xander leaped onto his bike and drove off.

“I’ll miss the goof ball.” Ryan whispered.

“So shall I Ryan, so shall I.”

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It took Xander a week to get home. The Interstate had several large accidents along the way, and Xander just wanted to see his lovers and friends before he went to sleep for a month. Slowly making his way up to Chris’ ranch, Xander smiled at the sight of all seven vehicles parked around the large front entrance. Getting of the bike with a stiff dismount, Xander slowly made his way to the front door before knocking tiredly on the wooden frame.

“What do you – Xander!” Chris exclaimed startled upon seeing their last brother, before dragging him into the house.

“Xander!” JD squealed as he launched himself at Xander, sending them both to the floor, and Xander getting the wind knocked out of him.

“JD! Stop manhandling Xander at once!” Moving swiftly to his lover’s side, Ezra helped Xander to the sofa where he and Vin had been sitting on.

“Don’t… be mad… at him.” Xander wheezed, trying to force air back into his lungs. “He’s just… excited.”

“He still didn’t have to flatten you when it was obvious that you barely had much strength left for the evening.” Ezra muttered as he got Xander comfortable between himself and Vin, and smiled at the content look that Xander was wearing.

“I’m so sorry Xan! I didn’t even see how tired you were! I was just so happy that you were back, and that Vin and Ezra would stop being so edgy so that Chris wouldn’t kill them for being so out of it. Then there was the fact that you were two days late and everyone wanted to get out and see if you were ok, but you called every night, even when all you wanted to do was sleep. Then you didn’t call tonight and we were all nervous that something bad had happened and then – ACK!” Buck smacked JD in the head and growled at the young man.

“Jesus Kid, he doesn’t need to be knocked down and manhandled by us when he just got here after driving from Miami in seven days because there were more accidents than usual on the Interstate.”

“But Buck!”

“No! You will calm down JD, our lab boy is sleepy. You can pounce on him tomorrow to tell him about our nerve racking week.”

“Fine,” JD plopped down on the chair beside him and pouted for all of five minutes before leaping up to go and get something to drink.

Xander had begun to whimper on the sofa, and JD patted his knee.

“Hey, you’re safe here; no one’s going to hurt you.” Xander’s words startled the group, but they were even more shocked at the words.

“Litter-pup knows safe is back with Pack… Safe with pack… No noisy mating or fighting in evil sunny hotel rooms.” Xander muttered from his spot on the sofa, and the seven had to hide their grins.

“Yes Xander, we’re all safe and sound. Sleep, we’ll take watch.” Chris spoke with an indulgent tone, and the smile was wiped off his face at Xander’s next words.

“Father and Dad make pack den safe.”

Vin and Ezra were trying not to laugh at the flabbergasted look on Buck’s face upon hearing Xander’s words, since everyone knew that Father was for Chris. 

“Well, Ezra, why don’t you and Vin take Xander up to bed? I’ll cook his favorite breakfast in the morning.” Josiah spoke softly, trying not to speak too loudly, as to not startle the half-sleeping boy.

“Papi-in-law hunt for food, Medicine man keep papi-in-law safe.”

The group shared a smile and Xander was bundled up and carried to the bedroom upstairs, and stripped down to be cuddled by his mates. Snuffing the two, Xander muttered about warmth and mates before finally falling asleep in the king sized bed. This would be perfect teasing materials for the next few days, and Ezra and Vin knew that the others would poke their lover a few times before dropping the subject.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Xander woke up slowly and stretched out the kinks in his back. Blinking his eyes open to the golden rays that sparkled around the room, Xander sat up and looked around for his lovers. Seeing a note on the bedside table, Xander picked it up and smiled at the words.

X-
Went riding to the lake; see you at lunch.
-E&V


Smirking at the missive, Xander slipped out of bed and went to shower. The clock in the bathroom flashed that it was eleven in the morning, so Xander knew that he had time to shower, dress and make a quick meal for the seven riders.

Sighing in pleasure at the warm spray that rained upon him, Xander let his mind drift as he thought about his trip back. While he was upset that he was two days late, he was glad that he got to the ranch the night before. He had been exhausted as the sense of excitement began to fade, and added that he had been riding for twelve hours hadn’t helped. 

Stepping out of the shower to dry himself off, Xander thought over his welcoming from the night before. JD’s enthusiasm needed to be curbed at times, but that would come with age and more busts. Wrapping the towel around his hips, Xander walked into the bedroom and slipped on a pair of boxers before he remembered his mumbled words the night before.

“Oh shit, I’m so going to be teased when they get in.” 

Xander scrubbed his face with his hands and pouted at the memory of using the Hyena’s names for each man in the group. Sighing once more, Xander finished getting dressed and made his way to the kitchen and began to get the food ready for the seven hungry men that would be arriving in half an hour.

Mixing up a quick meal, Xander smiled upon seeing the pots happily cooking away. Pasta, sauce and some garlic bread were baking away, filling the room with the smells of home. While he didn’t know the same dishes that Josiah knew, or was as inept in the kitchen as Buck and JD were, Xander knew how to keep the house smelling like a home with simple dishes that took little time. Hearing the back door slamming open Xander smirked as he stepped out of the kitchen.

“Go wash up boys, lunch is almost ready.”

A chorus of “Yes Xan” was shouted, and Xander made his way back to the kitchen to set up the table. Xander was pulled against a strong, lean chest, once the table was set, and had his head tilted back to kiss the blue-eyed sharp shooter. Letting out a soft moan, Xander pulled back for air and was quickly kissed by his green-eyed undercover man. A cough from the door way stopped the kiss, and Xander turned glassy eyes to Chris.

“Sorry man, but I’m not kissing you.” Xander’s husky voice filled the room and both men blushed as the three behind Chris laughed while Ezra and Vin let out semi-possessive growls.

“That’s fine with me; you’re missing a moustache anyways.” Xander snickered at that and motioned everyone to sit at the table.

“Food is ready boys; you must tell me what I missed while I was on the road.” With that, JD began to tell Xander everything that had happened during the week, making him miss the smirk that Chris and Buck shared.

Once JD was done with his rendition of the week, Buck slid out of his seat to clear the table of all the dishes.

“Hey Xan, head to the living room with the others, we’re gonna have a Pack meeting.” The seven men laughed at the groan that spilled from Xander’s lips.

Pouting, he followed the group and sat down between Ezra and Vin. Glaring at the others for snickering, Xander slumped down in his seat to wait for it to stop.

“You know that we still care about you Xan, it’s just that you never let us in. It’s nice to know what you think of us,” Chris smiled softly. 

“Fine,” Xander sighed, “I still get to pout if you pick on me though.”

“No worries Kiddo.” Buck smiled. With that said, the eight went over the plans of how to integrate Xander into their day to day work schedules without it seeming like they were hounding him. It would be a delicate dance, but they knew they could deal with it.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was a month later that Xander started to get problems with the job at the ATF building. Cases were moved and his supplies began to vanish. The final straw was when his exemplar was touched and tainted with dirt and other foreign objects. Stomping up to AD Travis’ office, Xander slammed down pictures from the surveillance camera onto the desk before him showing Team 3 screwing around in his lab.

“Deal with them, or I will. I am sick of whatever crawled up their asses and decided that I need to have my work space fucked with. Remind them that if I can’t do my job, then all those gun runners that Teams 7 and 6 busted can be freed.” With one final growl, Xander stalked out of the office and made his way back to his lab to finish the last logging of evidence from a bust over a week old from Team 6.

Chris and Buck watched Xander stalk out of the Judge’s office and knocked before entering the room. The sight of AD Travis glaring at a few stills made the pair curious before anger coursed through their veins at what Team 3 had been doing to Xander’s lab.

“As you can see gentlemen, Team 3 needs to be dealt with. However, I can only get away with putting marks in their files for now. Chris, I need Team 6 and 7 to instruct Team 3 on how to respect the lab techs assigned to certain teams.” A hard look glittered in the Judge’s eyes and Chris and Buck nodded their consent.

“Team 3 will regret the day that they decided to attack Xander.” With that, both men left a satisfied Judge behind and the beginnings of a new betting pool in the secretarial office.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Team 3 quickly learned that they should have ignored their team leader when it came to harassing and hazing Harris. Team 6 and 7 were brutal in their lessons, and soon AD Travis had enough ammunition to fire the leader of Team 3 and hire the one he wanted in that man’s place. When the Judge had given Team 7 the green light and a “carte blanc” for dealing with Team 3, he had forgotten that they reacted like a family.

Vin and Ezra had pranked Team 3’s offices, and ensured that they never knew when they were going to be hit next. The pranks varied from funny and harmless to terrifying for the agents affected. JD ensured that their computers slowed down just enough so that they had problems loading their software for writing reports, and thus had to do them by hand. Nathan pulled rank and had them all go for a physical, and had already told the hospital that they had targeted one of their own, so making it gentle wasn’t necessary. The nurses took great delight in making their physicals uncomfortable for picking on the most behaved member of team 7.

Josiah began telling Team 3 tales and sermons of respect for your fellow man, and went into great detail of the punishments that could be dished out by the All Mighty for going against His wishes. He had confided in Nathan that the Fire and Brimstone approach was useful when you wanted to terrify the persons responsible for the pain inflicted on those you know. Chris and Buck’s revenge was downright intimidating to the men of Team 3. Both dressed all in black, both swooped down like angels of death, and it took only moments before the pair was told that their leader had ordered them to haze Harris, and then escalate to the rate that they had been. If they hadn’t, they would have lost the jobs they loved. Team 6 decided that taking the soon to be ex leader of Team 3 to AD Travis for the final nail in his coffin, and thanked Chris and Buck for getting their team to do all the work.

The Teams in the ATF building were disgusted with the man when it came out that Harris had beaten his son in the Ballistics’ course, and that he had gotten the position in the building that he had wanted his son to have. When his son was called in the young man gave them a bitter smile.

“I never wanted to stay in Denver when I became a ballistics tech. I enjoy Los Angeles. Yes, Harris came in first in the program, but I came in third, so I’m not all bent out of shape. He wanted to control my career like he did my sister, and he’s pissed off that I’m not a malleable as she is.” He shrugged. “She’ll be happy he’s gone from the ATF when I tell her he’s been fired. This will allow her to accept the promotion she wants and be able to move over seas.”

With that, the leader of Team 3 was removed from duty, and life went back to normal for the ATF agents. Xander, now, had to deal with seven grumpy family members about the trashing of his lab.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As Xander sat in Ezra’s Jag, he wanted to scream in frustration at the coddling he was getting. Now that Team 3 had been dealt with, Xander was able to finish his work, and help other lab techs with their cases. Seeing Ezra coming down into the lab area made Xander curious. Being told that it was quitting time, Xander was startled and quickly shut down his station before waving good bye to the other members of the lab for his weekend off. As they were leaving, Ezra mentioned that they were heading to the ranch, and that Chris wanted to ask him something. That was when the sense of foreboding came forward, and Xander quietly asked if this was about Team 3. The tense nod, made him sigh, and lean against the window in silence.

The rest of the ride was done in silence, and Xander never noticed Ezra looking over at him in concern. The worry in the green eyes grew as they got closer to the ranch and he silently cursed Chris Larabee and his demanding ways. Xander didn’t need this, and he hoped that Chris didn’t rip into his lover, or Ezra would bitch back.

The Jag stopped in its regular spot at Chris’ ranch and before Xander could leave the car, Ezra stopped him with his hand on his arm.

“Xander, just remember that Vin and I love you, no matter what, and if Chris get’s too bitchy, you’ll still have us in your corner.”

“Thanks Ez, I appreciate that.” With a small smile, Xander slid of the car, and both made their way into the lion’s den.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chris had been pacing the entire time he had gotten into his home. Ezra would be there soon enough, and he simply wanted to ask Xander why he didn’t come to them. Maybe it was the obvious answer of not wanting to impose, or that it was too serious to simply move and talk to Chris. But, damn-it, he needed to know why.

Ezra and Xander entered the Ranch, and curled up to Vin upon entering. The blue eyed sharpshooter saw that the pair of them needed to be close, so he didn’t fidget at the lack of quick exits. Silence filled the room, as Chris seemed to wait for Xander to speak. Seeing that their ballistics tech was remaining quiet, Chris was the first to speak.

“Why didn’t you come to us when you saw that there was a problem?” Ezra hid a flinch at how accurate Xander was about why he had been brought here, and curled up closer to his lovers.

“I told my supervisor, who is the head of the whole lab for the ATF. He had been looking into it, but when his findings were swiped with the last transgression to me, I went to AD Travis. I knew he would let you look into it, and that was why I did it the way I did. That way you had the ATF on your side, and you didn’t have to prove why you did it afterwards.” Xander spoke calmly, and both Vin and Ezra were trying to keep the young man calm.

“How long had it been going on?”

“A month after I started.”

“Jesus, Xan…” Buck whispered and Xander’s patience snapped.

“I can handle my issues just fine. I don’t need any hand holding or any pampering. I’ve fought and won, so dealing with a few upstarts isn’t going to hurt me, nor is it going to impinge my honour.” 

“Dammit Xander, we care! That’s why we’re so worried!” Chris growled at the defiant glare in the young man’s eyes.

“I’m no child that needs protecting Chris.” Brown eyes flashed to green for a moment and Buck’s eyes widened in understanding.

“We know that you can handle yourself Xander, we just want you to have the best back up possible for these situations.” Buck smacked Chris before he could talk and Buck walked over and squatted in front of the vibrating young man.

“Then--” Xander started to talk but was cut off when Buck began to speak once more.

“Your girls’ weren’t very supportive of you and what you could do, were they?” Brown eyes looked anywhere but at Buck, and Chris had to clench his fists to stop himself from doing any damage to the house.

“It wasn’t just the girls.” The quiet voice was almost missed in the oppressive silence, and Xander was pulled into a supportive embrace from both sides.

Buck cursed under his breath and patted Xander on his knee, and waited until the young man looked at him. He knew that he would have to remind Xander that they would be there for him, and that asking for help wouldn’t be considered whining or being a baby.

“Kiddo, we’re a family. Families, most of the time, stick together when things get tough. If you had come to us with this, then we could have helped you out faster, and gotten it stopped just as well. You can ask for help. It’s not a weakness or a burden to us if you need help. Yes, we might bitch and moan in jest about missing out on something else, but we will do everything we can to help you. Now, I know that Chris can be a bit grumpy, but he hates it when his family is attacked, and he would have backed you in a heartbeat if you had come to us instead of waiting it out like you did.”

Xander looked at the nodding faces and let a small, shy smile come forth. He knew, in his mind, that Buck was telling the truth from the start, but old insecurities bubbled to the surface, and he held back. He also had a feeling that Team 7 would be down in the labs more often than not from now on because of this.

“Thanks,” And that said it all.

He knew that his issues would come up more often, and with Adam popping up and about when he had to hide would bring more scrutiny, but he knew that he could handle it now. His family would back him, and while he knew he would still be worried about things, he could actually let go and be himself for good now. It was a start, on that showed that he had earned his new freedom.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The darkness receeded for a moment letting a young woman step forth from within. Green eyes dulled and tempered with understanding and pain, as well as regret. Her red hair was long and tangled in a braid, loosely held by a strip of cloth. As she stepped into the theatre, she noticed that her judges were back. 

“You have succumbed to the trails, and finally understood the magicks that you hold. Do you understand your punishment child?” The ethereal voice asked.

“I would like to think so but I know that all of you have a different idea of what should be learned.” Her voice was raspy, as if it had been a while since she had spoken, but held an understanding that she never had before.

“Very well then,” A darker voice intoned. “Willow Rosenburg, you shall be judged to see if you are worthy of rest.”

The circle that surrounded her felt warm and she let the ritual carry her away. She had learned much in her time in that hell dimension, and she truly did regret the pain she had caused in the past. When the glow faded, tears were streaming down her face, as she remembered what she had done before she was tossed into the pit.

“Willow Rosenburg, you have passed the test. You shall be reunited with your loved ones.” The ethereal voice intoned.

Willow bit her lip before asking in a small voice. “May I see Xander? I know I have no right to ask, but I just want to make sure that he is happy.”

“You may see him upon entering the glades. They enjoy keeping tabs on young Alexander.”

With a small smile, Willow let herself be led to the door that Dawn had entered a millennia before and stepped inside. Her first sight was that of Tara, and she had to force herself back from launching herself at the woman. The soft smile sent her way made her hope, but she told herself to be careful. It was her fault that these people were dead, and it would take a while before she should even consider being near them.

Tara knew what Willow was thinking, and lead her towards the others. Even in this place of rest and forgiveness, Willow was pulling away. She truly did fear what the others would say or do to her. She could only hope that Willow understood, in time, that by being allowed here, she was forgiven by all of them. 

Dawn mentally winced at seeing Willow so frightened, and knew it was because of her words from before the judgments. This Willow was different from the Willow she had in her memories, but she seemed calmer and more grounded that the flighty and spastic girl from before. Buffy was the first to embrace Willow, and she noticed that the red head was shocked at the touch. Before anyone else could do anything though, Joyce spoke from her youngest daughter’s side.

“Welcome to the green glade, Willow. You must know that to arrive in this place, you have been forgiven, correct?”

Willow fidgeted in place and shrugged her shoulders. She wasn’t comfortable around her past, and it showed. She didn’t want to leave these people, but she had no choice in the matter, being around them hurt too much.

“I know, but I – I can’t stay here.” Her raspy voice made Dawn flinch. “I know that all of you have forgiven me, but that is moot point, when I have yet to forgive myself.”

She gave them all a sad smile before looking at the mirror that showed Xander having a romantic dinner with his two lovers. “I just wanted to see if Xander was happy. Since he is, I can rest until I figure myself out now.”

Turning away, Dawn tried to run forward, but was gently held back by the magicks that swirled around Willow. With one last look, Willow vanished into a fog leaving a sadden group behind.

“She will return soon little ones.” The ethereal voice stepped forward and gave them all a small smile. “She has much to sort in her mind, as she must cope with her deeds that sent her to The Pit in the first place. Once she sees her mistakes in the order she needs to, then she will return.”

“How long will she be gone from us again?” Came Faith’s voice, tempered by peace and joy.

“Until the sky bleeds red for a fortnight.”

They knew that time passed differently in the various locations within the glade, and could only hope that Willow didn’t stay in the place where each day in the green glade was a millennia there. When she returned, they would enjoy watching over their loved one, and began to prepare for his joining of them, as well as that of his newer family, with them in the green glades. 

First things first though, Joyce planned to hunt down Chris’s wife and son, unless they had been reborn. But that’s another matter all together.

 

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