*~*~*

Part Two

7:30 P.M. 4/23/98

Throughout the day Willow, Buffy and Cordelia tried not to let Xander out of their sight for even a second. During classes they kept glancing in his direction, just to make sure he was still there.

Everyone, except Oz who was meeting with his band, gathered in the library that night. Giles had spent the day researching but he still had no idea what had happened.

"Do you feel any different?" Giles asked. Giles had been badgering Xander with questions all day.

"No," Xander replied yawning. "It just that I'm very tired.. I didn't sleep very well last night. I guess getting shot will do that to you," Xander said chuckling.

No one else was amused.

Xander got up muttering, "People have no sense of humor these days." He walked over to the library counter where he picked up glass of water he had asked Giles for after the first round of questions.

"You know Xander you took a bullet directly in the chest, there was all that blood, it must have hurt so... " Cordelia stopped as Xander turned to look at her.

Everyone could see the pain in his eyes, "Don't remind me."

"Sorry," Cordelia said sadly, Buffy and Willow looked like they were ready to hit her.

"Sorry I'm late," Oz said as he came into the library hurrying down the stairs, just as Xander was heading back for his seat. The two crashed into each other, sending them both to the floor. The glass in Xander's hand shattering.

As Oz got up and helped Xander to his feet he noticed that Xander's hand was severely cut. "Oh man, I'm sorry Xander. Are you ok?" Oz asked in concern.

Buffy ran over and grabbed Xander's hand, inspecting it with worry.

"That's a very bad cut," Buffy said. "I'll get the ... what is happening to your hand?"

Everyone watched in astonishment as small bolts of electricity appeared along Xander's hand. In a matter of seconds his hand was completely healed.

"Wow," Xander said in awe.

"Wow indeed," Giles said staring at Xander's hand. "That was ... well... most interesting."

Everyone else stared, not knowing what to say.

Xander's head suddenly jerked up. He looked towards the door and grabbed his head in pain.

"Xander what is wrong?" Buffy asked with concern.

"Something, someone is coming," Xander said.

Everyone watched as Marcus entered the room, a hand hidden beneath his trenchcoat.

One thought raced through Buffy's mind, < He's here to hurt Xander, no, I won't let him. >

Buffy grabbed the nearest weapon, a quarterstaff. < Well perhaps it is good Giles took all that time to teach me how to use this, > she thought as launched herself at Marcus, attacking him with her quarterstaff. "Who the hell are you?" she screamed at him.

"The name is Marcus," he replied as he pulled out his broad sword. "Who are you and why are you attacking me?" he asked as he easily parried a swing of her quarterstaff.

"Buffy Summers, and I won't let you hurt him," she said swinging at him again.

He parried the swing and then quickly reached with his other hand and grabbed her staff, then he preceded to rip it from her grasp. He said smugly, "I'm not here to hurt any..." he didn't finish as Buffy's right foot connected with his jaw, knocking him to the floor, and sending his sword flying.

Buffy was about to follow up with a kick to her fallen foe but was stopped as Xander ran forward and grabbed hold of her. "Buffy I really think we should let him try to explain himself."

"But he was going to hurt you," she said turning and looking with concern at her friend.

"I'm sure he has a very good reason," Xander said smiling.

Buffy slowly relented and Marcus walked over to pick up his sword, but it was quickly snatched up by Cordelia. Willow stood behind her, gazing distrustfully at Marcus.

Oz went over and held onto Willow to prevent her from doing anything rash. He spoke politely, "We'll hold onto your sword, just to be on the safe side of course."

Marcus didn't like the way things were going. That girl was very good and they had his sword. He was at their mercy.

"Well," Buffy said impatiently. "What's your story."

"I can't tell all of you," he replied, not sure what he could say.

"Trust me, we are use to unusual things," Giles said staring at him. "Besides you don't have a choice."

Marcus sighed, the librarian was right, he had no choice. "I guess honesty is the best policy, especially if you have no other alternative. Okay, what if I told you I was over nine hundred years old."

"I'd say you looked remarkably good for your age," Xander said, attempting humor. He only received icy glares from everyone else. He muttered, "nobody has a sense of humor anymore."

Ignoring Xander's comment Giles asked, "Why?"

< Well usually they are a little more surprised, that is if they believe me. > Marcus thought. "I am an immortal."

"Well that just explains it," Cordelia said sarcastically.

Giles choose to ignore her also, "What's an immortal?"

Marcus sighed, "That's a tough one. We aren't even sure what we are. None of us know where we come from. We appear completely human except for the fact that after we die the first time, we no longer age, we can't get sick, and we don't die. Unless someone takes are heads."

"Ewww," Cordelia said as the rest of them let what Marcus had said sink in.

"Now let me ask you a question," Marcus began. "You weren't too surprised about what I am, why?"

"We deal with weird stuff all the time," Willow said.

"Such as."

"Vampires," Buffy replied simply.

"Ah, vampires, I've met a few of those, nasty things vampires." He paused and considered what he was going to say. "I may be wrong here, but by chance, are you the slayer."

Buffy gasped and stared at him, not managing to say anything.

"Ok so you are the slayer. Good I was worried for a moment that I had been beaten up by a ordinary teenage girl. A slayer then. I've met a few of those too," he paused and looked at her for a moment. "But they were all taller."

Xander chuckled from were he had sat at the table, Buffy glared evilly at him. "I'm not that short," she said angrily.

"Mr. Burnett," Giles began, ignoring the teenagers.

"Please call me Marcus. Burnett is just an alias I use. When I was born people didn't usually have last names."

"Well then ... Marcus, just why are you here?"

< They accepted the immortality thing rather quickly, > Marcus thought. "Originally I came for the book I asked about."

"The diary of Matthew Klin!" Giles exclaimed. "You mean what it says is true. But it describes immortals as monsters things to be destroyed. Creatures of evil."

< He actually managed to read that book, > Marcus thought. < It was as boring as hell. > "No, it's not accurate. Well, not entirely. Klin was one of us, an immortal. But he denied what he was, becoming immortal had driven him insane. It happens occasionally. He saw us as an abomination of nature, something that had to be destroyed."

"But what about ..." Giles began.

"Hate to interrupt," Oz said. "But you said you were here for the book originally. What are you here for now? And why do you think it is necessary to carry a sword? And what does this all have to do with Xander?"

< Perceptive kid, > Marcus thought as he pointed a finger at Xander. "Because you, Xander, are an immortal."

"But don't immortals try to destroy each other?" Giles asked shocked.

Buffy immediately shifted so that she was between Marcus and Xander. < I won't let him hurt Xander, > she thought. "I knew you were here to hurt him," she said angrily. Willow and Cordelia also stood up and they looked like they were prepared to attack Marcus should he try anything.

"Absolutely amazing, how did you get three such extremely beautiful women to be so protective of you" Marcus asked, quite impressed.

"It's a gift," Xander explained with a smile. "Somehow though I have the feeling your not here to kill me, but we will ignore the who's going to kill whomquestion for a moment.. Let's see if I understand this, I'm immortal and am going to live forever. I don't think this is going to be a fairy tale, what's the rest?"

< Good he has a firm grasp on reality. > Marcus began, "You're right, there is a lot more. If everyone would take a seat. This could take some time."

* * * * *

Everyone sat. Marcus began his story. He did his best to explain immortals, the game and it's rules, and what was required to survive. He also told them some of his life story.

"I was born, well not born maybe created, I don't know. Anyway it was in Spain nine hundred and fifty four years ago. Give or take a few years, we didn't keep very accurate calendars at the time. My parents, the ones who found me one day on their doorstep, lived in the woods, many miles from civilization, which at the time was a small village of maybe a hundred people living in some of the worst conditions you probably can't even imagine."

"Well," Marcus continued. "I lived for twenty eight years like that, working on the farm having no idea what I was. Then one night a fire started in the house, I have no idea how. Well I died in that fire, thankfully the roof collapsed on me crushing me and I didn't have to experience what it felt like be burned and live. I've actually talked to other immortals who have had it happen to them. It is suppose to be one of the most painful ways to die."

"When I came to I dug my way out of the rubble that was once my home. I was unable to find any trace of my parents. I hope that somehow, they escaped the blaze, moved somewhere else, and lived long happy lives but I doubt it. I am pretty sure the fire got them too," Marcus said sadly.

"After that I walked to the nearest village. I spent the next ten years doing any kind of work that would get me the smallest amount of money so I could buy a little bit of food, trying to make the hunger go away. I still hate to remember those times," Marcus said with a shudder.

"Anyway," Marcus continued. "One day a stranger came to town. Went by the name of Peter. He was also immortal. He at the time was nearly fifteen hundred years old. He took me in and taught me everything I needed to know. The game and how to survive in it. He also taught me how to read and write and how to make something of myself. He was a true friend. He was killed about two hundred years later by another immortal, but that is another story," Marcus finished.

* * * * *

Everyone sat quietly for a few moments after Marcus finished.

Willow was the first to speak up, "How many?"

"What?" Marcus asked confused.

"How many of you are there?" Willow explained her question.

"No one knows," Marcus replied. "This isn't exactly a club here, where we give out cards and have a list of members. Some of us estimate that it is somewhere between one out of a million to one out of ten million people become immortals. But for all we know it could be one out of a hundred thousand or even one out of a hundred million."

"How long do you normally live?" Cordelia asked, to her this still sounded like a fairy tale.

"Again we don't know for sure. But from personal experience I'd say from one to two hundred years."

"But you are over nine hundred years old," Giles began curiously. "And your teacher would have been about seventeen hundred years old when he died. How did the two of you manage to live so long."

Marcus sighed, < These people do not ask easy questions. > "You have to understand, a lot of immortals don't live very long, well long for us. They get knocked off after a few years of immortality because they are easy targets. So the first few years are really rough. Also if you fight enough battles you're bound to lose eventually, either if you meet someone better or you just make a mistake. So you have to be either very good, very lucky, or do what I do, try and avoid other immortals. It use to be a lot easier, go live out in the country side, you wouldn't see another soul for years, much less an immortal. But now a days you have huge cities with millions of people in them, not to mention a few immortals each waiting to knock the other off, so I try to avoid cities. Also I try not to get too well known in the immortal community, that kind of thing will leave you about head shorter."

"So your a coward," Cordelia said.

Everyone stared at Cordelia as Giles muttered, "This girl has no idea what the word tact means."

Marcus gave a slight smile, he had just been called a coward by a seventeen year old girl. "No, I don't run from battles, I just try and avoid them. I've fought a lot of immortals, and won, but it's not something I look forward to. Some immortals track down and try to kill every other immortal so they can claim the prize. Not me, I have no desire to become omnipotent. Me, I settle for sitting back and watching as history passes me by."

Buffy had been looking at Xander with concern, "Xander are you alright."

Xander looked at her and gave a slight smile, "Yeah it's just a little much. First I get shot, and then die, and now I'm told that I may live, perhaps, forever."

"I understand," Buffy said trying to reassure her friend. "It's not easy finding out you're different."

"No, it's not that, well it is that, but there is other stuff. I've always known I was adopted, I don't bring it up but my parents told me that a long time ago, so at least that is not to shocking. It's just that ..." Xander trailed off.

"Just what?" Willow asked with concern.

"I've lost friends before, it's not something I'd like to repeat. But now I'm told that I'll watch as everyone around me, everyone I care about, that they'll grow old and die and I will still be here," he said sadly.

< I definitely found a good one here, > Marcus thought. < It takes most of us nearly a hundred years before we realize that. > He then spoke, trying to ease the boys pain, "It is one of the worst things about being immortal, that all those around you die. I've buried many friends and lovers in my time. And truthfully, it doesn't get any easier, the pain doesn't go away after a certain amount of time. But one thing a lot of immortals draw comfort from is an ancient Indian belief. That as long as someone survives who remembers you, then you are still alive. So as long as you live, all those you love are still, in a way, alive."

"What now?" Xander asked, trying to make the conversation less depressing.

"Now I begin to train you, teach you how to survive, how not to lose your head," Marcus replied.

No one knew what to say to this, Xander walked over to the stacks of books and disappeared from view, leaving his friends sitting at the library table. He needed a few moments to think about all this.

* * * * *

Buffy was about to say something to console her friend when the doors to the library opened. They were all shocked to see a figure they had momentarily forgotten about.

"Angel," Buffy said, the anger rising within her. < He tried to kill Xander, he tried to kill me. >

"Hi Buffy, just stopped by to ask about Xander," Angelus asked, taunting her. "Oh yeah he's dead. Pity," he said chuckling. He looked up at Buffy smiling evilly "I really wanted him to suffer more."

"I'm going to kill you, you bastard," Buffy said as the rage began to boil inside her and she prepared to attack Angelus.

"If I didn't know better I would say you developed feelings for him," Angelus said sneering. When Buffy paused and didn't answer him he said in shock, "Amazing. You go from me to that pathetic little boy. Your life really must suck, first I leave you and then I kill him. Did you tell him how you felt or just let him die, I mean he was dating someone else, he probably didn't even care about you anymore. Who will it be next that you care about. I hope you tell me, it makes finding them and killing them so much easier."

Marcus got up from where he was sitting, getting his sword back from Cordelia first. "Hello Angelus."

"Marcus been what, a hundred years now, how do you happen to still be standing," Angelus said as he took his attention away from Buffy.

"It's a secret. And it was a hundred and seven years ago, Rome, you got lucky then, Darla was their to save you. Is she still around or did someone bother to kill that bitch," Marcus said readying himself for battle.

Angelus growled at him angrily.

"Ah, so she is dust," Marcus said advancing on Angelus. "I guess it's just the two of us."

"Excuse me boys," Buffy interrupted. "But I think as Slayer I get first dibs on the slaying of vampires."

During the conversation Xander had sneaked through the stacks so that he was behind Angelus. "No Buff, he put a bullet in me, he's mine."

Angelus whirled around and stared in shock at the figure before him, "Xander," Angel managed to say. He didn't have time to say anything else as Xander punched him in the face.

"That felt good," Xander said as he watched Angelus fall to the floor.

Angelus picked himself up and quickly surveyed the room, things did not look good. "How are you still alive?" he asked Xander.

Xander said smiling, "It's a secret. That bullet hurt, Angel, I think I owe you now."

Buffy, Xander, and Marcus all began to advance on Angelus. Each intent on killing him.

"Another time," Angelus said. Realizing he was badly outnumbered, Angelus fled, breaking through one of the few library windows, and disappearing into the night.

"Well that was interesting," Willow said.

"What's our excuse going to be for the window," Oz said. "And who gets to clean it up," everyone looked at the Giles.

"Why me," Giles muttered as he began to clean up.

"It is your library," Willow said as she watched Giles begin to sweep up the broken pieces of glass.

Buffy looked at Marcus, "And where do you happen to know him from?"

"Like I said, Rome, hundred years ago. We fought, I won, Darla saved him," Marcus looked out the broken window, "I didn't think I'd get another chance. How about you, when did you meet him?"

"It's a long story," Buffy warned.

"They are the kind I like best, I have the time to hear them," Marcus said as he and Buffy took a seat and she began to tell of the past couple of years.

Meanwhile Cordelia had gone over to check on Xander. "Are you hurt?" she asked concerned.

Xander pulled her close, kissing her passionately. "No," he said. "I couldn't be better."