By Razial Flash Back

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or any of the other characters from the show or connected media they belong to Joss Whedon and whoever else owns the rights.

Pairing: Xander/Cordelia/Mary Jane

Notes: AU buffy verse starting in the future and then jumping back to the past somewhere in the middle of season 2 before Angel turns into Angelus, also I have created a new character that will play an important part in the story and will be a love interest for Xander alongside Cordelia.

Summary: Dying the last of the Scoobies makes a pact with Janus who wants to create chaos whilst also preventing the end of the world, finding himself back in the past he must convince his friends of the truth of his been from the future or history will repeat itself and they will all die one by one.

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(Sunnydale Ruins, 2025)

Alexander Harris sat against the ruined wall of what had once been the Sunnydale High School so many years ago, he had vowed never to come back here but the war had pulled him here anyway and sadly it was here he was going to die. He was the last of the now infamous Scooby Gang as he had nicknamed their group although he had been parted from it for more than several years before its official end, by that point Buffy and Willow had become shadows of their former selves. Lost in their powers which had only grown over the years of struggle, it had gone to their heads and Buffy's two deaths and resurrections had done serious damage to her psyche before her final demise. He didn't know when they had turned from the light completely but they had, in the end he supposed it didn't matter just that they had fallen. He had personally been forced to kill Willow back in 2015 when hyped up on dark magic's she attempted a ritual to enhance her powers beyond rational desires, that she had also sacrificed five people including the woman he loved had made the mission all the more personal and tragic. Buffy had finally been killed by her supposed lover the Immortal once he no longer had need of her, by then he had used her to corrupt many of the new Slayers and Watchers Buffy had controlled in the New Watchers Council. The empowering spell that activated a large percentage of potential Slayers during the Gang's fight with the First Evil back in 2007 had been the end of Sunnydale back in the day leaving nothing but ruins and portal inactive, had he been present he would have argued against the spell or at least insisted it be modified to only include those potentials in Sunnydale at the time.

Snorting he doubted they would have listened to him, after the whole Glory mess back in 2005 he had realised they had no longer truly saw him as one of the Gang or someone to respect and listen too, he had left Sunnydale far behind and found new friends and allies as time went on including the woman he had come to love Mary Jane only to lose her due to Willow's madness. Losing her lover Tara to an insane geek with a gun had probably pushed Willow further down the dark path she had fallen into, Tara had been a pure soul, she had managed to keep Willow stable for a time and with her death there was no one left to fill that role. Grunting he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pants pocket and quickly pulled one from it, as he was about to die he saw no reason not to enjoy one last smoke. Once he had one in his mouth he quickly lit it with his lighter and breathed as best he could without causing himself further pain from his wounds, blowing out the smoke he contemplated how the rest of the Gang had perished one by one until he had become the sole survivor. Giles had been killed by the Immortal not long after he had killed Buffy to cement his rule over the now corrupted Council, Faith had led a rebellion against him with many of the Sunnydale potentials who had become Slayers following but they had lost in the end when they were caught in a pincer between corrupt Slayers and Watchers and a huge force of Demons and Vampires. Oz had sadly been tracked down by Werewolf Hunters somewhere between Buffy and Willow's deaths. Cordelia had suffered the worst fate in his mind, used and abused by the supposed Powers that Be as well as her own group who failed to notice she was in trouble, he had always known Angel Buffy's former undead lover was heartless and self-involved but what he allowed to happen to Cordelia at the hands of the Power known as Jasmin just proved it. That the rest of Angel's crew Wesley, Gunn, Fred and Lorne had all died within a year just added more proof of that fact. Fred suffered the second worst fate as her body was taken over by an Old One which basically annihilated her very soul, Going back further into the past there had been Jenny Calendar or Janna who had been murdered when Angel had lost his soul and become Angelus once more, and Kendra the Slayer called before Faith who had fallen at the hands of Drusilla. And before that his and Willow's friend Jessie had been turned by Angel's sire Darla forcing him to kill him to save Cordelia's life during the first year they had known Buffy, he had seen so much death in his life that he had become almost numb to it. Taking another drag from his cigarette he wondered just what would happen once he died, was there truly such a thing as an afterlife? He wondered.

"So just going to give up are we Harris?" a voice asked from the side making him grunt in pain as he turned towards the sound only to find the source was someone he had multiple dealings with in the past going all the way back to his time in Sunnydale with the Gang.

"I'm dying Janus; all my allies who came with me for this fight are dead" Xander spat in annoyance. "Mary Jane and Cordelia the two women I can honestly say I loved are dead, my former friends are long dead what is there left to fight for?" he inquired as he took another drag from his cigarette.

"Never took you for a quitter Harris, but I suppose the fact you are the last of your group to fall should say something shouldn't it" Janus shot back. "They all thought you'd be the first to go not the last, your friends or former friends as you stated lost their way became dark or fell in the long struggle and the women you loved died well before their time in the worst possible way as well but you are still alive or at for now you are" he mused.

"Not for much longer Janus soon I'll be dead as well and I can finally rest and maybe just maybe I'll see them all again whole if there is an afterlife" Xander replied coughing as the loss of blood began to affect him.

"Perhaps but I aint ready for you to go just yet and I especially am not ready for the world to end so I am here to offer you something Harris, something that will benefit us both" Janus shot back knowing that if he did not push this along soon that Harris would die which was one of the reasons the Demons had left him here as well as to watch them finally succeed in opening the Hellmouth.

"What could you possibly offer me Janus?" Xander inquired trying not to get too curious as he knew the God of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, doorways, passages, and endings as well as chaos could not be trusted.

"A second chance to do this again, to save your friends and more importantly the women you loved and if you are really lucky stop the world ending" Janus stated honestly deciding they had no time for him to be vague or play games.

"What's in it for you?" Xander asked not too sure what to make of the offer.

Could he really go through all that he had again even on the off chance he could save Mary Jane and Cordelia or any of the others, was it worth the pain and struggle he would have to go through if he did except?

"Stopping the end of the world isn't enough?" Janus inquired looking insulted before letting out an amused smile at Harris's look of disbelief. "Fine it will cause complete chaos for those wankers the Powers whose stupidity helped bring this all about" he added. "Better hurry choosing though Harris you don't have long left to live" he warned.

Xander took one last drag of his cigarette before throwing it away and blowing the smoke out of his mouth, it was a simple choice really because no matter the pain and struggle and heartache he had gone through if he had been able to save any of those he had lost especially Mary Jane and Cordelia then it would have been worth it.

"I have to remember what is going to happen, Janus and I will need my skills and abilities that I have now if I am going to pull this off" he stated coughing again causing some blood to leak out of his mouth.

"Done, wouldn't be any good if I sent you back a blank slate as the same shit would happen again and that would be boring" Janus agreed. "Just remember one thing Harris I want you to cause as much chaos as you can no matter what you have to do to make it happen, give those stupid Powers all the headaches you can" he commanded.

"I can get behind that, oh one last thing before you do your thing make sure Mary Jane finds her way to Sunnydale" Xander requested.

"I can do that after all that will cause some lovely fun between you the cheerleader and the temperamental redhead you love" Janus agreed with a loud laugh. "Ok let's get this show on the road before you really do die" he stated as he began to draw on his powers. "Oh one last thing there may be some side effects of this so just be careful when you first wake up" he warned before he trusted his arms out and unleashed his power over Xander who was forced to close his eyes at the brightness of it all. Janus smirked as Xander Harris vanished a mere few minutes before he would have died, they all had a chance now at things turning out differently and perhaps those idiot Powers would get their comeuppance much sooner than they had this time.

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(Harris Residence, 2002)

Xander awoke and just managed to stop himself from screaming in terror as pain engulfed him as well as thousands of images poured into his head, images so terrible he felt like clawing his own eyes out. He rolled out of his bed and collapsed to the floor curling into a ball as he continued to see things that should not be possibly, his whole body felt frozen and did so for the next several minutes until finally the images stopped and he began to realise that the images were his own memories of a time that had not yet happened. Slowly sitting up he frowned as he recalled the last memory he had of making a deal with the God Janus, had that really happened or had he dreamt it? Climbing to his feet he wobbled unsteadily on his feet before lurching forward and heading for the bathroom, it was once he got there and turned on the light he realised the answer to his silent question. Above his left eye was a long red scar that he knew he'd not possessed a few minutes before, but he recalled gaining it eight years in the future fighting a Vampire called Marcus. Clearly the deal he had made with Janus in his memories had been true and he really had been sent backwards in time, to change events to stop the end of the world and if he could save the lives of his friends and more importantly the two women he had loved in his life. Of course he also recalled making a promise to cause as much chaos as he could as he went, to give the Powers that Be as many headaches as he could for what they had allowed to happen on their watch.

'Easier said than done Janus' he thought and actually cursed his older self for making such a promise because getting Giles and the others to listen and actual believe him was going to be tricky and could only be done by bringing up some rather dangerous subjects. Subjects he was supposed to have no knowledge of at this point in time, and subjects that could tear the Gang apart just as they had done so before in another time. Splashing water over his face he went toilet and washed his hands before heading back to his room, 'what to do?' he wondered.

He glanced at his clock on the nightstand and noticed it was only five in the morning thus way too early to go anywhere as it was still dark out, even with his skills and abilities intact he didn't want to put them to the test until he could do so in at least a safe manner with Giles. He trusted Janus a little considering he had done as he had said and brought his memories backwards, but clearly he wasn't completely his future self as it sounded more like his past self with his future self's memories. Janus had said there would be side effects to the transference, perhaps the scar and the way the transfer had happened were what he meant. Lying back down he knew his alarm would go off in two hours so he would be up in time for school, two conflicting thoughts hit him at the same time at the thought of going to school again. One was the usual distaste of school especially as it was on top of the actual mouth to hell, the second was the annoyance of going through high school once more when he had in a sense already completed it and blown the fucking place sky high. He had very clear happy memories of blowing Sunnydale High up, granted it was during a rather dark time as they were battling the damn Mayor who wanted to ascend to Demonhood. So many problems were on the horizon but first he had to deal with preventing the return of Angelus and if he was lucky the death of Jenny Calendar, not an easy prospect because he just knew Buffy and Willow would try and make this about jealously.

'Ha' he thought bitterly there was no feelings of jealously where Buffy and Angel was concerned just disgust, hell there hadn't been any even before this night as he had seen how little Buffy could treat someone she supposedly call friend when she used him as a damn stripper pole to make Angel jealous at the beginning of the year. He was if his memories were not playing tricks in the beginnings of his relationship with Cordelia as the trouble with the Tarakan assassins had already happened which meant he did not have much time before Buffy's 17th birthday and Angelus return. Letting out a sigh he closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep as he knew it was going to be a long day, before his vision faded out the image of a beautiful redhead appeared in his mind before it faded along with his consciousness.

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(Sunnydale High)

Xander sneaked onto the school grounds and headed directly to the library knowing there was another half hour to go before it officially opened, but he wanted to at least get to Giles before the others turned up. If he could convince Giles of the truth then it was half the battle done, and one thing he knew Giles had knowledge of was Janus. Entering the library he found Giles doing inventory looking somewhat tired and annoyed, more than likely having just got through the usual faculty meeting with Snyder and the rest of the teachers.

"Xander?" he questioned upon taking note of his presence. "You are not supposed to be here yet, and I have never known you to arrive so damn early" he pointed out.

"We need to talk Giles before the others arrive and note I am more serious than you have ever seen" Xander shot back as he sat down at the table. "How much do you know about Janus Giles?" he inquired taking the older man by surprise.

"Enough to know one doesn't take his name lightly as I think you already have found out from our encounter with Ethan and my own past history with the group we used to run with in our youths" Giles answered as he too sat down wondering where this discussion was heading. "His powers are in the upper echelon of higher beings, he has multiple faces aimed at different aspects of his personality" he continued. "He can be a very unpredictable being, when one gains his favour it is not without its dangers" he added.

"Well Giles I gained his favour or more to the point my future self will gain his favour, I will have multiple run ins with him over the years until my last meeting with him as I lay dying in the ruins of Sunnydale in the year 2025" Xander stated cutting into Giles's explanation.

"What are you talking about, have you lost your senses?" Giles inquired removing his glasses and putting them on the table as he stared at the rather intense looking young man.

"No Giles I haven't, take a closer look at my face and take note of the scar that now runs down my left eye" Xander replied and once he noted the Watcher had done as he asked he continued. "That was not there yesterday or even before I went to bed, it happened during the night when the transference occurred" he told him. "What transference?" Giles inquired standing up and beginning to pace.

"Memories Giles, memories of a future that for us has not happened yet" Xander answered calmly. "I will make a deal with Janus as I lay dying to come back and try and stop the end of the world and if possible save as many of our friends lives as possible, I will also promise to give the Powers many headaches over the coming years for allowing events to reach the point it did" he explained. "And I can prove what I say by one word Giles one word only" he added.

"And that word is?" Giles inquired wondering if the boy was telling the truth or had lost his mind.

"Cruciamentum" Xander stated even as his eyes darkened and seemed to glare at him.

Giles felt his body freeze up in horror as the word was spoken; it was not a word Xander was supposed to know or any of the group. But did that prove what he was telling him or had he come across something in one of the books he had read maybe one he missed in removing from his collection no, none of the books he used to help Buffy in her duties dealt with the Council and their traditions.

"What do you know about that?" Giles asked warily.

"It's a test held on the Slayer's 18th birthday designed to see if they are what the Council calls a true Slayer when in reality I think it was designed to keep control of the Slayer line and ensure none of them got old enough to break from them" Xander growled out as he recalled Buffy's own Cruciamentum next year. "The Watcher of the Slayer is ordered to drug his Slayer with a formula that will strip them of their speed, strength and extra senses and dull their reflexes which is why most Slayers if not all who reach 18 died then and there" he continued his tone growing darker. "Only a few have made it past the test and of those most die pretty quickly afterwards somehow, and I would not be surprised to find the Council responsible for those deaths" he mused. "Once the Slayer is deemed ready they are forced to fight a Master Vampire, if they live they are regarded as a true Slayer and if they die they are considered a failure or at the least an average Slayer and one last thing if the Watcher fails in his duty to drug his Slayer or warns her of the test he is immediately fired" he finished.

Giles felt himself collapse into a chair as his faced paled with Xander's almost perfect description of the Cruciamentum, it was knowledge he could not possibly have and yet he clearly did have it. The look in the boy's eyes sent shivers down his spine as he considered the fact that next year would be Buffy's 18th birthday, and he suddenly realised if Xander was telling the truth he would have more than likely done his duty and performed the test on Buffy hence the dark look and anger in Xander's tone.

"Tell me Giles how can the Watchers claim to be the protectors and guardians of the Slayer line when they use a test that kills nearly 90% of them that reach 18?" Xander inquired.

"Truthfully I do not know, many have argued against its continued use in current times including myself and my Father before me" Giles answered with a sigh picking up his glasses and wiping them with his handkerchief absently as it gave him something to focus on other than the knowledge of how many young girls had probably died going through the Cruciamentum. "The Council is run by men steeped in centuries old traditions that they do not want to change, more than likely due the idea they would lose the power they process" he admitted. "The very fact you know what you do gives your tail weight, but before I believe Janus is behind this please show me your wrist" he requested.

Xander frowned but got up and moved over to where Giles sat and pulling his jumper up showed him his wrist, it was now that Xander noticed something he had missed when he had dressed this morning. On his wrist was a tattoo, a tattoo of the many headed Janus. Giles simply nodded his head and let out a sigh, clearing Xander was not mad and had clearly found favour with Janus.

"I once too had the mark of Janus when I was young but it faded away when I joined the Watchers and became mired in their traditions and rules" Giles admitted as he stood up and faced the boy. "I believe you Xander, you bear the mark and that could come from no other way but one from Janus himself" he stated. "I take it we are in for dark times?" he inquired making Xander snort at the massive understatement.

"You have no idea Giles, what is coming is a nightmare and it starts with Angel and Buffy" Xander replied with a sad shake of his head. "I need you to call Jenny in here; she can help me explain what I mean" he requested.

Giles considered the request and wondered what Jenny had to do with Angel and Buffy, still best find out before his charge made her appearance especially if it was something that the blond Slayer would not like. He quickly returned with a very confused looking Jenny Calendar, he had given a quick brief summary of why he needed her to come to the library thus Xander would not have to repeat what he had already said.

"Ok Jenny is here Xander now what does Angel and Buffy have to do with the nightmares you say are to come?" Giles inquired missing the very uneasy look that Jenny now wore as she waited for Xander to give up her true identity if what Giles had told her held any truth.

"I'm sorry Jenny but Giles needs to know the truth about your mission here and about who you really are" Xander started directing his first statement to the uneasy woman watching him.

"I'm sorry what mission and what do you mean who she really is?" Giles inquired instantly confused.

"Go ahead Xander best get it out of the way now" Jenny finally said with a sigh as she sat down and trembled slightly at what reaction Rupert would have to who she was and why she was really in Sunnydale.

"Jenny's true name is Janna Kalderash of the Kalderash Tribe who long ago cursed Angelus with his soul and thus created Angel, since that time a member of the tribe has watched Angel no matter where he is to keep an eye on him and ensure the curse holds" Xander explained glancing sympathetically at Jenny who watched Giles closely for his reaction. "She couldn't tell you Giles just like you cannot tell Buffy about the Cruciamentum, orders from the Tribal elders" he stated as Giles continued to absorb his answer.

"Why do they need to ensure the curse holds?" Giles inquired as a way of distracting himself from thinking about Jenny's true identity and the possibility she had been using him to keep a close eye on Angel.

"Come on Giles you know better than that" Xander chided him. "Curses are always meant to be broken no matter what, problem is the Elders never tell their selected watcher how the curse will be broken so they have no idea what to watch out for" he informed him. "Jenny's mission will fail and due to us allowing Buffy to fuel our anger at her supposed betrayal we will push Jenny out of the group, in her desperation to make things right she will try and retranslate the soul curse into English so as to cast it on Angelus once more but she will be discovered by Drusilla who sees what she is up to and warns the bastard" he explained causing Jenny to pale as she realised what was to happen to her in things played out the same.

"I die at his hands another of the Kalderash lost to that sadistic cruel animal" Jenny spat bitterly.

"Two actually, your Uncle comes to Sunnydale to explain the truth of the curse and dies first before you Jenny" Xander admitted with a sigh. "We were stupid allowing Buffy's anger at you to force you out, you had a duty to perform and we should have excepted that as you have been a good ally to us since we joined up with Buffy" he told her as Giles sat down and tried to process this rather horrible tale of events to come. "You had no choice but to follow your orders, but all Buffy saw was the loss of her lover disgusting though that idea still is and that is not jealously talking Giles as I know that is what Buffy and Willow who is blinded by the idea that Buffy and Angel are playing out Romeo and Juliet" he continued. "Don't forget I am in a relationship with Cordelia right now, and there has been no feelings for Buffy since she used me as a damn stripper pole to make that undead twit jealous when she first came back this year" he stated.

"Oh by the goddess Uncle Enyos not him as well, it had to be him who would come to tell me the truth" Jenny cried out in shock as she realised who Xander meant when he said her Uncle, granting she had three back in the Tribe but only one she was close too and saw as a mentor.

"I'm sorry Jenny but with luck it will never come to pass any of it but to do ensure it does not happen we have to somehow convince Buffy and Angel to give one another up" Xander told her as warmly as he could.

"Why?" Giles inquired finally putting aside his disquiet about Jenny's identity and pulling her into what he hoped was a comforting hug, he was relieved she seemed to embrace it as just that. "Why is splitting them up so important?" he asked again only defining what he was asking.

"Angel's curse is anchored sorely by the pain and suffering he feels for Angelus crimes, if even for a moment he completely stops feeling that pain and suffering the curse will break and sadly Buffy can give him that one moment like she will on her 17th birthday" Xander answered. "At the worst possible moment as well, because it will be at the time Spike and Drusilla attempt to reassemble the Judge" he added.

"Oh good Lord please tell me you are joking?" Giles insisted paling as he recalled everything he knew about the Judge and just how powerful it had been and what it had taken to defeat him the last time he had been whole.

"Afraid none of this is a joke Giles, seeing what is to come for all of us is a literal nightmare" Xander summed up his thoughts on knowing the future. "I will be the last Scooby to die or at least approach death before I made my deal with Janus, me the so called normal one can you imagine how much death and destruction I witnessed including the loss of two women I loved as well as all of my friends most who died and some who were corrupted?" he inquired but expected no answer.

"Buffy will never believe this Xander you have to know that?" Jenny spoke up finally regaining some control of her emotions after the revelations of what Xander had told her was to come. "She is completely under Angel's thrall" she pointed out.

"I know it will be hard to do Jenny but we have to do it and what is truly insane is I am counting on Angel seeing the wisdom of this, not Buffy" Xander agreed. "Angel did once show some brains when he left Sunnydale at the end of next year when he realises he can't be in constant contact with Buffy without slipping up again, he refuses to take the risk and thus goes to L.A" he explained at their looks of disbelief.

"Still it will be very hard for Buffy to except it even if and I do stress the if Angel can be counted on to see sense" Giles concluded feeling today was going to turn into an uphill struggle.

"At least by convincing you two first I have won half the battle Giles, you know Janus the best in the here and now and Jenny knowns I cannot possible know what I can any other way than my tale even with it sounding like something out of the movies" Xander stated as he sat back down at the table.

"I suppose with our agreement you have knowledge you cannot possible know it will give your story some credibility" Jenny agreed with a nod of her head. "Xander I can't help but ask you said some of us will be corrupted, I would like to know who you referred too?" she inquired instantly gaining Giles complete attention.

Xander let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair wondering how to tell Giles especially that the two young women he saw as daughters would fall; he knew the older man especially saw so much potential in Willow. Buffy was the daughter of his heart whilst Willow was more the daughter of his brain and intelligence, so how did he explain they would lose their way and become consumed by the darkness they fought.

"I'll tell you because it might it easier explaining it later to the others, but Giles just keep a hold of your temper and remember if we are lucky it never has to happen" Xander finally said. "Buffy and Willow will become consumed by the powers they process, and I am not just talking about personal power such as the Slayer package and magic but power over others" he admitted to Giles complete horror. "Willow will fall into a complete addiction to magic, not a surprise since her first spell was the soul curse which Jenny completed translating before her death" he added bitterly. "As I said this thing with Angel starts the ball rolling for our mistakes and errors leading to our fall, without proper guidance she keeps leaping far ahead of where she should be and the magic will burn her goodness up from the inside so all that's left is the darker parts of her soul" he told them amazed Giles hadn't lost his temper yet. "The last slim hope we had of saving her was lost where a new ally called Tara was murdered right in front of her eyes, she skinned the bastard who did it alive Giles and then went on to try and end the world forcing me to confront her as Buffy was busy fending of some zombies and she had drained you of the power you got from some coven to confront her with" he pushed on with his tale.

"Why didn't I take her under my wing and guide her?" Giles asked trying to keep an urge to yell and shout at Xander for telling him how the young woman he saw possibly becoming his apprentice and taking his place as a Watcher would fall in such a horrific way.

"You always had other problems to deal with mostly dealing with Buffy, after we dealt with Angelus and his attempt to end the world with Acathula she ran away for the Summer and you spent it searching for her" Xander answered as Jenny got up and began to make Giles a cup of tea to try and help him calm down. "Once she returned you had other problems, some stemming from Joyce finding out about Buffy's role as the Slayer then Faith Kendra's replacement turning up then your firing when you helped Buffy deal with that damn test of the Watcher's and also our big fight against an even worse big bad than Angelus and his buddies" he informed him. "Willow seemed to be doing fine and I am sure you thought she knew better than to get ahead of herself in her studies, perhaps you gave her too much credit but she abused that and went too far too fast" he concluded with a shake of his head as Giles accepted the cup of tea from Jenny.

Giles couldn't help but curse his future self as he knew more than anyone what the abuse of magic could lead too, he, Ethan and their friends had pushed the boundaries far more than was safe for any human and if he was lucky to still have his soul. Lucky that he had been able to pull away and redeem himself somewhat, especially in the eyes of his Father rebuild their relationship before his death. He should have known better than to leave Willow to her own devices where magic was concerned, should not have taken it on faith she would know not to rush things. Clearly he had given her too much credit and allowed her to drown in her power, completely oblivious to what was happening to her.

"What happened to Buffy?" he inquired downing half the cup of tea even though it was still pretty hot.

"As you know she died last year if even for a short time but it was still enough to mess her up, she came back still pretty much messed up by what happened and to be honest our mistake was not getting to see someone to talk it out Giles and that was the beginning for her" Xander began knowing so far he had been lucky Giles was still in control of himself. "Her relationship with Angel and its fallout once Angelus returned due to her mistake and its consequences pushed her further down the path, the next two years proved just as troublesome and hard as mistakes and hardships followed but she managed to hold her head above water" he added looking troubled as he recalled what he knew. "It was their first year of college that things changed as Spike became a semi attached member of the group after a military black ops group implanted a chip into his head stopping him from killing people and with Angel now in LA I guess she saw him as a new project to work on although thankfully there was no romantic feelings involved at the start" he continued. "The year after we ended up fighting an honest to god hell goddess Giles, halfway through that mess we lost Joyce to a brain aneurism which devastated us all but Buffy and Dawn especially and at the end during the final battle she sacrificed herself to stop the hell goddess" he paused as he stood as paced a little.

"Oh dear god a hell goddess" Giles mumbled as he finished his cup of tea. "And the loss of Joyce would have played havoc on her but who is Dawn and why would losing Joyce impact her as much as Buffy?" he managed to inquire.

"Dawn is another subject for another day Giles and I best get into it when Buffy is with us" Xander replied. "At the end of that fight I left Sunnydale and the group as I had become fed up with the way I was treated by them, ignored and not taken seriously anymore and thus everything I know about what happened next came from outside sources" he explained launching back into his explanation. "Willow by that point had crossed a line when she used black power to attack the hell goddess the year before, she became obsessed with resurrecting Buffy and from what I am told used the ritual of Osiris to bring her back to life but she fucked up in leaving Buffy's body in the coffin buried underground forcing Buffy to claw her way up like a damn Vampire" he went only to be cut off by Giles who looked enraged.

"I would never have allowed Willow to perform such a ritual Xander no matter what had transpired" Giles insisted knowing exactly how dangerous that particular ritual was.

"You weren't there Giles, from what I heard you left Sunnydale after Buffy's funeral and headed back to England for a time so you weren't there to stop her" Xander explained with a helpless shrug. "Anyway Buffy was back but she was mentally damaged from been dead and then brought back again and again there was no attempt to get her any kind of help, it was here Spike began to gain influence over her and convince her she had come back wrong due to the fact he could hurt her and a very disturbing relationship began" he went on noting the darkening look in the Watcher's eyes. "It continued for most of the year but she did try and pull away only for Spike to attempt to rape her before fleeing Sunnydale and somehow gaining a soul but from what I heard it wasn't like Angel's deal thus still acted very much like a normal Vampire" he told them. "The last year of Sunnydale brought the worst fight ever against the First Evil and its forces, it wiped out the Watcher's Council and began picking off the potential Slayers as fast as it could" he continued. "Before their destruction they sent a bunch of potential Slayers to Sunnydale so Buffy could protect them, sadly their faith was misplaced a sense of power overwhelmed her and egged on by Spike treated them like the Council had treated Slayers over the years and even once locked some potentials in a crypt to fight a Vampire on their own" he paused as he noted the look of horror Giles wore at this detail. "One died the others managed to kill the Vampire but it caused some anger towards Buffy and Spike, it got worse as she led them all against the enemy stronghold without proper recon and strategy and lost several of the potentials only to go back and try the same thing once more thus causing her to be kicked out of the leadership position in favour of Faith for a time" he moved on wanting to get through this. "Eventually using an ancient weapon found in the enemy stronghold Willow created a spell to activate every Slayer there was, had I been there I would have argued to alter it to only effect those potentials in Sunnydale but they didn't and thus hundreds of young girls were activated and a lot of them died never knowing why as they were hunted down and killed by Demons and Vampires" he paused before continuing. "They defeated the first and destroyed its forces and even closed the hellmouth destroying Sunnydale in the process, but they lost a hell of a lot of lives thankfully Spike was one of the causalities but he had already done the damage" he stated.

"Her sense of been in charge I assume?" Giles inquired feeling sick at the idea of the girl he looked upon like a daughter call fall so far.

"Yeah she started acting like only she could be the leader and treating those under her like slaves, they created a new Council and began to recruit the new Slayers as well as new Watchers to help fight an influx of enemies" Xander nodded in agreement with his statement. "She began dating another wanker called the Immortal and he used her to get involved with the new Council quickly finding likeminded people who just wanted power, he corrupted many of them and when he no longer needed Buffy he killed her and you and took complete control of the corrupt Council" he explained. "Faith and those like her tried to stop it but they were wiped out, the world fell into darkness and war followed soon after with very few left to fight" he concluded.

"Where were you in all this why didn't you try and help this Faith and her followers?" Jenny inquired.

"Fighting my own wars Jenny alongside my own people and a woman I had come to love, I didn't find out about any of this until after it had happened and by then it was too late to help Faith and her people" Xander answered. "I also had made a vow not to go back to Sunnydale and I held to that until forced to go back when they tried to reactivate the hellmouth and there I fell along with the rest of my people, all dead fighting a battle that had already been lost so long ago" he muttered feeling the agony of loss his future self-had felt as he watched his friends and allies fall.

"I find it hard to believe you would ever leave Sunnydale Xander, what about Cordelia?" Giles inquired looking at the clock on the wall and noting that they had another ten minutes before the school officially opened.

"I lose her next year due to my own stupidity and hormones, I cheated on her with Willow and it blew up in my face and I think that was the moment my position in the group began to fade as Cordy wanted nothing to do with me and Buffy and the rest of your blamed the whole thing on me whilst Willow cut herself from me so she could get back with her boyfriend" Xander answered. "I became the least needed person around, I fucked up but what I got was way beyond what was needed and it only got worse for me as the next two years progressed" he added with a conflicted look in his eyes. "Funny thing is I still can't understand how I ended up in the position with Willow, I've only ever looked at her like a sister and yet somehow someway I end up having an affair with her behind Cordy's back" he mused unable to process what his future self-had been thinking. "It was the beginning of Cordy's losses as next her parents were arrested for tax evasion thus she lost all her money and possessions and then after the end of next year she left for L.A to be an actress but ended up helping deadboy in his new mission, that ended in tears for her and it just seems so scripted like all those losses were made to happen so she would go to LA and hook up with Angel thus leading to her eventual fate" he continued almost lost in his own thoughts.

"You're leaving things out aren't you?" Jenny inquired having been listing quietly as Xander and Giles talked about the slow downfall of Buffy and Willow knowing it had to be difficult for Rupert to handle.

"Yes I am but it's better that way Jenny at least for now" Xander shot back hoping they wouldn't press for more.

"You've told us how Buffy and myself dies but you didn't mention how Willow dies please what happened to her?" Giles inquired.

"You don't want to know that Giles believe me I wish I didn't know" Xander insisted but Giles persisted as he knew he would thus he relented. "I will kill her Giles with my own hands in 2015 when she attempts a ritual to gain power beyond mortal comprehension, to do it she will sacrifice five people including the woman I love to achieve it thus I will track her down and end her once and for all" he informed him feeling cold as the memories of that moment surfaced.

Giles and Jenny both stared at Xander unable to truly comprehend what he was saying, before this day it had always been apparent that Xander and Willow the closest of friends almost like family but clearly it had now ended that way if the look in his eyes was anything to go by. The idea that the young red head would sink so low as to sacrifice five people including a woman Xander loved showed she must have truly lost her way, and clearly the woman who had been lost had meant everything to Xander if it had pushed Xander to actually track Willow down and kill her.

"I want to argue about your vision of the future Xander where they are concerned but I can hear the honest to god horror in your tone as you spoke, the look in your eyes tells the tale as well" Giles finally said feeling weary. "I just do not know how we are going to explain this to them now, the very idea of what their futures may entail for them down the line could destroy them" he admitted.

"You think I like been the messenger Giles I don't, like I said the minute I tell them about how Angel's curse can be broken I bet you they will accuse me on making everything up and still be jealous of their relationship" Xander told him frustrated because he knew they faced an uphill struggle. "That is why I came here early and talked to you too first, at least with you guys on side they will at least listen because I can prove I know things I can't know even about them" he stated.

"Let's hope it is enough or this isn't just going to go badly from the start" Giles concluded as he stood and made his way into his office to pull some of his personal journals about the Watchers, Janus and Angelus.

"I note you didn't actual tell us how Buffy can break the curse" Jenny said into the silence as they waited for his return and the eventual arrival of the others. "Obviously it is not as simple as her having feelings for him, so what is the trigger?" she inquired. "It may help in the future if we can avoid his release in the here and now, thus ensuring other Watchers for him are alert to the truth" she added.

"On her 17th birthday after a big fight against Spike, Dru and their forces to gain a piece of the Judge and prevent him from been woken they will sleep together and I don't mean mindless sex but honest to god making love" Xander answered unable to hide the disgust he felt at very idea of a human and Vampire having sexual relations and Jenny's face instantly showed her own disgust.

"Oh god that is sick" Jenny gasped in honest to god horror, her mind could not comprehend the idea of a human actually willingly having sex or making love to a Vampire no matter if it did have a soul as the soul like with Humans could be as black as any Demon. "How can anyone let alone a Slayer sleep with a Vampire which is nothing but a corpse, it doesn't breath or have any body heat" she protested.

"I believe all Buffy sees or has ever seen is his good looks and considering how she was described in Merrik's diary's as a typical cheerleader type with more interest in boys than seeing a world beyond such things well that is not too surprising" Giles said as he exited his office with the journals and books he had collected. "After all that is what he was called over the years Angelus of the Angelic face" he pointed out as a bell rang signifying the beginning of the school day. "Still the error is not hers alone it is mine for every allowing their relationship to blossom, no matter that he has helped us I should have ensured he could not get too close to Buffy" he stated darkly. "The folly of my choice to allow it has now been made clear to us all, Angelus released and Jenny killed" he growled.

"And sadly Buffy bears some responsibility for it as he had gotten so close she would not kill him even after we beat the Judge and she had him dead to rights, we lost a dozen people including several of our classmates before we lost Jenny and only then did she snap out of whatever funk she was in and prepare to do her duty" Xander admitted. "She still allowed him to play her whenever they came into contact even leaving Kendra to defend the library on her own during Willow's first attempt to cast the soul spell so she could meet with him even though we told her it was a trap, she wouldn't listen and it got Kendra killed and you Giles were kidnapped and tortured so Angelus could learn how to activate Acathula" he pushed on knowing there was no point in stopping now. "She had to be pushed the last little bit for the final showdown by Whistler a balance Demon, I was forced to lie to her about Willow redoing the soul spell even though she had just come out a coma as I knew it would wreck Buffy's concentration and thankfully she managed to do it she stopped him been forced to send him to hell as he had activated Acathula and only his blood could stop it" he continued. "She ran away after that for the summer, as Joyce had also discovered the truth of her role as the Slayer I suppose the argument they got into just helped push her past any point of wanting to stay" he finished.

"I dread to think of what else you can tell us about what is to come" Jenny said with a shiver as she began to pick up the sounds of arriving students.

"We'll only just begun to get into this mess Jenny" Xander told her calmly making her shiver again whilst Giles contemplated just what kind of effect this was all having on the young man's psyche.