Title: Open Doors – Part 1 – People Suck
Author: Xanfan
Fandom: Buffy/NCIS crossover
Rating: Potentially R/Mature
Pairing: eventually Tony/Xander
Summary: SLASH - When some doors slam shut, others open. Two men with a history of being pushed aside learn that it's the small moments that can change everything.
Spoilers: up to Boxed In, season 3 of NCIS, All of Buffy, post Chosen
Warnings: Slash M/M
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
________________________________________________________________________


Tony had the cab driver drop him off at his usual I'm-in-a-bad-mood-and-just-want-to-be-left-alone bar. It was a little neighborhood sports bar with his second favorite beer on tap and a different sports event on every big screen. This wasn't the kind of place ‘they' would expect him to go. No thumping music and bodies writhing on the dance floor. Hell, there wasn't a dance floor in sight and the only soundtrack was the game of choice piped into the little speaker boxes at each booth. And definitely no writhing; rough-housing shoves and hand slaps to accompany the games, but no writhing.

He wasn't here to impress, he was here to catch a game, relax, and forget his friends - no, teammates. They'd proven this evening that they didn't really consider him to be one of the gang. Hell, the newest team-member was more welcome than he was.

An ache from his arm reminded him that he needed to make a decision, either he drank tonight or he took the pain medicine he had been prescribed. No matter what anyone thought of him, or how low he was feeling, he wasn't irresponsible enough to do both. It really sucked that Ziva hadn't even really gotten in trouble for practically shooting him. She was stupid enough to fire her weapon in a closed metal container and his poor arm had caught the ricochet. And it wasn't even the first time that he had gotten injured on an assignment; he always seemed to need medical attention to some degree when he got sent out with her as his partner. He'd taken a hell of a beating for her on that assignment where they'd gone in as a married set of assassins, and now he couldn't even drive himself home because his arm was in a sling and he couldn't switch gears.

Tony looked around for a table. It was pretty crowded tonight, so he settled for a spot at the bar, facing out so he could find a game he wanted to watch while keeping an eye out to snag a table when one opened up.

"What'll it be?" asked the bartender.

Tony didn't even really look back as he made his painkiller-vs-beer decision; he just turned his head enough to be heard. "Give me a draft of the regular."

"Been here before, have you?" The barkeep asked as he pulled the beer into a frosty glass.

"A time or two," he admitted, his eyes on a basketball game.

"Here you go, one regular draft. That'll be six bucks, even."

Tony slapped down a ten from his wallet. He grabbed his beer and took a long drink.

A half hour later, he was still nursing his first beer, looking for a table and half-heartedly watching a game and whole-heartedly brooding over the fact that the people he considered family had all gone to dinner at Ziva's house and he hadn't been invited and they hadn't seemed to miss him.

"Hey Cyclops, I need another round," some drunk a few spaces down shouted.

"Cyclops, that's funny, haven't heard that one before," muttered the bartender behind him as he worked. Tony recognized by voice that he was the same guy who had served him earlier.

"Just ignore him, I'll take care of this idiot," another of the bartenders offered.

"Thanks man, I'm just not in the mood to deal with that crap tonight. At least I only have an hour left on shift," his bartender said gratefully as the other guy went to serve the rude drunk his last beer.

Tony's curiosity was piqued, so he tried to turn around to look without it being obvious that he was turning around to look. He must not have been too successful, because the man who must have been his bartender looked over at him and smirked a little. He was a dark haired man with an eye patch over one eye. Tony gaped for a moment, then caught himself and gave the man an embarrassed smile.

"Sometimes people just suck," Tony offered in way of apology for being a momentary gawker.

"That they do, that they do," the bartender agreed. "So, if I ask what happened to your shoulder, does that mean you'll ask what happened to my eye?"

Tony grinned. "Give and take man."

The brunet bartender rolled his eye, which Tony noticed matched the walnut-stain of his own bedside table. "Okay, I'll bite, what happened?"

"Stupid person," Tony dead-panned. "You?"

"Crazy, stupid person," was the equally dead-pan response.

Tony nodded wisely. "It happens."

"To me it does," the bartender said with a mock sad shake of the head.

"Me too," he commiserated. He stuck out his good hand for the man to shake. "Tony DiNozzo."

His hand was eyed almost suspiciously for a moment before it was grasped in a firm calloused hand. "Xander Harris."

Tony smiled. Maybe all people didn't suck. And maybe his coworkers-that-he-had-once-considered-friends had ditched him the other night, but who said he couldn't make new friends?

Title: Open Doors – Part 2 – Blackmail
Author: Xanfan
Fandom: Buffy/NCIS crossover
Rating: Potentially R/Mature
Pairing: eventually Tony/Xander
Summary: SLASH - When some doors slam shut, others open. Two men with a history of being pushed aside learn that it's the small moments that can change everything.
Spoilers: up to Boxed In, season 3 of NCIS, All of Buffy, post Chosen
Warnings: Slash M/M
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
_____________________________________

After a particularly rough day on the job, Tony made his way to the sports bar that had become his regular after work hang out. He smiled when he saw Xander behind the bar; the man was always good for conversation and a couple of laughs, and they had managed to strike up a pretty good friendship. Tony frowned when he saw the bandage on his new friend's arm and the scrapes on his cheek.

"What the hell happened to you?" Tony demanded as he sat down at the bar.

Xander attempted a smirk, hindered slightly by his busted lip. "Hello Tony. Good to see you. How was your day?"

The NCIS agent rolled his eyes, but blushed a little in embarrassment for his abrupt greeting. "Hello Xander. Good to see your battered ass. What the hell happened?"

"Hey, my ass is not battered. It's probably the one spot on me that doesn't ache," Xander protested.

Tony stared at him.

"Too much info? I over-shared again, didn't I? Wills always says I over-share. You weren't specifically asking about my butt, were you? Damn. I really shouldn't take painkillers and operate my mouth at the same time…" Xander's words were cut off by Tony leaning over the bar and placing a hand over his mouth.

"Hey Mark," Tony called over to Xander's supervisor.

Mark placed the order he had just finished on the waitress' tray and wandered over to where Tony and Xander were. "Hey Tony. What's up?"

"You notice Xander here ain't lookin' so hot? He just had a babble-fest about pain meds and his butt. I'm thinking he probably shouldn't be working right now," Tony said with a laugh, but concern skirted the edge of his tone.

"Xander, you said you were fine. If you don't feel well, you can go home, it's not busy tonight," Mark said sternly, but affectionately. Xander was a good kid, and he wasn't the type to slack or call off.

Xander ducked his head in embarrassment. "I need the hours, Mark."

"Tell you what, you have the next few days off anyway, right? If you're feeling better next week, I'll let you pick up an extra shift or somethin'. It's in the same pay period and if you take a later shift for the bigger tips, it should all work out, maybe even get you a little extra," Mark offered. "Now, do you need a ride home? I know you usually get picked up."

"I'll take him. I haven't had a drink yet or anything, so we're good. Just give me an order of wings to go, and I'm all set," Tony offered.

"I can't let you do that," Xander protested.

"Yes you can, and you will," Tony said firmly.

Mark clapped Tony on the back. "Thanks, Tony. Xander really appreciates it, and I know you'll watch out for him, you being some sorta cop and all."

"I do investigate crimes and arrest people, and I was a cop before I joined NCIS, so I guess I am ‘some sorta cop'," Tony said with a smile.

"Thanks Tony, I didn't mean to sound ungrateful, I just didn't want to inconvenience you," Xander admitted as Mark went to get Tony's food.

"I wouldn't have offered if it wasn't okay, Xand."

"Here's your wings; Xander had already put an order in for you when he saw you come in the door, so they just wrapped it up to go."

Tony led Xander out to his car and helped the obviously injured man into the passenger seat, then climbed into the driver's side. He liked Xander. They had become pretty good friends over the last couple of weeks, going a long way to heal the hurt that his co-workers had inflicted. Xander had admitted that something similar had happened to him a time or ten and they had bonded over being pushed away by their so-called friends. He took comfort in the fact that Xander told him that the young man's friends had gone to great effort to repair their friendships and they were now closer than ever, even though they lived far apart. It gave him hope that his relationships with Abby, McGee and Gibbs could be repaired.

"So what happened?" Tony asked again.

"Had a bad dream, rolled out of bed. I should really think about getting rails," Xander said glibly.

"Fine, don't tell me. It's not like I, oh, investigate crimes for a living. I could find out. I have my ways."

Xander turned to look at him seriously. "It would probably be best if you didn't."

Tony stopped in the middle of buckling his seatbelt and looked over his friend again. "Did someone hurt you Xander? Do you need help?"

"It's not a domestic thing. I was sort of mugged. I fought back instead of just giving up the goods, hence the big ouches."

Tony could tell that Xander was leaving out some stuff, but that the gist of it was true. Someone had attacked the younger man and he had fought back.

"You know, if ever there's anything I can do for you, I would, right?" Tony asked.

Xander flushed and ducked his head. "Yeah, I know, Tony."

"You've been a good friend to me when I needed one, I do appreciate that," Tony said.

Again, the younger man flushed. "You know you're skirting the edge of chick-talk, with feelings and stuff, right?"

Tony laughed. Considering he was talking to a man who (from what he'd gleaned from their conversations) had grown up with mostly female friends, Xander would know of which he spoke. "I guess you're familiar with the girly-feeling talks, huh?"

"Hey, I may not have had a lot of guy friends, but I at least know we're not supposed to talk about our feelings," Xander defended.

Tony rolled his eyes and started the car. "Directions?"

Xander rattled off directions to his home and sat back, trying to get comfortable.

"I guess you're right about the feelings crap. And even I admit to not understanding some guy-related stuff, and I was a jock. Like the athletes always slapping each other's asses, what's up with that?" Tony joked.

"I always thought they spanked each other because it felt good," Xander said sleepily.

Tony narrowly avoided hitting a parked car as he gaped at Xander in shock.

Xander replayed his words in his head and groaned when he realized what he had just said and admitted to. "Can we pretend I didn't say that? Chalk it up to the pain meds?"

Tony smirked a truly evil smirk that rivaled all the evil smirks that Xander had ever seen, and boy, had he seen his share. "Oh no way, this is blackmail material. And so early in our friendship, too. I will squeeze hours and hours of teasing out of this."

Xander moaned and resisted the urge to beat his head against the window.

Title: Open Doors – Part 3 – Curiouser and Curiouser
Author: Xanfan
Fandom: Buffy/NCIS crossover
Rating: Potentially R/Mature
Pairing: eventually Tony/Xander
Summary: SLASH - When some doors slam shut, others open. Two men with a history of being pushed aside learn that it's the small moments that can change everything.
Spoilers: up to Boxed In, season 3 of NCIS, All of Buffy, post Chosen
Warnings: Slash M/M
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
_____________________________________

Tony glanced sideways at Xander, watching the man pretend to study the passing scenery as they drove towards his home. He knew the younger man was trying to overcome his embarrassment over the spanking comment. Tony snorted, as if he'd ever let that happen. Although the fact that Xander had basically admitted to having been spanked and liking it gave the NCIS agent a weird feeling in his stomach that he chose not to identify. Instead of going for the straight teasing, Tony decided to put aside that touchy subject for now.

"So Mark said you usually get a ride home? Roommate, significant other, family member, who?" Tony asked.

Still looking out the passenger side window, Xander answered, "None of the above and a combination of the first, third, and last options."

"Well that cleared that up," Tony said sarcastically.

"I don't really have any family that I'm actually related to, but I have family that I've kinda chosen or who have chosen me for some reason. A bunch of us all live in the same building, but not necessarily ‘together' so not really a roommate and sort of family, one of them usually picks me up," Xander explained.

Tony thought over what had been said and what hadn't been. "How'd you manage to live in the same building?"

"Someone's got to look after all the girls," Xander said vaguely.

"Girls?" Tony asked, his curiosity not allowing him to let that slide.


"It's like a boarding school for special girls, except they go to regular school and we just have extra classes and they live in the building. I help run it, along with a couple of others," Xander answered.

"Why are you working at the bar, then?" Tony asked curiously.

"Need some extra dough, ‘cause I basically get room and board at the school and not much beyond that, most of the budget goes to feeding, clothing and training the girls. Plus, I needed to get out of the house and away from the hormones on a regular basis, or I'd go completely insane," Xander said with a shy grin.

"How'd you end up with that gig, and what are you training them for?"

If Tony hadn't been a naturally observant person, he might have missed Xander momentarily tensing at the question, because it was almost over before it began.

Xander looked over at Tony, as if assessing how much he should say, before answering. "We teach them self-defense and martial arts and stuff. A couple of my best friends and I and our mentor-slash-father-figure set up the program. We have a couple other locations all over the world; I'm not sure why I got D.C. but I guess it's better than Cleveland."

"Why a girls' boarding school and why the self-defense?" Tony asked, trying not to sound too much like he was interrogating him, but something was… hinky as Abby would say. He didn't think Xander was doing anything bad, it was just… weird.

"Because the world can suck and the girls need to be able to defend themselves. Plus some of them need a home and people to care about them," Xander said simply.

Tony digested this statement. There had been a touch of bitterness in Xander's voice, but he didn't think it was directed at the girls, but at the fact that the world required that the girls learn to protect themselves.

When they pulled up in front of the address Xander had given him, Tony looked over the building. "It looks like an apartment building."

"Yeah, we bought it and converted it. We left a couple of floors as apartments to give some of the older girls some privacy and opened up the rest to allow us to supervise the younger ones better," Xander explained as he struggled a bit with the door. Tony noticed the younger man wincing when he lifted his arm.

"Broken ribs too, huh. That must have been some fight," Tony commented.

"How'd you know?" Xander asked.

"About the ribs? I was an athlete and I work in law enforcement, I've had my share of broken ribs, and I know the signs," Tony explained. "Come on, I'll help you get out, even walk you to the door."

Between the two of them, they got Xander out of the car without too much pain or fuss. They walked slowly towards the front door to allow for Xander's injuries. Just as Xander was about to put his key in the lock, the door was pulled open.

"Xander, what the hell are you doing home this early and who is this guy?" the large man asked abruptly, his voice laced with suspicion.

"This is Tony, he's one of the regulars at work, I told you about him, remember?" Xander answered.

Tony struggled to suppress the smile that wanted to break out on his face at the thought of Xander telling people about him.

"Hmm. He's that CSI guy?"

"NCIS, not CSI. People make that mistake a lot," Tony answered with good humor, having heard it all before.

"But that doesn't tell me why you're home early, Xander," the guy pointed out.

Xander flushed a little. "I kind of greeted Tony with a babble-fest and he pointed out to my boss that I shouldn't be working while on pain meds and that I didn't look well enough to be working anyhow. He offered to drive me home when he heard I usually get a ride. And if you say ‘I told you so' I will slap you silly."

The man just smirked, a little evilly, if Tony did say so himself. It was almost attractive on the youngish man, which was a little disturbing. He didn't usually find evil smirks to be all that attractive, but it worked for this guy. "I wouldn't dream of pointing out that Gunn and I and a few of the others advised you to call in sick tonight because you were in no shape to be on your feet for ten hours."

"Smartass," Xander mumbled. If Tony hadn't been standing right next to him and didn't have exceptionally good hearing, he wouldn't have heard it, so he was a little surprised when the dark haired man's smirk got a little bigger.

"Selene and Michelle just finished bathing your little terrors and I believe they are getting stories read right now, so you have time to grab a bite to eat and still be able to tuck them in yourself," the man said, as if to make up for his earlier comment.

"Little terrors?" Tony asked curiously.

"Some of the girls are really young. But they don't have families, so we took them in. I take care of the youngest ones. My little sweethearts aren't terrors," Xander shot a glare at his co-worker. "They're just toddlers, who have a lot of energy."

The man had the gall to not look in the least bit sorry.

"Hi, I'm Tony," he said to break up the potential squabble, as he offered his hand to the man that he hadn't been introduced to.

Both Xander and the man looked embarrassed at their own lack of manners, although only Xander blushed.

"Tony, this is one of the guys who run the place with me. He helps with the training and some of the tutoring. He also has night watch, since he likes to sleep during the day. Tony, Angel. Angel, Tony," Xander said in way of introduction.

Tony tried not to choke at the name Angel. He noticed that Angel didn't bother to shake his hand, instead he nodded in acknowledgment. Interesting. The guy wasn't Hispanic; he looked Anglo-Saxon, maybe Irish in descent, so it wasn't a cultural name thing. Sounded more like a stripper or porn star name. The guy was big and had a bit of a threatening air to him, so Tony definitely wasn't going to mention that.

"Nice to meet you, Tony. Thanks for bringing the stubborn one home," Angel said with a nod towards Xander.

"Nice to meet you too. And it wasn't a big deal, I wasn't really in the mood for drinking anyway. I usually go in for Xander's running commentary on the people there and the various ridiculousness of some sports," Tony said. He then felt a rush of heat to his face as he realized he had admitted to only going to that bar to see Xander.

Xander must have realized it too, but Tony was glad to see the shy, pleased smile that flashed across the bartender's face.

"Anyway. I better get going. Let Xander get some food so he can go see his little terrors, er… uh… toddlers," Tony said as he patted Xander on back before heading out to his car. As he looked back, he was pleased to note that Xander had glanced back at him over his shoulder before going inside.

Now Tony just had to go home and think about why he was pleased by that. He also wasn't going to think about how he hadn't been involved with a guy since he had joined NCIS and started working for a former marine. Maybe a beer wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Title: Open Doors – Part 4 –Guy Code
Author: Xanfan
Fandom: Buffy/NCIS crossover
Rating: Potentially R/Mature
Pairing: eventually Tony/Xander
Summary: SLASH - When some doors slam shut, others open. Two men with a history of being pushed aside learn that it's the small moments that can change everything.
Spoilers: up to Boxed In, season 3 of NCIS, All of Buffy, post Chosen
Warnings: Slash M/M
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
_____________________________________

Tony walked into the bar more than a week after he had given Xander a ride home. He was just coming off a long case and he hadn't been in since that night. He was a little disconcerted to realize just how much he had missed seeing Xander in that time. He also chose to ignore the little thrill he got when the bartender in question raised his head and gave a huge grin when he caught sight of Tony.

"Hey man, I thought I'd scared you off," Xander said when Tony reached him. It was said with good natured humor, but Tony could tell the other man had been worried when he hadn't come back right away.

"Nah, I just had a bitch of a case and a bastard of a boss. We worked it ‘til we solved it; didn't really even have time to sleep, much less come visit my favorite bartender," Tony replied with a grin. His grin got wider when Xander ducked his head with a blush.

"How are the girls? Terrorizing Angel, I hope?" Tony teased.

Xander grinned mischievously. "As a matter of fact, I managed to finally teach Mischa, the three-year-old, to ask Angel how he gets his hair to stand straight up like that. Wish I could have gotten a picture of his face, it was priceless."

Tony laughed out loud at the image that formed in his head. The one time he had met the man Xander lived and worked with, Tony had privately marveled over the gravity defying coif Angel sported. Tony had to admit that he himself had often styled his hair in messy spikes, but he'd never managed the height and sheer verticalness that Xander's friend had.

"Tell me the truth. Angel? Gunn? You're not running a boarding school for girls, it's really a home for wayward failed porn stars and strippers, right?" Tony asked.

The bartender's one eye widened comically before he bent double, laughing hysterically. "Oh man, I can't wait to tell Angel you said that. I'd buy a digital camera just to capture his expression," Xander gasped as soon as he could catch a breath.

"What about Gunn? Aren't you gonna tell him?" Tony asked.

Xander snorted indelicately at that. "Me, tell a guy who grew up on the streets of L.A. that his name makes him sound like a stripper? Not even Spike is that brave or stupid. I'll leave that to you."

Tony's mind boggled at that. "Spike?!? You've got to be kidding me! That clinches it. That place has to be a half-way house for poorly-named ex-rentboys."

Xander could only giggle at that. Tony was unable to hold back his own very manly giggle. "I can't tell you how much I needed that."

"Me too," Xander agreed.

After a few moments of silence, while they both calmed down a little, Xander asked quietly, "It was bad, huh?"

Tony looked at him and saw understanding and compassion in his friend's kind face. "Yeah, it really was."

"I'm sorry. I'm off in a few. You want to go get a bite to eat and not talk about it?" Xander asked with a slightly goofy grin at the end.

"You're not gonna make me talk about it?" Tony asked with a relieved smile.

"A) We're guys, we don't talk about feelings and stuff. B) You're not ready to talk, that'll be at least another day or so. Lucky for you, I'll be around in a day or so," the other man said confidently.

"Won't we still be guys in a day or so? It'll still be against the guy code to talk about it then, won't it?" Tony asked.

Xander smiled. "Yes. We will still be guys then, barring any freakiness, knock on wood. Luckily the statute of limitations on manly stoicism will have run out at that point. You're Mr. Law Enforcement, you should know this already," Xander said with almost convincing earnestness.

Tony just rolled his eyes at the Xander-logic. For some odd reason, he was pretty sure he hadn't just coined the phrase. Tony had a feeling Xander had used his own peculiar reasoning to bowl people over for their own good before.

"You're a strange, strange man, Xander Harris," Tony stated.

The strange man in question just beamed proudly. "I know, isn't it great?"

"It really kinda is," Tony admitted.

"Oi, whelp, you ready yet?" a brash Cockney voice said from behind Tony.

Xander looked up and rolled his eye at whoever was over Tony's shoulder "I've got a few more minutes left in my shift and I've made other arrangements for dinner and to get home, Spike."

Tony couldn't help himself, he had to get a look at this Spike person Xander had briefly mentioned earlier. When he turned around, he couldn't help but say the first words that came to mind at the sight of the man. "So was the 70's era punk rocker thing a part of your stage act, or is it just a personal fashion statement?"

He heard Xander choking behind him, but Tony couldn't help but stare in morbid fascination at the figure in front of him. Bleached blond hair, laser sharp cheek bones, and icy blue eyes somehow fit with the red t-shirt, black jeans, doc martens and battered duster. What capped it all off for Tony was the chipped, black nail-polished fingertips grasping a burning cigarette.

"The bloody wankers stole the look from me, ya ponce. Who the hell are you, anyway?" Spike said indignantly.

"So, have you noticed none of the ‘wankers' are still wearing the look now?" Tony asked facetiously, not believing the claim for a moment. After all, the man couldn't be more than thirty, unless the bleach covered up some serious gray and the guy had a kick ass plastic surgeon.

"He's my ‘other arrangements,' Spike," Xander supplied helpfully.

"Wait, what did you mean by ‘part of the stage act'?" Spike demanded, turning his glare on Xander when Tony didn't immediately answer.

Tony had turned around and caught Xander's eye, at which point they'd both burst out laughing.

"You really don't want to know, but I'll tell you later," Xander advised.

The bleached-wonder, as Tony labeled him in his head, just glared at them both suspiciously. After a moment, the rest of what Xander had said registered and Tony turned back around just in time to watch a wicked smirk spread across the pale face.

"So, Xander's made himself a date with the pretty boy, has he?" Spike drawled.

Xander and Tony blushed in unison.

Title: Open Doors – Part 5 – Suspicion
Author: Xanfan
Fandom: Buffy/NCIS crossover
Rating: Potentially R/Mature
Pairing: eventually Tony/Xander
Summary: SLASH - When some doors slam shut, others open. Two men with a history of being pushed aside learn that it's the small moments that can change everything.
Spoilers: up to Boxed In, season 3 of NCIS, All of Buffy, post Chosen
Warnings: Slash M/M
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
_____________________________________


"So what's up with you lately?"

Tony looked up from shutting down his computer system to find Abby standing in front of his desk with a look of expectation on her face.

"What?" Tony asked.

"What's up with you lately? You seem different. Not bad different, just different. You seem, I don't know, content or something. And… happy. You hum, Tony. And you've been leaving work on time if we don't have a case. You used to stay late all the time. Sure, you still come back in the middle of the night to catch up on paperwork and stuff, but you go home after your regular late hours if you can," Abby laid out her list of his behavioral oddities succinctly, which was odd in and of itself as the lab tech usually had a roundabout way of delivering information.

Tony just raised his eyebrow at her.

Abby stared back, then a look of shocked delight crossed her face and she screeched, "You've met someone, haven't you?!"

Tony flushed and stuck with the best course of action at his disposal: denial. "I don't know what you're talking about, Abs."

"Oh my God, you have," the goth lab rat said with wicked glee.

Tony sighed. He'd have to find another way to brazen through this. "You're right, Abby."

"I am?" she said in confusion; she really hadn't expected him to fold this easily.

"I have fallen in love. Two words for you, Abs. Big. Screens. This place I go to after work, the walls are covered with them. And each one has a different game or sport on. You can watch European football and American football at the same time… the same time. The best part is they have my favorite beer on tap. It's beautiful," Tony said reverently.

Abby slapped him on the arm in frustration. "There's more to it than that, I know it."

"Honest, Abs, I've just found a cool place to hang out, that's it," Tony said earnestly.

"I'll find out Tony, don't think that I won't," Abby vowed, her black pigtails bobbing as she nodded her head fervently.

Tony just rolled his eyes. He picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder and headed towards the elevator, turning and walking backwards halfway there. "Gotta go, it's half-price wings during happy hour tonight, don't want to miss that."

Abby could have sworn she saw him slump in relief against the elevator wall as the doors closed. She turned towards McGee and Gibbs, who had both been watching the exchange with varying degrees of curiosity and amusement. "I still don't buy it. He's being weird. I know he's always doing the playful banter and teasing thing, but lately, it's been more…real. Like he's genuinely happy with the world. What's up with that?"

"Maybe it's just a really great bar?" McGee offered hesitantly, knowing his evening would not go well if he didn't tread carefully.

Gibbs and Abby snorted in unison at that.

"It could be something, or someone at the bar that is grabbing his attention," Gibbs said blandly.

McGee nodded eagerly at that. "Yeah, there's probably lots of well endowed waitresses to flirt with."

Abby glared at him disdainfully. "You know there's more to him than just his flirting habit, don't you? Tony just does that for fun. It's almost instinctual, he usually doesn't mean it."

Tim looked slightly disbelieving at that. Abby just huffed and turned her attention towards Gibbs. "So what are we going to do?"

"Do?" McGee said from behind her.

Gibbs lips twisted into an almost grin. "Maybe it really is a great bar."

"What?" Abby almost screeched in frustration.

Gibbs continued on unperturbed, "And if it's such a great bar, don't you think we might like it too?"

"Huh?" McGee asked in confusion.

Abby just smirked. "I've got a sudden urge for happy hour hot wings. Don't you?"

Gibbs returned her smirk with one of his own and stood up, heading towards the elevators, trusting his lab tech to follow.

McGee still looked confused, so Abby took pity on him. "We're going to check out this bar, Tim. To see what all the fuss is about, or should I say, who."

Understanding dawned and McGee followed Abby and Gibbs. He couldn't help but feel like this probably wasn't the best idea they'd ever had, but he knew if he didn't go along, Abby would make his life miserable. And maybe he could even keep her out of trouble while he was at it… Nah, probably not.

Title: Open Doors – Part 6 - Watchers
Author: Xanfan
Fandom: Buffy/NCIS crossover
Rating: Potentially R/Mature
Pairing: eventually Tony/Xander
Summary: SLASH - When some doors slam shut, others open. Two men with a history of being pushed aside learn that it's the small moments that can change everything.
Spoilers: up to Boxed In, season 3 of NCIS, All of Buffy, post Chosen
Warnings: Slash M/M
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
_____________________________________

"I wasn't expecting that. I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't that," McGee said for about the hundredth time as he lifted his head, took a gulp of beer, then let his head drop back down onto the table with a thunk.

Abby just rolled her eyes and Gibbs merely raised a brow. Neither would admit that they were almost as surprised by the outcome of their snooping as Tim.

"Maybe we're wrong? It's not what it looks like?" McGee's question was muffled by the arm he had brought up to rest his head on.

"I don't think we're wrong, McGee," Abby said quietly.

When they had arrived at the bar an hour earlier, they had taken a corner table in hopes of avoiding DiNozzo's notice. The sports bar was packed and noisy, so it wasn't too hard to blend into the scenery. They had observed Tony sitting at the bar instead of a table. They were out of his line of sight, but they could see his face, mostly in profile, fairly clearly. They hadn't been surprised to see a huge grin cross his face when he gave his order, figuring he was mostly just happy to be there and served so promptly. It hadn't taken them more than fifteen minutes to realize that McGee had been right; Tony was there to flirt, albeit way more subtly then they'd ever seen before, with the staff.

Mostly right, anyway. It's just that it wasn't a buxom waitress who was the object of DiNozzo's technique… instead, it was a dark-haired man with a patch covering one eye and bright grin of his own. It took them the rest of the hour to realize that it was something more than flirting.

Abby was struck by how relaxed and happy her friend looked. She was saddened to realize that the cheerful man they saw at work was nothing compared to the genuinely happy version she saw here. She'd known that Tony was a little more… bent than he let on, so she wasn't really shocked by the fact that a guy was the focus of his attention. It was more the fact that this wasn't mere flirting. This was getting to know someone in hopes of something deeper. Her friend was capable of losing his heart to somebody, this somebody, and it hurt Abby to think that she hadn't really known what was going on in his life.

Gibbs felt a twinge near his heart that he chose not to identify at the sight of his senior field agent laughing and joking and … peaceful. He knows he's never seen that look on his face before. He won't acknowledge why or how disappointed in himself he is by the fact that he didn't know Tony as well as he thought he did. Gibbs had prided himself on seeing past Tony's womanizer persona, but he realized he hadn't looked deep enough.

McGee took another drink of his beer and let his head fall back down onto the table. His mind was so blown by this revelation that he couldn't focus on anything else.

So they watched as Tony had what was apparently a real conversation full of laughter and warmth with the dark-haired bartender. They observed the manager, that everyone called Mike, tease the two with obvious affectionate amusement. Abby and Gibbs realized that meant this was not a new occurrence; Tony and this man had obviously been doing this… whatever it was… for awhile now.

After they had been there for about an hour and a half, the young man hung up his apron and went in the back to, presumably, clock out. He came back out and he and Tony went to sit at a large booth that the NCIS spies could see clearly from their table without being obvious. A few minutes later, several people came in the front door and made a beeline for the booth, joining the duo.

There were some introductions made, but it looked like that the bartender knew all of them and Tony had met a few before. They settled down for drinks and conversation. Gibbs could tell from the body language that some of the conversation drifted along the lines of interrogation instead of casual banter and he looked at Abby in question.

Both of the lab tech's eyebrows raised in amazement. "Oh my God. He's being vetted!"

"Huh?" McGee asked from his semi-prone position.

"Tony's being introduced to the friends-slash-family. He's being vetted to see if he's good enough to let date their boy," Abby explained.

Gibbs showed no outward reaction to that, but he was inwardly amazed that things had gone that far for Tony and his… friend. Even he knew that meeting the friends was a big step.

After several minutes of conversation, the lone female of the group, a beautiful young black woman with long braids, raised her drink and tilted it at Tony. This seemed to give her approval, which was seconded by most of the others and broke the tension at the table. The conversation turned from the slight tenseness of familial grilling to a friendlier air, at least from what the NCIS team could tell.

Half an hour later, Tony's bartender stood up and good naturedly weathered the teasing comments from his tablemates as he headed towards the restroom. He passed by Abby, Gibbs and McGee on his way, and on his way back to the table he paused next to them for a moment. In a voice deliberately pitched not to carry beyond their table, he said, "Do you honestly think he doesn't know you're here? He's an investigator, guys, he made you the moment you entered the bar. Hell, I made you the moment you sat down. You look exactly like he described you." And he continued walking back to his table.

Abby looked at Gibbs in amazement. And he responded the only way he could, "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting that."

Abby nodded dumbly. McGee just groaned.

Title: Open Doors – Part 7 - Laughter
Author: Xanfan
Fandom: Buffy/NCIS crossover
Rating: Potentially R/Mature
Pairing: eventually Tony/Xander
Summary: SLASH - When some doors slam shut, others open. Two men with a history of being pushed aside learn that it's the small moments that can change everything.
Spoilers: up to Boxed In, season 3 of NCIS, All of Buffy, post Chosen
Warnings: Slash M/M
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
_____________________________________


"I like him."

Xander turned away from admiring his almost boyfriend talk to Gunn about a subject he himself would never understand and towards the soft voice next to him. "Yeah?"

Angel rolled his eyes teasingly. "Yeah, I do."

"Me too," Xander said softly, a blush rising up to stain his cheeks.

"Well, duh," Angel said with a grin. His grin deepened when Xander started to giggle.

"You sounded just like Cordy," the younger man said between giggles.

Angel smiled, the thought of his late seer no longer causing sadness. "That was kind of the point."

"Not nearly bitchy enough sounding though, you'll have to work on that," Xander pointed out playfully.

"I'll go home and practice in front of my mirror," Angel deadpanned.

Xander's eye widened comically before he burst out into loud guffaws of laughter.

****

Tony turned from the conversation he had been having with Gunn on the finer points of a good defense in basketball towards the laughing man on his other side. He didn't know what Xander's friend Angel had said to make him laugh that hard, but whatever it was, he was glad. His bartender's laughter was booming and joyful and sounded wonderful to Tony's ears.

He saw Angel's eyes drift past both him and Xander and he knew the other man was looking towards a table not far from them. The NCIS agent struggled not to turn around and follow the gaze towards the little pack of snoopers that resided there.

He wasn't sure if he was angry or flattered that his teammates had followed him here. He chose to set aside both emotions for the time being and just enjoy being here with Xander and his friends, enjoy the gentle camaraderie and genuine affection between them. It was just like he always thought a team should be. And Tony had no illusions that this group of friends was anything but a team. He didn't know exactly what they were teammates in, but they interacted in a way that reminded him of some of the units he had met through work, especially the ones coming back from missions or tours in Iraq. Those men had stood side by side, back to back when need be, in some pretty damn harsh conditions and stood proud in the fact that they had survived and would go and have each others backs in whatever else came next.

Tony had no idea what these people had faced, what they had survived, but he instinctively knew he should be grateful for it. He didn't know how he knew, he just did. Yeah, Xander had secrets, but whatever those secrets were, he wasn't ready to tell him yet. And surprisingly, Tony didn't have a problem with that. The man who habitually snooped into people's wallets and purses just for the fun of it was willing to wait patiently for Xander to spill. The special agent was a little taken aback by his own reaction, but his gut was telling him that he just needed to be patient. Xander wasn't keeping things from him because he didn't trust Tony. It felt more like Xander was protecting him from something and waiting for the right time. And for whatever reason, Tony wasn't bothered by it. Weird, huh?

Tony settled back into his seat to watch the man he wasn't yet ‘officially' dating laugh at his friend's words and he felt a sense of peace fall over him, a feeling that had become oddly familiar in the time he had known Xander Harris.

****

After Tony's ‘friend' had dropped his little bombshell, then walked calmly back to his seat next to Tony, Gibbs had played over in his mind the events of the evening and wondered how he had missed that Tony had known they were there all along. Had he really lost his touch? Then he realized that it was probably more the fact that Tony was just that good.

Gibbs saw the one-eyed man lean towards the man on the other side of him from Tony and wondered what the dark-haired man had said to cause the bartender to blush like that. Moments later Tony's ‘date' let out a long and loud laugh. When Tony turned towards them, Gibbs had wondered if his agent would get jealous that someone else had made the man laugh like that. It surprised him when Tony just looked on fondly, with a slightly goofy smile showing from the profile view Gibbs had. It seemed his second-hand man wasn't jealous; instead he was basking in his friend's amusement. Gibbs tried not to let the surprise and disquiet he felt show on his face, but he wasn't sure he was successful when he saw the man who had caused the laughter look at him. He couldn't avoid meeting the intense man's gaze and for one of the first times in Leroy Jethro Gibbs' life, he was the first to look away.

****

"What's so funny?"

Xander turned from Angel towards the man on his other side and took a couple of deep breaths to settle himself down. He didn't realize that he had caught the notice of everyone at the table and a few of the surrounding ones, he just noticed Tony's attention and enjoyed the curl of warmth in his stomach at feeling the other man's eyes on him and the affection reflected in those eyes.

"Angel just made a comment about looking in the mirror and considering how much time and effort go into making his hair look ‘just gravity defyingly right,' I couldn't help but laugh," Xander replied mischievously, grinning at the huff of indignation from Angel.

Tony knew there was more to it than that, especially when the rest of the table burst into slightly evil snickers, but for once he wasn't worried about not being in on the joke. He figured the joke wasn't at his expense and that one day, with any luck, he'd be in on it too. For right now, he was too busy enjoying the mischief dancing in Xander's eye to care.

"I have to admit I sometimes take some extra time in the mirror to get the ‘messy look' for my hair just right. It takes a lot of effort to look effortless, you know," Tony said, more than willing to poke fun at himself to keep Xander laughing.

Xander smiled at the good natured grin on Tony's face, secretly admiring the other man's ‘just rolled out of bed' hairstyle. And speaking of ‘just rolled out of bed'… Xander blurted out the first thing that came into his head. "So, you want to go out some time?"

The other occupants at the table turned their snickers into genuine laughter at Xander's question, especially when Rona said, "Man, isn't it a little screwed up when you make him meet the gang before you've even gone on a date?"

"I'm pretty sure nobody has ever claimed either of us were normal," Tony said to the dark-skinned girl, his eyes never leaving Xander's face.

"Tomorrow night? You're off at six, right?" Tony asked.

"Uh-huh," Xander said eloquently.

"A date it is, then," Tony said with a smile.

Title: Open Doors – Part 8 – Telling Truths and Lies
Author: Xanfan
Fandom: Buffy/NCIS crossover
Rating: Potentially R/Mature
Pairing: eventually Tony/Xander
Summary: SLASH - When some doors slam shut, others open. Two men with a history of being pushed aside learn that it's the small moments that can change everything.
Spoilers: up to Boxed In, season 3 of NCIS, All of Buffy, post Chosen
Warnings: Slash M/M
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
_____________________________________


"So, are you going to tell him?"

Xander ‘eeped' and jumped at the voice, distracted from his examination of his appearance in the mirror. Even after all this time, Angel still got him with the whole no reflection thing. He knew that sneaky vampire just waited around for opportunities to sneak up on him and scare his pants off.

"Tell him what?" Xander asked distractedly as he tried to decide if his shirt went with his pants.

"Xander, you look fine, I picked your outfit out myself. In fact you look better than fine, you look hot. So, are you going to tell him your other job?" Angel asked.

"Other job? I mean, it's not like you can put Apocalypse Stopper and Demon Fighter on your resume," Xander used his traditional distraction-by-humor tactic.

"Xander, look at me," Angel said, then gently grabbed the younger man by the shoulders and turned him around to face him. "Just answer the question."

Xander contemplated Angel's lapel for a few minutes before he spoke quietly. "He's a good man, Angel. For some reason, I really trust him, like instinctually. Tony could handle it, I know he could."

"So tell him," Angel said, his voice equally quiet.

"But it's not just about me. It's about the girls, the coven, Spike… and it's about you. Do I have the right to risk you all because this amazing guy likes me and gives off good vibes?" Xander asked.

Angel tipped Xander's face up to look him in the eye. "Xander, you've fought side by side with Slayers, witches, vampires, Watchers and demons. You have more experience than most of the fighters out there. And the only times you've really gotten in trouble were when you ignored your instincts. When you've followed your gut and your heart, you've saved lives and the world. I trust you. If you say he can handle it and won't compromise us, I believe you. If you want to tell him, tell him. I'll even be your proof."

Xander nodded solemnly, then broke out a wry grin. "Did you ever think back in Sunnyhell that you would be my best friend and we would be sharing touching Hallmark moments in my bathroom?"

Angel just shook his head and chuckled. "More like I thought I'd lose my redemption by strangling you because of your smart ass comments and snark."

"Yeah, a teenage boy and jealousy don't mix," Xander said.

"Jealousy, huh?" Angel smirked.

"I'm man enough to admit I was jealous, but at times, I was also right," Xander said smugly.

"About what?" Angel asked.

"Oh, where to start… .the hair, the lurking, the…"

"I get the picture," Angel said with a slight sulk.

Xander just grinned unashamedly.

"Xander, do you ever wonder about why we never..." Angel began.

"Hooked-up?" Xander finished for him. "Dude, you and I have so much history between us, we could have our own section in the Ancient History Department at Georgetown. Plus you've become my best friend. I learned the hard way that letting hormones interfere with best-friendship is completely of the bad."

"Willow," Angel commented softly.

"We never fully recovered from ‘the fluke', Angel, we were completely different after that. I don't think I could do that again. At the risk of sounding like a chick, I don't think I could lose you. I've lost too damn many friends to risk it. Plus, I'm just not that into you," Xander ended lightly.

Angle cuffed him on the back of the head. Silently, he agreed with Xander's reasoning. He hadn't had a best friend in… ever. Cordelia had come close, but their mutual lust had prevented them from really opening up to each other. And while Xander was certainly hot, Angel genuinely valued the friendship they had fought to develop more than he coveted his ass.

"So, I look good? First date with a slight possibility of naughty touching good?" Xander asked to break the silence.

"Good enough to eat," Angel said with a toothy grin.

Xander gave a growl. "Back away from me with the fangs, Deadboy."

"Fine, you look good enough to screw through the mattress," Angel conceded.

"Just the look I was going for," Xander said with a snicker.

******

"So, tonight's the night, huh?"

Tony looked up from tying his freshly polished dress shoes at his desk to see Abby bouncing and smiling hopefully.

"Yeah, Abs, tonight I am going out with Xander," Tony answered.

"You really like him, don't you?" the lab tech asked.

Tony searched her face and realized that she really cared about the answer. "I really do. He's funny and clever and he gets me. Not a lot of people get me, but he does."

Abby smiled, but it was tinged with a slight sadness. She knew that she had often fallen for Tony's playboy façade, not looking deep enough to see his insecurities or pain. If this Xander saw the real Tony, despite the act, she was going to be his number one fan. "Will you give me details?"

Tony smirked. "Of course. But date-only details, no kissing and telling."

Abby stomped her foot and pouted. "No fair. I want hot guy on guy details."

"I'm sure we'll hear all about it, Tony never has been one for discretion," Gibbs said as he walked around the corner, seemingly out of nowhere, like always.

"I wouldn't say that, Boss. I met Xander almost a month ago, and you didn't find out about him until you tailed me," Tony said as he stood smoothly and headed towards the elevator. He tossed back over his shoulder, "And you should know better than to assume I've told you everything."

"You been lying to us, Tony?" Gibbs called.

"Don't ask me about tellin' lies, Gibbs, unless you're ready to be asked about yours," Tony replied as he stepped into the elevator and the doors closed.

"Good going, Gibbs, he was opening up, and you had to go and be all Gibbs and stuff. And what was that about your telling lies?" Abby pouted.

Gibbs didn't say anything; he just wondered how much Tony had managed to find out about his past.

Title: Open Doors – Part 9 – Are we there yet?
Author: Xanfan
Fandom: Buffy/NCIS crossover
Rating: Potentially R/Mature
Pairing: eventually Tony/Xander
Summary: SLASH - When some doors slam shut, others open. Two men with a history of being pushed aside learn that it's the small moments that can change everything.
Spoilers: up to Boxed In, season 3 of NCIS, All of Buffy, post Chosen
Warnings: Slash M/M
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
_____________________________________

Tony wasn't surprised Rona opened the door to the building Xander lived in. He was getting used to all the assorted people in Xander's life and he had a suspicion that he hadn't even met the really, really scary ones. Not that Rona, Angel and Spike - oh hell, pretty much everyone Xander knew - weren't scary.

"So, here for THE DATE, huh? Xander will be down in a minute, they're putting the finishing touches on him right now," the young woman said casually. "Nice gear, you clean up pretty good."

Tony smiled his most charming smile. "Why thank you."

"You're welcome, and if you ever hurt Xander, I'll rip your intestines out, shove one end down your throat, the other end up the back door and tie ‘em in a pretty bow in the middle," Rona said with a smile before she left him in the front hall cringing at the visual her words inspired.

"Don't mind the bird, her college rhetoric class is working on descriptive imagery, I've been tutoring her m'self," Spike said as he came in from the dining room.

"Good job with that," Tony said as he tried to shake the picture Rona had painted from his head.

Spike grinned proudly.

Tony looked up as Xander and his entourage descended the stairs. Rona's gift with words was quickly forgotten. The charcoal gray slacks Xander was wearing hung just right and accentuated his muscled thighs and his deep burgundy button down shirt ever so slightly clung to his pecs and arms. Tony could only come up with one word for the view, "Wow."

Xander blushed at the NCIS agent's breathless comment. "Thanks. You're pretty wow yourself."

Tony smiled at the compliment.

Angel beamed proudly and ushered the little girls accompanying them down the stairs past where Xander and Tony stood staring at each other.

"Xan's goin' on a daaaay-aaaate," one of the little girls sing-songed, causing the other tiny girls to burst into giggles. More giggles were heard from the doorway to the living room where a crowd of pre-teen and teenage girls had appeared.

Xander rolled his eyes at the gaggle of older girls and crouched down to his princesses' eye-level. "Yes, I am going on a date. This is Tony."

Tony squatted down beside Xander and smiled winningly at the little ones. He stuck out his hand and after a moment of hesitation and a few looks at Xander, each little darling took a turn shaking his hand.

"Tony, I'd like you to meet Mischa, Sunny, Manny, Bella and Rissa. Or should I say Mischa, Soon-Li; Emmanuella, Isabella and Marissa," Xander introduced the girls as they once again broke into giggles at his semi-formal introduction.

"I'm very pleased to meet such lovely ladies as yourselves," Tony said, inclining his head in a mock bow from his crouched position.

The giggles continued from not just the little girls, but the older ones too.

Bella gave Tony a searching and skeptical look, one he found disquieting on such a small face. She leaned towards Xander and said in an audible whisper, "He nice. Not mean. He not get mad?"

Xander reached and pulled Bella into the circle of his arms, kissing her forehead as he whispered, "Oh my Isabella, he is very nice. And he only gets mad at the bad guys. And since I'm not a bad guy and, last I checked, neither were you, I don't think we have to worry, do you?"

Bella gave Tony that very appraising look again. "We not bad guys. Xan the best good guy in ‘d whole world. You not mean to him?"

"Never," Tony said solemnly.

She nodded and rested her head against Xander for a moment before pulling away with a sweet smile.

Xander stood and pulled Tony up with him. He smiled shyly at Tony, then turned to look down at his girls. "Now, you guys are going to be good for Angel and Gunn, right? You'll let Selene and Michelle give you your baths and put you to bed without a fuss?"

"Yes Xan," the five little girls intoned.

"Right. So, if you behave, Spike will read you your bed time stories. With voices and everything," Xander said with a grin to the girls and a smirk at the bleached blond, who pretended to look put upon. Tony had a sneaking suspicion that the punk-rocker-wanna-be enjoyed story time almost as much as the girls.

"So, are we ready to go?" Xander asked.

"Absolutely," Tony said. He put a hand on Xander's back and guided him towards the front door. He pretended not to feel the other man shiver slightly at his touch. He didn't dare show a reaction with that many eyes watching them. Especially when many of those eyes held dire threats to his personal safety and well being if he did anything to hurt their Xander.

Tony smiled softly; it was nice to know Xander had so many people in his corner.

Title: Open Doors – Part 10 – A Date?
Author: Xanfan
Fandom: Buffy/NCIS crossover
Rating: Potentially R/Mature
Pairing: eventually Tony/Xander
Summary: SLASH - When some doors slam shut, others open. Two men with a history of being pushed aside learn that it's the small moments that can change everything.
Spoilers: up to Boxed In, season 3 of NCIS, All of Buffy, post Chosen
Warnings: Slash M/M
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
_____________________________________


Tony suppressed a grin as Xander peeked up at him through his lashes from across the table for what had to be the twentieth time while he toyed with the dessert on his plate. "What?" Tony asked in amusement.

Xander took a deep breath before rushing headlong into his question. "Isthisadate?"

"Could you rewind that and this time pause in between words?" Tony asked teasingly.

"Is…this…a…date?" Xander asked with exaggerated slowness.

The NCIS agent was truly perplexed by the question. "I kind of thought that we established that this was a date when you asked me out and then again at the house and when I picked you up and everyone teased you about going out on a date."

"Are you sure?" Xander asked.

"I'm fairly certain," Tony said in bemusement. "Why do you ask?"

Xander fidgeted nervously for a few moments before he mumbled something.

Tony sighed in amused frustration. "I'm sorry Xander, I'm not quite as fluent in mumble as I should be. Could you repeat that, with volume, and don't forget to enunciate," Tony teased.

"It's just that… we went to a movie that wasn't a chick flick, we're at a restaurant that doesn't cost an arm and a leg with enormous portions of unbelievably good food, and now we are each having our own dessert and neither of us pretending we are only going to have one bite..." Xander started.

"And?" Tony prompted.

"And you haven't tried to kill me, torture me, emasculate me, sacrifice me to your favorite dark force, make me your bitch, make hugely inappropriate and embarrassing comments on my sexual performance, described to me in detail how you have tortured thousands upon thousands of people and enjoyed every minute, and you aren't showing even that slightest hint that you are, or soon will be, evil," Xander stated earnestly.

Tony barked out a laugh. "Well, you can't get blood out of Italian leather, so I probably won't be killing you. Torture is messy, too, and this is my favorite shirt, so that's out. I don't have a favorite dark force, so no sacrifices. I haven't killed thousands upon thousands of people, so I can't really regale you with stories, but I could make some up if you want. I can't yet comment either way on your sexual performance. As I do have plans to eventually find out, emasculation would be counter productive, don't you think? As for making you my bitch, the night isn't over yet."

Xander smiled slightly, then his smile grew and he began to giggle, which turned into uncontrollable gales of laughter. Tony just enjoyed it, not minding the looks they were drawing. He didn't comment on the death glare the waiter gave when he brought back their check with Tony's credit card and receipts to sign.

Eventually, Xander's laughter petered out and something in his eye made Tony ask, "You weren't really joking, were you?"

Xander just looked at him.

"You were speaking from experience?" Tony asked in dawning horror.

The brown haired man just nodded self-consciously, his beautiful brown eye filled with trepidation.

Tony looked at his date with sadness. "You really haven't had much luck with dating and relationships have you?"

"Not so much, no," Xander admitted shyly.

"So that's what the whole meeting your friends first thing was?" Tony asked gently, without anger.

"Yeah."

Tony smiled at his date. "No wonder they wanted to check me out before they let you date me."

Xander brightened. "So, you're not mad?"

"I'm really not."

Xander took an enthusiastic bite out of his chocolate cake. Tony couldn't help but grin and take an equally enthusiastic bite out of his crème brulee.

"So, those things really happened to you?" Tony asked after a few spoonfuls of the delicious dessert.

"Uh-huh," Xander said around a mouthful of gooey goodness.

Tony looked at him thoughtfully while he finished off his last taste. "You're not like other guys, are you Xander?"

"Nope," Xander said with a grin that didn't quite hide the fear of rejection in his eye.

"Sweet," Tony said as he wrote in the tip amount, only 15% since the waiter had glared at his Xander, and signed his name with a flourish.

As they stood up and started making their way to the door, Xander asked, "So, what now?"

Tony put his hand on Xander's lower back and urged him out the door. "We could go park somewhere and make out like teenagers while working towards my ability to make commentary about your sexual prowess and make headway on that ‘bitch' thing," Tony whispered into Xander's ear as they stepped out into the evening.

The brunet froze for a moment before gulping and nodding jerkily. "I could get behind that plan."

Tony smiled wolfishly and opened his mouth to comment when they both heard a scream.

Xander took off running towards the nearby alleyway while Tony stared for a moment, then pulled his gun from its holster at his back and followed.

He made it to the alley in time to see Xander pull a man off a struggling woman. He caught sight of mask-like features before Xander pulled something from his jacket and stabbed the man in the chest. Tony watched in horror, then shock, as the man his date had stabbed disappeared in a shower of dust.

"What the hell?" Tony said.

Title: Open Doors – Part 11 – What the Hell?
Author: Xanfan
Fandom: Buffy/NCIS crossover
Rating: Potentially R/Mature
Pairing: eventually Tony/Xander
Summary: SLASH - When some doors slam shut, others open. Two men with a history of being pushed aside learn that it’s the small moments that can change everything.
Spoilers: up to Boxed In, season 3 of NCIS, All of Buffy, post Chosen
Warnings: Slash M/M
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
_____________________________________

Last Time:

Xander took off running towards the nearby alleyway while Tony stared for a moment, then pulled his gun from its holster at his back and followed.

He made it to the alley in time to see Xander pull a man off a struggling woman. He caught sight of mask-like features before Xander pulled something from his jacket and stabbed the man in the chest. Tony watched in horror, then shock, as the man his date had stabbed disappeared in a shower of dust.

“What the hell?” Tony said.

************

Xander’s head jerked up at the sound of Tony’s voice. His face flickered through various emotions, settling on wariness.

Tony walked slowly towards Xander, ignoring the woman who stumbled past him towards the street, dazed but unharmed. “What just happened here, Xander? And please don’t lie to me.”

“So, you wouldn’t believe that this is a really dusty alley and they should really sweep out here more?” Xander asked, trying to diffuse the tension.

“You just stabbed someone and they disappeared. Please give me an explanation that won’t involve me taking you to the police station,” Tony pleaded.

Xander rubbed a hand over his face, tired from his recent exertions. He raised his other hand and held out the wooden object to the NCIS agent.

“What is that?” Tony asked.

“It’s a stake,” Xander said quietly.

“Just tell me what’s going on, Xander. I’m really not in the mood to play 20 questions,” Tony said in frustration. “And again, don’t lie to me; if you do, we’re through.”

Xander’s lips twisted into a bitter mockery of a smile. “The real question is, will we be through even after I’ve told you the truth, or will you even believe the truth if you hear it?”

Tony sighed and reached out a hand, catching hold of Xander’s arm to pull the younger man slowly towards him. When he was close enough, he tilted Xander’s chin up and urged the brunet to meet his eyes. “Xander, please, tell me what just happened. Up until that scream, tonight was the best first date of my entire life, if not the best date period. From day one, I knew that there was more to you than meets the eye. And there is definitely more to your ‘school for girls’ and your odd friends than you’ve told me. I haven’t rushed you for an explanation, because I’d figured you would tell me when you could, when the time was right. What happened just now, it’s all connected to the other stuff, isn’t it? I can’t wait patiently any longer, Xander. The time to tell me is now. Because if I have to turn you in for murder, it’ll kill me. So please, please tell me you can explain this.”

Xander’s eye filled with moisture. He began to speak, telling the story the way he had been told, his voice that of someone reciting a speech they’ve heard and given over and over again. “The world is older than you know. It began, not as a paradise like many believe, but as something completely the opposite. It was hell on earth. Demons roamed freely. Then man came, and the demons tried to subjugate them like animals, but man eventually revolted. The demons were forced from this plane, this dimension. Legend holds that as the last demon left, he took a human and fed it his essence, imbuing the man with a portion of his demon, give him supernatural strength and an unholy thirst for human blood, creating the first vampire.”

“Was that what that man was?” Tony asked gently, recognizing from Xander’s distant monotone that he was using the long explanation to guard his emotions, not dance around the question.

Xander just nodded and continued. “The vampire preyed upon other humans and was only susceptible to sunlight, fire and a wooden stake through the heart. Like any beast, it had a biological imperative to reproduce. Unlike man and animal, it replicated by draining a human to the point of death and feeding the human its blood, reanimating the dead body with a demon. Soon, man was plagued by vampires and they sought a means to fight them and other lesser demons. So a group of old men took a girl, chained her to the earth, and much like how the first vampire was created, they created a Slayer by imbuing her with a portion of a demon spirit to give her the strength and skill to fight the vampires.”

Tony’s eyes widened in horror, not liking where this story was going; his mind flashed to Xander’s little girls and his stomach rolled.

“So the Slayer fought, killing vampires and other demons that had managed to find their way back into this dimension. She fought tirelessly until she was killed in battle and when she died, that which made her the Slayer passed onto another girl, who would take up the title and the fight in her place. And so, from then on, there was a Slayer, one girl in all the world to fight the vampires and demons. And when a Slayer died, another one was called. Until a little over a decade ago, they fought alone with just a Watcher to support them.”

“What happened?” Tony asked.

Xander’s eyes lost the faraway look of a man telling a legend and filled with emotion and memories. He whispered, “Buffy came to town and I found out about the things that go bump in the night and the girl who bumps back. Then my best friend died and I had to stake the demon wearing his face.”

Tony pulled the young man fully into his arms. He didn’t have words, so his embrace was the only comfort he could give.

“I couldn’t just walk away, neither could Willow. So we made Buffy the Vampire Slayer let us help her. Giles, her Watcher, was peeved, but there was nothing he could do or say to discourage us. Before Buffy, our classmates were disappearing and dying left and right; you went to school on Monday morning and part of the morning announcements was a list of the students who had been listed as missing or had died from mysterious accidents with barbeque forks or animal attacks over the weekend. Sometimes the reading of it took almost all of first period. By the time we graduated, our class had the lowest death rate in Sunnydale High history. We helped Buffy make a difference,” Xander explained, desperate to believe he had helped.

“But there’s not just one girl in all the world anymore, is there?” Tony asked, remembering Rona’s fierceness and how the girl seemed to radiate power, like many of the other girls in Xander’s care. “What happened?”

“A few years ago, the world was ending, and we just couldn’t fight it alone. The Big Bad of the moment was having potential Slayers killed, trying to end the Slayer line. We needed help, so we changed history. We activated them all. Every potential Slayer in the world became a Slayer, with supernatural strength and abilities. And we won, the world didn’t end.... And then we had to face the consequences. We didn’t think about how far reaching our actions would be. Or how young some of the girls would be.”

“The little ones? They’re all Slayers too?” Tony asked in disbelief.

“Yes, even them. And we can’t uncall them. There are hundreds of them, Tony. We traveled the world, finding as many as we could. Now we train them, make sure they know how to use the power they have, how to control their strength, how to fight the demons that are drawn to them because they’re Slayers. Eventually, some will return home to protect their villages and towns. Some girls were exiled from their homes because they are considered cursed or demonic themselves. Many of the littlest ones were abandoned as babies because their parents couldn’t handle them or they were seen as devil’s spawn,” Xander said sadly.

“And now they have you.” Tony’s voice was equally soft.

Xander snorted. He didn’t think that was a fair trade off.

“I’m guessing you’ve loved them more than enough to make up for it. You’re probably a better parent than their own would have been anyway,” Tony offered.

They stood together, their arms wrapped around each other for a long time.

“So that guy, he was a vampire, not a human, right? He was already dead? So you didn’t murder him, you killed the demon who was wearing his body?” Tony asked.

“Pretty much. Are you going to break up with me now?” Xander asked.

“No, dufus. I’m just glad I’m not dating a criminal. I don’t think they let you have conjugal visits if you’re a boyfriend,” Tony said with a smirk.

“Boyfriend? Dating? As in more than one date?” Xander asked hopefully.

“Uh-huh. Now let’s get to my car. We’ve had enough life changing conversations in dark alleys for the night.”

“Works for me. I’m guessing the naughty fun touching mood has been broken by the unfortunate intrusion and shortened existence of that bloodsucker, huh?” Xander questioned.

“Pretty much,” Tony agreed.

As they settled into his car, as Xander was buckling his seatbelt, Tony asked, “So what’s up with Angel and Spike?”