FIC: Rebuilding the House of Scooby (B/X, W/X, W/B, B/W/X)

["cdreramius <o163210@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>" <o163210@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Rebuilding the House of Scooby
Authors: Mike and Tony McD
Rating: PG (ish)
Category: season 7 AU/ early season 2 (kinda)
Pairings: B/X, W/X, B/W, B/W/X
Summary: Xander is given the chance to rebuild the House of Scooby
Distribution: Go for it, just tell us where.
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, the Vampire Slayer nor do I own any 
other characters. This is a work of fiction written for fun and 
enjoyment.
Authors' notes: This is a collaborative effort between Tony and me 
due to Tony's illness. Feedback is appreciated.


The first indication that something was wrong was the stain. It was 
a very familiar stain, one that Xander had stared at for years as a 
kid. The problem was that the stain was on the ceiling of his 
childhood room, in a house that didn't exist any more, in a town laid 
to waste in the battle with the First Evil.

Another surprise, although a welcome one, was the lack of pain. In 
the days and weeks following the final battle, Xander had roamed the 
desolate landscape in constant pain in his body, his heart, his soul. 
He had been living in his own worst hell. Buffy and Willow dead by 
their own hand, their own hubris. They had become mere shadows of the 
people he had loved long before the final battle. So when he stumbled 
across the portal he jumped into without hesitation. Anywhere, 
anything was better than this.

So Xander found himself laying in his childhood bed and wondering 
just where, or when, in the hell he was. The bed seemed to be smaller 
than he remembered and, after the hell he just left, incredibly soft. 
He lay in his bed for long minutes and when he hadn't been attacked 
by anything, he decided that he wasn't in hell. Hope filled him and 
it scared him because he didn't want it crushed again.

He looked around to try to get a grip on exactly was going on. There 
was a poster of Cindy Crawford on his wall that gave him a bit of a 
clue. He remembered that he'd replaced Cindy with Elle McPhearson 
just before he and Cordy started smooching. Add some other things 
here and there and Xander came up with the impression that it wasn't 
that far after summer of his junior year. Of course a calendar would 
have helped but the only one in the house was in the kitchen and 
Xander wasn't about to wander out there naked.

Reluctantly, he got out of bed and started looking for some clothes. 
He caught sight of himself in the mirror. It wasn't the goofy 17-
year-old who looked back at him but the battle hardened 24 year old 
replete with scars attesting to his seven years on the frontline 
between good and evil. The largest and nastiest of these were the 
ones given to him by Buffy and Willow in his fight against them.

But his worst scars were all on the inside.

Eventually he found a pair of jeans and a plain black T-shirt that 
fit and after his shower, he emerged into the kitchen. There was no 
sign of his parents but this wasn't unusual given the early time of 
day. Looking at the calender it confirmed his guess on the date. He 
turned on the TV and dug around the fridge for some breakfast. As he 
ate his frosted flakes he watched the morning TV news. Everything 
seemed normal, Bill Clinton in trouble again, reports of gang 
related attacks here in Sunnydale, situation normal.

Xander decided that he'd either come back in time or had crossed 
into a parallel universe almost identical to his own. Either way he 
had to see Buffy, Willow and Giles. The opportunity to see his 
friends again, his real friends as opposed to the empty shells that 
had become, that was something he couldn't pass up.

As he headed off to school Xander thought that maybe, just maybe, he 
could save his friends from the dark future he had left.



Xander stood at the top of the stairs looking out at the scene. 
Groups of teens wandering around the courtyard doing all the things 
that high schoolers did on a Monday morning. Xander smiled a little 
when he realised how much he had taken all this of granted.

Behind him Cordy and her entourage stood staring at the man among 
boys who stood looking out over the courtyard.

"Let's see, broad muscular shoulders, big biceps, great ass. Yeah, I 
think he's worthy of the full Cordelia Chase treatment." She told 
her gathered hangers on. With a confident swish she came up behind 
him.

"Tall, dark and handsome. Just the way I like?" he turned to face 
her.

"HARRIS!!"

"Cordy!"

They stared at each other. One in disbelief, the other in happy 
shock.

Cordy couldn't believe it. It was that dork Xander, only not. He 
looked older, more mature, more confident, sexy even.

Xander for his part was really happy to she Cordy again. She might 
be a pain in the ass right now but it was far better than the demonic 
she-bitch she ended up as.

"What in God's name happened to you?" she demanded to know. Xander's 
mind raced to come up with a cover story for his changed appearance.

"Errr? growth spurt?"

"GROWTH?" Xander rested his hands on her shoulders to calm her down.

"Look, Cordy. I can't explain right now but I promise we'll talk, 
OK?" he hugged her as the bell rang for first period.

"God! I missed you so much Cordy." He said letting her go and heading 
off to the library leaving a stunned and shocked Cordelia in his wake.



Watching the scene was Buffy and Willow.

"Why is it that complete hotties are attracted by complete skanks 
like Cordelia?" sighed the Slayer. Willow looked up from her book to 
check out the scene.

"Mmm? Nice arms."

"Nice shoulders."

"Cute ass."

"Willow!"

"What? Can't I express appreciation for a member of the dumber sex?"

"No! It's just? alright; he's got a great ass." Buffy sighed again as 
the bell rang. "Come on Willow, Miss Harkness awaits."

As they started heading off to class Buffy saw the expression on 
Cordelia's face as she got hugged.

"Typical. She has complete hotties throwing themselves at her and 
she's still not happy."

"I only wish I had a complete hottie like that throwing himself at 
me." Willow said a little dejectedly.

"You and me both, Willow. You and me both."



It was with a little trepidation that Xander entered the empty 
library. He needed to get Giles on side if he had any chance at 
making things right this time around. He walked up to the table in 
the centre of the room and ran his hand across it. Memories of 
happier times flooded back. The Scooby Gang, battling the forces of 
evil, hanging out together. In retrospect there were the golden 
years, a time of innocence. Giles emerged from the stacks.

"Can I help? you??" he faltered.

"I'm hoping you can G-man."

"Xander? What? How?"

"Growth spurt?" Xander tried but Giles wasn't buying it. "Yeah, OK. 
It really didn't fly with Cordy either." Xander steadied himself 
before going on.

"I'm from the future, or a future, maybe."

"The future?"

"Or a future." Xander qualified. "I'm not sure if I'm from your 
future, or an alternate one. That's something for you and Wills to 
figure out."

"I? see?" Giles was finding the concept difficult to accept. Xander 
paced for a bit thinking for ways to convince Giles.

"OK, things that only future Xander would know. Mmm? Last year I got 
possessed by a hyena and I pretended not to remember anything about 
it but you knew and kept it secret anyway. And you used to be called 
Ripper and hung around Ethan Rayne doing magic and having orgies." 
Disturbed by the visuals Xander's mind raced for more.

"Oh! You've got an old girlfriend named Oliva back in England." 
Xander stopped pacing and looked Giles directly in the eye, a look 
serious and threatening on his face.

"And you even think about performing the Cruciamentum on Buffy when 
she turns 18 I'll kill you myself."

Giles paled a little in shock.

"How do you know about??"

"Seven years, Giles. I've got seven years worth of future in my head 
and most of it I don't want to ever happen again. So do you believe 
me now?"

A stunned Giles nodded and circled Xander looking the young man over.

"You've certainly grown." said an astonished Watcher.

"Almost 8 years fighting evil and 4 working on construction sites is 
good for that sort of thing."

Giles leaned against the table and cleaned his glasses.

"Why are you here?"

"Big shimmery portal opens up, badda bing, badda boom! I wake up in 
my old bed."

"Fascinating."

"Yes it is. And I'm guessing you'll be wanting to hit the old books 
any second now. Need a hand?" Xander smiled at the Watcher who 
smiled back.

"Thank you, yes. It would be a great help." Giles headed to the 
stacks but Xander stopped him and embraced the older man.

"Missed you so much man." Xander let go of Giles when he noticed 
Giles' rather awkward reaction to the hug.

"Right, stiff upper lip English watcher guy not into hugs. Cool. 
OK." A little smile appeared on Xander's face. "Don't worry, you'll 
grow out of it eventually."



It was a chirpy Slayer and hacker that entered the library just 
before lunch.

"That look on Cordelia's face when that hottie hugged her. What's 
her rift?"

"She has no appreciation for a guy with a great ass, Will."

"What was that Buffy?" Giles asked from inside the book cage.

"Shoulders! And big muscular arms!" Buffy tried to cover.

"Yes! His arms. Attached to his shoulders. As they are. 
Traditionally." babbled Willow.

"Right. Yes." Giles tried to get things back on track. "I'm glad you 
two showed up."

"Cool. What's the crisis?"

"The crisis would happen to be me." Xander said as he emerged from 
the stacks. He was greeted by two sets of boggling eyes. He walked 
down the steps and stood before them.

Buffy. Willow. Alive.

His heart and soul sang with happiness.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

To the further shock of the already stunned girls, Xander gathered 
them up into his arms and held them close as he wept.

*He seems awfully fond of hugging people. * Thought Giles.



"So let me get this straight. You're Xander."

"Yes."

"Our Xander."

A smile. "Always."

"From the future."

"Or a parallel one, yes."

"Seven years.

"Yes."

"In the future."

"You're not getting past this future thing any time soon, are ya 
Buff?"

"It's just, the future. And you're?" Buffy waved her hand in 
Xander's direction.

"All grown up?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure this is the real Xander?" Willow inquired uncertainly 
of Giles.

"Well, I?"

"Let me handle this one Giles." Xander stood up in front of Willow.

"Now, seeing this isn't the time nor the place for my yellow crayon 
speech, I'll just have to go with this." To the astonishment of 
Buffy and Giles, and to the delight of Willow, Xander started 
dancing. Willow giggled.

"OK! You can stop now!" Willow told him as she launched herself at 
him and locked him into a ferocious bear hug. Xander hugged her back, 
kissing the top of her head. God, how he missed being this close to 
Willow. He had to fight back the tears again as he held her to his 
heart.

"And this display proves this is Xander how?"

"Every Christmas, Giles, I go around to Xander's place to watch 
`Charlie Brown's Christmas' and every year he does the Snoopy Dance. 
Only Xander is capable of the Snoopy Dance." 

Giles took his glasses of and cleaned them vigorously before putting 
them back on.

"For which fact I am eternally grateful."

"So" Buffy said deciding to re-enter the conversation "Future boy. 
Spill. What happens? Do I make it past 18?" Without thinking Xander 
looked at Giles and said venomously:

"You will if Giles knows what's good for him."

"Um, Buffy, it's usually best for people not to know too much of 
their future."

"Giles! I have a right to know!"

"Buffy!" Xander yelled, letting Willow go. "I don't want to go into 
it right now. Please, trust me on this one Buff. Not now. Later, 
maybe?" A reluctant nod from the Slayer.

"OK, later." Buffy agreed as the bell rang for next period. Willow 
gathered up her books.

"You coming Xander?"

"Where?"

"Chem class."

"Oh, OK." Xander grabbed his stuff and headed to the doors with 
Willow.

"Chem class would be easier second time around, wouldn't it?"

"It would. But, Wills, I was hardly ever in Chem class the FIRST 
time around."



The day went surprising well. Xander's lame `growth spurt' excuse 
was actually believed, much to the amazement of his friends. Xander 
reasoned that people in Sunnydale were so used to excusing away even 
weirder things like vampires and stuff, that Xander's sudden change 
in appearance was pretty much a non-event.

Not that his appearance went unnoticed. A large proportion of the 
female population of Sunnydale High saw the change and were a little 
annoyed with Buffy and Willow for not sharing the wealth.

Xander was almost deliriously happy at again being with the two 
people he loved most in the world. Willow, for her part, soaked up 
the affection and attention that Xander was showering them with. She 
spent almost the entire day wielded to Xander, revelling in the huge 
amounts of time she was spending in his embrace.

Buffy, on the other hand, was quiet. She spent the day looking at 
Xander. He definitely was their Xander, the same humour, the same 
clown she knew. But there was something different. Yes, the eye 
candy factor was welcome and the lusty thoughts that kept popping 
into her mind were somewhat new (if not a little disconcerting). But 
something else. Something she had never seen in her Xander. A quiet 
confidence, the maturity, the look of someone who had been around 
the block a few times. But there also was the look of a man haunted 
by some dark secret. A secret he didn't want to share and one that 
Buffy wanted to know.



After school ended they gathered in the library.

"We'll start researching this portal of Xander's, see if we can get 
him back." Giles told the gathered Scoobies.

"I've got a better idea. You research, we go out and patrol. 
Hellmouth, vampires, forces of Darkness ring a bell?"

"Yes, but as a priority this situation with you?"

"Isn't as high as keeping people safe from the evil things that go 
bite in the night. There's nothing out there at the moment that the 
three of us can't handle together. So I say we get out there and try 
to make some inroads on the bad guy population while things are still 
quiet." With a sigh, Giles acquiesced to Xander's idea.

"Alright. Patrol. But tomorrow we research this, agreed?"

"Er, right. Sure thing." Xander picked up some weapons. "Let's get 
rolling guys."

Giles watched them leave him behind in the library with his research.

And the beginnings of suspicion over what Xander was keen to avoid.



It was another happening Friday night at the Bronze. The three 
Scoobies were having a great time dancing, laughing, and hanging out 
together. In addition to all the other improvements, Xander's dancing 
was a big tick in the bonus column.

Buffy and Willow sat at their table and watched Xander who was 
currently dancing with Cordelia, or as he put it `repaying the old 
factory debt', much to the confusion of his friends.

Willow as over the moon to the extent that the fact Xander was 
currently dancing with Cordelia didn't phase her one bit. The last 
week was the happiest in her life. Xander had been attentive and 
affectionate to both her and Buffy the whole week. He was also big 
on the hugs, group hugs, Buffy hugs, Willow hugs. Any weirdness in 
Xander was overshadowed by the happy confirmation of everything 
Willow ever saw in Xander.

For Buffy it was a slightly different story. For Willow it was a 
confirmation, for Buffy it was a revelation. He was everything Buffy 
ever wanted in a guy. But there was three issues which stood before 
her that made her hesitate. Willow was one, Angel was another. But 
the biggest was Xander's secrets. Xander had been silent on details 
of the future and Buffy wondered. What dark secrets was he hiding? 
Why was he hiding them? Xander came bounding over to the table.

"That's it. I'm all danced out. What say you gals?" Xander asked as 
he plunked himself down between Buffy and Willow.

"How about we check in with Giles before we patrol?"

"Sounds like a plan. What about you, Buff?" Xander snapped his 
fingers in front of the Slayer.

"Hello? Ground control to Major Tom. Hello?" Buffy snapped out of 
her thoughts.

"Oh, er, sorry. Got a little spaced out there. What's going on?"

"You want to swing by Giles on the way to a patrol?"

"Yeah, sure. Let's roll."

As they walked towards the library, Willow slided up next to Buffy.

"What's wrong Buffy? You've been pretty spacey a lot lately."

"Sorry about that. It's just, you know, just this thing with Xander. 
It's a little mind bending."

"I suppose it is a little."

"Uh huh, just a little."



The three of them entered the library where Giles was deep in his 
books researching Xander's situation. Xander headed directly for the 
book cage to gab weapons for patrol.

"Got anything for us before we patrol, G man?"

Giles got up from his books.

"I was hoping you would stay here and help me with research in 
rectifying you situation."

"No can do. We've got to? patrol." Xander's voice faltered as he saw 
the doors open and someone come in.

Angel.

"Buffy, could we?" Angel was cut off by the cross thrust vigorously 
in his face by Xander.

"Back off, Deadboy!" Angel growled and flinched as Xander shoved the 
cross further in his face.

"Buffy!"

"I said leave her alone you son of a bitch!" A furious Xander 
yelled. Buffy shoved Xander away from Angel.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Buffy demanded from Xander. Yes, 
Xander wasn't Angel's biggest fan, but never anything like this. 
Everyone was shocked at the violence of Xander's reaction to Angel. 
Xander was silent, fury and hurt in his eyes.

"Damn it! Xander! You still haven't told us jack. Talk to us."

"Buffy is right." Giles interjected somewhat more reasonably than 
his Slayer. "You seem most reluctant to help research how to get you 
back. It's almost like you don't want to go back."

"You're right Giles. I don't want to go back."

"Why?" Willow asked "Won't you be missed?"

"NO!" Xander yelled making everyone jump. "I won't be missed because 
there's no one left to miss me. I don't want to go back because 
there's nothing left to go back to." His voice softer now, hurt and 
grief evident in his tone.

"What happened? Xander, we need to know."

"Oh, you guys need to know alright. It's just that I'm positive you 
guys won't want to know."

"Please. Tell us."

Xander debated in his mind for a few moments.

"You'd all better sit down. The history of the fall of the House of 
Scooby takes awhile to tell."

"The fall of the House of Scooby?"

"Yeah Will. There's no happy ending. Just painful truths."



For the next few hours, Xander told them everything that had 
happened. Angel's curse, Angelus, Jenny, Kendra, Cordy, the Fluke, 
Athicla, the Mayor, Faith, the Initiative, Riley, ADAM, Tara, Spike, 
Dawn, Glory, Joyce, Anya, the Nerds of Doom, the SiT's, the First 
Evil, the final battle.

"You both became more and more powerful in order to fight the First 
Evil. But along the way you lost yourselves, your humanity, your 
heart. Me. I could see what was happening to you two. I tried 
telling you guys but you never listened. As a last ditch I tried to 
reach the spark like I did for Willow on Kingman's Bluff, tried to 
reach that little remaining bit of the real Buffy and Willow who are 
a part of my heart, my soul.

"But the people I loved most had gone. They had been dead for a long 
time and all that was left was the empty shells. In the final battle, 
you two didn't just defeat the First Evil. You replaced it." Xander 
finished with an almost painful whisper.

He looked up to see the pain, the tears, the numb horror on the 
gathered faces of his friends.

"Now you know." Xander said and he got up and left without another 
word.



It had been a week since he told them. It hurt him to tell them, and 
it hurt to give them the time and space they needed to deal with 
what he told them. Xander patrolled to keep himself busy and 
distract himself. Two vamps and a Feoral demon later, he headed home 
for a shower and a change of clothes. Unlike the two vamps, the 
Feoral demon made a real mess of his shirt.

He entered his room to find Buffy and Willow. An awkward silence 
reigned.

"Uh, hi guys." Xander said finally. Buffy and Willow looked at the 
gore on his shirt. "Feoral demon. Messier than vamps slayage wise."

"We asked Miss Calender about Angel's curse. She confirmed it. The 
happiness clause bit." Buffy told him. Xander looked at her for a 
bit then headed for his wardrobe to find a clean shirt.

"He left town. Said he needed time to think. Needed time to deal, I 
guess."

Xander paused, clean shirt in hand.

"And you guys?"

"Us? We're just peachy. Finding out we're destined become inhuman 
evil bitch monsters from hell? Just peachy."

"THAT'S NOT YOUR DESTINY!" he yelled.

"But?" Willow started to say however Xander cut her off and knelt in 
front of the two of them.

"I'm here now. I have to be here for a reason and that reason is to 
make sure that isn't your destiny. I'm going to fix the mistakes, to 
make it right this time around. I'm not going to abandon you two, no 
matter what." An impassioned Xander could see it in their eyes. A 
spark of hope. A belief for a better future. He got up and took off 
his gore stained shirt.

Buffy and Willow gasped a little as they saw they horrible scars on 
his chest and back. Buffy reached up and traced her fingers along 
some of the scars.

"How did you?" Buffy started to ask but stopped at the look of 
sadness on Xander's face. She dropped her hand into her lap and 
looked down.

"We did that, didn't we?" more a statement than a question from 
Buffy.

"Yeah." A reluctant Xander replied. Willow closed her eyes to block 
out the vision of the scars and to fight the tears they caused. 
Xander put the clean shirt on. It was a minute before Buffy spoke 
again.

"Why?" The simple question startled Xander.

"Why what?"

"Why did you keep fighting? Why did you keep tying to save us when 
you could have, should have, walked away? When we kept ignoring and 
hurting you? Why?"

A small smile from Xander.

"Love."

Willow opened her eyes in shock.

"Love?" she asked, not quite sure she heard correctly.

"Love." Xander confirmed. "I love you two in every possible sense of 
the word, in every way possible, even in ways thought to be 
impossible. Buffy, Willow; you two are my heart and soul. My 
everything. I couldn't stop loving you if my life depended on it. 
Even when my life depended on it."

Xander was knocked to the floor as two other Scoobies launched 
themselves at him. Tears of happiness and love soaked his shirt as 
he held them close to his chest. To his heart. They held each other 
for a long time.

"What do we do now?" Willow asked into Xander's chest.

"We take it one day at a time. Together." Buffy told her.

"Coolness."

Xander lifted his head up off the floor.

"Actually I was thinking I should get up and have a shower. Don't 
get me wrong, I'm loving the Scooby snuggles here, and I'm looking 
forward to some more. But I got Feoral goo in my hair that needs 
washing out. Soooo?" Xander reluctantly untangled himself from his 
fellow Scoobies and headed for the shower.

Buffy watched him go - a look of contemplation on her face. After a 
minute or two she got up and headed to the shower as well.

"Buffy! Where are you going?"

"To get some more Scooby snuggles, Will. Coming?"

Willow hesitated of a moment, then, with a sly grin on her face, she 
followed Buffy into the shower.