It Had To Be Done

Title:  It Had To Be Done

Rating:  R (For Language later)

Story:  Action\Adventure

Feedback:  In lieu of a Faithbot yeah.

E-Mail:  KeithWrestle@Yahoo.Co.uk

Disclaimer:  I don’t own the characters just worship at their altar.

Faith’s temper flared, the Scoobies might never be her friends, her bad, but nobody spoke to them like that – not when she was around to do something about it.  Pushing her chair back, she started to rise.

“Sit down Faith.”  The brunette glanced down across the crowded kitchen to the one-eyed man glaring intently at the bleached blond vampire.  Surprised by the note of command in the man’s voice, the Slayer found herself obeying.  After a second Xander rose and strode across the kitchen until he was nose to nose with the suddenly uncertain-looking vampire.  “I’m so sick of taking your shit,” the man growled.  “For six damn years it’s been one thing after another with you.  It’s always been a mystery why we didn’t stake your worthless ass when you were first chipped.”

“Now hold on -.”

“You’ve had your say, now shut the hell up!”  the man growled causing the vampire to recoil in shock.  Faith chuckled throatily, she was enjoying this.  She idolised Angel but B’s thing for vampires was wicked unnatural.  “It wasn’t just a one-way street you know, we did plenty for your precious Buffy.”

“Yeah, like what?” Spike sneered.

“Like who was it who saved Buffy’s life when Catherine Madison put a spell on her?  Was it you, no I believe it was the G-Man.  Who was it who brought her back to life after the Master drowned her?  Wait, there was a souled vampire with me – no sorry it was Angel.  Who was it who held off the vampires while Buffy battled the Master?  Now I was there and Angel was there, no don’t remember seeing you there.  Who was it helped rescue Buffy from a reptile cult?  Now I was there, Willow was, Angel too and so was G-Man, but no I don’t remember any Peroxide Boys there.  Who stopped Buffy from being killed by Egyhon?  Now there was a vampire there no that would have been Angel.  Who stole the grenade launcher from the army base that Buff used to kill the Judge, a demon you raised?  Yep me.”

“A grenade launcher?” Faith laughed.  “There’s a little bit of outlaw in you X-Man!”

The man ignored her interruption.  “Who was it who backed Angelus off when he came to turn Buffy when she was ill in hospital?  Me again.”  Suddenly the hushed room exploded into noise.  Faith’s mouth dropped open, she knew first-hand how tough Angelus was, but X-man had backed him off?  He had to be bull-shitting, but a glance at the vampire’s face told her different.

“Xander you bloody idiot!”

Faith blinked.  So the Watcher hadn’t known either, and judging from the look on Red’s face neither had she.  “Sorry G-Man it had to be done.”  Xander’s gaze didn’t move from the vampire.  “And when you ‘helped’ Buffy save the world from Angelus what did you actually do?  Oh wait, you grabbed your nutjob bitch and ran like the coward you are.”

“Careful whelp,” growled the vampire, his nostrils flaring.

“No, you be careful Spikey.  Your mistress isn’t here to protect you now,” the vampire made to walk out.  “Will stop him!”  Suddenly the vampire slammed into the wall, manacles of coloured air around his wrists and ankles holding him there.  “In this room is a Slayer, a man whose mother you murdered, another man who you watched being tortured and the world’s most powerful Wicca – a woman who you’ve tried to kidnap and kill on more than one occasion.  You’re not leaving until I’ve finished.  When the Sisterhood of Jhe tried to open the Hellmouth – G-Man, Buff, Faith, Angel and Will were there.  You weren’t.”

“Ha!  Neither were you!”  Spike looked triumphant.

“Nope I was in the school basement stopping four zombies trying to open the Hellmouth with a homemade bomb.”

Shit, it had finally happened, for the first time in her life, she was speechless.  Faith glanced across the kitchen to see that while the potentials were chattering excitedly, Red and G were suffering from the same condition.  Finally she managed a grin.  “Hey X-Man, remember how I thanked you last time you saved my life?”

She bit back a laugh both at the glares her remark gained her from Anaya and Red, and the shade of red Xander turned.  “I’ll take an I.O.U. thanks Faith.  When Faith went psycho, sorry Faith.”

“Hey, it happened Xand.”

“When Faith tried to strangle me,” Faith shifted uncomfortably at all the looks she got from the potentials at that revelation.  “I was real lucky that an ensoulled vampire turned up to save me.  Wasn’t you though, it was Angel.  Who tried to help Faith, you?  No Angel.  Who led the troops at Graduation while Buff fought the Mayor?  It was Spi -, no wrong it was me.  Mind you we were real lucky to have you around when that Master vampire got his hands on the Gem of Amara.  Wait no, you were that Master vampire.  But then you got chipped and came onto our team -.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Except I don’t remember it turning out quite like that.  First you try and bite Willow in her dormitory room.  Then despite that Buffy decides for some unknown reason we should look after you.  In my damn basement, no less!  Yet despite that G-Man has to bribe you to help him when Ethan Rayne turned him into a demon.  And then to top it all off you still try and sell us out to Adam by attempting to split us up.  Then, despite the Buffybot episode -.”

“Excuse me, Buffybot?” Faith glanced across to see Red’s squeeze with her hand half-raised.  She wouldn’t mind hearing this one either.

“A robot of Buffy that Spike had built so he could have his wicked way with it when Buff wasn’t interested,” Xander’s gaze still didn’t move from the vampire’s face even at the potentials’ collective ‘eew’.  Even Faith, who’d done plenty of weird shit back in the day, felt nauseated.  “Still she elects you, Mr. Trustworthy, as the Dawnster’s protector.  And we all know how well that ended.”  Suddenly Xander’s voice chilled.  “But when Buff came back from the dead you didn’t need the robot anymore because you could manipulate a confused girl into bed.  And when she came to her senses you tried to rape her.”

“What!”  G’s enraged bellow shook the kitchen.  Out of the corner of her eye, Faith saw the Watcher’s face contort in rage.  Leaping to his feet, the Watcher tore a chair leg from his chair and started forward, a murderous glare in his eyes.  “You soddin’ bastard!”

“Easy there G,” she got between the Watcher and the suddenly sweating vampire.

“Get out of my bloody way!”

Faith swallowed nervously.  She knew that she could kick G’s ass in seconds but that didn’t prevent a pissed off G from being one very scary bastard.  “G, you know you can’t win a throw-down with me.  I’m the boss now and this piece of shit ain’t worth us fighting over.  Please.”  She really didn’t want to hurt the old guy, he was one of the few men she trusted and respected.  After a second the man nodded curtly and went to sit on the window sill.  The Slayer glanced towards a grinning Xander.  “You planned that!”

“Yeah,” the man nodded.  “I figured it was time that Spikey felt an ounce of the terror and helplessness his victims felt.”  Faith shook her head, if there was ever a next time for her trying to kill X-Man she was definitely finishing the job.  No way she wanted him pissed and coming after her.

Xander turned back towards the vampire.  Faith noted uneasily that the young man’s one eye was glittering dangerously, maybe Spike wasn’t safe yet.  “So then you run away, get a soul and come back.  What did Buffy say?  ‘He has a soul now’.  Like that makes difference, Hitler, Pol Pot, and Stalin all had souls too, didn’t stop them massacring enough people to make you and Angelus look like amateurs.  Faith,” the man glanced towards her.  “Faith gets condemned for killing two people, one by accident.  But you, you kill nearly ten with your shiny new soul and we’re meant to accept it.  ‘He can be a good person’, don’t make me laugh.”

“I was under the First’s control.”  Spike protested feebly.

“Yeah and we’re supposed to trust that you’re not anymore.  I might have lost one eye but I’m not blind.  We can all see Faith’s changed,” the brunette started, he really thought that?  “But you’re still the same arrogant bastard you’ve always been.”

“I saved your life the other night you ungrateful wanker!”

“Ungrateful?” Xander shook his head and chuckled.  “Me? See that saucepan?” the man pointed to the cluttered kitchen top.  “I half-toyed with hitting Faith over the head with it and letting G-Man end your miserable existence but I figured I owed you one for last night.  Now we’re even, so you better be extra careful not to be caught out in sunlight because I wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire.”  The man paused for a second before continuing.  “And another thing, do you have any idea how dumb Buffy’s scheme was?  Well I’ve got the memories of a 20yr Special Forces veteran who fought in Korea and Nam, and I do.   Taking demoralised and injured troops to fight exactly the same enemy, on the exactly same terrain and with the same tactics is complete idiocy.  She might be right about the vineyard containing the source of the First’s power or something important to it.  If she’d listened to suggestions about taking in a small force for recon, then maybe yeah, but Buffy only listens to one person – you.”  Xander turned towards Willow.  “Release the spell.”

The suddenly freed vampire stepped towards Xander and growled.  “I ought to rip your throat out, whelp.”

“Go for it,” Xander laughed.  “To quote Fats Domino ‘Be my guest’ William the Bloody Useless.  Oh, by the way what do you think your chances of getting out here alive if you do?  Just leave, I’m sure Buffy’s been missing her wagging dog.  And when you find her, tell her she’s only welcome here if she’s willing to drop her Judge Dredd act and kick your worthless ass to the kerb.  Now get out.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith stared at Xander, for once uncertain what to say.  After the vampire had stormed out she’d instructed everyone else out to give her some time to talk to Xander.  The man’s mood was wicked scary and she was half-wondering if losing his eye had unbalanced him in some way.  “You really got a problem with B’s boyfriends haven’t you?”

The man shook his head wearily.  “No.  It’s vampires I’ve got a problem with.  Buffy’s meant to be a vampire Slayer not a vampire layer,” she had to bite back a laugh at that one.  “At least with Angel you can see a difference between him and Angelus.  But soulled and soulless Spike are exactly the same arrogant bastard.”

Okay, so she could see that but where was the idolisation of B she remembered?  “From the sounds of things you got some serious issues with B too?”

“The first two years I idolised her, would have died for her in a second.  But then,” he shook his head.  “When she wanted to restore Angel’s soul, it didn’t matter that he’d killed Giles’ girlfriend, tried to kill us all, just that she could have him back – that was my first glimpse at the true self-absorbed Buffy Summers.  And when the restoration spell went wrong, she ran away from her friends who would have supported her, left us – a geek, a middle-aged Englishman still grieving the death of his lover, a Cheerleader, a Werewolf and a trainee witch to do her job for her.  When Angel did come back she betrayed us again, hid him from us, and when we did find out we were just expected to fall blindly,” laughing bitterly the man closed his one good eye for a second, “in line like good little troopers,” the man hesitated.

“Go on Xand,” Faith encouraged.  If nothing else it would do the man good to vent, god knows all those shrink sessions in prison had taught her that.  “I’m listening.”

After a second the man nodded.  “When I came to your hotel room babbling about ‘connections’, I wasn’t just talking about sex Faith.  I’m guessing your home life was pretty shitty.”

“Understatement of the fucking year,” she muttered, thinking back to the succession of boyfriends of her addict mom had brought home, forcing her to runaway at 14 before one of them turned their attentions to the younger model.

“Well so was mine.  My dad used to beat me pretty regular ‘til a few months after I started Slaying.  Guess I stopped giving off the victim vibe.  After that he’d just settle for yelling insults,” Xander shrugged.  “At least he wasn’t drunken in a stupor 24/7 like mom.”  The man shook his head.  “Anyway point is that’s the connection I was talking about – and there’s Buff, with the amazing mom I’d kill for, a damn good father substitute, a great home, decent grades and a bunch of friends.  And what does she do?  Spend all her time whining about not being able to get pelvic with an undead mass-murderer!”

“Wow,” Faith hadn’t expected this level of bitterness; this had been eating away at X-Man for a hell of a long time.

“Then we get the same blind obsession with Spikey.  I know if Buffy had to choose between the rest of us living or have to stake Angelus or Spike we’re dead!”

“If you feel so strong, why are you still here?  Last time I checked, Sunnydale doesn’t make America’s ten most desirable places, hell it doesn’t make California’s.”

“Will, Dawn, An & G-Man are my family and I won’t desert them,” the man’s one eye grew flinty.  “And if it comes down to staking either of her lovers, I won’t have a second thought.”

The Slayer swallowed slightly at the man’s cold certainty.  “You ever try to get things back to the way they were between you and B?”

“Twice.  After Angel left after graduation and last year when Spike went off to get his soul, but they’re like a drug to her.  She’s so damn hypocritical.  You do time, come back changed but she punches you, takes pot shots, but if any of us have a go at her pet vampire.”

“How do you know I’ve changed?” this was the longest, hell the only, conversation they’d had since her return, she’d avoided him out of shame.  She couldn’t see how he’d know.

The man shrugged.  “First time here, you’d have either ignored or bullied the potentials.  Now you try and encourage them, make them feel needed – which is more than Buffy did.  The only person who was important to old Faith was you.”

A small smile played on her lips, as an assessment it was blunt but accurate.  “Thanks X-Man, I think.  Oh,” she coloured as she remembered something he’d said earlier.  “And thanks for saving my ass with the zombies.  It’s a shame I didn’t know about it back in the day.”

“Why?” the man flashed her the crooked grin she remembered from her last stay in Sunnydale but hadn’t seen since her return.  “Would I have got a second go?”

She flipped the man the bird before sobering.  “No but I might have realised that you had serious bud potential.”  She hesitated, “Xand I’m so-.”

Xander shook his head.  “Doesn’t matter,” he interrupted.  “It’s in the past.  You’re fighting beside us, that’s what important now.”  He started to stand. 

“Xand, wait.”  Even more than apologising she hated asking for help.  “I’m way out of my depth with this leadership gig.  Tend to think with my fists -.”

“Hadn’t noticed.”

She ploughed on over the interruption.  Listening to him talk had convinced her he was the one she needed.  “I need help, a good second in command.”

Xander’s one eye widened.  “You’re not serious!  Hello donut boy!”

Faith shook her head. “Try and break B’s programming X-Man.  Seven years fighting master vamps, demons, mages and goddesses.  Saved two Slayers’ lives, hell according to what Red told me on the drive here, you saved the world with a freakin’ yellow crayon.”  She chuckled at Xander’s reddening face before sobering.  “Xand you’ve also got those twenty years of combat experience in your head.  But more than that, I know I can trust you.  G and Red  are great, but they’ve got split loyalties, but if you say you’ll follow someone you’ll do it.”  After a second, Xander nodded.  Faith beamed.  For the next half hour they threw around ideas, talked strategy.  Finally they’d finished.  As they rose, Faith spoke.  “Standing up to Spike took serious balls.”

Xander shrugged.  “It had to be done.”

It Had To Be Done 2

Faith stared around Buffy’s bedroom and shook her head, a sad smile twisting her full lips.  Five years ago she’d have been in heaven, B’s room and the head of the Scooby gang.  Funny how now she’d got it she wanted nothing more than to have B back and to be able to step into the background.  Hell, fact was she’d give her own life without a second thought to have Joyce back; there was a woman who’d always treated her right but got nothing but shit in return.  Wiping away the tears forming in her eyes, she turned to the bed; she needed some rest before the morning.  “Hello Faith.”

The Slayer spun round, her knees nearly buckling with shock at the figure stood by the room’s window.  She reached out a trembling hand only for it to pass through the body.  “The First,” she let out a sigh of half-relief, half-fear.

“Now Faithie,” Mayor Wilkins III scolded.  “Don’t say you recognise your old boss.”

“Get lost you old bastard.  B sent your scaly ass straight to hell.”

“And where do you expect to end up Faithie?” the Mayor’s genial tone chilled her blood.  “I mean look at you, an escaped jailbird with a gutter-mouth and a string of crimes under her belt – and you’re still only twenty-one!  Imagine what you can achieve with just few more years!  You’ve failed everybody’s who ever tried to help you.  You got Linda killed with your impetuosity,” Faith flinched at her first Watcher’s name.  “Buffy and Joyce welcomed you into their home, you betrayed them.  Xander tried to help you, if it hadn’t been for the vampire you’d have killed him.  Even when you turned bad, you were more of a hindrance than a help to my operation,” the Mayor sighed.  Faith shook her head, but that was the past she was a good person now.  “I hate to label people but you really are a worthless slut.  I think it’s best that you kill yourself,” the Mayor glanced towards her knife lying on the bedside table.  “After all it’s only a matter of time before you let Angel down too.  And you wouldn’t want to hurt him.”

Mesmerised by the voice, she stepped towards the knife.  “Leave her the hell alone!”  Faith’s head snapped up to see an angry looking Xander stood in the room’s doorway.

“Oh it’s the White Knight,” Faith saw Xander flinch at that.  The Mayor approached the man, Faith got between the Mayor and her friend but the apparition just walked through her.  “Silly girl.”  The Mayor glared at her friend.  “Quite the gallant hero aren’t you Mr. Harris, always saving the damsel in distress.  But not all of them.”

“Xander.”  The apparition changed to a pretty Latino girl.

“Save.”  Now the First was a girl Faith recognised as her predecessor, Kendra.

“Me.”  Now the First was the Wicca babe Willow used to bang.

Faith glanced across at her friend; the colour had drained from his face leaving him looking more dead than alive.  “Damn it Xand,” she muttered under her breath, “people die in our biz, that’s the breaks.  It isn’t your fault.”

The brunette swallowed as the First changed again.  “Look at the two of you,” Joyce scolded.  “After all my Buffy did for both of you.  Gave you a sense of self-esteem and purpose, Xander.  Tried to drag you out of the gutter where you belong, Faith.  And how do you re-pay her?  By stabbing her in the back.  I could hardly expect better of a tramp like you Faith, but Xander?” the apparition shook her head before disappearing.

“That was intense,” Xander slumped against the wall, his limbs shaking.  “Meeting the First is always an experience.  You okay Faith?”

“Five by five,” she replied in a shaky whisper.  But she wouldn’t have been if Xand hadn’t walked in when he did.  She’d have been slitting her throat from ear to ear; three times Xand had saved her life now.  “You meet the First before?”

“Once, it came to me as my best bud Jesse,” the Slayer wouldn’t have thought it possible but Xander went even greyer.

“Jesse?  Don’t think I met him,” Faith commented cautiously.  Xander looked like he needed to talk.

“You didn’t,” Xander grinned, but it didn’t have his usual warmth.  “He’d have liked you.”

Faith forced a smirk.  “Guys always do.  So how did he die?”

Only a Slayer’s hearing could have picked up the man’s answering whisper.  “I killed him.”

Faith’s brow furrowed.  “What you talking about boytoy?” she kept her tone soft, like she’d been taught to do in prison when counselling newbies. 

“Two nights after Buffy arrived in Sunnydale, Darla, Angel’s sire,” Faith nodded, she’d heard the name, “turned him, my best bud since forever.  I had to stake him to save Cordy.”

Damn, no wonder Boytoy had a serious thing for Angel.  “Xand, you know you didn’t kill him, Darla did that when she turned him.”

“I know but,” Xander shook his head and started towards the door.

“Xand, wait.”  Faith bit her lip as the man turned towards her, his eyes expectant.  She’d never cared what any man, aside from Angel, thought of her before but she had to know.  “Do you think the First was right about me being a worthless slut?”

The man sat on the bed beside her, his eyes serious.  “Faith, you should know by now that evil twists the truth for its own end.  We’ve all done stuff we regret.  G-Man used to be a murdering dark mage and a thug, Anaya’s a 1,100 year old former vengeance demon who could give you lessons on torture, you know about what Will did, Buff’s ran away from being a Slayer twice and got G-Man’s love killed with her refusal to kill Angelus and me,” the man hesitated.  “I’ve murdered more people than you.”

“Xand, I told you vamps aren’t people.”

Xander shook his head.  “No not vamps, people.  Two years ago it was getting close to my wedding to Ahn and I started getting scared about ending up like my dad, a drunk abuser -.”

Faith snorted.  “Never happen.”

“Thanks Faith,” the man smiled vaguely.  “So I summonsed a singing demon to make sure everybody was happy.  Only trouble was there was a problem, if the demon made you dance too long you combusted, half a dozen people burnt to death because of something I’d done.”  The man laughed bitterly.  “Funny thing is, it comes to the wedding and what do I do?  Jilt Anya at the altar, causing her to become a vengeance demon again.  What a screw-up.”

“Oh Xand, I’m-.”

The man seemed not to hear her interruption.  “What you’ve got to remember is you have a choice, you can wallow in the darkness, let it become you.  Or you can do what you’ve done, climb out and fight it.  Redemption’s a great goal, but it’s the journey that’s important.”  Faith let out a laugh.  “What’s so funny?”

“Oh nothing, it’s just that your hated rival said something very similar to me after we restored his soul.”

“Never thought I’d agree with Deadboy but he’s right,” Xander shook his head before continuing.  “As for being a slut,” the man hesitated.  “I’m “no psychologist but I’m guessing a guy treated you pretty badly in the past -.”

“More like a whole bunch,” she muttered bitterly, remembering her first boyfriend who’d thought that it would be profitable to make her ‘share the goods’ with his two best friends and wasn’t backwards about hitting her to make sure she did.  If she ever saw him again…

“To make you act the way you do.  But you’ve fought your way back from what you were, I’m sure you can change the way you act with guys if you want.”  Xander half-smiled.  “There’s plenty of decent guys who’d give anything for a chance to treat a beautiful woman like you the way you deserve.  I could even vet them for you.”  Xander chuckled at her scowl.  “Just a thought.  That guy Wood for starters.”

Faith snorted.  She’d liked what Xander had said ‘til that point.  “The principal?  He’s got too much starch on his collar for my tastes.” 

“Maybe your tastes need changing Faith.  Maybe you should trade up.”

“Trade up?”  Faith grinned.  “But you were one of my boytoys I don’t think it’s possible to trade up from you.”

Xander flushed before laughing uncomfortably.  “Funny Faith.  Get some sleep, breakfast’s at seven.”

Faith stared thoughtfully at the closing door.  “Who says I was joking Xand?” 

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“So you guys ready for this?” Faith whispered. It was just past ten in the morning and she was outside the vineyard with Xand, G, and the principal.  “Xand, you wanna get out your toys?”

The one-eyed man nodded grimly and lowered the canvas bag he’d carried from the car to the ground.  After unzipping the bag he passed out a trio of rifles.  “The M-16, the assault rifle of choice of the U.S. military and most Western armies.  Together with a few alterations of mine and Andrew’s design.”

“Bloody hell Xander,” Giles hissed.  “Where did you get those from?”

“Will’s hobby is hacking, my chosen federal offence is stealing from army stores,” Xander grinned at the open-mouthed Watcher.

 “Say Principal,” Faith winked at Wood.  “Aren’t you glad you weren’t Principal when the Scoobies were there?”

Wood shook his head.  “No wonder they had to re-build the place.”

“Wanna run through the spec for G and Wood, X-Man,” Faith encouraged.  She’d enjoyed the air of purpose her friend had got when he’d explained the guns to her.

“Sure Faith,” Xander nodded, his face suddenly serious.  “Thirty rounds in the cartridge,” Xander quickly showed the other two men how to load the gun.  “It’s single shot, semi, and fully automatic.  But here’s the clever bit, Andrew’s designed a silencer that work with the M-16, giving completely silent fire, making the perfect stealth weapon.  Also the ammo is a design of mine, an armour-piercing shell with a magnesium flare and a drop of holy water inside.  Works on a normal vamp, don’t know about ubers though -.”

“Wait,” Faith noticed Giles’ eyes had hardened.  Yep, the Watcher was definitely a scary bastard.  “How do you know it works on vamps?”

“Ah,” Xander swallowed nervously.  “I’ve been patrolling on my own ever since Buffy died the second time.”

Faith watched with interest as the Englishman’s face changed half a dozen colours in just as many seconds.  She’d always thought that only she had that effect on the middle-aged Englishman.  “Why didn’t you tell Buffy about these guns?” the Watcher hissed.

Xander’s face tightened.  “When Will brought her back from the death I did, she wasn’t interested.”

Giles’ eyes bulged.  “Let’s get this straight.  You’re telling me, you’ve been stealing from the U.S. military and making your ammo?  You’ve been patrolling on your own?  And Buffy’s told you she’s not interested in these guns – despite what happened with the Judge?”  Xander nodded.  “I really don’t know which of you two is the most bone-headed!”

“There, there G.”  Faith patted the man consolingly on his shoulder.  “I bet you’d never thought the day would come where I was a goody-two shoes next to the X-Man.”  The brunette chuckled softly at the incredulous look on the Watcher’s face before turning serious.  “Both of you know guns right?” both the Watcher and the teacher nodded.  “Then here’s the plan.  You three sweep the vineyard for Bringers.  You see Caleb, get the hell out.  I’m going straight into the belly of the place, see if there’s anything hid there.  Any questions?  No, then let’s go.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Faith dropped through the cellar door and onto the ramp beneath.  She forced a smile when she saw Caleb stood in the centre of the darkened cellar.  “Why Rev, want another go with Faith?”

The priest’s eyes hardened.  “What are you doing here harlot?  Shouldn’t you be out tempting some unsuspecting man with your wanton body?” 

“You’ve got a right purty mouth on you there,” Faith drawled in reply before chuckling and making her way down the ramp.  Behind the preacher she could see a trapdoor.  “Wonder where that leads,” she muttered before raising her voice.  “You got me pegged rev,” she admitted cheerfully, her hips swinging provocatively in rhythm with her voice.  “Girl’s good at two things.  Screwing and what? Oh yeah, fighting.”

The brunette leapt into the air, meaning to drop-kick the preacher but Caleb side-stepped her and slammed a fist into her chest knocking her to the ground.  She hit the hard, dusty ground with a thud before quickly rolling to her feet.  Damn, the guy hit harder than Kakitois, Angelus, or Buffy.  This was going to be a bitch of a fight to win – if she could.  The Slayer moved back into the attack, only to stop in trembling fear when Kakitois appeared before her.  “Hello Faith.”  Distracted by her nemesis’ sudden appearance, she never saw the fist that slammed into her head, propelling her into the far wall.

Shaking her head to clear it, the Slayer struggled to her feet again, all too conscious of the preacher advancing on her.  Pushing off the wall, she advanced on her adversary again, only to falter when the Mayor appeared beside her, his hands held up in a classic boxing stance.  “What’s your strategy Faith, rope-a-dope?”  Again she hesitated and again Caleb caught her, this time grabbing her by the throat and flinging her into the air.

The Slayer landed with a crash.  Her entire body aching now, she struggled to her feet, her heart thundering in terror.  She couldn’t compete with this – the combination of Caleb’s brute power and the First’s mind games.  She was surprised to realise that although her life had been pretty shitty to this point she didn’t want it to end.  Suddenly Linda Fletcher appeared, her first Watcher, a look of disapproval on her regally upper-class face.  “Now Faith, I taught you better than that,” she scolded.

“Big mistake asshole.”  Faith grinned, the fear she’d felt at the first two images was suddenly replaced by a blood-boiling rage.  Leaping into the air, she caught the on-rushing man with a spin kick to the cheek that staggered him.  Landing with feet spread, the Slayer moved smoothly into a leg-sweep, sending the man crashing to the ground.  “On your back rev?  And you a man of the cloth, I’m so disappointed.”  Faith winked seductively before dropping into a forward roll, stopping by the trapdoor, tearing it off its hinges and plummeting into the hole beneath.  Scrambling to her feet, she found herself in a small room, shadowy room lit only by the light shining from a scythe stuck in a rock

“So you’ve found it,” Caleb had followed her into the alcove beneath the cellar, his customary smirk still in place.  Only question is can you take it,” looking over her shoulder at the priest, the Slayer grabbed the weapon’s hilt and effortlessly pulled it out of the rock.  The man’s smirk disappeared.  “Darn.”

She’d just known it was meant for her.  “You know I’m feeling all King Arthury here.”  Faith grinned, both at the power she could feel radiating from the scythe and the look of fear on the preacher’s face.  “Ready for round 2, rev?”

After another second’s hesitation the man let out an inarticulate snarl and charged her.  The Slayer leapt into the air and somersaulted over her assailant, slamming her feet into his back as she passed over him.  Landing beneath the hole, she bent her legs and jumped upwards, landing back in the cellar.  Faith started up the ramp, conscious of the sound of Caleb in hot pursuit only to groan when she saw the reception committee waiting for her at the top of the ramp.  Five bringers, on their own not a problem, but they’d slow her down enough for  ‘Night Of The Hunter’ wannabe behind her…

Suddenly the cellar door flew open.  “Faith!  Hit the floor!”

“What is it with guys always wanting me to hit the floor?” the Slayer muttered as she dropped to the ramp’s hard surface. Glancing upwards she watched in awe as Xander tore  the five bringers in half with his assault rifle, their blood and entrails decorating the ramp and nearest wall, before firing the rest of his magazine into the advancing preacher, knocking him to the bottom of the ramp.  Bounding back to her feet, she raced up to her friend, grabbed him, glanced over her shoulder and paled at the sight of the preacher staggering back to his feet unharmed.  What did it take to put that bastard down?  “Thanks X-Man,” she forced a smile as she pushed him through the open doorway, “you know this means you’re in credit for two rolls.”

Xander flushed.  “I’ll bear that in mind.  Now let’s get out of here.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“So you don’t feel anything when you touch it?” 

“No.”

“Damn,” Faith gazed thoughtfully at the scythe on the kitchen table between them, she’d been so sure.

“Maybe that’s a good thing though,” Xander hurried on at her confused expression.  “Maybe the only reason you can feel something is because you’re the Slayer.  And you did say Caleb seemed a little scared of it.”  The man shrugged.  “Anyway, if there’s anything to find out about it, Will will find it.”

“Yeah Red’s wicked at the research gig,” the brunette agreed with a nod.  “Sometimes I wonder what she’s best at the Witching or the brainiac stuff.”

“Definitely the witching.”

The Slayer saw a shadow flicker across her friend’s face.  “Things got pretty hairy with Red for a while, uh?” she took a sip of her beer.

“Oh yeah.”

“Wanna talk about it?”  After a second, the man nodded and started talking.  Twenty minutes later, he’d finished.  Faith didn’t fail to notice Xander had down-played his role in it.  “Red, tells it a little different.  Says she nearly killed you.”

Xander flushed red.  “She was in a bad place.”

The brunette took another thoughtful sip of her drink, one thing didn’t tally.  “You’ve forgiven me and Red but not B.  What gives man?”

Xander hesitated before speaking.  “The difference with Will, me, and you is we’re mature enough to admit we were wrong,“ Faith snorted, mature wasn’t a word often used to describe her.  “And have tried to make amends, in Buffy’s eyes she’s never done anything wrong, it’s always somebody else’s fault.”  The man laughed bitterly.  “The night I discovered Angel was back from hell I was trying to find Buff for G-Man.  I knew Buff was patrolling so I was trawling through the cemeteries looking for her when I saw Angel coming out of a mausoleum carrying that glove thingie Post wanted,” Faith winced at the mention of the fake Watcher who’d fooled her.  “So I followed him to see where he was going.”

“Took balls Xand.”

The man shrugged.  “I wasn’t figuring on tackling him, I’m heroic,” Xander grinned at her chuckle, “not suicidal.  I just thought if I could find out where he was staying and tell Buffy.  Turns out she already knew, I look through the Crawford Mansion window and what do I see?  Buff making out with Deadboy.  So I tell G-Man and we have a meeting the next day to confront her about it.  You know what she says?”

“Go on,” Faith encouraged, she remembered Post mentioning this meeting and using it to push a wedge between her and the others – never heard much in the way of details though.  Man, Xander was getting seriously pissed.  She thought he’d been angry the other night when he’d confronted Spike but this was a whole different level.

“’You were spying on me’.”  Xander shook his head.  “Unbelievable.”

Faith decided to change the subject before Xander lost it completely.  “I’m thinking we need more help, sure we got the Scythe but Caleb’s still out there.  And god knows what other shit the First’s got planned.”

“Already taken care of.”

 

“Oh yeah?”

“Sent for Oz, he can control and summon the change whenever he wants now.  An in-control werewolf should come in handy.”

The brunette forced a smile.  “That’s wicked Xand but I was thinking -.”

She was cut off by a huge yawn.  The man smiled in embarrassment.  “Looks like I need to hit the sack.  See you in the morning Faith.”  The man rose and walked out of the kitchen.

The Slayer stared at the closing door for a few seconds before turning towards the kitchen phone.  “Damn, I’m sorry Xand.”  Sighing, she reached for it and began dialling.

It Had To Be Done 3

“Hi.”

Xander beamed.  “Oz, good to see you old buddy, pal of mine.  Enter Slayer Central!”

The werewolf smiled politely before walking through the doorway.  “Hi Wolfie,” Faith smiled uncertainly, she’d always kinda liked the werewolf, it had been refreshing to hang with a guy who seemed completely oblivious to her hotness, a little disconcerting but comfortable too.  She just didn’t know how he felt about her being back.

The werewolf nodded at her before turning to Xander.  “She good now?”

“Been in town four days, hasn’t killed anyone.”

 

Oz raised an eyebrow.  “Hopeful.”

“Oz, good lord it has been a long time,” Giles hurried down the stairs, a beaming smile firmly in place, “and how are you?”

“Serene.”

 

The Watcher chuckled.  “I didn’t really expect any different.”

Faith looked around her, suddenly conscious of all the curious stares they were getting from the potentials.  “Potentials, meet Oz, he’s a werewolf-.”

“Bloody hell!” that came from one of the English potentials, “do you buggers know anybody normal?”

The brunette hid a grin as she continued.  “But don’t worry about him, the wildest thing about Oz is,” she ruffled the man’s pink hair, “his choice in hair dye.”  Turning serious, she turned to Giles.  “G, how’s the research gig going?”

“Slowly.”

Faith grimaced.  “Nothing comes easy on the hellmouth,” she winked at Xander.  “Well, ‘cept for the Xman.”

“I was a seventeen year old virgin!” the man turned neon red.  “Can we take this outside?”

“Hey Xand if you wanna a second try, that’s five by five by me,” Faith winked at the blushing man.  “Didn’t have you down as an exhibitionist though.”

“I meant to brief Oz!”

“Way I remember last time was pretty brief,” pretty special too, the Slayer added silently, she’d never been with a guy who was so respectful.  Turning serious, she nodded.  “Five by five, potentials annoy Andrew.  G, get back with the research.  Xman, Wolfie, follow me.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“So,” Oz said slowly, “Buffy died a second time, and when you resurrected her that gave the First a foothold back in the dimension.  And when she came back, she started sleeping with a soulless vampire who’d tried to kill us all on more than one occasion, that right?  Then Will went insane when Tara was killed and tried to end the world, but you talked her down?” Xander nodded, the werewolf retained his customary expressionless.  “In the meantime Wesley took away Angel’s soul to find out about a demon that Angelus knew.  When they couldn’t restrain Angelus, they broke you out of prison,” Faith nodded, this was the most she’d ever heard Oz say in one go.  “And with Will’s help you managed to get his soul back, then you came back here to help with the First and found Buffy had gone off the deep end, only listening to herself and an newly ensoulled Spike who’d just recently been under the First’s control, is that right?”

“Pretty much,” Xander agreed.

“Are you all crazy, loco, nuts!”  Oz roared.  “I mean is Buffy completely off the planet?  The club owner who gave us our big break, Eric Draven, he’s back from the dead some vengeance deal with a crow, but at least he’s good, maybe I should fix him and Buffy up.”

“We know the strangest people,” Faith shook her head in disbelief, she’d never seen anything get a reaction like that from the Wolfman.  “So you in Wolfie?”

“I’m here aren’t I?”  Inscrutable Oz was back.

“Five by five,” Faith nodded.  Another ally was always good.  “Let’s see what you’ve got,” she laughed at the werewolf’s raised eyebrow, “in your dreams Wolfie.  I wanna see what the inner beast looks like.”  She winked at the werewolf, “last time I saw it you ended up on top, so ya never know your luck.”

Xander shook his head.  “I knew you weren’t fussy but -.”

“We were fighting,” she interrupted with a glare.  “I try to stay same species, unlike some Slayers.”

“My mistake,” Xander’s grin took the edge of the irritation she felt at his remark.  “So what does Wolf Oz look like?”

The werewolf wordlessly stripped to his underwear, revealing a slight but toned physique.   After a few seconds, the guitarist started to change.  First he began sprouting thick golden-brown fur all over his face and body, next his face started to change to that of a wolf’s and finally his body grew.  From standing around five and a half feet tall, the werewolf grew to a towering near eight feet, with a massively muscled body to match.  But Faith could still see something Ozllike in her friend’s piercing red eyes, at least that’s what she told herself.

Xander coughed uncomfortably.  “So that whole Willow and me thing, you don’t still hold a grudge?”

                                    *                                  *                      *

“Where you going Slayer?”

Faith started at her friend’s whisper from the hallway’s shadows, she turned from the doorway to see him stood by the stairs.  “Damn it Xand you’re good at the sneaking shit, I never sensed you or nothing!”

Xander grinned at her.  “Kind of have to be in this business, otherwise you don’t last long.”  The man’s face turned serious.  “You off to that tomb Will thinks might have something to do with the Scythe?”  She nodded, Xander’s face hardened.  “You were figuring on going alone?”  She nodded again, now the man’s eye looked furious.  The Slayer swallowed, obviously he’d been practicing Giles’ Ripper look.  “Damn it Faith, you’re our leader, you can’t go off on lone wolf missions, I’m coming with you,” the man’s face softened slightly, “Faith, you’ve only just got back, we don’t want to lose you again.”

For a second Faith felt herself being torn in two directions.  On the one hand, no-body ‘cept Angel got away with using that tone with her.  On the other, Xand was only angry ‘cause he was concerned about her – and there weren’t too many people who’d ever given a shit.  Finally she came to a decision.  “Fine you can come.”

The man’s face broke into a smile.  “Thank god for that, I didn’t want to have to hog-tie you.”

“Bondage Xand?  That ex-demon hottie has taught you some tricks,” chuckling slightly at the man’s flushed face, she opened the door and crept out into the night.

                                    *                                  *                      *

“See this is why you can’t keep a guy,” Xander sighed theatrically.  “Most girls want to be taken to the pictures, a club, or maybe a restaurant you,” the man gestured towards their objective, “ask me to take you to a tomb.  No second date for you.”

 

“Oh I don’t know, never done it in a graveyard, could be an experience,” the Slayer winked at the man, “we going in?”

“Let’s.”

A single kick sent the heavy door flying off its hinges.  Faith walked in, her Slayer senses tingling.  “There’s something here Xand.”

“I know,” Faith glanced at her friend’s face, it was tight with tension.  She half-thought about offering to let him to stay up here, but knew he’d only be insulted. 

“Come on, let’s go exploring.”

“The places you take me to,” Xander muttered.

Soon they found themselves in a torch lit room.  “Whoa,” Faith barely whispered, she’d been around some heavy shit in her days as a Slayer but this place was pressing down hard on her, the sheer weight of years humbling her.  She glanced towards her friend and saw the awe she felt written on his face.  Suddenly a curtain at the far end of the tomb moved, revealing a woman who could be aged anywhere from fifty to seventy.  Sensing Xander bringing up his assault rifle behind her, Faith reached out and grabbed the barrel.  “At ease soldier,” she whispered, “she’s on our side I can feel her goodness.  Besides that much power you’d only piss her off.”

The woman stepped forward, just out from behind the curtain, a benign smile on her face.  “Greetings child,” she nodded towards Xander.  “I see you brought a man with you, most unexpected.”  The old woman peered at her friend, her smile broadening.  “But a good choice, he has the heart of a warrior, the mind of a jester, and the soul of a poet.  Is he your betrothed?”

The unflappable Slayer flapped, her cheeks crimson.  “N..no,” this was like talking about sex with your elderly grandma.  “He’s my bud,” she tried to ignore Xander’s muffled chuckles.  She was glad one of them was enjoying this.

“Your friend?” the woman nodded approvingly.  “A wise choice, he is steadfast and loyal to the causes and people who he believes in.  Now to business.  That scythe you carry, I placed it in the stone.”

“Holy shit!” the Slayer flushed at the woman’s glare, suddenly she was in 3^rd grade again, getting told off by Mrs. Stevens for using a naughty word she’d heard one of her Ma’s boyfriends use.  “Sorry ma’am,” she said meekly even as she fumed at Xander’s choked laughter, if he repeated this to anybody, so help…  “How old are you?”

“Let’s just say I’ve been around for the odd eon or two,” the woman said dryly.  “Now child, what’s your name?”

“Faith.”

“A strong name for a strong woman, you’ll need that strength in the days to come.”  Well that didn’t sound good, mused the Slayer.  “The scythe you carry was forged by my people for one such as you an eternity ago,”  Faith listened as the woman explained about an ancient order who watched the Watchers.  “The fact you can wield the weapon used to kill the last pure demon can only mean that the end is truly near..”

Suddenly a hand shot out from behind the curtain, grabbed the woman’s neck and snapped it.   An instant later, and Caleb stepped out from behind the curtain.  “Oh dear, just when she was getting to the good stuff.”

“Bastard!” Xander’s roar was followed by the emptying of an entire magazine into the priest.

Faith blinked, last time the bullets had slowed Caleb up, this time he didn’t even blink.  A grin on his face, the preacher surged towards her friend.  The Slayer moved to intercept the man but was contemptuously back-handed to the floor.  Dazed from the blow, she could only watch as Xander’s feeble attempts at offence were knocked away before the preacher slammed his head into a wall.  Even as Faith struggled to her feet she knew she’d never get there in time.  The preacher turned towards her, a gleeful look on his face.  “Say goodbye to your friend tramp.”

“Sorry, can’t let you do that.”  There was a black blur then Angel slammed into the priest’s chest, knocking him to the ground, away from Xander.  The priest surged back to his feet, a look of fury on his face, and swung a right hook that the Master Vampire swayed away from.  “You know,” Angel smashed a right into the preacher’s stomach, “it’s just about the only thing,” he blocked a knee to the groin on his thigh, “that Liam, Angelus and Angel agree on.  We all really hate,” the vampire caught Caleb with a thudding uppercut to the jaw, “religion.  You wanna help Faith?“

“Sure Overbite.” Ducking under a left hook, Faith brought up a side kick into the priest’s side, knocking him backwards.  “I’ll take over Angel, it’s been a long time since I had some one-on-one action.”

“That’s not what I heard.”

“Funny Angel, you’re a real,” she slipped inside a right cross before slamming her forehead into the priest’s mouth, “laugh-a-minute.”  The preacher caught her with a right hook to the jaw that knocked her off-balance, looking to seek an advantage he followed up with an attempt at a leg-sweep that she leapt over, her foot flickering out to catch the man in his chest, sending him crashing into the wall behind him.

The preacher let out a bellow before charging forward and into a spin kick to the nose that sent him smashing back into the wall.  Growling bestially, the preacher spun away from the wall, catching her with a back-handed punch that dazed her momentarily.  Feeling the preacher grab the front of her shirt, Faith brought her knee up into his groin.  “No touching,” she followed up with a knee to the face, “the merchandise!” 

“Bitch!”  She slid inside the reverend’s right cross before connecting with a kick to his left knee and spinning away.

“I’m telling you rev, it’s lucky,” she grunted as he caught her with a kick to the ribs, “you’re a man of god, ‘cause that pretty mouth ain’t going get it down with the ladies.”  Finally she saw an opening, swinging the scythe up she took one of Caleb’s hands off.  As the man glanced down in disbelief, she changed the direction of her swing and sent the Scythe flashing through his neck.  Before the headless body had hit the ground, she’d turned to face her mentor.  “So how I do?”

“It’s a hell of a lot more fun when I’m not on the receiving end.”

Faith grinned at her hero.  “You came,” she said softly. 

“You needed help, that’s what I do,” the vampire half-smiled.  “Remember the company motto – ‘We help the helpless’.”

“Hey!  Am not helpless!”

“Not what I heard,” Angel crouched down by Xander’s body.  “How come he’s with you and not Buff?”

Ah, this was awkward, Faith didn’t have a clue what Red had told Angel when he was in town to ensoul him.  “Let’s wake him up first, then we’ll talk.”

The vampire stared at her searchingly for a second before nodding.  “Fine, but then we talk.”

“Five by five,” the Slayer knelt down beside her friend for a second.  And won’t that be a fun conversation, she mused.  “Xand,” she whispered as she gently shook the man’s shoulders, “wake up bud.  The bad man’s gone now.”

“The bad man’s gone.  I’m not freakin’ ten-,” the man’s amused expression died.  “Deadboy,” he scrambled to his feet.  “Sunnydale isn’t your home anymore,” he growled before sneering, “hell, even Buff’s moved onto another member of the undead.”  Angel started forward, only for Faith to get in the way.  Xander’s eye widened.  “You sent for him, you bitch.”  Shaking his head, the man spun on his heel and stalked out of the tomb.

“Xand!  I can explain!”  The Slayer started after the man only for Angel to grab his arm.

“Explanation now.”

It Had To Be Done 4

“That bitch,” Xander muttered as he charged up the steps leading out of the tomb at a run.  After all he’d told her about the reasons why he hated Deadboy and what does she do?  Bring him to town anyway.  He’d trusted her with stuff he’d only ever said to Will and she’d gone and brought him here despite that.  “Still looking after number one Faith?”  Well, he knew better than to try and trust her again.  Just ahead he saw a car.  “Great, the Fang Gang.”

Wesley stepped away from the car, a look of false cheer on his face.  “Mr. Harris, Xander, it’s been a long time,” the Watcher’s face turned serious.  “Angel and Faith are all right?”

“Yeah, just dandy,” he snarled before trying to step around the Watcher.

The Watcher moved to block him.  “Xand -.” 

His fist slammed into the Watcher’s jaw knocking him to the ground.  The big African-American he assumed from Will’s description to be Gunn started to move but Xander levelled his assault rifle at the man.  “Don’t,” he bluffed knowing that the gun was empty.  “I don’t want any trouble, I’m just leaving.”

                                    *                                  *                      *

“So you’re telling me Buffy was with Spike,” Faith nodded.  “Soulless Spike?” she nodded again.  “And despite the fact he murdered nearly ten people that they know of while having a soul, Buffy would only listen to him?  And because of her stupidity two potentials got killed, a load got injured, and Xander lost an eye.  Is this right?”

“That’s about it yeah,” Faith nodded.  Well Angel was taking it better than she thought.

“IS SHE A COMPLETE AND UTTER IDIOT!!!”  Angel’s roar shook the tomb.

Or maybe not.  “Calm down there Big & Broody,” Faith said nervously.  “Don’t shoot the messenger.”

“Fine, let’s go and find Xander.”  Angel sighed.  “No wonder he’s pissed.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Xander, wait up!”

Xander ignored the Slayer’s shout and kept walking.  He hadn’t expected to out-pace the Slayer and the vampire, he’d just hoped they take the hint and leave him the hell alone.  Feeling a hand on his shoulder and not caring which of them it was, he grabbed the wrist, twisted slightly, drove his heel back into the other person’s shin, knocking them off balance, and threw them to the ground.  He stared down at a surprised Angel.  “Get a clue, I want nothing to do with you or the bitch.”

He continued on his way only for an upset looking Faith to block his path.  “Xman you don’t mean that, we’re buds remember?  And what you did to Wes, majorly uncool.”

“He’ll live,” Xander shrugged.  He noted the vampire had risen.  “As for being buds, in my book buds don’t go behind one another’s back.  My buds are people I trust – Will, G-Man, Dawn, & Anya.  You don’t come close,” the Slayer looked incredibly hurt.  “I told you how I felt about Bloodbreath and his spawn, and what do you do?  Invite him to town behind my back.”  Xander shook his head.  “Still it could have been worse, last time I trusted you, I nearly ended up dead.”

“You said you’d forgiven me,” the Slayer whispered, tears in her eyes.

“I had, but that was because I thought you’d changed.  You’re still the same two-faced psycho you always were,” pulling free of the shocked woman’s grip, he stepped around her and made to go on his way.

An enraged Angel grabbed him and slammed him into a near-by gravestone, driving the wind from his body.  “I don’t know or care what your problem is, but you will apologise to Faith now!”

“Eat shit.”  After applying a nerve hold to the pressure points of the surprised vampire’s wrists, he drove an elbow into the vampire’s nose, breaking it, followed quickly by a stamp to the knee that put Angel down on one knee.  “The soldier who possessed me had  three black belts, I’ve spent the last five years working out in every dojo in town.  Now I’ve got four.”  He flicked out a foot at Angel’s chin but the vampire knocked it aside as he surged to his feet, grabbed him round the throat and threw him to the ground, pinning him there with his hands.

“I don’t care if you’re the reincarnation of Bruce Lee, you will apologise!”  Xander tried to struggle free but the vampire’s grip on his shoulders was over-whelming. 

Suddenly, Faith grabbed Angel and dragged him off.  “Chill big guy,” the Slayer’s face was streaked with tears.  She turned towards him.  “Xand, for god’s sake.  At least give me a chance to explain, please.”

Xander shook his head.  “No explanation needed, Buff leans on Billy Idol, you need Deadboy.  Us normals aren’t good enough for the big fights.”

“Is that what all this is about, jealousy?” Angel shook his head.  “For Christ’s sake Buffy chose me, get over it, it was nearly seven years ago.”

Xander looked up and laughed bitterly.  “That’s one of the few things I’m grateful to you for, saving me from that self-centred bitch.  No this is why I hate you.  One, you’re a vampire, plain and simple.  Two, the night after Buffy arrived in town my best friend was turned – maybe if you hadn’t been such a coward and actually helped instead of playing Cryptic Guy we’d have been able to save him from Darla,” Xander sneered at the vampire’s wince.  “Three, you tortured the nearest thing I had to a father and killed the woman he loved, remember that?” the vampire grimaced at the memory.  “Oh yeah, you remember.  Four, when you were trying to convince Faith you were Angelus to get the Mayor’s plans, you knocked me out and left me lying on the streets of Sunnydale, the fucking murder capital of the U.S.  Mind you I suppose you owed me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Remember going to hell?” Xander smiled with none of his usual warmth.  “I knew Will was going to re-try the soul spell but didn’t tell Buffy.”

”You bastard!” the vampire leapt towards him, demonic face showing. 

The Slayer dragged the vampire back.  “For god’s sake Xander!  Why the hell did you do that?”

Xander loosened his jacket, readying himself to draw his Desert Eagle. 50 if he needed it.  “Buff had proven she didn’t have the balls to get the job done, if she knew Will was re-trying the spell she’d have gotten herself killed trying to stop Angelus and ended the world in the process.” He shrugged.  “If Buffy’s stupid enough to get herself killed for a vampire that’s her problem, but one vampire’s life versus the world, you do the math.”  He smiled again.  “Oh Angel, you’ve got a problem with me, come after me by all means.”  His face hardened.  “But kill me, for god’s sake.  I know I haven’t got a chance against you in a fair fight but you beat me up and leave me alive, that’ll be the worst and last mistake you ever make.  Explosives, sniper’s bullet – whatever it takes.”  The man turned to leave only to turn back to the Slayer.  “You’ve got a new second-in-command now, congrats.”  He nodded at the vampire.  “I’ll still be a foot soldier, but stay the hell out of my way.  I’m here for business not to socialise with you.”

“Xand!”  Ignoring the woman’s anguished scream, he disappeared into the darkness.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“So the plan is we use the scythe to make new Slayers?” Xander shook his head in disbelief.  “Has anybody thought this through?”

“We get you’ve got a problem with Slayers,” Faith snapped, her posture defensive.  “So what’s your big plan, hot-shot?”

“Don’t have one,” he admitted.  “Doesn’t mean we should use yours though.  I mean I actually think that in the short-term it’s a pretty good idea, for taking on the First -.”

“So what is your problem?” the brunette demanded angrily.

Xander bit back a groan.  He knew Faith’s anger was his fault, he’d had every right to be angry with her for going behind his back to bring Deadboy in, but he’d gone over the top in his anger and said things that he shouldn’t.  Now he was paying the price.  “Because have you any idea how many new Slayers this spell will make?”

“So, more Slayers to fight demons isn’t that a good thing?”

“It’s not as simple as that Dawnie,” he turned to the young girl with a sigh.  “Some of the Slayers will be great.  But what about the ones who are crims?  What about those who are bullied at school, what will they do to the bullies?  Hell, now that the Council’s gone they’re will be maybe dozens, hundreds or even thousands of girls with all these powers and no idea how to use them.”

Faith snorted.  “Yeah, ‘cause the Council was so crash hot at what it did.”

“No Faith,” Giles broke in.  “Xander has a point, while Travers and his cronies were a bunch of power-hungry cowards there is a need to re-build the Council on more modern lines with the emphasis on demon fighting and not simply gathering money and influence.”

“What about the medallion your hero brought with him?” Xander refused to look at the vampire stood beside the brunette Slayer.  “Is that any use?  Could we use that?”

It was the vampire who answered, his tone distinctly unfriendly, like Xander could give a shit.  “We don’t know enough about it to risk everything on it.”

“But what does it do?” Dawn broke in.

“Ah,” Faith looked uncomfortable.  “We don’t know much except it’s to be worn by a Champion,” she hesitated, “so we’ve asked Spike.”

“Spike, a champion?” Xander let out a bitter laugh.  Suddenly he registered Buffy and Spike entering the basement as if on a cue.  “G-Man, I’ll bring the armoury and meet you at the school tomorrow morning, the air’s suddenly started to stink around here.”  Rising he made for the door only for the blonde Slayer get in his way.

“I thought I told you we didn’t use guns,” her gaze was flinty.

Xander laughed.  “Get this Summers, I don’t listen or take orders from you anymore.  Hell, I’ve been clearing nests on my own for the last two years.  It’s not like we’ve had a functioning Slayer. As bad as she is,” he nodded towards a wincing Faith.  “At least she gets the job done.”

“You clearing nests?” Buffy snorted.  “Yeah, right!”

“Ask Peroxide Boy about The Hunter,” he started round the Slayer but again she blocked his path.

“I don’t know who you think you’re talking to -.”

“I’ll tell you exactly who I’m talking to,” he interrupted, years of frustration exploding.  “I’m talking to the bitch who in her first week back in town after slaying the Master, ‘course she was so incompetent she had to die first before getting the job done, nearly got Giles, Will, Cordy, and Jenny killed with her arrogance over the Master’s followers.  I’m talking to the bitch that couldn’t get the job done when it came to Angelus.”

“You’re just jealous that I chose Angel over you!” 

Xander chuckled.  “My feelings for you died that night you lap-danced me to get Deadboy jealous, that was my first inkling about what a self-absorbed little bitch you are.  For your information I felt more for Cordy, Will, and Anya than I ever did for you.  Would I have laid you if it was on offer, hell yeah.  I know first-hand how great Slayers are,” he drew his Desert Eagle .50 in a blur and pointed it at a snarling Spike, “give me a reason Billy, I’m begging you.  No, the reason I wanted him dead, was because of the threat he was to the world in general and all the pain he’d caused G-Man, pain you were more than happy to overlook as long as you got your pet vamp back.”

“That’s so not true -.”

“Shut it,” he snarled, “I’ve had seven years of you telling me how useless I am now you have to listen to me.  And then when you finally get the job done, what happens next, you run off like a little baby.”

“I’d just killed Angel, you’ve no idea how that felt!”

“Haven’t I?” Xander raised the eyebrow over his still functioning eye.  “You know the  homicidal bastard for around a year, sleep with him, turning back into his true self, and let him run wild for months murdering at will and for a grand finale trying to suck the world into hell.  Let’s face it Buff, if he’d have succeeded you’d have been in hell too, what was it that made you kill him?  The greater good, or the good old self preservation instinct?  But wait,” Xander paused for a second.  “Two days after you arrived, I killed my first vamp, normally a proud occasion for a growing boy, but this one was different.  He’d been newly made, would take him centuries, if ever, to wreck as much havoc as Angelus did.  And,” Xander felt his throat choking with emotion, “he was my best friend, a boy I’d known for twelve years.  But I staked him the first chance I got!  I didn’t leave him alive to wreck havoc on the town.  In case you’re wondering Buff, ‘cause I know you won’t remember him, him not being a hot master vampire, his name was Jesse!  And G-Man lost both his love and his Slayer thanks to your undead lover, but he didn’t leave his post, he didn’t run off, he showed loyalty to us – he stayed and helped us hold down the Hellmouth as best as we could, a bunch of kids with no special talents.  We didn’t have to do it, but we did – Will, Cordy, Oz and me – because we had what you don’t, a sense of duty.”

“Xander, I think you’ve made your point.”  The Watcher’s tone was strained.

“Sorry G-Man, I’ve only just started.  And then you came back, and because you didn’t get the red carpet treatment, you nearly left the same night, stamping your feet like the spoilt brat you’ve always been.  And then your undead boyfriend comes back from hell and what do you do?  Do you stake him?  No.  Do you tell us?  No, you hide him away, not knowing if he’s Angelus or insane.”

“He was Angel!” the blonde weakly protested. 

“Oh he was yeah, I’ll grant you that,” he nodded.  “Did you know that straight away?  No, but you were willing to risk all our lives for a chance, you selfish bitch.  And then we get to Faith…”

“Oh wicked, now it’s my turn,” the brunette muttered.

“Faith’s a lot of things, irresponsible, hot-tempered, inconsiderate, – but at least she read the job description and knows you’re meant to kill vampires not screw ‘em.  Is it any wonder she went off the rails dumped in the hotels we left her in?  She couldn’t stay with me, my dad and her not a good idea, Will and her didn’t get along, but you, you had a nice clean house with plenty of rooms and a mom who knew what you both were.  Talk about ideal, but did you try and help?  Did you hell, you just looked down at her and used her as cover for patrols when you wanted some time with the demon you wanted to screw instead of slay.  Oh, and by the way, the night of the Sisterhood of Jhe came to town?  I was in the school basement stopping a gang of zombies from blowing you all to hell, old useless Xander, saved your – well Will, G-Man, & Faith’s lives, you and Deadboy were just coincidental.  Then came the night Faith killed Finch, a lousy accident.  Remember Ted, Buff?”

“He was a robot!”

“Oh yeah, I’d forgotten that, silly me. But we all stood by you, even when we thought he was a man at first, but apparently you think Faith has to work under different rules.  The only ones of us who tried to help Faith were me and,” he gave Angel a brief nod, he might hate the bastard, but he could admit when the vampire was in the right, “Deadboy.  Then Faith shot Angel with a magical arrow that could only be healed with a Slayer’s blood and suddenly, all your morals about killing a human suddenly disappeared.  You were willing to kill a human now, and for what?  A blood-sucking murderer who’d killed more people than Faith had slept with, and that’s a hell of a total.”  He heard the brunette behind him gasp in pain, but carried on.  “Funny how adaptable your morals are.  But your plan doesn’t work so what do you do next?  You unilaterally decide to let Deadboy feed on you.  It doesn’t matter that it means you’ll be weakened just before the Ascension, putting the entire town at risk, all that matters is Buffy Summers gets her own way again.  Then Billy comes back to town, gets chipped, you don’t kill him oh no,” Xander shook his head in disgust.  “You make me, a person he’s tried to kill on more than one occasion, take him in – would you have cared if the chip short-circuited?  When Faith comes out of her coma, does she get the second and third chances that Deadboy and Billy get?  God no, she has a pulse.  Props to Deadboy though, stopping you from killing her.  Spike betrays us to Adam,” he clapped his hands, “another great decision from the bimbo, but still you don’t kill him.  Then we return to you back to life, a mistake sure, but,” he paused to get his breath, “one that I didn’t agree with in the first place.  You had problems, but did you turn to your friends?  No did you hell, you ignored your sister who adored you until she started stealing to get your attention, and start sleeping with a soulless vampire.  Then you come to what little sense you have and turn him down so then the bastard tries to -.”

“Don’t you dare,” the Slayer interrupted, her face terrified.

“Rape you.”

“What!”

“Chill Deadboy, once I’ve finished you can have your say.  And this year,” he shook his head, “this year’s been a doozy.  Three weeks after charging out to kill Anaya, you decide that murdering bastard,” he nodded towards a fuming Spike, “should be moved into my place, my life apparently means that much.  Hey, G-Man remember how much she used to whine and bitch about her duties and how you treated her?  Well Travers would be real proud of how you now Buff, you’ve treated the potentials like nothing but tools.  Then, we get to Wood,” he shook his head, “and you take the side of a homicidal vampire over a good man trying to avenge his murdered mother, a Slayer like you no less, that’s a new low even for you.  Then you devise a battle plan that General Custer would find stupid, gets two potentials killed, causes me,” he flipped up his eye patch, revealing the hideous scarring beneath, “to lose an eye.  And what do you think our next move should be?  Try the same thing again – that sort of thinking went out with General Haig.  When you don’t get your own way, what happens?  You run off in a five year old’s temper tantrum again, talk about reverting to type.  You take a poll of the people in this house to find out how many people actually like you, and you won’t find a whole lot, respect your accomplishments maybe, but like you.”  He shook his head.  “Every person in here has been treated with disdain and disrespect by you – G, Dawnie, me, Faith, Wood, the potentials, – the only people you listen to are either vampires and maybe, big maybe, Willow.”

“Oh and you’re so perfect!”

“Perfect not even close, I’ve hurt each of the women I love more than anything in the world through my stupidity, I’ve experimented in dark magics, got people killed.  But I acknowledge my mistakes and try harder to do better, you you’re always in the right.  Over the years, Will’s become more confident, I’ve started to use my brain more, Cordy,” his breath caught at the thought of his comatose ex, “Cordy’s become more caring, Faith’s stopped killing, G-Man’s loosened up, but you,” his lip curled up in disdain, “you’re the same selfish, up-herself airhead you always were.”

“If you feel so strongly what are you still doing here?”

The Slayer had tears in her eyes but he couldn’t give a shit, her continual thoughtless rejections of him as a worthy ally had caused him plenty of heartache and pain, it was time she knew what he really thought about her.  “It started off as one reason and grew to two.  First off, I wanted to protect Will from your stupidity, then,” he glanced towards Giles, “I started to love and respect your mom and the G-Man, I couldn’t see the nearest thing to parents killed because of your idiocy.”  He decided it was time for his big announcement, something he’d been mulling over ever since Spike’s return. “When this is over I’m leaving,” he heard a collective gasp he guessed from Dawn, Will, and Anya, “Will’s more powerful than any Slayer, Dawn’s a few months away from being an adult, old enough to escape you, and Anya,” he glanced fondly at his ex, “if she wants can come with me.  G-Man won’t be in the field anymore, now he’s Council Head so he’s as safe as we get in the business.  And you,” he sneered, “you can get back to being a Vampire Layer, jeez dyslexic much?”

                        *                                  *                                  *

“Xander wait!”

The young man turned reluctantly.  He’d left the Summers house two blocks back and was hoping that he wouldn’t see any of the others until tomorrow.  “G-Man, I don’t want to fight with you.”

The older man’s face softened slightly.  “Xander, your behaviour in there was unforgivable.  Buffy was in floods of tears when I left, Faith was rather upset, and Spike and Angel were furious.”

Xander met his mentor’s gaze evenly.  “Was anything I said a lie?” the man’s silence told him all he needed to know.  “Thought not.  I could care less what Buffy’s feeling, my feelings for her have gone from love, respect, indifference, to complete contempt.  As for the vamps,” he grinned, “I can’t take either in a fight, but if they come after me they better be willing to kill, because Betsy,” he patted his Desert Eagle .50, “is filled with armour piercing incendiary rounds and I’ll shoot both of the bastards without a second thought.  A demon’s a demon, soul or no soul.”

He turned to leave only for the Watcher to grab his arm.  “Xander, I was hoping that you’d consider becoming a Watcher when this was over.”

“Thanks for the offer,” he shook his head, “but it’s not what I want to do.”

“Might I ask why?”

“You might,” he hid a smile at the Englishman’s stiff tone.  “The way I see it you’ve got three types of Slayers – a psycho like Faith, a self-obsessed bimbo with a god complex like Buffy, or a robot like Kendra.  I want nothing to do with the first two types and I sure as hell don’t want to turn a girl into another Kendra.  Besides, I intend to do the fighting myself not train a young girl to do it for me.”

“What do you intend to do?” Giles’ tone had changed to interested.

“Over the past two years, I’ve cleaned out over forty nests,” the Watcher let out a choked gasp.  “Nothing major, 5 vamps a nest at the most, but I always scavenge the place for cash afterwards, I’ve got over 250 K saved, I intend to go independent.”

“There’s not a particularly long life-span in that Xander.”

“I know, but I’ve got advantages, seven years experience, soldier boy’s memories, and,” Xander hesitated before divulging a secret he’d held with him for over six years, “Remember the hyena?” the watcher nodded.  “Well I can access some of his powers, I’m a little stronger, faster, and tougher than the usual person.  Nothing like as strong as I was, but pretty good.  As for how long I last,” he shrugged, “I help people, that’s what I do.  That’s what Slayers are meant to do too, but Buffy forgot that the first time she turned a blind eye to Angelus’ murdering.”

“Xander, come back to the house with me.”

“What for, to apologise?” Xander shook his head.  “I’m not going to lie, every word I said was true and needed to be said.  See you tomorrow G-Man.  Tell Wes and the others I’ll bring weaponry for them too.”

“It’s not safe at your place, alone.”

“Somehow I think that unless I get on my hands and knees and beg the great Buffy’s forgiveness it’s not that safe back there for me either,” he chuckled.  “I’ll sleep with my guns beside me.  Besides when things started getting hairy, I built a shit-load of highly illegal booby traps around the house, memories of a combat veteran, with Caleb out of the picture I’m as safe as anybody.”

“Still, you should come back, try and build bridges.”

He stared blankly at the Watcher.  “Why would I want to do that?  Buffy’s a spoilt little bitch.  I’ve saved her life half a dozen times at least, you’re far more knowledgeable about demons, vampires, gods, and mythology than any normal mortal alive, Anaya’s knowledge of demons probably exceeds yours, and Will could blast her out of existence with the blink of an eye.  But do any of us get treated with respect by her?  Do any of our opinions count more than a murdering demon’s?  My biggest regret was giving her that kiss of life after the Master drowned her.”

“Xander!  You can’t mean that!” Giles looked horrified.

“Can’t I?” Xander challenged.  “If I hadn’t brought her back, she’d never had slept with Deadboy, Jenny would never had died.  Maybe Kendra would have lived, or maybe Faith would have been called and been more readily accepted into the group, got the family she always wanted, it’s her I feel sorry for not Summers, Faith never got a look at a normal life, she never had the chances Buffy got and never appreciated – a great mom, dad in you, a good education, a best friend in Will, - but the only thing that she ever cared about was her vampires.  If Faith had come here without Buffy being here, she might have had a chance.”

It Had To Be Done 5

“Faith, can I have a word?”

The brunette almost flinched at Xander’s voice behind her, they were outside the school.  They’d arrived in a school bus G had commandeered the previous night, while Xander was already waiting for them, sat on the bonnet of a black Trans-Am she’d heard him admit to Andrew he’d stolen that morning because it looked like ‘KITT’.  He hadn’t spoken to her or B, contenting himself to give out his cache of guns to those who knew how to use them.  “Sure,” she muttered under her breath, “give it to me with both barrels.”

“I’m sorry for the things I said to you in the graveyard and yesterday,” she looked up in surprise.  “I had every right to be angry, but I went way over the top.  You’re not the same person you were four years ago, and I understand what Deadboy means to you, I might not like the guy but I can respect the way he helped you, I’m only sorry,” the man dropped his gaze to the ground.  “That I didn’t try harder to help you myself.”

“Hey,” she stroked her friend’s cheek, thrilling that he cared enough to apologise to her. “Way I remember you tried pretty damn hard to help me but I wouldn’t listen, nearly killed you for trying.  That seems like a hell of a lot of effort for a self-centred bitch who treated you pretty crappily.”

“Thanks Faith,” it was obvious from the look on his face, her words meant a lot to him.  She wasn’t used to her saying anything that other people were interested in, it felt good.  “I’d like you take this.”

She looked down at the piece of paper Xander had passed her in confusion.  “What’s this Xman?”

“My e-mail address and new mobile number, I was only planning in giving copies to G-Man, Will, Anya, and Dawnie.  But I guess I’d like to keep in touch with my new friend Faith, make sure she’s five by five too.”

She smiled at hearing her catchphrase from someone else.  “Thanks X-Man.  Are you going to talk to Buff?”

The man’s face hardened.  “Why would I ?  I meant every word.  Good luck in the fight, see you on the other side.”  He turned to go.

“Xand,” the man turned back towards her, his face quizzical.  The Slayer took a breath, if she didn’t ask now; she might never get the nerve to try again.  “After this is over, I’m gonna need a Watcher.  You interested?”

“Faith -,” the man smiled slowly.  “What the hell, I might be.  One condition?”

“Name it,” she replied eagerly.  Anything to spend more time with him.

“You start respecting yourself a little more.  You’re a beautiful, strong woman that dragged herself up from hell to fight for the good guys, you deserve a hell of a lot better than a succession of one night stands.  I don’t have a problem with a Slayer being with somebody; just make sure it’s a guy worthy of you.”

“Deal,” she agreed.  The man nodded and walked.  “I’ve already found him,” she added in a whisper.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Now you’ve finished with No. 2, you can say sorry to Buffy.”

“And if I don’t?” Xander turned to a cloaked Spike.

“If you don’t, I’ll beat an apology out of you.”

“Will you?” Xander’s hand flickering out, snatching at the cloak pulling it partially away from the vampire.  The vampire let out a scream as his hand caught fire, Xander threw the cloak back over the vampire.  “Not while you’re under there you won’t.”  Turning away from the vampire, he walked over to a watching Giles.  “G-Man, if you’re still interested in me being a Watcher, I might be interested.  As long as you assign me to Faith.”

 “You’ve made up, splendid.  And you and Buffy?” 

“You’re the fourth, Will, Faith, Billy, and now you.  I apologised to Faith because I was in the wrong, Buffy deserved everything she got.  So who am I with?”

The Watcher sighed before glancing down at his notes.  “You’re with Dawn and Gunn in the cafeteria.”

“Sounds almost like a game of Cluedo,” Xander nodded, turned away and then back to the man he regarded as his true father.  “Giles, stay alive?”

The Englishman nodded and smiled softly.  “You too son.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Me and you are still all right, Xander?”

Xander grinned at the girl and hugged her.  “You’re still my Dawn Patrol.”

The teen groaned at her nickname.  “Xander!” her face turned serious.  “You really hate Buffy don’t you?”

Xander hesitated before looking at the teen.  “Dawn, the first thing you’ve got to know is that no matter how I feel about your sis, I’ll always love you.  The second is,” he paused for a second, gathering his thoughts.  “I don’t hate your sister, I hate the deaths her selfishness has caused – Kendra, Jenny, all the people we weren’t able to save when she went on a run after getting rid of Angelus.  Hell, maybe Tara would still be alive if she’d concentrated more on putting the Trio out of business than fu-, being with Spike.”  He shook his head.  “I really don’t know what’s wrong with her; your mom was one of the greatest people I’ve known so I know it’s not her upbringing.  Besides,” he ruffled the young girl’s hair, “you’re turning out just dandy.”

“But there’s no chance you’ll make up?”

“Sorry Dawn,” he shook his head.  “That bridge has been well and truly nuked.”  And he felt all the better for it.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“So, this is hell?”  Faith glanced down over the edge of the cliff.  She felt the blood drain from her face as she saw the thousands of uber-vamps massed beneath them.  “Oh shit.  I’m starting to think this was not a good idea.”

“Nice place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live here.”

The Slayer glanced towards the stoic Oz.  “I don’t know if it’s your material or delivery, but not funny.”

The guitarist shrugged.  “I’m a musician not a comedian.”

“I saw you talking to Xander.”  Buffy’s tone was clipped, disapproving.  “I thought we’d agreed about him.”

The slight grin that had worked its way across the Slayer’s face at her exchange with the werewolf disappeared at her blonde counterpart’s comment.  “No B,” she replied coldly.  “You laid down the law same as always.  And I ignored you, same as always.  Girl’s not got many friends, and Xander was always a better one to me than you, so I’ve made my choice.  Live with it.”  She turned towards Angel.  “We should be five by five, just as long as they don’t notice us.”

Her hero groaned.  “That’s right, go and jinx us.”  He pointed towards the army that had as one turned towards them.

“Oh fuck, come on Red.”  Prison was looking real good right about now.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Willow stared at the scythe, forcing away all her fear for her friends, concentrating solely on the spell.  After a few seconds she started to breath heavily, sweat pour down her face.  Suddenly the weapon began to hum and glow an almost blinding white.  Opposite her, Kennedy swayed backwards, as if buffeted by a strong wind.  A smile spread slowly across the brunette’s face.  “I’m a Slayer.”

Willow smiled weakly.  “Take the Scythe.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“I hate to worry everybody, but Peaches’ medallion ain’t getting it done.”

Vi grinned.  “Doesn’t matter we’ve just got another 40 Slayers.”

“About bloody time!”  The vampire raised an eyebrow.  “Oh bollocks, suddenly I become part of an endangered species.”

Faith grinned at the exchange behind her; the First’s army was in for a bitching surprise.  “’Bout time you changed Oz?”

“Get right on it.”  The guitarist began changing into his werewolf, his clothes ripping as his muscles swelled and grew to gargantuan proportions, just in time to meet the on-coming army.

“Let’s kick some uber-ass!”  Grinning triumphantly, the Dark Slayer raised her sword and dived into the first of the ubers, her sword flashing left and right, Oz’s claws tearing through any who managed to avoid her attack, while Angel and B did the same to her right.  Behind her, Spike led the new Slayers’ secondary line.

Within a few minutes Faith realised it wasn’t enough, all of them, all super-powered, there were just too many uber-vamps.   Damn it, she didn’t want it to end like this, there was so much she hadn’t done yet.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Five ubers, time to see if the ammo worked on them.  “Gunn!  The heads, shoot for the heads!”  The African-American nodded before joining him in firing.  “He shoots, he scores!” Xander cheered as the ubers disintegrated into dust.

“Uh guys, they brought company.”

Xander and Gunn turned. Xander groaned, behind them stood another dozen or so ubers, and they’d already used up about half of one of their four magazines each to take out just five.  They could handle these, but if many more came…. 

“Do you feel lucky punks, do you?”

Xander turned to Dawn, an incredulous look on his face.  “You’re quoting Dirty Harry?”

The teen shrugged as she raised her Uzi.  “Seemed to suit.”

Xander shook his head.  “I knew those gun lessons were a bad idea.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“It would seem,” Wesley shouted over the chattering of his assault rifle.  “That Mr. Harris had hidden talents, his idea about the special ammunition, quite ingenious.”

“Wesley!”  Giles took out another two ubers.  “Must you sound like such a bloody stuffed shirt?  His name’s soddin’ Xander.”

The younger man smiled dryly.  “I’m sorry, I appear to be dropping back into my Sunnydale habits!”  He glanced towards the young woman between him and his counterpart.  “And how are you Fred?”

“Going deaf!” Fred screamed over the rattle of her sub-machine gun.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“We fought them off!”

“Thank god,” Wood muttered.  Although his team was the most numerous of the surface teams, him, Andrew, Anaya, & that Lorne character, it was also the weakest, with him the only truly trained fighter.  It was lucky they’d been positioned the farthest away from the Hellmouth.  “Is everyone okay?”

“I’m here!”  Andrew shouted.

“I’m fine,” Lorne said softly. 

Wood nodded approvingly, he’d been pleasantly surprised both by the green-skinned demon’s coolness in battle, a shocking contrast to his campness, and Anaya’s abilities.  Anaya, Wood’s breath caught.  “Anaya, where’s Anaya?”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Faith!”

Hearing Kennedy’s shout she raised a hand instinctively, effortlessly plucking the thrown scythe out of the air, before diving back into battle.  God she’d missed this in prison, ducking under an uber’s wild swing she slashed upwards, taking the uber’s out-stretched arm off at the shoulder before slicing its head off.  Leaping through the air, she hit the uber nearest to her with a spin kick before thrusting the end of her scythe through its neck and twisting, tearing its head off.

Five minutes later and she was exhausted, blood leaking from half a dozen wounds.  All around her, brave girls were dying.  Dying, because of a plan she’d made.  It wasn’t fair, why couldn’t she win just once?  Suddenly, she heard a bellow behind her.  “Oh bollocks!  Whatever this amulet does its started!  And it sodding hurts!”

Her heart pounding, the brunette risked a glance over her shoulder.  Behind her, Spike was wailing in pain, his body enveloped in a glowing yellow light.  Suddenly the light started to spread obliterating and incinerating ubers as it touched them.  Faith’s sudden grin disappeared as the power released by the amulet started to shake the cavern’s walls.  She glanced to an exhausted looking Angel.  “Everyone out now!  You first, if that thing hits you, you’re dust.”

The vampire nodded.  “See you on the surface.”

“Everybody out now!” she roared, “let Spike do his job.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

“Xand!” Faith grabbed the man’s arm.  “We need to get out,” the Slayer looked nervously at the shaking walls, in some places the walls and even the ceiling had already collapsed, the school wasn’t going to last much longer.

“I’ve got to find Anaya!”

Faith’s heart clenched as she looked into the man’s wild eyes, he really, really loved the ex-demon.  How could she compete with that?  Pushing aside such thoughts as selfish and knowing that telling him Wood had found Anaya’s body with two dust piles wouldn’t help, the Slayer took the only course of action she could think of.  “Sorry Xand,” she whispered before slamming a left hook into the man’s temple.  Grabbing the man’s falling body, she slung him over a shoulder and hurried out.

                        *                                  *                                  *

“Buffy needs her friends around her right now.”

After wiping his eyes, he didn’t want Angel to see his tears, Xander looked up impassively at the ensoulled vampire.  “She’s got Giles, Will, and Dawn,” he pointed out bitterly.  “Which is more than I have.  I’m not about to comfort a person I don’t like about the death of a bastard I’d wished dead on more than one occasion in the last year.”

“Xander, Spike saved the world today.”

The young man shrugged.  “Does one act of self-sacrifice, well two if you count when Glory tortured him for the key’s identity, cancel out 120 years of murder and torture?”

The vampire shrugged before sitting down beside him.  “You didn’t need to wipe away your tears Xander,” Angel said softly. “Showing emotion isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength.” The vampire glanced at the empty bottles at their feet.  “How many of those have you had?”

Xander counted in his head.  “Five.”  His mouth dropped open when the vampire grabbed his unopened six pack and threw it into the surrounding forest, its landing accompanied with the tell-tale tinkle of breaking glass.  “What the fuck did you do that for?”

”Getting drunk never solves anything.  How many people have been hit  by their drunk parents?  How many people have been killed by drunk drivers?  Hell,” the vampire chuckled dryly, “I was drunk when Darla turned me.  Look how much good came out of that.  You need to talk.”

“Talk,” he snorted, “who to, Andrew?”

“Me.”

“You, we can’t stand one another!” he started to rise only for the vampire to pull him back down.

“Then maybe it’s time we tried again,” Angel said calmly.  “When you told me about you sending me to hell, I was so angry.” The vampire shook his head.  “But you were right.” The vampire chuckled at his shocked expression.  “Buffy would have held back, Angelus would have won so thank you.”  The vampire held out his hand.  After a second, he took it.  “I know you don’t trust or like me and I admit your reasons are a lot more reasoned than I originally thought.  I don’t particularly like you either, I do respect you though, I remember you stopping Angelus twice and the time you forced me down to the Master’s cavern to help Buff.  If you want to talk about Anaya, I’ll listen.”

“Okay.”  He began, telling the vampire everything he could remember about Anaya – how they met, how she’d embarrass him with sex talk in public, her love of money, but most of all how she’d grown as a person.  After what seemed hours he finished.

“It’s obvious you loved her a lot,” the vampire said.  “But one day you’ll meet someone who fills the hole in your heart, eases the pain you’re feeling.” 

”I don’t want anyone else,” he said bitterly.  “And even if I did, who’d have an one-eyed out-of-work carpenter with no home?”

“I can think of one person,” the vampire surprised him.  “And you’re one of the few men in the world I’d trust to look after her.”

“I’m going nowhere near Dawn, jailbait’s so not my thing.”

“I’m talking about Faith.”   

“Faith’s told you she wants me?  I thought she didn’t back-track?”

“Faith hasn’t told me anything,” the vampire replied patiently.  “I can tell the way her heartbeat speeds up whenever you enter a room, the pheromones she gives off.”

“I don’t do casual -.”

“Neither does Faith, not anymore.  She’s looking for someone to share her life,” the vampire rose, “if I was you I’d give the idea serious consideration.”

“Angel,” the vampire turned back to him.  “Thanks for listening.”

The vampire nodded.  “My pleasure Xander, I wish I’d known Anaya, she sounded,” Angel grinned, “yeah the word I’m looking for is interesting.”

THE END

Return To Short Stories