Title: Starting Over
Rating: R (For Language later)
Relationships: X\F
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.
Starting Over 1 – Decisions
“Another Scooby meeting, another meeting of the How Wonderful Is Riley, How Useless Is Xander Club. I can hardly contain my joy.” Xander slouched as he walked up his drive. “Still anything’s better than a night in with dear old dad. Better pick up my stakes and go.”
The young man sighed as he heard sounds of fighting from inside the house. His mom must have got home from the 7-11 early, usually the fights didn’t start until much later. “You want my boy, girl? Let’s see what a real man can do for you!”
An acid fear filled the young man at the sound of his father’s voice coming from inside the house. Which one of his friends was in there? He realised it must be Anya, either Buff or Will had the power to handle the old bastard. Hitting the front door at a charge, he ran into the living room to find his dad crouched over a wailing figure lying on the couch. Xander’s eyes widened, it couldn’t be. “Dad, let her go,” his voice shook both with fear of his father and the girl laid on the couch. Not even she deserved that.
After slapping the girl across the face, the bigger man looked over his shoulder at him and laughed dismissively. “Go and make yourself some dinner, boy. By the time you’ve eaten, I’ll have finished with this cutie. You can have what’s left.” His father turned back to the girl and began pulling her pants down.
For a moment Xander stood where he was, rooted there by his terror of the man who had beaten and bullied him for all of his eighteen years. Then the girl whimpered. “Xand.”
That one word was enough to break the icy grip on his heart. Reaching forward, he placed a hand on his father’s burly shoulder. “Dad.”
The older man snarled, spun round and threw a left hook at his jaw. Years of fighting vampires and demons had honed Xander’s reflexes to a fine point and he slid smoothly beneath the clumsy attack before straightening and ramming the point of his elbow into his father’s forehead. Smirking slightly at his father’s surprised expression, ‘til now he’d never fought back but then again he’d never been fighting for anybody else before, he followed up with a fist into his father’s gut. As his dad doubled up, Xander grabbed his head and pulled it down, face first, onto his rising knee before smashing a right into the crumpling man’s jaw.
Before his father’s body had hit the carpet, Xander was crouched over the girl. “Faith, why didn’t you stop him?”
“No,” the pale-faced brunette shook her head wildly. “Can’t hurt anybody. Can’t kill anybody. That’s wrong.”
Seeing the girl was about to go into hysterics, the youth pulled her jeans back up and began fastening them. “Listen, I’ll go and get the others.”
“No! No!” The girl’s voice raised several octaves and her already panic-stricken eyes widened still further. “You can’t, B wants to kill me.”
“That’s not -,” Xander’s voice trailed off. Buffy did want the dark Slayer dead, particularly after she slept with Riley. “So why did you come here?”
The girl gazed up at him, desperation in her liquid brown eyes. “Because I knew you’d help me. Won’t you?” The brunette’s voice was small, child-like.
Xander hesitated. He realised that he was stood on the edge of a precipice. He could side with the girl who’d tried to kill him. Or he could side with his friends. With Buffy, Willow, Giles and Riley who ignored him, and with Anaya who somehow managed to make him feel cheaper than Faith had ever managed. Or he could do what he always did and help the person who needed him. Finally he nodded, there was only one decision he could make. He started to stand only for the Slayer to pull him back down, her eyes frightened, desperate. “No, please Xand. I'll be good, I promise. I’ll do anything you want, just don’t leave me. I'm sor -.”
The pain he saw in her face and heard in her voice tore at his heart. Xander forced a smile. “Hey, hey,” he soothed. “We can’t stay here, it’s not safe. I just need to get some things in a bag. Then we’re leaving.”
Faith’s expression went from scared to terrified. “I can’t see them.”
“No, not to see Buffy,” Xander replied. “To see,” he really hated this idea but unfortunately it made sense. Who else could stand up to Buffy or knew more about redemption? “To see Angel.”
“Angel?”
“Yeah,” he gently brushed some stray hair strands off the girl’s face. “It’ll be okay. Just give me a few minutes.”
“Take me with you.”
“Faith -.”
“If I let you go, you’ll run away from me, everybody does.”
The young man ground his teeth together in anger. What sort of life had made her so frightened to trust? “All righty then.” He cradled the girl in his arms and lifted her, cringing inwardly at her gauntness. She’d never been a big girl and eight months in a coma combined with her Slayer metabolism had left her seriously under-weight. He winked. “I’ve seen your bed, now you get to see mine, it’s only fair. Come on Faith, it’ll only take a few minutes to pack and then we’re off. Five by five?”
The brunette smiled weakly at her catchphrase and nodded. “Five by five.”
* * *
Xander glanced across to the sleeping Slayer sat beside him as he reached L.A.’s outskirts. A small smile played on his lips as he remembered leaving his home for positively the last time. He’d cleaned out his dad’s wallet and the money remaining from his summer stripping job as well as stealing his dad’s pick-up. Somehow he doubted the old bastard would report the theft.
“Xander.”
He smiled at the wakening raven-haired beauty. “Yes Faith.” The girl looked exhausted, but then he guessed eight months in a coma followed quickly by a nervous breakdown would do that to a person.
“How long?”
“Not long now,” he promised. Seeing Angel really wasn’t something he was looking forward to but he needed the ensoulled vampire to provide a level of protection that he couldn’t hope to. Besides Deadboy would understand what Faith was going through better than anybody he knew except perhaps G-Man, and he wasn’t a feasible candidate. “See, that’s his offices right there. Cordy sent me a card and everything, her working for Deadboy can you bel -.”
The Slayer’s tremulous voice cut through his babbling. “He’ll help me?”
Xander smiled at the brunette with a confidence he didn’t feel, even as he discreetly checked the safety on his Desert Eagle .50. “I’m sure he will.” If he didn’t, Xander was prepared to shoot and run. Bullets didn’t kill vamps but they sure as shit slowed them down. “If he won’t we’ll go onto whatever city you want.”
“Five by five, but you won’t leave me?”
“I’ll stay for as long as you want me to.”
* * *
“Xander!”
“The same, Deadboy in?”
“Angel!”
“Cordelia what have I told you about scream -,” the vampire finally registered the sight of the biggest pain in his ass stood in his office. “What do I have to do to get rid of you? Move states, countries?” He sighed in frustration. “What are you doing here?”
“They’re going to kill her.” The exhausted-looking man’s face twisted in anguish as he glanced down to the slight figure clinging onto him for support.
The vampire’s eyes widened. “Faith?”
“Who’s going to kill her? Can’t Buffy help?”
At the mention of Buffy’s name, Faith whimpered in terror and the young man holding her grimaced. “It’s her we’re running from.”
Angel’s mouth dropped open. “How? Why? What? When?” Last thing he knew, Buffy had felt tremendous guilt over the circumstances leading to Faith’s coma and was hoping desperately for her return to health, for a chance to help her brunette counterpart.
The young man let out a weary laugh. “Hold on Big & Broody, Faith needs to rest. Have you somewhere she can rest?”
Angel nodded dazedly. “Through here,” he gestured towards his living quarters.
Xander nodded at him before glancing down at the pale, thin girl holding onto him. “Come on Faith.”
* * *
Once the girl was settled in the room, Xander returned. “So what’s been happening?” the vampire demanded.
Angel listened in disbelief as the story of Faith’s body-swapping experience came out and her ordeal at the hands of Xander’s father. “Your dad tried to -.”
“I know,” Xander flushed red. “Let’s not get into my wonderful parents right now.”
“Okay, sorry.” Angel looked at his team. “What do you say? Help Faith or not?”
Wesley shrugged. “I was a failure as her Watcher maybe I can do better as a friend.”
Angel nodded. “Cordy?”
Cordelia grinned. “Hey, Princess Buffy’s pissed at her, Faith can’t be all bad. What about you boss?”
The vampire paused in thought. On the one hand he was enraged at Faith for what she had done, to him, to Buffy, even her attack on Xander – although maybe not so much that. On the other hand, he’d done far worse. He closed his eyes as his torturing of Drusilla and his massacre of his own family flashed before him. If he believed that he deserved a shot at redemption then surely a misguided child deserved the same. “We’ll help protect her, Xander.”
“Thank you.” The young man’s shoulders slumped in relief, as if releasing a great weight. “Is it alright if I go sit with her?”
Starting Over 2 – Confrontations
“I’d never thought I’d see Xander turn on Buffy like that.”
Angel shook his head at Cordy’s comment. “You’ve got it wrong Cordy. Xander’s doing just what he thinks is right – like always. The Master, the hospital, the zombies. The right thing – whatever the price to him.”
Wesley raised a timid hand. “Excuse me. I’m not familiar with any of these incidents.”
“A few months after Buffy arrived in Sunnydale, Giles and I found a prophecy that said she would die at the hands of the Master. Everybody fell into a great depression,” the vampire allowed himself a wry smile at the memory. “Not Xander though, he broke into my place, forced me to guide him into the Master’s lair at the point of a crucifix and revived her after the Master had drowned her. That’s how the second Slayer line was started.”
“So that’s what happened!” The Watcher’s eyes were alight with interest.
“Excuse me, as a Watcher I’d have thought you know?”
“No Angel,” Wesley shook his head, a look of distaste on his scholarly face. “I’ve come to believe that Quentin Travers censored much of Giles’ reports, omitting most mention of both yourself and the other Scoobies’ contribution to Miss Summers’ Slaying. That’s at least part of the reason,” the man flushed in embarrassment, “I treated you all so shamefully when I was in Sunnydale.”
“Sounds just like the Nazi party,” the two men stared in surprise at the former cheerleader. “What? I did stay awake through some lessons you know!”
“Quite,” the Watcher stared uncertainly at the cheerleader for a second before turning back to him. “And the other incidents?”
“While I was Angelus, Buffy caught a flu bug and I took advantage of it to beat her pretty badly. If it hadn’t been for Xander putting my head in a sack and kneeing me in the face, I’d have turned her there and then. The next night I showed up at the hospital only to find Xander waiting for Angelus. He backed him off.” Angel shook his head in admiration, he might not much like the boy but he never doubted his courage or determination.
“And did he catch hell from his girlfriend about that,” Cordy added dryly, “but what about the zombies I haven’t heard about this?”
“I don’t have the full story here, just what Willie told me one night. As far as I know, the night the rest of us battled the Sisterhood of Jhe, Xander single-handedly saved Faith from an Apocalypse demon by ramming it with a car.”
“A car,” Wesley raised an eyebrow. “I must have missed their inclusion as a weapon in the Council Handbook.”
Angel allowed himself a short laugh. “We all know how much the Council knows. After that he slept with Faith, out-witted and killed a gang of four zombies, as well as apparently disconnecting a bomb in the basement with enough power to both destroy the school and blow open the hellmouth.”
“Bloody hell! Saves the life of a beautiful woman, sleeps with her, and then single-handedly saves the world. Sounds almost like James Bond.”
“James Bond?” He exchanged an amused look with Cordelia. “Hardly, after all -.”
“The love spell!” The two of them collapsed in laughter.
Wesley glanced at them in confusion. “Love spell? What are you talking about?”
Suddenly Cordelia doubled up in pain. “Damn these visions!” The cheerleader cursed as she straightened, her eyes filled with fear. “Buffy’s here.”
* * *
“Where is she?”
Angel glanced at Cordelia and Wesley hiding behind him. “You can’t have her.”
Scorn entered the blonde’s eyes. “You’re going to stop me?” she scoffed. “You’re going to fight me for that slut?”
“He might not. But I will. And you’ll have to kill me to get her.”
The blonde’s eyes widened. “Xander, what are you doing here?”
The vampire let one eye slide over to the closed door that Xander stood guarding. What he saw froze his blood. The only previous time he’d seen that look of grim purpose in Xander’s eyes was when the boy had backed his soulless alter-ego down. That night he’d known the boy would kill or die without a second thought to protect those he cared about. And now he’d decided to protect Faith.
The Slayer’s face paled. “I don’t know what you’re doing here but that whore has to pay.”
Riley chipped in with what Angel guessed was a typically inane comment. “You tell him Buffy.”
Xander laughed. “You know Buffy, it’s true what they say about Iowa farmboys, their IQs are smaller than their boot sizes. Oh, and their ma is also their sister.” Angel bit back a laugh, well that was accurate.
“Harris, I’m warning you.”
“Shut it Riley,” Xander raised an automatic and pointed it at the rapidly paling soldier. “I’d think twice about shooting Buffy. You, I’d consider it a pleasure and a service to mankind.”
Angel decided to cut in. “I’d listen to him if I were you farmboy. Two hundred and fifty years and he’s the only ordinary mortal to have gone nose to nose with me and walked away.”
“Yeah.” The soldier smirked. “Maybe we should make it two.”
Angel laughed before covering the space separating them in a blur, slapping the soldier across the face, grabbing him round the throat and throwing him across the room, over the reception desk, through the door and into the corridor outside. “I really don’t think so.”
“Angel, I thought you’d promised to stop doing that! You know how much the doors cost.”
“Sorry Cordy.”
Buffy glared at him for a second before turning back towards Xander. “You can’t protect her, she’s murdered people. She hurt me, she betrayed me.”
“Well sob, sob,” Xander growled sarcastically. “The tearful story of princess Buffy. Sorry to tell you but contrary to popular Sunnydale belief, the world doesn’t revolve around you.”
“I can’t believe you’re defending her. She tried to kill you. Hurt Willow, tried to destroy the …”
“And so did Angelus, Angelus hurt Willow, tried to kill me – but we weren’t allowed to kill him. Why? Because Princess Buffy said so. Angelus butchered over twenty people while he was in Sunnydale alone, killed the love of the nearest thing to a father you have and tortured that same man. Nearly killed you when -.” Xander’s words trailed off.
“Tell her.” Hearing a recounting of his crimes hurt but Angel knew that Buffy had to be made to understand that Faith deserved a second chance. And more to the point, that she would have to kill Xander to get Faith. He just hoped his ex would decide that was a price not worth paying.
“Would have killed you when you were in hospital with the flu if I hadn’t stopped.”
The dazed Slayer looked towards him for confirmation. Angel nodded. “Without a cross or anything.”
“Xander-.”
The young man’s tirade cut the Slayer off. “Who saved you when the Master drowned you? Who came up with the plan to slay the Judge? Who stopped Teri from killing you when Angelus turned her? Who dealt with the gang of zombies planning to blow up the school while you were busy battling the Sisterhood of Jhe? Who came up with the plan to kill the Mayor? Who led the students at graduation? I’m not the dead weight that you think I am, but if you don’t need me, fine – you can go to hell. Faith does, and the only way you’re getting her is through me.” Angel winced as the youth knocked the safety off his gun for emphasis.
“Fine, well don’t you or that bitch ever come crawling back to -.”
“Sunnydale?” Xander laughed bitterly. “Nobody, least of all you, is stopping me from going anywhere I want. But why would I want to go back to Sunnydale? Back to the abusive drunk parents? Back to the dead end job? Back to the girlfriend who only uses me as a damn gigolo?”
“What!!!!”
“Cordelia, please don’t yell down my ear.” Angel bit back a chuckle at both the outraged look on Cornelia’s face and the pained one on Wesley’s.
“Back to my oh so judgemental friends who consent to keep me around as the comic relief? As for Faith,” Xander glanced at Riley’s crumpled body in the corridor and laughed scornfully. “Don’t worry about her. Once she remembers sleeping with the village idiot, even in your body, she’ll probably die of shame. After all even Deadboy’s got more life in him than farmboy.”
“Ouch,” Angel winced at the comment. Even Xander’s back-handed compliments hurt.
His ex’s face had turned red. “Xander, I’m warning -.”
“No Buffy, I’m warning you,” Angel glanced towards the young man. All traces of humour had left Xander’s tone, leaving only a killer’s coldness. “You or soldier boy even look at Faith wrong and you’re dead. She’s under my protection now. Now pick him up and get out.”
The vampire waited until the Slayer and her still unconscious boyfriend had left before turning to Xander. Seeing that the boy was still full of tension he decided to try and lighten the mood. “You didn’t mention that Faith had slept with Riley.”
“That a problem?” Xander glared at him suspiciously.
“No, but you and Riley – Faith’s got some serious bad taste.”
“Hey! I dated Xander for a year.”
Angel raised an eyebrow at Cordelia. “I rest my case.”
A smile tugged at the young man’s lips. “Didn’t Faith try to seduce you?”
Angel grinned. “Ah, but I’m the exception that proves the rule.”
Starting Over 3 – Two Departing Sunnydale
Giles winced as the sound of his front door being slammed reverberated through his apartment. One day she’d break his bloody windows. The Watcher glanced across at Willow who looked terrified and Spike who was smirking.
“The little bitch! And that idiot!” Buffy screamed as she stormed into the apartment, a battered-looking Riley on her heels.
“She caught you with one of your goats again Farm Boy?” Spike shut up at a glare from Buffy.
“So what happened?” Giles asked neutrally. He hoped with all his heart that Buffy hadn’t done anything she’d end up regretting.
“I tracked that little slut down to Angel’s office. And then Angel hit Riley and Xander, Xander drew a gun on me!”
Xander? The Watcher’s eyes widened. He hadn’t realised that the young man had gone, but then why should he? He’d barely noticed when he was around recently. The Englishman shot a warning glance to a chuckling Spike.
“Xander! Why would Xander go with that skank!” Willow demanded hotly.
“The little whore probably promised to open her legs for him again,” Buffy snorted disdainfully.
“Jealous?” muttered Spike before wincing at a slap to the back of the head from Buffy.
In Giles’ opinion it was considerably more likely that Xander thought Faith was worth helping. It was a viewpoint that he had considerable sympathy with but hadn’t bothered to voice. What was the point - since when had Buffy taken his advice or anybody’s except her own and maybe Riley’s? The Watcher listened tight-lipped as the character assassination of Xander and the threats to Faith continued. Finally he’d had enough. “Get out.”
Buffy and Willow looked up in surprise. “We haven’t finished yet,” pouted Buffy.
“Oh I rather think you have.” The Watcher corrected with a glare. “I’m sick of listening to you denigrate Xander. So if you want to continue talking about that marvellous young man in such a manner you can bugger off.”
The two girls looked abashed but Riley snorted. “Harris, he’s just a -.”
“Shut your bloody hole,” Giles felt the Ripper inside of him begin to bubble up. “Finish that sentence about a young man who’s killed more demons than you’ve bloody seen you prat and I’ll make sure the only way you leave here is on a stretcher.”
The Watcher was pleased to see the colour drain from Riley’s face and the soldier’s jaw clamp shut. The Englishman turned to the girls. “You still here? Take this pillock with you and get out! And don’t come back until you’re willing to moderate your opinions about both Xander and Faith!”
* * *
Giles sighed as he started to pack his bags, taking care to ensure all his most important texts and belongings were secured. He didn’t want to leave Sunnydale but with his influence over Buffy waning and Finn’s growing, there was little point in staying. Perhaps he could head to L.A. and offer to be Faith’s Watcher. Although why she should accept he had no idea – not after the mess he’d made of the job last time. If she didn’t want him, he could always return to England.
Suddenly his musings were interrupted by the sound of clapping behind him. Turning, he saw Spike grinning at him. “Bloody hell that was more fun than chowing down on a whole cheerleading squad.”
“Spike what are you still doing here?” Giles groaned inwardly. Sodding marvellous, stuck with the neutered vampire. “I thought I told you to leave.”
“Go with the witless wanker and his two groupies? No bloody chance!” the bleached blonde snorted. “So when we leaving?”
“Leaving?” Giles tried for an innocent expression. “Who said I’m going anywhere?”
Spike laughed. “I’ve been watching you pack for the last half hour. You’ve just been so engrossed you didn’t realise I was still here.”
The Watcher shook his head in disgust, being distracted was a good way of getting yourself killed in Sunnydale. “So why do you want to leave Sunnydale? And more to the point, why on earth would I want to take you with me?”
For once the vampire’s face lost its habitual cockiness. “Without the whelp, it isn’t fun around here. He’s the only one nearly capable of matching insults with me. And he’s got the biggest set of stones out of all of you, saved all of your lives a bunch of times even though he hasn’t got a calling or a special power.”
“You like him!” An unwilling smile tugged at the Watcher’s lips..
“Take that -. Oh, he’s all right.” The vampire shrugged. “And if you leave I lose an important source of blood and the Initiative are more likely to come after Hostile 17.”
“All right, so you’ve convinced me why you want to leave. Now why should I take your undead arse with me?”
“Two reasons. Firstly, unless I miss my guess you’ll be heading to L.A. Can you imagine how pissed Peaches would be if I turned up?”
Giles chuckled, there were few things on earth that gave him more pleasure than annoying Spike’s grand-sire. “Tempting, but not enough. And your second reason?”
“I’ve hidden your car keys.”
The Watcher glanced towards the key hook and cursed. “You sneaky bastard!”
Spike grinned. “I’m a vampire, what did you expect?”
“Oh very well,” Giles gave in with ill grace. “If you help me pack then we’ll go as soon as we’re ready.”
“Not a good idea, best wait until tonight.”
“Why?” In his book, the sooner the better.
“Because those dozy Initiative wankers have had you under surveillance for the past fortnight. I’m figuring with your demonology and vampire knowledge, you try and leave they might try and stop you. We’ve got more chance of slipping away at night.”
“Damn it,” Giles thought for a second before nodding. “Tonight it is then.”
* * *
“Professor Walsh?”
“Yes Agent Finn?”
Riley faltered for a second under his boss’ laser-gun stare before continuing. “I have an idea regarding the Slayer project.”
“Really,” the woman smiled thinly. “Go on.”
“Although Summers is at least in part protected by the Council of Watchers it turns out there’s a second Slayer, Faith. This Slayer is considered rouge.”
“Interesting, continue.”
“Well, apparently the Council have already tried and failed to eliminate Faith. This makes me think that they’d turn a blind eye to Faith being studied.”
The professor smiled, for a few seconds she drummed her fingers thoughtfully on her office desk. “And where is this Faith exactly?”
Riley hesitated, here was the tricky part. “In L.A., under the protection of the vampire Angelus.”
“Angelus is known as a particularly nasty vampire,” the professor commented, her brow furrowing in thought. “But better one vampire than the entire Council, we’re not ready to take them on yet. Organise a surveillance to investigate the viability of snatching this Faith.” Riley hid a smile as the professor strode away. He’d teach that bitch and Harris that nobody messed with him.
Starting Over 4 – Darkest Secrets
“Angel, have you got a minute?”
The ensoulled vampire paused in his kata and nodded, curious at what made the youngster sound more nervous than he had the previous day when he’d faced down Buffy. “What do you want Xander?”
“We need to talk.”
The vampire raised an eyebrow. Curiouser and curiouser, he and Xander had never managed a meaningful conversation in all the time they’d known each other. He gestured towards a workout bench. “Take a seat.”
After hesitating for a second the youth obeyed. Long seconds passed before the teenager spoke. “It’s my fault you were sent to hell.”
Angel’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I knew Will was going to re-try the soul restoration spell but didn’t tell Buffy.”
It was an effort, but Angel managed to force down the demonic rage surging up inside him. After all he’d done a great deal worse to those far more undeserving than him. “Why?”
“Fear.”
The younger man’s one word answer threw him. It wasn’t at all what he expected – jealousy, hatred, anger, maybe. “Fear?”
“I was afraid that if I told Buff, she wouldn’t go all out, that she’d stall and you’d defeat her. End the world, even my crappy part of it.”
The vampire took a calming breath. The boy had done the right thing and, judging from what he’d said, for the right reasons. Even if it did hurt him. Suddenly he realised the boy had stood and walked to the dojo door. “Where are you going?”
The youth stopped but didn’t turn. “To pack my stuff and leave.”
“Why?”
Xander still didn’t turn to face him. “Well you won’t want me here now will you? Not that you ever did, I’m just your ex’s annoying former friend. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make Faith leave if she wants to stay though.”
“Why did you tell me?”
Now the boy did turn to face him. “Because it would have been wrong staying here, under your roof, and not telling you.” The youth turned back to the door but before he could take more than a couple more steps towards it, Angel was in the way.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Xander’s face paled. Clenching his fists, the younger man stared up defiantly at him. “You want a fight Angel? ‘Cause that’s what you’ll get. Not even my dad gets to hit me for free, not anymore.”
Pain lanced through the vampire’s heart at Xander’s last words. All at once he was assaulted by memories of his own belt-wielding father. “Sit down Xander,” he said with gentle firmness. When the youth had obeyed, he continued. “Who says you have to leave?”
Xander raised an eyebrow. “I did send you to hell.”
“True,” Angel nodded thoughtfully. “But the way I see it you did the right thing,” he chuckled darkly. “For the world at least.”
“So I can stay?”
“Xander, Faith needs you here.”
The younger man snorted. “Sure she does. You’re the world’s leading redemption expert and Wes is this mega-brain with all the knowledge about Slayers and their problems. Me?” the youth shrugged. “I’m just the Zeppo, donut boy.”
Angel winced inwardly at the boy’s lack of self-esteem. “For god’s sake Xander,” he said softly. “It wasn’t me or Wes Faith came to for help. She came to you, she believes in, trusts, you. Now I’ve never known you betray a trust, you’re not going to start now are you?” He smiled at the boy’s slow shake of the head, sometimes the longest journey starts with the smallest step. “So what are you going to do for work?”
“Fast food counters, construction maybe.”
“Wrong.”
“Uh?”
The vampire chuckled; he was going to enjoy this. “I’m going to hire you as a member of Angel Investigations.”
As expected, Xander looked dumbfounded. “Me? Why?”
“A number of reasons. Once Faith is fit, having a Slayer on staff will give us serious creditability and I doubt Faith will agree without your inclusion.”
“Great, hanger on again.”
“Shut up and listen. Secondly, I didn’t agree with Buffy pushing you out last year but went along with it -.”
“Anything for a quiet life.”
“Exactly. You’re resourceful, brave, and quick-witted.”
“Hey,” Xander broke in with a grin. “Now that Will’s probably vacated the presidency of my fan club on the orders of General Summers you could apply.”
Angel chuckled. “Hardly. You’re also hot-tempered, impulsive, and immature. But you’re a good man in a fight and I know you won’t let me or the others down.”
“Thanks Angel,” the youth looked embarrassed. “This doesn’t mean we’re buddies?”
“Hell no, let’s keep this an employee-employer relationship,” Angel chuckled; if nothing else Xander was entertaining. Something else occurred to the vampire. “Tell me about the soldier that possessed you two Halloweens ago.”
The youth’s brow furrowed in puzzlement. “Why?”
“Humour me.”
“Okay.” Angel watched as the teenager concentrated. “Sgt. Joe Dawson born in Brooklyn, 1952. Signed up 1970. Was one of the few rookies to be accepted into an elite Special Forces unit working behind enemy lines in Vietnam, Largos, and Cambodia. Was decorated six times in four tours. Specialist in sniping, explosives, guerrilla warfare, and unarmed combat. After leaving the military in ’75 toured the Orient for 4 years, learning the martial arts. Returned to the U.S. in,” surprise flooded the young man’s face. “Shit.”
“What’s up?”
“Throughout the 80s, Dawson worked as a demon hunter. Even worked with two Slayers, in New Orleans in ’82 for eight months and in Chicago for eleven months from early ’89.”
“How did he die?”
“His memories end sometime in ’93. So why do you want to know all this?”
The vampire didn’t answer immediately. His ex had to be a complete airhead not to utilise this resource. If he could get Xander to tip in more regularly to the soldier within him he could be a real asset. “I’m going to train you.”
“Oh no, that look on your face. You’re sure you’re not Angelus?”
The vampire smiled. If nothing else having Xander around would be interesting. Oh god, Xander and Cordy, the vampire shuddered. Maybe hell hadn’t been such a bad place after all.
* * *
“How you doing beautiful?”
Faith smiled wanly. Whenever a man had complimented her in the past it was because they wanted something, usually her body. Not Xand though, sweet, gentle Xand. She still didn’t understand why he’d agreed to her desperate pleadings for help. “X..Xand, can I ask you something?”
The man smiled before brushing her hair off her face. “Whatever you want.”
The girl smiled at the comfort she got from her friend’s touch, knowing that she could trust him. “W..why are you helping me?”
The youth’s expression darkened to such an extent that the girl recoiled in fright until the young man pulled her close. “It’s not you I’m angry at Faith,” he whispered in her ear. “It’s our parents. Hell, our childhoods are so similar that we could almost be brother and sister.”
“That’s not what you said that night in my hotel room,” for the first time in a long while she giggled, then laughed at the flushed red in her friend’s cheeks.
“Hey! I’m trying to get deep here!” her friend chuckled before turning serious again. “I was lucky enough to have some friends and a great father figure in G-Man otherwise I might have ended up an abusive drunk like dad. You didn’t have my luck.”
“D..do you miss them?”
Xander’s eyes filled with pain. “I miss who they were, not what they’ve become. Truth is over the past year I’ve gotten pretty damn sick of the way they’ve decided that I’m not good enough to help.”
“If you were -.”
Xander ended her question with a finger to the lips. “What they were planning to do to you was wrong and I wouldn’t have let them, friends or no friends. I know you can be a good person. All you need is some help and a chance.”
The girl’s heart blossomed. He believed in her, after she nearly killed him, hurt his friends, and even tried to help end the world. He still believed in her. Smirking, the brunette moved closed to her friend, snuggling her head into his chest. She would show him he was right. Because she was falling in love with him.
* * *
“How’s she doing?”
Xander glanced at Sunnydale’s former head cheerleader. He was surprised to see very real concern in his ex’s beautiful face. “Better than yesterday. Still skittish but more coherent.”
“Can’t imagine the brash hellcat Faith as skittish,” Cordy commented.
“A lot of that brashness was just an act to hide behind.”
Cordy nodded. “We both know about acts.”
Xander’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t expected such insight from the former cheerleader, but she was right. He’d hidden the shame of his abusive childhood behind a layer of buffoonery while Cordelia had hidden her own loneliness behind a snobbish exterior.
The cheerleader clearly registered his shock because she let out a laugh. “I’m not quite the self-obsessed, insensitive bitch you remember.”
He smiled. “I can see that,” the smile wavered. “I’ve never apol-.”
It was his turn to be stopped by a finger to the lips. “Because of you I lost my position, my friends,” the cheerleader began sternly before smiling. “But I also gained self-respect, true confidence, and the ability to judge people not by their wallet and clothes but by what’s really important – their heart. I really enjoyed the year we had together, even if you didn’t listen to a word I said about clothes,” he chuckled. “We weren’t meant to be, Geek Boy.”
Xander grinned at hearing one of his high school nicknames. “You know I’ve missed the insults. I’m going to enjoy hearing them now that I’m an employee of Angel Investigations.”
“Really!” Cordy’s beaming smile only
lasted a second before she pouted. “I’ll have to talk to Angel. Your salary is
so not coming out of mine.”
Xander chuckled. “Apparently you haven’t changed that much.”
His ex glared at him for a few seconds before speaking. “Do you think Faith would mind if I sat with her?”
“Sit with her, why?” Faith and Cordy had always had a mutual hate society going.
“I remember back in Sunnydale. The three of us were the Scooby Outsiders really. You because you were Mr. Slightly Less Than Average, I was only tolerated as your girl-friend and Faith because she was Jenny Come-Lately. I remember how desperately she tried to fit in at first but they, Buffy and Willow, decided she wasn’t good enough. Anything she did was down to them telling her she didn’t fit, she really wanted to be accepted – all they did was push her away. Hell, in the end all they wanted her for was the scut work they didn’t want to do, so that Buff could go away to college,” Cordelia shook her head in disgust. “Not that Giles and I were much better. The only people who really tried were you and Angel.”
His ex clearly had hidden depths, her thoughts very nearly mirrored his own. “I’m sure she’d love a new friend. Just be gentle, okay.”
Cordy winked at him. “Well Xander,” she purred. “Surely you remember how gentle I can be?”
Starting Over 5 – Ignored Warnings
“So I say just three?”
Wesley and Cordelia collapsed in laughter at the end of Faith’s tale. The
Slayer beamed at her friends. Ten weeks had passed since Xander had
half-carried, half-dragged her into Angel’s office. Since that time she’d
become a valued member of Angel’s team. She’d regained her sense of purpose and
confidence while tempering her previous arrogance. And for the first time in
her life she was part of a real, loving family. Even more importantly, she had
Xander.
Sweet, gentle Xander who patiently nursed her back to health after her breakdown without asking for anything in return. Gentlemanly, shy Xander who’d blushed and stammered when he’d asked her out on her first ever date, three weeks ago. And had followed it up by taking her on a horse and carriage to the classiest restaurant she’d ever been to, the sort of place she’d used to dream of stealing scraps from when she’d been a runaway. Tough, fearless Xander who fought by their side, his natural skills augmented both by the Special Forces soldier inside of him and Angel’s training.
The Slayer was distracted from thoughts of her man by a slight sound, too indistinct for any but her ears to hear, at one of the upstairs windows. “What the fu-.”
Suddenly the windows shattered and the office door crashed open. From both directions came balaclavaed men in fatigues. Muttering curses under her breath, the Slayer sprang into action. Her left foot flickered out catching the nearest soldier in the stomach, lifting him off the ground and sending him crashing into a near-by bookcase that crumpled under the impact. “Shit, G and Wes are going to be lecturing me about looking after books again,” Faith muttered as she eyed the books spilling out all over the floor before sidestepping a right, grabbing her would-be attacker’s arm and flipping him onto the ground.
Seeing some sort of gun being levelled at her, Faith dived to the ground and rolled away from the blast. Leaping to her feet she sent a kick flicking backwards, connecting with bone-breaking impact to the gunman’s wrist, before spinning round and shattering his jaw with a left hook. As the man toppled to the ground, the man beside him lunged forward and grabbed her in a bear-hug. Faith grinned evilly. “Well that was stupid.” The Slayer drove her head backwards, sending the back of her skull crunching into the man’s nose. The man fell to his knees with a grunt, giving the Slayer the opportunity to finish him off with a spin kick to the side of the head. Faith surged forward to attack another of the invaders only for the man she’d thrown to the floor to grab her foot. It only took a half-second for Faith to kick loose, but the instant was enough for her to be caught in the sights of three stun blasters. The Slayer screamed as the bolts hit her. Her body convulsing from the shock to her nervous system, the Slayer slumped to the floor, unconscious.
* * *
“Holy crap.” Graham commented as he pulled off his mask. “She’s a looker, real livewire too. Bet she’s great in the sack.”
Forrest laughed. “Can we take the other babe too? She’d be great for some R & R.”
Riley forced a stern expression as he removed his balaclava. This would show Harris not to mess with him. “Remember our mission objective people,” he poked Faith’s limp body with his foot. “We got the bitch, now let’s cuff her and get out of here.”
“Not bloody likely!” Finn’s head snapped up. He watched in open-mouthed amazement as a pyjama-clad Giles vaulted over the second floor banister and plunged down onto a stunned Forrest. The two hit the floor with a bone-jarring thud, Giles landing on top. The enraged Englishman drove his head into Forrest’s face three times before leaping to his feet, a look of inhuman fury on the Brit’s face as he started towards him. “You gutless bastard!”
Snapping out of his trance, Riley fired his blaster into the Englishman and watched with relief as he fell to the ground. He’d read the Professor’s file on Giles, but to actually see Ripper in person was terrifying to behold.
“You bastard!” Forrest stumbled to his feet, his face a broken, bloody mess. The trooper aimed his blaster at the former librarian and set it to kill.
“No!”
Forrest glared at him. “Have you seen what he did to my face!”
“Summers doesn’t give a shit about Faith. If she finds out we’ve killed Giles though….”
“He’s seen our faces man,” Graham broke in.
“Doesn’t matter. If he contacts Buffy for help, he won’t get it, not for the bitch. She might be pissed about us stunning him, but I can smooth that over. And if the others come, well we’ll capture Angelus and Hostile 17, and kill the rest.”
Forrest nodded. “Makes sense.”
“Good, then grab her body and let’s get out of here.”
* * *
“And so she looks at me and says only three!” Xander finished his story with a smile. He couldn’t believe how well everything had turned out. He and Faith had been eagerly accepted into Angel’s gang. He was no longer the Zeppo but a valued member of the team, putting Faith back together had been tough but with care and attention, they’d all played their part, they’d managed it. Without Buffy to stir the pot and with the respect he gained from training with the ensoulled vampire, he’d even grown to become firm friends with Angel. Although it was still entertaining to help Spike in baiting him. And most importantly, he had Faith.
Suddenly he realised his story hadn’t received the expected response. He turned towards the two vamps. “What’s up?”
Angel pointed towards the office building that his human eyes couldn’t yet see through the night’s impenetrable darkness. “The windows have been broken. Xander no -.”
At Angel’s first words, the young man felt an icy finger run up his spine. Ignoring the danger, he ran across the busy road, causing cars to screech to a halt and drivers to curse, and drawing his Desert Eagle as he went. After a few moments he vaguely registered the presence of Angel and Spike beside him. “We said wait you bloody pillock!” Spike growled. “Scout the place out before running in!”
“Screw that for a plan!” Xander snapped back, his eyes flaming angrily as he kicked the building’s front door open. “Faith’s inside!” his heart pounding, the young man raced up upstairs and through the office’s open doorway.
The office looked like a tornado had swept through it. Desks, chairs, and a bookcase were over-turned while the bodies of Giles, Wesley, and Cordy lay slowly stirring on the floor. After quickly checking that his friends weren’t seriously injured, Xander hurried into their living quarters to search for his Slayer. His heart fell when his eyes confirmed what he already really knew, no Faith.
Xander forced away the dizziness assaulting him. After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he strode over to a now awake Wesley. “What happened? Where’s Faith?”
The former Watcher, his hand pressing a handkerchief onto a deep gash over his left eye, shrugged before wincing. “A dozen men in military fatigues broke through the door, windows and the skylight,” Wesley glanced up at the ceiling. “As to Faith, I’m sorry Xander, I don’t know.”
“The Initiative took her.”
”What!” Xander’s head snapped towards Giles. “How do you know?”
Giles rubbed at his head before continuing. “I was asleep when the attack began so I didn’t get out here until the others had been subdued. By this time, the soldiers had removed their masks so I recognised them as that odious prat Finn and his merry band of idiots.” The Watcher’s face twisted in misery. “I couldn’t stop them Xander, I’m sorry.”
“I’ll phone Buffy-.”
“Like hell,” Xander strode over to Angel and snatched the phone out of his surprised friend’s hand. “The bitch is probably in on it.”
Angel’s face contorted in rage. “Buffy’s a lot of things, but she isn’t cold-blooded!”
“Still hung up on her?” snarled Xander. “Does Kate know?”
The vampire’s eyes glittered golden. “Why you -.”
“Shut up!” The arguing duo turned to face a crying Cordelia. “I’ve been beaten up and my friend’s been kidnapped! And what are you two dumbasses doing? Arguing about Buffy! God it’s like being back in high school!”
Xander glanced at Angel. He saw the shame he felt mirrored in the vampire’s face. The uneasy silence was broken by Giles. “Actually I believe both of you are correct. Buffy wouldn’t have been part of this,” Giles glanced around the wrecked office. “However I also believe contacting her would only lead to Riley being warned. The question is what do we do next?”
“There is no we.” Xander strode into the bedroom he shared with Faith. After grabbing his armoury he walked back out into the office only to find the exit blocked by Angel.
“What are you going to do?” demanded Angel.
“I’m going to Sunnydale to get my girl,” the teenager smiled coldly. “And I’m not asking nicely.”
Giles spoke up from behind him. “I know I speak for the others when I say not on your own.”
Xander’s gaze didn’t move from the vampire. “This is just my fight Giles.”
“No it is bloody not!” Giles’ angry bellow caused him to jump. “She might be your girl-friend, but she’s mine and Wesley’s slayer, and she’s the others’ friend. We are coming with you. That’s what family does, it helps one another.”
After a second Xander nodded. “Fine. But you might not like what I’m going to do.” With that warning delivered, he pushed past the suddenly gaping vampire and headed into the night. They were going to pay, every last one of them.