The Falcon's Brother

This is likely going to be a one shot. Twenty Minutes with Xander
Disclaimer: I don't own any of them
Title: Falcon's Brother
Author: Kate R.
Rating: Teen to Adult
Pairings: X/S
Summary: After Sunnydale falls, Xander only has one place that he knows they can go: to his brother, in the desert.

**Start 9:29**

"What happens now?" Dawn asked as they parked at a diner on the road to LA. No one had an answer. Not even Faith

Xander was sitting, cradling Spike in his arms while the blond rested. He'd sacrificed his hard won soul to save them all and that was why he'd lived. Buffy was sitting, looking out the window, while Giles was looking through some old books. They were all that was left. All the potentials had died in Sunnydale, as had Wood, Willow and Anya. Giles had explained it to Buffy while he was driving, why Willow had died, and although Buffy was angry, she knew she couldn't do anything about it.

"But she did it to save the world," the blond Slayer kept repeating, over and over, as if she couldn't believe that death could be the result of a spell like that.

"All those girls died because of her, Buffy," Giles told her, softly.

"It was my plan, though!" Buffy cried, "If anyone was forfeit it should have been me!"

"Willow was the caster," Giles told her, "And she had not paid the balance for resurrecting you or what she did to Warren. I know it hurts, I know you wish it could be undone, but it can't be."

"Why didn't you die for what you did?" Buffy asked, referring to his wild days.

"Because Ethan took the burden off my shoulders," Giles answered, "I tried to stop him but he would not let me. He took my toll that was due and he's paid it every day since then."

"Why did you let him?" Buffy asked.

"I didn't," Giles answered, "But I was too weak after it to stop him."

Giles had gotten quiet after that and Xander turned and saw how tired everyone looked. He had a thought. Maybe he wasn't the smartest planner but he always managed to come through when they rally needed an idea. And he had one now. If his brother wasn't like his grandfather had been, anyway. If his brother cared about him. Not that he thought he should. He'd never met his brother, not really, because his parents had tried to kill his brother after he was born so he could be on the throne. Not that he'd have wanted his brother's job. Being a battle planner for Buffy was hard enough without having to be king of a group and so responsible for every thing that happened to that group, good and bad. But he'd gotten a letter from his big brother once, saying that if he ever needed a place to go, he could come to him.

"I know where we can go," He spoke softly.

"Where?" Giles asked.

"If Angel can get us to Egypt, I have a relative there that can help us, give us shelter and all."

"Who?" Dawn asked.

"My brother," Xander told her, softly, "He's . . . got power there. He can look after us. He told me if I needed him, all I had to do was come and he'd be there."

"Do you need to call him?"

"I'll send him a falcon when we get there," Xander told them, "His people don't have phones."

"Oh," Dawn whispered, "How long will it take him to come?"

"As soon as he gets the message I hope," Xander told her, "He swore to always be there when I needed him."

They nodded and Buffy called Angel from the payphone in the parking lot. He agreed to get them to Egypt and at a hotel they could stay in until Xander's relative came for them.

The flight was long and Egypt was hot but it was more peaceful than Sunnydale.

On arrival, Xander had found a messenger and sent a message. Now he was just waiting. Every day he went to the back gates of Cairo and waited. Today, Dawn had followed him and Buffy and Giles and Faith and Spike had followed her. Today, a jackass had to try to take Dawn for sale. Today, Xander's brother showed up and they saw what Xander meant about his authority in the desert world.

"Look, boys, three girls for our market," one of the men said. Xander had a bad feeling they were not going to win this fight when a new voice had spoken:

"I think not," it said, and the people paled and backed away.

"Medjai," the one hissed the others paled when they saw his face. There were marks they feared on his forehead and they stumbled in their haste to get away.

"Xander?" he asked turning to them. Xander swallowed and nodded.

"I'm Ardeth, little brother," he said, "I got your message. I would have been here sooner but I had another mess to clean up first."

"That's okay," Xander said with a sigh of relief, "You're here now. So, what happens now?"

"We get you all outfitted for desert travel and we leave for my home as soon as possible."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"But mom . . ."

"That had nothing to do with you, Xander," the man told him, "Come on, let's get ready to go. I don't like how interested those people were in you and your friends."

"Okay," Xander said. And as he looked at his brother, he knew they were safe.

Ardeth would look after them.

He just knew it.

**End 9:49**