Brothers?

Disclaimer: Same as always.
Sorry about the long break, been very busy. How do you like my other story? Any pairing suggestions? Please!! Still stuck there. Thanks heaps for the reviews. I am saying that Buffy season 7 was set in 2001; therefore Alex was nabbed in early 2004 if Xander has been away for 2 years since he wouldn’t have left straight away.

Conversations

“Prove it?”

“Huh?”

“Prove the date.”

“Oh, ok.” Xander got up from the bed and flicked the TV onto a news station. He watched as Alex stared at the date, December 19th 2004.
“I can dig out a calendar and some slightly out if date papers as well if you want?” Alex shook his head.
“Is there anyone I can call for you?”

“No one. What are you going to do with me?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you want, payment?” Xander stared at him in shock.

“No way, I don’t want or expect anything Alex. My paycheck’s fine and I’m on holiday at the moment. I couldn’t just dump you at a hospital and let you end up in a psycho ward somewhere.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“You shouldn’t. Trust has to be earnt and you don’t know me well enough for that. If you want to walk out the door as soon as you’re able to that’s up to you, I can’t stop you. I can offer you a safe place to heal and a sympathetic ear though and apparently my lasagne is to die for.”

“You’re different.” Alex’s voice was beginning to slur from fatigue.

“In a good way or a bad?”

“Good I think.” Alex’s eyes fell shut and his breathing evened out.

“Sleep well.” Xander slid him back down onto the pillows and left to wash up.

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“Yes Deadboy, he’s alright. Coherent and everything. Fell asleep again about half an hour ago.” Xander watched his guest from the kitchen table.
“She had him almost a year Angel, I’m thinking he’s going to need major help.”

“Can you do it?”

“For now? Yeah. Later he’ll need to see someone. E-mail me a list would you?”

“You don’t want to ask Giles?”

“He doesn’t know, I’m on vacation.”

“Is that smart?”

“Maybe, maybe not. Frankly I don’t care anymore. I’m tired DB, tired of having to fit into their expectations of me.”

“I know we don’t get on but if you need it I’m sure I could find you a position.”

“Thanks for the offer, you never know. Maybe I’ll give Wesley’s old job a try. Thanks to Anya and my mostly unspent pay I’ve got a pretty good amount tucked away.”

“All right, let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks Angel.” Xander slumped down in his seat. He never thought he’d see the day when he could hold a civil conversation with the master vampire but it had happened.
‘I must be crazy. How can I look after Alex? He needs professional help not some one-eyed carpenter turned Watcher.’ He ran his hands through his hair before standing and going to the fridge; he really needed to eat.

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Alex stared at the younger man sleeping on the couch. Why was he still here? Okay so he could barely stand let alone walk but still, he should have been long gone. Xander had even said he shouldn’t trust him. To say thanks he’d even leave the other man alive, but something held him back. Was it Xander’s seemingly general concern? He doubted it but it was something. He groaned slightly as he shifted on the bed. His gaze went back to Xander and he was surprised to find him staring back.

“You ok? Need anything?” Xander sat up.

“Sorry.”

“No problem, I’m good at cat naps.”

“Oh?”

“Between school and patrolling and then later work and patrolling I learnt to grab sleep when I could. Don’t need a lot anymore. So, do you need something?”

“I shouldn’t be here.”

“Why not? You’ve been here five days already.”

“Too long. They could find me.”

“Who?” Alex sat silently.

“Who do you work for?”

“Official or real version?”

“Real.”

“The New Watchers Council. Old one got them selves blown up, not that I would have ever worked for them. Bunch of double-crossing old Englishmen who liked power a little too much. They left us to die one to many times for us to ever trust them so when we rebuilt we threw out all the old rules and structures. Watchers used to do just that, watch, while teenage girl after girl went out and gave their lives to save the world. Now we fight alongside our charges with either magic or weapons. For me it’s weapons, mojo and me don’t mix. Officially we’re a historical society based out of London but how many historians do you know who have diplomatic immunity in just about every country?”

“So you hunt vampires for a living?”

“Yep, better than construction although I was good at that. However you need depth perception, something I seem to be lacking a bit of. Feel like trying some more soup?” Alex nodded.
“Back in a minute.” Alex watched as Xander moved around the kitchen.
“So what do you do?”

“This and that.”

“Interesting?”

“Sometimes.”

“I’ll bet.” Xander handed him the soup.
“That how you lost your arm?”

“Vampire take your eye?”

“Actually it was a psychotic preacher who was attacking my friends.”

“Oh. Hurt a lot?”

“More than a lot. Passed out at some point and woke up in hospital. I don’t recommend letting someone ram their thumb through your eye.”

“I’ll remember that. Don’t let people amputate any limbs with a heated hunting knife.”

“Noted.” Alex shakily handed the bowl back.
“Need anything else?”

“No.”

“Try to get some more sleep then.” Alex nodded and lay back down, quickly drifting off.