A Fresh Start
A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fanfiction
by DaBear

This story is a work of (fan)fiction. The characters of Buffy The Vampire Slayer in no way belong to me, they belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. In other words there is no intent to make money here, so don't sue me.
Rating: R for violence, sexual situations and language
Spoilers: Up until the end of season 2 then I am off into my own little AU

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Boston - September 1998

Xanders POV

Over the past few months my life has really take a turn down the crapper, I mean take now for example. "Goddamn piss of shit, good for nothing, rust covered hunk of JUNK!!!"; If you didn't figure it out I am not a happy camper. Sighing in exasperation at the stupid piece of shit car that my uncle sold me I bang my head off the steering wheel a few time to see if it would make the car start.

Nope.

Taking the car keys out of the ignition I reach over the backseat and grab my duffel off floor. It contains all my worldly goods except for this friggin car and I am in the mood to just blow the car up and to say hell with it. Getting out of the car I throw the duffel over my shoulder, make sure all the doors are locked and arrange the top opening of the bag so that its easily accessible. I reach inside the bag to make sure that the items inside are easily drawn and then reach into my jacket pockets to see if my stakes are there. Last but not least I reach under my left armpit to settle the pistol into a more comfortable position. I had started carrying it when I had left SunnyD. I had picked up a little more then the rocket launcher when I had gone to the Army base. The rest of the fun gear that I picked up and was easily portable was in the duffel, more then enough to get me a few years with Bubba and his friends in a federal prison. Guns, grenades and high explosives Oh My... Never hurts to be prepared I always say. With my memories of Halloween coming back into the fore after the Judge incident, I had started feeling uncomfortable walking around unarmed.

Setteling the bag into a more comfortable position I take a look around at the neighborhood I find myself in and am relieved when I see at least three motels around. Wanting to grab some food before finding a bed for the night I head back down the street the way I came, I remember I saw a convieniance store about 5 blocks back and over. A 7-11 or a something I think. "I had to break down in Boston," I sigh "Not New York where I at least have a cousin... I think I have a cousin there anyway. I don't have AAA, and I sure as hell don't have cash available to pay for whatever makes the car make those ugly thumping sounds every time I try to step on the gas." Grimacing up at the sky I sigh and say "At least it isn't raining."

Then I hear it. A scream. Coming from across the street.

Hanging my head I groan "Damnit Xander, you have got to stop saying stuff like that. The Fates, they are a pissed at you and they seem to like to kick you while your down remember?"

I run quickly across the dark street and down that alley, staying as quiet as possible. In the darkness ahead illuminated only by the faint light coming from the street behind me I see five forms surrounding one on the ground. Moving forward as fast as possible while remaining silent I reach under my jacket for the Desert Eagle .50 caliber, God's gift to men everywhere. That is, I was reaching for it, until I see one of the standing forms reach down and pull the person on the ground into the air without much of an effort, tilt the head to the side and bite into the neck.

"Shit. Why the Hell is it always vampires?"

Dropping the duffel to the ground I reach in and grab the one weapon in the bag that's not a gun or explosive. A medium sized bearded axe that I picked up in Denver at one of those SCA events. The haft about two feet long its axe head was long and wickedly hooked. The handle wrapped in leather thongs to add grip. It cost me 150 bucks, but it was something I just had to have the moment I saw it. It called to me. Holding that in my right hand I grabbed a stake in the left and went forth to do battle.

The vamp in the back of the group seems to have heard me as I came up behind him and is starting to turn around. To late to do anything about me though I think with a grin. Lopping his head off with the axe is as easy as pie, and the one to his left disappeared in a cloud of ash 2 seconds later as my stake found a place in his heart through his back. The demon's death howl alerting the remaining vampires that something was happening.

Two down, three to go. Unfortunately now they know I am here. So... time to start with the witty banter.

"I hate to break it to you fellas, but it's past your curfew." Lame I know but I am in a hurry.

I rush the vamp on the far right trying to keep him between myself and the other two vampires, trying to keep it one-on-one, where I may have some chance of maybe making it out of this alive. I duck his wild roundhouse punch and swing my stake up and into the vamps chest. He screams in pain, but doesn't dust.

"Damnit, I missed. Buffy never misses." The vamp then twists away from me taking the stake with him. Crap. That leaves me open to the two others that then rush me in tandem. Swinging my axe in an overhead arc its blocked by the larger of the two vamps with the leather jacket and ripped from my hand. It goes sailing down the alley towards the street. Fuck. The smaller of the vamps, who is female, backhands me across the face and into the alley wall. My head cracks against the brick wall and all I see are stars and little Tweety Birds. Acting on pure instinct I reach for the pistol and drawing it I empty the clip of into the two Fang-faces in front of me. Knowing that the bullets wont kill them but may slow them down I shove the Desert Eagle back in the shoulder holster as I grab my last stake from my jacket. My axe is 30 or so feet away across the alley and my duffle is even further away then that.

I am so screwed.

The vampire that I had missed staking earlier blindsides me with a tackle that would make a NFL linemen proud. My last stake goes skittering away across the alley and ends up under a dumpster. The vamp rolls me over onto my back and grins a nasty grin down at me. "Lets see how you like it, human." Then he proceeds to try and stake me. Try being the operative word there, cos as soon as he rears his hand back to stake me I punch him in the balls as hard as I can. Whimpering, the vamp rolls off me and I grab the stake from his hand and put him out of my misery.

Woo hoo 3 down. Didn't miss that time.

Of course at this point I get kidney punched by the bruiser in the leather jacket. Dropping the stake again, I curl up in a ball of pain on the ground and silently scream out my agony. Wrapping his hand around my neck he lifts me up into the air until my feet are dangling. "Normally I'd just drain your ass, but you made me lose 3 of my people." Grinning at me "Welcome to the Family." With that he drags my neck towards his mouth in preperation to feed.

I try to bring my hands up to strike him in the face but they are being restrained by the female vampire. Refusing to give up I try the groin shot idea again and bring up my knee and try to rack the vamp. He just blocks it with his thigh and I feel the tips of his fangs pierce the skin on my neck.

Thoughts flash trough my mind. Regrets, fears and dreams long thought dead. The sight of Buffy on her first day of school in SunnyD. The look on Jesse's face as I staked him at the bronze. The feeling of despair and heartache when Buffy refused to go to the Spring Fling with me. The unexpected pleasure that came when I kissed Cordy in Buffys basement. The pride I felt in myself when I catch Buffy, Willow and Cordy checking me out n my Speedo during the swim team incident. The sense of usefulness as I bring up getting the rocket launcher. The rage I feel when I learn that Angelus has returned. The sense of rightness as I tell Buffy "Kick his ass." The strange mix of pain and acceptance as Buffy tells me to get out of Sunnydale before she kills me after discovering that I knew that Willow was attempting the soul restoration spell and didn't tell her. Creeping out of Sunnydale at night with $643.29 to my name and no idea on where to go.

All that and more flash before my inner eye and all I manage to say is before I die is "Fuck me." Not very poetic huh?