SG1 had barely made it through the Gate when General Hammond got on the intercomm. "SG1, debriefing. Now."

Colonel Jack O'Neill nudged their resident genius and muttered, "What did you do this time, Danny?"

"Very funny, Jack. If we're in trouble, again, it's probably because of you. Have you been making prank phone calls again?"

*****

General Hammond cut right to the chase. "While SG1 was on PX687, a Guardian was chosen for the Hellmouth just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. Colonel O'Neill, I want SG1 in the air as soon as possible. Go to the Hellmouth and talk to the new Guardian. I want to know just how real those legends are, and if he'd be willing to help us fight the Goa'uld."

Jack slapped his hands on the table and shoved his chair back. "We're on it, General."

"Be careful, Colonel. If any of those legends are true, we don't want to make him angry." General Hammond sighed, "I've been informed that Senator Kinsey is also planning on visiting the Guardian."

Jack groaned, "Christ, we better hope Kinsey isn't being his normal charming self or we're all screwed. Come on, kids, let's not keep the Guardian waiting."

*****

Tealc waited until they were on their way to St. Louis before he started asking questions. "Daniel Jackson, who is this Guardian? And what is a 'Hellmouth'?"

"No one's really sure, Tealc. The legends say that the Hellmouth is a...well...I'm not sure how to describe it. It's supposedly pure energy. The one in Egypt is surrounded by a temple complex, but from what I've heard, the actual Hellmouth just looks like a hole in the ground. It's said that the Guardian, once chosen, becomes immortal and can do anything they want, as long as they don't leave their temple."

"Daniel Jackson? Is it possible that these Guardians are Goa'uld?" Tealc asked.

Daniel shook his head, "No, I don't think so. It's true that the Guardians live in very opulent temples, have numerous concubines and just about anything else you could ask for, but they only ever leave their temples to induct a new Guardian. They don't interfere with the Government or the local population."

Jack had been listening with only half an ear, but one word really caught his attention. "Concubines? They have concubines?"

Major Carter stiffled a giggle, while Daniel just sighed wearily. "Yes, Jack. Concubines. I heard once that the Egyptian Guardian had over a hundred living in his temple."

Jack grinned, "Sounds like a good gig. Wonder how I can get in on this?"

Daniel's face was the picture of total innocence, "Well, I suppose one of the Guardians might accept you as a concubine, but you're a little older than most."

Jack sputtered and spewed before finally managing to say, "Not funny, Daniel. Do I look like a girl to you?"

Daniel got serious, fast. "Jack, not all the concubines are women. There are quite a few men too. Try to keep your military mindset under control, lets not insult the Guardian before we have a chance to talk to him."

Jack slid down in his seat and sulked, "Don't tell me. Tell Kinsey." Jack's face suddenly brightened, "Hey, maybe Kinsey will insult this guy and he'll turn him into a toad. Can he do that?"

Daniel just shook his head, "It's going to be a long day," he muttered.

*****

Senator Kinsey looked over the soldiers backing him up and nodded in satisfaction, a significant show of force was just what was needed in this situation. Getting the so-called Guardian under his control would be the final coup that would guarantee him the Presidency.

Turning to his chief aide, the Senator asked, "Who do we have?"

The aide quickly checked his PDA. "We currently have AP, CNN, UPI, and all the major local stations. The Washington Post, New York Times and USA Today are also on site."

Senator Kinsey quickly straightened his jacket and pasted his 'official' smile on his face. "Let's talk to them, shall we?"

*****

Xander pulled on his jeans and slid his feet into his sneakers, not bothering to lace them up. Nathaniel handed him a shirt and brushed Xander's hair off his forehead. "Knock 'em dead, Tiger."

Xander grinned, "This shouldn't take long." Nodding at the two naked blondes sulking on the bed, he added, "Keep them warm for me?"

Nathaniel's smirk was completely feline, "No problem," the were-leopard purred.

*****

Jack kept SG1 on the fringes of the mob, not wanting Kinsey to see them, at least, not yet. Kinsey could cause them a world of trouble, and that was something they just didn't have time for. The Goa'uld were getting stronger all the time, and they still didn't have a clue who the new player was. But whoever Tanith's new boss was, he was smarter than the others, that was for sure. But even the dumbest snakehead was still more than a match for the 'Honorable' Senator Kinsey.

"My fellow Christians..." the Senator said, trying to sound grave, and failing, badly.

"Oh please." Jack muttered.

"We have joined together today to bring the light of understanding to a poor, misguided soul. We will, by the Grace of God, make him see the error of his ways, and turn him back to the side of right. The side of God. Today, we will ensure that the right way, the American way, is the only way!"

Jack started making gagging noises and Daniel was almost tempted to join him.

*****

Xander stepped into the courtyard, making sure to stay in the shadows created by the huge stone pillars supporting the roof and reached out to his ward, 'Hey, guys. We might have a problem here.'

'We are here, Guardian, they can not touch you.'

Xander let out a silent sigh of relief, 'Thanks, guys. I know they can't hurt me, but a little reassurance goes a long way.'

'Shall we make them leave, Xander? We are more than capable of pushing them back to where they came from.'

'If we do that, they'll just come back with more people. Let's see what they're after first.'

Xander stepped into the sunlight and immediately became the center of attention. "Can I help you?" He asked, trying to sound nonchalant, and not sure if he suceeded.

Senator Kinsey stepped forward and looked down his nose at the young man standing in front of him. "I'm Senator Kinsey." Waving his hand, he said, "And these are my constituants, other concerned citizens, we want to see this so-called Guardian."

'Stay calm, Guardian, do not play his game. That is what he wants.'

"Do you have an appointment?"

The Senator's anger surged at the audacity of the young man. "I'm a Senator of the United States, I demand to see the Guardian!"

Xander shrugged, "Sorry, he's busy right now. Tell you what, call tomorrow and I'll see if I can get you an appointment."

Senator Kinsey's face turned red, whether from anger or embarrassment, Xander couldn't tell, but the man was seriously losing it.

The Senator waved the soldiers forward, "Remove this man and open the temple! I... we...don't have time to deal with a catamite!" Senator Kinsey pushed past Xander and the soldiers accompanying the Senator knocked Xander to the ground.

'What's a catamite?'Xander asked, as he picked himself up from the ground and brushed the dirt from his jeans.

'It's an insult, Xander. Can we kill him now? Please? No one speaks about my Guardian that way!'

'Calm down, let's have a little fun with him.'

'What did you have in mind, Xander?'

'Let's not lose a good trend. Give him what he wants.'

*****

Jack ignored the Senator and the mob with him. His complete attention was fixated on the young man that had told the Senator to get an appointment.

"Colonel? Are we going after the Senator?" Major Carter asked.

Jack shook his head, "Nope. I think the person we're looking for is standing right over there."

"Are you sure, Jack?" Daniel asked dubiously. "He's just a kid."

Jack just grinned, "Trust me, Danny boy, my gut is telling me that kid is the Guardian."

"Oh. Your gut. Well, that explains everything." Daniel muttered snidely.

"Relax, Daniel, I've got everything under control." Jack waved one finger under Daniel's nose, "Don't even think about saying it, Daniel. Not. One. Word."

Jack turned away from the rest of his team and headed directly for the young man he knew was the Guardian. "Hey, you all right?"

"Yeah, just a little dusty." Dark brown eyes studied him carefully before lighting up with a grin. "I'm guessing you aren't part of Monkey Boy's group."

"Monkey boy?" Jack asked with a smirk. Holding out his hand, he said, "Colonel Jack O'Neill, United States Airforce."

"Hey. I'm Xander, uh, Alexander Harris."

"Nice to meet you, Xander. So...been a Guardian long?"

Jack now had the rest of SG1's attention. Xander turned red and shook his head, "Uh, no. Not really. Just since yesterday. How did you know?"

Jack shrugged, "Lucky guess. We don't have an appointment, but we were hoping for a chance to talk to you."

Jack's tone was light, but Xander knew he was serious, deadly serious. 'What are you getting from this guy?'

'We aren't sure, Guardian. But we think we should talk with them.'

Xander nodded, "Okay. Why don't you come with me? They want to meet you."

SG1 followed the young man to the gazebo in the center of the courtyard. "Who wants to meet us?" Daniel asked curiously, not seeing anyone else in the vicinity.

Xander plopped down on a cushion and pointed to the floor, "The Hellmouth." Seeing the looks on their faces, Xander knew he had some explaining to do.

"The Hellmouth isn't just power, it's...they're...alive. Say hello to...what are the rest of your names?"

Daniel spoke before the Colonel had a chance. "I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson, this is Major Samantha Carter," Sam nodded and smiled at the handsome young man, who immediately turned red. "This is Tealc and you've already met Jack."

Xander waved ackwardly, "Hi. Um, not meaning to be rude or anything, but you aren't exactly human, are you?" He asked Tealc.

"No, Guardian. He is not. He is Jaffa."

Jack jumped and looked around when that booming voice came out of nowhere. "What the..."

Xander ignored the Colonel, instead concentrating on his wards. "Oookkkaaayyy. What's a Jaffa?"

A wave of intense emotion flowed out of the Hellmouth, if Xander didn't know any better, he'd think the Hellmouth was embarrassed about something. "Come on, guys, what's going on?"

"Guardian, we, we had thought the Jaffa were just a legend, a story told by the elders. We did not believe it to be real."

Xander looked at the members of SG-1, "Are you confused? I'm confused."

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I know the feeling. But Jaffa aren't a legend, they're real. And so are the Goa'uld."

Xander buried his head in his hands, "I never should have gotten out of bed." Xander sighed, "Okay, I can tell this is going to take a while."

"Guardian, you should call your brothers, they also need to hear this tale."

"Good idea." Xander reached out, easily locating Ling Si and Tut. 'Guys, can you come to the garden? We might have a little problem here.'

'There is definitely a problem, Xander. This person in your throne room is going to die, painfully, any second now. Your concubines seem to have taken exception to some of his comments.' Ling Si sent.

Tut was more direct. 'The idiot deserves to die, they will be doing the world a favor by removing him from the gene pool. No one that stupid should be allowed to breed.'

Xander groaned, "Why me?"

"What happened?" Jack asked.

"Monkey boy has already pissed off the wrong people. I've got to get in there before they get blood all over the floor."

Jack scrambled to his feet, "Come on, kids, we don't want to keep the Senator waiting."

*****

Angel paced outside the room where the Powers had taken Cordelia. He wanted to be in there with her, but he'd been told, in no uncertain terms, that if he opened the door, no one would be able to save him from his fate. And when Cordy laid down the law, only an idiot didn't listen.

"Hi."

Angel turned and saw the man who'd been with the vampire that had fought and defeated him. "What are you doing here?"

The man pointed down the hall, "Anita needed to talk to Jean Claude and that girl with her was giving me funny looks so I decided to take a walk. I'm Richard, by the way."

"Angel."

Richard nodded, "Nice to meet you. So, I got the feeling that something was going on between you and Jean Claude."

Angel shook his head, "No, nothing important."

Richard grinned, "Could have fooled me. I was thinking that we were going to have to get extra pillows for the bed."

Angel would have blushed if he could have. "You two are..."

Richard nodded, "Yeah. It's a long, boring story so I won't bore you with it. But if you want to join us, I wouldn't mind. I know Jean Claude wants you."

Angel hung his head, "I, I can't. I have responsibilities..."

The door behind Angel opened and Richard whistled, "Uh huh. Wow. If I had responsibilities like those, I wouldn't either."

Angel turned around and his mouth fell open, "Cordelia?"

*****

Xander ran into the main temple, the members of SG-1 hot on his heels. He slid around a corner and almost smacked into Angel and another man. Xander dodged to the side to avoid slamming into the two men and slid to a halt. "Cordy?" Xander paced around his old girlfriend, practically drooling. "Wow. Cordy. You look... lush." Seeing the familiar glare in her dark eyes, Xander backed up. "Not that you didn't always look wonderful, but I'm really liking the new look here."

Xander looked her up and down again, trying to decide what exactly had changed. He finally figured it out. She was just more. Every feature had been enhanced, just a little. But that slight change made a world of difference. Her eyes were a little bigger, her lips a little fuller and her figure just a little softer, a little curvier. Xander shook his head, "Man, Cordy, there isn't a woman alive that could hold a candle to you."

Cordelia smiled and fluffed her hair, "Thank you, Xander."

Xander groaned, so did every other man standing there. Cordelia's voice had turned into a soft purr, "The best thing is that the headache is gone. And speaking of that...the vision I had? Yikes." Cordy shuddered and Angel's eyes bugged out of his head. "Really icky snakes living in people, with these weird glowing eyes. They're coming here, and they're pissed off. Big time."

Jack shook his head, "Well that's just great. Carter, get on the horn and tell the General to be expecting guests." Looking back at the lovely young woman standing in the hallway, he asked, "Excuse me, miss? Did you get any idea about when they'll be here? It's important."

Cordy sighed, "It always is. But there's something else. I saw a man, an old guy, way nasty, he made a deal with the glowing eyed people. They get what they want, and he gets power. Lots of power. He's going to set himself up as some kind of king or something."

Xander shook his head, "I think I might have something to say about that. Let's take care of Monkeyboy and then talk to the others."

*****

Asher tightened his grip on the back of Spike's neck. The younger vampire was losing control rapidly. He'd already shifted into his feeding face, and was snarling and snapping.

The idiots in the room reacted in the predictable fashion. Some screamed, the zealots started praying at the top of their lungs, the Senator started demanding answers and the soldiers aimed their weapons at anything that moved. Only the two Guardians in the room remained calm.

"I would suggest, Senator, that you tell your soldiers to put down their weapons. Violence will be met with violence." Ling Si stated calmly.

Senator Kinsey folded his arms across his chest. "From where I'm standing, it appears that we have the upper hand. Now, Guardian, give me what I want, and maybe I'll let your little pets live."

Xander heard every word and his eyes went black with anger. The doors to his throne room opened with a wave of his hand and he strode inside, pulling more and more power from the Hellmouth.

Xander ignored the soldiers, the Senator and everyone else in the room. He sprawled across his throne and tugged Nathaniel into his lap. "So, Senator Kinsey, I understand that you wanted to speak to me? Well, here I am."

The Senator was flustered, but only for a moment. "Yes. We have a great deal to discuss. If you'd care to have your...?" Kinsey's voice faded and he pointed at Nathaniel.

Xander raised a brow, "My what, Senator? Catamites? Isn't that what you called me?"

Nathaniel laughed and cuddled into Xander's chest. "Well, he got the cat part right."

Kinsey's face turned red and sputtered with rage, "Now see here! I demand..."

Spike and Asher both took a cautious step away from the throne and Nathaniel slid out of Xander's lap to join them in the back of the room.

O'Neill grinned, "Oops. Now you've done it. You pissed him off." O'Neill pointed at the Senator and yelled, "Hey! Xander! Toad? Please? Pretty please?"

Kinsey glared at O'Neill, "What are you doing here, Colonel? I don't recall giving you permission to come here."

The grin on Jack's face vanished, "Excuse me, Senator, but I don't take orders from you."

Cordy sighed, "Men. Can live with them, can't kill them. Too big of a mess." Standing on tip-toe she pointed at Kinsey and mouthed the words, 'Bad Guy' to Xander.

Xander's glare intensified and waves of black rose out of his throne, "Senator Kinsey. Shut. Up."

Kinsey just didn't recognize a good idea when he heard one. "I am a Senator of the United States of America. I demand that you..."

Xander waved his hand and the Senator froze. He looked more than vaguely ridiculous, standing there stiff as a board with his mouth hanging open. "I would suggest that anyone who doesn't want to join the Senator, leave. Immediately." Xander hissed.

The religious faction literally knocked people down trying to get out of the room. One intrepid reporter actually snapped several pictures of the Senator as his fellow reporters drug him away.

O'Neill took pity on the soldiers, "Well, kids, it looks like the Senator is indisposed. Head back to the mainland and call your CO for new orders." The Colonel grinned, "And make sure you tell them what coming back here without an invite is a real bad idea."

Tut bowed to Xander, "You're getting much better at that, Xander. It took me over a month to gain that kind of control. I still do not understand how you're are functioning so well."

Xander shrugged and hopped out of his throne, "I've got a lot of help. You guys should talk to your Hellmouths, you'd be amazed what they can do." Xander looked at the frozen Senator and shuddered, "Let's take this party somewhere else, that guy is giving me the creeps."

*****

Xander looked at the gazebo, counted the number of people and shook his head, this just wasn't going to work. 'Guys? This gazebo has got to go. Do you mind?'

'No, Guardian. It can be rebuilt later. Would you like us to remove it for you?'

'That'd be good. We're going to need some more places to sit too.'

'As you wish, Guardian.'

Xander took a couple of steps back and waved at the others. "You might want move back some. We're going to do some redecorating."

The vampires stayed under the shield Xander had built for them, but everyone else moved away from the stone gazebo. At first there was only a flicker, then rolling black flames roared out of the Hellmouth, completely engulfing the structure. When the flames receeded, the gazebo was gone and several cushions and chairs had taken it's place.

Xander nodded, "Cool. That'll work. We'd better get started."

Everyone grabbed a seat around the Hellmouth, Xander and his brother Guardians sitting on the cushions closest to the opening. "Okay, we're ready, guys."

"As are we, Guardian. We have also called the other bonded pairs. Guardians, the others, the nonbonded ones also wish to join us. Would that be acceptable?"

Xander glanced at Ling Si and Tut, both Guardians nodded eagerly. "Yes, we would like to meet them." Ling Si said for them all.

The surface of the Hellmouth rippled and bubbled, streaks of color shooting through it. "We are here, Guardians. How may we assist you?"

Xander jumped a little. The voice of his wards had changed, become deeper and more resonant. "Um, can you tell us about the Jaffa and the Goa'uld?"

"Have the forsaken ones returned?"

The voice Xander recognized as his wards answered, "We believe they are coming, yes. We need knowledge, Elder."

"We must ask the Creator. Only he knows the whole of it."

The Guardians looked as confused as anyone else. "The Creator? We do not understand." Tut said.

"The Creator was the first, the one that came before. We will call to him and ask him to join with us." The Hellmouth rippled again and went still.

Jack nudged Daniel, "Danny, come on. Ask questions. We need some answers here."

Daniel ignored him, he was too busy staring at the Egyptian Guardian. "Daniel Jackson, are you unwell?" Teal'c's deep voice rang throughout the garden, grabbing everyone's attention.

Daniel blushed when he realized everyone was staring at him. "Sorry. It's just... are you him?" He asked the Egyptian. "I mean, you look like..." Daniel's voice fell silent, but he kept staring.

The Egyptian nodded, "I am Tutankhamen if that is the question you are asking."

"How? I've visited your tomb, seen the artifacts. The resemblence between you and your mask is incredible."

Tut smiled, "The mask was made long before I was chosen. The artist was most skilled." Tut's face went dark without warning. "The priests did not approve of my Guardianship, so another was killed in my place and put in my tomb. They paid dearly for their arrogance."

Daniel was practically shaking at this point, "I have so many questions. Would it be possible for me to spend some time with you?"

Tut looked Daniel over carefully, then smiled, "That would be acceptable. When we have dealt with these Goa'uld, you should come to my temple. I would be pleased to answer any questions you might have."

O'Neill didn't really care for the way the Egyptian was looking at Daniel, but now was not the time. But when this was over, Jack was going to lock Daniel in his office until he changed his mind.

Xander almost laughed, Tut was obviously looking for a new concubine, and he could see the attraction. Dr. Jackson was definitely cute, but one glance at his vampires and Nathaniel reminded him that he already had more than he could handle at home. Xander had no idea how Ling Si and Tut managed hundreds of concubines, the three he had was more than enough.

*****

The being known only as the Creator stirred in his watery tomb, the others were near. He had been alone since he had divided his power to create his children, his redemption. He could only hope that the worst had not occured again. 'Children, why have you come to me?'

'Creator, we need your aid. The forsaken ones are returning to this world. We know only the old stories, the Guardians need the truth of it.'

'Have you bonded then?' He asked, already searching for the links.

Four of his seven children fairly glowed with their bonds. 'Only four? I had hoped you all would bond.' The Creator said sadly.

Two, the youngest of his children, came forward. 'Creator, we have bonded, together, we share one Guardian.'

'Why have you done this thing? A single Guardian would not be able to control the flow of two.'

'Creator, I was damaged when my Guardian failed in the bond. Another tried to force a connection, but I would not submit. The Guardian, Xander, he was...changed...by living in my sphere. He accepted me, healed me and made me whole. My brother and I share the bond and find ourselves stronger for it.'

The Creator was intrigued, 'Would the other Guardians be willing to accept another?'

'We believe they will. Creator, will you come with us? It is time for the truth to be known.'

'I will come. The forsaken ones must not be allowed dominion of this place. I will destroy this world before I allow that to happen.'

*****

It seemed as if only seconds had passed when the Hellmouth erupted. A veritable torrent of black spilled out of the Hellmouth, arching high into the air and then cascading down until a solid dome formed over the shocked group of people.

At first, no one could see a thing, even the vampires were blind. The light was faint at first, a dim glow coming from the Hellmouth. As if someone were swimming up from the depths with a flashlight. The light grew and grew until the inside of the dome was as light as day.

One after another, creatures crawled out of the opening, two of them immediately heading for Xander and crawling into his lap. He laughed and scratched their heads, "Guys! I thought you couldn't come out!"

"We did not. We are all inside now." The little dragons said cheerfully.

Ling Si and Tut were cradling their own wards, cooing and petting them. Happy to be able to touch them at last. Three more little dragons huddled near the edge of the Hellmouth, looking unbearably sad.

"Guys? Think you can handle another? We can't leave them like that." Xander said as he looked at the miserable little creatures.

Ling Si and Tut both held out a hand, two of the dragons ran forward, each picking their new Guardian. The last one whimpered, not seeing a place for him. Tut smiled, "Do not fear, little one. Between the three of us, I believe we can share."

The three Guardians moved closer together and gathered the last dragon to them, each man petting the now estatic creature.

The ground started to shake and rumbled, Xander's wards chittered happily, "The Creator comes."

No one really knew what to expect, but Xander wasn't surprised to see a larger, much larger, version of his wards crawl out of the opening. The Creator curled into the available space, purring loudly when his children ran to him and cuddled into his chest.

"Greetings, Guardians. I am known as Creator. Once I had many names, but this one will do."

The Guardians eached bowed their head, "Thank you for consenting to speak with us, Creator. It is much appreciated." Ling Si said.

Creator nudged his children with his head, "Your care for my children is all the thanks I need Guardians. And who are these others?" Creator asked.

"This is Jack, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c. They work for the military, fighting against the Goa'uld." Xander said, pointing to the members of the SG-1 team.

Creator stared at Teal'c, "You are Jaffa. I can feel the wrongness in you."

Teal'c nodded, "Yes. I served Apophis, but in time I came to understand that he was a false God. I have joined these humans to fight the Goa'uld."

"I would speak to the other, the one you carry." Creator said.

Teal'c pulled open his shirt, ignoring the gasps of surprise, reaching inside his pouch, he pulled out his symbiote, holding it out to Creator.

The disgusting creature hissed angrily, but a single hissed word from Creator had it cringing in fear. Creator stared at the symbiote, his eyes glowing brightly. Finally, Creator nodded, "You may return him, I have learned what I needed to know."

Xander watched in a kind of sick fascination as Teal'c returned the creature and closed his shirt. "Creator? Can I fix that? Remove it and heal Teal'c, I mean."

Creator nodded, "Yes, it could be easily done, but not yet. If he were to lose the symbiote he would also lose the gifts it carrys with it. It will heal him of almost any damage, and allow him to sense others of its kind. Later, when it is near maturity, we will deal with it. And who are these others among us?"

Xander quickly made introductions. "This is Spike, Asher and Nathaniel, they're, uh with me." Xander said with a blush. "And that's Cordelia and Angel. There are more, but we were trying to keep this to a minimum."

Creator shifted his body around his children, getting comfortable. "It is good to be among humans once again. And now, let me tell you a tale. My tale. Of a time long past, a people long forgotten and a civilization now lost, and never to be seen again. Its wonders were many and the people fair, but their pride was their downfall."

Spike had always loved a good story, "What was this place called, Creator?"

Creator sighed, "Atlantis."

The humans and vampires inside the dome had been silent since the miniature dragons had crawled out of the Hellmouth. Several of them even scooted away from the opening when Creator had appeared. But any trepidation Daniel Jackson may have felt vanished when he heard that fabled name.

"Atlantis?" He squeaked. "You've been to Atlantis? Can you tell me how to get there?"

Creator's slitted green eyes blinked slowly, "Atlantis, yes I have been to Atlantis, but you can not go there. Atlantis is no more. Not a single stone did I leave standing."

Seeing the look in Daniel's eyes, he nodded, "Yes, I am responsible for the destruction of Atlantis. It was a terrible, painful thing to do, but I would do it again, without hesitation."

Creator tilted his head at the shocked looks he was receiving. "This surprises you? That I would admit to killing so many?" Creator blew a stream of mist into the center of the dome, "Listen then, and hear a tale of long ago."

"I do not know where I came from, or how I came into being. I have always been here. Long ago, so very long ago, the world was different, the shape of the land was different and the humans living in the world were young. They had no language, no culture as you know it now. Every day was a fight for survival and many died from lack of food. A tribe of these humans came to the land where I dwelt."

"My presence had changed the landscape. It was warm there, the weather was gentle and food was plentiful. The tribe stayed. I did not have a Guardian to control the flow of power, so it ranged free and did as it willed. The people...changed... evolved, if you will. At a much faster pace than the rest of humanity. While the rest of their brethren lived in caves, my tribe built houses. The others had to hunt for food, my tribe had already cultivated the land and domesticated several animals. They lived longer lives, better lives."

Creator closed his eyes with a sigh, his regret evident. "If I had known what would come about, maybe I could have prevented what happened." Creator opened his eyes and concentrated on the ball of mist. It started to glow and then took shape. For the first time in millenia, humans looked upon the wonder that was Atlantis.

The city soared, towers and delicate spires reaching for the sky. People walked along the streets, laughing and talking. Unlike any other city in the world, everyone seemed to live at the same level. There were no beggers, no litter in the streets, everything was literally perfect.

"As you can see, Atlantis was something special." The picture spun and a temple came into view. Its domed roof was supported by impossibly slender columns and it glowed in the sun. "This was my place. The Atlantians built me this temple, but they did not worship me. I am not a God, and this they knew, but they came to talk to me. Each new child born was brought to me so that I would know them."

The picture changed yet again, now showing fantastic ships riding on the waves of the harbor and land barges being pulled by harnessed animals. "The Atlantians decided to travel, this pleased me. They would bring back tales of distant lands and their peoples. This is when everything started to go wrong. Their natural pride in their city and in themselves caused them to look down at the other people in contempt. They laughed at the pitiful cities they visited and had no compassion for the hardships the others went through just to survive."

"I was disturbed, but hoped they would outgrown this childish stage. They did not. They began to make slaves of the people they found in other lands. Those pitiful souls had no way to fight against the Atlantians. I grew angered by their actions and demanded they return the slaves to their homes. They would not listen to me and I withdrew into the ground, hoping to force them into seeing reason. But in their arrogance, they decided they no longer needed me. They even went so far as to destroy the land bridge that connected Atlantis to the mainland, not wanting their purity to be weakened by the others."

"It was during this time that the ones you call Goa'uld came to this world. They forged an alliance with the Atlantians, between them they could have ruled this world. That I would not allow. I warned them, many times, but only a few would listen. Those few took their families and fled Atlantis to find homes in other lands, taking my knowledge with them."

Creator pointed at the picture of Atlantis, "Watch. Watch and learn."

Everyone stared at the ships that came from the sky and the friendly reception they were given by the Atlantians. Jack winced when they watched as several of the Atlantians were taken over by the Goa'uld. The slaves in the city were forced to build more and more ships, which in turn brought back even more slaves. Men were forced to become Jaffa while women were little more than brood mares. And then the Atlantians brought the Goa'uld to Creator's temple and tried to force him into serving them. The results were cataclysmic.

The land shook and the sea boiled. When the Goa'uld ships tried to flee the island, lightning streaked out of a clear blue sky to destroy them. The people were running in the streets and crying out for mercy, but it was too late. Ominous black clouds poured out of the ground, and everything they touched simply dissolved. People, buildings, statues, plants, animals, everything was just gone. Then the very land started to come apart, reverting back to its base elements and sliding into the sea.

The picture faded and everyone turned shocked eyes to Creator. "I could not take the chance that this would happen again, but I was unable to destroy myself. And I did try, many, many times. Finally, I decided to seek out these Goa'uld, but even I can not be everywhere at once. So I split myself and created my children. I sent them out, to the places were the Goa'uld held sway."

Creator laughed, seeing the looks on their faces. "You did not know that the forsaken ones had been to this place? They came, but the peoples here would not bow down. They fought the creatures, knowing them to be evil. The Goa'uld would come to take slaves, but the people would vanish, leaving no trace. They came back in the night and poisoned the food stores of the Goa'uld and fouled their water. The Goa'uld were angry, but left this place without my children having to interfere. But I knew they would return one day, and my children kept watch. And now the time has come for us to meet the enemy again, but this time, we will be waiting for them."

"So the Hellmouths are just here to watch for the Goa'uld?" Xander asked incredulously.

"No, Xander, my children will always be here, as will you and your brother Guardians. When humanity is ready for the gifts you hold, you will aid and guide them. But until that time, learn all that you can and watch. Always watch."

Creator heaved himself to his feet, "I grow weary, it has been a very long time since I left my nest. I trust you, Guardians, to care for my children and to protect them and the people of this world. I will see you again. On this you have my word."

Creator slid back into the ground and the little dragons looked at their Guardians, "We also must return to rest. But we will be here waiting for you."

The little dragons followed their father and the dome came down after them. Xander was surprised to see that the stars were out. "How long were we in there?"

Jack looked at his watch, "Damn, almost ten hours, it didn't seem like that long."

Spike got up and helped Xander to his feet. Xander stretched with a groan, "Ugh. I'm stiff as a board. And I'm starving. Are you guys hungry?"

Jack nodded, "I could eat."

"Cool. Let's get inside and get some food." The group trudged back into the main temple, and Xander started cussing. Armed soldiers lined the walls and people were scurrying back and forth. "What the fuck is going on here?" Xander roared, never at his best when he was hungry.

An officer came forward, several other soldiers at his back. Aiming his 45 at Xander's head, the officer said, "I am here by order of the President. You are all under arrest for kidnapping and the murder of a United States Senator."

Xander's eyes turned black and Major Clarke gulped. Stalking forward, Xander grabbed the barrel of the gun and crushed it in his fist. "I have had a very long day. I'm tired. I'm hungry. And now I'm really pissed off!" Xander dropped the mangled weapon and threw out both his arms. Every soldier vanished.

Xander just headed for the temple kitchens, muttering under his breath. "What don't they understand about invincible? Is it that hard a concept? Fucking idiots."

Jack ran and caught up to Xander, "Uh, Xander? What exactly did you do to them?" Jack asked worriedly.

Xander glared at him for a second and then relaxed. "Don't worry, I just sent them back to where they came from. They're all right, I didn't hurt them."

Jack groaned and tugged on his hair, "Xander, the military is notoriously dense. They'll just keep sending more and more soldiers here. Somebody is bound to get hurt."

Xander turned to look at Tut and Ling Si. "Have you guys ever had this problem?"

Tut shook his head, "No, but I've been a Guardian for a very long time and was already well established by the time the modern military came into being."

Ling Si shrugged, "I've had occasional problems, the Communist regime does not believe in the occult. After I destroyed several tanks and turned all their weapons into sand, they left me alone."

Xander turned back to Jack, "Okay, Colonel, what do I have to do to convince the United States military to leave me the Hell alone?"

"First we need to talk to General Hammond. He's my boss. Then we need to talk to the President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

Xander shrugged and grabbed Jack by the arm, "You guys go ahead and eat. We'll be back as fast as we can."

A black cloud covered Xander and Jack from view, as the cloud dissipated, Jack's voice could still be heard. "Oooohhhh sssshhhiiitttt!"

*****

George Hammond hung up the red phone and rubbed aching eyes. According to the President, SG-1 was considered lost and a full scale assault was being launched against the Hellmouth outside St. Louis. Hammond didn't know what had gone wrong, and it was likely he would never find out.

Hammond opened his eyes and then closed them right away. He was so tired, even his vision was starting to go. "Uh, General?"

Hammond's eyes snapped open when he heard Colonel O'Neill's voice. "Jack? What the Hell..."

The black cloud he'd thought was due to eye strain slowly vanished. Leaving a white and shaking Jack O'Neill standing in the middle of his office. A dark haired young man was with him and Hammond reached for the phone to call for security.

"General. Wait. This is Xander Harris. He's the Guardian of the St. Louis Hellmouth. I don't know what you've heard, but he's on our side."

Hammond clenched his fists, "I never cared for Senator Kinsey myself, Colonel, but people on our side don't go around killing Senators!"

Xander threw up his hands, "He's not dead. I just froze him in place. He's fine. Or he will be as soon as I let him go. I don't kill people just because they insulted me. If I did that, half the population of Sunnydale would be dead already. Besides, he's the bad guy!"

Hammond sat back down in his chair and waved at the other two to take a seat. "Okay. Start at the beginning and tell me what happened. Maybe we can stop this before it gets any worse."

Jack's eyebrows went up. "Before what gets worse, sir?"

"The President has ordered a full out assault on the Hellmouth in St. Louis. The air strikes should start in about an hour."

Xander's eyes turned black again. "That's it. Come on. Let's go."

Xander grabbed Jack with one hand and reached over the desk to grab the General with the other. Everything turned black and they were gone.

*****

Teal'c was deep in conversation with Asher and Spike when Xander reappeared with Colonel O'Neill. But this time, General Hammond was also with them. Both men were pale and shaking. Teal'c helped the General to a chair while Xander helped Jack. "General Hammond. It is good to see you again." Teal'c said in his deep voice.

The General just nodded and then laid his head on the table. Jack just sat in his chair and shook. Xander, however, started grabbing food and filling his plate.

"So, where have you been?" Nathaniel asked curiously.

Xander took a drink and swallowed before answering. "The President decided to wipe the island off the face of the planet so I had to go threaten him and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. That didn't work so I gave them a little demonstration. I don't think they'll be bothering us anytime soon."

Spike grinned, "What did you do, mate?"

Xander shrugged, "Not much."

Jack's mouth flopped open and he stuttered. "N-n-not mu-uch?" Jack pointed at Xander with a shaking hand. "He turned the White House purple! With pink polka dots! Then he shrunk Air Force One down to the size of a toy! Then he made all the paintings on the wall talk! You wouldn't believe some of the things that those pictures have seen! And the Joint Chiefs of Staff? He stripped them all naked and put them in the Reflecting Pool!"

Daniel frowned, "That's it? Sorry, Xander, but I don't think that'll stop them. It probably just pissed them off."

Xander grinned, "The President isn't an idiot. I took him on a little trip inside the Hellmouth. He's convinced that messing with me is a real bad idea. And I didn't have to hurt anybody. I brought the Joint Chiefs back. Clothed. Then I showed the President just what Senator Kinsey was up to. Man, was he pissed. I brought the Senator back to D.C., where he is now wearing a lovely orange jumpsuit and locked in a cell with a guy named Mayborne."

Xander shrugged, "Mayborne looked really happy to see the Senator. I think the Senator is in for a really big surprise."

Xander finished off his sandwich and stretched. "I'm beat. There are bedrooms all down this hall, pick one and get some rest everybody. We'll talk in the morning."

Spike jumped out of his chair and hurried to Xander's side. "You aren't too tired, are you, pet?"

Xander smirked, "I'm sure you'll find a way to keep me awake."

Asher and Nathaniel both left the table to join the pair at the door. "Not to worry, Spike. Nathaniel and I will help." Asher said eagerly.

Nathaniel just giggled, "Damn, I love my job."

Cordelia caught Xander and his concubines before they could lock themselves into their bedroom. "Xander."

Xander rolled his eyes, "Yes, Cordy?"

"We need to talk." She said imperiously.

Spike growled at her, but Xander just shook his head. "Can it wait? I'm kinda tired."

The Seer smirked at him, "I'm sure you are, but isn't there something you're forgetting?"

Xander ran his hands through his hair in frustration, "Just tell me, Cordy. I'm not in the mood to play games right now."

She shrugged, "Fine. Be that way." As she turned to walk down the hallway she threw over her shoulder, "I just thought you might want to do something about Anya. She's still in that room screaming her head off."

Xander's eyes grew wide, "Fuck. I forgot." Xander shoved Spike and the others into the bedroom, "I'll be right back. Start without me, I'll catch up after I take care of this."

Spike pulled off his shirt with a shrug, "Might be too late by then, Pet."

Xander grinned and his eyes went black, "I doubt that, Spike. I really do." He said before racing down the hall.

Cordy just shook her head and continued on her journey. She'd eaten earlier, but she was still missing something, she just wasn't sure what. Heading outside, she breathed in the still night air, and immediately felt at peace. Whatever it was she needed, it was out here. She wandered through the garden, pausing now and then to smell the night blooming flowers and gently touch their petals.

It wasn't long before Cordelia took off her shoes, rubbing her bare feet through the soft blades of grass. She started to giggle when her feet began tingling, the shivering feeling quickly running up her legs. Soon it felt as if her entire body was connected to a low level current of electricity.

"Cordelia?"

Cordelia looked up with a smile, "Wesley. Gunn. Hi. What are you two up to?"

The two men exchanged concerned glances and slowly moved forward. "Cordelia, are you all right?"

She cocked her head to one side, not sure what Wesley was talking about. "Yeah, Wes. I'm fine. In fact, I feel great."

Gunn cleared his throat, "Uh, we were just wondering, ya know? You aren't really the type of person that likes running around barefoot. And you were giggling."

"I was? Oh. Well, it tickles."

"The grass tickles?" Wesley asked, sounding completely confused.

Cordelia shook her head, "No. My skin. It started with my feet, now everything tickles." She giggled again, "You should try this. It's great."

Gunn nudged Wesley and said something she couldn't hear. Wesley shook his head no. Gunn nodded at Cordelia, saying something else. Wesley sighed, "Cordelia...we were wondering..."

Cordelia smiled at them, "What kind of demon I am now?" She laughed at the shocked look on their faces. "I'm surprised you waited this long to ask. It's okay, guys, I don't mind. I'm a Dryad now. Cool, huh?"

Wesley's eyes grew wide. He looked at the physical changes and then at her grass stained feet. "Oh my. That does explain a lot." Wesley smiled widely and laughed. "That's wonderful!"

Gunn glared at the two of them. "Yeah. It's great. Somebody want to tell me what a Dryad is?"

Wesley looked at Cordelia and she nodded her head. "A Dryad isn't actually a demon, Gunn. It's a nature elemental. They're associated with trees and all growing things. Dryads typically have a deep connection to the earth and are known for their ability in the occult."

Gunn pointed at Cordelia's head, "So...no more headaches?"

Cordelia grinned, "No more headaches. Actually, I should be able to control the visions a lot better now. They said with practice, I might even be able to call the visions to me."

Gunn laughed, "That's great, girl! Man, I've been worried about you."

Wesley wasn't laughing now, he looked worried actually. "Cordelia. I thought Dryads had to stay with their trees."

Cordelia nodded, "Normally they do, but my tree is special. Did you expect anything less?" She asked archly.

"No, but, where is your tree?" Wesley asked.

She threw her arms wide, "He's everywhere. His name is Yggdrasil and he likes me. A lot."

Wesley sat down on the ground, hard. "Yggdrasil? Really. My word."

Gunn groaned and sat next to his lover. "Okay. Start talking."

*****

Xander took a deep breath, then opened the door to Anya's room. His former girlfriend's glowed in the dim light coming through the windows. She was lying on the bed, nude, both her hands clenched tightly on the headboard as her body writhed under the invisible assault.

Xander gulped and reminded himself that he had three lovers waiting on him down the hall. "Anya? Are you ready for it to stop? Think carefully before you answer."

Anya's eyes popped open when she heard Xander's voice. She tried to talk, but her lungs were having trouble pulling in air, all that came out was a weak groan. Xander arched on brow and waved his hand. The assault immediately stopped and Anya panted for air, giving herself a moment before answering. "I'm not sure." She said faintly.

Xander groaned and shook his head. "You're kidding right? It's been hours! You can't possibly want more!"

"You said to think carefully. I'm thinking." Anya said waspishly.

Xander thumped his head against the door a couple of times, wondering once again what in the Hell he'd ever seen in her. Besides the sex of course. "Fine. I'm going to give you twelve hours. Get something to eat and for Christ's sake, take a shower!"

Xander slammed the door and headed back to his own room, muttering under his breath, "It's a good thing we broke up when we did. She would've fucked me to death." Xander opened the door to his bedroom and stopped in his tracks. Asher had Nathaniel pinned to the bed and was pounding into the were-leopard. Not that Nathaniel was complaining. Not at all. The red-head was screaming for more, harder and faster.

And then there was Spike. He was leaning against the headboard, slowly stroking the rather impressive erection he was sporting between his thighs. The vampire obviously heard something, because he looked up at that moment and held out his hand to Xander.

Xander closed the door and slowly crossed the room, "Then again, being fucked to death wouldn't be such a bad way to go."

"What did you say, Pet?" Spike asked as he pulled Xander onto the bed, nuzzling his throat.

Xander chuckled, "Nothing. Don't worry about it." Spike slid his hands under Xander's shirt and Xander groaned. "So, why were you sitting by yourself?" He asked breathlessly.

Spike chuckled against Xander's throat, the vibration making Xander shiver. "Was waiting for you."

Xander pulled his shirt off over his head, "Good. Good. I've been waiting for you too."

Spike grinned, pulling Xander's head down to kiss him. "Wait's over."

Xander had no idea Spike could move that fast. He found himself flat on his back, his shoes flying through the air. Then his pants disappeared with a loud ripping sound, all in a matter of seconds.

Spike ran his hand up Xander's leg from his knee to his thigh. "Nice. Very nice."

Xander reached out, grabbing Spike by the shoulder and pulling him forward. "Look later. Play now."

Spike laughed and kissed him again, "I do like a man who has his priorities straight."

What happened next could only be described as a full out assault. Spike nipped and sucked every spare inch of skin on Xander's body while his hands rubbed and stroked tense muscles.

Xander jumped when Spike latched onto the tendon in his inner thigh. The vampire just chuckled and held him down, sucking strongly before oh, so, slowly burying his fangs in the soft skin beneath his lips.

Xander's cock went from rock hard to painful and he started babbling incoherently. Not that that stopped Spike. The vampire fed for another second then withdrew his fangs just as slowly as he'd inserted them.

Spike looked into Xander's eyes as he flicked the tip of his tongue across the tip of Xander's cock. Xander sucked in a much needed breath and threw his hands up over his head, grabbing onto the headboard. Spike grinned evilly and literally slurped Xander's erection into his cool mouth. Xander hissed, then groaned when Spike swallowed against the hard flesh filling his throat.

Spike drew back, making sure to flutter his tongue against the throbbing vein running up the underside of Xander's cock. Then he latched onto just the head, suckling it like a baby at it's mother's breast.

Every muscle in Xander's body went tight and he started to shake. Spike just sucked harder and watched as swirls of black filled Xander's soft brown eyes. He started to draw back, but Xander shook his head. "Don't stop. Please." He said huskily.

Spike went back to work, drawing more gasps and groans from Xander's throat. A warm hand pressed a tube into Spike's fist and the vampire darted his eyes over to the couple he'd completely forgotten about. Nathaniel grinned at him and pointed to the tube of Slick he'd handed him. Asher just smirked sleepily from his position curled over Nathaniel's chest.

Spike winked at them and thumbed open the tube, squeezing a dollop of the liquid onto Xander's stomach. He coated a couple of fingers, returning his gaze back to Xander's black eyes as he eased one finger inside Xander's warm body.

Xander was tight, and the warmest thing Spike had ever felt in his unlife. His head bobbed faster, easily sliding up and down Xander's erection, moving in time with his fingers. By the time Spike had three fingers buried in Xander's ass, he was starting to lose control. He could feel his face start to change and pulled back. Spike licked the precum leaking copiously from the hole in Xander's cock, his tongue fluttering out between razor sharp fangs.

Xander nodded once, "Do it."

Spike raised his brow, unsure what Xander meant. "Do it, Spike. I want you to." Xander's voice had taken on the echoing quality of the Hellmouth now, and that voice Spike couldn't refuse. Slowly, hesitantly, he rested his fangs against the head of Xander's cock, still uncertain. Xander nodded again and Spike let just the barest tips of his fangs sink into head. Xander screeched and came and came.

Spike guzzled the semen as if it were the finest wine. Wine with the faintest tint of thick, hot blood. Xander shuddered through his orgasm then went limp. Spike pulled one of Xander's legs onto his shoulder and held the other out to the side. He pushed into Xander's body, jerking when the heat encased him.

Spike moved strongly, but easily, the muscles in Xander's ass still twitching from his orgasm. Spike shuddered with every thrust, Xander's body rolling with each movement, until he recovered enough to move against Spike's thrusts.

Spike grinned at the man under him, dropping his grip on Xander's leg so he could lean down and kiss those gasping lips. Xander wrapped his hands in Spike's hair, mashing his lips against Spike's fangs, then licking the blood from Spike's lips.

With every lick, Spike could feel Xander's erection returning until it was pressing against Spike's belly with every movement. Spike shifted his weight a little, adding more friction between their bodies.

Spike never wanted this to end, but it had to, and soon. He could feel the muscles in his back starting to tighten, then the tingling in his balls began. He wretched his lips away from Xander's and buried his face in Xander's neck. The second he felt his orgasm begin to roll over his body, he buried his fangs into the corded muscles on Xander's shoulder and started to feed. Xander growled, thrust up once and came again.

Xander's blood was amazing. Thick and pure, but dancing with power. Spike felt everything in that moment. Xander's affection, for him of all people, his desire, his lust and his fears. Fear that he wasn't good enough, strong enough to do what needed to be done. Fear that he would turn into an unfeeling monster.

Spike pulled back and looked into Xander's once again brown eyes. Then he kissed him. Softly, tenderly. Like he would kiss one he loved. Because he did, even if he wouldn't admit. Not yet anyway. "It'll be all right, Pet. Promise." He whispered against Xander's lips.

Xander looked into his eyes and obviously saw something there, something good. "I believe you. You'll help?"

"Always, Xander. Always."

Two hands landed on Xander's chest. He looked over and found Nathaniel and Asher looking at him worriedly. "We'll help too, Xander. Anything you need." Nathaniel said quietly while Asher nodded in agreement.

Spike grinned and rolled off of Xander's body, curling up against his back. "Don't worry, Pet. We're here and we'll never leave you. No matter what."

Xander smiled and felt the tension in his head slowly relax for the first time since he'd been chosen. Surrounded by his lovers, he slowly slipped into sleep, his Wards whispering in his mind. 'We are eternal, Guardian. We will ensure that you will never be alone in this. Sleep, Xander, we will stand guard over you and yours.'

*****

Wesley and Cordelia shared a smile over the tone in Gunn's voice. It was his, 'Okay, I know I'm not stupid, but I sure as Hell feel like it.' voice. It had taken Wesley a long time to convince Gunn that having a college degree didn't necessarily mean a person was intelligent.

Gunn's so-called inferiority had been the main stumbling block to their relationship. The young man had been certain that an uneducated man, such as himself, had nothing worthwhile to offer. Not to someone like Wesley. Cordelia, of all people, had been the one to make Gunn see reason. Wesley never did find out exactly what she'd said to change his mind, but quickly decided that it didn't matter.

After she'd gotten done with him, Wesley had found himself pursued with all the dedication the Knights Templar had shown in their quest to recover the Grail. Not that he was complaining, no, never. Gunn had left no doubts in Wesley's mind about just how important Wesley was to him.

Wesley's mind got lost in remembering some of the tactics Gunn had used to accomplish his goal until a hard nudge from his lover brought his attention back to the discussion at hand.

Wesley cleared his throat and cleared his mind, trying to recall all he could about Yggdrasil. "Ah. Yes. Well...Yggdrasil, according to Norse myth, is the world tree. It's divided into nine worlds that comprise the universe. The underworld is kept under its roots, the human realm, or Midgard, is housed in its massive trunk while the Gods live in its upper branches. Legend says that the day Yggdrasil falls, life everywhere will end. I have some wonderful books at home that go much more in depth. I'll show them to you, if you'd like," Wesley said diffidently.

Gunn grinned, he loved it when Wesley would cuddle up with him on the couch and try to teach him about legends and prophecies. Not that Gunn didn't want to learn, but those sessions always ended the same way. With the book on the floor and Wesley naked in his lap. There was something about Wesley in 'teach' mode that Gunn couldn't resist. Not that he'd ever really tried to.

Cordelia kicked Gunn in the shin and yelped, glaring at the two laughing men as she rubbed her bare toes. "Very funny. Ha. Ha. Just wait. I'll get even."

Gunn threw up his hands, "Whoa, Princess. Wasn't laughing at you. It's just...ah Hell. Help me out here, Wes."

Wesley smiled at Cordelia, "You look happy, despite that rather intimidating glare on your face."

Cordelia broke down and laughed. "I can't help it. I've never felt this good before. Even a 50% off sale at Neiman Marcus isn't this good."

Gunn smirked at that comment, "Is it better than sex?"

Wesley immediately joined the fray. "Nothing," he said imperiously, "is better than sex."

An exultant shriek split the night air and the three friends laughed, "It sounds like Xander agrees with you, Wesley," Cordelia said with a smirk.

*****

General Hammond slept for a few hours and then got back to work. He had phone calls and decisions to make. And since he was up, Colonel O'Neill could join him, but first, coffee. Hammond headed for the temple kitchen, his mouth starting to water at the wonderful smells coming his way.

A old cartoon came to mind. One where the delicious aroma of a home cooked meal wafted through the house and literally pulled the inhabitants into the kitchen. Hammond chuckled, it seemed like he was more accurate than he'd initially thought. The Guardian, a red-haired young man, O'Neill and the rest of SG-1 all came out of their rooms at the same time. All with the same thought in mind. Food.

The Guardian, Xander, was the first through the door and let out a happy shout. The rest of the hungry crowd came into the room to see Xander being hugged within an inch of his life by two, obviously related, women. Two men, sitting at the overly large table drinking coffee, were laughing at the actions of the trio standing in front of the stove, but they both turned when they heard the others enter the room.

Xander, as the only one acquainted with everyone, performed the introductions. But as soon as the social obligations were covered, the two women, Mary and her daughter, Cheryl, got everyone seated and started serving up one of the best meals Hammond had ever eaten.

Nathaniel, the red-haired young man, laughed at the amount of food Xander was piling on his plate, but soon grew quiet when it became clear that the Guardian could not only eat that much food, but was going for seconds. Nathaniel shook his head, "You know you're going to have to work that off later."

Xander grinned and grabbed his cup of coffee, "Oh yeah. I'd planned on it."

Mary laughed and smacked him on the shoulder, "I can see I'm going to be doing a lot more cooking in the near future."

Xander immediately looked guilty. "You don't have to do that, Mary. Not that I don't appreciate, God knows I do. I can't cook worth a damn, but you don't have to do it. I know you're busy."

Jake, Mary's husband, shook his head, "Give it up now, Xander. If Mary wants to baby you, there's no getting around it. Besides, she gets bored sitting at home all day."

Mary ruffled Xander's hair, "He's right. Since I retired, I've been bored out of my skull. It'll be nice to have young people to take of again."

Xander grinned, "Okay, okay, I won't argue with you. But I am going to pay you." Xander held up his hand before Mary could say anything. "Uh uh. I know cooking for me is a full time job. And I was going to have to hire someone anyway. I already love your food. Believe me, you'll earn every penny."

Teal'c was still eating, but paused long enough to insert his own two cents, "If the Guardian does not hire you, I would like to. The food at our cafeteria is good, but not this good."

Hammond could only agree with Teal'c about that. But thinking about the base brought up other problems. "If you'd be agreeable, Xander, I'd like to talk to you about a few things."

Xander nodded, "Sure. Let's go into the other room. Harry, you might want to join us for this."

Harry nodded, "Should I call your brothers?"

"That will not be necessary." Tut said from the doorway.

"Would you gentlemen care for something to eat?" Cheryl asked.

"Just coffee, please." Ling Si replied.

As soon as everyone had collected their coffee, they adjourned to Xander's throne room. Xander called up extra chairs and everyone settled in. "Okay, General Hammond, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if it would be possible to move the Hellmouth to Colorado."

Xander's eyes turned black and his voice took on a strange echo. "That will not be possible, General. We would have to tear through miles of bedrock. We do not believe that the surface dwellings could handle the effect."

Hammond nodded, "I was afraid of that."

"Why do you want to move us, General?"

"I'd rather have you as close to the gate as possible. Just in case." Hammond replied.

Xander went quiet for a moment, then turned to Harry, "Warden, can we make alterations here?"

Harry grinned, pretty sure he knew what Xander and his wards had in mind. "Yes, we can. We can convert the hotel and cabins into guest quarters and barracks too."

Xander nodded, "General Hammond, we realize that it will be difficult, but you could move your base here. We can guarantee the safety of the gate and your personnel."

General Hammond's mind started reeling with all the possibilities. "Let me make some calls. I think we just might be able to do this."

Teal'c gave one of his rare smiles, "Does this mean that Mary and Cheryl will be cooking for us after all?"

Everyone gaped at him in astonishment, then burst into laughter.

Xander was feeling vaguely abandoned. General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill's team's departure had started a mass exodus. Anita and her friends, along with Buffy and Giles, left next, taking Willow and Tara with them. Anita saying that she had some Wiccan friends that would try to help them get back to the people they had been before. Xander hoped it worked. Willow had been his best friend for most of his life. He hated what he'd done to her, but the only other option was killing them outright. At least this way, there was a chance.

Cordelia had cornered him right after his conference with the General and demanded a new wardrobe, saying something about a possessed conveyor belt eating her other clothes. So Xander had received a crash course in the latest fashions from the runways of France. Making the clothes had been easy enough, but he wasn't sure why anyone would want to wear them. And after seeing one particular outfit, he wondered for a brief instant how Cordy could ever have possibly insulted his clothes.

But, discretion being the better part of valor, or so he'd been told, he'd kept his opinions to himself. Cordy gave him a quick hug, Wesley shook his hand, Gunn flashed him a grin, while Angel just stood there and stared at Cordelia with a pole axed expression on his face. Then they were gone.

The breeze from their passing hadn't even faded when Harry and his family made their goodbyes. The ladies were going shopping while Harry and Jake went back to the hotel to keep things running. After all, as Jake said, life went on. There were things that needed to be done and they weren't going to take care of themselves.

Xander went looking for Tut and Ling Si, only to find them both packing. They both wanted to stay, but they needed to get back to their own temples. Tut had already spoken to the were-hyena pack and they would be going with him. Xander was happy for them, but he could admit to being a little disappointed that none of them wanted to stay. But at least with Tut, they would have room to move around and the other Guardian would make sure that they had everything they needed. Including a huge herd of gazelle for them to hunt.

Then the other boot had dropped, right on his head. Asher and Nathaniel were leaving too, but only for a day. They both had some personal items that they wanted. Xander had smiled and given each of them a kiss goodbye and told them to hurry back. Watching them leave had left him with a peculiar pain in his chest, but he wasn't going to demand that they stay.

So now, here he was. All alone, sitting on a throne of pure power, and no one to share it with. Well, he could share it with Spike, but the vampire was sound asleep. And just because he was bored was no reason to get Spike up in the middle of the day.

But there was the Hellmouth. His wards were always happy to see him and treasured every minute they spent together. Stopping by the kitchen, Xander grabbed some snacks and a couple of sodas to take with him.

Stepping into the garden, Xander felt a pang when he remembered that they'd gotten rid of the gazebo. Shaking his head, Xander settled in on the grass surrounding the Hellmouth. "Hey, guys. It's just us now."

'Hello, Xander. We've been waiting for you.'

Xander popped the top on a can of Coke and slugged it back. "Really? What for?"

The black water that housed his wards rippled quietly. 'We need to complete our bond, Xander.'

Xander choked on the chip he was eating. After he'd finally managed to clear his throat he said, "I thought we did that already. You're saying we didn't?"

'Not completely. We have been controlling the flow, but it is time for you to take over for us. If we wait too much longer the overflow will start affecting others.'

Xander gulped, thinking about what had happened the last time the power got loose. He didn't want another Atlantis. "Okay. I'm ready. What do I do?"

'Join with us as you did before.'

Xander didn't even need to stop and think about it. He stood up and jumped right into the middle of Hellmouth. He had less than a second to regret that action when the pain hit.

This time it worse. Much, much worse. He was feeling more than his own pain, he could feel his ward's pain too. That was unacceptable. His job was to take care of the Hellmouth, not to cause them pain. A single thought took their pain and added it to his own. And then he lost all control.

*****

Spike was dreaming of blood and sex when the voices first intruded. Grunting irritably, he rolled over and pulled a pillow over his head. The voices just got louder. "Spike! You have to wake up now!"

"Sod off! I'm sleeping!"

The entire bed shook and Spike found himself flying through the air to land on the floor. Hard.

He flew to his feet, golden eyes glaring while his fangs flashed in the dim light. "What the fuck..." Spike never finished that sentence. A column of living black flame stood in the center of the room. Spike took a step away from it, remembering the last time he'd seen this.

The flame just followed him. "Spike. Xander is in trouble. He needs you."

"Xander? What happened?" Spike asked as he grabbed a pair of jeans off the floor.

"We needed to complete the bond. The pain was too much and he lost control. We can no longer reach him, but maybe you can."

Spike raced to the garden doors and onto the patio. The overhanging roof protected him from the sun, but nothing could protect him from the sight that met his eyes.

In the center of the garden, a huge spiral of black shot up out of the ground. And Xander was hanging in the middle of it. Spike cursed under his breath. From where he was standing, he could see black tears leaking from under Xander's tightly closed eyelids. The boy's muscles trembled and spasmed as the power rushing through his body fought its way free. "Fuck." Glaring at the black flame beside him, Spike said, "I can't get to him. I won't do him much good if I'm dust."

The flame moved closer. "We will take you to him. No harm will come to you."

Spike nodded once and stepped into the flame. There was no pain, only a sense of safety. He could feel himself moving into the sunlight, but the searing heat he was expecting never touched him. The black flames surrounding him gave an odd cast to his sight, but he could still see Xander clearly. The boy was fighting the power, trying to hang on, but he was losing. That much was obvious.

Spike got close enough to touch and latched onto Xander's body. He tried to pull Xander out of the reach of the Hellmouth, but found himself pulled into it instead. Spike didn't try to fight it, he just held onto Xander and tried to get through to him.

"Xander! Open you eyes, pet. Come on now. Listen to Spike."

"Spike?" Xander whispered, "Get out before you get hurt. It isn't safe."

Spike moved closer until he was literally wrapped around Xander's straining body. "I'm fine, pet. But you're in trouble. What happened?"

"It's too much. I can't hang onto it." Xander hissed through tightly clenched teeth.

Spike let go with one hand long enough to smack Xander across the back of the head, "Stupid git. You're not supposed to hang onto it. Let it go."

Xander shook his head, "Can't. Don't know what will happen if it gets loose."

Spike groaned and buried his face in Xander's neck. "Bloody Hell. Well, then, do something with it! Now! Before you burn out. I don't want to be fucking a bloody clump of broccoli, now do I?"

"Do what?!" Xander screamed.

"Make something! Put the damned gazebo thing back. Hell, change the color of the bleedin' temple. I could use a pack of fags, I could."

Xander laughed weakly at the petulant whine in Spike's voice. "I'll try. But I'm not sure it's going to be enough."

Spike nipped Xander's ear, "Just do something. Once you get started it'll get easier."

Xander nodded. Forming a picture in his mind, he reached out the power coursing through him and forced that picture to become reality. Spike jumped when he suddenly found himself inside a huge gazebo. It looked like the original, only larger. And this one was black. "Nice job, pet. Like it, I do. What else can you do?"

Xander let his imagination have free reign. Soon there was a stone walkway arching several feet above the lake. Then the temple itself changed. Walls shifted and moved. Floors changed, windows appeared and disappeared, seemingly at random. The more he did, the easier it was and Xander quickly found that the pain was fading.

With his vampire lovers in mind, Xander formed a roof over the garden. But then thinking about all the plants, he made the panels movable. Now the garden could be enclosed or opened at will.

Then he remember Cordy's new wardrobe. He didn't want anything like that, but he could use some new clothes. The dressers and closets in his room were soon filled with jeans, T-shirts and sweaters. Not to mention socks and silk boxers. Finally, the pain had receded enough that he could enjoy creating new things. Thinking about Spike, he created more clothes, and then decided that Asher and Nathaniel shouldn't be left behind.

By the time he'd finished, the power had reached familiar and comfortable levels. He opened his eyes and looked directly into Spike's blue gaze. "Hey. Thanks."

Spike grinned, "Ta, pet. My pleasure. But where's my bloody smokes?"

Xander laughed weakly and gently lowered them to the ground. "Sorry, Spike. I forgot." Reaching out, a package of Spike's brand of cigarettes formed in Xander's hand. "Here. Anything else?"

Spike took the pack and opened it quickly. Patting his pockets, he frowned at Xander. "A light would be nice, pet."

Xander held out the same hand, a dancing ball of flame cradled in his palm. Spike smirked and leaned forward to light the cigarette dangling from his lips. Blowing a smoke ring, Spike said, "Thanks, Xander." Looking at the black gazebo and then out at the sunlight drenching the garden Spike said, "Now, pet. How about some lube?"

Xander laughed and pulled Spike into his arms to give him a kiss. "I think I could do that."

next