Things That Go Bump in the Night

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Chapter Seventeen
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Xander sighed. It was a lot to take in all at once -- so much to remember. "I've just got one more question. Why wouldn't my parents have known this?" His eyes widened. "Does this mean *they're* Immortal?!" He shuddered. If they were, what a waste of eternity.

Richie shook his head sadly. "No, not necessarily. Sometimes Immortals adopt pre-Immortal children, but generally it's ordinary mortals that do."

"Adopt? What are you talking about?"

"All Immortals are foundlings," Adam said. "We don't have parents."

"But I'm not adopted!" Xander protested. If he was sure of nothing else, he was sure of that.

With a glare directed toward Adam, Richie dashed his hopes. "Nope, I'm sorry, but you *are* adopted. Immortals don't have parents, and they can't have kids, either," he said gently. "And that wasn't easy for me to swallow."

"Being adopted was?"

"I spent most of my youth in one foster home or another," Richie said. "Until I found about Immortality, I had thought I remembered my mother, but it turned out she was just the best foster mom I'd had." Richie snorted. "She wasn't the first, though."

"I can't imagine," Xander said, "it's bad enough..."

"It's bad enough..?" Richie encouraged.

"Nothing," Xander denied. "It's not important."

When it looked like Richie was going to just let it go, Xander sighed in relief. He didn't talk about his home life -- period.

"So," Adam asked, "you think you're ready to take on your first student, Rich?"

Richie turned to Adam in surprise. "I thought you'd teach him."

"Me?" Adam asked, returning Richie's surprise. "I haven't taken on a student in a long time. Besides," he continued, looking down at himself, "do you really think I'm in a position *to* take one on?"

"Good point," Richie acknowledged, turning back to face Xander. "Truthfully, Xander, I know two people, besides Adam here, who would make better teachers than me, but I don't know how to get a hold of either them at the moment. So, it looks like you're stuck with me."

"Richie, don't sell yourself short. You'll do fine. You were taught by one of the best. That helps."

Xander, caught between watching the two Immortals dicker, suddenly raised a hand, "Student?" he asked. "Teacher? I graduated already. What do I need with a teacher?"

"Do you know how to use a sword?" Richie asked bluntly.

"No, of course not."

"Then you need someone to teach you how to use one, someone to teach you to protect yourself from Immortals who want to take your head."

"Oh, great," he muttered sarcastically, depression settling around him, weighing him down, "just what I needed. Something else to worry about."

The door swung open admitting Buffy and Angel, back from patrol, distracting the three Immortals. But beforeone one could so much as greet them, Cordelia squealed.

"Found 'em!" she said, "Well, found one type, anyway."

Everyone converged on the research team, Xander trailing behind, not even hearing most of the discussion. **I'm Immortal -- with a capital I," he thought, his mind still not really grasping the concept. **I have to learn to use a sword, to kill people with it. People, Immortals, I don't even know are going to want to kill me.**

Alone with his confusion, panic began to set in. God! He couldn't do this. There was no way he could learn this stuff. He'd been fighting along with Buffy for over 3 years now, and *still* hadn't learned to hold his own. How was he going to survive?

He felt his breathing quicken, but he couldn't stop it. He was beginning to pant, looking around with wild eyes, not really seeing anything. He just knew he had to get out, get away. He didn't even get as far as rising when he realized he couldn't go out, not out *there*. There were Immortals out there. Immortals who had personal reasons for wanting him dead. This wasn't like demons. Demons he could handle. It hadn't been personal.

Suddenly Xander gasped as strong fingers grabbed his chin and he found himself staring into Spike's blue eyes. **No,** Xander thought, **not Spike, that's Adam.**

"Adam?" he squeaked, feeling *very* unmanly at hearing it.

"Focus," Adam whispered. "Look at me. You're safe. You're in Rupert Giles' apartment."

Xander focused on Adam's words with difficulty, blocking out the thoughts that threatened to drown him.

"Good," Adam praised. "Now, take in a deep, slow breath and hold it."

Xander complied.

"Good, now let it out just as slowly."

Doing so, Xander felt most of his panic slide away. He was still scared, but now, at least, he didn't feel like everything was spinning out of control.

"Better?" Adam asked, releasing his chin.

Xander nodded. "Yeah. Sorry about that."

Adam shrugged, moving away. "It happens. Don't worry about it."

And as everyone went back to the demon discussion Richie leaned in a whispered. "It's scary in the beginning. I remember."

"Yeah?" Xander retorted, sarcastic venom coating his voice. "I'll just bet the sword you were born using came in *real* handy dealing with that fear."

Richie shook his head, and Xander got even angrier that he refused to take insult, but the Immortal's next words took the wind out of his sails.

"I'm only 25," he said quietly. "I've only been Immortal for 6 of those years."

"Really?" Xander asked hopefully.

"Really," Richie confirmed.

"Good!"

"Good?"

"Yeah, I don't think I could relate to someone lots older than me."

Richie laughed. "I hear that! My teacher had me beat in age measured in the centuries."

Xander's eyes widened. He felt like he'd been doing that a lot lately, but couldn't seem to stop the automatic reaction. "What about Adam? How old is he?"

Richie shook his head. "That's for him to tell, or not tell. Lets just say he's older than me and leave it at that."

"Hey guys," Willow exclaimed interrupting both conversations. "I've found the ritual mentioned in the prophesy. According to this, it needs to take place two nights from now, the ritual itself ending at exactly midnight."

"So," Spike offered, "we just need to hide Xapper away for the next couple of days, until the 'day' has passed and everything'll be peachy . . . right?"

"Yes, it seems so," Giles said, "But, though the prophesy does seem to describe a new Immortal, it isn't necessarily Xander it speaks of. It *could* be mere coincidence.

"Told you once, Giles," Buffy retorted, "I don't believe in coincidence." She looked thoughtful for a second. "I think I was right that time, too."

Giles hrumphed.

"Besides, it also mentions 'the chosen's' inner circle. Isn't that one of the ways used to refer to the slayer?" Buffy continued.

"Yes, it is."

"Well then, wouldn't it be stretching coincidence just a *wee* bit to think it *isn't* referring to Xander, who happens to be friends with a slayer, who happened to die and become Immortal, while we all just happened to be researching a spell to correct a spell "gone awry"," she questioned, using her fingers to air quotes.

"Yes," Giles admitted, "when you put it that way. It does some rather far fetched that it could be anyone else. The odds of having two pre-Immortals in your circle of friends would be ridiculously astronomical."

"Well," Xander protested, "couldn't they be referring to someone else's chosen? I mean, I'm sure there are lots of groups who call someone 'the chosen'."

No one answered.

Xander, however, noticed an odd look pass from Richie to Adam, who nodded.

"Maybe it would be a good idea if we all stuck together, as a group, until this is over," Adam suggested.

Xander's eyes widened as Giles started, then hurriedly nodded, a scary look of understanding passing over his face. **Who?**

"Yes, yes," he said, "I think that would be a prime idea."

"Where?" Doyle asked practically. "This is a pretty big group."

"The mansion," Angel offered. "It's big enough. Some people will have to bed down on the floor, because there just aren't enough beds, but other than that..."

"No."

"Why not, Xander?"

"Let me count the ways, Cordelia," Xander muttered. "Giles, back me up here."

"Get over it, Xander," Cordelia retorted.

Giles shook his head. "As much as I would rather spend the next couple of days *anywhere* other than the mansion," he said, continuing after the briefest of hesitations, "I do think it the best place for all of us to gather."

"Well, then, since no one else seems to be disagreeing," Cordelia said, standing, "I guess that's it for tonight . . . at least for those of us who *can't* create magic out of words?"

Giles nodded. "Yes. Willow, Tara, and I can join you later. It's still early, relatively. We might still be able to get something accomplished tonight."

Adam rose and headed for the door, "Yes, something that doesn't include the death of my body, if possible," he muttered as he left.

Xander uttered a confused, "huh?" as he followed behind.

"I'll tell you later," Cordelia responded, snickering, thoroughly enjoying Xander's confusion.

"Why do I feel like I've been left out of part of the conversation?"

"Because you did miss part of it," Richie answered conspiratorially. "I believe you were busy being attacked by demons at the time."

"Oh."

TBC
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