Family's Ties

By: Robert jackson

All for fun, and enjoyment. This not for any profit.

This is an AU story. Its starts at the end of the 2nd season Buffy and 16 years after 3rd season Roswell. The last reason on Roswell takes place in 1983. It's what if Xander's Parents were Max and Tess.

Rated: 15 due some bad words. Rateing might change on other Chapters but those will be Rated seprate

Roswell 1983

Max sat on the front porch of his home, holding his son.

This was a bittersweet day for him. He was holding his son, joy filling his heart, while at the same time, knowing that he was going to give him away.

Last week, Tess had returned to Roswell from Antar, bringing his son Xan back. And her return caused everything to fall apart. She had been forced to leave Antar when Xan's DNA was found to have only human DNA. Panic-stricken, she ran to protect her son from Kivar, the King of Antar.

Then, when her ship had returned, it had been shot down by an Air Force Jet. The ship was captured before she could get away, and taken to Eagle Rock Air Force Base just outside of Roswell. The military investigating had forced open the ship, and Tess had killed everyone in the room to get her son out, and then ran to Max to protect her and her son.

Unfortunately, the Military had tracked her. So again, she did what she would always do protect her son. With the help of Liz Parker, she went to the base and killed everyone that was part of the Alien Hunter Special Unit in a massive explosion, taking out everyone who might be a threat to her child, along with all of their records.

And her own life.

Max also knew that Kivar was still looking to kill him and anyone else looking to side with him, and that the FBI would still be looking for him and the others. He could not, and would not, put his son through what he was going to be going through.

And with no alien DNA, his son would not have to run.

He could have a normal life, away from danger.

"Max, honey, it's time," Mrs. Evans told her son. Both she and Liz had been watching him with little Xan for hours. Both of them knowing it was for the best. That, and no one knew if or when the FBI or any of Kivar's men would show up.

Max reached down and lightly rubbed his hand across Xan's head. A small pulse of light flowed from his hand into Xan's head.

"What was that?" Mrs. Evans asked in awe.

"Just a memory," Max answered. "The adoption papers say we can't contact him after he leaves here. I just want him to remember that I loved him."

Sunny Dale 1998

Day of Discoveries.

Night time.

Xander was sitting with Willow, waiting.

She had found a new spell, and needed a willing subject and that was Xander's job. He was trying to get back on everyone's good side since the Fluke. For some reason, everyone seemed to blame him more than Willow, and he was content to keep it that way. Willow and Oz were working on staying together, and Cordy could not stay in the same room with him anymore. He felt he deserved the way everyone was treating him, anyway. He was a screw up. He knew it; Hell, everyone knew it. But he did want to be better. So here he was, sitting on the floor of Oz's bedroom. It was the only place that was free of parents tonight. Oz was sitting on the bed watching while he read some sheet music that Devon had got for the band.

The spell was to draw out Xander's true self, what ever that meant. He was Xander, that was his true self. But still, Willow had pushed and pushed. So here he was, with his butt going to sleep on a cold hard floor.

"Hey, Willow, could this spell go strange like the love spell?" Xander asked.

"No, Xander," Willow said with a small huff. " It's been 'no' every time you've asked in the last hour."

"I know. But with the love spell, everyone wanted me or to kill me from being with anyone else. I mean, what if this spell changes me into some thing else? I don't want to be a chair or a rock."

"Xander, it only brings out what you are on the inside, not turn you into something else. You would only be more you. Nothing can go wrong."

"DON'T SAY THAT!"

"What?" Willow looking up from her book.

"You'll jinx us, you know that."

"Xander, calm down. There is nothing to this. This spell just shows you your true self; maybe it'll release it, too. Not really sure about that part."

"WHAT?" Xander roared at Willow. "You don't know what the spell will do?"

"Of course, I know," she replied. Then added, in almost a whisper, "Just not everything."

"I think I should be going," Xander said as he started to get up.

"Sit down, Mister," Willow said, not even looking up from her book. "We are doing this tonight. Nothing will happen to you. So sit down and shut up for a while."

"But, Wills.."

"No talking! Spell starting," Willow snapped at him with her Resolve Face going.

Xander just sat back; he couldn't fight the face. Why is she using the face?

Then he just sat there as Willow started her spell.

Oz watched from the side lines. Just because had forgiven, didn't mean he had forgotten. He still didn't really trust them together alone.

The spell started. The circle around Xander started to glow. The candles marking the four corners of the world flared.

It's working, all three thought at the same time.

There was a bright flash and stars momentarily appeared in the air over Xander, in the shape of the Ares constellation, then they were gone. After the stars had vanished, Xander noticed that his skin had started to glow. And there was a itch with it. He rubbed his arms but the glow and itch only intensified.

Suddenly, a force picked him off the ground, and he started to spin. Slowly at first, then quickly going faster.

" Ahhh. Willow. Some help here," Xander said in a worried voice.

But before the budding witch could do anything, Xander's body started to glow from within and he suddenly felt like he was on fire.

Xander screamed.

Willow and Oz jumped up to help, but before they cold get to him, he was thrown across the room, hitting the far wall.

Xander looked up from were he lay on the floor, his clothes smoking.

"Willow. NEVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN!"

"I am so sorry, Xander. That should not have happened; the books said it's a spell that only finds your true self. Nothing like this should have happen."

"Well, I don't really care, I'm going home AND PUT MY CLOTHES OUT!"

"See you tomorrow?" Willow asked hopefully.

Xander just nodded his head, and then walked out the door. He had had enough for the night.

Next Day

Sunnydale High.

Xander was sitting in his Bio class.

He looked up, waiting for the next in a long line of teachers for the class to walk in. He had been assigned as a lab assistant by Snyder. He would help the teacher prepare the class assignments, staple paper, clean the lab, whatever was needed. Just grunt work for them 'til they find someone else to do the job. He had gotten the job by being seen in the halls at the wrong time, and been drafted by the Troll. He had covered for Buffy to get away, but he hadn't made it himself.

So here he was.

The new teacher backed in, pushing open the door with her back because her hands were full of papers and a briefcase of some kind. She turned around and saw Xander sitting there.

"Uhm, this is room 213?"

"Yep, I am your lab assistant till you get one you want here."

"Oh. Ok. I'm Mrs. Evans. Glad to meet you, uh...?"

"Xander. Xander Harris."

"Xander. That's an unusual name."

"It's short for Alexander. But everyone calls me Xander."

" Well, Xander, mind if I call you Alex?"

Oh great, a new stand-offish teacher. Just what I need, to be stuck with an uptight teacher, he thought with sour look on his face.

"I had a friend that was named Alexander when I was in high school. He was a very good friend. It'll be nice to have another friend that goes by Alex", Liz said when she saw his face. She stopped and looked more closely at him.

No it can't be. Xan? After all this time, have we found you?

Xander watched Mrs. Evans watch him.

What's wrong now? Have I got something in my teeth?

"Uh, anything I can help you with, Mrs. Evans?" Xander asked his new teacher.

"No, not right now. Why don't you take some free time. Do your homework or something. I'll just get my desk squared away."

"Ok. You're the teach, I am the teach-ee," he said with a smile.

One week later.

Xander was sitting in the lab. He had been doing that more and more lately. It was a cool place, and Mrs. Evans was a very cool teacher, right up there with Ms Calendar (or was Kalderash?). He still thought she was cool, even if Buffy wanted to stake her on sight.

Well, maybe not that bad; she was looking the other way, so Giles and Jenny could be together. But she was definitely not happy with Jenny. Especially about keeping secrets like the Gypsy Curse.

Not that he really cared about Deadboy, but he had hurt Buffy and Willow. If it was up to Xander, he would have staked him along time ago. But the Scoobies, he had noticed had started to push him back a little. He had no power or anything, so he was called on less and less. If he didn't ask daily, they would never tell him anything.

Even Oz was acting more strange around him. Apparently, for something besides the whole cheating with his girlfriend thing. He had overheard him talking to Willow that he had started to smell funny.

Smell funny? He took baths all the time.

But Oz still would still get upwind of him every time he was around. And his home has become a battle ground, with him a reason for the battles. His Mom and Dad were both trying to use him as a pawn in their fights. Just last night, he had found out he was adopted; that, according to his Dad, that his real parents were some kids that were just to dumb to use a rubber and then they just wanted him gone.

So here he sat in the lab.

Lately, this has become his only peace. Just sitting in the room, looking out the windows. Liz helped him with his homework, sometimes, and helped him understand it better, too. He had told her that if she was a guy, he would hit her for making him start to like schoolwork.

But it wasn't just that, really; she had given him something he had wanted his whole life: true friendship. Like he used to have with Willow, before everything went wrong. So, here he was, hiding out 'til school was over, and most of the teachers had gone home.

He had just set up the lab tables for tomorrow for Liz and was sitting, waiting 'til it was time to go. He really didn't want to run across anyone.

I'll just put my head down for a few minutes.

Boom

He jerked his head up.

It was dark.

And very late.

He heard someone running down the halls. Grabbing his books, he headed toward the sounds. As he got to the top of the stairs heading down, he heard someone coming up. Just then, Jenny hit the first landing, and Angel was right behind her. The vampire grabbed her and his hand was raised, going for a killing blow.

Without any conscious thought, Xander acted. He put his hand up and suddenly, there was a white flash of light and a thundering sound, and Angel was picked up and thrown through the window.

My god, What did I just do? Xander thought.

What in the hell happened ? Jenny thought, looking around. She noticed that someone was standing on the stairs above her.

"Hello. Who's there?" she called out.

Xander just stood there, wondering what had just happened, staring with disbelief at his hand.

Then he turned and ran.

"O god, o god, what the hell's happening? I don't have any power. Buffy is going to slay me," he mumbled to himself as he ran down the halls. He didn't notice that he had dropped his books as he had ran away.

Jenny got up and walked to the window. Angel was long gone, by now. Looking around, she saw some books lying scattered along the hallway. Picking one up, Jenny looked for the name on the inside cover.

Alexander L. Harris.

Later that night

Jenny was sitting on Giles' small couch. Jenny had been sitting there for over an hour, at first just shaking, then thinking, sipping the cup of tea that Giles had fixed for her nerves.

After a sip of tea.

"Rupert, I almost had the curse worked out, so we could get Angel's soul back."

" Almost? What happened?" The gypsy computer teacher hadn't said anything since she had shown up an hour ago. She just sat and shook. Giles had waited patiently for her to tell him what had happened, but even his English resolve was wearing thin.

"Angel. I had just about finished getting the curse translated, when he showed up. He destroyed my computer with everything on it, then came after me. I should be dead but..."

"But what?"

"Someone stopped him."

"Were they hurt?" Maybe that's why she was acting so out of place.

"What? Oh no! It's just a surprise to me."

"Who was it?"

"Xander."

"That's not a surprise. He would help anyone in danger."

"Oh, I know that. That's not what surprised me. Rupert, have you been teaching him any spells?"

"No, of course not. He doesn't have the discipline to do magic."

"Well, he is doing magic. I felt a force come from him that knocked Angel away from me."

"Are you sure?"

"No, not really. I suppose it could have been from something else. But he was there and it came from his direction. He also ran away after the attack."

"If he is learning magic, we need to know where and from whom he is learning it. And we can't ask him directly; he doesn't react well to direct confrontation. I have noticed that he has been acting as though he feels a little left out of the group. Maybe he has been studying on his own," he theorized. "I'll ask Buffy and Willow to keep a close eye on him, try to determine if he is doing magic. If he is, we will need to stop him. There is no telling what kind of mess he might get into."

Next day

Xander was sitting in the Lab again, having arrived early this morning. He had not slept well last night, after everything that had happened.

Was he a demon? He just willed something to happen and it did. If Buffy found out, what would she do to him? Slay him?

Willow – could he trust her to tell something like this? After all, she was with Oz so she clearly didn't hate all demon-y things.

On top of everything else, he had been having dreams that didn't make any sense.

He was on another planet, and his mother was there. But not the woman that was living in his home now. The woman in his dreams was short with blue eyes and blonde hair, with a soft voice that just warmed him all over.

Then he was on earth, somewhere in the desert. They were on the run, with people chasing them, and his mother was killing anyone chasing them, to protect him.

Then everything was blurry, and he was at some house with his father standing over him, rubbing his head. He felt at peace, there in his father's arms.

Only to then be given to the Harris family. And never to have that peace again.

Wait a minute, Liz was in that dream. She was standing by my father. No, it had to be just a nice dream.

He had wished for a home, not a house all his life but it never happened. It was all a dream, he had just fallen asleep at school and had a weird dream.

Opening a Twinkie, he started to eat it, but it just didn't taste right. Actually, nothing had tasted right in the last week. All of it was bland. He hoped he was not coming down with something on top of every thing else. He didn't remember ever being sick. Yeah, he had faked a few times to get out of things, but he never remembered really being sick.

But everything he had eaten lately needed some major spicing up. Nothing was sweet or spicy enough for him. He sat there looking at the table, wishing he knew what was happening.

As he sat there, Mrs. Evans walked in.

He glanced up at her. She liked him, and that was something new. Most of the other teachers here just put up with him, or just let him slide thought the class as long as he didn't talk too much. But with Liz's help, he had pulled his grades up from just about failing to a B in most of his classes, and to an A in her class.

"Hello, Alex," she smiled at him. She always called him that, no matter how many times he told her that no one called him that. Every time he tried to stop her, she would just smile and say something about her high school friend. Like, he loved music or how he would help her in class. Then he knew it was a lost cause.

He had found out quickly enough, she did what she wanted when she wanted. She'd even faced down Snyder in the halls one time when he was jumping on Willow after she was seen kissing Oz. Later, she had told Willow that something like had happen to her in school, but she had been doing more than just kissing in the hall. When Xander had asked how much more, she just smiled and said he would have to ask her husband, since he had been there.

"Hey, Mrs. E. What you need me to do today?"

"Nothing much. I just need some test stapled together."

"Cool. So I get to see my test before anyone else?" Xander asked trying to look innocent.

"Nice try. No, I have your class's test all ready. Your to staple the ones for homeroom and 6th period."

She was setting out a snack for herself while talking to Xander. It looked like chocolate with a red sauce on it. When her back was turned, he snatched a piece of it and dropped it in his mouth.

Man, does that taste good, Xander thought to himself. It was the first thing he had eaten in the past few days that tasted right.

Liz turned around, just in time to see him drop the chocolate piece in his mouth. She waited for him to spit it back out, but with a look of pure satisfaction, he swallowed the whole thing.

"Xander, are you eating my snack?" Liz asked him.

"Yes, Mrs. E. I just haven't been able to eat lately."

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Nothing tastes right lately."

"Are you feeling sick?"

"No, just been out of sorts. Can't sleep, either."

" Why can't you sleep?"

" Dreams."

"Oh. What happens in them?"

So Xander started tell her. Now Xander knew he wouldn't usually tell someone he had only know a few days about his dreams, but he had begun feeling that Liz was a good friend, while the others had all seemed to be watching for him to mess up again.

Liz seemed to look more closely at him as he told her about the dream. Especially after the part about how she was in it.

"Xander, were You adopted?"

"How did you know?" he asked looking at her. He hadn't told anyone yet. He was just getting his own mind around it.

"Well, I think what you dreamt was real." Then taking a deep breath, she added. "I might know your biological father."

Xander just looked at her, his jaw hanging open.

"If you want, I can see about getting you two together. But you cannot tell anyone. The adoption papers were drawn up so that he could not meet you 'til you're eighteen."

"Let me think about it," Xander finally said. "I don't know if I want to. He did give me up."

"He thought you were going to a better place than what he could give you, Xander. There were lots of things going on."

"Yeah, maybe so, but he did give me up." Xander said looking around the room, then " Let me think on it."

"Ok, but I think there are a lot of things that will be going on in your life in the next few weeks and you will need his help. Or mine, if you don't want his."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just wait. You're in for a fun ride. And just remember, we will be here for you. But you can't tell anyone."

Later that Day

Xander was walking down the hall toward their next class, heading for his computer class while Willow was on her way to America History, when Giles walked up.

"Buffy's sick. She's in the hospital, so you two need to stay in tonight."

Xander looks over to Willow, who shakes her head.

"Of course we will."

"Yea, G-man, not one to tempt Fate with Angelus running around; don't need the trouble."

Later, at the Hospital.

Xander, what are you doing here? You know he'll kill you if he shows up. Yes, but he will kill Buffy if no one is here at all, he thought to himself.

Just when he thought the night would be ok, the elevators doors opened and out walked Angel.

Jumping up, he moved to cut Angel off, and met up with the whistling vampire at the door to Buffy's room.

Looking him up and down, Xander challenged him, while taking a fast swallow.

"Visiting Hours are over."

"Well, I'm pretty much family," Angelus said with a smile that never reached his eyes.

"Yeah? Why don't you comeback during the day? Oh gee, you can't," Xander said trying to stay cool. In the back of his head, the words were echoing, "I am so dead."

"If I decide to walk into Buffy's room, do you think for one microsecond you could stop me?"

Just then Angel noticed that Xander's hand was starting to glow. He could see the bones through the skin.

What the Hell? The boy's smell is off, too. He's not human anymore, Angelus thought.

Xander could see a strange look come on Angels face.

He's buying it. Just push a little more and I might get out of this with my skin intact.

"I'm kinda curious to find out. You game?" he asked, looking straight into Angel's eyes.

"Buffy's White Knight. You still love her. It must eat you up that I got there first," Angelus said with a smile.

Anger surfaces on Xanders face.

"You're going to die, and I'm gonna be there."

The light in Xander's hand grew brighter.

Angelus thought now would be a good time to get out of here. Slapping the Flowers into Xander's chest, he said, "Tell her I stopped by."

Later, after Angel had left.

"Man I need a Twinkie." He looked around for a snack machine, but he didn't notice that a man watching everything he did from the nurse's station.

My God, he is one of us, Max had thought as he watched the altercation between the boy and the dark haired man. That look was pure Tess as he stood him down. I need to talk to him before he hurts someone. But how? Just walk up and say, 'Hi, I'm your dad, and you're an alien'? God, why can't my life be easy.

Xander had finally found some snacks and was sitting in Buffy's room. As he was eating, he thought, Even snack food in the hospital taste funny. These need something to spice them up.

He walked out in the Halls. The evening meal trays were there on some carts, so he looked them over for something to add to the snack cakes.

Tabasco? That might work.

Grabbing up the small packages, he headed back Buffy's room. After putting a coating on the cakes, he took a bite. Man, this the best ever. Why haven't I tried this before?

The Next Day.

Xander was walking to school, and just before he got to Willow's house, a small car pulled up beside him.

"Alexander," a voice called out.

Looking over, he saw that it was the guy from his dream.

"Alex, We need to talk. Would you get in please?"

"I don't know."

"I saw what happen at the hospital. Have you been craving sweet and spicy foods? Or have you been having dreams that about things you could not know. And when you touch things, you get flashes of things that have happened around them ?"

"Who are you?"

"My name is Max Evans."

"Mrs. Evans' husband?"

" Yes, and I am also your father. And I want to help you."

Xander got into the car slowly.

"Ok, You're my dad?" Xander asked.

" Yes, It looks that way."

" Liz, She's my mom?"

" No, Your mother was named Tess."

"Was?"

" She's Dead, Has been for along time. She died when you were a year old."

" What happened, Was it a car wreak or something?"

"I will tell you about that soon, I want to know what's going on with you."

" What do you mean?" Looking around as Max pulled the car over into a parking lot.

" I saw you last night at the Hospital. What's going on? Are in some kind of Gang problem?"

"Nope no gangs here." He didn't understand it but he was believing this man, Max more and more. Then it hit him. He remembered looking into his face. It was a sunny day, he had a space ship rattle he could feel love and sadness coming from him, His father.

" I remember you, You gave me away."

" Yes, I did. I had Hoped you would have a better life, My life at the time was nothing but problems. Everyone was after me, Michael and Isabel."

" Who and Who?"

Max let a small laught.

" Those would be my best friend, Micheal he was a hot head. His wife calmed him down thought. They live in England right know. You might have heard of her. Maria Guerin."

" The Singer?"

"Yes, He's an artist. Their both doing real well. And your Aunt. Is Isabel the Model."

" No Shit. Wasn't she wanted by the FBI at one time?"

" Yes, all of us were. But we Straighten it all out a few years ago They still watch us from time to time but its because of what we not who we are. Your family... Were not from around here."

"You mean not from the USA?"

"No, Were from way farther than that."

"So were from Canada?"

"No, Farther."

Oh shit I am a demon!

"Were from another Planet."

" WHAT?"

" Calm down. And I'll explain everything from the beginning."

Later that day

Xander walked into the library, not really looking around. He just wanted a place to sit that Cordy or the sheep could not or would not go so he could think. He found a seat and just looked at the books.

Giles was watching him from his office and was about to go over and find out what was going on with him, when the new Biology teacher walked in.

"Hey Alex. Just found out that Max told you," she said with a shy smile. "So... How you doing with finding out?"

"How did you feel when you found out?" he asked, looking at her.

She slowly sat down beside him putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't think you would want to find out my way. I was shot and he helped me. After that, my whole life changed."

"Did you know what had happened then?"

"No. Neither did Max. We found out everything slowly and with no help. We can help you through this."

"How? I mean my whole world has been turned upside down."

"Just remember, we are here when you want to talk about anything. I have to get back to my class. Stop by later and we will talk."

Xander watched Mrs. Evans leave the library.

He just sat and watched the doors swing, trying to put it all together in his head.

I am a Alien Prince.

My REAL father was a king in another star system and was killed and sent to earth, only to meet up with his old wife, who is also human now with a little extra in the mix. I was taken back to Antar. But they sent back because I was human. But it was really only my human DNA masking my Alien DNA.

And something has happened to me here to bring it out. Maybe Willow's spell did it. It was supposed to show my true self.

I have a Power now. Should I tell anyone? They already treat me like a child. But, hey, I do act like one a lot.

What do I do about Dad? I now have two of them and three moms, although one of them is dead.

He was so busy running all these thoughts through his head that he didn't see Willow walk in or notice that Giles was watching him.

He pulled out a Twinkie and then a bottle of Tabasco sauce that he had picked up last night. He covered the Twinkie with then Tabasco, then put it in is mouth. The others were just about to stop him when he bit down on it.

Willow stood back, waiting for the spit-take she just knew he was going to do when it hit his mouth, only to stop when a deep satisfied sound came from him.

"Xander, are you ok?" Giles asked watching the young man closely.

"Yea, G-man. Just family stuff," he said, jerking around to see Giles looking at him.

"Family stuff?" Willow asked.

"Found out I was adopted last night and met my real dad and his wife today. Just getting my mind around some curves there."

" Well, if you need anything, let me know."

"You got it, G. I'm out of here."

After Xander had left, Giles turned to Willow.

"Willow, keep a close eye on him if you would. Something more is going on just that."

"Like what?"

"I don't want to get into it.. It's just that I am a little worried about him that's all."

A few weeks later.

Buffy was out of the hospital, and was back in school. Together, Willow and Buffy had been tracking Xander around the school. He had been spending more and more time with one of his new teachers, Mrs. Evans, mostly in her class room.

Several times a week, they would go in and lock the door and block the windows. Something was going on. Jenny had tried talking to her and all she'd found out was that Mrs. Evans was friendly, talked a lot, but never said anything about her past or what she and Xander were doing.

Willow did some hacking on the teacher and found out that she was from Roswell, New Mexico, and that she had been part of an FBI manhunt at one time, along with her husband and some friends, all centered around the death of an FBI agent.

That had gotten Willow going. Xander, her Xander, was mixed up with a killer. A gang of killers, at that.

Buffy had wanted to go after her and get Xander away from Mrs. Evans, but when they confronted him with the information on the teacher and her husband, he told them to mind their own business. He'd said that she was his friend and to stop following him.

So they did what they always did. They followed him anyway.

"What's up with that?" Buffy asked as Xander walked into the room and the door locked.

Across from them, Cordy was watching too.

"Every free time he gets, he goes in there. Sometimes, she locks up and runs every one out," she said with one of her snide looks. "Dweeb boy finally found a way to pass the class."

"What do you mean by that?" Willow asked.

"His Grades were in the trash can, then he starts to get locked in a room with a teacher for hours, with the door locked and blinds closed , and then he suddenly starts to pass the class. You do the math. And why am I talking to you again?"

With that, she turned and walked away.

"Buffy, you don't think that's what's going on? Do you?"

"No, of course not. But we will just keep an eye on him anyway."

Inside the room.

"Ok, try this," Liz said as she held out her hand. Small green electric bolts ran along her fingers.

Xander held up his hand and soon, the Bolts started to run along his hand, too.

"This is so cool."

"Yes, it is. So far, you can do anything we can. The only thing we can't teach you is how to mind warp. Only your mother knew that trick, and she never wanted to share."

"Yeah, about that – my mother. Did you know her?"

"Yes, I did. I hope I even liked her at the end. But I don't think so. We fought over Max like two cats in heat. And she killed a very close friend to me. His name was Alex, too. That's why I call you that. He was very much like you."

"That's why you want to call me Alex all the time?"

"Yes, he was really special to me."

"Well, Mom, you can call me that all the time, if you want to," Xander said with smile.

Liz broke into a smile. He'd called her Mom. She grab him up into a hug and kissed his cheek. Just as Snyder threw open the door.

"Ah ha!" he yelled at both of them.

Across the hall, both Buffy and Willows' jaws fell open. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"I'll have your job for this, Mrs. Evans. And finally have you gone, Harris. Today is looking to be my best day ever," he gloated at them. "Both you to my Office now."

Giles was just sitting back with a good book and nice tea, when...

"GILES!" A scream from both Buffy and Willow caused both his good book and tea to meet on his lap.

Bloody Americans! he thought as he got up and walked out of his office.

"Giles, why are your pants wet?" Willow asked.

"Giles, Xander was caught kissing his teacher," Buffy practically yelled at him.

O, just another great day? Giles thought he stood there.