Xander's Chance

"Two Originals," Darian said, gleam in his eyes. "You guys made my day."

"I am not here to fight, though I will not speak for Xander," the Original Human said. "It is good to see the position of Grey God filled once more. How long has it been, Xander, since you killed the last one?"

"Xander killed him?" Darian asked with a laugh. "When Xander tells the story, it was the Originals that did it."

"Not so far off," Xander replied. He circled the bench, until he was able to see the features of the Original Human more fully.

Her aristocratic features were strong and firm, her eyes the color of spring, circled by silver. Xander remembered her older and realized he had always viewed Eden through the eyes of the child who embarked on a journey with the Oracle obsessed with destroying the last Grey God. Eden was little older than Xander, the day he was made immortal.

"Like a family reunion," Eden said.

Xander felt her gaze and sat on a bench facing her. Darian looked between the two of them, wary but curious. No one spoke. Xander held Eden's gaze. He felt nothing for the beautiful woman before him, not even anger, despite their shared history. He dwelled on the unexpected lack of emotion.

Eden had been more than a friend, assuming the role of Xander's mother when his died. Then betraying him. Binding his power. Putting him through years of hellish pain to teach him a lesson about something she knew nothing about.

Yet Xander felt nothing negative towards her. The inability to know how he should react puzzled him.

"Okay, here are the rules." Darian was the first to break the tense silence. "No fighting where humans might get hurt. If either of you fucks up, I get to kill you. If you want a mediator, let me know. I'll be standing by the monkey bars. Got it?"

Xander and Eden nodded. Darian strode away towards the large jungle gym, out of hearing distance but close enough to watch and react.

"I'll admit. I didn't expect you to be so …calm," Eden said, puzzled. "You weren't when last we met." The familiar lilt of her accent was still present.

"Your parting gifts gave me a lot to think about," Xander replied. "Though your choice of handing off the vamps to the Black God seems nearsighted."

"From molten metal to the tempered steel of a blade," Eden replied. "You're more dangerous now, aren't you?"

"More cautious as well."

Eden smiled. "I didn't turn over the vamps to the Black God. You can thank the Original Watcher for screwing up that one."