by kaite

okay all..here are my dues....just a few notes on this story...it is based in the universe of the Stand(the book by Stephen Kind)..so those characters are in here...this is a major xover story...we're talking the Stand, TS, Buffy, Angel, Highlander....this is also the second story of a four story saga that I am calling the Tribe series...and it is also a serious rough draft...I am currently cleaning it up and putting in more details...that is if anyone is even interested in it...heck I'm not even sure if I posted this here before...its just been sitting on my harddrive for a couple of years...hope you enjoy it and let me know if you think its worth me going into more detail...

by kaite

Part 1

"Damn," Ralph Bretner swore as he listened to the CB radio in front of him. He quickly scribbled some notes, shutting down the equipment and heading out of the makeshift control room. Ralph jumped into his truck and made his way to where he knew Nick Andros and the other co-leaders of Boulder would be.

"Stu, Larry, we’ve got a big one coming in," Ralph shouted, throwing his truck into park and jumping out without even turning it off. The two men in question drew their attention to the excited man, wondering what was going on.

"Ralph, take a breath," Stu Redman commented, seeing the red face of the man that had become his friend in the harsh times that had followed the Captain Tripps epidemic. The older man took in a few deep breaths, calming his respiration. "Now what’s got you so excited."

"I was monitoring the radio," he explained. "Just like I always do and I heard a conversation between a convoy. A big one."

"How big?" Larry Underwood asked. The new residents of Boulder were becoming used to the people trickling in, making their way to Mother Abigail’s home before becoming members of the new society. Mother Abigail, the eldest member of Boulder at one hundred and six years of age, was the spiritual leader in a way of the community. She was the reason that everyone was in Boulder, they having followed dreams of her, first to her home in Hemingford Home, Nebraska and then to Boulder, Colorado. Supposedly she was God’s representative in the battle of good versus evil.

"From what I heard, over a hundred," Ralph answered. "They’re actually two different groups meeting up but, from what I could hear, they know each other. It sounds like they had split up for some reason and were converging just outside of town."

"Over a hundred," Stu whistled. "That’s a lot of people. Largest group we’ve had arrive so far." Usually those that entered Boulder came in groups of a couple of dozen, having met up with other survivors during their journey. "Guess we better prepare Mother Abigail for her new visitors, especially with that many coming. You know how they always stop to see her first."

"I just hope that we finally get a doctor in this group," Larry commented. With the growth of the town, the need was arising for trained physicians, along with others who would be able to help rebuild civilization.

"With a group that large, how can there not be," Ralph wondered. He looked around the yard, not seeing the new owner of the home. "Speaking of Mother Abigail, where is she?"

"She’s out back, talking to Blair," Larry answered.

"Again?" Stu and Larry nodded their heads. "What do the two of them talk about all this time?"

"I don’t know," Stu admitted. "She said that she would tell us when the time was right, but for right now it was just between the two of them."

"You know how I hate to speak ill of people, but there’s just something not right with that boy," Ralph commented. "I’ve been watching him around town and he just doesn’t seem to want to fit in here. No one in the group he came in with goes out of their way to get involved with anything that needs to be done."

"Oh man, I thought it was me," Larry stated. "I know what you mean. Other than Mother Abigail, none of them barely even acknowledges anyone else that is here in town. They all just hang out at the resort on the outside of town that they’ve taken over."

"It’s not just you," Stu commented. "A few people have come to me and Frannie with concerns over them. They haven’t done anything to cause any trouble, but considering the dreams, anyone that’s different is looked upon with suspicion."

"You don’t think they’re going to do anything, do you?" Ralph asked concerned for the old woman that had brought them all together.

"I don’t think so," Stu shook his head. "I think they just prefer being away from everyone else. I don’t think we should do anything unless something happens. In the meantime, we’ll give Mother Abigail some time with Blair before going to tell her about that group."

…

"Blair, you know as much as I love your visits to me, I don’t think you came here just to help an old woman tend to her garden," Mother Abigail gently admonished the young man by her side, who was busy pulling weeds from around the vegetable plants that dotted the ground in front of them.

"I enjoy the time I spend with you, Mother Abigail," he replied, looking up at her weathered face.

"I know you do, dear child, but I can tell that something is bothering you. Now, why don’t you tell me what it is that has you so serious today."

"It’s nothing, Mother," he stated, this time not looking in her eyes.

"Don’t lie to me, Blair Sandburg. You aren’t any good at it," she teased. "Now, tell me what has you so worried that you’re nearly ripping out my poor tomato plants." Blair didn’t stop his actions as he thought about how to word what was bothering him, which was rare for him. Before Captain Tripps had destroyed everything that had defined his life, Blair Sandburg had been a grad student in Anthropology at NYU, and had been told by more than one person that he talked too much. Now it was the complete opposite.

"I’ve been wondering if there’s something wrong with me," he began.

"Lord, child, what would make you think that?"

"I’m not sure," he admitted. At Mother Abigail’s encouraging nod, he continued. "It’s just that I’ve been watching everyone here and I can see how happy they all are. How content and I just don’t feel that way. It’s not that I hate it here in Boulder or anything, it’s just that I feel as if there is something missing in my life."

"And how does the rest of your group feel?"

"They aren’t my group," he protested. "I’m not a leader or anything."

"Don’t kid yourself, Blair," she broke in. "You might not see yourself as their leader, but you are. They look up to you for advice. It is you that they sought out, even to the point that some hid from Stu and Glenn when they passed through their town."

"I guess," he admitted, reluctantly.

"So, answer my question, child. Does the rest of your group feel the same way as you do?"

"Yes," he nodded his head. "They all feel as if there is something more that is expected of us. That Boulder isn’t our final destination."

"They’re right, young Blair." Blair looked up in surprise at Abigail’s words.

"What do you mean?" Mother Abigail took Blair’s hand in his, drawing his gaze to her eyes.

"Your destiny lies elsewhere, Blair," she explained. "You were not meant for here. Your travels have not ended yet."

"Where am I supposed to go?"

"I can’t tell you that, child. All I can tell you is that a decision will be coming for you and you must be ready for it."

"How will I know?"

"You’ll know, child. You’ll know." Anything else she wanted to say was interrupted by the arrival of the men who had been up front. "Hello Ralph. What brings you here today?"

"I came to tell you about a group coming in. About a hundred or so by my estimates. I thought you should be prepared for them to show up."

"They won’t be coming to see me," she told them all. "They are only passing through."

"Everyone who comes into Boulder, stops to see you," Stu protested. "It’s just something that they do."

"Not this group. In fact, I think we should send someone to go see them."

"Who?" Mother Abigail turned to Blair.

"You."

Part 2

Jim Ellison looked down at the young man that had come to introduce himself and found that he was losing himself into the deepest pair of blue eyes that he had ever seen. He took the offered hand, surprised at the strength in the small man's grip. The two men stared at each other, not letting go until two girls came over to join them, defering to the older man who was their apparent leader.

"Jim, Angel and Spike think there's a few people in the hotel and suggested that we clear it out before we go in," the smaller one, a blonde, said. "We can pull up the truck under the awning so that they could get out without hitting the sun."

"Did they say how many they could smell?" Jim asked. "I figured it to be around fifteen or so."

"That's what they thought too, although the smell could be affected by how long they've been there," the other girl, this one a brunette, answered. "Not to mention the heat. Having no air has always been a bitch." Blair watched Jim roll his eyes at the girl's apparent lack of respect for the dead and waited for her to be admonished by him for it.

"Faith," Jim tskked while she just grinned at him, unrepentant, and turned towards the first girl. "Buffy, why don't you have Darryl drive the truck up and let Angel and Spike out. What about Willow and Xander? Do you think they would be able to help with the removal?" Buffy shook her head.

"I don't think so," she replied. "I mean, it's not like they haven't been dealing with death for the past five years or anything, but the whole change thing hasn't really sat well with them."

"It's been over a month since they were turned," Jim stated.

"But their soul is still battling their demon," Buffy reminded Jim. "It still wants to feed and they won't let it. At least, not the way it wants to."

"It's not for a lack of volunteers, that's for sure," Faith interjected. "I swear, I have never seen so many people willing to give blood."

Blair looked between the trio that stood in front of him. 'Demons. Feeding. Blood. What in the hell are they talking about? If I didn’t know any better, I would swear they were talking about vampires, but that's not possible, is it? Vampires aren't real.' Jim and the two girls continued talking, having seemingly forgotten that they had a guest in their mist.

"So, boss man, are you going to introduce us to your new friend?" Faith leered over at Blair, taking in the young man's handsome looks. "Although, with his looks, I can understand you wanting to keep him all to yourself." Jim looked between Faith and Blair, not liking the way the teen was staring at Blair feeling possessive of him.

"Blair, I would like you to meet Buffy and Faith. Girls, this is Blair Sandburg. He came here to welcome us to Boulder," Jim introduced the three people, then turning back to the girls. "Okay, let's keep Willow and Xander in the hot house. We could use some fresh fruit and vegetables tonight for dinner anyway. I think we could all use a celebration feast. It's the first time we've all been together since we had to separate. Besides, it will give Faith a good chance at meeting some of those that were responsible for getting her out of Vegas."

"Yes and let me just tell you how much I truly appreciate that," the girl in question shivered as she remembered her time in the desert town. "Gods, I don't think I have ever been in a town that felt that evil.":

"What about Sunnydale?" Buffy asked, a slight smile on her face.

"Not even Sunnyhell with its Hellmouth was as bad as Vegas. That Randall Flagg dude has some serious problems." This time it was Blair who shivered. He had heard stories about Randall Flagg and what was happening in Las Vegas in the other man's name, and none of them were any good. In fact, the people of Boulder had dreamt of Flagg the same way they had of Mother Abigail, but they wouldn't even speak his name, instead calling him the Dark One or the Man With No Face. But, like Mother Abigail, Blair had only the stories he was told about the dreams, not the dreams themselves. And these people had been in Vegas and made it out of there alive. Things were definitely more interesting than he thought.

It didn't help that Blair was feeling things towards Jim that he had never felt before. He senses an instant connection with the older man as soon as he looked into his blue eyes. Blair had always considered himself an open minded type of man, having been raised by one of the last, remaining hippies, but never imagined being attracted to another man they way he was to Jim. And he could swear that the feeling was mutual. There had been a hint of something in Jim's eyes when their hands touched, but Blair was afraid to trust it. All he knew was that, with Jim, Blair had finally discovered that contentment that had been eluding him since the time that Captain Tripps had taken his life away.

"Well, I guess we better get things started if we want to stand any chance of getting sleep tonight," Buffy stated. "What did you want the children to do?"

"Just let them go have some fun," Jim told them. "They've been on the road for a long time. They deserve to have some fun. Lord knows we all deserve it." Buffy and Faith nodded their good-byes to Jim and Blair, who found themselves suddenly feeling awkward alone. Blair had so many questions to ask Jim, especially about the strange conversation that he had just overheard.

"So, ummm, Jim, just how many people are a part of your group?" Blair began, deciding to stick to one of the safer topics of conversation.

"We lost track after a hundred, although I think the number is somewhere around one thirty five," he answered.

"And how many are children? There looks to be a lot of them." As if to emphasize Blair's point, a group of about ten or fifteen children ran past the two men.

"I would say about seventy-five, although we aren't sure," came the answer. "And we haven't counted in those we picked up while separated. I know my group took about ten people with us when we left Vegas, and seven of them were children. I haven't had a chance to check with the other group to see how they did. I know they thought they could find some people down towards San Diego and Phoenix, but I don't know how many."

"It sounds like they knew that they were going to run into people."

"They did."

"How?" Jim looked at Blair, perplexed.

"The dreams of course. Our dreams tell us where to go and we go there. When we arrive, we usually find someone there that had been waiting for us. That's how we've found most of our people. Others we’ve just run across as they were making their way here and then they decided to join up with our group." Blairwas confused. Jim's recollection of his dreams didn't coincide with what the other residents of Boulder told him about their own dreams. 'But they do go with what those in your group said. Even your own dreams lead you to other people. People that hadn't been dreaming of Mother Abigail or Randall Flagg. Dreams that told you that your destiny lay in Boulder, but not the same destiny that was there for others. Isn’t that what Mother Abigail was trying to tell you.’

"So, did your dreams lead you to Boulder?"

"In a way." Blair raised his eyebrows, encouraging Jim to explain. "If you want, I can answer any questions that you might have, but I really need to check on everyone. You’re more than welcome to join me." Warmth spread through Blair at the invitation and he didn’t hesitate to agree.

"I’d like that." Jim and Blair made their way throughout the large parking lot of the Boulder Hilton, stopping and talking to the people that were spread out there. Most of them were more than happy to welcome Blair into their community. He was even more surprised when he saw some of the members of his own group talking to the newcomers. Like Blair, his group had separated themselves from the other members of Boulder and to see them already involved with this particular group made him start to question just exactly what part they were all to play in this post Tripps civilization.

"Goddess, I can’t believe what you guys have done on the road," Blair enthused, amazed at what Jim had just spent the last half-hour showing him. "You’ve done more with your small group and a bunch of trucks then the whole of Boulder has been able to manage settled down."

"It helps that everyone has a specific skill," Jim explained. "We’ve even managed to get the children involved by learning new things, that way we’re getting things done at the same time as we are teaching them a skill that they’ll need to know. At the same time, we’re making sure that the kids are remembering what it’s like to be children."

"Sometimes we forget how hard it's been on them," Blair sighed. "We've all lost so many but, at least, as adults we know enough to try and move on. With the children, that's not as easy. They have to trust that complete strangers will take them in. Or hope that they were just found before something happens to them."

"I know," Jim said quietly. There was something in the older man's voice that made Blair look at him sharply. Something that made him think Jim has seen more than most had in regards to tragedy.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Blair asked gently, wanting to know more about the quiet man that was the protector of this tribe. Blair stopped at that thought. 'Protector of the tribe? Now what would make me think that way about Jim?' "Jim?"

"Too late," he almost whispered. "I was too late and the children had to pay for it."

"What do you mean, you were too late? Too late for what?" When it appeared that he wasn't going to get an answer, Blair wrapped his arm around Jim's waist, offering the Sentinel comfort. "It's okay, Jim. Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault. You have to believe that. You weren't responsible for Captain Tripps. The government was. You've done everything humanly possible
to make sure that as many people survived as you could. You managed to save these children, didn't you? That has to count for something, even if you can't see it." Blair didn't know how he was so sure of what he was saying. All he knew was that Jim was obviously hurting from something and that it was Blair's job to help him deal with whatever it was.

"You don't understand, Chief."

"Than help me to understand, big guy," Blair encouraged. "You can't go around beating yourself up for this. Even the Protector can't be everywhere at once."

"But that's just it," Jim argued. "I wasn't anywhere. I could see what was happening in my dreams. I knew I had to get there to save them, but something happened. I couldn't get there as soon as I wanted and the children had to suffer."

"What did they have to suffer?" As much as Blair could see it was hurting Jim to talk about whatever it was that was bothering him, the anthropologist knew that he had to.

"Las Vegas," Jim whispered. "God, the things that Flagg was doing in Las Vegas. The feelings there. No child should have to live in that much fear."

"Were they hurt? Did someone abuse them?"

"I'm not sure," he shrugged. "I think so but they haven't said anything. But, even if they weren't, there was something about that city. I had been in Vegas before and the feeling there was nothing like it had been. Now, there's nothing but fear present. Flagg has them all terrified of him. Even the children. Sure, they play but there's a hesitation in them. Some small part that holds them back, except for the few that have been taken in by Flagg's inner sanctum. And they aren't exactly the best of people. There were people there that should have been left in jail for the rest of whatever miserable life they had."

"Not everyone was bad, were they?" Jim shook his head.

"No, not everyone," Jim continued. "There are some good people there. Policemen. Teachers. Doctors, just like in my group. People who, in the old world, made the foundation of civilization."

"Then why are they in Las Vegas? I don't understand." Jim looked over at Blair, watching as the breeze blew the long, curly, brown strands into his face. Jim was tempted to push those wayward locks behind Blair's ears, but held off. He indicated to a shaded area near where the children were playing and the two men made their way over there, sitting under the tree that was there.

"People are creatures of habit, Blair," Jim began. "The people in Las Vegas are there because of what Flagg is offering them. Their old way of life. The electricity is already back on. People have specific jobs to do. A set standard way of living that they are willing to do anything for. And that
includes things that they normally wouldn't be willing to do. They do whatever it is that Flagg requires them to do."

"That doesn't sound like living to me," Blair observed.

"Nor to me, either," Jim agreed. "Which is why we left as soon as we collected those that we had come for."

"How did you manage to leave, anyway?" Blair questioned. "Everyone here whose dreamed of Flagg and the things that are happening in Las Vegas have given me the impression that he doesn't let anyone leave once they entered the city limits." Jim smiled, smugly, at the other man.

"Believe it or not, we were encouraged to leave," came the reply. "Seems that Flagg didn't like having us there. Seems we were a bad influence on the others that were there. Gave them a sense of hope. A sense that maybe he didn't have all the answers they were looking for. They saw us and how we were living, even if it was on the road, and were beginning to think that maybe Flagg didn't have all the answers and he hated that. He hates not being in control so he sent his number one man, Lloyd, to have a little talk with some of us to ask us to go. We told him that we wanted to take a few people with us and Lloyd quickly agreed. We were gone the next day."

"Damn," Blair swore. "You actually had Randall Flagg scared. That is like, so cool. Everyone here is terrified of him. They can't even speak his name. They always call him the Dark One or something along those lines."

"It's the same thing there," Jim stated. "Other than Lloyd, no one is willing to say Flagg's name either, but they won't leave either." Jim then went back to what Blair had said. "You said that the others were dreaming of Flagg, not you. Does that mean you haven't been having them?"

"I've been having dreams," Blair began, not uncomfortable to tell this virtual stranger about the images that had been haunting his nights.

"But...."

"They aren't like the others that are here. They all came here because they had dreamt of Mother Abigail. I didn't. No one in the group that I had arrived with did. Our dreams were more of a feeling of completeness." Blair struggled to find the right words to convey what he wanted. "Like they were trying to lead us to our destiny. They didn't lead us to other people, like yours did, but they did bring us all together. And they've separated us from the rest of the town. Other than Mother Abigail, we don't really have much to do with anyone here."

"That's why you were so surprised to see some of your people here already, helping us out." Blair nodded. "Did you ever think that maybe your dreams were leading you to each other, just in a different way?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my dreams, along with the others, led us specifically to people. They told us where we could find them. Maybe your dreams were guiding you to the others but you just weren't aware of it." Blair thought about what Jim was saying and had to admit it made sense. That would explain why they had stayed behind Stu and Frannie's group, and in front of Larry's, instead of joining
them when they easily could have. Blair knew that the other two groups were within distance, but he still felt the need to stay separate from them.

"Works for me," he finally quipped just as someone approached the duo.

"Excuse me, Jim, but I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment," the gentleman said and Blair could detect a hint of an English accent.

"Problem?"

"Not really." The man looked over at Blair.

"I'm sorry. Blair Sandburg, I'd like you to meet, Rupert Giles, but you can call him Giles like everyone else does."

"Is there some special reason that you prefer being called by your last name?" Blair asked.

"It's just something that Buffy and the other children got in the habit of doing years ago and it has become something of a second nature to me to answer to it," Giles explained.

"Giles is kind of like a father figure to Buffy and some of the others," Jim stated. "He's known them since they were in high school. Of course, now they consider themselves a family unit within our group."

"How many are in your particular family?"

"Eight, not including myself. We lost two of our group to Tripps before Jim even arrived in Sunnydale," Giles said. "Buffy and the others took it hard, especially Willow and Xander who were extremely close to the two girls. As it was, it was touch and go for the two of them. We almost lost them and we probably would have lost Willow if Angel hadn't gotten there when he did."

"What did he do?" Blair was intrigued. He had never heard of anyone getting sick with Tripps and then surviving it.

"He turned them," was the simple answer. Giles looked over at Jim, a question in his eyes. Jim answered the silent query with a nod. "Angel's a vampire." Blair was glad he was already sitting down or else that announcement would have made him fall to the ground. As it was, he was staring at Giles as if the man had lost his mind. The Watcher understood and sympathized with the younger man.

"A vampire? You expect me to believe you have a vampire traveling with you?"

"No," Jim answered and Blair breathed a sigh of relief. The two men were just playing with him. "We have four of them. Angel turned Willow while his childe Spike turned Xander."

"Does anyone else know that they have four vampires traveling with them?" Blair was beyond doubting the two men that were next to him. He had seen too many strange things in his travels to not believe them.

"Of course," Giles answered. "In fact, they welcome it, and volunteer to donate their blood to feed them." Blair gaped at the Englishman. "They see it as donating blood. Everyone has done it. You never know when something will happen and the blood will be needed. As it is, we've already had a few emergencies where surgery was needed and the blood then went to the patients. Angel and the others have no problem with that."

"You mean they don't feed from people?"

"No, although it isn't from the tribe's lack of willingness," Giles continued. "They would prefer it if Angel and the rest did feed directly from them. They know that if that happened, they would then be marked as property of these particular vampires and, thus, would be protected from other vampires and demons. It's just the Willow and Xander are new to being vampires and don't feel comfortable feeding that way. Angel and Spike respect their wishes and don't feed either."

"Man, this is too much," Blair shook his head, trying to absorb all the information he was being given.

"If you think this is too much, just wait until you hear about the rest of our little Scooby Gang."


Part 3

Later that night, Blair found himself having the best time he had enjoyed since the Captain Tripps epidemic had broken out. When Jim had mentioned a feast, he hadn't been kidding. Along with fresh vegetables and fruit, there was also fresh meat, including steaks, chicken, and a giant pig that had been roasted over an open pit. The former grad student might have been a vegetarian before Tripps, but this feast made his mouth water.

Everyone sat around the huge dining area that had once been a three star resort restaurant. Included in the festivities were all of the group's children, who weren't even being relegated to a children's table like some in Boulder did when there were more than one child present. Even those that Blair had arrived with had been welcomed with open arms and they had all quickly made friends with the others.

"So, Blair, what do you think of our little gathering?" The man to Blair's right, an Immortal by the name of Methos, aka Adam Pierson, asked. Blair looked around at the people that were laughing and enjoying themselves as if the entire world had not just been decimated by a disease.

"If this is your idea of little, I'd hate to see what you guys call large." Everyone around the table laughed.

"It does take some getting used to, but we're easy to get along with," Cordelia Chase stated from her seat by Methos side. "You'll see that as time goes by that everyone accepts everyone else, flaws and all."

"And Cordelia should know about flaws," Xander joked, causing the brunette girl to stick her tongue out at her ex-boyfriend, who only grinned at her.

Blair looked over at the young boy, no more than a teenager, who had been turned by the bleached blonde vampire at his side so that he would be able to survive Tripps. He had never seen such an unlikely pair. Spike was the quintessential bad boy, complete with attitude and cigarette, while Xander was an all around nice guy who would go out of his way to help others. They were
complete opposites but they fit perfectly and he could see how they had become mates. The love that Spike felt for the new vampire was apparent in every look and touch that he gave Xander. It was the kind of love that Blair hoped to find in his life one day.

The other vampire couple also drew his attention. Angel and Willow were nothing like he had expected. Where Xander and Spike were outgoing, Angel and Willow were quiet. The others joked that Angel was brood king, while Willow had a shyness about her that was appealing to Blair. The eldest vampire was very protective of the young red head and Blair could understand that. There was something about her that just screamed innocence although the stories that he had been told that day by Giles made him realize just how strong she was.

The story of how the two of them had gotten together fascinated Blair. Giles had told the young man about how he had gone from being the curator at the British Museum to being the librarian at Sunnydale High School in California. The Brit had informed Blair that, along with four vampires, they also had two vampires Slayers with them. Those Slayers being Buffy and Faith whom Blair had met earlier that day. To Blair, the two girls didn't look as if they would be able to go against the demons that they were forced to battle, but a quick demonstration got rid of that notion. The strength the two girls had was amazing to him and the anthropologist in Blair loved the idea of being able to study the girls, and the vampires that traveled with them, in detail. Especially Buffy, who was the whole reason that the Slayers had survived for so long.

She had gone against the tradition of fighting alone, and brought in her friends, Willow and Xander. Then Angel had joined the group and they were complete. Others came and joined, but it was the original three that were the heart and soul of the Slayerettes, as they liked to be called. Blair had been shocked to discover that Willow hadn’t been the person that had brought Angel in, but in fact it had been his relationship with Buffy. The Slayer and vampire had been lovers at one point, which had led to disastrous events when he had lost his soul. But it was recursing him with his soul that had brought he and Willow together. The two of them had fallen in love and, while it was hard on Buffy at first, she had come to realize that she and Angel hadn’t meant to be and moved on with Riley.

Spike and Xander’s story was different. Spike had been the perfect vampire. He loved mayhem and the death that came with being a creature of the night. The bleached blonde had even tried to kill Xander and his friends on quite a few occasions but then something had happened. The government had captured the vampire and a chip was implanted in his head that prevented him from hurting humans. He had to rely on the kind nature of the Slayer’s group to help him and, in turn, he began to help them. He had discovered that the chip did nothing to stop him from hurting demons and he took to it with zeal. Over the course of the next few months, Xander and Spike had bonded while the blonde had been living with the teen and soon their relationship had grown from distrust to friendship and eventually to love.

There were others who were part of this group. Giles had been Buffy’s Watcher before the plague. It had been the Brit that had been in charge of training Buffy and then, later, Faith, and researching prophecies and demons when they came to town. Cordelia had gotten involved when she was dating Xander and then, after they broke up, continued to help and joined Angel and Willow when they were in Los Angeles. The former cheerleader had then been granted visions, courtesy of the Powers That Be but, thankfully according to her, she hadn’t had any of the mind-blowing visions since Captain Tripps hit.

"Are you all right?" Jim asked quietly from his side by Blair. He had seen the younger man lost in thought and hoped that he hadn’t allowed too much information to be passed on to him. While he knew of Blair’s importance to the Tribe, he knew that he couldn’t push Blair into accepting his role. That it had to be Blair’s decision and his alone.

"I’m fine," Blair assured the protector of the Tribe. "I was just thinking."

"And this is different from when?" Blair gave Jim one of his best smiles, acknowledging the truth of that statement. "You’re always thinking aren’t you?"

"It’s the best thing I do," he stated. "And I’ve always been told to stick to what I know."

"Ahhh, that explains it." Jim looked out over his group; proud at the way they had accepted Blair’s people. He had heard the questions, everyone wondering if they had finally found their Guide and the joy that had radiated from all of them as they were told that their search had ended. Jim had spoken to most of the group and accepted their congratulations at the same time he told them to not say anything to Blair until the other man had truly accepted his role.

"Jim, can I ask you a question?"

"Just one?" Jim teased causing Blair to blush. "Sure, go ahead, Chief."

"Well, I heard the children calling you Sentinel earlier when you were playing with them. I had heard the term before used in regards to protectors of primitive tribes so I asked Giles about it. He told me that you were one. That you had all five senses enhanced." Blair stopped for a moment and Jim waited to see where he was going with his line of reasoning. "Damn, I don’t know how to say this. I mean, I have so many questions about your abilities, man. So much I want to know, but I don’t want you to think I was prying."

"Sandburg, I meant it when I said I would answer any question that you had," Jim reminded him. "Whatever you want to know, I’ll tell you."

"Really?" Jim nodded and Blair felt the confidence to continue. "Okay, I guess my first question is when did you first get your senses?"

"I’m not sure. I think I’ve had them all my life, although there were times when they didn’t appear to be working right. My father didn’t exactly encourage me to show type of difference, especially after my mother left. They went into," Jim searched for the right word, "hibernation, you could say. They didn’t appear for a long time after that."

"How long?"

"About eight years ago. I had joined the Army and became a Ranger. My team was sent into Peru to help the local tribes fight the drug runners, but someone I trusted sabotaged the mission. Our helicopter went down and I was the only one that survived. I was taken in by the local people, the Chopec, and was there for eighteen months before the military found me again. It was there that my senses came back online and I discovered that I wasn’t a freak."

"Wait a minute," Blair said excitedly. "I remember you now. It was big news when you came back. My mother said that it was just proof of how the government threw away people they deemed unnecessary until the time came when they needed you again." Jim was silent and Blair began to wonder if maybe he had overstepped some kind of personal boundary. "Oh man, I’m sorry. That was like, totally rude of me, wasn’t it?"

"Don’t worry about it," Jim brushed the apology off. "That’s pretty much how I felt after I got back. That’s why I left the military as soon as I could. I couldn’t stand how they treated the death of my men."

"Oh man, I’m so sorry. That’s like way harsh."

"It was a long time ago and those that betrayed me are dead," Jim flatly stated. "Besides, after everything that we’ve all been through these past few weeks, what happened to me in Peru isn’t as major a deal as it once was."

"Still, it must have been hard losing your men that way."

"It was. We were like a family and I was responsible for them. And I failed them."

"You didn’t fail them, Jim. You were betrayed. You weren’t responsible for what happened and you did the best you could. You made sure that they were buried and that they finally made it home." Jim stared, silently accepting the sympathy he was being offered. Blair decided to get the conversation back to the subject they had started at. "So, what happened to your senses when you
got back?"

"They were still there for a little while, but I was really good at repression and pretty soon they went back to normal. They didn’t go back online until four years ago when I was on a stakeout in the woods. Then the Shaman of the Chopec people, Incacha, came to Cascade to stop an oil company from destroying the rain forest and he helped me get them under control."

"I’ve heard about Sentinels. There’s this monograph by Sir Richard Burton, the explorer not the actor. He talked about them and he mentioned that the Sentinel had someone with him that helped with his senses. Kind of like a Guide. Was this Incacha yours?" Jim could see the excitement in Blair’s face at the thought of finding a Sentinel and was hopeful that this meant that the younger man would be receptive to what his destiny was.

"No, he was just the Shaman of his tribe and my friend," Jim explained. "Incacha told me that my Guide was still out there. He told me that I would know him when I see him and that we would be together."

"By together, I take it you mean as something more than Sentinel and Guide?" There was something in Blair’s voice that sounded suspiciously like jealousy. For some reason, the thought of Jim with someone else bothered him, even though they had just met.

"Sentinel and Guide were partners in every way, including sexually." Jim made eye contact with Blair, trying to gauge the grad student’s reaction to that.

"Wow," Blair sighed and then a thought struck him. "Wait a minute. What about Captain Tripps? I mean, what if your Guide wasn’t immune?"

"He’s alive. I’ve dreamt of him, as have some of the others in my group." Blair saw something in Jim’s eyes that he couldn’t’ decipher but it shot right though him centering in his groin.

"Do you think he’s been dreaming of you?"

"That I don’t know, but I would hope so," Jim answered. "Our destinies are linked. We were meant to be together." Blair suddenly had a feeling that Jim was no longer talking about an unknown person and downed the glass full of water in his haste to calm his raging hormones, knowing that the other man would be able to smell his arousal. Blair had heard the whispers as he walked around Jim’s camp that day. Had seen the looks people had given him. The nods of approval and now he understood why. They believed him to be their missing Guide. And the way that Jim was looking at him only confirmed that, but Blair had never even looked at another man and, from the way Jim was talking, the Guide was everything to the Sentinel, including lover. He wasn’t sure if he could do that, so he decided that, unless pushed, he wouldn’t bring up the topic of his possibly being the Guide until he knew for sure. Blair would just enjoy Jim’s company, and the feeling of contentment that came from it.

The next day found Mother Abigail presiding over a meeting, which consisted of the seven leaders of Boulder. Along with Stu, Ralph and Larry, Nick Andros, Fran Goldsmith, Glen Bateman and Susan Smith joined them. They were sitting in Mother Abigail’s backyard, enjoying some iced tea and snack cakes. The younger seven were waiting for Abigail to tell them why they were there, her summons having come as a complete surprise to them.

"Mother Abigail, you said you had something important to talk to us about," Stu began. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, Stuart," she assured everyone, causing them all to sigh in relief. "I just needed to talk to you about the new group that has set up home on the outskirts of town." At the mention of the large group of people that had arrived in Boulder the day before and had yet to come see Mother Abigail or any of those that were considered in charge of the town, the people gathered
stared at each other.

"Mother Abigail, I’m sure they meant no disrespect by not coming to see you," Frannie said. "They are a rather large group, including many children. I’m sure they’ll come today to see you." The old lady smiled at Frannie.

"No, dear child. I don’t expect to meet any of the people in that group. That is what I want to discuss."

"Is there something wrong with the group, Mother?" Ralph ventured. "Should we keep an eye on them?"

"My, you are all a suspicious bunch when it comes to strangers," she chided those that she considered her newest children. "There is nothing wrong with Mr. Ellison’s group. There is no need to worry about them. I just wanted to make sure that you all understood that if they choose not to associate with anyone here already, there was nothing to worry about. Theirs is a different destiny than yours. They are meant to go elsewhere. They are only wintering here and meeting up with the ones that were missing from their group."

"What do you mean, ones that were missing?" Susan asked.

"There are people that have already arrived here that were meant to join Mr. Ellison and his group. People already in Boulder that are needed to make their group complete," she explained. "You all know who those people are already. They are people that haven’t felt comfortable here, even though they are happy. And their leader has a destiny that is beyond what we have already started here."

"Blair," Stu stated. "Are you saying that Blair shouldn’t be here? That he was meant to be with this Ellison and his group?"

"Exactly. Blair has a destiny that coincides with James. They were meant to travel together."

Nick wrote something down, handing it to Ralph to read for him. "Mother Abigail, why are you telling us this?"

"I’m telling you because it will be up to you to make sure that no one interferes with them. I may be old, but I am not a fool. There will be those here that are jealous of what James has managed to accomplish with his Tribe, as he calls them. They have things that most miss and would like to have for themselves." The seven leaders nodded, knowing this for fact. Even though it had only been a day since Jim Ellison and his group had arrived, they had already caused a stir with their trucks that had brought fresh produce and farm animals. The smell of cooking meat had permeated Boulder, causing more than one mouth to water at the thought of fresh meat.

"Surely you don’t think someone will do something, do you?" Larry asked. "We aren’t like that."

"Mayhaps, they will. Mayhaps they won’t, but it is up to you to make sure that nothing happens. James and his group will only be here for the winter, then they will move on. They are not like you. They are not part of whatever the Dark One has planned, nor what our Lord does. They have never had the dreams."

"Mother, can you tell us what their destiny is and why Blair is involved?" Ralph ventured, again reading from Nick’s notepad.

"I can’t tell you that," she replied. "You just need to know so that you can make sure that the others leave them alone and not interfere. The Tribe will not take kindly to someone trying to mess with them. They are extremely protective of each other, including the children. They will all fight to keep what is theirs."

"We’ll do our best, Mother," Stu promised.

"That’s all I can ask, Stuart. Now if’n you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go rest these tired old bones of mine." Mother Abigail stood, waving off the offers to help and walked into her home, leaving behind seven confused people.

"What do you think is going on?" Frannie asked no one in particular. "Why the warning about this group?"

"I don’t know," Stu answered. "There was something about it that didn’t sit right with me."

"It’s that whole different destiny thing that got to me," Glen added. "The fact that they came here specifically for Blair. It doesn’t make any sense."

"And us coming here because of Mother Abigail does?" Nick wrote. "If Mother Abigail says they have a different destiny, they probably had different dreams."

"It makes sense," Larry agreed. "All I know is that if Mother Abigail says she wants us to keep an eye out and make sure no one causes any trouble with them, I don’t have a problem with it. As long as they leave us alone, I say we leave them alone. Agreed?" Everyone looked at each other and then, one by one nodded their head.

Part 4

Jim looked around the hotel that had become the home to himself and his tribe over the past few weeks. After having moved around for so long, the group had been happy to finally settle down, even if it was going to be for a short time.

The children loved being able to play in the park across the street, the older ones more than willing to keep an eye out on the younger ones. Most afternoons would find the children playing soccer or baseball.

The adults, for their part, spent their days enjoying some of the simpler things that they had missed out on while they were on the road. Some went hiking. Some had started a musical group, getting instruments from a local store. Some used the local library and caught up on their reading.

They still had work to do to make life comfortable again, but they didn’t let it rule their days. Everyone helped out with the chores. Some fed the animals and helped clean out their stalls. Others tended the gardens, making sure that the plants would survive until their final destination. The only thing that bothered the tribe’s happiness was the fact that the people in Boulder made no
secret of their suspicions that something was wrong in their compound.

Jim had heard the first muttering their fifth day there. Mother Abigail, who he had not had a chance to meet, had disappeared two days after their arrival and there had been some among the Boulder group that felt that Jim and those that were with him, had something to do with it. There had been talk about taking the children away from them, but so far, nothing had been done. Jim knew that the leadership of Boulder had taken it upon themselves to try and keep the two groups separate, but skirmishes still happened and Jim didn’t know how long it would be before something more than words were exchanged, especially with the continued absence of Mother Abigail. He wanted to make sure that, if something happened, there was no way it would have been caused by anyone of his people. To that extent, he was having a meeting with the others whom had taken over leadership.

"I think it might be a good idea if we just try and keep everyone separate," Giles said, bringing Jim out of his musings. "If we limit contact, than that should help the situation."

"We’re already doing that, Giles," Buffy argued. "It hasn’t really helped. There’s no way we can make sure that no one runs into the people in Boulder. And it isn’t really fair to ask them to do that."

"Then what would you suggest, Slayer," Spike questioned.

"I don’t know," she sighed, leaning back into Riley again.

"She’s right, you know," Jim said. "There’s no way we can make sure that there isn’t going to be any contact between the two groups. Besides, I don’t think that will really help." Everyone looked up at Jim sharply. They had learned to rely on his senses, just as they relied on the strength of the vampires and Slayers.

"You’ve heard something," Angel asked. Jim nodded his head.

"A little. One of the reasons that they are so suspicious of us is because they see us as isolationists," Jim explained. "Short of becoming all out members of the community, I don’t think there really is a way of making sure nothing happens." Just as Jim said this, an explosion rocked the hotel.

"What the hell?" A few swore, running to the window to see what had happened. They looked out towards the center of town where orange flames could be seen rising into the night sky.

"My God," muttered Giles.

"Do you think we should send someone out there to see what happened?" Riley asked.

"Yes, but make it someone that hasn’t had any run ins yet," Jim ordered. "That way they might be just mistaken for someone who had recently arrived." Riley and Buffy ran off to do as ordered, coming back five minutes later, panicked looks on their faces.

"What is it, Slayer? Find out they ran out of your particular brand of blonde?" Spike quipped.

"It’s Willow and Xander," she huffed.

"What about them?" Angel growled, worried about his mate.

"They’re not here," she all but whispered. "They’re in town."

"Shit."

Willow and Xander made their way towards the scene of the explosion, drawn to the disaster with the other residents of Boulder. No one gave them a second glance; this being the first time the two new vampires had left the hotel. When they arrived at what used to be someone’s home, the sight that had greeted them sent chills down their spines. The demons in them howled in delight at the destruction while their souls cried out.

"Oh my God, Wills, what happened?" Xander asked, quietly, trying not to draw any attention to themselves."

"I don’t know." Something off to the side drew her attention and she ran over to what she had seen. It was a body. She leaned down to check his pulse. "He’s still alive, but I don’t think he’s got long." The two vampires looked around, trying to see if they could get someone to help, but there was too much confusion. There was no way they would be able to save the man that they had found.

"We have to do something," Xander pleaded. "We can’t just let him die."

"We could, ummmm, maybe, we could turn him," Willow stammered out. At Xander’s incredulous look, she backpedaled. "Not like we have to or anything. It was only a suggestion."

"Do you think we can? We haven’t exactly been doing the whole vampire thing."

"I think so." Willow looked down at the dark haired man who was lying in her lap. "Umm, so what do you think?" Xander only thought about his decision for a moment. He looked over at the dying man and felt as if turning him was the right thing to do.

"Do it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I think it’s the right thing to do."

"So do I." Willow took a deep, unnecessary breath. "Okay, keep a look out. Make sure no one’s coming."

"All clear," Xander informed her. He watched, fascinated, as his best friend bit into the man’s neck, draining him of whatever life he had left. Xander could hear the man’s heartbeat grow weaker and then Willow was pulling back. She stuck her wrist in her mouth, breaking it open and offering it to the other man. She held it to his mouth and, after a few minutes, he began to drink.
Willow could feel herself getting weaker from the blood loss and had to pull her wrist away from the still suckling man.

"Xander, Willow, there you are," Faith cried out, happy to see her two friends safe. Then she saw the man in Willow’s lap and realized what had happened. "Oh shit, what have you done?"

"We had to," Xander defended Willow and his decision. "He was dying and it felt like the right thing to do."

"Yeah, well, than we’ll let you tell that to Fang and Blondie, once we get you back to the hotel. Now come on." Faith took the new vampire in her arms, while Xander helped Willow to her feet so that they foursome could make their way back to the hotel.

The arrived back to find the hotel in a state of chaos. Everyone was awake and busily packing up things, barely giving the foursome a second glance. They made their way up to the suites that were being used as offices and found Jim and the others giving orders.

"Make sure the animals are secure. The cows were skittish the last time we had loaded them up. If they don’t want to get on, don’t make them. We’ll leave them behind," Jim was telling the men who had been in charge of driving the rigs that held the animals and plants. "We don’t have time for dealing with temperamental animals. We have no idea how long it will be before they decide to come up here and try something."

"We know, Sentinel. We’ll get it done." And with that, the two men were gone and the room’s attention was turned to the four that had just arrived. Spike and Angel went over to their mates, Angel taking Willow from Xander.

"Thank God the two of you are okay," Angel said. "What happened?"

"We were just out for a walk, when the explosion hit," Willow explained, her voice weak. "We went over to see what happened and we found him." The red head indicated the man that Faith had laid on the bed. "He was dying, Angel. We had no choice."

"I know you didn’t, kitten. I know," he cooed, comforting his mate.

"Spike, what’s going on? Why are we leaving?" Xander queried.

"We sent some people into town to find out what happened and they heard the others talking," the blonde explained. "They’ve decided that, even though we had nothing to do with it, the time has come that we have to go."

"Okay, but why are we leaving in the middle of the night like this?"

"Because, they want to keep the children," Giles answered.

"Bastards," Faith swore. "Who gave them the right to try and take the kids from us. We’re their family, not them."

"I know, and that’s why we’re leaving," Jim answered. "Angel, Spike, why don’t you take Willow and Xander and their friend down to the trucks and get them settled. They could probably use the rest and Willow’s too weak to really help."

"I want to help," Willow protested.

"Jim’s right, kitten," Angel told her. "It’s not easy to make a childe, especially when you’re as new to being a vampire as you are. Besides, someone has to look after him while he sleeps."

"Fine," Willow gave in. "But I want my protest logged into the official records."

"So noted. Now let’s go." The four vampires made their way out of the room, Angel carrying his new grandchilde. Faith and Giles followed behind them to help out with the move while Jim began to gather everything in the room that they would need to take with them. So absorbed in his task he didn’t hear when the other person entered the room until he was right behind him.

"You’re leaving," Blair said, causing Jim to spin around. He relaxed when he saw that it was Blair behind him, glad to see the other man. In the weeks that they had been in Boulder, Jim had spent as much time as he could with Blair, getting to know him and found that he was falling in love with the younger man. Jim believed the feelings were mutual, but didn’t say anything, instead waiting for Blair to make the first move. Jim had figured they had plenty of time and now he regretted that, not sure if Blair was ready to take his place by his side.

"We have to," Jim stated, stopping his packing. "You know what happened in town."

"I heard and I understand," Blair said, sadness in his voice. "I know why you have to leave. In fact, most of my group is leaving tonight too. Some are going to head outwest. I think they’re planning on settling in Sunnydale to help out there. The rest plan on joining your group. They’re already helping out the move."

"What about you?" Blair shrugged his shoulders.

"I don’t know. I mean, I led them here and I feel responsible for them, but I feel the same about Sunnydale as I do about here. That it isn’t where I belong."

"I know the feeling. You could always be part of the ones that come with us." Blair moved closer to Jim, looking up at the taller man.

"What would I do, though?"

"I think we could figure something out." Blair licked his suddenly dry lips as his and Jim’s lips drew closer.

"Oh sorry," Buffy apologized as she saw what she had interrupted.

"That’s okay. Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to say that our new addition hasn’t gone unnoticed."

"And," Jim encouraged.

"People are pretty cool. They understand and are willing to add him to the group," Buffy informed him.

"Tell everyone thanks."

"No prob, Jim. Continue," she grinned as she shut the door, leaving Blair and Jim alone again.

"New addition?" Blair asked. "What new addition?"

"Xander and Willow were near the explosion and they discovered someone there. He was dying and Willow turned him,’ Jim explained, hoping that Blair was understanding about it.

"Do you know who it is?"

"Nick Andros," he simply said.

"Damn. That’s going to hit them hard. He was one of their major players."

"I know, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. It’s done."

"I know. I guess it’s just one more thing I’m going to have to get used to." Jim looked down at Blair again, taking him in his arms.

"Does that mean what I think it does? Do you want to go with us?"

"I don’t think I even have a choice," Blair answered, wrapping his arms around Jim. "It’s where I belong. By your side."

"Thank God." And then Jim did something he had been dying to do for weeks. He kissed Blair, letting all of his emotions out in that kiss.

"Welcome to the tribe, Guide."

"Thank you Sentinel." The pair kissed again, sealing their partnership before going to help with the move. Then, as dawn was cresting over the mountains of Colorado, the convoy was on the move again, this time complete and looking for their new home.

END PART 4