Repost FIC: Terra Australis Incognito 7-9/29

["Tony McD" <cdreramius@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

TITLE: Terra Australis Incognito 7-9/29 
AUTHOR: Tony McD (o163210@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss Whendon, Mutant Enemy, WB and 
others. This is for fun, not profit. 
SUMMARY: Buffy, Willow, and Xander have their lives turned upside down and embark on a new destiny together. (B/W/X). First of my Terra/Trinity/Destiny series.
SPOILERS: AU around season 4. 
RATING: R (for language)



Authors Note: David McWray is based on a real person (and close friend) serving in the Australian SASR. Godspeed my friend, and my you return home safely.

 

 

Chapter 7
 

David watched as Buffy left with Willow, then muttering something under hisbreath, he picked up a towel and wiped the sweat off his face.

 

"What the hell was that?" Xander asked with a touch of anger in his voice. Although his friendship with the other members of the Scooby Gang was almost non-existent, Xander still felt an obligation to protect them when he could.

 

"Look, I'm going to get a drink and then we can sit down and talk. OK?" David told them. He led them to the games room where he went behind the bar.

 

"Anyone want a drink while I'm here? Orange juice? Tea?" David asked. 

 

Rather distracted, Xander and Giles said no. David grabbed a juice and wentaround to sit in the sofa at the other end of the room. He watched as Giles and Xander looked around the games room in awe. Shifting into serious mode, Giles sat down opposite David.

 

"You wanted to explain something?" Giles asked, hoping to get to the bottomof how David got the ring he gave him the day before. Xander now came and sat beside Giles, interested in what just happened between him and Buffy.

 

"OK, to start with, yes I used magic to create those illusions of me duringthe fight. Yes I do practice Aboriginal magic and no, that wasn't Aboriginal magic. That's why I've got this feeling of ickyness and unease right now." David said with a little shudder. Anytime he used non-Aboriginal magic he was left with a sense of wrongness, it felt dirty. He didn't like doing it but sometimes he had to.

 

"OK then, what was the kissing all about?" Xander asked.

 

"Look, I'm trained to fight. Part of my training is to use the unexpected to shock my opponent into inactivity for a few seconds so I can use that time to strike. What's the last thing you expect in a fight? A kiss would haveto be right up there at the top of the list, right? So I kissed her. I didn't anticipate what happened."

 

"What happened?" Giles asked.

 

"Look, the spirit that gives Slayers like Buffy their abilities is called Shelgui. The spirit that gives me my abilities is called Gangui. When I kissed Buffy these two spirits met and connected for a moment. That's why it was such an intense kiss. I'm not here to seduce Buffy and we are not soulmates, OK? I'm not here to score with anybody. For some reason Buffy gives me the shits, she isn't my type."

 

"What is your type of woman then?" Xander asked sarcastically.

 

"Well the truth be told I'd say Willow. Red heads float my boat for some reason." David replied.

 

"You've got exactly zero chance with her." Xander muttered.

 

"Xander, I'm here to get some vampire experience and clear up some family matters. I'm not here to chase chicks."

 

"What family matters?" Giles asked.

 

"It is very personal and involves you. I'm happy for Xander to hear this but are you?" David asked Giles. Giles didn't quite know what to say.

 

"That's OK, G man. I'll leave you two to talk." Xander said getting up.

 

"Xander, do us a favour please? Take Spike with you and could you explain what happened to Buffy. I don't want her getting the wrong idea. OK?" David asked Xander. Xander nodded and left.

 

When Giles and David were alone, Giles pulled out the ring. "Where did you get this?" Giles asked.

 

"Just before she left London, my mother became pregnant, although she didn't know this until she got back to Australia. That ring was given to my mother by my father." It took Giles a few moments to grasp the implication of what David said. 

 

Giles was speechless. 

 

Tears formed in both of their eyes. The two embraced.

 

"G'day Dad, I'm home."

 

Chapter 8
 

As Giles and David were coming to terms with their new family relationship,a rather angry and depressed Xander was returning from Buffy and Willow's dorm. Things had not gone well. Buffy was extremely upset and so was Willowfor that fact. It seemed odd to Xander that Willow was so worked up about what happened. There was something more going on but Xander could not figure it out. Once, he knew Willow. Now she had become as unfathomable as a black hole.

 

Xander had explained the reason behind what happened at David's place. Well, he had tried to explain but, between Willow and Buffy hanging onto each other and crying and Buffy screaming obscenities at Xander and David, he gotexactly nowhere with it. After five or ten minutes of crying and yelling, Xander was practically thrown out of their dorm.

 

Xander was angry with David for doing such a stupid thing to get Buffy upset. He was even angrier at Buffy and Willow for over reacting to what Xandersaw as a minor thing. He was angry at the way that they had treated him, at some of the things they said. He was depressed because his two closest friends, who had been drifting from him for a long time, hardly seemed like friends at all now. Xander had gained a new best friend, it seemed, at the expense of two old former friends. He trudged off home to get ready for work.

 



Giles and David sat in silence, their emotions largely controlled. 

 

Giles gathered up his thoughts. "Why didn't Albert tell me I was a father? I mean don't I have a right to know such important matters?"

 

"I was angry too when I found out. But I've had a bit of time to think about it. I think Albert did the right thing." David held up his hand to silence Giles' inevitable objection.

 

"Here me out, please. OK let's think this through. It would have taken Mum a while to figure out she was pregnant. Then it would have been a bit longer before she told Albert. By then you were back at Oxford and undergoing your Watcher training. He could tell that you were destined to be one of the greatest Watchers one day. You had just began to get your life back together. If he had told you about me, you would have left to take up a role as father. You would not have become a Watcher, Buffy would have got some prissydill as her Watcher, she would have been killed and we would be up to our armpits in hell, fire, and brimstone right now. So when you think about it,Albert did the right thing."

 

Giles looked at David, thinking about what he had said. Maybe he was right,but it still felt wrong.

 

"Logically I can understand his reasoning, but I still feel it was wrong." Giles said.

 

"I can understand that. But I think in the long run we both benefited. You became a kick ass Watcher who told the Council to stick it where the sun don't shine." David said with a cheeky little look on his face. "And I got tobe raised in Australia and not in England."

 

"What's wrong with England?" Giles asked somewhat surprised.

 

"Try asking what isn't wrong with England." David smiled. "I mean you go and invent cricket. You create a nation of castaway convicts. They become a free and wealthy nation. They beat you at the game you invented. Hell, for the last 15 years, every time an Aussie cricket team came to England it's been about as one sided as Hiroshima." Giles had to smile at the friendly jabat England.

 

"Bloody colonials!" Giles implored looking to the heavens. They both laughed, comfortable enough to enjoy the friendly banter. Giles noticed that David's sense of humour was similar to Xander's. A bit drier perhaps, but quitesimilar. Again there was a comfortable silence as each man got lost in histhoughts.

 

"So what now? With us?" David asked.

 

"I don't know."

 

"Well, maybe it's best we keep this to ourselves for a while. Just till we get things straight between us." David suggested. Giles nodded.

 

"Yes, let's get a little more comfortable with this before we tell Buffy and the rest. I want us to be OK before we hit them with this."

 

"Yep, no sense everyone getting into a flat spin."

 



It had been a slow night at the pub and Xander was bored out of his mind. He absently wiped the bar top for the third time in ten minutes.

 

"Mate!" a voice called out. Looking up Xander saw David come in wearing an overcoat and a big goofy grin. Seeing the unhappy look on Xander's face, David sat on a stool and ordered a beer. Xander returned with the beer.

 

"What's wrong? Didn't things go well with Buffy?" he asked. Xander sadly shook his head. David grumbled in sad frustration. * Women, can't live with them, can't legally kill them.*

 

"Look, Xander. How about we blow this popcorn stand and kick some undead ass? Sounds good?" David asked.

 

"I can't, I'm working. See?" Xander said holding up his dishcloth. 

 

David looked around and saw Jack, the owner at the far end of the bar. "Jack! Mate! How's it going?" David asked.

 

"Good, David, good. A bit quiet though tonight. What's up? You looking to throw another party? If so I'm your man." Jack said smiling. He genuinely liked the Aussie, especially since David had paid over $15 000 for the other nights shing ding.

 

"I'll let you know. In fact I would like ask a favour. Can I grab Xander sowe can have a boy's night out on the town? I mean it seams pretty quiet tonight." David said.

 

"Sure thing. You guys have fun." Jack said. Xander bolted out the back to grab his jacket. As Xander headed out the door, David rolled off a hundred dollar bill and slapped it on the bar. Jack looked at it stunned, them he smiled.

 

"You two be careful out there, it isn't exactly safe." Jack said.

 

"No worries, mate. She'll be right." David said as he walked out the door.

 



"Why am I out here hunting vamps with you?" Xander asked, regretting his earlier decision.

 

"Because you love it." David replied. The two had their stakes ready as they slowly walked down a back street. Xander stopped.

 

"What is it?" David whispered. Xander just pointed. There were two vamps rounding the corner and walking toward them. David smiled. "Showtime." He said. 

 

The vamps charged them.

 

One attacked Xander while the other took on David. David sent his vamp flying with kick to the chest. The vamp got up but crumbled to dust as David threw his stake into the vamps heart.

 

Xander on the other hand was not going so well. He had dropped his stake inthe fight and was just keeping the vamp from snacking on him. David saw Xander in trouble. * Note to self. Always carry more than one stake. * 

 

David grabbed the vamp and threw it down the street.

 

"You OK? Where's your stake?" David asked.

 

"I don't know, I lost it in the fight." Xander replied. The other vamp had picked it self up and started run away.

 

"Come on, it's getting away!" David implored. Xander started out to catch the vamp when he stepped on his stake lying on the ground. His feet went from beneath him and he landed on his butt.

 

"What the..? Hey, cool! You found your stake. Come on let get him!" David said picking up the stake and nearly dragged Xander down the street after the vamp. The vamp turned down an alley.

 

They entered the alley and were amazed that the vamp had disappeared. Walking further down the alley there was no sign of their prey.

 

"Maybe he ran out the back of the alley." Xander suggested.

 

"Nope. Dead end." David told him.

 

"It sure is." A voice said behind them. David and Xander spun around at thevoice. Standing in the entrance of the alley were 6 or 8 vampires, including the one that they were chasing. David recognized another face.

 

"Oh shit." David groaned.

 

"You!" The vamp said. It was the mugger that attacked David the other night. The situation was bleak for Xander and David. The two of them had one stake and they faced a whole bunch of vamps.

 

"Do you know how to use one of these?" David said to Xander as he pulled out two objects from his over coat and handed one to Xander. It was a handgun.

 

"What? Are you nuts? Stakes, sunlight, fire, beheading kill vampires! Not bullets! You'll just piss them off!" Xander near screamed.

 

"Just let them have it when I tell you to. Alright?" David said, raking theaction of his weapon. Reluctantly Xander did the same. He wondered if he should save a bullet for himself before the vamps turned him or should he save two bullets. The first one for David for getting them killed.

 

"Foolish human. Your toys cannot hurt us." A vamp told the two. David smiled a positively evil smile. "You know what I have always wanted to say in situations like this?" David asked.

 

"What?" Xander replied.

 

"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by..." David started. 

 

Xander could not believe it. They were about to die and David goes all 'Pulp Fiction' on him. Xander jumped at the sound of a shot being fired. 

 

The vamp looked at the hole where the bullet had entered.

 

"Didn't work." The vamp said.

 

"Guess again, knob jockey." David replied as fire flared from the wound andquickly consumed the vamp. Everyone stood in shock.

 

"KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!" David shouted to Xander as he opened fire on the other vamps. Seconds later, the sound of gunfire died, leaving Xander andDavid with small piles of smoking vamp dust.

 

"Holy shit! What the fuck did we hit them with!?" Xander yelled at David.

 

"I call them Match Head rounds. I've been experimenting with them for a while. A little white phosphorous, some titanium, and a dash of sodium. They burn at about 3000 degrees C. Works pretty good on vamps, I say."

 

Xander was silent for a moment. Then a thought from his soldier boy time atHalloween kicked in.

 

"Aren't bullets like that banned by the Geneva Convention?" Xander asked. David looked at him like he was an A grade moron.

 

"Xander, I pretty certain that the Geneva Convention doesn't apply to vampires and demons. Don't you think?"

 

"Oh, right. Well, good. We wouldn't want to violate their human rights now,would we?" Xander joked, feeling like an A grade moron, as the two of themheaded back to Xander's car.

 

Chapter 9
 

Buffy lazily ran her fingers over the pale skin of Willow's stomach as the two lay together after their lovemaking. Both were lost in thought and theywere both thinking the same thing.

 

*There is something really important that is missing here.*

 

"Buff, can I tell you something? Something really important without you freaking?"

 

"Uh, sure Will. What?"

 

"I, um, I really love being with you. I mean you are the world to me and, well, I love you. I feel so comfortable with you and you make me feel so alive, but..."

 

"But what? What's wrong?" Buffy asked with some fear.

 

"But I have this feeling. Something is missing. Something inside of me. It's like a jig saw puzzle with a piece missing." Willow told her lover. She saw the look come over her Slayer's face.

 

"Buffy, please don't be upset! I'm just trying to explain how I feel..." Buffy cut her babble off.

 

"No! No! I'm not mad Will. I know what you mean. I feel it too. There is a hole, somewhere deep inside, where something should be. Like, without it, you can't be complete or happy; really happy."

 

"Yeah." Willow said. She paused. "What? You feel it too?" she asked, somewhat shocked. Buffy nodded. There was an uncomfortable silence between them. Buffy decided to change the subject.

 

"You got any idea how much I hate that fucking David? He comes here like some kind of commando Crocodile Dundee and starts messing things up just whenit starts to get better. I've had enough of soldier types fucking my life around." Buffy spouted.

 

"Xander and David seem to get along well enough." Willow said.

 

"Don't get me started on Xander. Try hard loser." Buffy grumbled. Willow's kiss silenced her anger and the two melted into each other's arms.

 

 

Giles watched as David trained Xander in hand-to-hand combat. Almost two months had passed since David arrived. Seeing the two joke and fool around asthey trained he felt happy that David and Xander had become almost like brothers. David, his flesh and blood son. Xander, the boy who had become likea son to Giles. He still had not told Buffy, Willow and Xander about Davidbeing his son. Buffy and Willow's dislike for David meant that they would not accept him.

 

Giles had become concerned about Xander. His friendship with David had broken the already strained friendship with Buffy and Willow. Although Xander tried not to show it, there were times that the pain of losing the friendship came to the surface. Xander locked his emotions away and that was not good. Like a pressure cooker, it would build and build until it exploded.

 

"Good. I think we'll call it quits for now." David said when he saw Giles. Giles had stayed overnight going through David's library and this morning David would drop Giles home and pick up some of the Watchers Diaries.

 

"I'll be with you in a sec." David said to Giles. He turned to Xander. 

 

"When I get back we can go down to the armoury and do some target practice."

 

"Cool." Xander said. "Hey, you know that black shirt you borrowed? Can I have it back 'cause I'm planning on wearing it to the Bronze tonight."

 

"OK. Why you going to the Bronze?" David asked.

 

"Well, with all this training you've been making me do lately I'm all buffed up. Women won't be able to resist me." Xander told him with a laugh.

 

"Yeah, sure. It's in my wardrobe, you can grab it while I'm gone, but it ain't going to do you any good."

 

"Why?" Xander asked.

 

"Mate, you couldn't get laid in a whore house with a fist full of fifties."David joked. They had a good laugh and David and Giles left.

 

Xander had a quick shower and wandered up to David's room to get the shirt.He opened the wardrobe and had a look. He noticed a uniform hanging up. Itwas dark green with gold buttons. On the epaulette was a gold crown and below that was the letters SASR also in gold. At the top of the sleeve was the word AUSTRALIA and below that as a winged parachute.

 

Two things that struck Xander were the medals. The first was how few David had. Having seen the movies where the soldiers had a chest full of medals, the four that hung there seemed strange.

 

The second thing was one medal in particular. It had a blood red ribbon with a bronze cross. In the centre was a lion with the words 'For Valour' beneath the lion.

 

"You found your shirt yet?" David said, startling Xander. Xander spun round.

 

"Dude! Scare me to death why don't ya. I was just looking at your uniform."

 

"Oh, OK." David said.

 

"Hey, I got a couple of questions though about it." Xander said.

 

"Like what?" David asked.

 

"First off, how come you have only four medals? I mean all the army guy I've seen have heaps."

 

"We run medals like the English do. You have to have been in combat to get medals, not like the US were you also get them for passing courses." David informed him.

 

"OK then, what about this one?" Xander asked pointing at the medal with thered ribbon. David looked uncomfortable.

 

"It's the Victoria Cross. Look could you just grab your shirt." David grumped. Deflated, Xander found his shirt.

 

"Look I'm sorry that I snapped at you. It's just that I got that medal during the war in East Timor. I lost a lot of close friends and it wasn't real nice and I don't like to talk about what happened too much."

 

"I'm sorry too. I should just mind my own business."

 

"Don't worry about it mate. Anyway, Giles wants you to go to his place for a chat tomorrow morning." informed David.

 

"What's it about?" asked Xander.

 

"Don't know. You can tell me tomorrow after I get back from the Initiative."

 

"What's going on there?"

 

"I've got to go over some of the electronic detectors they use with that boof head Riley Finn. I'll be glad when I don't have to see him any more. Anyway let's go and shoot some targets." David said as he headed for the door.