Reunited

Chapter 8: Memories Shared

Willow sat staring dully ahead. Xander was in his room sleeping, while the living room was full of both friends and former enemies. Riley was holding his friend and looking at Buffy longingly. So far none of the magically inclined had told the others what they had learned when they touched Xander.

She could remember the pain and the overwhelming despair that burned through the link she had established with Xander. It terrified and disgusted her. It was bad enough knowing what they had done to Dru and Spike, but they took her Xander and they changed him. They hurt him and they were going to pay for it.

Willow had a picture and a name for the one responsible for hurting her friend and she was going to kill her if it was the last thing that she did. "Who is Maggie Walsh?" Willow asked suddenly.

Graham jerked free of Riley's hold and looked at her in horror. "No," he whispered.

She nodded. "She did this to Xander. She hurt him and she turned him into a hybrid. My Xander isn't human anymore. So who is she?" Willow asked again, stronger this time.

Forrest looked as though he were going to be ill. "She's the head scientist in charge of the Initiative," Forrest told her.

"I'm going to kill her," Willow said calmly, as though she were talking about changing her nail color.  The others paled and Buffy shook her head in denial.

"You're not going to do anything," Spike snarled. "Do you want the boy to blame himself for you going over to the dark? You will not kill the bitch! We will make her pay, but not like that. Don't give me that look, Witch! You will do nothing to hurt my Childe." Spike then stood and went back into the bedroon that held both his Prince and his Princess. No one would do anything to add to his boy's pain. No one!

Xander whimpered and thrashed lightly from side to side. Cool arms enveloped him and a gentle kiss was placed on his brow. "Shh... My kitten, sleep. You are home and safe," Dru whispered gently and held her baby tighter until he settled into a deep and natural sleep.

Dru had heard what they had said. She agreed with her Spike. The witch was Xander's inspiration and on many occasions his reason for living. It was going to be hard enough for him to survive his change. He would be able to aid his friends now, and he would help them as well. She knew that Xander was beyond them. What the humans kept referring to as a demon wasn't. She had seen what they had used to change her beautiful boy and she knew that the light had a powerful force on its side now.

She and Spike would never be as they were before the nasty soldiers got them.  Mainly because they had no blood lust. Spike still enjoyed mayhem and killing demons, but they were tied to the light child. He was their future. Where they went, he went. The fates had shown her their place and soon they would begin to fulfil their fate. A fate that included the light ones and her boy.