Blood Tears 11 – Settling In
“I like his eyes the most. Or maybe his smile, yes definitely his smile.”
Willow rolled her eyes. Kendra’s one woman campaign to have Xander installed as president of the universe was in full flow again. Had she ever been that infatuated with him?
“I prefer his bum.” Oz commented gravely.
“Yes,” Kendra nodded enthusiastically. “He has a wonderfully pert -. You’re making fun of me.”
“Probably,” the guitarist agreed expressionlessly. “But I do think it’s a nice bum.”
The red-head collapsed in gales of laughter as Kendra stormed off. “That was mean,” she gasped.
“Yes it was. But you liked it.”
“So,” Willow fluttered her eyelashes at her boyfriend as she leaned into him. “Who’s bum do you like best mine or Xander’s?”
The guitarist gave her a long look before replying. “I think Xander’s an eight, but you, you’re a ten.”
Still laughing, Willow kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. “Good answer.”
* * *
“You’re doing real good, Kendra.”
“You really think so, Xander?”
Faith grinned as she peered through the door crack to check what the two kids were up to. Soon after her arrival, they’d discovered Kendra had only a very basic education. Enraged, Xander had immediately taken it upon himself to teach her to read and write properly. After checking some books out of the town library, he’d apologised to Giles but still avoided the Watcher as much as possible, he’d begun to teach the young girl.
The grin on the sultry brunette’s face disappeared as she remembered her own tutoring by Angelus. While Xander taught with gentle encouragement and kind praise, Angelus’ method had been to brutally beat her to the floor for every mistake she made. On the whole she thought Xander’s method definitely had more going for it.
Another problem was developing, complicating her already confusing life. Although the big dumbo hadn’t realised it she had, Kendra was developing feelings for him. Even without the scent the second Slayer gave off, she couldn’t fail to notice the adoring looks she sent the youth’s way. Two Slayers and a vampiress in love with him – just what did the boy have?
Forcing a smile, she pushed the door open. “Grab your coats kids,” she instructed. “Time for patrol.”
* * *
Faith glanced watchfully around the darkened cemetery. The first two graveyards they’d gone through had been deserted, but this one... “Vamps, ten maybe,” her words sliced through the cold night air.
Instantly the two youngsters moved into flanking positions. The vampiress nodded approvingly, whatever her reservations about having the newest Slayer living in her house, her presence meant there was another skilled fighter to help protect Xander. Which was why she had come to the Hellmouth in the first place.
Suddenly the night’s tense quiet erupted. Vampires charged at them from all sides, their demonic faces showing.
Faith’s foot flickered out, smashing into the face of the first vamp stupid enough to get close enough. The vampire roared in pain as he flew back into the darkness. Out of the corner of her eye, Faith saw a fist heading towards her. Bending her knees, she allowed the punch to pass harmlessly over her head before standing up and butting her attacker full in the face. As the injured vampire screamed in agony, she drove a stake into its chest.
A split-second after the vampire in front of her had exploded into dust, a brawny arm encircled her neck from behind in a crushing grip. “Time to die bitch!” a Creole accent drawled in her ear.
The vampiress’ eyes widened in shock as she saw the stake racing down towards her heart. Thrusting backwards with her right foot, she connected powerfully with her attacker’s shin, snapping the bone. Taking advantage of the resulting loosening around her neck, she grabbed the vamp’s beefy forearm, threw him over her shoulder and to the ground. Grabbing her adversary’s dropped stake, she plunged it into his heart. “No, you die fatboy,” she corrected before looking how the others were doing.
* * *
As soon as Faith had warned them of the approach of the vampires, Xander’s hand had dropped to the water pistol filled with holy water he carried in his inside jacket pocket. Pulling out the pistol, he shot the first vampire to approach him square in the face.
Instantly the vampire’s face began to steam and burn. Screaming wildly, the vampire forgot all about attacking him and instead reached up for his eyes. Taking advantage of the distraction, the boy plunged a stake into the shrieking vamp’s heart.
Grinning slightly at his success, Xander glanced around for another vampire. A fist came smashing out of the darkness, thudding into his jaw with bruising impact. The youth stumbled backwards as the owner of the fist stepped out of the shadows and charged him. Remembering all Faith’s lessons, Xander attempted to use his adversary’s superior power against him. As the vampire rushed at him, he sidestepped the lunge and tripped the vampire sending his opponent flying through the air to land half a dozen feet away.
Xander rushed over to stake the stunned vampire. He plunged his stake down, only for his heart to miss a pounding beat when his arm was grabbed by his would-be victim. His face contorted with effort, he struggled in vain to drive the stake home, all too aware of the vampire’s mocking grin. “I’m going to enjoy killing you boy. Arggh!”
Xander glanced up and smiled gratefully. “Thanks Kendra, if you hadn’t turned up then...”
The Slayer beamed. “It’s my pleasure Xander.”
“How many did you get?” demanded the vampiress.
Xander turned to face Faith. God, she looked amazing. Realising the vampiress was staring at him impatiently, he flushed. “One.”
“Three,” Kendra put in, her eyes gleaming proudly.
“And I got two.” The vampiress’ lips pursed in thought. “Their numbers are increasing. I wonder if the others ran into trouble?”
* * *
His eyes bulging with fury and his demonic face showing, Angelus slammed a fist into the table before him, the impact smashing the wooden table in front of him in two. “Nine dead in total last night! I can’t believe it! Why I am surrounded by such bloody incompetents!”
“Two Slayers, never been two of those bitches before,” Spike remarked gravely. “Faith’s a real pain in the bloody arse too.”
“I want the boy,” pouted Darla. “I want to make him scream.”
Angelus glanced at his childe in disdain. She’d fallen steeply in his estimation after her abject performance the night Faith had snatched the little bastard back. He turned towards his lieutenant. “Spread the word, I’m sending for the Order Of Takara.”
Spike’s eyes widened. “You sure boss?”
“I’m fast running out of patience and options. These bitches have been laughing at us for too long.”
“So which one do you want them to kill – Faith, Summers, or the new Slayer bint?”
Angelus paused in thought. Ideally he’d like to see three all of them dead, but the Order were just too expensive to hire for three jobs, although their high price was justified, they’d never failed to complete a contract in centuries. Finally, he decided on his answer. “Oh, I think we’ll keep it in the family.”
* * *
“Right, that’s all for tonight. Thank you everybody. Xander, could you stay behind please?”
Xander nodded, the youth turned to the girl hovering protectively behind him. “Kendra, go with the others. Enjoy yourself.”
“Are you sure Xander?” At the boy’s nod the girl set off after the others.
Once the girl had left, the boy turned back to him. “So what do you want Giles?”
The librarian sighed with hurt at the now ever present animosity he heard in the youth’s voice, he almost missed being ‘G-Man’. He understood the youth’s anger and suspected that it came from his need to protect and unresolved issues about his abused childhood. However for the sake of the group it could no longer be tolerated. “Wait there,” he ordered before disappearing into his office. Minutes later he returned carrying a thick bundle of papers. “Read these.” He dropped the papers on the desk before the boy.
Xander paled. “Uh, isn’t there a demon I could fight instead?”
The Watcher hid a smile, despite his newly improved grades the boy still really didn’t like academic work. “Very well, I’ll summarise. These are papers I wrote just after qualifying as a Watcher deploring the treatment of potentials on both moral and effectiveness grounds. Unfortunately I was too junior at that time and my opinions were discarded.”
The youth’s face flushed red. “Uh, Giles,” the boy stuttered. “I’m sorry.”
Giles smiled. “That’s all right son. Your anger is wholly justified, if misdirected. I admit to being more than a little uncomfortable about Kendra’s previous situation. I must say you and Faith are doing an excellent job with her.”
“Thanks G-Man.”
The librarian sighed with relief, back to normal and time for his customary response. “Don’t call me that.”
Blood Tears 12. The Order
“Hi Wills, no Oz?”
“Practice with the band,” the Wicca explained before taking a second to inspect her oldest friend as she made her way into the house he shared with Faith and Kendra. Her friend had changed a lot since moving in with Faith four months ago. He had shed most of his puppy fat, lost all of his natural clumsiness, now he moved with an almost predatory grace, similar to that of the ensoulled vampiress and had gained considerably in confidence. Despite her and Buffy’s earlier misgivings it was apparent that Faith had been good for him.
She realised Xander was staring at her curiously. “What’s up Wills?”
“Just thinking how much you’ve changed.”
Her friend grinned at her. “And do the renovations meet with madam’s approval?”
Willow giggled. One thing about her Xander that would never change, he’d always be a complete goof. “I think so, yeah.”
“Then sir is pleased,” Xander bowed theatrically before turning serious. “What’s the gig Willow?”
“I’m here to see Kendra. She asked me to teach her the computer.” She’d really got to like the dark Slayer, her shyness in social situations reminded her of herself before Buffy had entered her life. She was determined to do whatever she could to help bring the new Slayer out of her shell.
Xander’s eyes widened in mock-outrage. “Hey, Kendra can use the computer just fine – we’ve nearly finished Tomb Raider!”
“You and Lara Croft – why am I not surprised? Heard of word processing, spreadsheets and databases? What about the internet and e-mail? Do you listen to Ms. Calendar?”
“No I’m too busy staring at -,” Xander’s words trailed off. “Never mind. If I finish that sentence you’ll only tell G-Man.”
Willow rolled her eyes. That was another thing that would never change about her friend. He was an utter perv. “So is Kendra in?”
“She’s upstairs. Do you mind if I sit in on the lesson?”
The Wicca hesitated before nodding. In everyday situations, Kendra was less skittish whenever Xander was present. Like Buffy and Cordelia, Xander had become Kendra’s rock. Just like he’d been her’s until she’d found Oz. “Sure Xand, but try to keep the quips to a minimum.”
Her friend saluted her. “Yes, Sergeant-Major sir!”
* * *
Xander smiled proudly as he watched Willow and Kendra work on his computer from his position laid on his bed. Kendra was intelligent and quick-witted, just not well-schooled and she picked things up first try. Which was more than he’d ever managed.
His brow furrowed in puzzlement when Kendra interrupted the lesson by standing, her posture tense and her eyes watchful. “What’s up Kendra?”
“There’s somebody downstairs.”
“Well it can’t be a vampire,” he pointed out. “It’s till daylight. It’s probably Cordy or maybe Oz for Will. I’ll go.” Without waiting for agreement, he rose and strode out of the room. He was half-way down the stairs when a tall, thin shaven-headed man with grey eyes stepped out of the lounge. “Hey! Who the hell are you!”
The intruder didn’t answer, instead he raised his right arm and made a fist. Xander’s eyes widened in shock as a flaming ball of fire erupted out of the man’s hand and flew straight at him. Cursing, the boy leapt backwards up three steps, noting with terror the scorch marks on the bottom of the step where he was now stood. If he hadn’t reacted so quickly, the fireball would have hit him in the stomach. Turning, he raced up the stairs and into his room.
After slamming and locking his bedroom door, he turned to a wide-eyed Kendra and Willow. “Boy, do we have problems. The human torch is outside and he so wants to barbecue me. Wills, you know that hovering spell you do, can you manage with three people?”
The Wicca shook her head. “Even two’s a stretch.”
Xander hurried over to his bedroom window and grimaced. Hard stone beneath, even a Slayer might injure themselves dropping from his bedroom onto that, and injury could slow them down enough to caught by their pursuers. He glanced at the door, already he could smell burning as the man on the other side worked through it. “Okay, Wills you and Kendra go to the library and warn Faith and the others. I’ll hold them off.”
“No -.”
Xander placed his hands on Kendra’s shoulders. “Listen, if there’s more of them out there, I need you to protect Willow for me, okay?”
“Xander, what are you going to do?”
The young man glanced from the nearly burnt through door to his best friend’s concerned face. “I have a plan.”
* * *
“I didn’t say it was a good plan,” the youth muttered as he clung to the drainpipe running alongside his window, his feet precariously balanced on the all too narrow ledge that ran beneath his window. Finally the pyromaniac stuck his head out of the window. His knuckles whitening, both with the effort of holding on and the terror he felt, Xander swung out with a boot that connected powerfully with his unsuspecting victim’s jaw.
“I knew I should have tried out for the soccer team,” the youth exclaimed jubilantly as he dropped back through his open window. His joy was short-lived when he saw his adversary already struggling back to his feet, his face a mask of blood, but his eyes very, very angry. Yelping in fear, Xander dived for the door, narrowly avoiding a fireball that flew past him and out of the window. Once on the landing, the youth vaulted over the landing rail to the carpeted floor.
Hitting the floor in a ball, he rolled to his feet and turned to see the largest man he’d ever seen staring down at him. Xander swallowed hard, the shaven-headed man looming over him had to be over seven tall and weigh in excess of 700 fat-free pounds.
As the goliath lunged for him, his movements frightening for a man of his side, Xander dived for the open dining room doorway. Hitting the floor hard, he staggered to his feet. Seeing the behemoth following him sideways through the doorway, Xander covered his face and dived through the window, sending glass flying as he hit the lawn outside on his side. Cursing the battering his body had taken, the boy dragged himself upright and ran off.
* * *
“You let them escape!”
“You hardly did better,” Victor Gargov pointed out as he stared impassively at the blood-stained figure stood before him. Before he’d been discovered by the Order he’d been a pit-fighter facing wrestlers, boxers, kick boxers, martial artists and barroom brawlers. In six years he’d remained undefeated, taking on all comers, and in all that time he’d never shown fear and he wasn’t about to show any to this freak. The boy had impressed him, he’d been trained well enough to know he was out of league and took appropriate and quick-witted action. “We know were they’re heading. The library.”
Blood Tears 13 – First Times
Giles watched carefully as his Slayer sparred with the ensoulled vampiress. Their styles were radically different but equally effective – Buffy was fluid and graceful while Faith was brutally efficient. The Watcher was relieved that the tension between the two had lessened, making the group dynamic more focused and harmonious. The Englishman hid a smile, and it meant that with Faith training with Buffy he suffered a lot less physical punishment – which was always good.
The Watcher’s attention was pulled away from the sparring amazons by the crashing open of the library doors. Turning, he saw a tearful Willow and a distraught-looking Kendra.
The Englishman started towards the two newcomers but was beaten there by the vampiress and his Slayer. “What happened? Where’s Xander?” demanded the raven-haired vampiress.
“Wewereattacked,Xandertoldustorunandgethelp.”
The Englishman’s brow furrowed as he translated Willow’s garbled speech. “Attacked by who?”
“There was this man, he fired fireballs out of his hands. I did a hover spell out of Xander’s window to escape, but I couldn’t carry all of all three of us so Xander said he’d stay behind to fight him.”
“You did what!” roared Faith. Giles noted the vampiress’ eyes were glittering golden. “You’re supposed to be a Slayer,” she screamed at a shaking Kendra. “And you left Xand to fight your battles for you!”
“Hold on!” Suddenly Willow was between the two, her face pale and tear-streaked but wearing what Giles knew she had dubbed her ‘resolve face’. “Kendra didn’t want to leave but Xander insisted, told her to protect me in case there were more waiting outside! Did you really expect him to do anything different?”
“No,” the vampiress’ head dropped. “I wouldn’t.”
Giles felt his eyes water, he could dimly hear the muffled sound of Buffy crying. Then he heard the library doors creak open. “Hi guys, has Wills told you what’s happening?”
The Watcher’s head snapped up, his mouth dropping open as the sight of Xander standing in the shadow of the doorway. He watched as the youth was buried under a deluge of the four girls and winced. He supposed that some might consider it a pleasure to be hugged by four gorgeous women at once, but when three of them were super-strong he imagined, judging from the pained look on Xander’s face, the ribs took quite a pounding. Taking pity on the youth, he stepped forward and separated them.
The young man looked at him with bemusement. “What’s all this?”
Giles opened his mouth to explain but was beaten to it by a still crying Buffy who flung her arms back round the youth’s neck. “We thought you were dead!” the blonde sobbed into the boy’s chest.
“Oh that.” The youth shrugged with a casualness that made the Watcher chuckle. “Got a little hairy back there, particularly when the seven foot muscleman turned up.”
“What!” Giles turned to see a look on Faith’s face that on anybody else’s he would have described as fear. “Describe him!”
Xander stared at the vampiress for a few seconds before replying. “He was bald, kinda squared-faced, seven feet tall easy and big with it. Not fat though, the dude had muscles in places I don’t even have places.”
“Takara,” Faith whispered.
“The order of assassins, are you sure?” Giles asked. This was bad, very bad indeed.
To his despair the vampiress nodded. “The man Xander mentioned attempted to hire me for them three years ago. And given Xander’s description, I somehow doubt it was a case of mistaken identity.”
“For those not in the know, namely the rest of us, who are you babbling on about?” demanded Buffy.
“The Order of Takara, an ancient group of often supernaturally powered assassins rumoured to have been originally formed in 400 BC. In the intervening centuries, they’ve never failed to complete a contract,” the Watcher replied shakily. It was days like this when he thought that he should have followed his preferred career paths of either a grocer or a fighter pilot – anything really, as long as it didn’t involve the word Watcher in the job title.
“Who will they be after?” From the look in his eyes, the Watcher guessed that Xander already knew the answer to his question.
“Given that they turned up at our house first, probably me.” Faith’s voice was quiet, resigned.
Xander’s face contorted in terrified rage. “Well to hell with that! They’re not having you!” The young man started towards the weapons chest at the far side of the library.
The teenager was half-way across the floor when the window exploded and a fireball flew through it to slam into his side, engulfing his lower torso in flames. The boy had barely hit the floor when the vampiress, ignoring the sunlight now beaming through the shattered window causing her own frame to smoke and smoulder, was knelt over him, beating wildly at the flames.
Grabbing his coat, Giles hurried over to the screaming body. After quickly checking that Buffy and Kendra were dragging the vampiress into the safety of the shadows, he threw this coat on top of the boy, quickly muffling the flames. “Xander, listen to me, you’re going to be fine son.” Already the boy’s eyes were beginning to glaze over in shock.
Once he was satisfied the flames were out, the Watcher glanced up to the others. “Buffy, you and Kendra get out there and deal with that bastard. Work in a flanking pattern, he can’t fire at you both at once,” he reached behind the library counter and pulled out his crossbow. “I’ll draw his fire with this. Willow, you do what you can for Xander. Faith,” the Englishman looked at the vampiress, his eyes grim. The floor had begun to shake, which could only mean one thing. “Faith, you deal with our other unwelcome guest.”
* * *
Faith strode down the corridor towards the waiting giant, her eyes glittering golden. They’d pay for the pain they’d caused Xander.
“Faith, always a pleasure,” boomed the monster stood in the corridor, his massive shoulders touching the lockers at either side of the corridor.
“Who hired you Victor?” the vampiress demanded, her voice cool despite the burning rage flowing through her veins. “Who are you here to kill?”
“Now Faith,” the giant waggled a sausage
sized finger at her. “You know the code, I can’t discuss such matters with
you. It’s more than my life’s worth.”
“Right now, that’s not much.” The
vampiress changed into her demonic face before leaping into the air and snapping
out a kick that connected squarely with Victor’s jaw. It was a blow hard enough
to decapitate a normal man but only enough to stagger the giant backwards.
“Last time we met, you put your legs to much better use,” the muscleman taunted as he spat out teeth. "Oh what a night that was!"
“You’ve just given me another reason to kill you,” the vampiress growled. She charged forward only to run into a thunderous right hook to the head that staggered and a left uppercut to the chin that sent her crashing to the floor.
“On your back again Faith?” The muscleman’s laugh turned into a croak as she slammed a kick into his groin. Surging to her feet, she grabbed his head and threw him face-first into a locker. As the assassin staggered away from her attack, his face a bloody ruin, the vampiress stalked after him. Ducking smoothly beneath a wild haymaker, she landed a trio of fast punches to Victor’s rock-hard stomach. Laughing off a punch that bounced off her right shoulder, she grabbed the mammoth around his tree-trunk thick throat and threw him head-first a classroom wall.
After sauntering through the tank-sized crater left by the colossus, the vampiress picked up a fire extinguisher and waited until her rival was on his hands and knees before driving the canister down on the back of the Russian’s left knee, shattering it completely. The giant returned to the floor with an earth-shaking thud but almost immediately began to try and struggle to his feet again.
She ended Vitcor’s second attempt with a knuckle-cracking stomp to the right hand. Grabbing a bulky shoulder, the vampiress flipped the assassin over. “Now who’s on his back Vicky?” she taunted before bringing the extinguisher down on the man’s right elbow with all her considerable force. “Now how many bones do I have to break before you tell me what I want to know? Who hired you?”
“Angelus.” Tears were running down the giant’s face.
“To kill who?”
“You.”
“Thought so.” The vampiress brought her heel down hard on her opponent’s throat, tearing through layers of muscle, fat, cartilage and bone with ease. The vampiress stepped away from the decapitated body, a cold look on her beautiful face. Buffy and the others didn’t approve of her killing humans, but she couldn’t care less. The only question for her was one of goodness – as far as she was concerned a demon who hunted humans because of his or her nature was far less evil than a human who hunted his own species for profit or challenge. Besides, they had entered her home and threatened Xander, nobody got away with that. Turning, she hurried out of the classroom, a small smile playing on her lips. “I wonder how Sunnydale PD are going to explain that away?”
When she re-entered, the Slayers had returned and joined Giles, Willow and Xander around one of the tables. Upon her entry, Xander struggled to his feet and rushed over to engulf her in a hug. “You’re okay!”
“Five by five,” she grinned to hide the pleasure she felt at his show of concern. “Did you ever doubt?” She glanced down at his side, although his shirt was charred she couldn’t see any damage. “How’s the burn?”
“Not bad, Will did a spell that healed most of the damage.”
”Thanks Red,” Faith nodded at the blushing Wicca. “Kendra, can you stay at
somebody’s house tonight? I need to discuss Xander’s heroically stupid
behaviour with him.”
“You can stay with me Kendra,” Willow volunteered eagerly. “My parents are away so we could have a girly night.”
“A girly night?”
Faith had to fight back the urge to laugh. Once she and Buffy had called an uneasy truce she’d been invited on a ‘girly night’ at Willow’s. She’d gone out of politeness but six hours swapping make-up tips, discussing boys and watching teen movies was a torture to rival anything Angelus could inflict. Unless she missed her guess Kendra would feel much the same. “Now that’s settled,” she linked arms with Xander. “The sewers?”
“You take me to the nicest places.”
Faith smirked at the youth, but already she was planning her seduction of him. Life was too risky on the Hellmouth to waste it on hesitation. After tonight he would be in no doubt how she felt, the rest would be up to him.
* * *
“I don’t understand.”
The vampiress stared up into the boy’s chocolate brown eyes. She saw confusion, fear and even some desire in them. But no disgust, that was a start. “What don’t you understand Xand?” she asked softly. “What I’m saying or why I’m saying it?”
“Why I guess,” the boy scratched nervously at his face. “I’m a seventeen kid who’s never left the state, you’re a beautiful 300 year old vampiress who’s travelled the world. You listen to all that classical music stuff and read books by long dead people with names I can’t even pronounce while my reading material of choice is Dark Horse comics. You’ve met people I’ve only heard about in history class and you’re this super-woman while I’m just a weedy -.”
She cut the youth of with a finger to the lips. “You’re not just anything, Xand,” she scolded. Damn his father for beating his confidence out of him. “You’re a sweet man who treats a woman whose known nothing but cruelty and disdain with kindness and respect. You’re a hero who helps his friends because he’s loyal and brave. You’re the clown who makes me laugh, pushes away the darkness that’s always around me. That’s why, Xand.”
Xander flushed red and looked down at the carpet. “And what if I don’t want to? Will you throw me out?”
The vampiress felt a pang of disappointment. She took the youth’s hand in her’s. “Of course not. There’ll always be a home here for you. If you don’t want to that’s fine,” she replied softly. “You’ll still be my friend, the best I’ve ever had.” She started to rise only for the youth to pull her back down. Surprised, she looked at his still blushing face. “Xand honey, what’s wrong?”
“I want to. It’s just,” the youth’s words trailed off.
“What, you prefer Kendra, Cordelia, Buffy,” she arched an eyebrow. “Please don’t say you have a yen for Darla. Then the door will hit you in the ass on the way out.”
The boy laughed at her attempt to lighten the mood before turning downcast. “I’ve never been with anybody.”
“Been with -, oh right,” the vampiress couldn’t resist a small smile. The slightly frightened expression on Xander’s face was just so cute. She ran her hands through the boy’s hair before easing his head towards her. “But you want to? With me?” Only centuries of hiding her emotions allowed her to conceal her nervousness.
“Yeah,” Xander nodded jerkily.
“I’ve never been with anybody I care about like you, so it’s kind of new to me too. Don’t worry though hon, I’ll steer you round the curves, easy as. And here’s a little taster.” In a single graceful movement she glided from the sofa to the surprised boy’s lap. After delicately running her tongue along his bottom lip, she pressed her lips against his, even as she hooked her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. Gradually she increased her lip pressure before finally expertly sliding her tongue into the boy’s mouth and pushing against his tongue for a minute before reluctantly withdrawing. “Pretty good Xand,” she praised, her eyes sparkling as her hands stroked the boy’s cheeks.
“Thanks but you were doing all the work.”
“Don’t put yourself down.” She gently pulled Xander to his feet and looked him right in the eye, cupping his face in her hands. “Xand, you know that if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to right? That I wouldn’t throw you out, even if you don’t feel the same way? Or if you want to take it slower, that’s five by five?”
“Faith,” the boy hesitated. “You’re beautiful, you’re the person who saved me from my dad. I’ve told you things I haven’t even told Will, I still can’t believe that you’d even look at me twice, much less want to be with me. I’m terrified at the thought of being with you, but real excited too -.”
Smiling, she placed a finger on the youth’s lips, halting his stumbling words. Leaning forward, she allowed her lips to caress his cheek before whispering in his ear. “I’ll take that as a yes. Now get upstairs.” She was going to make it special for him, wonderful and beautiful, so unlike her own first time.
* * *
Laughing with happiness she rolled off the sweat soaked youth and placed her hand on his chest, thrilling at the feel of his racing heart. “Was I okay? You were fantastic,” the boy’s voice trembled. “But did you enjoy it?”
She smiled to herself, no man had ever cared how she felt before as long as they were satisfied. “Xand honey, I’m going to let you into a secret.” With a free hand she pulled his anxious face round and looked into his eyes. “You can know a dozen positions, be able to go all night and that’s great. But what a woman really wants is to be with someone she loves and loves her back.”
“But you liked it?”
The vampiress was unable to contain a giggle, his innocent nervousness was so refreshing. “You passed the beginner’s course with flying colours. However,” she allowed her hand to slide away from his chest to his groin. “There are still the intermediate and advanced classes to complete.”
The boy’s eyes widened. “You want to do it again? With me?”
“I’d prefer it if you were there yeah, it’s a hell a lot more fun that way. Remember kiddo you have a girlfriend with super stamina.”
Xander chuckled. “I don’t think I’m getting much sleep tonight.”
The vampiress smirked in reply. “Well seeing as class is in session right now, I think I can guarantee you won’t be going to school tomorrow.” Placing her hands on his shoulders she guided the youth on top of her and looked up into his expectant eyes. “Here’s what I want you to do.”
* * *
Darla glanced up at the second floor window and leered. Judging from the sounds coming from the room, Faith had found himself an enthusiastic lover. The vampiress allowed her hands to travel the contours of her body. Maybe Angelus would allow her to play with him before he killed him if she begged enough. Turning, she hurried into the darkness.
Blood Tears 14 – New Plans
“Faith’s taken the boy as a lover. Sounds like he’s real good too, she never made sounds like that when she was with you -.”
Angelus surged to his feet and slammed a right into the blonde’s jaw, knocking her to the floor, his follow-up kick to the ribs sent her flying across the floor and crashing into the room’s wall. “Don’t push me Darla,” he growled as he strode over to crouch above his crumpled childe. “Just tell me what you saw.”
“I didn’t see anything, heard a lot though.” The vampiress let out a scream when he picked her up by her hair.
“You’re going too far,” he warned.
“I..I’m sorry Angelus, I was on guard outside the traitor’s house. And I could hear the boy and her together.”
A wintry smile flickered across his face. He’d always considered it the mark of a great general to be able to turn any situation to his advantage. This set of circumstances had possibilities. “This is what we are going to do,” he glanced from Spike to Darla. “We’re going to kidnap the boy, torture and turn him. Then,” he paused for dramatic effect. “I’m going to send him kill the treacherous bitch.”
Spike snorted. “You’ve lost the plot mate. A fledgling wouldn’t have a chance against Faith, hell I’d struggle against her.”
Angelus laughed. “Maybe, maybe not. The love she feels for him might make her hesitate enough to give him a chance. If not,” he shrugged. “The act of killing him will break her. We win either way.”
“Bloody genius mate,” Spike enthused. “Bloody genius.”
“When will we do it?” Darla asked eagerly.
“Right away. No wait,” the master vampire paused for a second in thought. “We’ll give it a month. Give our two sweethearts time to really fall in love.”
* * *
“How long have you and Faith been doing the horizontal mambo?”
Xander choked on his milkshake, after coughing it up and wiping the mess on the cafeteria table up with some paper towels, he turned a shocked face towards his oldest friend. “Willow!”
“What? You want me to call it the beast with two backs or maybe -.”
His face turning an ever brighter red, Xander reached across the table and clamped a hand over the red-head’s mouth before shooting a glare at a typically expressionless Oz sat across the table, next to the Wicca. “Have you been teaching my Willow dirty talk?”
“She kisses me with that mouth. Shocking isn’t it?”
After shaking his head in disgust, he released his grip on his friend’s mouth. “How did you find out?”
“Kendra mentioned you going to Faith’s room to comfort her.” Willow giggled. “’Comfort her’, and I thought I was naive.”
Xander groaned. His lifespan could be measured in seconds once Buffy found out. She’d been dropping hints about dating over the past month but he wasn’t interested not now that he had Faith. And then there was Cordy, she didn’t even bother hinting just increasingly strident demands. His life was over.
“How long?”
Xander glanced at the Wicca. “A month.”
“A month!” Xander’s ears began to ring. “I’m your best friend and you haven’t told me in a month!”
“Ever thought of trying that voice out for the Dingoes?” Xander rubbed at his ears, he was reasonably sure there wouldn’t be any permanent damage.
Willow ignored his comment. “So what’s it like being with a vampiress,” the Wicca demanded eagerly.
“Oh for the love of -,” Xander threw his hands up in despair. In truth their first night together had been fantastic, if not for the four and a half months of fitness training she’d put him through, he’d have probably died of exhaustion - as it was he’d barely been able to walk in the morning. Despite the vampiress’ immense power, she was always tender and understanding, guiding him patiently so that they both got the maximum pleasure. Each time was better than the last and afterwards they’d sleep into each other’s arms until dawn. “I’m not discussing it with you!”
“Why not? I’m your best friend.” The Wicca pleaded.
“Y..you’re a girl. I’m not talking to you about that!”
“Fine,” Willow pouted. “Then I’ll leave and you can talk to Oz.”
The guitarist raised an eyebrow. “Me?”
“If I talk to him he’ll only repeat everything to him.”
“No I won’t.”
He turned to Oz in surprise. “You won’t?”
“Don’t need to, got a tape recorder.”
He threw his hands up in exasperation. “No, no, no and that’s my final answer!”
“Fine,” Willow stood and turned to Oz. “So you want to go practice the horizontal mambo?”
Xander groaned. “Just please go.” He sighed as the two left the cafeteria, conscious of the curious stares he was getting. His life was getting complicated, he’d resisted telling the others for fear of what their reactions would be, although he’d seen Giles give him the odd knowing smile. Buffy and Cordy, oh god Kendra too, were going to take turns in killing him.
“Xander.”
He looked up and smiled vaguely. “Hi Johnno, you wanna sit down?”
“Thanks,” the young man put his dinner tray on the table and sat opposite. “What was all that about?”
Xander looked at the nerd darkly. “Just my life ending,” at the youth’s puzzled look, he shook his head. “Don’t ask.”
“Um, okay.” The boy reached into his pocket and passed a note across the table. “A girl gave me this for you on the way to school.”
“Thanks Johnno,” Xander glanced at the note and grinned. Faith had organised a picnic for them, just after sundown. He wasn’t to go home or anything, just meet her there. Cool, he loved just spending time alone with her almost as much as the sex.
“No prob, can I ask you something?” The boy licked his lips nervously.
“Sure.”
“Do you know if Kendra’s going out with anyone? I mean she lives with you and she’s a real babe. Got a real sexy voice too, like something out of one of those voodoo horror flicks.”
Xander hesitated before replying. It wasn’t like he was saying anything that was a lie. “She’s not dating anyone, no. And she’s told me she thinks you’re sweet. She’s told me what a gentleman you are.”
“Me?” Jonathan blushed. “You think I should ask her out?”
Xander paused for a second in thought. Kendra was still painfully shy with people outside of their group, but he knew that she liked Jonathan and enjoyed talking to him. He also knew he could rely on Jonathan not to try and take advantage of her naivety. “It couldn’t hurt. “Why not, go for it. Even if she blows you out, which I doubt,” he hurriedly added. “She’s not the sort of girl to broadcast it round the school. But I’m trusting you with my little sis here, you hurt or insult her in any way and they’ll have to use dental records to identify the body.”
Jonathan swallowed audibly. “Sure man.”
Xander nodded. Now all he had to do was deal with Cordy and Buffy. He stood as the cafeteria bell rang, that was for tomorrow. Tonight, he had a picnic to go to. A grin on his face, he hurried back to class.
* * *
Xander peered nervously around. He’d gotten to the meeting place just after nightfall, so he guessed Faith wouldn’t be there for some time. But then in the distance, he saw a slender figure making her way through the shadowy woods in front of him.
Smiling, he hurried to meet the figure only to slow and stop. The smile slid from his face, his day had just got a hell of a lot worse.
Blood Tears 15 – Shocks & Revelations
“Darla.”
The blonde clapped her hands together in delight. “You remembered me!”
“I’d hardly forget the bitch who played slice and dice with my legs.” Xander’s voice shook with fear and sweat began to run down his face. As well as the female demon in front of him he could sense several other figures closing on him.
Darla pouted at his reply. “Now don’t be like that,” the blonde pulled at the skirt of her gingham dress and giggled. “After all we both know you like vampiresses, I’ve heard you and Faith together,” a speculative gleam entered the demon’s ocean blue eyes. “You must be quite the man.”
“That’s it, I’m taking out an ad,” Xander coloured. His momentary embarrassment was quickly replaced by the return of icy terror when a quartet of vampires stepped out from the shadows and formed the corners of a square around him. Xander groaned. “I don’t suppose a quick kiss would you get you off my back?”
The vampiress giggled. “You’re quite the charmer aren’t you?” She tilted her head for a second, almost as if considering his offer, before shaking it regretfully. “I’m tempted; I really am but Angelus so wants to see you again.” The blonde looked at the four vampires surrounding him. “Take him.”
Xander moved a split-second before the first vampire. Stepping back, he drove an elbow into the face of the vampire to his right, staggering him. Spinning to his left, he ducked beneath a lunge from a coarse-featured Oriental vampire before plunging his stake into its heart.
Spluttering slightly from the resulting dust, Xander took a second to assess his options. They were limited. Running was pointless; they’d be on him before he got fifty feet. His chances in a fight were just about zero, even if by some miracle he beat the three remaining minions there was still Darla.
Darla. Suddenly he felt a surge of fury unlike anything he’d ever experienced since the night he’d been forced to slay Jesse. Lunging forward, he shouldered the vampire in front of him in the side, knocking him off balance, before slamming his stake deep into the creature’s chest.
Leaping through the exploding his dust, he charged at Darla, his stake held ready for the killing strike, if he was going to die, he was taking that bitch with him. Instead he ran straight into a right hook that exploded against his head, sending him crashing to the ground and plummeting into unconsciousness.
* * *
The blonde looked at her two remaining minions in disgust, they were pathetic. “Go get the car,” she ordered dismissively.
Once they had disappeared into the shadows, she crouched down by the youth’s unconscious body and eyed him curiously. Only Angelus himself had scared her more than Faith in the old days and yet this child had somehow managed to catch the tramp’s heart. Darla stroked the boy’s hair. “Just what is it about you boy?” He was a reasonable looking boy, doubtless a tasty morsel, but she’d been with and killed far better without a second thought. As had the whore herself.
And then there was the way he had taken out two of her helpers. Faith had trained him well. They had been little more than fledglings true, but there were few humans who could take even one of her kind in an one on one fight. He had potential to become a real power in the vampire community in the unlikely event of him surviving his battle with Faith. And, she slid her hand inside his shirt, smiling in delight at the feel of his warm flesh, a newborn like him would be much easier to manipulate than Angelus.
She withdrew her hand and stood at the sound of the car returning. She waited until her two accomplices out of the car before barking out her orders. “Josh, get the trunk open! Tim, take his cross off and wake him.”
Once the boy had been slapped into glassy-eyed wakefulness, she crouched down before him, savouring the waves of terror she felt coming off him. “Hello Xander,” she cooed playfully. “Two vampires all on your own, you’re quite the little firebrand aren’t you?”
“Go to hell.”
She clapped her hands together in delight. “Captured and still defiant, such spirit. I’m starting to see what Faith likes about you. It’s going to be such fun breaking you.” She laughed as the boy’s eyes widened. “Don’t worry; once you’re trained we’ll have such fun together, my special boy. In fact,” the vampiress came to a decision. It had been decades since she’d been with a mortal who knew what she was. The heady mixture of fear and desire they gave off was quite intoxicating. “How long is it back to base?”
“Thirty minutes mistress.”
“Take some detours boys,” she instructed. “I want at least a hour.” She quickly unfastened her dress, allowing it to fall to the ground. Revelling in the hungry stares from her two minions but knowing they didn’t dare do anything but look, she lifted the youth’s head and ran a finger down his reddening cheek. “Blushing boy? A month fucking the whore and you’re still modest?”
“Fuck you bitch!”
“No,” she ran her hand down the young man’s body until she reached his groin. Oh, he wanted her no matter what his mouth said. “I think I’m going to fuck you.” She turned to her two subordinates. “Throw him in the trunk, I’m going to join him,” she smiled at the boy’s stricken expression. “It’ll be cramped but I’m going to find out what Faith finds so alluring about our new friend.”
* * *
“About time!” Angelus boomed. He’d begun to worry that his plan had been discovered, that Faith and the Slayers had somehow managed to foil another scheme. A smile flickered across his handsome features as a familiar smell reached his nose. “And how was the boy?”
Darla dropped her gaze to the warehouse floor. “Fine, sire.”
The smile still firmly in place, he strode over to the boy’s slumped body, grabbed a handful of hair and lifted the boy’s head. Angelus chuckled as he took in the boy’s battered and semi-conscious condition, he carefully ran his finger across a gash on the youth’s face and licked off the blood. Ah, a fine vintage. Releasing his grip he stepped back, leaving the youth to the two vampires holding him upright. “I hope you weren’t too rough with him, didn’t snap his mind.”
“No-.”
Darla’s denial was cut off by Angelus’ back-hander, knocking her to the floor. He laughed manically as he repeatedly smashed his foot into the blonde’s slender body before picking the screaming woman up by her hair and throwing her to Spike’s feet. “I told you not to hurt him any more than needed, but you wouldn’t listen.”
“Sire, I’m -.”
“Shut up!” he thundered, his eyes glittering golden in fury. “Spike, take that wilful slut downstairs and teach her some discipline.” He glanced at the two vampires supporting the limp youth. “Did she allow you to join in the fun?” One of the vampires dared to shake his head. “You can now, enjoy her all she has to offer, do whatever you want. She won’t resist. And Spike?”
“Yeah boss?”
“Make sure I can hear her screams.”
* * *
“Ah, you’re awake.” Angelus beamed down at his sat captive. “My apologies about Darla’s roughness, she’s a delightful girl but can be a little enthusiastic in her advances. But don’t worry, as I’m sure you can hear she’s being punished.”
“Well if all this is a mistake maybe I can go now?”
“Hope springs eternal,” the Master vampire laughed coldly. “So you’re intimate with Faith.”
“That’s none of your damn business!”
“You think she loves you?” the Master vampire laughed. “Faith has known the favours of the rich, the famous and the powerful. You’re just the most recent in a long line.”
“I know she does!”
Angelus hid a smile; he sensed the boy had doubts. Maybe not of Faith but of himself and his own worthiness. Time to have some fun. “You know what she was before I turned her?”
“I know,” the boy glanced down at his feet.
“She was a whore for over two years. Can you imagine how many men she must have slept with,” the vampire chuckled. “Although slept with is a relative term.”
“I don’t give a damn about that!”
The master vampire ignored the boy’s outburst. “And then there was the two hundred years we spent together. Ah, the things we did. Why would she fall for a child when she could have somebody with the stamina to match her?”
“The fact I have a personality might be a clue!”
“Spirit, I like that, makes the breaking all sweeter. Do you know what she did between getting her soul back and coming to Sunnydale?” Seeing the boy’s look of confusion, he smiled cruelly. “Obviously not. She went back to the trade she knows best. After all a girl’s gotta earn a living and aside from torturing and maiming, whoring is the only thing she knows.” He laughed at the boy’s stricken expression. “A whole century on her back servicing every man, woman and demon, with the price and she picks you? I wonder why?” The stunned youth remained silent, so he crouched down before the boy and inspected his battered face before standing. “I think I know, you’re the very spit of Bucky Adams.”
“W..Who?”
“What, you don’t know the tragic tale of Bucky Adams? The young boy who eagerly welcomed his returning big sis and her lover into the Georgia backwoods cabin where he lived. Who died screaming at the end of six hours of torture, sobbing, pleading with the sister he adored not to hurt him anymore. That he’d be a good boy, he promised.” For a second the vampire savoured the shell-shocked look on the boy’s pain before speaking, false sympathy dripping from every syllable. “I’m sorry Xander but she’s with you out of guilt for a boy she killed three hundred years ago.”
“Liar!” The boy surged up out of the chair, his face contorted with rage. Angelus smoothly sidestepped the headlong rush before sweeping the boy’s legs beneath him, sending him crashing to the floor.
“No I’m not.” Angelus placed his foot on the boy’s neck, effortlessly pinning him to the concrete floor. “But that’s not important. What is important is what’s going to happen next. For the next three days I’m going to torture you and then I’m going to turn you. And then I’m going to send you to kill Faith. And either you’ll succeed or she’ll kill you and your friends will turn against her. Either way I win.”
.