Second in the series.
Author: Raven's Bard
E-mail: ravensbard78@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Nothing in the Buffyverse belongs to me. Joss owns it all.
Rating: TV MA (nothing you wouldn't see on the show)
Spoilers: The Pack, sorta
Distribution: Just tell me where it's going.
Summary: The Pack episode. Xander goes hunting for a mate. Placed in the New Start Universe.
**********
Time passed quickly for us and we all settled into a routine. Willow and Oz did the computer work. Faith and I trained. And Giles attempted to teach us all proper researching techniques. Course it worked best for Oz and Willow, but then I was just trying to do things wrong. Can't leave Faith alone to muck through the learning. Besides, I figured I could earn bonus points with her if we stuck to annoying the G-man.
That brings up another point. Since I had some previous experience with Watchers and Slayers, I wondered how the Slayer ended up with her dad for a Watcher. After a couple of weeks I was able to corner Giles and get him to explain.
***
A few weeks previous
Coming from History, I headed to the library for my free period. I found the library table covered in various tomes and spellbooks with Giles on one end, his nose buried in some dusty old book. I walked up as quietly as possible, and when I was only a few steps away...
"HEY, G-MAN!" I shouted earning a startled cry and muffled curse as he tumbled to the floor.
Giles glared up at me from the floor and adjusted his glasses before picking up the book and righted his chair. "I do wish that you wouldn't call me that. And that you refrained from attempting to startle me when I am reading from these books. I may have been preparing some sort of spell and a distraction such as that could have disasterous consequences."
"Come on, Giles, if you were getting ready for a spell you would have the library closed sign up and have a bunch of mystical whatsits scattered around..." I stopped when I noticed he was still glaring at me.
"For future reference, you should know that casting a spell does not always require 'mystical whatsits'," he said with a grimace. "Many spells can be cast without physical components merely the caster's willpower."
"Okay, okay. I get it," I said as I held my hands up in surrender. He sat back down in his chair to get back to his reading and I moved to grab a chair a little ways away.
"I'll just have to stick to annoying you every other time then," I smirked and sat earning another look. "So where is everyone?"
Giles sighed and looked up. "Oz and Willow are still in class as you know and Faith I sent home to gather some books that I need."
"Really?" I queried and then leaned forward. "Look, Giles, I've had a question that I thought I should wait to ask until we could talk alone and before now, there really hasn't been a good time."
His gaze came back up to me, noticed my serious expression, marked his place, and closed the book he was reading. "Well, how can I help you then, Xander?"
"It's about Faith."
Giles looked surprised and uneasy for a moment. "What exactly is your question?"
"Well I know that your her father and all, so I was wondering..."
If anything Giles looked even more uncomfortable with the subject. "I think I see where this is going."
"You do? Well... so?"
He turned an almost fluorescent shade of red and removed his glasses to clean them. "Um.. well... I'm not.. sure that you really... n..need to be.. d..d..discussing... this s..sort of thing... with me. I mean... i..it might be better... for you to.. speak.. w..w..with Faith."
"I thought you would rather I talk to you about it?"
"I..I.. think this... should just be.. um.. j..just between you.. a..and Faith."
"But you are involved too."
"WHAT?!?!?" he shouted as he shot from his chair. "I most certainly am not!"
"Um, hello? She is YOUR daughter, right?"
"Yes, but..." he started with a confused look on his face.
"So you would be the person to tell me just how the Slayer ended up with a Watcher for a dad, don't you think?" I pressed.
Giles let out a breath that he was holding and slumped back to his chair. "Oh, that. Well, I have merely adopted Faith at the Council's request in order to explain her living in my home and the closeness necessary at school. It was all a matter of getting her parents to give up custody of her, which they did with very little urging from the Council."
"So, she isn't really your daughter then? I had thought that more than a little odd. Thanks for clearing that up, G-man," I said and stood to leave. "That wasn't too bad now was it?"
"No, it was not," he stated looking more relieved.
"Then why did you have such a hard time?" I pressed hiding my grin. "You seemed a bit uneasy with something..."
Giles immediately turned purple as he struggled to breathe. "Aa... uh... it.. I thought... Don't you have to be at class?"
"No," I relied innocently.
"A..are you sure? It.. uh.. would not do for you to be late for class," he tried panicked.
"Nope. Free period remember?" I struggled to hide the grin that was threatening to emerge. "Now what was bothering you, Giles?"
"I... um.. I.. thought you were asking.. something else."
"What might that have been?" I asked as innocent as I could manage.
"That... you and... um.. Faith.. uh.. might be.. taking your.. friendship... further."
"Further than what?"
He looked practically poleaxed. "Than.. simple friendship.."
"Like..."
He crumbled further and was frantically cleaning his glasses now. "That.. you two might.. become... intimate.. with each other."
I couldn't hold back at the look on his face and collapsed to the floor with laughter. Needless to say, Giles was less than pleased.
"You... AAAHHHH.. Out! Get out!" he stood pointing at the doors pointing. "I have had enough of your... antics and pranks."
And this is how Faith found us when she entered the library.
Me on the floor laughing so hard tears were streaming down my face and Giles glaring angrily at me while telling me to get away from him before he 'throttles' me.
Faith took one look at each of us and asked irritatedly, "Okay, what'd I miss?"
***
Faith found the whole incident hilarious once I had stopped laughing long enough to explain it to her. So far I haven't been able to top that little incident, but I haven't found the right opportunity yet.
Anyways, there is another matter which has popped up recently: Angel.
Turns out that he is a source of information for Faith. He shows up, warns her of some 'big evil', and then disappears to let us fight it. I don't know what is more annoying: him vanishing without lifting a finger to help or the fact that Faith seems attracted to him. Hold on, dumb question. Getting Faith to go out with me will be a bit harder with the walking hair-gel dispenser. I mean come on, could he possibly use any more of the stuff? One of day soon I need to find out exactly what is up with him. Something about him just doesn't sit right with me. Wills says that is just the jealousy talking. Maybe or maybe not, but I am going to find out who he is and how he gets his information...
"Whatcha doin', X?" Faith says settling in the chair next to me.
"Not much. Just thinking about the field trip tomorrow. Gotta love that," I said turning to her with a trademark smile.
She snorts. "Don't see what's so special about going to some stupid zoo."
"Faith, Faith, Faith. How can a trip to the zoo not be fun?" I put my arm around the back of her chair and used the other to wave dramatically in front of her. "Picture this: you got the wolves, tigers, fresh air, no classes, no homework..."
"Well, this trip just keeps looking better and better," she says with a grin.
"Now you got it," I said as I stood. "Care to join me for some grunting, groaning, and sweating."
"I would but I don't think 'Dad' would appreciate us using his desk like that. Besides I don't think you're strong enough to handle me."
"What? You wound me. I'll have you know that I can 'handle' any slayer... just before they break my hands of course." I grinned waggling my eyebrows.
She let out a bark of laughter and stood. "Come on, Romeo. Let's get started sparring before Giles comes back and sees us lounging about."
"Fine. Let's get my pounding over with. The sooner it is over, the sooner I'll heal." I groaned.
"Don't worry I won't mess you up too much. After all, were am I going to find such a willing punching bag?"
***
