FIC: Through Thick and Thin (Chapter 6: Guess Who's Back)

["cilia" <cilia@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hey all....

I won't tell you, it's a surprise...

Through Thick and Thin
Cilia
Chapter 6: Guess Who's Back



There was a collective gasp while Spike just smirked. His hair was long and
black, his small beard making him look every bit the warrior he now was. The
was a thin scar over his right eye and another small one on his neck.. His
brown eyes shone as he smiled at them, a smile they all knew.
"Hey guys." He said and there was a silence for a moment.
"Xander?" Willow asked a little confused.
"That's me." He answered as he stepped up to hug her,
"Wills what is it?" Buffy asked as she noticed that was looking
uncomfortable.
"Nothing just a little wigged out right now." She said as she broke out of
Xander bear hug.
"It's Xander." Buffy exclaimed.
"Look at him." Willow said.
"Oh! I am." Faith said as she took in the black leather armor, covering his
body..
"You haven't change though." Al'x said and turned to face Faith.
"Nope still the same." Faith said with a grin.
"Good some things haven't changed." He answered.
"Hey." Faith protest.
Buffy studied him as he moved to greet Spike.
"Spike how did you know?" He asked as he offered Spike is hand.
"Your smell mate, you can change allot of things, but you can't change your
smell."
"We'll just see about that." He said as he turned to Giles.
"Hey G-man." He said and offered his hand.
"Xander good to see you again." Giles said as he shook the offered hand.
Those scars look old. Buffy though as she studied Xander's face. He's
filled out somewhat and are those oh my god.
"Xander how old are you?" She asked and Xander turned around.
"You noticed then." He said and stroked the thin scar.
"Well you've gained what, forty, fifty pounds of muscles. You have a scars
on your face that are old and there're some gray." She said and reached out
to pull out a hair. ".hairs."
"That's not gray it's silver." He explained.
"What's the difference?" Buffy asked.
"Oh there's a difference." Stjar'a said and took the hair from Buffy.
"And what's with those ears?" Buffy asked.
"She's an elf." Willow explained.
"An what?" Faith, Giles and Buffy said and spun to face Willow.
"She's an elf." Willow repeated and saw the faces of disbelieve. "Wait
here." She said and ran to the pile of luggage.
"She's right you know." Czar stated as Willow came jogging back with a book
under her arm.
"Here." She said as she opened the book and turned it towards them.
They looked at the picture in the book, then at Stjar'a and then again the
picture.
"Told you so." Czar said with a grin.
"Okay she'd an elf, but what about."
"Can this wait. It'll be dawn soon and I'm freezing." Giles interjected.
"Good idea and I promise that all will be explained." Xander said.
"Why not right now?" Buffy asked.
"Because believe me you'll need to sit down." Xander explained. "Plus we don
't want our poorly dressed ex-Watcher to catch a cold now do we." He added.



* * * * *



Tibet one year ago our time (Seven years ago in Xander's eyes)

"What is it?" Xander asked as he stared into the glowing whirlpool in front
of him.
"It is a portal to another place." The monk explained.
"Has anyone ever gone through?"
"Yes, but they rarely return, some to though in time."
The building shock.
"What the hell was that?" Xander asked as he regained his balance.
"I believe your secret's out." The monk answered.
"Great what to we do now?" Xander stated as he went for his staff.
"We too nothing." The monk said he grabbed him.
"Hey what's the."
"I'm sorry my friend, but it's the only way." He said as he pushed Xander
through the portal. The last thing Xander heard was a door breaking.



Sunnydale present day.

"So who were coming for you?" Buffy asked.
"The same people who attacked you earlier, seems they had a grudge against
the monks and me, but that's another story."
"Please do go on." Giles said.



The Old Realm (seven years ago)

Xander opened his eyes and stared into a pair of gray eyes.
"H'er ert d´u?" The owner of the eyes asked.
"Excuse me?" He asked as he sat up and reached for his staff. The girl
jumped back looking scared.
"What did I do."
"Str'sma'ur." She said with a bow of her head.
"What's your name?" He asked, but got a confused look.
"Xander." He said and but a hand on his chest.
The girl blushed.
I don't want to know what xander means in her language. He thought. Better
try something different.
"Alexander." He said with the same gesture and then pointed at her.
"Stjar'a." The girl said laying a hand on her chest.
"Stjar'a." Xander repeated.
"Alexander." Stjar'a said, but it came out all jumbled. She tried again.
"Al'x." She said with a questioning look.
"Stjar'a, Al'x." He said.
Well it's better then nothing. He thought and stood.
"K'mdu." She said and offered her hand.
Not like I have a lot of choice he thought and took he hand.



Sunnydale present time.


Everybody was laughing.
"What?" Stjar'a asked.
"Human joke." Xander explained.
"I can't believe you did the whole 'me Xander' thing." Buffy said in between
laughs.
"Well if you're through having a laugh at my expense."



The Old Realm (seven years ago).

The Elder finished chanting and like the auto tune on a VCR everything
became clear to him.
"I can understand." Xander said and looked around.
"As it should be. Now young man who are you?" The Elder asked him.
"My name is Alexander and I come from another world."
"You come from one the new realms then?" He asked.
"That's one name for it I guess."
"There hasn't been a traveler here from another realm in close to a
millennia." The man explained.
"Glad to hear I'm unique, but where do we go from here?" Xander asked.
"Well the portal won't reopen from this site for another century." The Elder
explained.
"Century, a century" Xander yelled.
"I'm sorry but that is the way of things."
"But I was told, never mind, so what do I do now."
"Your welcomed to stay with us of course, but the King will have to be told
of course."
"Of course." Xander said bitterly, but felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry Al'x live here isn't that bad." Stjar'a said with a smile.



Sunnydale present day

"So how did you become a warrior?" Amy who'd joined them, along with Buffy's
mom and Wesley, asked.
"Consistence really. Stjar'a's people are mostly mages and healers, so when
the village needed protection I rose to the challenge."
"Then there was the war." Stjar'a said in a sad tone.



The Old Realm (four years ago)

Xander smiled at his lover and the golden haired maiden smiled back at him.
"Do you have to fight tomorrow?" He asked as he stroked her hair.
"Al'x you know I have to, I'm a warrior just like you." She stated.
"I know."
"At least Stjar'a will safe." She said.
"Thank god for small favors." He said.
"Will you wear the dragon?" She asked.
"Now is as a good time as any." He said and glanced at the gleaming black
armor and the white sword carved from a dragons horn.
"Promise me you'll live." He said.
"I promise."

"We will not surrender, we will not bow down, we will fight on, fight for
life, fight for the dream of peace! Are you with me!" Xander yelled over the
thunder of the approaching armies. Trying to keep his horse steady. His
black dragon skin armor gleaming in the morning sun.
There was a cheer as he thrust his sword into the air. From foot soldier to
general, not bad. He thought to himself, getting swept away in the rush of
it all.
"In the King's name." He shouted and charged.
The green fields grew dark as the dawn turned into dusk.
Xander was pulled of his stead, but fought on, half blinded by the blood
flowing from the wound across his right eye. He screamed as the bodies fell
all around him. Then he saw her, her forest green battle armor stained dark.
"Xardana." He yelled, she turned and smiled at him before falling to the
ground, a dagger buried in her back..
"NO" He screamed as he cut a straight path towards her.
"Don't go you promised me you'd life."
"There is always a tomorrow." She said as he eyes closed.
"Xardana!" He screamed as he lay her on the ground and stood.
"If I die today, I'll die happy knowing that she awaits."



Sunnydale present time.

There wasn't dry eye in the house. Willow sniffed as she snuggled closer to
Buffy, Faith complained about the air being dry as she blinked the tears
away and Buffy was solemn as she put an arm around Willow.
"I'm sorry Xander." She said as she reached out for his shoulder.
"It was a long time ago and like she said: There is always a tomorrow."
"What happened after the war?" Wesley asked.
"I did what I had to, I put on a brave face, played the hero and knelt
before the king."



The Old Realm (four years ago, two days after the last battle)

"Arise Al'x of the Sun and be acknowledged." The Kind said as a cheer
erupted.
"I'm sorry for your loss." He whispered as he placed a hand on Xander's
shoulder.
"So Al'x what will you do now." The Elder asked as they sat and feasted.
"Go and travel again."



Sunnydale present day.

"And that's what I did, I traveled the Realm, exploring and learning."
"How did you get back."
"We found and old mage, he opened a portal."
"Then if you came here then how will you get back."
"The portal will reopen a year after our arrival and it will return us to
the same spot we left from and little time will have past in the realm." He
paused.
"Then there is always the one at the monastery in Tibet, but that's a one
way portal and it's not bound at the other end."
"But you still haven't told us how old you are." Spike stated.
"I'm twenty-eight Xander said.
"You're what?" Buffy asked in disbelieve and stared at him.
"Twenty-eight ." Xander stated calmly again.
"And the silver hairs?"
"Can't explain those."
"I hate to ask this, but how did get the other scar?" Willow asked.
"A duel." Xander explained.
"Over what?" Spike asked.
"A girl in our village was violated, Al'x restored her honor." Stjar'a
explained with pride in her voice.
"So are you two." Faith asked.
"No." Xander said.
"Are we what?" Stjar'a asked.
"Explain later." Xander said and shoot Faith an angry look.
"But why the cloak and dagger routine?" Spike asked.
"Well part of it was to see what had changed and I wasn't even sure how much
time had passed here." Xander explained.
"Well I'm glad you're back." Willow said, rose up and hugged him.
"I'm sorry about the whole wigging out thing." She whispered.
"It's okay and I'm glad you found her." He whispered with a grin.

The sun was rising outside and Spike had retreated to the basement. Willow
had fallen asleep in Buffy's lap and Joyce smiled as her daughter
absentmindedly stroked Willow's hair as the first rays of the sun fell
across the girls faces. Giles and Wesley were talking to Stjar'a and Xander
about the Realm and Czar was keeping the rapt audience of both Amy and Faith
with story of times past.
All in all life was good right now. But everybody knew that it was only for
this day, this moment, because there is always a tomorrow and what it brings
is never fully known.