Watcher 11
“Come on Xand honey you’ve got to wake up. Prom’s three weeks off, and this girl’s not gonna take a coma as an excuse for not having a date.” Faith stroked her boyfriend’s hair even as she fought back tears. It was three days since they’d rescued Xander and Angel from Dalton’s gang, and Xander still hadn’t regained consciousness. Although his physical injuries were many and painful the doctors thought that wasn’t the reason he hadn’t worked up. They said his mind had somehow shut down to hide from his brutalisation. The only question was when he would awaken.
A single tear rolled down her cheek. It didn’t matter how long it took, the first thing he’d see when he woke would be her face. She hadn’t left his side in the past three days. Joyce would bring her food at lunch, either Wes or G would turn up in the evening with some dinner and her schoolbooks (bummer), while Angel and Buff would turn up after patrol with supper. Everybody, even Wes, had been great. But she just wanted her baby back.
“Any change?”
She tensed at the voice, great, she tried to get on with Willow, she really did, for Xander’s sake if nothing else, but the two of them just couldn’t hit it off. “No Red.” She didn’t take her eyes away from Xander’s unmoving body.
She was surprised when the Wicca squeezed her shoulder before walking over to the other side of the bed. “Xander’s a fighter Faith.” Faith nodded even as she noticed Willow looked unusually pale; her eyes lacked some of their sparkle. Xander’s coma was hitting them all hard. After a few minutes the Wicca spoke. “You really care for him don’t you?”
Faith laughed bitterly. “Before Xand I thought caring made you weak, but being here, seeing him like this takes more strength than anything I’ve ever done.” She paused to squeeze Xander’s hand. “Before Xand, all the guys I’d ever known had taught me that love was just a cheap con used to get a girl into bed. I get to Sunnyd and my first thought is why you dumb bitches were letting Oz and Xand sniff around you. Why don’t you just use ‘em and lose ‘em? Guys are just good for one thing.”
“But now?”
“At first I thought Xander’s caring was just another angle. I want to help you, befriend you,” she snorted bitterly, remembering a more naive Faith who’d actually fallen for the act and paid the price, “befriend you right into bed. Then he fucking saved my life. And it was like wow, this guy gave enough of a crap to risk his own life to help me. So I took him back to my motel room and had sex.”
“What was it like?”
“Geez, what is it with you Red? Into a little partner swapping? ‘Cause I’m gotta say I’m betting Wolfie has hidden depths,” she let out her first genuine laugh in days at the red-head’s shocked face before sobering. “Just jerking your chain Red. Strictly a one man woman these days. Xand was pretty good for a first-timer, not the best I’ve ever had, but so sweet and gentle, like I really meant something to him,” Faith glanced to the floor, ashamed. “He touched something inside of me, something I’d tried to kill. It freaked me out, so I threw him out, left the poor guy thinking he was lousy.”
“That was uncool.”
Faith nodded at the condemnation she heard in the red-head’s voice. “I know Red, I hurt him a lot,“ she smiled suddenly. “By the way Red you might wanna ask B what really happened to Xand the night we had the big throwdown with the Sisterhood.”
“What are you talking about?” Willow glared suspiciously at the body on the bed. “And why did you decide try again with Xander?”
“Oh,” Faith realised she would have to be careful about what she said next. “Just over a month ago I got real pissed with Sunnyd, being in B’s shadow, I’ve never run with a crew before, or been good at taking orders, plus I was still wigged about what I felt for Xand so I decided to cut and run. Anyway, Xand turned up as I was leaving and,” she paused, suddenly nervous. “You can’t tell Wes this, I’m trusting you.”
After a second the red-head nodded. “Okay.”
“Well you know how mule-headed he can be. He tried to stop me from leaving, told me that I had people who cared for me, a chance to make something for myself. I got real mad, yelled at him, threatened him, but he wouldn’t back down, so I told him I wasn’t staying around for another roll with him, that he hadn’t had been any good the first time.” Faith flinched at the memory of the pain she’d seen in Xander’s eyes at that remark, it had really hurt him. “But he still wouldn’t back down, so I,” she braced herself for the inevitable explosion. “I beat him up.”
“You did what!” for a second Faith could have sworn the Wicca’s eyes flashed black. Suddenly she felt very scared. “I ought to -.”
“Do your worse Red,” she looked down at the floor, ashamed at her actions, unwilling to meet the witch’s eyes. “It can’t be any shittier than how I felt when his body lay at my feet. The only guy who’d treated me as a person and I’d beaten him to a pulp.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure, my worst is pretty bad.” The Wicca relaxed slowly. “So what happened next?”
“I was going to leave him, but I knew I’d be killing him so I picked him up and took him back by to my motel room, dressed his wounds and,” a fond smile flickered across her face. She’d loved that part of the night, holding him in her arms, protecting him while he’d comforted her with his presence. “In the morning he told me to call B, Fang, and G and we had a council of war. Xander had it all planned, he told me I had to move in with B, and start school again so I felt more part of you all, less cut off. Then he came up with his other rule – told me I had to stop sleeping around -. I was so pissed; I was ready to tear his head off.”
“What again?”
Faith flushed at the Wicca’s biting reminder of her behaviour before speaking, her eyes starting to sparkle as she recounted the instant she knew she loved Xander. She remembered every word he’d said. “When I got mad, he just looked at me and told me I was a beautiful woman who was passionate, smart, funny and brave. That I was somebody who was worth more than just being a notch on somebody’s bedpost. Someone who deserved to be loved and valued by someone in a relationship. If it had just been me and him in the room I’d have cried as it was I was speechless,” she chuckled. “Which got a belly-laugh from Fang if you can believe that? Later, when it was just the two of us I asked him out, but he said no.”
“No? But you’re dating!”
”Yeah,” Faith nodded, “but he said he didn’t want me to just date him ‘cause he
was the only guy I knew. But if after a month at school I hadn’t met anybody I
was interested in, he’d be there like a shot. I agreed but I knew there wasn’t
any other guy for me.” The smile slipped from her face. “I know you don’t like
me and I don’t blame you. I was pretty crappy to you when I first landed in
Sunnyd. You’re a real cool person, compassionate, smart with plenty of guts and
Xander did a damn fine job picking you as his best bud. I know we’ll never be
buds but I hope we can get on better for his sake,” Faith nodded towards her
boy-friend’s bed-ridden form.
Her words were followed by a long silence. “Who says we can’t be friends,” the Wicca smiled at her surprised look. “Faith, I never hated you, envied you a little for the way Xander looked at you and the connection you had with Buffy sure, but hate no. You were mean to me, but you also saved my life. Xander was right, you are a good person, you’ve just had a life that makes it hard for you to open up, trust people. But if you want to be friends we can try. Besides,” Willow giggled, “anyone who Cordelia hates is alright by me.”
Suddenly a rasping voice joined the conversation. “God will you two stop with the bonding and start with the hot lesbian action. A guy could die of boredom here.”
Faith’s head snapped towards the bed. A delighted look spread slowly across her face, she leapt onto the bed, threw her arms around Xander’s neck and hugged him. “You’re awake!” she sobbed, tears rolling down her face. “You’re awake!”
“But not for long if you don’t loosen your grip.”
“Oh sorry baby,” Faith reluctantly eased her boyfriend back to the bed and leapt off. “How ya feelin? You want anything?”
Xander grinned. “We’ll start with a kiss and work from there,” he rasped.
“Got his energy back quickly didn’t he,” Willow commented. “I’ll go and get a nurse.” Still grinning, the Witch leaned over Xander and kissed him on the forehead. “Good to have you back Xander,” the Wicca turned to her, “I’ll ring the others.”
“Good to be back Wills.”
Once the door had shut behind the Witch, Xander spoke. ”So you only want me for a prom date?”
“Hey it’s social death not to have a
prom date.”
”There’s always Wes or Gil-, ow!” the man rubbed his arm where she’d hit him.
“How long you’d been awake?”
Her boyfriend grinned weakly. “Started hearing stuff about twenty minutes ago, but it took a while for everything to start working properly.”
“So, no change there then,” she chuckled at the look on her baby’s face before turning serious. “How ya feelin?”
Xander grimaced. “Like hell.”
Faith felt tears burn her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t get there quicker,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“Hey, I’ll get better,” Xander winked at her. “I have to. Got this fiery brunette babe to escort to a prom. Word is she’s vicious when she’s disappointed and I really don’t want to piss her off.”
She giggled before moving forward and stroking his hair. She took a deep breath, she was going to open her heart to him, she’d never done that before, not to anybody. “When I first came to Sunnyd, I thought you were a wuss,” she laughed self-consciously. “Then you had to save my life. That night we had sex was wonderful, the sweetest time I’ve ever had. After I threw you out I cried ‘cause I knew I was treating the best guy I’d ever met like crap.”
“Hey baby, it doesn’t matter.”
“Yes it does,” she insisted tearfully. “Then despite all I’d done you cared enough to stop me running out, not because you wanted an easy lay, but because you gave a damn about me. When you told me I had to stop sleeping around because I was worth more than that. I knew what I was feeling for you – it was,” she nearly choked on the word, “it was love. You make me feel happier than I’ve ever felt, that I’m worth something-.”
“Faith,” Xander’s gentle voice broke in. “You are worth something, a hell of a lot. I’m the lucky one.” She opened her mouth but her boyfriend interrupted her again. “No listen, I can’t believe this gorgeous woman feels about me the way I feel about her.”
“You mean?” she grinned in disbelief, he couldn’t feel the same, could he?
“Well of course, now shut up and kiss me.”
Watcher 12
At the tap on his bedroom window Xander staggered to his feet, grabbed a stake from his bedside cabinet and cautiously opened the window. His eyes widened at the sight that greeted him. “What are -.” His words were cut off by the Slayer’s lips pressing against his as she climbed through his window before releasing him.
“Nine weeks since the first time we did it,” Faith whispered throatily into his ear. “I’m not waiting any longer.”
Xander’s eyes bulged. “G-man is in the next room.”
Faith giggled. “Then you’ll have to make sure you don’t,” he was unable to prevent a yelp from escaping when the Slayer squeezed his groin, “make too much noise.” Brushing aside any more of his feeble protests, the girl pulled off her top to reveal her perfectly rounded and firm breasts. Smirking at his awed expression, Faith allowed him to fondle and kiss them for a while before tearing off his top and starting to kiss his scarred body.
Xander moaned as the Slayer slowly ran her moist tongue in a horizontal line across his chest while at the same time massaging his groin. Suddenly Faith pulled away, a grin on her face and pulled her top back on. “See you Xand.”
His eyes bulged in disbelief. “You can’t leave me like this,” he hissed.
His girlfriend pouted playfully. “But Xand it’s only your first night out of hospital. You’re really hard to resist but I can’t risk putting you back in there.”
“That’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
“Ah,” Faith grinned, “but I’m thinking of your health,” the brunette kissed him on his forehead before making for the window. “That was just a welcome home present. Get your strength back and you never know what’ll happen next time I visit.”
Xander shook his head as Faith climbed
out of the window before grinning slowly. “That’s some incentive.”
* * *
“Did you have any late-night visitors Xander?”
Xander stopped packing his locker and groaned. One day back at school and already a laughing stock. Forcing a smile, he turned to a grinning Buffy. “Just what would you be referring to Miss Summers?”
“Oh I think you know.”
He glanced behind to see a laughing Willow. “Oh wonderful, now I-Humiliate-Xander is on speed dial,” he repeatedly banged his head against his locker door before getting an even more disturbing thought. His face pale, he pulled away from the locker and glanced from girl to girl. “Tell me nobody’s told G-Man.”
Before either girl could reassure him there came a bone-chilling cry. “Xander! The library now! And bring Faith!”
He looked at the two girls, his heart pounding furiously. “You didn’t? He’ll kill me, there won’t be enough left for a DNA sample.”
Buffy laughed. “Relax Xander, we haven’t said anything to Giles. Angel had a good laugh when I told him this morning though.” The blonde’s forehead furrowed. “I wonder why he wants just you two though?”
Xander relaxed slightly, well at least he wasn’t going to die.
* * *
Xander looked from Giles and Wesley, both Watchers had highly forbidding expressions. He glanced at Faith, having filled her in on the possible situation she looked as worried as he felt. “Uh,” he tried for innocent but failed, “what’s up guys?”
“Have either of you heard of the Tower Of Babel?”
Xander, bit back a relived gasp before
shrugging. “Not really, no,” well that sounded Watcherish so it looked as if
they’d got away with what happened last night.
“Yeah,” he turned to look at a nodding Faith, “it’s from the bible right? In the Old Testament the Babylonians decided to build a tower tall enough to reach heaven. God got pissed and made everybody speak different languages so they couldn’t work together, then he scattered them all over the earth.” Noting his surprised expression, Faith smiled sadly. “My ma remember?”
Xander winced before squeezing the brunette’s shoulders. “Sorry Faith,” he whispered in her ear, she’d told him about her mother being a bible-basher who forced her to learn long passages from the book, locking her under the stairs if she got the simplest sentence wrong, leaving her without food to ‘starve the devil out of her’. “What’s this got to do with us?”
“Yes well,” god he owed Wes for saving his girl’s life but if he didn’t loosen up soon he was so going to kick his ass, “in point of fact the story of The Tower of Babel has some basis in fact.”
“In the years that followed the first defeat of the demons,” Xander glanced across at the now speaking Giles, his heart sinking. Not one boring Englishman but two, man they were in real trouble. They were tag-teaming them now. “One of the leaders of the army of man proposed that a monument, a great city, be built to celebrate their victory. The other leaders agreed and this huge undertaking was begun. Tens of thousands worked on it, whole forests were felled to supply the wood, and hundreds of quarries divested of the stone needed for its construction. According to records, the building took sixty-seven years but was nearing completion when-.”
“Legion, the last of the demon lords, rose from beneath the city where he’d been slumbering,” Xander raised an eyebrow, so it was Wes’ turn to bore them stupid, “awakened by the builders’ constant toiling. Such was his power it took the world’s ten largest covens, over five hundred witches, warlocks, and mages in all, to imprison him. But by then the damage was done, the power of Legion was such that the knowledge of the one tongue, the language spoken by all mankind was lost, leaving in its place a multitude of languages, and the people of the world scattered to its four corners.”
“Sounds interesting,” from the disdain in his girlfriend’s tone, he sensed she found it anything but, “but what’s this got to do with us?”
“Yes quite, that is merely background for what I wish to talk to you about,” Giles glanced down at the sheaf of papers in his hand. “Since Angel’s return,” Xander’s interest quickened at the mention of his friend, “from hell I’ve been researching my library for any mention of him in prophecy.”
“Why?”
Giles looked up at Faith’s question. “Even in the admittedly strange field we work in, there is no precedent for a vampire, an ensoulled one no less, being banished to, and returning from hell. There had to be a reason for such a momentous event to occur.”
“Eh?” Faith looked at him, her confused expression belying the twinkle in her eye.
“I think what Giles was trying to say is that for Angel to return from hell something big must be planned for him.”
“Ah,” Faith nodded in understanding, “why didn’t he say that then?”
“Middle-aged,” Xander winked at his grinning girlfriend.
“Ah,” again Faith nodded before pointing
at Wes, “what’s his excuse?”
“English.”
“Ha, ha, ha.” Giles looked anything but amused. “Now back to the matter in hand. My initial studies did not unearth anything of real substance but Mr. Pryce’s addition to our team,” the older Watcher nodded to his counterpart, “brought with it a number of new texts including ‘The Annals Of Zoroaster, a Persian scholar, holy man, and rumoured magician living between 630 and 550 Bc. In it he spoke of conversations he had with his god, Ahura Mazda or Lord Wisdom, and through these conversations, Zoroaster made certain predictions, one of which relates to Angel.” Giles glanced across at Wesley, both of the Watchers’ faces were haggard and weary, as if they’d suffered long sleepless nights – not unlike him after Faith’s little visit. Although hopefully not for the same reason, ugh very scary visual place.
“And?” the Slayer in question impatiently prompted, “Jesus guys, stop fucking stalling!”
Wesley picked up a book from the desk separating them from the Watchers and began reading. “In the year 1999, Legion will escape his prison and arise at the Hellmouth,” Xander felt his heart miss a beat, oh great, another huge demon to fight – for a change. “He will be thwarted by the demon champion of mankind-.”
“Angel,” he muttered.
“The Second Slayer.” Xander glanced at Faith, that would be his girl-friend, “and,” Wesley looked him dead in the eye, “the White Knight.”
“Oh boy,” out of the corner of his eye Xander saw Faith staring at him curiously. He tried for an innocent expression. “And who would that be?”
“I told them Xander,” Xander started as Angel climbed out from the tunnel behind the Watchers, “they know what Angelus called you.”
“Xman what’s he talking about?”
Xander didn’t move his gaze from the vampire as he spoke to Faith. “When I was guarding Buffy in the hospital, Angelus called me ‘her white knight’.” He intensified his glare at the vampire. “You know for a monosyllabic vampire you can sure babble.”
“In point of fact,” Xander resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Wesley’s stuffy voice, “the word babble was derived from the biblical story -.”
“Babble? You mean like you’re doing right now?” Faith broke in, a familiar impatient note in her voice, “so what’s the sitch with this demon? How and when do we kill it?”
“Ah quite,” Giles glanced down at the paper-strewn table, “most importantly the others must be left unaware. Only the three of you are mentioned in the Annals -.”
“Too late,” Xander glanced over his shoulder to see Buffy leading the others out from behind some shelves at the back of the library, “we’re involved and we’re staying involved.”
Giles groaned. “Bloody wonderful.”
Watcher 13
Giles hid a sigh at the obstinate look on the blonde Slayer’s face as she led the others out of the stacks to confront him. He knew how pig-headed she could be, Angel’s continued existence was proof of that. “Buffy,” suddenly a thought struck him. Whirling round he glared suspiciously at the vampire. “Why didn’t you sense them?” he demanded.
An unrepentant-looking Angel shrugged. “I did.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Giles felt his blood pressure rise. “I thought we agreed that they should be kept out of this?”
“No,” the vampire corrected with a shake of his head. “You said they should, I disagreed.”
“You bloody idiot!” he roared. “You know how delicate the -.”
“Mr. Giles, if I may make a suggestion?” After a second scowling at Wesley for daring to interrupt him he nodded brusquely. The junior Watcher swallowed before continuing. “Obviously the others cannot be involved directly in the vanquishing of Legion; the prophecy is quite explicit in that. However,” Wesley glanced towards a still dazed-looking Xander. “We only have a month before Legion’s return. Surely it would make sense to intensify Xander’s training by Angel and give both Angel and Faith more time to concentrate on what’s coming. If Buffy, ourselves, and the others took up the slack on patrolling in the next month, aiding us only in emergencies, it would give their mission a much greater chance of success.”
Giles nodded slightly. Much as he hated to admit it Wesley had a point. “Very well, Angel, you and Faith will supervise Xander’s training, the rest of us will do as Wesley suggested-.”
“No way are we being sidelined!”
Giles ground his teeth together at Buffy’s shout. If she would just learn to take bloody orders things would run a lot more smoothly. Turning, he opened his mouth to rebuke the blonde Slayer. And then the library windows shattered.
* * *
Wesley’s heart dropped. When the senior Slayer had strode in, he’d feared things could have got heated, but he’d thankfully managed to defuse things with a few diplomatic phrases, always a talent of his, but somehow he didn’t feel that the most recent band of intruders would be so easily dissuaded.
The muddy brown-skinned interlopers were a swarm of demons, maybe twenty-five in number, each standing perhaps four foot in height with bulky, hunched figures and short arms and legs that ended in vicious-looking claws. Their faces were the things of nightmares, their lidless eye-sockets were completely empty, their noses pig-like-snouts, and gaping maws filled with greenish fangs. Wesley shuddered, disgusting.
“Hey chill Wes,” he started at the purr of the raven-haired Slayer in his ear as she passed him a sword. “Stop looking all green around the gills ya limey girly-man. A little bit of violence, what day’s complete without some?”
“Quite,” Wesley allowed himself a thin smile. A few weeks ago the words would have been cutting, humiliating, but now, accompanied by the slight wink and grin the Slayer had been giving him and the increased respect he’d received since saving her life during Xander’s rescue, the jibe had the opposite effect of lifting his spirits, making him feel part of the group. “Violence is always the thing to get a Neanderthal’s blood racing.”
“Yeah -,” the Bostonian’s cupid shaped mouth dropped open in realisation. “Hey!”
“Now, Faith,” Wes reproved as he moved around the table, and away from the glaring brunette beauty. “Violence awaits. And that’s a good thing, right?” he mocked.
* * *
“Fuck,” Faith muttered as she single-hand vaulted the table separating her from the on-coming demons, a rueful grin playing on her full lips. “This sitch is worse than I thought. The world is going to end if Wes manages to get me with a zinger. I’ll have to get him back later, maybe beat him up a little in sparring.”
Smirking at the thought, she launched herself into the attack.
* * *
Buffy’s eyes glittered as she drew her sword. After her conversation with Giles she could do with something to take her frustrations out on. How dare he cut her out? She was the Slayer, they needed her!
Snarling furiously, she dived at the nearest demon. At least she didn’t have to hold back like she would if she had to spar with Giles.
* * *
Angel changed into his vampiric face. “Stay close Xander,” he growled. There was something about the demons that nagged at his sub-conscious. They reminded him of something. Whatever they were.. Pushing aside his worries he launched himself forward.
* * *
“Back to back Mr. Giles?”
Giles looked at the younger Watcher with ill-concealed amusement. For all Faith had begun to wear down Wesley’s stiff upper lip ways he was still a tad pompous. “Bloody hell Pryce,” he growled. “You’re hardly asking me for a sodding dance!”
His fellow countryman in the land of savages face took on an injured look. “I’m well aware of that,” he replied loftily. “You’re simply not my type.”
“Oh yes,” Giles had to conceal a snigger. “Of course. I forgot Miss. Chase.”
The younger Englishman reddened. “Oh bugger off!”
* * *
As soon as the windows had shattered, Xander had knocked open the weapons cabinet and pulled out a double-bladed axe. Nodding at Angel’s growled command, he moved closer to his friend. “Sunnydale,” he muttered. “Where the fun never ends.” Looking out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Angel. “What’s the plan?” he asked as they moved forward.
“Let Buffy and Faith take the centre, Giles and Wesley take the left, we’ll take the right, the rest of you make sure they don’t get behind us,” Angel ordered.
Xander nodded approvingly. The vampire’s plan made sense, the right side was furthest from the sunlight and provided the most cover for his undead friend.
* * *
Faith moved smoothly towards the demons, picking out her targets, a pair of demons just ahead of the rest of the pack. The one to the right reached for her with its taloned hands but Faith’s sword flashed up, slicing the creature’s hands off at the wrists. Ignoring the monster’s screeching and the grey viscera erupting out of its stumps, she smoothly decapitated her adversary.
The other beast bounded towards her, leaping its falling companion, its cavernous mouth held open to tear into her throat and its claws shredding the air separating them. Faith dropped to her knees, ducking under the two-pronged attack. Seeing her chance, she thrust her blade upwards, the point of her sword impaling the demon through its stomach, causing it to vomit blood.
Sensing a demonic presence behind her, Faith moved into a forward roll away from her assailant before springing to her feet and twisting round to see a snarling demon charging her. Realising her sword was still wedged in one of the monster’s corpses, Faith changed her tactics. Steeling herself, she waited until the last second before smoothly sidestepping the on-rushing beast, leaving behind a knee that slammed into the creature’s heavily ridged stomach with bruising impact.
Wincing slightly at the pain in her knee, she moved gracefully behind her doubled-up adversary, hooked its thickly muscled neck with her right arm, grabbed the beast's forehead and twisted violently. Hearing the sound of the creature’s neck snapping, she dropped its limp carcass. “Who’s next?”
* * *
Instead of charging to meet the demons, Xander waited with Angel for the demons to come to them. When they did Xander crashed his left heel into the creature’s distended yet muscular belly, gasping in surprised pain at the resistance he met. Ignoring the throbbing in his leg, he brought his axe down in an overhead swing, slicing the demon’s head from bald forehead to chin, spewing brains out as it pitched to the ground.
As he dragged his axe out he saw another demon approaching him out of the corner of his eye. His elbow shot out instantly, the point catching the demon full in its snout. The demon’s nose shattered, blood exploding from the ruined muzzle. Before his dazed adversary could recover, he sent his axe slicing through the beast’s trunk-like neck, its head bouncing as it hit the floor.
Xander risked a glance around, a slight smile tugged at his mouth as he saw his love moving gracefully from the demons, leaving devastation in her path. Suddenly his world exploded in pain as one of the demons raked him down his back, its claws shredding his lats almost to the bone as blood pumped out…
He heard a demonic half-hiss, half-snarl in his ear. “The Trinity Of Champions will not stand!” And then he plunged to the floor, his senses reeling as he plummeted into a dark pit.
* * *
Faith grinned as the final demon fell, her seventh. Another battle won, another enemy defeated, and another day survived. She looked around to check that everyone was five by five, her heart stopping as she saw Xander’s crumpled body on the ground, a weeping Willow knelt beside him. “Nooooooo!”
Watcher 14
In an instant Faith was beside her boyfriend, only managing to restrain herself from pushing the redhead out of the way. “W..what happened?” her voice trembled as she stared bleary-eyed at her boyfriend keeping her eyes fixed on his face, god he looked peaceful, not dead just peaceful, unable to focus on the blood pooling out of his back. Realising she hadn’t received an answer to her question, she repeated it. “What happened?”
“A demon got him from behind,” Angel replied shakily. “I killed it a half-second later.”
“You were meant to be protecting him!” she screamed, Faith’s head snapped up, the rage in her eyes causing the vampire to take a step back. “He trusted you! I trust-”
“FAITH!” She started at Wesley’s bellow, turned her gaze towards the Watcher, and opened her mouth to shout an angry reply only to close it at the twin cold looks in both her Watchers’ eyes. “Angel is a member of our team,” the Watcher said, his tone cooler but still angry. “I’m sure he did everything he could to ensure Xander’s safety, moreover Xander knew and accepted the risks when he decided to help us did he not? And surely the most important thing is not blaming one another but helping him?”
After a second the logic of Wesley’s words permeated through her grief. Using the back of her hand she wiped her teary eyes before nodding. She looked up at a squeeze on her shoulder and smiled up at Oz’s calm face, man that guy had ice water running through his veins, before speaking. “Five by five,” she ignored the hoarse tremble in her voice. “So what we gonna do?”
“First,” Giles crouched down beside her boyfriend’s body. The Watcher bit down on his bottom lip as if steeling himself. “First-.”
“Just what have you and your band of thugs been up to! The school board will hear of this outrage I can assure you!”
Faith’s head snapped towards the door, a hateful snarl exploding from her mouth at the sight of a sneering Snyder stood just inside the library entrance, his disdainful gaze sweeping the battleground. “Leave. Now,” she ordered, her voice low and dangerous.
Snyder’s eyes focused on her like a sniper’s laser-sight. “Oh look, it’s Faith Lawson, of course I’d-.”
“I’d close your mouth right now,” Wesley moved between them and the Principal.
Snyder’s face paled. “Who do you think -.”
“Are you a complete idiot?”
“Now see hear-.”
“Because,” the younger Watcher overrode the voice of Sunnydale’s headmaster. “I’m sure that despite all appearances to the contrary you’re not a complete idiot. Surely you must know Miss. Summers and Miss. Lawson are not run of the mill.”
“I know they’re the two worst troublemakers-, ugh!”
The headmaster’s voice was cut off when Wesley slammed a forearm into the teacher’s throat and drove him into the wall. “Well maybe,” the Watcher’s whisper cut through the hushed library. “You are even more of a simpleton that I imagined. In that case, I’ll spell it out to you. Both Buffy and Faith are supernatural warriors who, despite your best efforts at sabotage and obstruction, have executed their duties with amazing diligence. Now one of the immensely brave children who have helped them conduct their work has been injured. I’d thank you to leave us to take care of him.” Wesley released his grip.
Snyder looked up at the Englishman, his eyes filled with disbelief as he massaged his throat. “You’ll hear about this I’ll -.”
“You’ll do what?” Wesley demanded. “Your sponsor the Mayor has been slain by one of his many rivals. Without his protection the organisation I work for could end your employment with a single phone call. And,” Wes took a step towards the principal. “I could do rather more personal damage. Now get out.”
His face pale and sweaty, the headmaster rushed out of the room, leaving the double doors swinging behind him. Faith shot Wes a grateful glance before looking at Xander then, forcing his gaze away at Giles. “What’s the plan G?”
“First,” the older Watcher smiled reassuringly at her, but the smile didn’t make it into his worried eyes. “We have to roll him over and see how bad the damage is. Buffy?”
“Sure Giles.” Her blonde counterpart eased her boyfriend over onto his side.
“How strange,” Giles muttered.
“W…what’s up G?” Faith couldn’t see much through the tears misting in her eyes.
“The wounds don’t seem deep at all, certainly not enough to cause such blood loss or knock Xander out. Perhaps magic is involved.”
“It is.”
Giles’ head snapped up to stare at a haggard looking Angel. “You smell something?” the middle-aged Englishman demanded.
“I smell something, but it’s more than that,” the vampire gestured towards the rapidly decaying demonic bodies scattered through the wrecked library. “I knew I recognised them when they came in but it’s only just hit me.” The former Scourge of Europe sighed wearily. “It was the 1830s-.”
“When you were Angelus?” commented Wesley, a note of scholarly interest in his voice.
“Yeah, Darla and I were running low in funds so we did a deal to supply four virgins to a demonic cult for sacrifice, two males and two females. Whenever we did one of these deals I always researched the other party for safety and interest’s sake. They were Seguidors-.”
“Followers,” breathed Wesley.
“What!” Faith cried her never-long patience snapping. This history lesson was all very interesting but it didn’t help her baby.
Giles turned to her. “These demons are Legion’s minions, the scouts of his return. Wesley, the book.”
“Ah here it is. The Seguidors although physically quite dangerous are little more than drones, the embodiment of their master’s will on this plane before his return. Good lord,” Giles looked up, his face paling. “Although quite deadly to normal humans, anyone of the ‘Trinity’,” the Englishman’s gaze took in her, her baby, and Angel, “cannot be physically harmed by them-.”
“Physically harmed!” Faith screamed. “He’s in a fucking coma!”
“Faith,” the Englishman’s expression remained calm in the face of her outburst. “Look at his injuries, they’re hardly extensive enough to cause such a reaction. Moreover, the book refers to a time where one of the Champions would be weakened by the Seguidors and his best friend and love would have to travel into his subconscious to rescue him. That means Faith and Angel.”
“Wait!” Willow protested, her face pale. “I’m Xander’s best friend!”
“Yes,” Wesley interrupted. “However the prophecy indicates that the ‘Mind-Quest’ is completed by one member of each gender. Besides we need you to execute the ‘Ritual Of Transference’.”
“Will,” Buffy commented. “It makes sense, if they need muscle Angel’s better equipped anyway.”
“Oh,” Willow nodded. “Okay then.”
“Xander’s subconscious,” she heard Angel mutter. “And I thought hell was scary.” The vampire sighed. “What do we do?”
Faith shot the vampire a grateful glance as she clung to her boyfriend’s hand. God, he felt so cold – he could almost be dead. She shuddered at the thought. “Willow,” Giles nodded towards the red-headed witch. “Will under our supervision do a spell that transports yours and Faith’s subconscious into Xander’s subliminal minds where it will be up to you two to encourage him to come back-.”
“I’ll just flash him,” Faith’s feeble attempt at a joke failed to raise her spirits.
“Well if you need to practice.”
This time she chuckled as she flipped Wesley the bird. “In your dreams tea drinker,” she jibed before smiling weakly, appreciative of his attempt to raise her spirits.
“But,” Giles’ tone turned even grimmer. “If you fail, you’ll be trapped inside Xander’s mind, unable to return to your bodies.”
“Shit,” Faith muttered, she had to do it, but she couldn’t force the vamp. She looked up at the former Scourge of Europe, her liquid brown eyes pleading. “Angel?”
“He’s my friend,” Angel replied simply.
“Thanks Fang,” she nodded gratefully to the vampire before turning her attention back to the older Watcher. “How does this go down?”
“We’ll draw a mystic circle around Xander. Then you and Angel will have lie on either side of Xander-.”
“Hey Fang, me, and Xman in a threesome. Jealous B?” Faith babbled, desperate for any humour to take away her worry.
“Very amusing Faith,” Giles sighed. “And then Willow will recite the spell.”
“That it?” the older Watcher nodded. Faith turned to Angel. “You ready?”
* * *
Buffy bit back a gasp when her boyfriend’s body went limp and the light left his eyes. If he’d have been human she’d have believed he was nothing but a corpse. “What next?” she was surprised when her voice didn’t shake.
“Next,” Giles hefted his crossbow. “We must ensure that nobody attempts to breaks the circle.”
“Is there nothing more we can do?” Willow demanded.
“All we can do is wait,” Wesley replied.
Watcher (15/?)
“This is the inside of Xander’s brain?” Faith glanced around.
Angel looked up and down the featureless corridor. “His consciousness actually. It’s quieter than I expected.”
“What did you expect Fang? Piles of junk food, comic books heroes, spaceships maybe ?” the ravishing brunette nudged him with her hip and winked. “Dancing naked Faiths maybe? ‘Cause if you want a show..”
Angel groaned. “Can we change the subject?” Faith was a great kid, but sometimes…
“Five by five,” Faith nodded slowly before grinning. “So Angel, when you were a bad ass back in the day did you eat anyone famous? Inquiring minds want to know!”
Angel ground his teeth together. Xander really, really owed him for this.
* * *
“Damn it!” Faith’s short temper exploded. Whirling round, she glared at her companion as if he was to blame for their predicament. “We’ve been walking for fucking hours!”
“Actually we haven’t,” the vampire corrected. God, she hated how fucking calm he remained, it was like he didn’t give a shit about her Xander. She knew it wasn’t true but it seemed like it sometimes. If only he’d show some damn emotion. “Time doesn’t move here as it does normally.”
“Uh?” She thought he was talking English but she couldn’t be sure.
“In the outside world, time could have been moving faster or slower than it does inside Xander’s consciousness,” the vampire explained, his tone patient.
“So we could have been in here for months!” Oh this was getting better and better, she would have kicked one of the corridor’s if not for the damage it might cause Xander. ”Oh this is fucking A!” her glare intensified. “Only one of us is immortal you know!”
“Yes,” Angel replied, the first flicker of irritation on his rugged features. “And only one of us is wishing the other had a stake to shove through the other’s heart. Anything to end this moaning.” Faith's mouth opened in reply but her companion beat her to it. “Look Faith, the time-drag won’t be that much, we’ll just have to keep walking.”
“And that’s another thing, how the fuck do we know we’re even heading in the right direction?
Angel shrugged. “We don’t, all we can to do is follow the path, there’s been no turn-off so we have to be heading in the right direction.”
“That’s it?” Faith couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’ve been around for countless centuries -.”
“Two and a half actually,” the vampire sounded offended.
“And after all that time, that’s all you know, keep walking? You’re a fucking genius you know that don’t you? And what do we do when we find Xander?”
“We’ll find that out when we get there.”
“Oh this gets better and better,” Faith muttered. Xan owed her some serious payback after this bullshit.
“This is worse than hell,” Angel mumbled. “Slayer nagging, I think I preferred banshee screaming.”
“Shut up Fang. Christ this is boring, keep me entertained, sing a song or something. ”
“You like Barry Manilow?”
Faith shuddered. “Silence is golden.”
“Sister,” Angel muttered, “you’re preaching to the converted.”
* * *
“How long’s it been now?”
Giles bit back the urge to swear at Buffy’s question. “About ten minutes since you last asked.” Ignoring the blonde’s glare, he turned to his fellow countryman. “Any change?”
Wesley shook his head, his face haggard
with the strain. “None.”
Giles grimaced, Angel and Faith had been gone for over nine hours now. The sun had long since set, but nobody was in any mood to patrol. He looked at the book he’d pulled out of the shelves, intending to research Legion, and cursed as he suddenly realised he’d been reading a cookery book for the last few hours. “Stupid bugger.”
“What will they face?”
Giles turned and smiled at a frightened-looking Willow, in an attempt to reassure the redhead. Finally, a sensible question. “The texts relating to the ‘Mind-Quest’ are somewhat obscure and highly muddled, however they do refer to ‘The Trial Of Inner Fears’.”
“Trial of Inner Fears? That doesn’t sound good.”
Giles looked up at Joyce who’d arrived minutes after a tearful Buffy had phoned her with news of what had happened to comfort them all and to see what was happening with her ‘new daughter’. “Yes, as I said the texts are quite vague, but it seems that the trial involves the ‘visitors’, that being Faith and Angel, encouraging the ‘prisoner’, of course Xander, to face his greatest fear. As I understand it, ‘The Trial’ tests if the capacity for love is greater than the capacity for fear within the prisoner. Once they succeed, Xander and the others will return.”
“And if they don’t succeed in getting Xander to face his fear?” Joyce demanded.
Giles swallowed, oh dear, first the annoying question, then the intelligent question, and finally the question he didn’t want to answer. Bloody marvellous. He opened his mouth to stammer out what he hoped would be an evasive answer only to be interrupted by Willow’s cry. “Something’s happening!”
* * *
“We’re here.”
“Yeah,” Faith nodded. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the tunnel they were travelling down had darkened until now they were in a gloomy cavern, its swirling shadows making seeing difficult. “And where’s here?”
“The centre of Xander’s mind,” Angel replied.
Faith’s breath caught. “You said he’d be round here, where is he?”
Faith started off into the darkness but the vampire pulled her back. “I said a physical representation of how he sees himself. Be careful it might be dangerous.”
“Xander would never hurt me!” Faith glared at the vampire. “What the fuck are -.”
“Of course he wouldn’t,” the former
Scourge Of Europe’s face remained. “But his greatest fear might.”
“Five by five,” Faith nodded. She guessed the vampire was right. “I’m sorry for -.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Angel gave her shoulder a squeeze. “I understand. You’re worried about Xander. Let’s find him and bring him home.”
“Yeah, where do we start?”
“Just stay close.”
After a couple of minutes, Angel placed a hand on her shoulder. “Over here,” he whispered.
Faith’s heart leapt as she saw three silhouettes in the distance. She started forward only for B’s boyfriend to restrain her again. “Remember careful.”
“Yeah,” it was an effort but she managed to quell her impatience. Then her brow furrowed. “Why’s there three of him?”
“Look at them what do you see?”
Faith squinted through the shadows. One of the figures was that of a kid maybe nine years old, with a bruised face and frightened eyes, the second was stood ramrod straight his eyes fixed firmly on something in the distance, the third, the third was wicked weird, as a predator herself she could recognise one when she saw one, there was something animalistic about it. Suddenly she had it. “They’re the hyena and soldier who possessed Xman right?”
“Right, it’s unprecedented but I’m guessing that each of his avatars have a separate part of his consciousness meaning they have to represented at the meeting.”
Faith struggled to make sense of what the vampire had said, she guessed it made sense, except…. “But who’s the third one, that’s not boytoy!” Her boyfriend was a terrified, shaking mess, this was bullshit, he was her hero, the strong, funny guy who lovingly looked after her, put her back together after Finch.
“Isn’t it?” Angel’s voice had hardened, grown angry. “You know how his father treated him.”
“Ah bullshit,” Faith scoffed. “Xander wouldn’t let that bastard effect him like this, that’d be like letting him win.”
“Why did you act the way you did before you started dating Xander?”
Faith flinched at Angel’s softly spoken words. She saw the vampire’s point. She’d hidden the hurt caused her mother’s neglect and the abuse meted out to her by a succession of her ma’s boyfriends behind a layer of devil-may-care bullshit that nobody until Xander had cared enough to try to pierce . Well he’d helped her, it was time for her to repay the favour. Shrugging away her companion’s hands she hurried over to the cowering figure, ignoring both the soldier’s searching look and the beast’s lecherous one. “Hey baby,” she forced an unaccustomed softness into her voice, despite playing the nurse fantasy for a number of guys she really wasn’t cut out for the role. “I’m here now,” she whispered, ignoring the boy’s trembling, she eased his hands away from his face, her heart clenching painfully at the terror she saw there. Keeping her voice low, she forced a smile, kissed him softly on the forehead, and began wiping his face clean. “Me and Fang have come to take y-.”
“H…he’s coming,” Xander’s voice shook even as tears rolled down his face.
Faith looked around, aside from an approaching Angel, she couldn’t see anything. “Who’s coming kiddo,” she tried for a light tone but couldn’t wholly manage it, Xander’s terror was infectious. “Wanna give me a clue?”
“HE’S COMING!”
Suddenly the cavern lightened to reveal a hundred or so clones of the same man, a big, fat sneering figure. “Hello son.” The cavern shook to the chorus of the men’s voice.
* * *
Giles’ eyes widened as all three bodies began to shake, the energy emitted by their bodies encompassing them in a pulsing white glow. Instantly the blonde Slayer started forward. Giles lunged forward, grabbing her arm and pushing her back. “NO!”
“They need our help!”
“Buffy, if we break the pentagram that is it!” he exclaimed. “Even if they complete the test successfully they will be stuck in their bodies forever, doomed to repeat the test over and over.”
“So what do we do?”
Seeing the desperation in his surrogate daughter’s eyes he pulled her into a hug. “We wait,” he murmured into her ear. “We wait and pray.”
* * *
Leaping up, Faith hurried over to Angel to stand back to back with him. “There’s a hell of a lot of them,” she commented between anxious looks at her quivering boyfriend. With her silent pleas for him to help going unanswered, she let out a yell. “Hey Xman, wanna join the game?” The battered youth flinched at her shout but didn’t move. “Damn.”
“We’re out-numbered here Faith.”
“Yeah, I’ve got a handle on the basic maths thanks Big & Broody,” Faith retorted as she eyed the numbers facing them. “On the plus side we’re super-powered and he’s a drunken bully.”
“Faith-.”
Suddenly one of the approaching men grabbed hold of her by her hair and threw to the ground, her scream drowning out whatever her companion was about to say. Ignoring the pain in her head, the prick had nearly pulled her raven locks out at the root, and shrugging aside her shock that such a man had been able to throw her to the ground without her blocking him, Faith tucked her legs beneath her and made to leap upright. “Shit!” her legs buckled beneath her, sending her crashing back to the ground before she’d barely left it.
The men standing over her, god there must be nearly ten of them, let out a group laugh before beginning to kick her ribs in. Terror rose in Faith’s throat as she realised that blows she would normally laughed off were now agonising. She did the only thing she could think of, she screamed. “XANDER!”
* * *
“He’s here,” the boy rocked from side to
side, tears rolling down his face. Soon he’d be hitting him with it, telling
him he was worthless, a failure. He’d been bad, he didn’t know how but he was
always bad. Soon his dad would be taking his thick leather belt off and hitting
him. Suddenly he heard a woman’s scream his name. Was it his momma? Pa
sometimes hit his momma instead of him. Wiping his eyes he risked a look up.
Through his fathers’ legs he saw the pretty girl, he didn’t like girls – well
‘cept his Willow, but this one had been real nice to him. His dad shouldn’t hit
girls that was wrong. His heart pounding, he forced himself to stand on
trembling legs. “Stop hitting her,” out of the corner of his eye he saw the man
who’d come with the girl crumple to the floor. “Stop hitting them both, it’s
not their fault, I’m the bad one. Daddy, it’s bad to hit girls,” he muttered,
his voice wavering. “Please stop, she’s my fri-,” he stopped as a memory
flickered in his head. He peered at the girl’s desperate face, his stomach
clenching in pain. “Faith,” swallowing slightly he started forward, Faith was
someone real important to him, he couldn’t remember how but he knew it was
true. “Daddy you shouldn’t-.”
Suddenly it hit him, the memories flooding back. Growling angrily he turned to his avatars, the strength of young adulthood flooding back into his body. “Get them.” Nobody hurt his Faith.
* * *
Faith exploded upwards, the power surging back into her. “Look out mother-fuckers,” she crowed as she backhanded one of Xander’s fathers to the ground. “There’s a Slayer in town,” she risked a grin at Xander and was dismayed when he flinched away, as if ashamed.
* * *
Angel enjoyed the look of collective shook on the faces of the men surrounding him as he moved into his demonic visage. He’d wanted to do this to Xander’s bastard of a father for a long time.
* * *
“YES!” Wesley punched the air in
delight as his Slayer awoke, her eyes fluttering with uncertain intelligence.
But then she was a yank, one couldn’t expect miracles. After a triumphant
glance at his beaming countryman, he rushed into the pentagram and scooped the
lithe Bostonian into a hug. “Are you okay Faith?”
”Hey chill you bloody tea drinker, I’m five by five, but this hugging shit kinda
knocks points off a girl’s cool rating.”
Despite her derisive tone, the brunette was grinning at him. He released his grip and stepped back. “Quite right, a Watcher should keep his distance from his Slayer,” he replied stiffly before smiling. “Especially if Slayer is an American who’s use of the English language is haphazard to say the least. It wouldn’t be done at all for a well-bred Englishman to start saying things like ‘five by five’, ‘wicked’, ‘what’s the sitch’ etc., oh no the family would be quite scandalised.”
“Two good insults in one day Wes?” Faith winked. “Damn you are using less starch on your shirts.”
“A different brand,” his face grew serious. “No after-effects?”
“Nah,” the Bostonian winked. “It got hairy in there, Angel nearly sang Manilow, that was wicked scary, but the Xman came thr-,” the east coast native’s voice trailed off when Xander strode past them, his face filled with pain and out of the library doors. “I’ll just be a minute Wes.”
* * *
Faith hurried out of the library and into the darkened corridor, her stomach hollow with fear. Why was Xander running away from them, had he come back wrong? “Hey Xman where ya headin’? I figure after this shit we need to kick back maybe go out to the Bronze, I don’t know about ya but I feel the need to chow down on some serious food.”
After a second her boyfriend turned to face her, his head was bowed but even so she could see the pain in his eyes. “I’m sorry Faith,” Xander whispered. “I’m sorry I put you through all that-.”
Faith covered the twenty yards separating them in a blur. “Shut up you stupid bastard,” she reproved, even as she pressed a finger to his lips. “I don’t wanna hear any of that crap. It got a little hairy in there but we all came through the other side, ‘sides no one forced me and Angel to do that. We chose to do it because we care. That’s what friends do, they watch each other’s back, you taught me that. Five by five?”
After a second Xander smiled uncertainly. “Five by five,” her boyfriend confirmed with a nod.
Faith nodded her approval. “Good, now stop with the talking and start with the kissing.”