DISCLAIMER: I do not own either Slayers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Uhg! Why do I keep getting up so early in the morning on a weekend," Xander mumbled into his pillow. He rolled over and caught a glimpse of a pink book cover on his bedside table. "You you are the reason for my early awakening on this most holy occasion of no school," he yelled accusingly at the book. It was a rather comical sight of Xander in his boxers with his hair flying every which way pointing at a small book and glaring at it like it was some blasphemes object that's sole purpose was to ruin his weekend.

After the events of last night Xander had decided that he would actually ask for help with this magic stuff. If I had had someone with me when I was trying to meditate they could have shaken me awake when it was getting so late, or at least helped me fight off the vampire.

Finding someone to help him was in itself a small dilemma. Of the people who knew about the supernatural in this town only a couple would be willing to help him. Buffy and Willow were immediately crossed off his list, while they might be his bestest buds he kind of wanted this to be a surprise for them.

He could picture it now Buffy and him patrolling a graveyard late at night when all of a sudden ten vamps jump out of nowhere and start going toe to toe with the buffmeister. Even with the numbers advantage she has them on the ropes when all of a sudden one gets in a lucky shot. A high kick to her chin sends Buffy smashing back into a mausoleum. Despite her obvious head injury she gets up to fight to the last when all of a sudden, queue trumpets, Xander Harris steps up to the plate. Buffy begs for him to run but he gives her that cocky smirk that most dashing heroes use that says relax I got this. She expectantly swoons her looks of love and admiration switch to looks of shock and amazement when he launches a fireball right into the center of the clump of vamps setting them all ablaze. "Oh Xander your my hero," she'll say. "Of course Buff I'll always be here to rescue my favorite damsel in distress. Then he'll summon a white stallion and ride off into the sunset or sunrise with Buffy and they'll live happily ever after.

Ah if only that's how it works, Xander thought. Still even if the big reveal doesn't happen exactly like that he still wants it to be a surprise.

Ok so Buffy and Willow are out so who does that leave? Giles and Cordelia oh and Amy I think that's it. Wow I really don't have very many friends especially ones that are in the know. Well Cordelia is out while she might help us out from time to time she is still queen C and won't stoop to help the King of the Cretins with something less than the world ending. Amy knows about the supernatural but do I really trust her to help me out with this also her and I aren't really buddy buddy that's more her and Willow. I guess that leaves Giles, but he has to train Buffy so he won't be able to focus on helping me. Well any help is better than none so Giles it is. First thing in the morning I'll head over to his place and give him the lowdown on what happened last night. At the very least he can give me some tips or help me find a safer place to practice.

That is what led to Xander getting up at 8:00 AM on Sunday. Xander had just gotten dressed and was just finishing his cereal (hmm count chocula the only good vampire in Xander's opinion) when he realized he had no idea where his favorite brit lived. Realizing that he had a problem he did what he always did in these situations he called Willow.

"Um hello"

"Willow it's me Xander"

"Xander what are you doing up this early on a Sunday"

Crap I forgot how early it was. Ok think Xander think you need an excuse she will believe but won't make her suspicious. "Um well I uh didn't sleep well so I got up early Ha Ha guess that will teach me not to eat a box of Twinkies before bed."

Hearing Willows giggle over the phone Xander knew he was out of trouble on that front. "I told you silly you're not supposed to eat anything after 8 o'clock because your body starts to go into sleep mode so your digestive system slows down. You better watch it mister or there will be even more of my Xander shaped friend than there was before."

"I know I know you've told me before but you know I can't rest if there is a full box of my chemically created fluffy slice of heaven left in my house."

"But you didn't rest last night"

"Point to you"

"So Xander what did you call for? NotthatitsnotokforyoutocalloranythingcauseIreallyliketotalktoyoyuitsjustweirdforyoutocallsoearlyandonasundayandI'llshutupnow"

"Ha Ha telephone Willow babble got to love it, but actually I needed your help"

"Sure of course what do you need?"

"Well do you know Giles' address or can you find out for me?"

"Sure I can just get into his personal file at the school that should have it but why do you need it?"

Okay think Xander this is another sticky point. "Well we had our 'guy's night' on Friday and didn't have much to talk about except for demons and stuff so I helped him to sort out some books. Talking about all of it really got me thinking that I need to learn more about all of this if I want to stay alive and help Buffy, so I borrowed one of his books, but I kind of need his help and didn't want to wait till I see him at school tomorrow. I figured I could swing by his place later today and ask him my questions there." There not exactly a lie but also not the whole truth that should settle her curiosity and gives me a good cover story. Xander my man you are a Genius.

"Oh sure that's great you know I've been telling you for years you should read more and now you know books aren't bad at all," she said at almost babble speed. "Okay here it is 3441 Oakhurst lane"

"3441 Oakhurst lane got it thanks a lot"

"No problem I'm happy to help out anytime bye Xander"

"Bye Wills"

Okay so Giles lives at 3441 Oakhurst lane that's not too far that I can't walk and I can even pick up some doughnuts to bribe him with mwah ha ha ha Xander you are an evil genius. All bow to the power of the sugary morning snack food.

The walk over to Giles' place was uneventful and his doughnut stop wasn't nearly as expensive as it normally was though that was probably due to Xander not having to buy extra jelly filled ones since Buffy wasn't going to be there to steal them all.

Knock Knock

Xander hoped that Giles would be up and willing to help him really didn't have anyone else he could ask that he was comfortable with.

Xander only had to wait for at most a minute before the door cracked open just enough for Xander to see the security chain and Giles' surprised face.

"Xander my word what are you doing here," Giles asked?

"Well I was kind of hoping you could help me out with something but can we talk inside." He then held up the box of doughnuts. "I even brought food to bribe you with."

With a chuckle Giles shut the door to unlock the security chain and opened the door again. He stood aside to let Xander in. Even though it was sunny out one could never be too careful or fall out of practice.

"Very well what is it that you need that you felt the need to bribe me as it were," he asked as he led Xander to a couch.

Giles' apartment was almost exactly like Xander had pictured it. There was a musty smell to the air like old books that probably came from the books and journal that littered his apartment. Some stacked up behind the couch Xander was sitting on and more laying open on his table across the room. There were also a few weapons lying here and there. A sword was leaning against the wall a crossbow was resting on a shelf boxed in by books and an ax was resting in front of Giles on his coffee table with a polishing rag on top of it.

Before Xander sat down he pulled out the introductory book and sat it next to the ax. "I was going to ask you if you could help me with this." Giles only raised an eyebrow in reply, so Xander continued.

"Yesterday I started reading it and I learned so much about the different styles of sorcery. It made me even more excited to learn it," Xander began his explanation before he was interrupted.

"So you jumped ahead and something went wrong didn't it," he asked with an exasperated sigh?

"No I didn't have anything go wrong I just wanted help in case it did and well I might have had a tiny mishap," Xander defended himself. Just as he finished Giles' teakettle started whistling.

"Hold on let me get my tea would you care for a cup?" "Uh sure why not," Xander answered.

When they both had a cup in front of them Xander picked up his story. "Well I learned that this kind of magic is split into three different pieces White magic Black magic and Shamanistic magic. Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses and people all have different levels of um aptitude I guess for the different types. Lina had this meditation technique to find out which form of magic you have the best aptitude for. Well I went to the park cause it seemed like that's where you're supposed to do stuff like that. At first I was struggling with clearing my mind cause the park is really distracting, but I finally managed it on my last try." He paused to take a drink of his tea. That still weirded him out that he was actually enjoying drinking tea.

"Well I managed to block out all of the outside noises and focus inward closer and closer until I found my magic like the book said. According to the book I was supposed to find my magic and call a ball of it into my hand while thinking about finding out my magical alignment. I don't know how to do that though and when I tried to grab some off of the ball it popped and felt like it was filling me up."

"Oh you stupid stupid boy that was one of the worst things you could have done," Giles started to scold him while he cleaned his glasses. "Proper meditation and access of a magical core should take several weeks if not months while you try to coax your magic to slowly separate and form your magical pathways. That book was obviously meant for someone who had already had some magic training if it didn't tell you the proper way to access your magic."

You could clearly see how upset Giles was and how worried. It was really touching to someone who grew up with adults that could care less if he lived or died. Still Giles could see that his explanation was confusing the poor boy.

With another sigh Giles tried a different explanation, "Okay you have a cup and a water balloon. You want to fill the cup with the water in the balloon without spilling any the easiest and safest way would be to untie the balloon and guide the water into the cup. However; this takes time to untie the balloon and then to fill the cup, while a quicker way would be to simply pop the balloon over the cup and hope you fill it without splashing any water out. Your magic is the water and the cup your body the balloon is your magic container. The safest way to fill your body with magic is to untie the balloon and guide the water while the quickest way was what you used. You popped the container and hoped your magic would fill your body without burning it up with spilled magic".

"Xander you had a one in a million chance of surviving what you did most people combust due to too much magic being forced into immature pathways," Giles finished his explanation. During his longwinded explanation of the dangers Xander faced he watched the boy's face grow paler and paler. Both of their teas lay forgotten on the table.

"I-I didn't know," Xander was clearly shaken up over what could have happened to him.

Seeing the boy clearly had no clue of the dangers of what he did and was so horrified of what could have happened lessened the worry Giles was feeling. The boy will definitely be more careful from now on it's a shame what I have to tell him now.

"Xander of the few people who survive activating there magic like you have one in ten of them retain their ability to use magic."

"What do you mean Giles," Xander asked?

"This process of activating your magic forcefully burns your magic pathways open this generally burns the pathways up so while you may be alive you may never be able to use magic I'm so sorry Xander."

"Ha that's cool G-man err Giles I used magic my magic to get away from that vamp later so I'm pretty sure I can still use magic," he said with a relieved grin. It would have been horrible to finally find a way to be useful to the group and then have it yanked away because of a stupid accident.

Xander was so relieved that he almost missed the stank eye Giles was sending him but he did see it and started to get really nervous. Who knew Giles could pull off the intimidation thing so well the man has some hidden depths he thought to himself.

"Got away from what vampire Alexander?"

"Um well uh you see after I had popped my magic bubble I woke up from my meditation but I hadn't realized how long I had been under so what had once been a sunny park in the middle of the day was now after sundown in a secluded spot in Sunnydale. I didn't realize how late it got or else I would have already left I wasn't planning on staying out that late so I didn't even bother to arm myself," Xander said in a rush that was reminiscent of Willow babble.

"Xander that was an extremely foolish thing to do I can forgive you losing track of time as it was your fist time meditating but to not arm yourself. You know what kind of town this is and that not all of the monsters we face hide from the light from now on you will always have at least a stake on you. Am I understood?"

"Sir Yes Sir," Xander replied he had to restrain himself from saluting Giles.

"Now carry on with your story as your still here talking to me I assume you escaped somehow."

"Well when I woke up it was dark and it took me a few minutes to really understand what that meant I was kind of out of it. Then I heard the growls and I tried to get up to start running. Luckily my legs were asleep so when I went to get up I fell and the vampire that was lunging for me flew over my head and knocked himself out on the rocks I was sitting next to."

Giles had managed to calm down and had just finished his now cold tea when a thought occurred to him. "Xander I thought you said you used magic to get away from a vampire was there more than one?"

Xander gave Giles his patented lopsided grin, "Nah the old Harris luck ran true I was almost out of the park when the vamp I thought was unconscious tackled me to the ground."

"He had me pinned and was inching closer and closer with his fangs. All I had that was saving me was one hand trying to hold back his face. There wasn't a rock or stick I could reach to get him off of me I thought I was doomed and then I remembered my magic. I didn't know any spells except for that meditation trick but bringing a ball of my magic out into my hand was supposed to be simple according to Lina, so I figured I could blind him long enough to get away. I'm not really sure how I did it but I suspect adrenaline but I managed to focus magic into my palm and then I let it go right into that vampires face. I don't know why but instead of simply blinding him the beam of magic burnt out his eyes, so I hightailed it out of there and decided to come to you for help since I don't want a repeat of last night."

"Xander you are by far the luckiest human being I have ever met," Giles said shaking his head. "So Giles will you help me with this sorcery stuff I'm kinda worried about working this out myself?"

"You know that my focus will have to be Buffy and her calling as the Slayer, but I don't see why I can't spend a few hours here and there helping you with some of the more difficult concepts," he said before he picked up the book he had let Xander borrow and started flipping through it.

"I figured it would be something like that so I was actually prepared for you to refuse outright hence the sugary goodness to bribe you," Xander said with a grin he then proceeded to grab one of the 'sugary goodness' and took a bite. "Hmm jelly."

"While the 'bribe is appreciated it wasn't necessary I'm more than willing to help any of you children however I can. It would be wise though to seek the aid of Miss Rosenberg," Giles started to say before he was interrupted. "Actually I was kind of hoping we could keep this a secret"

When he saw the hard look in Giles' eyes he quickly added, "Not for long I just want it to be a surprise and don't want to have the big reveal until I have something substantial I can show them."

After a few moments in which Giles was subjected to Xander's puppy dog eyes he finally caved. "Very well I will keep your secret and help you as best I can but not today. I have plans and would like to read this guide myself before we start anything. Buffy has training tomorrow after school but if you stick around when she goes home to prepare for patrol we can begin then."

"Yes Giles you're the best," Xander said jumping off the couch.

"Yes yes I know now off with you I have my own errands and now another book to read oh and leave you 'sigh sugary goodness' Buffy always seems to eat all the jelly filled ones." "No problem Giles I'll see you tomorrow," Xander said as he walked out the door.

"Dear lord what will I do with that boy," Giles said to an empty room.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: sorry for the long wait unfortunately there will more than likely be more of them. Right now I don't have consistent access to the internet to post anything. Combine that with lack of inspiration for any of my stories means my updates will be few and far between. Sorry to all of my readers for this but I hope you stick with my stories. As always please review and tell me what you think. I always try to respond to any reviewer even if it's just a good job or please update. On the address of Giles apartment I wasn't sure if it was correct or not so If anyone knows please let me know. Happy Thanksgiving!