Title: The Awakening of All
Author: CaliaDragon
Fandom: Buffy, NCIS, The Sentinel, Numbers, Stargate Universe
Pairing: Xander Harris/Graham Miller, Tony Dinozzo/John Sheppard, Rodney McKay/Ronon Dex, Daniel Jackson/Jack O’Neill, Willow/Oz, Faith/Spike, Riley/Sam Finn, Buffy/Angel, Rupert Giles/Ethan Raine
Summary: When Wolfram and Hart open a portal to hell in LA, Xander comes back and finds himself coming online during the battle. In the aftermath, he meets Tony DiNozzo and saves the man’s life. In doing so he finds a new mission, a mate, and a new enemy.
Part: 15/?
Word Goal: 51,861 I started writing this a ways back and decided to make it my personal project for NANO.
Word Count: 2,309/24,352/51,861
Content Rating: R just to be safe
Warnings: Character Bashing, Permanent Injury(Xander’s Eye), I hate Ziva. Blood and death, Magickal Manipulation, Xander being Xander. Sex and Bonding. Abby is an asshole.
Author’s Note: So I know this is going really slowly, but I am having to work out each step as I go along since I basically threw out my outline. It doesn’t help that I am fighting this story to and nail to be written as I still have a bad case of writer’s block. Here’s hoping I actually get to the bonding part soon.
It took two hours to get the bonding suites set up. In that time Xander and Graham made a point of going to each of the recovering Slayers. Xander spent a lot of time hugging and reassuring his Slayers. While Graham listened to the Watchers complain or babble about the battle and all of the gross parts that went on in the aftermath.
The girls that helped with the removal of the demons and helped with the body recovery were especially in need of their Xander, their Heart to help them through what was turning out to be a major assignment. The death count had increased by over forty people being found in the battle zone.
The local Demon Council, the Watchers, multiple government agencies, the Sentinel and Guide community, and the Military were helping the girls out, but most of the work fell on to the Slayers and the Watchers. Graham promised to come with Xander and help with the job once their bond had settled, but the girls mostly just wanted to be hugged and told that things would get better. While the Watchers wanted to be reassured they were doing the right thing in letting the girls help retrieve bodies.
One of the Senior Hunters had called in a group to help and were acting as Watchers for the girls in the field, so Xander and Graham made a point of seeking Tomas Rivera out to make sure they gave him their thanks. Xander and Graham were in fact the only members of the Council that hadn’t been out hunting and helping overnight.
When the pair approached Tomas, he was hugging one of the younger girls and promising that she would one day be old enough to help the bigger girls out, but at the moment she could help by volunteering to deliver food and drink to the main tent where the assignments were being given out and the bodies brought.
“Crissa,” Xander called out the girl turned and beamed at Xander, she ran over and threw her arms around him, causing Tomas to smile as Xander lifted her off her feet in a hug. Toma respected all of the Council but was very fond of Xander as he was the person that got Tomas and the other Hunters to work with the Council.
“Xander! You’re okay, I was so worried Maggie said that you were hurt really bad and had to be healed.” Crissa babbled out as she clung to Xander.
“Ah honey I’m fine, they took good care of me and something awesome came out of it.” Xander soothed and rocked the young teenager in his arms. Crissa was only 14 years old, but she had the prey drive of a Slayer in spades. It was often hard to keep her at the level her training should have her. It was often hard for Crissa not to be patrolling already. Thankfully, her trainers and the Core Council understood how intense her drives were and found other ways to channel her prey drive.
“What? What happened?” Crissa asked as she bounced on her toes, eyes alight with curiosity and excitement that something good could have happened.
“I came online as a Guide and Graham is my Sentinel,” Xander told her with a smile.
Crissa let out a happy squeal and hugged Xander against then threw her arms around Graham. Tomas looked stunned, but he was happy for both men. “Congratulations Xander, Graham. I’m very happy for you both.” Tomas said with a smile for the men. Though he was surprised that they were out and about instead of being in a bonding chamber somewhere.
“We wanted to check in with everyone before we bonded and make sure you guys have everything you need to go forward. G-Man said to tell you that more supplies have been brought in and that O’Neill has his people circling the area so that more of you can take a break and get some sleep in an actual bed and a meal that isn’t a sandwich.” Xander said while Graham noticed that several people were moving onto one place in the distance.
He put his hand on Xander’s back and let his vision zero in on the group, there was something about them that was familiar to Graham, he just couldn’t place them. Then it clicked and he swore. “Xander the Maddox Cult is at the perimeter and make it’s wavy towards where the soldiers and Lenora are working.
Xander was running full out before Graham could finish speaking. The Cult was made up of members of Lenora’s family. They had tried to force the young woman to kill for them. Faith, Graham, Buffy, and Riley had been part of the group that rescued Lenora from the cult. Unfortunately due to the nature of the Council’s work and the fact that they hadn’t hurt Lenora meant that no one in the Cult could be charged with a crime.
It was only their bad luck that Lenora was from LA. Xander relaxed slightly as he noticed that those working with Lenora had captured the Cult members and were guarding Lenora against them.
Xander sent the leader a dark look as he came to stand beside Lenora. “Coming here was a mistake. The world knows about the supernatural world now, that means we can press charges against you for trying to hurt Lenora,” Xander said coolly as he stood staring them down.
“She’s my daughter I can do whatever I want with her,” One of the women shouted at Xander.
“No you can’t and it makes me sick to be in your company. You were blessed with an amazing daughter and instead of cherishing her and being there to support her, you would let her be raped and killed by these sick fuckers.” Xander spat back at her when Lenora flinched at her mother’s words.
You don’t give a damn about your daughter, you never have and it’s disgusting. Lenora has a family now and she doesn’t have to worry about us hurting her just because we can.” Graham added with a dark look on his face. Lenora leaned against Graham as they faced off with her mother and the rest of the Cult.
“You owe your daughter more than you can ever pay for. I hope you think about that while you are rot in a prison cell.” Xander added as the agents standing nearby came over to arrest the Cult members.
Once the agents had arrested everyone and taken a statement from Lenora and the others that knew the situation, Xander took a few minutes to check in with all of the Slayers and Watchers while thanking the Hunter and everyone else that was near to them.
Afterward, he and Graham headed back to the hotel a sense of anticipation beginning to grow between the pair of them. They were finally going to bond. Xander felt a sliver of nerves and he wasn’t sure they were all his own.
When they made it inside the hotel Giles, Lady Susan and Buffy greeted the pair. “Hey, we were just getting ready to send someone after the two of you. Your bonding suite is ready for you.” Buffy told them with a big grin.
Xander returned the smile, but then sobered. “The Maddox cult came for Lenora. The Agents on the perimeter arrested all of them. Agent Epps said he would come and talk to you tomorrow to learn more about the things that they did to Lenora and her brother. Speaking of Lucas, where is he?” Xander told them grimly.
Giles grimaced, a sense of righteous anger getting the better of him. “We should have been prepared for them to show up since they are based here. As for Lucas has taken up the guarding of the creche with Riley and Spike.”
Xander nodded his understanding. The creche carried demon and human children related to the Council of Slayers and the Demon Council. Xander’s children were friends with several of the Demon Leader’s children. Protecting them was paramount. “Where is it?” Xander asked curiously.
“Here, we put all of the children, including yours in the second ballroom. We turned it into a play zone and have multiple people guarding as well as tending to the children.” Lady Susan told them.
“Sounds good, I know the kids will be protected and at least they will be able to go on with lessons and playing like usual,” Xander told her, then he smiled at Graham, who returned his smile with a bright one of his own.
“Go bond, everything is under control and will remain so,” Giles told them, they both nodded and let Buffy lead them up to the bonding suite that had been created for them. Xander was happy to see that it was the room he shared with Graham and the children the night before.
Once they were inside the room Xander just stared at Graham who walked over and pulled him into a hug. “This is the best day of my life,” Graham told him gently. Xander let out a soft sigh and leaned into Graham.
“Same here. I’m so happy you are my Sentinel.” Xander told him as Graham tightened his hold briefly then pulled back and then led Xander over to the bed.
“How do we do this?” Xander asked, he really didn’t know anything about the bonding process since he didn’t expect to ever come online.
“We call our Spirit Animals. Ailidh, Conn would appear to us in this moment of joining?” Graham asked formally. At his look, Xander repeated the words. When the pair arrived, both young men smiled and they each reached out to touch their Spirit Animals. Then Graham reached out and placed his hand on Ailidh and Xander placed his hand on Conn.
Xander felt a frisson of excitement through his connection to Conn and to Graham. More than that he felt like he was finally coming home. Xander knew that no matter what he would never be alone again, he would never have to worry about not having someone to live for and come home to after a battle. It was humbling the way that Graham felt about Xander.
Graham loved Xander and the relief of it made Xander start to cry, Graham just pulled Xander into a hug. “I’ll never leave you alone Xander. When we die we’ll go together sometime far in the future. You are a miracle for me, I’ve loved you for so long, but I was afraid to say anything for fear it would destroy our friendship.” Graham told Xander as he hugged his Guide, his Mate, his Love.
“You’re a gift, Graham. I didn’t ever expect or really even want to come online when I was with Cordy and Anya. I loved them and it felt disrespectful to think of it and I did a lot to hurt both of them, I couldn’t add to it by wanting to be a Guide when they were Mundanes. A part of me will always love them, but I know that I love you too, that I’ve loved you since you followed me to Africa, for every moment you play with or help my kids with everyday things.” Xander was the one to whip away tears now.
Xander had never been one of those men who thought guys shouldn’t cry when they needed to, but today his tears were of joy because he had found in Graham what had always been missing inside of him. Graham couldn’t take Cordy or Anya’s place because he had his own in Xander’s heart and soul.
As the bond flared out and enveloped each of them in their dedication to each other, their love, and in their dedication to the cause that they had both given their lives to, the bond they formed was beyond any they should have been able to achieve so early in their lives together as Guide and Sentinel.
It sank into their souls and as Aididh and Conn rushed leap at one another merging and cementing the bond of the two young men they would be with until the Gods took them all home to rest before living once again.
Xander and Graham sank back onto the bed still holding on to one another and slowly kissing, Xander ran his hand up to Graham’s face and cupped his cheek, smiling brilliantly.
“Sentinel.” He breathed before kissing Graham again.
“Guide,” Graham said as he sank back into the kiss. Graham had always been told that his bond would have to mature, that the intimacy and the connection to Xander that he felt at that moment wouldn’t come immediately, but they were wrong. What was more Graham didn’t feel the need to keep Xander away from other people, away from their kids.
“Let’s go to the kids. I want to talk to them about me adopting them too. The Primes and Giles should be able to help us with that, if… if it’s okay with you.” Graham told Xander who kissed him again, this time with a punch of lust.
“I love you and I love that you want them to be our kids too,” Xander said as he stood pulling Graham to his feet and towards the door. “Let’s go get things started.
AN: I’m sorry it took so long to get this out to you, it’s been hell trying to write it with a migraine and computer problems mixing with work. I am not going to finish this story for NANO, but I will finish this story though how long it will take I don’t know. Now that I’ve figured out the problem with my computer I should be able to give updates more often.
Thank you for reading and I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving.
caliadragon 