The Future Is What We Make

Chapter 7 cont'd

Xander lay in a half-stupor of pain, panting for breath. Not even Angel’s presence could still the pain that raged through him from whatever was growing inside him. Angel somehow helped ease it but it still fuckin’ HURT! No one knew what was wrong with him and no one could get close enough to him to remove the growth from him…not even by magic.

Willow’s magic had failed spectacularly the first time she tried and the second time she tried, it was only through Spike’s diving through the window after her, that had saved her life. Whatever was inside him was clearly protecting itself from magic and other non-magical means. The only one that could get near him with a sharp object was Buffy, everyone else was held firmly back by some type of barrier. If they pressed too hard, whatever held them back would sharply lash out at them.

Angel pulled the panting, exhausted boy further into his arms trying with all his might to take some of the pain away as Xander curled up in his lap, too tired even to scream any longer. The boy was barely sleeping and what really terrified them was Xander just picking the food they brought him, claiming that it tasted horrible. Not even their version of twinkies tempted him.

“Shhhh, it’s okay…it’s gonna be okay,” he whispered soothingly, rubbing Xander’s arms and back comfortingly.

In response Xander weakly tried to hit him.

“Stop it,” Xander husked out, resting his hot cheek against Angel’s chest. “S’not gonna be ‘kay, so…,” he frowned, twisting his head to look at the door.

Angel frowned, listening carefully at the noise and roaring going on downstairs. What the hell was going on in the lobby?!

“Xander, stay here,” he ordered softly, moving the boy out of his lap and laying him gently on the bed.

“Ha…lik I’m g’na go s’where,” Xander rasped out, his lips curving in a mocking smile as he looked up at Angel, who smiled briefly.

Angel gave one last look backward, before heading out the door and leaving it ajar. He strode to the top of the stairs and looked down with a puzzled look at the 15 Jaztar squared off out in the lobby with the Hyperions. His eyes hardened as he recognized the three Jaztar that had been the ones that helped heal Xander and a low growl rumbled in his throat. They must have done something to his boy and now they would pay.

His eyes were a liquid gold as he stalked down the stairs, revenge uppermost in his mind.

Taryn lifted a cold face to the vampire that glided towards him, easily recognizing the predatory way the male was coming at them. He started forward, eagerly anticipating making someone else hurt almost as bad as he was hurting when he stopped abruptly, feeling the onset of pain clawing at his insides. Distantly aware that Lourdey and Jennes were also doubled over in pain, he hoped that in his arrogant pride he hadn’t left matters too late.

Xander fumbled his way out of bed, his eyes almost blind to everything beyond the need to be closer to the ones that could stop his pain. He crashed to the floor and began crawling to the door, struggling to reach it before the pain hit him. Tears fell from his eyes and his breath came harshly as he slid foot by tortorous foot across the floor, before whimpering and curling up in a ball as agony flared inside.


Taryn recovered first and his head jerked up with a low growl. Summoning all his speed and power as one of the best Jaztar warriors he raced past Angel in a rush of speed.

With an angry roar of fury and fear, Angel whirled around and charged after the speeding Jaztar almost managing to grab him before the other jumped and began racing up the wall to the upper floor, quickly followed by the other two.

Growling savagely, both Angel and Spike raced up the stairs swiftly followed by the two raging females and a snarling mob of humans and demons ready to rip apart the three Jaztars.

Xander inhaled carefully at the lessening of pain, paying little attention to the roaring and shouting coming closer to his room. Right now the important thing was that he was pain free for the moment. Had he the strength he would have been up and doing the funky chicken whatever that was, though in his opinion if the chicken was so damn funky why would anyone want to dance like that, he snorted at the realization that he was babbling to himself. Obviously he was feeling better.

The door slammed opened and he jerked his attention to the three demons snarling, standing in the open doorway and instinctively tried to scuttle away from them, whimpering as pain knifed through him. His eyes tearing up, he was unaware that the three demons had settled carefully around him, a soft croon coming from all of them as they patted and stroked him gently on his back, easing his pain to a distant memory.

He opened his eyes and glared at the three suspiciously, finally connecting the pain with them.

Angel, Willow, Spike and Buffoppeopped abruptly ae sie sight of the three demons surrounding Xander, a low growl coming from all four. They wanted the demons AWAY from Xander, in pieces preferably.

In one accord, Buffy stepped forward, her sword unsheathed with Angel and Spike flanking her, and with Willow’s hands crackling with deadly magic. All four eyes were almost glowing with deadly, hellish fury.

Taryn, Jennes and Lourdey got to their feet, growling, their hands lengthening into razor sharp claws.

And all seven raging figures hit an unseen barrier, preventing them from reaching eacher.her.

Jennes, Taryn and Lourdey hit the barrier again and again, raking at it with furious swipes of their claws to no avail, even as Willow blasted at it with magic, Buffy slashed at it with her sword and Spike and Angel battered at it with deadly talons.

The barrier held firm against them all until finally, Taryn stepped back carefully eyeing first the barrier then Xander, blinking as understanding began dawning in his rage clouded mind.

“Stop!” he shouted, gripping Jennes and Lourdey. Lourdey snarled, swiped angrily at him and almost fell on top of Xander. Twisting with a yelp of alarm to avoid Xander’s body and he landed hard on his wrist, snapping it with an audible crack.

Xander closed his eyes when the demon almost fell on him, seriously expecting to get squashed flat. At the yelp and the sickening crack, he opened them and regarded the demon gripping a broken wrist with puzzled eyes.

Angel frowned, his eyes widening in surprise as the demon broke it’s own wrist rather than fall on Xander. This was wrong on so many levels it was laughable. Jaztar demons didn’t give a damn about humans, or for that matter anything other than their people, so what made Xander special to these three?

His rage dying, he was surprise to feel the barrier gone between him and the demons. He stepped carefully forward, blinking as three snarling faces instantly turned to him and the demons stood between him and Xander.

“He’s weak and he needs to be in the bed,” he tried to explain to the demons.

Taryn twisted and crouched down, peering at Xander who instantly tried to move away from the demon, wanting to get close to them but terrified of why the urge to be close to the demons vibrated through him. Urges were never of the good, was his shaky thought, they always got him into trouble. Inca girl, Mantis woman, saving Buffy's life...all urges.

“Peace, youngling…we mean you no harm,” Taryn crooned softly, creeping closer as the shivering boy stopped trying to move away.

“Peace,” he whispered softly, hearing Jennes and Lourdey crooning behind him, lulling the young human. Carefully, to avoid startling the youngling, he took him in his arms and carried the boy to the waiting bed, gently caressing the rounded belly possessively.

Eyeing, Angel and the others slowly gathering in the room warily, Taryn and Lourdey stood guard over the boy while Jennes folded himself behind the human, resting his hand on the protruding stomach, crooning softly in the youngling’s ear.

Xander tried to resist the crooning sound but was powerless to resist as he fell deeply asleep, cradled against the warm body behind him.

Buffy and Willow watched with slack jaws as the lines of pain and stress eased on Xander’s pain ravaged thin face.

“What did you do,” Angel whispered harshly then gentling his tone as Xander stirred restlessly with a small whimper.

“Nothing much,” Lourdey shrugged, “We just assured the children within that we were here.”

And at their looks of astonishment, Taryn frowned at them, “You do realize that the boy is pregnant?”

“Uhm, n…no,” Willow stammered out, her eyes growing wide in amazement. “We just knew his stomach was getting bigger so I tried to use magic on him to see what was making it get so big and causing him pain, but it didn’t work and the last time I did something threw me out the window and so we stopped, I mean I stopped trying to see what was inside cause it just wasn’t working and sharp pointy things…uh uh not good, not good at all. We knew there was something growing inside him cause we could see it moving and that was causing him pain and pain is so not good, not unless it’s a good pain and this definitely wasn’t good. Xander’s pain that is.”

Taryn blinked, looked at Lourdey then back at the waiting people, still puzzled.

"The bint worked her mojo and wha'ever the whelp's got n'him whalloped her but good n'tried ta toss her out the window. N'then the soddin' bunch of wankers was like wantin' to cut the bugger open and pull it out, which the pup or wha'ever got pissy about and boxed ev'one ears that hadda knife 'round him," Spike said impatiently with a roll of his eyes.

Taryn frowned and raised a hand, "Please wait."

The two Jaztar moved couple feet away where they had a very intense discussion. Waving their hands expressively before coming back.

Lourdey glanced at Taryn and Jennes who nodded their heads firmly, before turning back to the waiting Hyperions.

Lourdey looked coolly at the Hyperions, "We have no iwhatwhat you just said."

“We tried using magic to discover what was wrong with Xander. Something is protecting either Xander or the children or both, as it attacked Willow andew hew her ohe whe window when she used her magic on him. So we desisted in further experimentation with magic to find out what was developing within Xander. We then initially thought about operating on him but no one with a knife could get near him except for Buffy and she was most adament about not hurting him,” Wesley translated wearily, ignoring the frown and
angry huff Willow gave him.

“Yours?” Angel’s voice rose in disbelief before his eyes narrowed and he growled low in his throat, a sound that Spike echoed.

Jennes glared murderously around the room as their youngling cried out in his sleep and he patted Xander's stomach soothingly, feeling the tense body becoming limp again.

"You will NOT distress him again," he hissed.

“While we owe you no explanation, vampire, we will give you one since we will be staying with the human," Taryn stated arrogantly, a slight smirk on his face.

"There is no way in hell you will be staying in MY hotel," Angel stated coldly, his eyes a muddy yellow color.

Lourdey raised a brow, "Oh, then you agree that we can take him with us?" he said in pleased surprise...perhaps this will not be the onerous chore they had imagine, he mused.

"Not if our lives depended on it," Willow said succintly, her eyes darkening to a dark emerald color.

"Well, it's not your life that depends on us remaining with the human, it is his life, as well as ours, that will be lost if we are forced to leave," Taryn said harshly, already disliking having to deal with these...these pathetic worthless creatures. He eyed the humans crowding in the room and his lip curled with barely concealed contempt.

"Oh shit," Andrew whispered, his eyes widening in alarm, "Jaztar demons! How could I have been so stupid," he raged at himself, wanting to beat his head against the wall.

"Andrew?! What's wrong," Willow turned to him, her face concerned.

Andrew shook his head miserably, "I''m sorry Willow, but he's right. If Xander is pregnant by them then they have to stay or all four of them may die. A Jaztar embryo creates some kinda emphathic link between the parents and itself as a sorta survival mechanicism. I remember reading something about how in ancient times, warring Jaztars would rape males and females alike, and produce dozens of unwanted children. The worse part was birth parent couldn't abort the child without killing himself or herself. Some clans were almost wiped out as sometimes the birth parent chose a painless death rather than carry an unwanted nameless child or the siblings of the raped one would gather together and kill the rapist, sparking another clan war.”

“So a powerful shaman, who was tired of all the clan wars, the raping and killings, created a spell. This spell linked the baby to BOTH parents, forcing them together, to survive as a family unit until the child was born. This spell would induce intense agony within both parents unless they were within several feet of each other several times a day. The effect would gradually lessen as the months passed and by the time the child was born a new family unit was usually formed as the parents would often choose to stay together to raise their child,” Andrew ended quietly, his eyes stormy as he regarded the peacefully sleeping Xander.

Lourdey nodded his head, surprised at how well the human had summarized his people’s ancient story. "You tell our history quite well for a human. This spell was so powerful that its effects are still felt today. Our people normally do not marry until a child has been conceived. Why marry if your mate cannot carry a child?" He shrugged carelessly.

No matter the status, position or power...no Jaztars in their right mind would accept another into their clan unless he was proven to be able to carry a child. Every Consort Contract was for one full year, giving either party sufficient time to conceive a child. And whichever Jaztar did conceive would become the lower ranking Jaztar withing their joint household, joining the other's clan. This method had been working for thousands of years, reducing the number of clan wars throughout the Jaztar nation.

"However, it may not matter very much longer as many of the Jaztar born to males are sterile. And without a queen to balance our people and to provide females, our people are slowly dying. Queens are the only ones that give birth to both male and female children. Males mating with males will produce only male children, over half of which are sterile," Taryn stated calmly with little show of emotion.

He felt nothing but contempt for the ridiculous fools still praying to the dream of the promised Queen. It would be far better to die on their feet in battle than continuing the dream of some mythical female coming to save them.

Angel’s brows rose, “I had no idea that your people were that close to dying. I mean, we’ve all heard rumors about your people but this…,” he shook his head in dismay.

While he, along with the rest of the demon community would rather avoid Jaztars like the plague, rumors still circulated about the warrior demons. But this was one rumor no one suspected or even whispered about.

Spike’s eyes narrowed to icy suspicious slits, “So why tell now?”

“Because the young man is connected to you, we are connected to him which makes all of you connected to us,” Lourdey said, grimly enjoying the flash of horror on the others faces.

“When we are not called to his side, how may we assist you,” Taryn said through gritted teeth. One day soon he was going to figure out a way to strip one of those interferring shamans of their powers and hurt one of them very, very badly. It was their fault that he was in this predicament after all.

Wesley regarded the grim looks on the two demons fronting them and the look of quiet repose on the one laying behind Xander with bemused eyes. His brows raised in astonishment as Xander stirred restlessly and the two demons instantly turned to him. Crooning softly, their grim looks fading as Xander settled back into sleep.

Jennes sighed gently as he slid from behind the human boy and stretched lazily, feeling the delicious pull of muscles throughout his body. He had not felt this relaxed in weeks.

Lourdey eyed him with a smirk, before getting into bed and curling up behind Xander, his hand resting softly on the rounded belly, feeling waves of peace thrumming through him. He rested his head against the warm back with a soft mewl of pleasure.

“Okay, is it just me or is that too freakin’ weird,” Cordy demanded watching the demon cuddling against Xander.

“Weird,” Willow, Riley, Andrew and Jonathan all agreed readily regarding Xander and the demons with disturbed eyes.

“Weird,” Buffy chimed in, Doyle nodded in fascinated agreement.

“Bloody damn crazy is what I call it,” Spike snorted, watching a smug look of contentment settle on the demon in the bed.

Angel remained silent watching the scene with a closed expression. Other than a faint lightening of his eyes, his face gave no hint to his true feelings.

“Keep an eye on them,” he growled shortly before turning and leaving the room abruptly.

Taryn and Jennes regarded the departing vampire with cool expressions, they glanced at each other before Taryn nodded.

And Jennes headed out the door after the vampire, calling to Angel.

Angel turned and regarded the calm demon with a cold look, “Yes?”

“I think perhaps you have misunderstood our connection with your human,” Jennes said quietly, stopping in front of Angel.

“My human? I think perhaps you are mistaken…I don’t have any ‘humans’ as you put it,” Angel's voice was harsh.

“Your scent is all over him,” Jennes said simply. “”Besides I can almost taste your interest in him.”

Angel smiled thinly, “Well, whatever the connection is, or rather was, it doesn’t matter, now does it? You’re here and he obviously belongs to you, so whatever ‘interest’ you think you taste is immaterial.”

Jennes’ cocked his head to the side, it was a good thing he came out here to talk to the vampire instead of Taryn or someone’s blood would be decorating the walls. He smirked, as angry as the vampire was, he had a feeling that it would have been Taryn’s blood.

“You still don’t understand, the boy does not belong to us, rather WE belong to him. To protect him, to guard him, to care for him until the birth of the children. During the pregnacy, he can not defend himself or protect the babies that he carries, that is how the spell works. The parent that is NOT pregnant protects and guards the one that is pregnant. Had we not appeared, the babies may have shifted their bonding to whoever Xander felt was more capable of protecting him and the children. Which seems to have been you, considering the way he smells of you.”

Angel blinked, “Okay, let’s say that you are right and I do have an interest in Xander, not that I’m admitting anything of the sort,” he said hastily at the smirk on the other’s face. “But let’s suppose I do, I mean did…are you saying that you won’t interfere if I should pursue him,” he asked with raised brows.

Jennes raised a brow, “As one demon to another, were I you, I would not be eager to get too involve with the human. He will die in the birthing of the children, which would greatly inconvenience you, I would imagine,” he said casually.

“What?!” Angel almost shouted, his eyes stunned before slowly fading to gold.

“I thought you understood the risk of a human male giving birth,” Jennes took a step back, to give himself room to fight should the situation deteriorate.

“Of course not,” Angel nearly screamed, “How in the hell could I possibly know this, you fuckin’ idiot?!”

Jennes straightened in angry annoyance, “Then I apologize if my news is unwelcome,” he said stiffly, though his eyes were furious. “I had assumed that you understood the circumstances of the birthing process. No human male has ever survived a birthing or to be frank, very few females as well.”

“My God,” Angel whispered, raging fury burned in his eyes as he punched a hole through the wall, alarming the occupants in the room beyond.

“And I suppose there’s no way to get rid of the children he carries,” Angel said hoarsely, slumping against the wall in despair burying his face in his hands.

Jennes hesitated before slowly shaking his head, watching Angel with curious eyes before shifting his attention behind the vampire.

“Angel,” Joce called to her vampire, keeping a wary eye on the man standing in front of of her Angel.

Angel drew a shuddering breath, “Yes, Joce what is it?” he asked, taking a deep unneeded breath. Startled, he looked down as Joce wrapped an arm around his leg and her small body leaned against him. He could feel her trembling even though she had an angry expression on her tiny face as she glared fiercely at Jennes.

“I don’t think I like you,” she growled, narrowing her eyes at the nasty mans. She didn’t know what he did, but he made her vampire upset and sad. if if her Angel was sad, she was mad and as soon as her daddy got better she was gonna have him give the man a good smack.

Giving the man her best Angel frown, she nodded sharply when his eyes widened and she followed the frown up with her best intimidating Spike glare. Swaggering and squinting meanly at him as she approached him.

“Yous a mean, bad mans,” she snarled, poking him in the thigh for emphasis.

“You make m’Angel sad and I’m gonna tell my daddy and he gonna smack you good, so there!” Satisfied that she had scared him enough she strutted back to her Angel and patting him on his leg comfortingly as she gave another fierce look at the nasty mans.

Jennes eyes had widened when the tiny girlchild glared at him. He wasn’t used to children acting so...so…forward. And when she came up to him and poked him in the leg, he didn’t know whether to laugh or growl at her. He eyed her admiringly, she had the makings of a warrior, though it was a pity she was only a human. With glance at the vampire’s twitching lips he made sure not to look Angel’s way again for fear of losing control. He had spent many years perfecting his emotions and he refuse to allow one tiny girlchild to get to him.

Angel gritted his teeth to avoid laughing at Joce and for a brief moment his pain at Xander’s situation was pushed aside.

“Thank you for sticking up for me,” he said gravely to Joce.

“Yous welcome,” she said with a quick look at him, but mostly keeping her attention on the nasty mans. “Daddy say we can’t let DEM push us ‘round and we’s hafta stan up t’em, deys bulls, ya see.”

Angel looked puzzled before deciphering Joce’s language: Bulls…Bullies.

Jennes raised a brow, “DEM? And how do you know which ones are ‘dems’?” he asked interestedly to Joce.

Joce frowned, “Dems is e’rybody not in da hotel,” she said as if it was obvious.

Jennes blinked, “But I’m in the hotel,” hinteinted out, fascinated by her logic.

Angel’s shoulders began shaking, well acquainted with Joce’s twisted version of logic.

Joce thought for a moment, then her face cleared, “But yous wassen here when Daddy told me it,” she said cunningly.

“Was Angel,” Jennes asked, pointing to the vampire.

Joce glanced up at Angel with a frown, “Uhm no,” she looked back at Jennes wondering what was his point.

Angel simply shook his head, Jennes had no chance at winning thisumenument.

“Then Angel is a Dem,” Jennes said, waiting to see what she came up with next.

“NO!” Joce stamped her foot, her face turning red, “MY Angel isa US, e’rybody in da hotel isa US!”

“Then so am I,” Jennes retorted, wondering why was he arguing with a child?!

Joce narrowed her eyes, “Not yet, yous ain’t,” she growled meaningfully, fingering her butter knife.

“Enough,” Angel said as Jennes opened his mouth to continue the insane argument.

Joce smirked at the man and stuck her tongue out at him.

“Joce,” Angel said warningly to her, holding her eyes with a stern look.

“Uhm…sorry Mister mans,” she muttered to the man, oooooh she hated being sorry.

Angel made a quick decision and crouching down to her level he said, “Joce, this is Jennes. He and two others are going to be living here with us for the time being, to help take care of your father. So be nice and if they give you any trouble, come get me or Spike, okay?”

Joce gave a look of deep suspicion to Jennes, “He be nice to m’daddy?” she said in an audible whisper to Angel.

Angel gave Jennes a cold look, “Yes, he will be nice to your daddy.”

Jennes nodded, “We will be extremely nice to your daddy,” he stated quietly to the little girl and gave her a slow smile.

“Well, okay den, but I’m gonna be watchin’ you,” Joce warned Jennes seriously, giving him her Aunty Willow’s Resolve face.

“I can expect no less from such a capable warrior such as you,” Jennes said gravely with a small bow.

Joce nodded her head before swaggering to her daddy’s room.

Jennes regarded the small departing figure with a tiny smile, “You are most fortunate in your protectors, your daughter has the instincts of a warrior,” he said to Angel.

Angel looked startled, "She's not my daughter."

"My apologies. She has many of your mannerisms, so I just assumed," Jennes shrugged.

There was silence between them before Angel spoke again.

“We are limited in space in the hotel, so the three of you will need to bunk together,” Angel said grudgingly.

Jennes turned to him with a shake of his head, “Unacceptable. We must remain with him or at least within two feet of him for the time being so the children do not become frightened again.”

Angel gritted his teeth, “There is no fuckin’ way I, or anyone else, will let you three stay in a bedroom alone with Xander.”

“Then I suggest you think of an alternative,” Jennes said before he whirled around and swept back down the hallway and into the room.


Xander smacked his lips as he slowly came awake. For the first time in days he was pain free and he wiggled happily. His eyes were still closed so he didn’t see the looks of startled amusement on Willow, Spike and Angel’s faces at his little dance of joy.

Feeling an arm tighten around his waist, he smacked the arm warningly, “Deadboy, chillout for a minute!” and he opened his eyes. Blinking as he saw the bemused look on Deadbo…wait a minute, he thought confusedly. If Deadboy’s over there, then who’s behind me? Twisting in the encircling arm about his waist he looked up into Taryn's cool eyes and screamed. Flailing his arms and frantically scrambling to get out of the bed.

Angel rushed forward, along with Willow and Spike, and tried to catch Xander as he fell out of the bed.

Xander crawled hurriedly and huddled against Angel, shaking. He whimpered softly, trying to bury himself into Angel’s side as he finally remembered what happened to him. He stiffened at the low crooning sounds that came from the three demons, fighting desperately not to give in to the lulling effects.

“Stop it,” he shouted, covering his ears and feeling a sharp pain in his stomach. “Stop it! I know what you’re doing, so just STOP!”

Taryn, Lourdey and Jennes stopped crooning and sighed, wincing at the stab of pin tin their sides.

“Peace youngling,” Taryn quietly said, “We only wished to soothe your fright, we did not mean to upset you.” He crawled out of the bed and crouched down to Xander's level.

“Well, you did,” Xander retorted angrily from the shelter of Angel’s arms. Supremely confident that with Willow on one side and Spike on the other, the demons weren’t gonna get him.

Twisting, as he heard the door open, he smiled smugly at the appearance of Buffy. HA! take that, he thought at the demons.

“Amy had us under her control,” Jennes voice was soft as he regarded the boy glaring at them suspiciously, “We had no choice but to do her bidding, but we tried to warn you, remember? We told you to go away to that same place you were when she was torturing you, do you remember?”

Xander frowned as he struggled to recall what happened when Amy had him. Grimacing as he recalled the looks of self-hatred and fury in the demons eyes at what they were being forced to do.

“I…remember running,” he said slowly, sitting up and regarding the demons, “You told me to go away, to hide from the pain.”

“Yes, we did,” Lourdey replied gently, his eyes intent on the boy’s face as he crept closer.

“Do you know what’s wrong with me,” Xander abruptly asked, tensing as he felt Angel’s arms stiffen around him.

“Angel?” he said shakily, twisting to look up at the vampire, growing increasingly nervous at the strange look on Deadboy’s face and the rigid tension against his back.

Angel sighed before scooping Xander up in his arms and putting him back into bed. As he went to straighten up, he realized the boy had a deathgrip around his neck.

“Uh uh, you stay right here,” Xander said nervously, loosening his grip and grabbing at Deadboy’s hand, squeezing tightly.

“And you,” he narrowed his eyes at Taryn, “You start talking.”

Taryn raised a brow at the demanding tone from the human, “You’re pregnant,” he saiuntluntly and at the raised voices he yelled back angrily, “Well, he asked!”

“An…Angel,” Xander's eyes grew wide as he stuttered, “I don’t like him! I really, really don’t like him...kill him for me please?”

“Xander,” Angel said softly, “He’s telling the truth, you’re pregnant. Jaztar babies create some sort of empathic link between its parents to insure its own survival. The pain and agony you’ve been feeling, they’ve felt as well. Only when the parents are close together will the pain lessen for them. I’m sorry, Xander,” he ended helplessly as the boy’s eyes filled with tears.

“Well, get it out...GET IT OUT!” Xander yelled hysterically and he struggled furiously until Angel pulled him into his arms before he let go with a wail of pure misery. Sobbing out his rage, his fear and humiliation into the broad chest, he pounded on Angel with his fists, feeling small gentle hands stroking his back soothingly and a soft gentle voice murmuring comforting words.

“Shhh, Xander…it’s gonna be okay,” as his sobs died down he finally heard Willow's desperate words. “We’ll get through this just like we got through everything else. You helped me. Remember when Moloch pretended to be Malcolm, that guy I met on the Internet...we kicked his ass didn't we...ctually Buffy kicked his ass but we helped! Oh! Oh! Remember when that Inca girl was gonna...no, no, no I got it! Remember when that Biology teacher wanted to mate...you i tha that's not a good example," she muttered to herself, wiggin out herself.

"Xander, remember that Halloween when we all became whatever costume we were wearing and you became a soldier? You kept all of us safe," Buffy asked kneeling beside the bed. "Or when you were possessed by the hyena? We got through that together, even though you did make with the chomping on our school mascot and I'm sorry but that was just ewwww but thankfully you didn't eat Mr.ty oty or that kid in the car which worked out for the best in the end," she ended with a bright smile.

Xander looked up with a watery chuckle and shook his head, marveling at the way they tried to comfort him.

Jennes and Lourdey stood back as these human children tried to make the boy...Xander feel better. Humans were incredibly strange, to show that much weakness before others, they shook their heads ...fascinating.

Taryn was becoming irritable and wondered why they didn't just hit him, that usually worked for him when his servants became hysterical.

And gradually Xander became calmer, his shakes easing away under everyone's calming influence. He still eyed the three demons warily and if what everyone told him was true, he knew he needed to accept them in his life. At least for now, he narrowed his eyes at them.


The next two weeks were extremely trying times for everyone as they all strived to adjust to the three Jaztars among and the Jaztars struggled to adjust to living among non-Jaztar.
But all the Hyperions agreed that the Jaztars had the harder struggle.

Willow, Buffy and Cordy had to intercede constantly during those weeks, stopping Taryn, Jennes and Lourdey from killing humans and demons alike when they felt the others were subtly challenging them or slighting them in some insane Jaztar way.

They were almost continually explaining that all the humans were trying to do was either asking them to move out of their way, asking them questions...finally screaming 'For God's sake they were just asking you a question, you fuckin' moron!'

Then it was Xander's turn to stop Taryn and Jennes from killing Cordy.


The Jaztars maintained their standoffish ways around the humans, keeping to the area Angel had assigned to them since he was reluctant to send the males out on an assignment. Until he had no choice in the matter.

Receiving the request from helpm twm two different sources, Angel had no choice but to separate his fighting force into two groups and send two of the Jaztars out with them. And to avoid as much bloodshed, Jaztar and otherwise, he assigned Taryn to Cordy and Willow’s team.

Taryn stood back and watched as his group fought the En-relza demons with puzzled eyes. The group had such an odd way of fighting that he was having a most difficult time comprehending what was actually going on. While true they were very outnumbered by the En-relza, they were effectively holding their own and his eyes widened slightly, and winning the battle. He started forward with a smirk when he saw one of fighters stumble and fall, he was sure that now they would ask for his help. But what he saw startled him. The two fighters with the third, smoothly stepped forward and COVERED the fallen one until he regained his feet. The Taryn took a good hard look around and saw the same thing repeated again and n, rn, realizing that all the fighters were in groups of threes.

Finally, he exaulted as he saw two members go down and the remaining one shouted for assistance. Leaping forward, he attacked the oppenent with smooth, terrifying efficiency. Certain that the humans and demons could only stand in awe at seeing the martial skills of a Jaztar warrior.

Not being satisfied with putting down his current oppenent, he slashed and hacked his way over to another and another, hivemevements as graceful as a dance but far more deadlier. Cordy gritted her teeth as she watched him from the corner of her eye as her axe broke bones and loped off body parts. Hearing Willow’s voice over the roaring and screaming of the demons shouting ‘Right flank fall in‘ and they drove the demons off. Finally it was over.

Taryn glanced coolly at the number of people that he had help, nearly chuckling with glee at the amount of favors he could invoke. Perhaps instead he would magnamimously forgive the lifedebts, or perhaps he would….

…his thoughts were abruptly stopped with Cordy’s axe jammed against his throat.

“The only reason why I haven’t chopped you into little pieces is because of Xander,” Cordy hissed into Taryn’s startled face. “The only reason why we let you stay is because he would hurt if you left. You better get one thing straight while you live under my roof, if you are in a fighting group then you had better act like you give a damn about us and help protect our lives. Because, who knows, the life you save may just be your own.”

Taryn shoved her back from him, “HA! This place belongs to the vampire, human and there’s nothing stopping me from killing you,” he snarled silkily.

“HA! His place, my place ,” Cordy waved a dismissive hand. “And as to killing me, do you really want to take the chance on upsetting Xander,” Cordy smirked.

Taryn gritted his teeth, “You watch your , hu, human.”

“She doesn’t have to, that’s what being part of a team means,” Jonathan said quietly, leaning tiredly against the demon member of his triad.

“I do not think I appreciate you, you human,” Taryn breathed angrily, as he flail about trying to recover his emotional stability.

Cordy snorted, “Get in line.”

One of the demons shook his head, “Dude, that particular line is waaaaay around the block. Personally, I can’t stand the bitch either and but she’s one of us, and ain’t nobody messing with any of us. You mess with one, you got all of us on your back.”

“Taryn, it’s real simple,” Cordy quietly said, coming down off her mad. “We live or die…together. Back when humans ruled America we had a saying: United we stand and divided we fall.”

And with that, the group tiredly made their way back to the hotel with a thoughtful Taryn in tow.

Jennes as well was undergoing a radical change in attitude as he watched among his combat group as the human called Andrew attempted to heal a badly damaged human. And at his perfectly reasonable suggestions he couldn’t understand why Wesley tried to kill him.

All he did was point out that it would be perhaps better to either leave the human or simply put her out of her misery, clearly she would be better off dead than left a cripple or a burden on the resources of the hotel.

“No one is EVER left behind,” Wesley answered evenly, shaking with the need to kill the overconfident Jaztar. “If we can’t heal her, then she still comes back to the hotel…dead or alive. And even if she is left crippled or unable to get around except by a wheelchair, she still plays an important part in our war. She has a mind that can think, hands that can bandage the wounded, a heart that can love. But you, what the hell can you do but kill and fight? We have plenty of those around the hotel,” Wesley snorted slowly removing his sword from Jennes throat, whirled round and picked up the partially healed woman.

Jennes was silent as they headed back to the hotel. Despite his anger with Wesley, some part of what he said stayed in his mind and bore further consideration.

Back at the hotel, he made his way thoughtfully upstairs to the youngling’s bedroom. Inclining his head politely to Lourdey and stiffly to the blonde vampire, he climbed into the bed and settled against the their sleeping little father. Resting his hand on Xander’s bare stomach the words that Wesley spat at him still running through his mind, he was aware of Lourdey’s curious eyes and knew the other was curious of his disturbed frame of mind.

Taryn walked in slowly, allowing no trace of his uneasiness to show on his face as he settled on the bed, instinctively seeking the comfort of the little father to still his turmoil.

Lourdey was definitely curious as to why his brother Jaztars were broadcasting enough distress to disturb Xander’s rest. He moved hastily up and rested the youngling’s head on his stomach, leaving the other side of their human for Taryn.

~What causes your disturbance, Taryn~ he dared to say. Living among the Hyperion was apparently causing him to act in a most un-Jaztarlike fashion, he thought. Months ago, he would not have dreamed of askinch ach a question but now, watching how the Hperions interacted with each other he dared to show that he cared. He saw how that…caring seemed to make the others stronger in some fathomless way.

~It is these crazy beings in the hotel~Taryn snarled softly, stroking his hand restlessly over Xander. ~I simply can not understand them! They fight almost like Jaztars, but then they yell for help. Then when I help, that mouthy human female called Cordelia attacks me! ME! I helped when they requested help and I was even contemplating forgoing the lifedebt of the ones that I helped.~

~That’s nothing,~ Jennes snorted, ~Do you realize that they actually waste valuable healing on the critically injured?!~

And even Lourdey blinked as he tried to comprehend that fact, but Jennes next words almost threw him over the edge.

~They also was willing to bring a dead body back to the hotel instead of leaving it and when I pointed this out, that human man attacked me!~ he said indignantly then abruptly started crooning as the youngling began stirring restlessly.

~By the demons below, they are mad! See, this is what comes of allying ourselves to Wolfram and Hart~ Taryn groused with a slow shake of his head.

~No, that is not correct~ Lourdey remarked thoughtfully, his eyes distant. ~I’ve seen some amazing things among the beings on the hotel. Do you know that I even think that they would be just as fierce in protecting us if only for the youngling’s sake.~

Taryn snorted, ~Like the humans say: Yeah, right!~

Engrossed in their conversation, they were unaware that Xander was awake with a gray sheen to his eyes.


Then came the knocking on the Hyperion's door that Taryn had been expecting. He knew that neither Janek and Alvn would let him get away with beating his brother. A smirk crossed his face, but it was worth it.

Taryn, crossing the lobby with a heavily laden tray for his and Xander's mid-meal, stopped in his tracks as the door opened and 40 well-armed Jaztar poured into the lobby. His eyes narrowed at the smirk on his brother's face, then Taryn, his eyes resting meaningfully on the livid bruise still darkening his brother's cheek, slowly smiled. Almost chuckling in amusement at the rage that nearly choked his dear, dear brother. Wondering again why the other hated him so much.

Angel and Spike came down the stairs slowly and stood beside Taryn, their eyes cold with rage.

"May I ask the reason why the FUCK you are invading my home?" Angel asked frostily.

Prince Alvn looked disparagingly at him, "We've come for Prince Taryn for his assult against my consort, Prince Janek," he replied coolly.

Jennes eyes narrowed, "Janek was NOT your consort two weeks ago, so your claim of assult is improbable."

"You will be silent, Prince Jennes for I can easily add your name to my list," Alvn retorted coldly.

Lourdey restrained Jennes hastily when the other opened his mouth, "Prince Alvn," he bowed respectfully, "Prince Jennes is entirely correct. If Prince Janek was not your consort at the time of the assult then the punishment for the alleged crime is not considered lethal," he stated carefully.

"I have my father's permission to make Janek my consort retroactive," Alvn smiled peacefully.

"You cannot make Janek a consort retroactively, that is against the law," Lourdey eyes were narrowed in beginning fury.

Alvn raised a brow, "My father is the High King, he is the law," he stated.

"You are in my hotel," Angel said quietly, his eyes burning with rage, "And your father is not here."

"Taryn has a child on the way," Jennes said levelly, trying to still his desperation.

"Too bad," came Janek's vicious response, all the rage and jealousy he felt for his younger brother burned behind his eyes. Ever since the other grew his warrior's braid, all anyone could ever talk about was Taryn! He was sick and tired of hearing everyone praising his brother, telling HIM how proud he should be with Taryn as his brother. The youngest Warrior in their clan. No matter what he tried to do, no matter his success all anyone could spout was praises for his brother. And now he was going to become a father?! Not if he had anything to do with it.

Taryn said quietly, "Enough," to both Jennes and Lourdey. He knew that they would start fighting with the guardsmen to protect him and they would die, leaving Xander unprotected. He gave the tray of food to Lourdey and went to take a step forward, halted by the low rumbling that was slowly rising in the lobby and the mass of grim humans crossing the room.

Standing between him and the other Jaztars.

One thought was clear in everyone's mind: kill the interlopers. Riley gave Taryn a firm nod, they may not like him or the others but he was keeping Xander alive and was connected to him. And nobody was taking their Jaztar from the hotel.

The intruding Jaztars gripped their swords tightly in their hands, jumping as the door behind them slammed shut.

Prince Alvn regarded the grim looks on the human's faces and felt a fisson of fear ghost down his back before he stiffened his spine. He was a Jaztar and the day he feared these...these, humans was the day he would be no longer fit to be called a Jaztar.

"Surely you're not insane enough to kill the High King's only son...and bring down the wrath of the entire Jaztar nation on your pathetic heads," he said scornfully.

Spike raised a brow, "Well, I donno luv, why don't we give it a whirl and see," and mad laughter danced in his eyes.

"Chill out, dudes," Xander called from the top of the stairs.

"We got your back, Xan," he heard Jonathan whisper. And he nodded wondering who would have everyone else's back when the Jaztars descended on them like a wrecking ball.

Then as everyone's eyernedrned to him, he slowly made his first trip downstairs in weeks. Willow and Cordy in front of him, Jonathan and Buffy at his back, all four ready to help him.

Breathing heavily, he carefully made his way to Taryn, his growing stomach proceeding the way. Reaching Taryn's side, he leaned against the demon drawing strength from him before straightening.

"I'm hungry, feed me," he demanded, as his stomach growled lustily.

Taryn raised a brow with a coolly amused expression, and did as he was commanded. This had to be the greediest human he had ever met. He often wondered where could the youngling be hiding the amount of food he put away morning, noon and night.

Janek's eyes narrowed in rising fury as he watched the scene. He could hear the uncertain mutters coming from the guards around them as they looked on. This was NOT WORKING! He nudged Alvn irritably, blinking at the cold look the other turned on him and trembled slightly, he was under no illusion about his place in Alvn's life. His only hope of protection or of safety was to produce a child for Alvn as quickly as possible and pray that would give him enough power and protection.

"Neither he nor Jennes and Lourdey will be leaving me," Xander stated calmly enough, despite his racing heart.

"He must answer for his crimes against my consort," Alvn replied with a chilling smile.

"Well, since he wasn't your consort two weeks ago, that makes you a lying piece of shit," Xander retorted.

Taryn leaned over and whispered into Xander's ear.

"Excuse me, but Taryn says I was disrespectful. You are a lying piece of shit, Prince Alvn," he said carefully. Twisting up to give Taryn a proud smile at his use of curtesy, blinking at Taryn's resigned expression.

Five of the guards made sure no expression of amusement showed on their faces. It was about time someone told Prince Alvn 'the worthless' the truth.

"Seize him," Alvn growled, gesturing the guards forward and stepping back himself.

"STOP!" yelled a voice as the door blew violently open.

Sourd and 20 shamans stormed into the Hyperion, with various expressions of fury on their faces.

"What in the name of demons below are you DOING," Sourd screamed at Alvn.

"He assaulted my consort, that is a crime punishable by death," Alvn said smoothly, struggling to control his fury.

"Somebody should have done it years ago and maybe to you too!" was the enraged reply.

Alvn gritted his teeth, "I am Prince Alvn, the High King's son! I don't have to take this from you," he snarled.

"You'll take it, boy and like it," Sourd growled back just as angrily.

"You fool! You know very well that what you were doing is against the law, borderline punishable at least by death to kill a father. Besides, Janek wasn't even your consort two weeks ago and trying to make it retroactive is illegal and I don't care if Saln is the High King, he can't go around changing the laws to suit himself," he snorted in disgust.

Alvn growled low in his throat, slowly shifting to his demonic form as he stared at Sourd.

Sourd leaned forward, with a low rumbling snarl of his own and gradually shifted to his other form, with everyone hearing his next words, "Don't push me boy...I can be one of those bad things that happens to people like you."

Alvn stared at him, trying to intimidate the shaman, then with a low rumble of defeat, he jerked his head, signalling the guards as he left in defeat. This wasn't over.

Sourd bowed as well, his eyes resting on Xander's gravid stomach with a fond, possessive smile before he and the other's left as well.

Taryn seized Xander by the arm and hustled the furiously protesting human up the stairs to the room. Jennes and Lourdey following behind with equal expressions of fury.

Angel glanced at Spike and Willow, before the three ran behind them, with Buffy, Cordy and Riley in their wake.

Releasing Xander's arm, Taryn paced angrily back and forth, struggling to control his rage. But every time he glanced at Xander he felt rage burning hotter. This was unacceptable! How could one human...this insignificant human cause him to lose control so thoroughly so rapidly?

Willow stepped in the room, uneasily watching the angrily pacing figure and tried to ease the situation.

"Obviously you're upset with Xander but it's not gonna do anybody any good if you don't tell us what's going on," she said quietly.

"HIM!" Taryn roared, pointing a finger furiously at the bewildered Xander.

"Me?! What the hell did I do but try to help save your sorry ass," he yelled getting pissed off at Taryn, at them as he took in the angry expressions on Jennes and Lourdey's faces. Yelping in alarm as Taryn sped towards him and got up in his face.

"Don't you start with me, boy...you will NOT win," Taryn hissed furiously through gritted teeth before turning around and pacing again, this time joined by Jennes and Lourdey.

And a light went on in Angel and Spike's heads.

"Xander, they are upset because you put yourself in danger. The only thing that matters to them is the fact that their need to protect you and the children outweighs everything for them. They are willing to risk their lives to insure that you survive, therefore their children live and they almost lost you," Angel spoke up.

"But I'm not some little kid that needs taking care of," Xander growled and he pointed angrily to his chest, "I am a grown man...true a pregnant grown man which I still haven't gotten used to yet, but I'm still a grown MAN! I don't need nobody's fuckin' protection. I've been takin' care of me, my people and family since I was seventeen fuckin' years old! Fighting shit that you wouldn't believe," he shouted.

"Then imagine how you would feel if Mikey and Joce deliberately put themselves in danger just to save your worthless life," Taryn said evenly, finally getting his rage under control and looking into Xander's suddenly understanding eyes.

Xander opened his mouth and closed it with a snap. He looked away from Taryn's hard probing eyes, his jaw clenching and his face was tight. Blinking he looked down and a long sigh escaped him.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Taryn slowly smirked, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," he raised a brow. In the short weeks he had known the boy, he knew how much it grated the young human to apologize.

"I said I'm fuckin' sorry okay!" Xander shouted, his eyes flashing in rage at the barely concealed amusement on the Jaztar's faces. Then he closed his eyes in resignation at a horrified gasp coming from within the crowd at the doorway.

"Oooooh, Daddy said a bad wooooorrrrd," Mikey was totally aghast, his eyes wide.

"Daddy, gonna get a spanking," Joce chanted in delight.

She frowned and looked around in confusion as everyone burst out laughing. With an annoyed huff at the stupid adults, she grabbed Mikey and left to play with the other kids at least they made sense.