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.