Disclaimer: Sadly, like many other fan-crazed boys and girls, I don't own Buffy: The Vampire Slayer or Angel or Charmed.

Warning: It's a warning. 'Nuff said.

Starting Over

Prologue:

It had been years since Xander had seen his friends. Buffy was somewhere in Rome with Dawnie, Willow had decided to travel the world after the break-up with Kennedy, though she avoided one particular continent, and Giles headed the new Watcher/Slayer Council. Spike was off somewhere with Angel, no doubt saving poor humans who went down the wrong alley. Faith had become a 'Slayer Social Worker.' And his little junior slayers were grown up and “fighting the good fight.”

Xander was in Africa, had been for years. He traveled the continent for baby slayers, learning languages, battling demons, and showing everyone exactly what a one-eyed carpenter was capable of.

'Maybe it was a mistake.'

It was one of Xander's last thoughts as he lay on the ground, bleeding from one vicious cut across his chest and another down his stomach. He had jumped in front of the baby slayer before the Graghshnas demon could sever her in two. Now the poor slayer was holding him as he died. And she was crying. She was crying huge tears and shaking. There were also many hands on his cuts, hands from the men and women of the tribe, trying to stop the blood from pouring out of him.

'It's not going to work.'

He had seen wounds like this, and at most, Xander only had about a half a minute left. It was strange, because it was taking forever for him to die. Was time going slower?

'Maybe it was a mistake.'

That's right. That was his first thought. And it might be his last. But Xander couldn't help it; he missed his friends. He missed Buffy, Dawn, his Will's, Faith, Spike, and, well, maybe he missed Angel. He wished they had all stayed in one place where he could look after all of them. He wished they would protect him even as he did something stupid like jump in front of a baby slayer to save her from a stupid Graghshnas. He wished that he didn't have to jump in front of baby slayers. Hell, he wished that none of them had had to go through all of this . . . this trauma, everyday for the past 13 years.

But none of this came out of his mouth to the smoking Vengeance demon leaning against one of the few straw huts, waiting for Xander to make his final wish. Because what Xander wanted the most at the moment was more time.

No, what came out of Xander's mouth would change his life forever.

“I wish I could start it all over again.”

And the Vengeance demon grinned, the light from his cigarette illuminating his face in the dark night.

“Wish granted.”

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I know this is short, but chapter one will be coming soon. I told myself that this was all I was going to work on this week. I have a schedule worked out and everything.

I hate having a million thoughts at once . . .

Anyway, tell me how it is. Or at least as much as you can with how much there is. I've got more ideas for this story.

Also, update on Emerald Dreams, for those who read it. I'm restarting it (if you haven't reread the prologue). I've already gotten most of the prologue and chapter one done. I like to skip around a lot, but it works, and I've already got a plot line so I know what I'm doing.

Thanks for reading!

Love and cookies (the dark side is awesome!),
Cassie

P.S.
Thanks to Jaylynn, Rod, and Myauzo for helping me with italicizing and all that stuff.