A Wish Is A Dream The Heart Makes.

Hey, this is my first time posting a story so let me know what you think. If people enjoy it I'll continue to write it.

Prologue

Xander stared at the rapidly fading forms of the slayer and his supposed 'bestest bud'.
'Sure,' he thought, sourly 'walk the girl two blocks to make sure she gets home safe, butforget the poor, defenceless male who has to walk accross half the town... in the dark... with only a stake and his natural wit to protect him!"

"Typical!" He muttered under his breath, before turning abruptly and starting for home. As he went he made sure to keep to the better lit streets, which he noticed, not for the first time, were surprisingly sparse. He wondered absently if it was due to the Hellmouth, or just the normal ineptitude of the local government, not that it really mattered. It just made it harder for him to get home in one piece frome the late night scooby meetings. After all it wasn't like Buffy or Giles ever offered to see him home. He could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times they had done so.

Lately, Xander had been feeling that the others didn't want him around. He'd noticed that, more and more often. his suggestions were being shot down, particularly by Buffy. Willow was supporting her as well, that he found hard to stomach. Wils had been his friend since kindergarten. They'd always stood up for each other and never let anything... or anyone come between them; Even the addition of Jesse hadn't divided them, they'd just expanded their friendship so it could include him. He was gone now of course, but when they had added Buffy to the mix, Xander had imagined it would be much the same. However that didn't seem to be the case. Willow no longer seemed to want to spend any time with him. Unless Buffy was otherwise engaged. Even with her new and sudden crush on him; something that he felt Buffy was behind. He had found he was increasingly on the outside of their group; barely tolerated. And he didn't like it. At all.

Xander was pulled from his increasingly dark thoughts by a cry for help from a nearby alleyway. He reacted immediately,but cautiously, well aware it could be a trap. He posistioned himself so he could see into the alley and get an idea of what he'd be facing; he was shocked to find two vampires attempting to hold down a female demon whilst a third was struggling to undress her. His eyes narrowed and hardened. He didn't care if it was a demon, no one deserved what was about to happen to her, besides he recognised her species as one he'd read about in Giles' books. She was a Gr'atni Demon...well, something like that. She was harmless. They were only aggressive in defense of themselves and their families. Seeing that all the vampires were... occupied, he rushed towards them as quietly as he could and the first was staked before they knew he was there. Pushing his advantage he was through the dust of the first and staking the second, even as they belatedly began to react to his presence . Done and dusted. The third however, had dropped the Gr'atni and was tensed, ready to flee as the dust cleared, expecting to see the Slyer before him. Instead he saw only a teenaged boy, one who couldn't be more than seventeen, armed with a stake and a surprisingly determined expression.

Xander spoke softly, in a surprisingly good impression of Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry, "Well Punk? Ask yerself...are you feeling luc..Eep!" Before he could finish, the vampire lunged forward to attack him. He quickly raised the stake holding it steady between them, braced to meet the attack. But in a rather ironic happenstance; the vampire was dusted as it tripped, mid-lunge, over the prone form of the demon it had just dropped.

"Why is it they wait for Buffy to finish her quips before they attack her?" He asked dolefully, looking through the dust at the only other remaining occupant of the dark alley. He couched quickly next to her and spoke softly "Hey, Miss... Are you gonna be okay now? Can I help you in any way?" He looked at the fallen demon in concern, she looked in a bad way, he hoped he hadn'tarrived too late to help her. She let out a slight groan of pain and turned over to look at him, stunned that a human would not only come to her rescue but would then further offer their aid to a being who was obviously not human. Who was this strange boy?

"I shall be fine in a little while, Human. My kind heals rapidly. You have my gratitude. I am Caliefnos of thT'ama Clanone of the four Clans of the Gr'Atarni. I hope to one day be allowed to repay the debt I now owe you..." She said formally while struggling to sit up. She watched, again amazed as the boy, with no hint of fear at her frightening appearance casually reached out a hand and gently helped raise her to a sitting posistion. He didn't even react to the feel of her scaled skin! As her wounds began to heal she began to carefully observe the strange man-child before her.

Xander shifted, uneasy but unthreatened with way she was focused on him, before speaking up. "Umm, Hi. I'm Xander... Alexander Harris, actually and hey, no need to repay me I only did the same as you would have in the same circumstances." When he said the last he raised his eyes to meet hers and she was struck by the sincerity they showed. He genuinely believed that! It was true of course, but no human she'd ever met had ever suggested that a demon had any honour or was able to act with compassion. Who was this Xander? She would be most interested in finding out. She would have to keep an eye on him he was most... unusual.