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Xander sat in his motel room, absently stroking a wet towel
over the surface of his egg. While sitting, he let his mind
wander over the series of events that brought him to this
point.
While he was a member of the swim team in high school, the
coach had put something in the steam of the steam-room that
changed him. Although he didn't know what exactly was put into
the steam, he knew that the blood transfusions had only purged
the toxic effects of it from his system. The steam had saturated
his skin and he had breathed the steam in. A blood transfusion
was unlikely to cleanse everything out of him.
He had felt different since the steam incident. He was a
better swimmer, which was actually the Coach's purpose from the
beginning. He also had a need for water, which he kept very
private. Since his swim-team days, he would take 2 to 3 showers a
day, and if he went without a shower for a full day, he became
physically ill. But on the up side, he no longer had an allergy
to shellfish. There's that silver lining!
He felt the egg move in his arms and changed his focus back to
his child. What was it going to be? He assumed that he was able
to conceive a child because he had seamonster DNA or something,
did that mean his child would have gills? scales? fins? Maybe,
maybe not, since he didn't have any of those things, his child
might not either. But what would his child inherit from it's
other father? A taste for blood? Would the child be sunlight
challenged? Would his child... have a soul?
There were so many questions running through his head, and
absolutely NO answers to be found. He had left his support group
at the truck stop. Even though he didn't regret his decision to
leave, he could really use someone to talk to. If it was just
him, he would tough it out. But now he had to do what was best
for his baby.
And that means getting somewhere that his child could get some
medical attention if it was needed. Somewhere that a hybrid
human/seamonster/vampire child might grow up to be accepted, and
have a good self image. Xander now knew what he had to do. He had
to find a way to join the things that go bump in the night, and
become part of their community. Give his child some kind of
connection to others. If the baby didn't look entirely human,
people would think it was deformed and he couldn't allow his
child to go through that kind of trauma.
He went to one of his suitcases and opened an address book.
Sitting back on the bed, by his child's egg, he picked up the
phone and dialed a number that he thought he would NEVER
call.
The phone rang twice, then an unfamiliar voice answered,
"Angel investigations, we help the helpless."
"Hello, could I speak to Angel please? It's kind of important,
tell him it's Xander Harris..." Xander said nervously into the
phone.
He could hear the phone being set down and whoever it was
yelling for Angel in the background.
Xander lifted the egg into his lap and began stroking it with
the damp towel, knowing instinctively that the shell needed to
stay moist.
"Xander? What's the problem?" Angel asked, his voice full of
concern.
"Dead... Sorry, Angel, some things have happened. And you were
the only person that I could think of that could help me." Xander
said quietly.
"Xander, tell me what happened." Angel said patiently.
"Spike and I were... like... together.... a while back. And
neither one of us ever considered that this could happen, I mean
he said that since he was dead, that we didn't need to be...
safe... " Xander stopped, trying to think of exactly how to say
it.
"Did you get a disease? Tell me what happened." Angel said, a
little louder, becoming worried.
"Somehow I... uh... got... pregnant... sort of." Xander
stammered.
"YOU WHAT!?" Angel screamed.
By now Xander was becoming emotional, as tears leaked out of
his eyes he said, "We stopped at this truck stop... and I went to
the bathroom... I gave birth to this... egg... today around lunch
time. And now I ::sob:: don't know what to do. I mean if my baby
is part demon, I need to take it someplace where a demon can grow
up safe. And that's why I called you, because with Sunnydale
blown up, I don't know where else to go."
Angel was truly dumbfounded. He never had a high opinion of
the boy but he couldn't do anything but offer any and every
resource at his command to aid the boy and his child. "Xander,
where are you. Is Buffy there with you?" Angel asked in a
comforting voice.
"I'm in a motel room, in Moriarty, New Mexico. Buffy and the
others are on their way to Cleveland, they think I got a ride at
the truck stop." Xander said, hoping that Angel would help.
"What motel? Which room?" Angel asked, obviously he had a
plan.
"Super 8, room 12. What are you going to do?" Xander asked
shakily.
"I'm going to send someone to get you. You just stay right
there and take care of yourself and your child. I'll call Wesley
and see if he can come and get you. I'd do it, but it would
double our traveling time... " Angel said in an uncharacteristic
ramble.
"Yeah, traveling only at night, I get it. Okay, I'll be right
here, waiting for him." Xander said with relief.
"Don't worry Xander, everything will be alright. Wesley will
be there soon, and he'll bring you back to L.A. And once you're
here, we can make sure that your child has everything it needs."
Angel said, and Xander could hear a comforting smile in the
words.
"Thanks, Angel. I'll be waiting. Goodbye." Xander said,
waiting for Angel's 'goodbye' before hanging up the phone.
He thought about how things had changed in the last few years.
Not too many years ago, he would have trusted Buffy with his
life, his love, his everything. And he wouldn't have trusted
Angel under any conceivable circumstances. But there's the
problem. These circumstances were inconceivable back then. That
Buffy would have died and come back... wrong. And that he and
Spike would have finally stopped sniping at each other long
enough to realize that they actually liked each other and had
things in common. That he would give birth... yeah, that one came
out of left field.
For whatever reason, he felt in his gut that he could trust
Angel, and that this was going to be the best thing that he could
do for his child.
"Don't worry little one," He said to his egg while stroking
the shell, "I've called some friends who are going to make sure
that you're safe. Remember that your poppa loves you and will
always do what's best for you."
"You want me to DRIVE to NEW MEXICO? Angel, even if I was your
flunky, which I am not, I wouldn't drive to New Mexico for you."
Wesley barked into the phone.
"Wesley, just listen. It's Xander, something's happened, he
didn't tell me everything but it sounds very serious. I'm asking
you because he know's you, and I think that he needs a friend as
much as he needs a ride to L.A."
"He's not my friend, Angel. He's never said one word to me
that wasn't an insult." Wesley interrupted.
"Granted, if not a friend, then at least a familiar face. He
doesn't know Gunn and Fred can't drive. I would do it, but I
couldn't drive during the day. Here's the bottom line, you know
all the possessions and magics that he's been through. Something
changed him enough to be able to conceive a child. He gave birth
today... in a truck stop bathroom. He's alone in a motel room and
he's scared for his child. Wesley, please help him." Angel
finished in a whisper.
Wesley stopped, stunned. Xander had given birth. And now he
was alone. He needed someone to help him, and Angel thought him
best for the job.
"Very well, I'll go get him." Wesley said shortly.
"Super 8, Room 12, Moriarty, New Mexico." Angel said
quietly.
Wesley just hung up the phone.
The next day, approximately 24 hours after his call to Angel.
Xander heard a knock on his door. He laid a wet cloth across the
eggs shell, and went to answer it.
"Wes? Did you drive straight through?" Xander asked in
surprise at the weary expression on Wesley's face.
"Yes, how are you doing? How's the baby?" Wesley asked as he
was ushered into the room.
"The baby is in the bathroom sink. Why don't you lay down, you
look beat." Xander said with concern as he walked back to the
bathroom.
"In the sink? Are you crazy?" Wesley said as he ran past
Xander into the bathroom and stopped in shock.
In the sink he saw a beige mass, sitting in about 2 inches of
water and partially covered with a wet towel.
"Whaat?" Was all that Wesley could make himself say.
"I guess from your reaction that Angel didn't tell you that I
had an... egg." Xander said sheepishly as he took the towel and
began to wash the egg again.
"No, he failed to mention that detail." Wesley said in a
daze.
Just then he could detect movement within the leathery mass.
Xander immediately bent down and began to talk to the egg. "Shhh.
It's okay, poppa's here. Wesley came to help us. Don't worry
little one. You're not alone, love."
Wesley was taken aback by the tender note in Xander's voice.
He had never felt anything but dislike for the crass youth during
their breif acquaintance in Sunnydale. To hear such tenderness
from him seemed to be counter to all Wesley's preconceived
notions about the boy.
"Wes, I was serious, you look like you need to get some sleep.
I need to keep the shell wet so I won't bother you while you're
sleeping." Xander said with a note of concern.
Wesley just nodded his head and went into the other room.
After retrieving a few things from the car, he was in bed and
fast asleep.
The next morning Wesley awoke to find Xander asleep, sitting
on the couch holding his egg against his bare chest. Wesley could
only sit and watch amazed at the tender look of joy on Xander's
face as he slept.
Xander opened his eyes to find Wesley watching him in
disbelief. "Mornin Wes, I bet you're hungry." Xander said
sleepily.
"Quite." Wesley answered softly.
"There's a resturant next door, but the truck stop down the
road has much better food... at least it looked better." Xander
said as he got himself off the couch and carried the egg to the
bathroom.
Wesley followed Xander to the bathroom door and watched as
Xander put the egg in the sink and poured bottled water over the
shell. When Xander caught Wesley's reflection in the mirror he
said, "The tap water was drying out the shell, chlorine I think.
So I went to the vending machine and bought some bottles of
water. It seems to be working."
"I see." Wesley said, then thought about food. "What say we
pack everything into the car, and I can get the food at the truck
stop 'to go' so we can get on the road."
"Good idea, and we should get a few bottles of water, too.
We're going to have too keep the baby wet and cool on the trip
back to L.A. Just let us get a quick shower and we'll get ready
to go." Xander replied.
Wesley nodded in acceptance.
About ten minutes later Xander walked out of the bathroom,
looking refreshed. During the time that Xander had been
showering, Wesley had returned his few meager possessions to the
car, then waited for Xander to finish. Xander began to pack up
his things but every few seconds, Xander would make a trip into
the bathroom to check on the egg. Wesley finally had enough and
said, "If you'd like, I'll watch the... baby... for you while you
finish packing."
Xander got an appreciative smile on his face and said, "Thanks
Wes, that'll help a lot."
Within minutes they had the car packed and ready to go. Xander
then said, "Wesley, would you hold the baby while I check out of
the motel?"
Wesley nodded in assent and received a wet bundle of towels
covering a leathery egg. About 30 seconds after Xander left the
car, the egg began twitching and thrashing. Wesley remembered the
previous night and began to talk, "Don't worry little one, your
poppa has gone to check out of the motel, but you're not alone.
Uncle Wesley is here to watch over you."
Wesley smiled as the egg began to calm again. A few minutes
later Xander returned to the car and they were on their way.