Target Practice

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/NCIS/Arrow (my life has become the Twilight Zone legit so...yeah, crazy crossovers will still be inbound.  also, if my life ever calms down, I'll actually get back to some of my old series, but right now it's whatever I've got motivation/energy for, which is going to be utterly random)
Chapter Summary: Gibbs finds Xander at a different kind of shooting range...
Word Count: 707
Rating: Gen

        It had been hard to tell whether the comment about the bow had just been a flippant one, but from the fact that they find Xander at an archery range and the practiced ease as he nocks the arrow, smoothly pulls back, and lets go, only for the arrow to bury itself in the center of the target, cracking one in the giant cluster, he honestly had meant it.
        “We might want to call off our beautiful computer witches before they hurt each other,” he calls, letting off another arrow.  DiNozzo jumps, while Gibbs is just amused.  Given how aware and alert Xander had been in interrogation, the fact that he’d noticed them coming is anything but surprising.  “They’re turning it into all-out war and it’s going to get ugly.”
        “That’s a nice grouping, but you’re breaking your equipment,” Gibbs states, feeling this is permission to approach.
        Xander grins.  “I’ve got more.  Fortunately, my friends are willing to pay to replace supplies.  I might have broken the target a little, but I got banned from the baseball machine.”
        “If you were shooting the balls, I can understand why,” DiNozzo winces, looking a little disturbed, and Xander just turns his wide grin on the agent, who blanches.  Gibbs actually chuckles at that.
        “If they weren’t working at cross purposes, they’d be best friends, and, like many of my friends, could take over the world.”  Another arrow.  “I’d like to meet her myself.  It might interest you to know,” and it buries itself amongst the others, “…that Willow’s opening salvo was finding the very interesting results of a DNA test.  On one hand, I’m not sure when you planned on telling me, but on the other hand, there’s normally no real good way to say ‘hey, you’re a bastard, but you’re my son’.  Meant in only the most literal of ways, of course, and I’m proud of it because you seem like a fairly good person, unlike Ol’ Drunken and Abusive.”
        It’s Gibbs’ turn to be at a loss, briefly.  “It still wasn’t a good first impression.”
        “If you come bringing food or get me food, all is forgiven,” Xander responds easily, unstringing the bow in one smooth motion and replacing a few arrows in the quiver at his back.  “Nothing fake, though.  I will forever dream about Twinkies, but given that they make me sick in real life these days, they will forever remain a dream out of reach.”
        DiNozzo makes a disgusted face, and Xander laughs freely.  It’s a nice sound, rather than a tense or nervous son.  “Yeah, yeah.  Go to Africa for a few years and eat natural food and you come back and suddenly can’t deal with normal food.  It’s a curse, but a curse I’m willing to stomach.”  He winks, which looks a little odd with only the one eye.
        “I have announcements to make over dinner, but I only got permission for this little show & tell for four people—you, DiNozzo, Ducky, and Abby.”
        DiNozzo blinks.  “Cait has clearance for Air Force One.”
        “Her accusing me of being a misogynist when I’ve been doing my very best to shed years of training from Tony Harris, Bastard Supreme, kind of rubbed me the wrong way,” Xander confesses.  “Plus, Willow got off her computer war long enough to declare a no-go, and when it comes to that sort of recommendation we’re all good to listen to her.  I can try to get more out of her, but didn’t really at the time, given that she immediately got back on to resume her feud.”
        Xander slides into the back and doesn’t even bat an eye at the way the car peels out.  “I really would’ve liked to postpone this whole thing, since I’d rather a better impression on New and Improved Biodad myself, but if we don’t disarm both sides we’ll only have ourselves to blame when World War III deletes the entire internet.  Then, the world.”
        “My wife and child were killed while I was on duty.  Trust me, I won’t run from family,” Gibbs promises, and it’s kind of depressing how that actually gets the kid to relax.  What sort of secrets could he be hiding that he thinks are that awful?