What Changed?

The beginning....

Xander moved quietly from body to body. Carefully staking each one he came across that was from the school. As he reached the last body a soft sob tore from his throat, and he stood quietly shaking. Finally, gathering all of his courage, he staked the last victim. Then gently brushed a kiss across the forehead of the fallen boy. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Turning quickly, Xander left the room and the body of the young man he loved. Xander was leaving the next day. He couldn't stay and watch as Larry was placed in the cold, unforgiving ground.

As he left the building he started walking faster, then running. He ran until his chest burned and his legs ached and still he kept running. When he finally stopped he collapsed to his knees and curled up into a ball, sobbing in rage and pain.

Xander was unsure how long he lay on the ground nor did he care, but finally, as the first rays of light struck the horizon, he came back to himself and slowly stood. None of his so called friends had known about his relationship with Larry. He would have told them, but they were all so busy mapping out the campaign against the Mayor and generally surviving, that he had never gotten around to telling them. Then there was the whole fact that they were all still distant from him, even though Willow was to blame for the whole kissing thing.

He sighed, and walked to his house one final time, before leaving town on his road trip. He had several places he needed to visit this summer so that he could get the training that Giles and Buffy seemed to feel he didn't need.

It was another hour before he was on his way. His first stop was Seacouver, and his friend, Richie. The young man had passed through town several months earlier, and Xander had saved him from a group of fledges. It was when he had first started dating Larry and was still dealing with the Pack.

Another set of secrets he kept from his friends. While the evil and the fierce power that they had was gone, the Pack still followed Xander. Together they hunted vampires and other evils of the night. Angel was the only one who knew the truth, and so far he had said nothing. The rest of the Pack were all going off to college. They hadn't wanted to leave him, but Xander wanted them to all have lives away from the hellmouth and had ordered them to leave.

He had planned to take Larry and leave the hellmouth behind as well. Instead, the town had claimed another of those he loved. He was now leaving on his own and it hurt. Just another pain his friends would know nothing about. Xander also hadn't told them that he had gotten into Yale, or that he had been accepted into a special program that enabled him to work in his field of study on the hellmouth itself, or from wherever he chose.

One of the main reasons that Snyder had ridden him so hard was because he refused to let others see his potential. The man had been a troll, but he had pushed, and had hated that Xander allowed others to see him as stupid and as a joke. Xander sighed, he was unsure if he would return to Sunnyhell now, or stay away as he had originally planned. With Larry gone he had no real reason to stay away.

He had only wanted to leave to protect his mate from the ravages of the town, but it had gotten him anyway. Xander hoped that Richie's friend could help him improve his fighting skills, and help further his weapons skills.

Two weeks late, Xander was parking in front of the jazz club that Richie had told him about. He got out of the car and stretched tired muscles. Looking around him for any possible attack and finding none, he calmly entered the club and paid the cover. The guy at the door stamped his hand to show he was underage, then sent him on his way.

For several minutes Xander stood just inside the club, taking it all in. The music being performed by the band caught Xander's ear and made him smile sadly. Shaking his head he headed for the bar, hoping to get some information about Richie and wherecoulcould reach him.

Across the club, Methos watched the boy as he walked in; there was something about the young one that caught his attention. He wasn't a pre-immortal, but his easy grace and watchful attitude caught the immortal's eye. "Hey, that's Xander," Richie said from beside him. Methos, Mac, Amanda, Nick and Joe watched with fond amusement as the young man jumped to his feet and went to greet his friend.

They laughed in delight as their young friend was lifted off of his feet in a hug. Richie's laughter drifted back to them, and to the surprise of his friends he kissed the larger boy. Amanda made a slight purring sound. "Anyone have a camera?"

Methos chuckled, "Pervert."

"But of course. Still, anyone have a camera?" The others laughed and shook their heads over her antics. Methos looked over at Duncan and saw speculation in his eyes. Smirking, he wondered if Richie knew what he had started with that kiss. Duncan had wanted the boy for years. The only thing that had stopped his pursuit was the thought that Richie was straight.

Xander broke the kiss and looked down into the gentle eyes of his friend. He knew that the kiss was not meant to ignite passion. Instead, it was a kiss of comfort and support. Xander hugged Richie again, and had to fight back the urge to cry again over his loss. "Come on, I want you to meet the oth" X" Xander nodded and let Richie lead him over to the table.

Xander sensed immediately that only the older, grey haired man was human. He had no idea what the others were, but they felt like Richie so he would trust them. Until they gave him reason to not trust them, that is. "Hey guys, I'd like you to meet my friend, Xander. He's the guy I was telling you about. Xander, this is Mac, Adam, Nick, Amanda and Joe." Xander nodded to each of them in turn.

Adam was again struck by the way the boy held himself. The way he watched each of them and gauged if they were a threat or not. He could tell by the way that Duncan and Nick had straightened in their chairs that they had sensed it as well. Whoever this boy was, he was no ordinary human. They were also struck by the pain and despair that made his eyes those of an old man. There was too much knowledge, too much pain in the boy's eyes.

"So Xander, Richie told us you saved his life, but not where you met," Mac said warmly.

"Sunnydale, we met in Sunnydale," Xander answered quietly.

"The HELLMOUTH!" Amanda and Adam gasped out together. Wariness filled dark brown eyes and he looked at them with suspicion.

"Okay, you're not human and you know about the hellmouth. What are you, and are you going to cause trouble?" Xander hissed. His eyes dark with danger.

They all stared in surprise. He turned his attention to Joe. "I know you hum human and I trust Richie, so why don't you tell me what's up?" he questioned.

Richie eyed his friend in shock. Xander knew he wasn't human and still he was his friend. "Joe's a Watcher -," Richie began, only to be cut off by Xander.

"The Slayer kind of Watcher or the kind that follows Immortals around?" Xander asked tensely. After what had been done to Buffy, he hated the Watcher's Council.

"Immortals," Joe answered.

"So Richie and these guys are all Immortals?"

"Yes," Joe answered.

"Cool. Sorry about the freak out, but two weeks ago someone I careout out was killed after our Mayor turned into a giant worm demon and tried to turn the graduating class into a giant all you can eat buffet. My friends and classmates were able to stop him, but we lost a lot in the process." The others all gaped at him in stunned silence.

"Okay, how did you know we weren't human?" Nick asked.

Xander smiled wryly. "I hunt the oogies of the night; after a while you learn to sense what's human and what's not. Besides, I've been possessed twice. I have enhanced senses."

Adam raised an eyebrow and the others looked shell shocked. Richie shook his head and grinned at the looks on his friends' faces. "The first time we met, he was saving me from a bunch of vampires," Richie told them.

Adam groaned, "Vampires? Richie do you go anywhere where you don't attract trouble?"

Xander and Richie burst into laughter. "Man, you sounded just like Giles when you asked that. Must be a British thing."

Richie snickered.

"So, besides stopping by to see and kiss Richie, what are you doing here?" Amanda asked, amused by the pair.

"I'm hoping to get some training. Richie told me about Duncan and his school. I need help to improve my weapons skills, and he also told me that you taught martial a" X" Xander said, looking at Duncan.

Duncan looked at the boy. "How much time do you have?"

"Just a wee weeks. I still have two other stops to make before I go back to the hellmouth and my studies. If I go back." There was bitterness in the last three words, and the pain in his eyes sharpened for a moment.

"Why would you not go back?" Amanda asked.

"My mate was one of the people lost at graduation. I'm not sure I want to go back. My friends and I aren't exactly getting along and I'm tired of the bullshit," Xander told her bluntly.

Richie took Xander's hand in his and they shared a sad smile. Richie felt bad for his friend. He could still remember how it was for Duncan after Tess had died.

"You're welcome to stay, and I will be happy to teach you," Duncan told him; he understood the pain in the boy's eyes.

Xander spent three weeks learning what he could and getting closer to tig tight-knit group of friends. The day he left, they all saw him off. Xander was on his way to visit another of his friends, and hopefully learn his his friend's teacher.