AN: This is for everyone that continues to review my stories. Every time I get a review I dust off my word files and write a bit, even if it's just a sentence or two. Now without further adu, on with the show.

Xander wiped the sweat from his face as he woke up from his nap. It was the same nightmare he had been having for the last couple of days, and he was beginning to think it may be more than bad pizza and old war movies. He had an idea what was causing it, but given the benefits the good was out weighing the lack of sleep and slight urge to follow Tony into the bottle. Still, he should probably start thinking about talking to Giles about this before he snapped and knocked over a Hostess truck to liberate the Twinkies from enemy combatants.

"Xander?" asked Giles as the teen walked into the library. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting Polaris to beat the stuffing out of me, but without all the naughty S&M fun," said Xander. "She agreed to help train me a bit during the morning and evening so I can be a bit more then bait when I'm patrolling with Buffy or Faith, and right now we're learning how to fall without getting my head cracked open."

"A good place to start given previous experiences, but I admit I am curious why you didn't ask me for assistance if you planned to increase your training."

"You're Watcher guy, he who trains Slayers in the ways of awesomeness so they can keep the demons from sending the world to hell. I just figured that you had enough on your plate training both Buffy and Faith so was just going to do self-study until Polaris offered."

"A noble thought young man, but I can assure you that Mr. Giles has more than enough time to train you now that I have assumed the role of Watcher for both Slayers Summers and Faith," said Wesley as he walked up to the two other men.

"Yeah, right now you're Voyeur guy, something that is subtly different from Watcher guy. You see Voyeur guy is he who gives bad intel about demons and pervs on a girl that, while admittedly hot, is still on the wrong side of the age of consent. If you do something to save Buffy or Faith, then you can be Watcher guy, but until you do Giles is the only one with the title," said Xander, who was rewarded when Wesley immediately flushed an angry red.

Wesley didn't even get a chance to retort before the library was filled with the sound of a large creature screaming and stone shattering.

"Well, it seems like your sparring partner is awake Xander, you probably shouldn't keep her waiting," said Giles as he fought to keep down his laughter. He had seen Xander make more than one poignant remark, but the razor whit he just displayed was more expected from the likes of Cordelia Chase than the class clown.

Xander looked towards the closet that he knew Polaris was stored in during the day, and paused. "Listen Giles, after I finish getting beat up we need to talk. I got a book from the city library that talked about the different kinds of training soldiers go through to help me shake loose some Halloween memories, but things are going a bit wonky."

"Forgive me for needing to ask, but wonky is bad, correct?" asked Giles as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Wonky is could be bad, could be good, with a good side order of what the hell type craziness," explained Xander before turning serious. "I'm having war flashbacks Giles, something that shouldn't be happening sense I never fought in a war."

"Good Lord," muttered Giles as he took off his glasses. "Go and train with Polaris, Wesley and I will see if we can find anything useful."

"Thanks Giles, I appreciate it," said Xander as he walked towards the training area.

"Do you really expect me to use my time to help that child?" asked Wesley as he attempted to glare at Giles, something the older Englishman ignored with ease.

"Well I suppose it depends on how quickly you wish to graduate from Voyeur to Watcher," commented Giles, not even bothering to hide his smirk at the way the young man got flustered over the name. "If you could check the Dorian chronicles for mentions of possessions by deceased warrior spirits I will check the writings of Akbar to see if his study of chaos magic may help us."

The fight wasn't going well in Xander's opinion. In just the last few minutes he had accumulated more cuts and bruises than he had in the past week of patrolling, and the punishment just wouldn't end.

Suddenly the world turned for Xander as he was slammed on his back, sharp claws pressing against the flesh of his throat. Despite pouring everything he had into the fight, he had lost.

"Better," said Polaris as she withdrew her claws from Xander's throat. "You avoided my wings that time, but lost track of my tail."

"More like your tail was hiding behind your wings," said Xander as he slowly pushed himself off the practice matt. "And after the way you knocked my head around with them last time there was no way I was letting your wings anywhere near me. How something so thin can pack that much of a punch I will never know."

"Gargoyles may only be able to glide with our wings, but that means that they must be able to support our weight for long periods of time. It allows us to use our wings in combat, even though some choose not to because it makes it difficult to fly afterwards."

"So the point knocking me around with them would be what exactly?"

"To help you get used to fighting opponents who use more than arms and legs," said Polaris in a stern voice.

"Okay, I'll admit that not being stabbed by a tentacle would be a good thing," said Xander. "Now to change the subject so I can retain at least a shred of manly dignity, how did you like the tapes I lent you?"

"They were enjoyable," admitted Polaris. "I am thankful that you told me that they were fictional or I would have begun looking for a place where different species are tolerated the way it was shown in the movie. Though I will say the most amazing experience was being able to see what parts of the world would look like in the daylight."

"I guess that would be the best part for you considering how you're stone in the day and all. Personally my favorite thing was the lightsabers. Me and Jesse were brooding for a week after Willow told us that they were impossible in real life."

"Those were my second favorite thing."

"Well now that we've assured that you know the awesomeness of Star Wars, we're going to see if you like the complex social interaction as presented by Master Bugs Bunny."

"Is this similar to you calling Star Wars a cultural necessity?"

"Nope. You see most people in America have seen Star Wars at least once in their lives, or at least heard about it, so it really is a part of our culture. However when I compare the exploits of Wile E. Coyote to the dangers of over reliance on technology it's just to sound smart so that I can keep watching cartoons without all the college girls thinking I'm brain damaged next year," said Xander. "It's also to get an idea of what you like and don't like because it's going to be a long drive this summer, and I don't think Johnny Hick will enjoy your face as much as I do. That means a lot of time inside for you and reading would probably get real old real fast."

"Doubtful," said Polaris with a snort. "Even if I spent every night for the rest of my life reading I doubt that I would get my fill. You humans have left not just your history open for anyone interested, but also your hopes, dreams, and fears. Every time I open a book I learn more about your race, and every time I think I may truly understand humans I open another book and I discover how little I truly know."

"So what have you learned so far?" asked Xander, more than a bit curious how Polaris saw humanity. Yeah, thanks to Giles he knew that gargoyles were native to planet earth, but Polaris had never seen humans before she started her quest to find another gargoyle clan, so she still felt a bit alien to him. In a way it was like he was meeting an alien like in those science fiction shows he had watched in the past, and he got to learn what humanity as a whole represented.

Polaris caressed the spine of one of Giles' books before saying, "I have learned that humans are capable of great sacrifice when fighting the darkness that threatens to consume the world. I have learned that this country was founded by hypocrites who preached about the equality of men while enslaving those whose skin did not match their own. You give power to those who would see entire races and cultures wiped from existence as well as those who dedicate their lives to doing good works and inspiring others to do the same."

"That's accurate, insightful, and slightly depressing. If I wasn't sure it would be filled with things that consider humans a nummy treat I'd suggest you take night classes at Sunnydale U, from what I hear college teachers like that sort of thing."

"While high school teachers appreciate having assignments turned in on time in legible hand writing, something that you still struggle with according to Mr. Giles," stated Polaris as she broke into a wide smile.

"I like to think of deadlines as being flexible. The way I see it teachers will have more time to spend on my paper when they aren't distracted by the rest of the class. Also just saying that out loud I realized a major flaw in that strategy," said Xander with a matching grin. "Now sense you are so smart, maybe you can enlighten me on the mystery that is the female mind. Just how is being reliable a bad thing?"

Any response Polaris would give died in her throat as Buffy stumbled into the library in a daze, but still attracting the attention of everyone there. After a few moments of silence, she uttered a handful of words that seemed to shatter the lives of everyone in the room. "Willow just killed a guy at the Bronze, she's been turned."