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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.