The scaffold was coming apart at the seams, but Xander and Dawn were still a good 40 feet up from the ground. They couldn't descend any farther down, before the tower was starting to tip over too far.
The next few seconds seemed to take forever to Xander. He had to do something quick. Still holding to Dawn, he grabbed a pole that had detached from the main scaffold.
Between Xander and Dawn's weight and the force of Xander grabbing the pole, it started falling in the opposite direction of the scaffold.
Xander's pole vault idea was better than jumping, but not by much. A few seconds later, they both crashed into the back of a dump truck.
All the remaining Scoobies could only watch in horror, as they saw the scaffold come crashing to the ground. As soon as the dust cleared, everyone raced toward the other side of the site toward the truck in a panic.
Angel got there first, and climbed up the side of the truck then leaned over into the payload section.
The whitehats nearly had heart failure, waiting for Angel to do something. But Angel came over pulling their two friends back up from the back of the truck, much to their relief.
Xander and Dawn were both covered in dirt, looking worse for wear as Angel helped them out. Dawn got to the ground, and Buffy hugged her. Both of them started crying, as soon they embraced.
Buffy was so grateful Dawn was all right. Xander jumped down next, and with tears streaming down her eyes Buffy mouthed a thank you to Xander.
For his part, Xander was just happy it was over. As he brushed himself off, Gunn asked him, "Dude, what was you thinking doin' that?"
"Gunn, I honestly have no clue. Spur of the moment, I guess," Xander told Gunn, as he seemed to be looking at something in the distance.
"So that's it?" Cordy asked the group. "I mean, we saved Dawn and stopped Glory. Mission accomplished, right?"
***
"That damn annoying kid! We were so close this time!"
It was Doc, or at least Doc's head. His body was about 30 feet behind him, searching for his head. Since he couldn't see the rest of him, the demon just bided his time and fumed.
"Next time I go back, I'm just killing that little bastard straight off...and the Slayer, and all her friends too! I was just too lenient on him and...what the-?" Doc stopped his ranting, after feeling some liquid being poured onto his head.
***
Xander dropped the empty bottle of lighter fluid next to Doc's head. He then walked over to where Doc could see him.
Xander's cold demeanor made even Doc cringe. He pulled a book of matches out of his pocket and lit one, holding it right in Doc's face.
"You lose," Xander calmly told him.
The young man then tossed the match at Doc, as he turned to walk away. After a few second of agonizing screaming from Doc's head, his body slumped to the ground, finally dead.
Xander left the site with his friends, immediately afterwards. Buffy and Gunn both held their arms around him, as they got out of there.
***
The whitehats all got back to Buffy's house around five in the morning, and just about every single one of them collapsed from exhaustion. Xander in particular slept unbroken for almost twelve hours.
After the fight, the only thing the Scoobies wanted right now was to sleep.
But not all of them could. Giles still had a business to run, even though he'd spent most of the night helping the others. He told Tara to take the day off, because he could tell she was exhausted.
Thankfully it was a slow day, so Giles closed early. After the Watcher locked up, he went over to the box from Doc's house that Faith and the others had brought over the previous night.
He rifled through the papers, and found the one he was looking for. It was one of the first papers he'd looked at, when he and Wesley were researching. And Giles had purposefully hidden it from his partner, after finally figuring out what it was.
The ancient text was the spell Doc had used to go back in time and change history – to destroy Xander's life.
Giles knew that if Xander discovered the document, he would be adamant in wanting to use it to fix things. Buffy and the others would probably support him too.
Emotionally, Giles could agree with what the others would want – but intellectually the British man knew that he had to be reasonable about this.
Things had worked out; the world had been saved, and Glory was dead. If we changed the events of two years ago, Giles wondered, would Glory have succeeded?
He wasn't ready to gamble with the consequences of that action. As much as he didn't like it, Giles decided the others could never know this spell had ever existed.
His research had showed the text to be over 10,000 years old, which meant it predated recorded history. Some people would be willing to pay him a fortune for this spell.
"No. It's just too dangerous. This must be destroyed."
Giles pulled a lighter out of his pocket, and set the parchment on fire. He dropped it into the metal trashcan, and watched Xander's chance at righting his past burn to ashes.
"I'm sorry, Xander, I really am..."
At that point, Giles decided to make sure if Xander ever needed anything in the future, the young man could depend on his help.
***
That night the refreshed Scoobies did the only thing that came to mind, they celebrated. They had beaten the impossible odds once more, and now they could relax. Music was blaring, and the Scoobies were getting sloshed.
"Man, I never thought I'd kill my own sire," a drunk Spike told Angel, as they both sat on the couch in Buffy's house. "I mean, Drusilla drove me nuts and that floozy Harmony...God, but that was such a mistake. Angelus, you 'ave no idea about my women troubles."
"You?" Angel was just as drunk as Spike. "Not only did Dru try to kill me – again – in the last year, Faith tried to do it as well. I had a psycho cop blame me for all the crap in her life. To top it all off, Darla came back from the dead and tried to rip away my very soul! You've got women troubles?!? Man, you don't know what it's like..." Angel was almost sobbing, like people do when they get drunk.
"Ya know, mate, we don't need 'em! We can do fine just like we are! You 'n me, we're just fine like this without any nancies trying to make our lives hell. To freedom from women!" Spike held up his beer in a toast.
Angel followed suit. "Freedom from women!"
Tara and Cordelia just watched from the other side of the room. "And they wonder why I'm gay. Cordy, I'm surprised you're not upset."
"Nah. Getting to watch them heave their guts tomorrow is revenge enough..."
***
Xander was with his traveling buddies Faith and Gunn, in the kitchen.
"You really wanna do this, Xander?" Faith asked him. Gunn was just silent as he looked on.
"Yeah. I have to, ya know – if I don't, I'll be second-guessing myself for the rest of life."
Faith seemed to agree. "You wanna find your folks. Hey, I think it's a good idea."
"Faith, you sure you don't wanna come with me?"
"I really want to, but...I dunno, I really screwed up last time I was here. I think I need to work out some issues with everyone in SunnyD, before I get on with my life."
Xander nodded, "I understand. The offer's open if you ever change your mind."
"Thanks, boy toy," she smiled and walked out, leaving Xander alone with Gunn.
"Are you gonna be okay if I leave?" Xander asked his best friend.
"It's cool, man, I can catch a ride back with Angel. So, have you told the others yet?"
"You kidding? I really suck at goodbyes. I'm just gonna leave my number. It's just easier that way."
"Bro, that just ain't right. You should tell 'em."
"I know. I know, but I've made up my mind. Like I said, it's just easier this way. There is one thing I need to take care of, though. Hey, Gunn. You're my best friend, ya know that? Thanks for being there while I was goin' through this."
"Hey, what are friends for..."
Lorne had just come into the kitchen with a mixed drink, and found who he was looking for. "Xander! I finally found you."
"What's up, Lorne?"
"Well, I was watching you two while you were butchering Stain'd in the living room a little while ago..."
"Hey, we wasn't that bad!" Gunn complained.
"Sure you weren't," Lorne deadpanned. "Xander, I read you in there and I think you should know – that your aura's changed."
"It changed?" Xander asked, not really believing Lorne.
"My guess is that Doc's little field trip really messed up what your destiny was supposed to be, and, well...your aura was blank. Now, I've never seen one of those before but I'm pretty sure what it means is that your future now, whatever happens, it's your choice. You've got one hell of an opportunity here that no one else ever has had. So make the best of it."
After contemplating that Xander told Lorne, "I will. Thanks."
***
"I just wanted to tell you I'm really sorry about what happened in the magic shop last night. I was pissed at everyone and not just you, but looking back I know it was a mistake."
Xander was sitting across from Cordelia in the dining room. He felt like at the very least he owed her an apology, after all this.
"Xander, you don't need to apologize. If anything, I should be the one saying I'm sorry. I made your life a living hell after we broke up, 'cause I was being a jilted bitch. Yes, I admit it," Cordy sarcastically flashed her award-winning smile, and they both laughed. "Finding your parents, eh? You are going to call me from time to time, right?"
"Yeah. I'll keep in touch."
"You better, or you'll just be asking for trouble!" They laughed again, as Xander and Cordelia hugged and reestablished their friendship after two long years.
***
Early the next morning, Xander was up before everybody and quietly making his way out. The only sound was somebody throwing up in the bathroom.
It's probably Angel. He was asking for it, after drinking that much...
Xander took one last look around, but just as he got to the door he heard someone clearing his throat behind him. He turned around and saw Giles, Willow and Buffy behind him.
"Wha-? How'd you know I'd be..."
"Gunn told us you were gonna leave early. We couldn't let you do that. Not without us saying goodbye first." Willow said, as she hugged Xander. He shook hands with Giles next, and hugged Buffy after that.
"Xander, thanks for everything. You saved Dawn. I owe you everything – again. If you ever need anything, just ask us. Please. Don't hesitate." Buffy was grateful her old friend had come back, he had saved the last of her family and she would try to pay him back somehow.
"Yes, Xander, please know we'll always be here if you need anything. We're only a phone call away."
"Thanks, guys. I appreciate it." Xander handed Buffy a note. "I was going to leave this for you. The number for my cell phone's on the bottom. Take care, guys."
Thus, Xander got into his car and for the second time in two years, he left his own life behind.
***
Xander did have one stop to make before he left town, though. He drove over to one of the cemeteries in Sunnydale, and found what he looking for.
It was his tombstone. Faith had told him about it, during the trip from LA.
Xander looked at it for a long time. He would've been freaked at any other time in his life, but right now he surprisingly wasn't. The former Zeppo was still kind of in awe though, as he read the inscription.
Alexander Harris
February 14, 1981 – March 19, 1999
He saved the world
Xander smirked, "Well, twice actually, but who's counting?"
***
When he made it back to Mona, Xander found Amy waiting for him. She was standing on the other side of the car from him, and looking hopeful. "Hey."
"Uh, hi Amy. What're you doing here?"
"I overheard you talking to Cordy last night. I used a locator spell to find you, after you left."
"Why?"
"Well...most of Buffy's friends don't exactly seem to be too fond of me after I helped Glory, and since you're leaving town I was kinda wondering..." Amy picked up a backpack on the ground near her and held it up to him, while arching her eyebrow.
"But what about your dad? Isn't he here?"
"Nope. When I vanished after being turned into a rat, my dad left town. No forwarding address."
Gee, that sounds so familiar... He shrugged, "Oh, what the hell. The car ride woulda been boring by myself anyways. Welcome aboard."
"Awesome. So, Xander, any idea where we're going?"
"Not a clue."
"Cool."
They got into Xander's convertible, and drove off. The young man tried turning on the radio while he drove, but it wasn't working.
Amy magically waved her hand though, and the radio started playing.
This is gonna be interesting. Xander thought to himself. He smiled, listening to the lyrics from "Hero" by the Verve Pipe.
I can't believe that
it was good for anyone, to me worth the wait
I doubt that anybody
got their money's worth
But the attention sure
felt great
With all eyes upon me,
some filled with tears, some couldn't see
It burned like a
cancer when the answer did occur to me
Creep from the cradle,
but a hero's what I wanna be
Keep it moving people
cause there's nothing more for you to see
I'm just a jerk, but a
hero's what I wanna be yeah, oh yeah
The End
Author's notes: I just want to say thanks to everyone who made a review or emailed about this story. Thanks to Dabear, Hullabaloo, Drake Roberts, WBH21C, Bolo, Jillian, Person, Rob Clark, Krisseth, Varthan, Malaskor, Furious George, Top Quark, Corvinus, Amelia, Skep, Wayne, Sharpe, Xand-man, Vegakeep, lwbush, Xanderluv, Calen, Phantom Dennis, Boulder, Angelic Gemma, Icewing, Hitmanhand, White Werewolf, Allison Grace, Majin Gojira, Chico Jr., Nikapi, Bobbert, Mims, Kate, Lazarus, Maggie, Jace, Jane McCartney, Obsidian, Chorlton, Lauriena, Phill, Darklight, John McCarrick, SaintMike999 and Theo. Thanks to all you guys for the comments, I don't think I would've been able to finish this without them.