Disclaimer: The characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to J. Whedon, etc. The characters of Without A Trace belong to CBS, etc. All are used here without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Crossover: Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Without A Trace
Rating: Suitable for people over 13
Characters: Xander Harris, Danny Taylor
Word Count: 516

A Matter Of Jurisdiction
By Beriaearwen

Danny stood quietly by the side of the door. Jack asked him to stay behind with the family while the others performed their various tasks. Normally he preferred to be in the field rather than with the worried family, but something about these people pulled at him.

Glancing at his watch, he pulled his phone to check in with Jack when a car pulled up the driveway and came to a stop. An average sized, dark-haired man wearing an eye patch stepped out the passenger side of the car. Three young women, the oldest of whom couldn’t be more than twenty also exited the vehicle.

“Do you recognize them?” he asked the family quietly. The mother took a look and shook her head.

Shifting slightly, Danny made sure his gun was within easy reach.

A knock on the door sounded and he moved to open it. Ensuring the chain remained on, he opened the door. “Yes?” he asked.

The man from the car offered a pleasant smile. “Special Agent Danny Taylor of the FBI Missing Person Division?” the man said.

Danny felt all his senses go on alert. The man hadn’t so much asked a question as made a positive identification. “And you are?”

“Alexander Harris, but everyone calls me Xander,” he replied, the pleasant smile still in place. Reaching out he offered a business card to the man. “You might want to take that and call your boss. This case is out of your jurisdiction and I’m afraid you don’t have clearance to continue working on it. I suggest you call your boss to verify the authenticity of those orders as well as my authority to take over the investigation. We’ll be waiting out here until you’re done.”

Closing the door, Danny prepared to do exactly as the young man suggested, but already knew the answer he would receive. He trusted his instincts and his instincts told him this man would take over his case.

A few minutes later, he closed his phone, explained the situation to the family and opened the door. The quartet of newcomers stepped inside and the youngest of the girls immediately headed toward the family while the other two took positions in the room that allowed them unimpeded lines of sight as well as room to move.

Danny started a little as a warm hand landed on his shoulder. He turned and met Xander’s eyes. He saw in them the same need he saw in his own and in his teams when someone went missing. “You’ll let me know when you find her?” He didn’t even hesitate to use the word ‘when’. He could see the determination in all their eyes.

Xander just nodded and ushered him out of the house.

Four hours later as the team prepared to leave for the day, Danny spotted Xander Harris stepping off the elevator. He looked like he’d been in a fight, appeared utterly exhausted, but the look in his eye and the small smile on his face told Danny all he needed to know without the young man saying a word.

End

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