Consequence

Chapter 10 - Aground

Sword in hand and Aegis pocketed, I made my way down to the kitchen as fast as possible, two of the least-injured slayers limping along after me. A woman's scream urged me faster, leading me toward the staircase down to the cellar. A tall, blonde slayer named Diane held the door, bracing her back against it and digging her heels into the flagstone floor. In the far corner of the room two very young girls huddled together against one wall, eyes fixed on the dying demon at their feet.

It was one of those scaly demons that Spike ran over with my car and it laid on the kitchen floor, breathing quickly and heavily around the vegetable knife sticking out of its chest. Without thinking, I drove the point of my blade through its throat and spine, killing it and, I'm afraid, scaring the shit out of the two girls.

"Sorry," I apologized before joining the three slayers – Diane and the two who had followed me – at the door to the cellar. To the most injured-looking slayer, I said, "Get them out of here," pointing to the girls in the corner. Even if they were slayers, they were just too young to deal with what was coming.

"Got it," she said, powering through the pain as she limped away to follow my orders.

"Can't hold this much longer," Diane grunted and, sparing half a second to fortify myself by brushing the Aegis with my fingertips, I pressed my weight against the door over her head.

"Just a few more seconds," I insisted, grunting when a particularly jarring crash against the door snapped my teeth together.

Diane looked up at me with a smirk and said, "If you could help me keep them away from the dishes, I'd be grateful."

"So would my wallet," I replied with a nod, following the slayer's gaze to a stack of plastic crates holding what looked like hundreds of white plates and bowls.

"It's almost over, right?" the other slayer asked, drawing my attention. "Things'll go back to normal after this?"

Diane and I shared a knowing look, but neither of us wanted to dispel the girl's fantasy. Instead, I said, "Let go on three," and hefted my sword, getting ready to jump ahead of either slayer. "One…" Less mortal and less exhausted than either slayer, it was only right that I take the brunt of the damage. "Two…" Besides, it had been too long since I'd had a good fight.

"Three!"

The slayers let the door go and I met the first demon, a green, scaly creature with weird tentacles on his head, by thrusting my sword through his chest. It was too difficult to retrieve the weapon, so I let it fall, meeting the next demon with my fists. God, it felt good smashing my fist into its skull, the skin on my knuckles splitting a little with the force, the shock of the contact vibrating through my arm as I followed through. A third demon came through the door and tried to grab my arm, so I spun and kicked him in the ribs, focusing on the second demon again.

Recovering from the blow, he bared his teeth at me, hissing and dodging the next few blows I sent his way. Unthinking, and probably recklessly because of the two slayers in the room, I showed him my fangs with a growl. "Sorry. I'm not impressed."

The demon gurgled what was probably an insult in his language, but I didn't understand him. I didn't need to. All I needed to do was kill him before too many of his brothers got through the door behind him. Diane yelled a lot as she fought the demon who'd grabbed me, mostly wordlessly, but sometimes letting loose a harrowed, "Bastard!" in Norwegian.

The other slayer, who was smaller than Buffy and not quite as quick, soon resorted to grappling with the next demon that came through the door, never quite gaining an edge over him until I clocked the demon in his kidney, more of that gurgling language burbling from his mouth in pain.

Soon I'd broken the neck of the second demon, Diane had beaten the third into submission, the first was truly dead now, and the fourth pushed the young slayer away from him harshly, sending her flying into … the stack of dishes. Fuck.

After a quick glance to make sure she was okay and getting up, I pushed back at the demons still trying to get up the stairs and into the kitchen. There must have been at least five more of them, so after a particularly hard shove that sent a few of them tumbling down the stairs, I set my foot on the first demon's chest and pulled out the sword, grimacing at the wet, sucking sound of metal sliding across gore. Angelus had always been particularly fond of that sound.

A few minutes later, all of the demons were dead, the young slayer was cradling her left wrist like it was sprained or broken, and Diane was fuming at her over the broken dishes. "Hey!" I cried out, making sure my fangs were away before I got too close to the blonde slayer. "It wasn't her fault, Diane. I'll order you new ones in the morning, okay?"

"Alright, Mr. Angel," she pouted, standing tall despite her anger. "We do have more important things to worry about, I agree."

"Yeah," the little slayer chimed in. "We need to seal off that secret door before more demons find their way in."

"Can you two take care of it?" I asked, expecting that the fight was still going on elsewhere in the castle, even if the kitchen was now calm. Diane nodded and I took off, sprinting to the main hall as quickly as I could – sometimes it's really nice, not having to breathe – but everything there was silent. There were the remnants of war. Dead demons were everywhere, a few injured slayers sitting up among the debris. Singe marks decorated one wall, and there were quite a few piles of ex-vampire dust. Hmm, they must have gotten into the castle before sunrise. Hopefully none of those piles of ash contained long, leather jacket dust as well.

I'd known Willow went to drive the enemy from the castle, but somehow I didn't think it would be over this quickly. And I hadn't expected the utter lack of noise. No crying, no shouting, no praying. Only a few whispers here and there as slayers helped each other up and attended to those who couldn't stand. For injured humans, they moved remarkably quietly.

I found it eerie. Maybe I should, being one of two vampires in a sea of vampire slayers. The natural order of things put the ratio the other way. But then again, I'd never been too concerned with the natural order.

Scanning the room, I noticed two blonde heads very near to one another. Spike was sitting there, with Buffy in his arms. Oh, god! Was she dead? How could none of it have helped? How could we have gone to so much trouble, how could I have chained myself to this fucking thing, if it didn't make any difference? If she died anyway? Damn it! Willow told me she was going to be fine! What had happened?

No, there! Buffy moved her head. She was alive, resting in Spike's arms but alive and conscious. Even better.

I watched as my boyfriend bent down and kissed Buffy gently, licking his lips as soon as she snuggled into him and closed her eyes. I should have felt … something, right? I should have felt even just a little stab of jealousy seeing them together that emotionally intimate. It should have stung, so why didn't it? Why was all I could feel an echo of Spike's slightly worried contentment and something like warmth in my chest?

Since the battle had been fought and won, I set my sword down and approached them quietly, not wanting to disturb Buffy if she needed to rest. I could tell already, from fifteen feet away, that her heartbeat was strong, if a little fast for being half asleep in Spike's arms.

Then Spike's head tilted so he could see me and his dark brows furrowed up together in slew of silent questions. What was the state of things? What emotion would I show him first? Was it okay that he be holding Buffy like I could tell he really wanted to? Where had I gone? Was I still mad at him?

Just that damn complex expression was enough to make me forgive Spike for what he'd done. Of course, it's not like I would forget about it and it's not like I wouldn't hold it over his head from time to time. But everything was forgiven.

I knelt down beside them, smiled softly, and brushed my hand over Spike's hair, letting him know he could trust me. I followed that brush with a kiss to his temple, to reassure him, before sitting on my heels and wrapping my arms around my boyfriend and Buffy.

Breathing in as though I'd awakened her, Buffy smiled at me over Spike's shoulder and mumbled, "Angel! You're here."

I nodded and squeezed both of them tighter, relieved that for just a moment at least, I could be here, in the moment with them. Softly, Spike asked me, "Where's the Aegis, luv?"

"Pocket," I replied. "Apparently that's good enough."

"And here I thought you were happy to see me," he smirked.

"I am," I told him, burying my nose in the crook of Spike's neck and squeezing Buffy's hand when hers found mine. Wait. She was too warm, even by slayer standards. Feverish. "Where are you hurt?" I asked her, scooting around Spike to face her, needing to see the damage for myself. Needing to protect her, even if Buffy was the one girl who needed very little protecting.

"Just-" she sighed, pulling up the front of her shirt to reveal a very ugly looking puncture wound, oozing pus around the stitches. "Oh, that doesn't look good."

"So Dawn was right," Spike murmured, shaking Buffy a little in our arms. "You were supposed to be recuperating, Slayer. This doesn't look like you were trying very hard to stay alive, pet. Jumping into battle like this?"

"Some battles just have to be fought," she shot back, struggling to stand up.

"Where are you going?" I asked, standing up to follow her and sharing another worried glance with Spike.

"Have to find out who we lost," Buffy replied, pressing one hand to her side and breathing out sharply. "Oh, and then maybe a trip to the infirmary," she grimaced.

"How 'bout we take those in the other order, luv?" Spike insisted, jumping to catch up with her and block her way. "Ange and I'll make sure you know what's going on first thing."

Looking up at me as I slid my arm around Buffy's shoulders, she took a moment to search my expression and then Spike's before nodding silently. As we walked, Buffy stumbled more than once and I wanted to pick her up and carry her, but I knew she'd resent it. That self-reliance was one of the things I really loved about her, even if she took it to ill-advised lengths. Like when she breathed, "Uh-oh," before her eyes rolled up into her head and she fainted.

My arm still around her shoulders, I felt it as she began to fall and caught her, swinging her up into my arms. Well, there was one wish granted.

Before I could make the next one, that same deep, loud voice from the museum echoed through the castle halls, startling most of the slayers around us. "Silly witch. You, Willow … Danielle … Rosenberg, will pay for what you've done! I will break through your barrier to my home dimension. I will collect my armies. And then, not even the angel will save you."

Beside me, Spike clucked his tongue and muttered, "Sounds like papa's brassed off, Ange. How's your Aegis holdin' up?"

"Fine," I answered, leading the way to the infirmary and making my second wish – that we could figure out a way to separate me from this fucking artifact.

I knew it was the only thing keeping us safe from this archdemon and whatever the hell he wanted to do to us, but it felt more like a curse than a blessing. And believe me, I'm well acquainted with curses. To protect everyone, Buffy and all her people, Spike, Fred, I couldn't leave the castle. If this thing with Buffy went south, I wouldn't be able to leave. Not without being a selfish asshole. Not without dooming all of those people to death at the hands of a vengeful archdemon.

"Ow!" a voice pulled me out of sleep. "That hurt, doc!" I recognized Faith's voice and as much as a little part of me wanted to see her in pain, the bigger part of me wanted to snuggle back into the pillows under me and forget about the world for awhile.

"Sorry, Miss Lehane! Sorry!" Dr. Jerry muttered. "I'm not running at full capacity anymore."

"I don't blame ya!" Faith replied with a chuckle. "And thanks, doc. Without you, we would have lost a few of them."

"Ah, it was my pleasure," Jerry insisted. "Even if I do need to sleep for a week."

"Go! Go!" she encouraged him. "Now that I'm bandaged up, I'll keep an eye on our favorite dame here. Get some rest." I felt someone pat the foot of the mattress and wondered whether anyone could tell how conscious I was. My side still hurt a little, but everything else was pleasantly tingly. And man, my eyes didn't want to open! But my ears wanted to know what was going on, especially when new footsteps approached and Faith asked, "What's the final count, boys?"

"Fourteen missing," Xander replied wearily, his voice weak and scratchy. He'd probably been yelling for the past three days straight. "Eleven gravely injured, but alive. Four hundred sixty-three with various minor injuries. One laid up Buffy. And none dead."

"None?" Faith asked, her voice rich with incredulousness. Incredulity? She didn't believe him, anyways. "How did we manage that?"

"Maybe they took the dead? I don't know, Faith," Xander sighed. "How's she doing?"

"Better, Jerry says," Faith told him. "Don't worry, Harris. Spike and me have got this. You go take a break for a few hours."

"Yeah, alright. Let me know when she wakes up?" I almost yawned and stretched out right there, to put Xander's mind at ease, but something held me back. Maybe it was the thought that if I did, it would just be that much longer before Xander got any rest. Maybe it was the fact that upon testing it, I still couldn't open my eyes. The doctor must have given me something to keep me resting. That's okay. It made me feel kinda nice. Loopy, but nice.

A body sat down on the foot of my bed and Faith's voice came from farther away, flopping down into a chair or another bed bedside mine as she asked, "Where's the big man, Blondie?"

"Talking things over with the witch," Spike's voice replied, his hand rubbing my lower leg through the covers with a familiarity that made me want to smile, except that I was supposed to be asleep. "Somewhat about his shield-thing and her shield-thing meshing together right."

Faith laughed a dirty chuckle and said, "Talking. Uh-huh."

Spike cackled a little and said, "Of all the bints in this place, I'm sure Red is the one least likely to steal Angel's affections."

"And Queen B's the most likely," Faith pointed out.

"Aye," Spike sighed, "I know." I wanted to argue, to tell him I wouldn't do it, I wouldn't steal Angel away, but I really couldn't move. It seemed like the kind of situation that could really freak a person out – being awake and unable to move – but something about what the doctor had given me made it feel … safe. Like I could give up this little thing and sink into the mattress, content.

Then, they grew silent, Spike moving from the bed to another chair on the far side of my bed from Faith. He scooted closer and leaned on my bed near my face, his cool fingers brushing through my hair. Oh, god, my hair! It was probably a wreck! Oh, but the vampire's fingers felt so nice…

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I heard was Angel's voice convincing Faith to go sleep somewhere more comfortable, like her room. "…it from here, Faith," he said.

"Okay, big guy," she whispered back sleepily. "But Xand made me promise to let him know when she woke up."

I could almost hear Angel roll his eyes, but he agreed and Faith left. There were some furniture moving sounds and then Angel's voice came from next to Spike, "Okay, Will?"

"Yeah, pet," Spike murmured back, the mattress shifting as he leaned away from me. "You?"

"Down one really sweet car," Angel insisted, chuckling a little at a face Spike must have pulled, "but otherwise alright." What happened to Angel's car? Had he crashed it or something? Had the demons destroyed it during the battle?

"How long am I gonna be paying for that one?" Spike asked, the leather of his coat squeaking against the upholstery of his chair as he shifted in it. Hmm, that seemed to mean that Spike was responsible for what had happened to the sports car. Oh, that was not good.

Angel replied, "A long, long time, hon," his tone held a little bit of an edge, but I heard the lilt of humor in there. Good. There was no way I could be with them unless they were solid together. The idea was to make things better between them, not worse. Never worse.

"Bugger," Spike breathed, his voice resigned to the consequences, like he didn't notice Angel was joking.

Laughing softly, Angel murmured, "We can start there."

Wait, that meant sex, right? That's how Angel was going to get Spike to make it up to him? I tried to hide it, but I think I shivered a little at the thought, breaking whatever hold the drugs had on me, because besides shifting in their chairs again, both vampires were silent for a long, tense minute or two. I'd just decided that they hadn't noticed anything and maybe I should get some more sleep, when Spike spoke again.

"Fred alright, then? Looked a little peaky."

Angel sighed, "She says she and Illyria are fine. I told her not even God-Kings can fight for three days straight without getting some rest. She called me young and naïve."

"Shoulda had Harris talk her into resting," Spike replied, his jacket squeaking again as he shifted.

"How would he have done any better?" Angel asked with an annoyed huff.

"Of course you haven't noticed how those two are circling each other," Spike scoffed. "Bloody clueless you are, Peaches."

"Oh." Wait, what? Was I just as clueless as Angel? Fred and Xander liked each other? You know what, I could definitely see it. I didn't know Fred very well yet, but she seemed just weird enough for Xander to be attracted to her. That, and she did have an ex-demon in her head, which was big money when it came to landing him! I hoped he was over Renee leaving. It had taken long enough for him to get over Anya's death. Maybe Fred would be good for him in a way that Renee wasn't. A girl could dream, couldn't she?

Spike laughed at Angel's simple word of realization and then in a low voice, asked, "Would you have even seen how much I wanted you if I hadn't guilted you into fucking me?"

"I was trying to ignore it," Angel murmured back and I suppressed another shiver. Just the way Spike swore like that reminded me of the things he used to whisper to me when we were together. And his voice had always made my blood boil. Angel continued, "But I did notice."

"Did ya notice the number you've been doin' on the slayer?" Spike asked him, and I knew he was referring to me. "Bouncin' her around like a soddin' yo-yo, Ange." That's right, he was! Thank god Spike had the stones to call him on it, because I didn't. Not yet, anyway. I didn't want to scare him off again.

"Shit, I know, Will," Angel sighed again. "It's stupid…"

"What are you afraid of?" Spike coaxed and I held my breath. This was more than I should be hearing, wasn't it? But I needed to know where Angel was. How much longer I had to stay alive before he let himself have what I was sure he wanted. So, I kept listening.

"Losing my soul," he confessed. "Losing you. Not being able to leave if things go badly," it sounded like he shifted around in his seat again before saying, "because of this."

"So this thing is a setback in more ways than one?"

"No," Angel insisted. "It's just something to consider. I'm close, precious. I promise."

"Close as in another three months, or close as in three days?" Spike asked him, his voice low and suggestive. Man, I wanted to open my eyes.

Angel chuckled and whispered, "There is still the matter of payback, cor."

I held my breath again so I couldn't gasp at the sex in Angel's laugh. During a long, silent moment, I imagined what might be going on between the two vampires next to my bed. So not fair!

Spike broke the silence again, asking, "You really wanna start with a shag, luv?" He paused for just a breath before continuing, "There's so many other things I could do for you, so many other places I could put my hands. My mouth. And, thought maybe a kiss would be a better place to begin."

"Haven't kissed you since Cambridge, have I?" Angel asked in a low murmur, almost groaning.

"Not properly," Spike agreed, sounding breathless. "'s not too much to hope for this soon?"

"No," Angel replied, and I couldn't help it. I let one eye crack open, wanting to see the palpable chemistry that happened whenever they kissed. But, instead of seeing a kiss, I saw two vampires smirking at me.

"Busted," I croaked with a smile before clearing the sleep from my throat. The drugs had mostly worn off, probably due to my slayer metabolism, and I sat up, opening my other eye.

"How long have you been awake, luv?" Spike asked me with a knowing smile. Angel's expression was not so knowing, but he seemed content and not angry or anything.

"Just a minute," I lied. "What's going on?"

"Don't worry about that now," Angel insisted, standing up and sitting next to me on the bed. "Everything's fine."

"Everyone's alive?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.

Spike nodded. "Helped with the tally meself. Some're missing, but no confirmed deaths."

"Shit," I breathed. "We have to find them."

Angel set a heavy hand on my shoulder and said, "We'll find them, Buffy. But not yet. We all need to rest. You're no good to anyone if you faint again."

"Oh, yeah," I grimaced. "I did that, didn't I?"

"You did," Angel replied with a smile.

Spike stood up beside us, raising one eyebrow at me until I lay back down. "You gonna be a good girl and rest until you're completely healed?" Spike asked, his hand finding Angel's back as they both looked down at me. "Or are we gonna have to tie you down, luv?"

"No," I smiled, "you're right." I thought about all the reasons I had to stay in bed, and then all the reasons I had to be up and about and only one really weighed on me. "Would someone check on Willow for me? Last I remember, she was off the deep end…"

"Sure," Angel said, starting to get up before Spike stopped him.

"No, I'll go, luv," he smiled. "You stay here and think about how good you are at forgiveness."

Angel laughed and nodded.

"Be back soon, pets," Spike smirked with a salute, leaving and closing the curtain behind him. Looking around, I realized that most of the lights were off, just a few left on to read the instruments by, and my bed was hidden from all the others by that privacy curtain. There were two uncomfortable looking chairs on one side of my bed, so close they were touching and I smiled.

Turning the smile up at Angel, I said, "It looks like you could use some sleep, too."

"I'm staying," he insisted, mistaking my observation for a ploy to get rid of him.

Shifting over on the bed, I made room for Angel, patting the mattress in invitation. "You can stay and get some sleep, at the same time."

Angel watched my face for a long moment before pinching the bridge of his nose and nodding. Kicking off his shoes, he settled himself next to me, whispering, "Thanks."

"Anytime," I insisted, turning over to face away from him and pulling his hand around me, careful not to let his arm brush the wound on my ribs. I pulled him against my back, getting comfy with his cool weight there, trying to believe that it had always been this way. When Angel started breathing, and then snoring, I smiled. He said he would be ready soon. Soon.

Hours and hours after the battle was over, after the sun had gone down, I sat outside the door to the infirmary, trying to summon up the courage to go see Buffy. I had only seen her in passing since she'd been stabbed and I couldn't find the words I wanted to say how sorry I was. She'd gotten injured because of me. She'd collapsed after the battle and was fighting a serious infection because I had been too busy researching to sit by her bedside and make sure she didn't go anywhere. I'd failed her.

Man, helpless Willow was kind of a baby, but powerful Willow was even worse – a coward. Why? I could wipe out dozens of demons with barely a few thoughts, but I couldn't face my best friend in the hospital? Damn it!

"Red?" Someone broke into my thoughts and I wiped my tears away to look up at Spike. "What's amatter?" Grunting, he crouched down next to me, brows furrowed together in concern.

What could I say? "Oh, you know…" I tried, "scary uber-demon is after me in particular."

Tilting his head as he looked at me, Spike drawled, "No. No, I don't think that's it."

I scoffed, but I didn't contradict him. Spike was right. I didn't care so much about a demon as I did about losing control of my powers. To distract him, I asked, "How's Buffy?"

Spike shrugged but said, "Better. She was just awake, but she's resting now. You can talk to her in the morning. Okay, pet?"

I watched his face for a moment. Had Spike guessed why I'd been out here, why I had yet to make my way to Buffy's bedside? I drew a shuddering sigh and nodded, grateful for a few hours more reprieve. That was a few more hours I had to come up with the words I needed.

"Funny thing, that," he said, sitting down beside me with his back to the wall.

"What?" I asked, catching a few more tears with my fingers.

Resting his arms on his knees and tilting his head to meet my eyes, Spike replied, "Wouldn't think lookin' at ya now that you're the same bint that went on a demon-extermination spree this mornin'."

I chuckled sort of humorlessly, admitting, "I don't feel like her. I went a little crazy, getting my power back all at once like that."

"Mmm," he hummed and nodded. "I got my visions back all at once. Hurt like a bitch."

"Mine was the opposite," I told Spike. "It felt too good. Getting all my power back."

"Made you go balls-out crazy?"

"What?" I laughed, sniffing once because of my runny nose.

Spike smiled and scratched his eyebrow. "Used to dream of it, when I still had the chip. I would get it out, have my fangs back, and just go fucking insane on you people. 'Course by the time I did get it out, I had the soul…"

"Yeah," I nodded. "That must have been it."

"Thought so," he nodded, sitting with me in silence for a few moments.

Eventually, I asked, "Was it difficult, being without your visions? Did it feel like you were missing something? I couldn't breathe without my magic."

"Nah," he let his head fall back against the wall and shook it. "I didn't even notice they were gone until they came back."

"I wish there wasn't such a big difference between me with magic and me without it," I told him, envious. "I wouldn't be so scared of having it, then."

"Would you give it up, Red?" Spike asked, picking at his nails out in front of him. "If you could be rid of it forever, would you do it?"

I gasped at the suggestion. Would it be better? Being helpless Willow again? Would it be easier letting it go? Would everyone else be safer, or in more danger? "I don't think I could," I told Spike. "Would you give up your visions?"

Shaking his head, he said, "No. They might be painful, but it's nice knowin' I have 'em back. Knowin' I'm still important to Angel's mission. To him."

Taken aback, I said, "Anyone can see you're important to him, Spike. For much more than just the mission."

"Thanks," he nodded. "You're a sweet one, pet." We sat together for another few moments, before Spike looked at me again. "I figure we've got to find you somethin' like my soul, yeah? Keep you in check without takin' your power all the way away."

Sighing, I told him, "I know. And I know there are people … well, beings … that can help me. I just have to ask."

"And there's the rub, eh?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "I have to admit I can't handle it anymore. Not after LA, and now this. But that means stupid disappointy looks and sympathetic words and people feeling sorry for me. Or thinking I should have known better…"

"There's always that, Willow," Spike said, standing up and holding his hand out for me. "No matter what you do, people will talk. Do what you need to do, and just tell everyone else to bugger off."

Sighing, I realized that Spike was right. I couldn't go on with this, disappointing the people I cared about and getting closer and closer to the edge where I would end up doing something I really regretted. So, I reached up and took his cool, dry hand, letting him pull me until I was standing. Taking a deep breath and then letting it out, I asked Spike, "Will you come with me?"

His eyes darting from the door to the infirmary and then back to me, the blond nodded. "Yeah, luv. I can do that for ya."

"Thanks," I said, leading the way to upstairs rooms. We walked together in silence until we came to one particular door. I must have stood outside it for close to a minute, had raised but not knocking, before Spike gave me a gentle shove.

"Go on, then, Red," he whispered in my ear. "Show 'em all what good stuff you're made of."

Smiling uncontrollably, I knocked on the door and held my breath until it opened. Without even meeting his eyes, I blurted out, "Giles? We have to talk."

And there's the promised ending!

The gang's adventures are continued in the already-up first chapter of Episode 4 - Carnivore: After Spike has a vision of his favorite slayer in mortal trouble, can he get to her in time? How will Angel feel about being left behind? Will Buffy take to being the damsel in distress? Angel/Spike/Buffy. Also, some Xander POV in there for you guys.

I hope you go check it out, and please don't forget to review. Thanks!