Title: Soul Mates
Chapter: Revelations
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Seasons 1 to 3 of Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I would buy it but I am broke.
Summary: AU diverging end of series 2. Buffy and Xander get shown their real heritage and now must prepare for the End of Days.
AN: Major deviation from Buffy Cannon and total abandon of timeline after series 2.
AN2: Made a slight alteration to later timeline for realism. Thanks for feedback, especially RobClark, Nikapi and cuthwolf. Malaskor's question will be answered in the next chapter.
*********
Buffy was packing her clothes up quickly, hoping to get out of the house before her mother knew she was there. It had only been a few hours since she had sent her love, Angel, to Hell to save the world and the pain was still growing. Picking up her bag she glanced around the room for anything she wanted. Finding nothing she moved towards the window to make her way out of the house, and out of Sunnydale. "You can't leave. You won't be able to survive with out him. You never could." A voice came from behind her.
Spinning around she saw Whistler, the 'good' demon who had guided her to Angelus.
"I think it is a bit late for that warning, I just sent him to Hell, remember, you told me to." She replied, spitting venom.
"I didn't mean Angel. I meant Xander."
Hearing this Buffy's already stressed brain decided to take a vacation and she promptly fainted. Whistler cursed softly, lifting Buffy's unconscious form and quietly moved out of the house.
********
The knocking at the door was insistent. Xander quickly moved to Giles' door, checking the sleeping librarian as he passed, wincing slightly at the wounds. When he opened the door he saw a man in an awful suit carrying a person in his arms. Pushing past Xander he placed the figure gently on the sofa.
'OK. Not a vampire.' Xander thought.
"Nope. Name's Whistler. I was sent by the Powers that Be." The man said as he straitened. "Don't worry Xander, Buffy just fainted."
Xander had recognised the figure as the man stood up, and had quickly checked her for injuries before Whistler had said her name.
"How did she faint?" Xander asked.
"Stress. I also started to reveal her heritage, and yours." Whistler replied.
Guiding Whistler, Xander moved to the two single seaters and they both sat down. After a few minutes, and the establishment of Whistler's true identity, Buffy awoke and joined in the conversation.
"What did you mean when you said that I could not survive without Xander?" the slayer asked.
"Your souls are intertwined, always have been. Xander has the reincarnated soul of Adam, and Buffy has the soul of Eve. You two have lived countless lives together."
Buffy and Xander just stared at Whistler in complete disbelief.
"I don't believe you!" Buffy said.
"I could show you both," Whistler started. "But, then you would know all your lives and see the souls and lives of others who were close to you. Are you ready for that?"
The two teen contemplated the situation for a moment before nodding. Whistler raised his eyes to the ceiling and gave a slight nod, Buffy and Xander instantly fell unconscious, their eyes moving as if in REM sleep.
********
Thousands of lifetimes passed through their minds each second. Starting with Adam and Eve, and moving through lifetime after lifetime. Each life was different, sometimes they were lovers, other times friends, yet other times they were siblings. Lives as heroes, royalty, peasants, farmers, warriors, thieves. Sometimes they were good, performing great deeds, other times they were criminals hunted to their deaths (they were Bonny and Clyde).
They lived in every station of life, most of the time they were together, facing life side by side, sometimes they were apart, never finding each other, searching the globe for something lost and inevitably dying young and tragically. They lived lives that shock the world and lives of peaceful contemplation. In one life he founded the Watchers Council and she was his Slayer, in another he was a great warrior and she was a princess.
They died old, they died young, they died in violence and piece, apart and together. Apart or together, good or evil, mighty or meek, one life balanced against another, cosmic balance.
********
Half an hour after the process started they awoke groggily. They remembered all the other lived but were, above all else, still Buffy Summers and Xander Harris. Whistler was still sitting across from them on his single seater.
"Now you see why I did not let you go. If I had, it is very probable one of you would die, resulting in the death of the other." Whistler said to Buffy.
"What would have happened if Buffy had not come to Sunnydale?" Xander asked.
"Well, Xander, you would have suicided after The Harvest as all your friends would have been dead, and Buffy would have died a week later in New York, killed by three fledgling vampires, because she had inexplicitly given up hope." Whistler replied solemnly.
At this stage they heard a groan from the bedroom upstairs.
"Ruppy." Buffy whispered before bolting up the stairs to check on Giles.
"How is he, honey?" Xander called up the stairs, having slipped into a British accent.
"He's recovering well, love." Buffy replied in the same accent. "He's grown a lot."
Walking back down the stairs, Buffy suddenly stoped, as if working through what just happened.
"We're Giles' parents?!?" Buffy exclaimed.
Xander suddenly shuddered.
"I'll never look at him the same way again. I remember changing his dippers." He said in a shocked expression.
********
Everyone at Sunnydale High School the next morning noticed only one thing. Buffy and Xander were together, as in dating together. Xander had his arm over Buffy's shoulder and they would periodically whisper into each other's ear and both laugh.
"Summers!" Principal Snyder called along the hallway. "What are you doing here? I expelled you."
"Spin on it, Snyder." Buffy called back, giving him the finger.
The hallway erupted into laughter as Snyder stormed off, knowing he could do nothing. The couple proceeded to the library and the Scooby Gang was waiting for them, as usual. Everyone looked shocked as they entered arm in arm, Willow's jaw dropping to the floor.
"Oh. Close your mouth Niume." Buffy snapped. "Oops."
"Niume, as in lover to Merlin? Why are you calling Willow Niume?" Giles asked.
"Subtle Buff, very subtle." Xander said. "Whistler, a 'good' demon working for The Powers That Be, stoped Buff leaving town because we are soul mates. He showed us our past lives, in one we were in Camelot and knew Merlin and Niume."
"She was the real power in the pair; he just got credit because he was a man." Buffy added for Willow.
"I another life," Xander started with a sly grin. "Buff and I were married and we had a child. (Pause) Who became the most British Librarian in Sunnydale."
"Isn't that right my little Ruppy?" Buffy added as if talking to a baby in a British accent.
Giles goes pale, remembering the child name used by his mother.
"Kinda poetic justice." Xander chuckled, "Playing the father figure to the souls of your parents."
"What about me?" Oz asked stoically.
"Musical god and great public speaker." Buffy responded.
"Buff, remember Cordy?" Xander said breaking out laughing.
Buffy instantly joined him while the others gave them a weird look.
"You know the typical story of a damsel in distress?" Xander said. Everyone nodded.
"Cordy was one, except her captor left the door unlocked in hopes that she would escape and she was too dense to realise it." Buffy finished.
Suddenly the doors swung open and everyone turned to look.
********
Faith walked down the halls of Sunnydale High School. She did not really know what she was doing here. The last request of her now dead Watcher was to find Rupert Giles, presumably another Watcher, at the high school library in Sunnydale. Faith's watcher had been gunned down in a drive by the day after Faith had been called as the Slayer. So, honouring her Watchers final instructions, Faith had come as fast as she could to meet this Rupert Giles.
Swinging open the doors to the library, Faith strode in, instantly noticing the five people in the room. To the left there was a young redhead in conservative clothing, she looked kind of nerdy, siting next to a seemingly quiet boy with unusual hair and a slightly wild feel to him. To the right, leaning slightly against a doorframe, stood a middle age man with glasses, dressed in a tweed suit. Standing in the middle, as if addressing the others, stood a handsome brown haired boy and a petite little blond girl, to whom Faith felt some kind of connection.
As she entered the brown haired bow seemed to give a little bow and the petite blond seemed to curtsy, but it was had to tell as the movement was slight and she wore pants. Other than those slight gestures, no one recognised Faith, dressed in her typical leather pants and tank top.
"May we help you?" the British man asked.
"If you're Rupert Giles you can. We need to speak, I was told to come here." She replied carefully.
"Ah. You must be the new Slayer." He responded.
"Not big on secrecy are you? I mean this toy boy here is kinda cute." She said motioning to the brown haired boy, who along with the blond girl started laughing quietly. "Even Red over there is hot, but you should not be spilling other's secrets, ya know."
The boy with the unusual hair growled softly when she said that the redhead was cute and the two in the middle were still laughing softly.
"Who are they, and what is their problem?" Fait asked motioning to the laughing pair.
"They are, as they call themselves, the Scooby Gang. The redhead is called Willow, next to her is Oz, he's a werewolf. The 'toy boy' as you called him is called Xander and the blond is Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. And you are?" Giles responded.
"The reincarnated soul of Queen Victoria of England." Xander said finally breaking into full blown laugher, joined by Buffy.
"As in the Victorian period, very sexually repressed." Buffy added.
"I'm Faith. The Vampire Slayer. How can little miss sexually repressed be the Slayer also?"
"Buffy drowned and was revived by Xander, that called Kendra and when she was killed, you were called." Giles explained.
"And what was all that about reincarnation?" Faith asked.
"Sit down. This could take a while." Xander said, suddenly serious and speaking with a British accent. "Your Majesty." He added, breaking out into fresh laughter.
Faith rushed a Xander, just trying to make his shut up with a well placed punch. Before she knew what was happening Xander had her push face first against the desk with her are wrenched painfully behind her.
"Don't mess with me, girl. I've been in more fights than you can ever imagine." He growled at her before letting her up and forcing her into a chair.
********
Xander and Buffy were training, Giles understood some of what they did but other forms were new to him. Periodically Xander or Buffy would change weapons or styles when unarmed. Buffy was particularly efficient with the lighter, faster weapons, such as the Japanese Katana, the small, one-handed swords of the Japanese Ninja and knives, as well as the traditional Slayer weapon, the Stake. Xander could wield a wide range of weapons with great skill, everything from the Japanese Katana, to the Scottish Claymore, to Battle Axes to staves.
While a formidable warrior, Xander was able to hold his own, even win, against the Slayers for a while, he lacked to stamina needed for prolonged battles against Slayers or Vampires. When they finished training Buffy and Xander bowed to each other before moving away.
"Got to go! Spending some time with mom." Buffy said as she moved to the door.
After Buffy left Xander moved over to talk to Giles.
"Giles. I think Faith needs her own Watcher." Xander said. "She's a bit unstable at the moment."
"Well. We could ask the Council to send another Watcher, but.." Giles started.
"No. I want to train her. And don't say I'm not experienced enough. I've been a field Watcher, in charge of a Slayer, for a dozen lifetimes. Hell, I formed the Watcher's Council, and Buff was the first Slayer to have a Watcher." Xander replied, his eyes narrowing slightly with loss. "I know the pain of losing one's charge. It is worse than when you sent Buff to the Master, not that I blame you. I have sent Slayers to their deaths, all of them Buffy, so I have experienced more pain than you can ever know."
"I understand. But what do we tell the Council, they will try to send a Watcher when they hear Faith is here, and what use is an unstable Slayer?" Giles replied.
"Tell the Council that Darien Grey has taken Faith as his Slayer. And I will stabilise her. We'll need her." Xander responded.
"Who is Darien Grey? That name sounds familiar."
"I am, or was. There was a Seer who told of the reincarnation of then Darien Grey and his Slayer Beth Willson, A.K.A. Buffy. 'When the returned love is sealed beyond this world by the Champion, and the second duplicate arrives at the door to the underworld, the two from the dawn of man shall know themselves and shall face the End of Days.' It all fits. Buffy, Angel, Faith and I are the portents. The End of Days, not just a regular end of the world, the final Apocalypse, lose and all history has been for nothing." Xander explained grimly, slipping into a British accent for most of the speech.
"Does, or did, Buffy know?"
Xander shook his head.
"She is not to find out. Not yet anyway." The emphatic note in Xander's voice made the point painfully clear to Giles.
The phone rang in the office and Giles went to answer it. He returned almost immediately.
"It's Buffy for you. She sounds upset." Giles said
"Buff? What's up?" Xander asked into the phone.
"Xand. I.I remember. I remember Liam, I killed him. I killed our Brother."
The memories of their lives as the siblings of the man which became the creature known as Angelus hit Xander like a hammer.
"Clam down, little one. I'll be right over. Be strong, sis." He told her in a peasant Irish accent, before hanging up the phone.
He turned to Giles and, in his normal accent, demanded a ride to Buffy's house.
********
Joyce Summers was extremely surprised when the front door burst open and Xander rushed inside.
"Where is she?!" he demanded back into the Irish accent.
Joyce failed to respond due to shock as he quickly scanned the room.
"Little One! Where are you, Sarah?" Xander called
"Up here." came the quiet reply.
Xander raced up the stairs into Buffy's room. She was curled up on her bed, crying softly. Xander quickly sat on the bed, pulling her head onto his lap and stroking her hair, overflowing with brotherly concern.
"Shush, it's ok. He was not our brother anymore, he is what killed Liam. It'll be alright." Xander told her firmly.
Xander sat for hours calming Buffy, stroking her hair and whispering reassurances to her before she finally fell asleep.
'This is the last time. Win or lose it is over after this, but we had better win. Heaven or Hell awaits, but at least we'll still be together. This is the last time history rests on our shoulders, I hope someone else will carry on, for we no longer can.' Xander thought. 'Finally Adam and Eve will have a chance to rest.'
"I will protect you, always!" he whispered to the girl he had, literally, known forever.
********
Faith entered the library looking around for Giles however she only saw Xander. The morning sun slanted through the window showing the cloudless Saturday sky outside, and she quietly wished to be outside instead of here, waiting to train.
"Hay Xand. Where's Giles and B?" Faith asked. "Giles said I was to train."
"They are not coming. I am your new Watcher and will oversee your training." Xander replied.
Faith stared unbelievingly at Xander. He was not dressed in his usual clothing; he was wearing long, slightly loose black pants and a white tee- shirt. He stood with a confidence that she had never noticed before.
"Buff and I know more than you can ever imagine." he said with his famous lopsided grin.
Xander motioned for Faith to sit in the middle of the floor, sitting opposite her with his legs crossed, and began to speak.
"Faith. I am going to teach you a lot of things, about fighting, life and, most importantly, about yourself. You have within you power and you can use it for good or evil, the choice is yours, but the consequences stretch far beyond you alone. I'm not going to lie to you. I am not going to be with you forever, me and Buff will, most likely, die before you, so it will be up to you to choose how to proceed after that. At the moment you are at a crossroad. You can go either way, good or evil. The most important advice I can give you is simple. Be yourself. No one expects you to be anyone you are not, but drop this tough girl act, or you will regret it. Now, if you want to be yourself and make a positive impact on the world, then I will help you. What do you say?"
"Are you serious?" Faith replied slowly after a few minutes.
"Absolutely. But I will be training Faith, not the Slayer. I will help you be a better person as well as a better Slayer."
"Ok. Let's do this." Faith responded with an enthusiasm and joy that she had not felt in years.
Xander stood up and through her a kitbag that had rested on the table.
"Go get changed and we will begin."
********
The following months saw some dramatic changes in Sunnydale. The number of unexplained attacks at night and spontaneous neck ruptures dramatically reduced, which some people attributed to the presence of three figures, two girls (a blond and a brunet) and a guy seen in the vicinity of Sunnydale's many cemeteries. Buffy Summers' and Xander Harris' marks at school dramatically improved, particularly in history and foreign languages, and they were almost always seen together.
While their grades radically improved, Buffy and Xander often got into arguments with the history teacher as to events and the motivations behind historical figures, which they either personally knew, or more likely, lived the life of. For those who got to know her, Faith became a more friendly and outgoing person, dropping the tough girl act of her first few days that masked a keen intelligence and a genuine concern for those around her, that Willow attributed to Xander's influence. Along with this improved sense of self, Faith rapidly improved as a fighter, almost matching the skill and determination of Buffy and Xander.
********
The nightly patrol was almost at an end. The last year had seen Faith integrated nicely into the Scooby Gang. Buffy, Faith and Xander, dress in their now standard long pants, boots and long trench coat, were considering going home, after patrolling all twenty-five of Sunnydale's cemeteries, when they were confronted with sixteen obvious vampires near the exit of the final cemetery.
"Seven to one odds. Not bad odds.. For us." Buffy said confidently.
"Faith. Take the five trying to sneak up behind us. Buff and I will handle the rest." Xander ordered.
Faith turned to face her five opponents, removing her trench coat to reveal her arsenal. Her leather pants and her shirt held numerous holsters for Stakes, a crossbow and a small quiver of bolts lay at her right hip and a Katana sat sheathed at her right. Taking a Stake in each hand she waited for the fight to start.
Behind her Xander and Buffy had removed their trench coats to reveal more impressive arsenals. Buffy had almost as many Stakes as Faith, but she had other weapons as well. She had a short sword at each hip, resting next to pistols loaded with wooden bullets; shoulder holsters provided extra clips for the pistols as well as two more Stakes. Her belt contained a number of solid combat knives and light, well balanced throwing knives. On her back rested a fighting staff, with the ends sharpened into stakes.
Xander's arsenal was the most impressive. On his back rested a huge, Scottish Highland Claymore and his shoulder holsters contained pistols and extra clips containing wooden bullets. At his left hip rested a Bastard sword (a heavy, sharp one and a half handed sword) and at his right hip rested a short sword. Clipped to his thighs were semi-automatic guns (similar to the Uzi), loaded with Holy Water filled, hollow tip bullets. His belt is loaded with combat and throwing knives while bandoliers across his chest contained everything from spare ammo clips to Holy Water vials to grenades. Strapped to his forearms were Fighting Sticks, each had one end sharpened to act as a Stake, but they were also very good at breaking bones and, while sheathed, at blocking attacks. Stuck behind his belt, almost lazily, were a handful of Stakes.
"*Ready for this, My Love?*" Xander asked in Latin
"*Always*" Buffy replied, running a hand gently down Xander's cheek.
"Can we got on with this already?" the lead vampire asked impatiently.
"*Those who are about to die, salute you!*" Buffy and Xander said together, again in Latin, with their right fist clenched over their hearts.
After they stated the ritual from their Gladiatorial past life, they quickly armed themselves. Buffy took a Stake in her right hand and one of her Short swords in her left while Xander took his Bastard sword in his right and his Short sword in his left. They were both ready before anyone moved.
"Let's dance!" Faith called as she started to lay into her vampires.
"Get them!" the lead vampire called and the fight began.
Faith stormed into her five vampires, utilising Xander's training in both fighting and inner balance. With her training, experience and two Stakes she made short work of her foes then turned to help B and Xand. She was shocked to see what had happened in the ten seconds she had fought. Six clouds of dust hovered where vampires had been standing; Xander calmly walked through one of the clouds and proceeded to decapitate two more vampires, one on each side of him while Buffy was using both her Stake and her Short sword with devastating effect.
Xander and Buffy moved through the group of vampires with impunity, leaving clouds of dust in their wake, and occasionally shouting out comments in what sounded to Faith like Latin. In the three seconds that Faith stared the pair had taken out another four vampires and were obviously just worming up, then two vampires charged Faith and she concentrated on them. Once the offending vampires were dust Faith looked up and the only remaining vampire was the leader. Buffy and Xander moved in and inflicted a lot of damage on the vampire before they made the kill, Xander decapitating it as Buffy drove a Stake through its heart.
"That was bracing. Pity." Xander said, switching back to English.
"That was hardly considered a fight. Nothing like the Coliseum." Buffy said with slight disappointment in her voice. "Now that was a fight."
Xander and Buffy both broke out in grins
"But often it was a fight you couldn't walk away from." Xander responded.
"You two were Gladiators?" Faith asked.
"Yep. Among other things." Xander responded as they started to move off to the library to inform Giles.
********
Giles looked up as they entered the library, glad that they were back.
"How did it go?" he asked, semi-needlessly as the three of them were there.
"Fine. We got the Vamp gang that rolled into town three days ago. All twenty one of them." Xander said casually.
Giles looked up slightly worried.
"No one hurt, just slightly dusty." Buffy said, brushing some vampire dust off Xander's coat and resting her had there a second too long.
"B and Xand kicked major ass, I was almost a third wheel. And they used to be Gladiators." Faith said with a smile, even after Buffy shot her a Death Glare.
"Umm. Yes. Oh, Xander, the Watchers Council called. They want to speak to Darien Grey." Giles said.
At this Xander nodded sadly and Buffy gained a look of horror, clutching tight to Xander.
"I promise that they won't hurt you this time." Xander said in a British accent, cupping his hand under Buffy's chin he pulled her head up to look into his eyes. "I promise Beth, they will have to kill me first."
"This is starting to freak me out, big time." Faith whispered to Giles.
"You and me both. They seem to be embracing the memories more. Plus they are my parents." Giles replied, shuddering hard.
"... you're Ok with this?" Xander finished, the start of his comment had been missed by the whispering pair.
Xander, still protectively holding Buffy turned to face Giles.
"Call the Council. Tell them, Darien Grey, Beth Willson and Darien's new Slayer are coming to visit." he told the older man.
At the mention of Beth Willson, Faith's head snapped up.
"Beth? Did you have a sister call Margaret?" Faith asked.
Buffy nodded, confused.
"Damb." Faith said with a smile. "You're sister was the most famous woman on my Dad's side of the family. Faith Willson at your service." With this Faith gave a mock bow.
"Are you related to everyone in the town?" Giles asked, losing his cool slightly.
"Not everyone." Xander said offhandedly. "Giles, book Buff, Faith and I on the next plane to England. Faith, go pack! Buff and I will handle the weaponry in our luggage."
"Weaponry?" Faith said.
"Yep. Except for Giles, most Watchers are deluded to the nature of things. Result of a takeover sixteen hundred years ago in the Watchers Council." Xander explained gravely.
To Be Continued..
Chapter: Revelations
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Seasons 1 to 3 of Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I would buy it but I am broke.
Summary: AU diverging end of series 2. Buffy and Xander get shown their real heritage and now must prepare for the End of Days.
AN: Major deviation from Buffy Cannon and total abandon of timeline after series 2.
AN2: Made a slight alteration to later timeline for realism. Thanks for feedback, especially RobClark, Nikapi and cuthwolf. Malaskor's question will be answered in the next chapter.
*********
Buffy was packing her clothes up quickly, hoping to get out of the house before her mother knew she was there. It had only been a few hours since she had sent her love, Angel, to Hell to save the world and the pain was still growing. Picking up her bag she glanced around the room for anything she wanted. Finding nothing she moved towards the window to make her way out of the house, and out of Sunnydale. "You can't leave. You won't be able to survive with out him. You never could." A voice came from behind her.
Spinning around she saw Whistler, the 'good' demon who had guided her to Angelus.
"I think it is a bit late for that warning, I just sent him to Hell, remember, you told me to." She replied, spitting venom.
"I didn't mean Angel. I meant Xander."
Hearing this Buffy's already stressed brain decided to take a vacation and she promptly fainted. Whistler cursed softly, lifting Buffy's unconscious form and quietly moved out of the house.
********
The knocking at the door was insistent. Xander quickly moved to Giles' door, checking the sleeping librarian as he passed, wincing slightly at the wounds. When he opened the door he saw a man in an awful suit carrying a person in his arms. Pushing past Xander he placed the figure gently on the sofa.
'OK. Not a vampire.' Xander thought.
"Nope. Name's Whistler. I was sent by the Powers that Be." The man said as he straitened. "Don't worry Xander, Buffy just fainted."
Xander had recognised the figure as the man stood up, and had quickly checked her for injuries before Whistler had said her name.
"How did she faint?" Xander asked.
"Stress. I also started to reveal her heritage, and yours." Whistler replied.
Guiding Whistler, Xander moved to the two single seaters and they both sat down. After a few minutes, and the establishment of Whistler's true identity, Buffy awoke and joined in the conversation.
"What did you mean when you said that I could not survive without Xander?" the slayer asked.
"Your souls are intertwined, always have been. Xander has the reincarnated soul of Adam, and Buffy has the soul of Eve. You two have lived countless lives together."
Buffy and Xander just stared at Whistler in complete disbelief.
"I don't believe you!" Buffy said.
"I could show you both," Whistler started. "But, then you would know all your lives and see the souls and lives of others who were close to you. Are you ready for that?"
The two teen contemplated the situation for a moment before nodding. Whistler raised his eyes to the ceiling and gave a slight nod, Buffy and Xander instantly fell unconscious, their eyes moving as if in REM sleep.
********
Thousands of lifetimes passed through their minds each second. Starting with Adam and Eve, and moving through lifetime after lifetime. Each life was different, sometimes they were lovers, other times friends, yet other times they were siblings. Lives as heroes, royalty, peasants, farmers, warriors, thieves. Sometimes they were good, performing great deeds, other times they were criminals hunted to their deaths (they were Bonny and Clyde).
They lived in every station of life, most of the time they were together, facing life side by side, sometimes they were apart, never finding each other, searching the globe for something lost and inevitably dying young and tragically. They lived lives that shock the world and lives of peaceful contemplation. In one life he founded the Watchers Council and she was his Slayer, in another he was a great warrior and she was a princess.
They died old, they died young, they died in violence and piece, apart and together. Apart or together, good or evil, mighty or meek, one life balanced against another, cosmic balance.
********
Half an hour after the process started they awoke groggily. They remembered all the other lived but were, above all else, still Buffy Summers and Xander Harris. Whistler was still sitting across from them on his single seater.
"Now you see why I did not let you go. If I had, it is very probable one of you would die, resulting in the death of the other." Whistler said to Buffy.
"What would have happened if Buffy had not come to Sunnydale?" Xander asked.
"Well, Xander, you would have suicided after The Harvest as all your friends would have been dead, and Buffy would have died a week later in New York, killed by three fledgling vampires, because she had inexplicitly given up hope." Whistler replied solemnly.
At this stage they heard a groan from the bedroom upstairs.
"Ruppy." Buffy whispered before bolting up the stairs to check on Giles.
"How is he, honey?" Xander called up the stairs, having slipped into a British accent.
"He's recovering well, love." Buffy replied in the same accent. "He's grown a lot."
Walking back down the stairs, Buffy suddenly stoped, as if working through what just happened.
"We're Giles' parents?!?" Buffy exclaimed.
Xander suddenly shuddered.
"I'll never look at him the same way again. I remember changing his dippers." He said in a shocked expression.
********
Everyone at Sunnydale High School the next morning noticed only one thing. Buffy and Xander were together, as in dating together. Xander had his arm over Buffy's shoulder and they would periodically whisper into each other's ear and both laugh.
"Summers!" Principal Snyder called along the hallway. "What are you doing here? I expelled you."
"Spin on it, Snyder." Buffy called back, giving him the finger.
The hallway erupted into laughter as Snyder stormed off, knowing he could do nothing. The couple proceeded to the library and the Scooby Gang was waiting for them, as usual. Everyone looked shocked as they entered arm in arm, Willow's jaw dropping to the floor.
"Oh. Close your mouth Niume." Buffy snapped. "Oops."
"Niume, as in lover to Merlin? Why are you calling Willow Niume?" Giles asked.
"Subtle Buff, very subtle." Xander said. "Whistler, a 'good' demon working for The Powers That Be, stoped Buff leaving town because we are soul mates. He showed us our past lives, in one we were in Camelot and knew Merlin and Niume."
"She was the real power in the pair; he just got credit because he was a man." Buffy added for Willow.
"I another life," Xander started with a sly grin. "Buff and I were married and we had a child. (Pause) Who became the most British Librarian in Sunnydale."
"Isn't that right my little Ruppy?" Buffy added as if talking to a baby in a British accent.
Giles goes pale, remembering the child name used by his mother.
"Kinda poetic justice." Xander chuckled, "Playing the father figure to the souls of your parents."
"What about me?" Oz asked stoically.
"Musical god and great public speaker." Buffy responded.
"Buff, remember Cordy?" Xander said breaking out laughing.
Buffy instantly joined him while the others gave them a weird look.
"You know the typical story of a damsel in distress?" Xander said. Everyone nodded.
"Cordy was one, except her captor left the door unlocked in hopes that she would escape and she was too dense to realise it." Buffy finished.
Suddenly the doors swung open and everyone turned to look.
********
Faith walked down the halls of Sunnydale High School. She did not really know what she was doing here. The last request of her now dead Watcher was to find Rupert Giles, presumably another Watcher, at the high school library in Sunnydale. Faith's watcher had been gunned down in a drive by the day after Faith had been called as the Slayer. So, honouring her Watchers final instructions, Faith had come as fast as she could to meet this Rupert Giles.
Swinging open the doors to the library, Faith strode in, instantly noticing the five people in the room. To the left there was a young redhead in conservative clothing, she looked kind of nerdy, siting next to a seemingly quiet boy with unusual hair and a slightly wild feel to him. To the right, leaning slightly against a doorframe, stood a middle age man with glasses, dressed in a tweed suit. Standing in the middle, as if addressing the others, stood a handsome brown haired boy and a petite little blond girl, to whom Faith felt some kind of connection.
As she entered the brown haired bow seemed to give a little bow and the petite blond seemed to curtsy, but it was had to tell as the movement was slight and she wore pants. Other than those slight gestures, no one recognised Faith, dressed in her typical leather pants and tank top.
"May we help you?" the British man asked.
"If you're Rupert Giles you can. We need to speak, I was told to come here." She replied carefully.
"Ah. You must be the new Slayer." He responded.
"Not big on secrecy are you? I mean this toy boy here is kinda cute." She said motioning to the brown haired boy, who along with the blond girl started laughing quietly. "Even Red over there is hot, but you should not be spilling other's secrets, ya know."
The boy with the unusual hair growled softly when she said that the redhead was cute and the two in the middle were still laughing softly.
"Who are they, and what is their problem?" Fait asked motioning to the laughing pair.
"They are, as they call themselves, the Scooby Gang. The redhead is called Willow, next to her is Oz, he's a werewolf. The 'toy boy' as you called him is called Xander and the blond is Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. And you are?" Giles responded.
"The reincarnated soul of Queen Victoria of England." Xander said finally breaking into full blown laugher, joined by Buffy.
"As in the Victorian period, very sexually repressed." Buffy added.
"I'm Faith. The Vampire Slayer. How can little miss sexually repressed be the Slayer also?"
"Buffy drowned and was revived by Xander, that called Kendra and when she was killed, you were called." Giles explained.
"And what was all that about reincarnation?" Faith asked.
"Sit down. This could take a while." Xander said, suddenly serious and speaking with a British accent. "Your Majesty." He added, breaking out into fresh laughter.
Faith rushed a Xander, just trying to make his shut up with a well placed punch. Before she knew what was happening Xander had her push face first against the desk with her are wrenched painfully behind her.
"Don't mess with me, girl. I've been in more fights than you can ever imagine." He growled at her before letting her up and forcing her into a chair.
********
Xander and Buffy were training, Giles understood some of what they did but other forms were new to him. Periodically Xander or Buffy would change weapons or styles when unarmed. Buffy was particularly efficient with the lighter, faster weapons, such as the Japanese Katana, the small, one-handed swords of the Japanese Ninja and knives, as well as the traditional Slayer weapon, the Stake. Xander could wield a wide range of weapons with great skill, everything from the Japanese Katana, to the Scottish Claymore, to Battle Axes to staves.
While a formidable warrior, Xander was able to hold his own, even win, against the Slayers for a while, he lacked to stamina needed for prolonged battles against Slayers or Vampires. When they finished training Buffy and Xander bowed to each other before moving away.
"Got to go! Spending some time with mom." Buffy said as she moved to the door.
After Buffy left Xander moved over to talk to Giles.
"Giles. I think Faith needs her own Watcher." Xander said. "She's a bit unstable at the moment."
"Well. We could ask the Council to send another Watcher, but.." Giles started.
"No. I want to train her. And don't say I'm not experienced enough. I've been a field Watcher, in charge of a Slayer, for a dozen lifetimes. Hell, I formed the Watcher's Council, and Buff was the first Slayer to have a Watcher." Xander replied, his eyes narrowing slightly with loss. "I know the pain of losing one's charge. It is worse than when you sent Buff to the Master, not that I blame you. I have sent Slayers to their deaths, all of them Buffy, so I have experienced more pain than you can ever know."
"I understand. But what do we tell the Council, they will try to send a Watcher when they hear Faith is here, and what use is an unstable Slayer?" Giles replied.
"Tell the Council that Darien Grey has taken Faith as his Slayer. And I will stabilise her. We'll need her." Xander responded.
"Who is Darien Grey? That name sounds familiar."
"I am, or was. There was a Seer who told of the reincarnation of then Darien Grey and his Slayer Beth Willson, A.K.A. Buffy. 'When the returned love is sealed beyond this world by the Champion, and the second duplicate arrives at the door to the underworld, the two from the dawn of man shall know themselves and shall face the End of Days.' It all fits. Buffy, Angel, Faith and I are the portents. The End of Days, not just a regular end of the world, the final Apocalypse, lose and all history has been for nothing." Xander explained grimly, slipping into a British accent for most of the speech.
"Does, or did, Buffy know?"
Xander shook his head.
"She is not to find out. Not yet anyway." The emphatic note in Xander's voice made the point painfully clear to Giles.
The phone rang in the office and Giles went to answer it. He returned almost immediately.
"It's Buffy for you. She sounds upset." Giles said
"Buff? What's up?" Xander asked into the phone.
"Xand. I.I remember. I remember Liam, I killed him. I killed our Brother."
The memories of their lives as the siblings of the man which became the creature known as Angelus hit Xander like a hammer.
"Clam down, little one. I'll be right over. Be strong, sis." He told her in a peasant Irish accent, before hanging up the phone.
He turned to Giles and, in his normal accent, demanded a ride to Buffy's house.
********
Joyce Summers was extremely surprised when the front door burst open and Xander rushed inside.
"Where is she?!" he demanded back into the Irish accent.
Joyce failed to respond due to shock as he quickly scanned the room.
"Little One! Where are you, Sarah?" Xander called
"Up here." came the quiet reply.
Xander raced up the stairs into Buffy's room. She was curled up on her bed, crying softly. Xander quickly sat on the bed, pulling her head onto his lap and stroking her hair, overflowing with brotherly concern.
"Shush, it's ok. He was not our brother anymore, he is what killed Liam. It'll be alright." Xander told her firmly.
Xander sat for hours calming Buffy, stroking her hair and whispering reassurances to her before she finally fell asleep.
'This is the last time. Win or lose it is over after this, but we had better win. Heaven or Hell awaits, but at least we'll still be together. This is the last time history rests on our shoulders, I hope someone else will carry on, for we no longer can.' Xander thought. 'Finally Adam and Eve will have a chance to rest.'
"I will protect you, always!" he whispered to the girl he had, literally, known forever.
********
Faith entered the library looking around for Giles however she only saw Xander. The morning sun slanted through the window showing the cloudless Saturday sky outside, and she quietly wished to be outside instead of here, waiting to train.
"Hay Xand. Where's Giles and B?" Faith asked. "Giles said I was to train."
"They are not coming. I am your new Watcher and will oversee your training." Xander replied.
Faith stared unbelievingly at Xander. He was not dressed in his usual clothing; he was wearing long, slightly loose black pants and a white tee- shirt. He stood with a confidence that she had never noticed before.
"Buff and I know more than you can ever imagine." he said with his famous lopsided grin.
Xander motioned for Faith to sit in the middle of the floor, sitting opposite her with his legs crossed, and began to speak.
"Faith. I am going to teach you a lot of things, about fighting, life and, most importantly, about yourself. You have within you power and you can use it for good or evil, the choice is yours, but the consequences stretch far beyond you alone. I'm not going to lie to you. I am not going to be with you forever, me and Buff will, most likely, die before you, so it will be up to you to choose how to proceed after that. At the moment you are at a crossroad. You can go either way, good or evil. The most important advice I can give you is simple. Be yourself. No one expects you to be anyone you are not, but drop this tough girl act, or you will regret it. Now, if you want to be yourself and make a positive impact on the world, then I will help you. What do you say?"
"Are you serious?" Faith replied slowly after a few minutes.
"Absolutely. But I will be training Faith, not the Slayer. I will help you be a better person as well as a better Slayer."
"Ok. Let's do this." Faith responded with an enthusiasm and joy that she had not felt in years.
Xander stood up and through her a kitbag that had rested on the table.
"Go get changed and we will begin."
********
The following months saw some dramatic changes in Sunnydale. The number of unexplained attacks at night and spontaneous neck ruptures dramatically reduced, which some people attributed to the presence of three figures, two girls (a blond and a brunet) and a guy seen in the vicinity of Sunnydale's many cemeteries. Buffy Summers' and Xander Harris' marks at school dramatically improved, particularly in history and foreign languages, and they were almost always seen together.
While their grades radically improved, Buffy and Xander often got into arguments with the history teacher as to events and the motivations behind historical figures, which they either personally knew, or more likely, lived the life of. For those who got to know her, Faith became a more friendly and outgoing person, dropping the tough girl act of her first few days that masked a keen intelligence and a genuine concern for those around her, that Willow attributed to Xander's influence. Along with this improved sense of self, Faith rapidly improved as a fighter, almost matching the skill and determination of Buffy and Xander.
********
The nightly patrol was almost at an end. The last year had seen Faith integrated nicely into the Scooby Gang. Buffy, Faith and Xander, dress in their now standard long pants, boots and long trench coat, were considering going home, after patrolling all twenty-five of Sunnydale's cemeteries, when they were confronted with sixteen obvious vampires near the exit of the final cemetery.
"Seven to one odds. Not bad odds.. For us." Buffy said confidently.
"Faith. Take the five trying to sneak up behind us. Buff and I will handle the rest." Xander ordered.
Faith turned to face her five opponents, removing her trench coat to reveal her arsenal. Her leather pants and her shirt held numerous holsters for Stakes, a crossbow and a small quiver of bolts lay at her right hip and a Katana sat sheathed at her right. Taking a Stake in each hand she waited for the fight to start.
Behind her Xander and Buffy had removed their trench coats to reveal more impressive arsenals. Buffy had almost as many Stakes as Faith, but she had other weapons as well. She had a short sword at each hip, resting next to pistols loaded with wooden bullets; shoulder holsters provided extra clips for the pistols as well as two more Stakes. Her belt contained a number of solid combat knives and light, well balanced throwing knives. On her back rested a fighting staff, with the ends sharpened into stakes.
Xander's arsenal was the most impressive. On his back rested a huge, Scottish Highland Claymore and his shoulder holsters contained pistols and extra clips containing wooden bullets. At his left hip rested a Bastard sword (a heavy, sharp one and a half handed sword) and at his right hip rested a short sword. Clipped to his thighs were semi-automatic guns (similar to the Uzi), loaded with Holy Water filled, hollow tip bullets. His belt is loaded with combat and throwing knives while bandoliers across his chest contained everything from spare ammo clips to Holy Water vials to grenades. Strapped to his forearms were Fighting Sticks, each had one end sharpened to act as a Stake, but they were also very good at breaking bones and, while sheathed, at blocking attacks. Stuck behind his belt, almost lazily, were a handful of Stakes.
"*Ready for this, My Love?*" Xander asked in Latin
"*Always*" Buffy replied, running a hand gently down Xander's cheek.
"Can we got on with this already?" the lead vampire asked impatiently.
"*Those who are about to die, salute you!*" Buffy and Xander said together, again in Latin, with their right fist clenched over their hearts.
After they stated the ritual from their Gladiatorial past life, they quickly armed themselves. Buffy took a Stake in her right hand and one of her Short swords in her left while Xander took his Bastard sword in his right and his Short sword in his left. They were both ready before anyone moved.
"Let's dance!" Faith called as she started to lay into her vampires.
"Get them!" the lead vampire called and the fight began.
Faith stormed into her five vampires, utilising Xander's training in both fighting and inner balance. With her training, experience and two Stakes she made short work of her foes then turned to help B and Xand. She was shocked to see what had happened in the ten seconds she had fought. Six clouds of dust hovered where vampires had been standing; Xander calmly walked through one of the clouds and proceeded to decapitate two more vampires, one on each side of him while Buffy was using both her Stake and her Short sword with devastating effect.
Xander and Buffy moved through the group of vampires with impunity, leaving clouds of dust in their wake, and occasionally shouting out comments in what sounded to Faith like Latin. In the three seconds that Faith stared the pair had taken out another four vampires and were obviously just worming up, then two vampires charged Faith and she concentrated on them. Once the offending vampires were dust Faith looked up and the only remaining vampire was the leader. Buffy and Xander moved in and inflicted a lot of damage on the vampire before they made the kill, Xander decapitating it as Buffy drove a Stake through its heart.
"That was bracing. Pity." Xander said, switching back to English.
"That was hardly considered a fight. Nothing like the Coliseum." Buffy said with slight disappointment in her voice. "Now that was a fight."
Xander and Buffy both broke out in grins
"But often it was a fight you couldn't walk away from." Xander responded.
"You two were Gladiators?" Faith asked.
"Yep. Among other things." Xander responded as they started to move off to the library to inform Giles.
********
Giles looked up as they entered the library, glad that they were back.
"How did it go?" he asked, semi-needlessly as the three of them were there.
"Fine. We got the Vamp gang that rolled into town three days ago. All twenty one of them." Xander said casually.
Giles looked up slightly worried.
"No one hurt, just slightly dusty." Buffy said, brushing some vampire dust off Xander's coat and resting her had there a second too long.
"B and Xand kicked major ass, I was almost a third wheel. And they used to be Gladiators." Faith said with a smile, even after Buffy shot her a Death Glare.
"Umm. Yes. Oh, Xander, the Watchers Council called. They want to speak to Darien Grey." Giles said.
At this Xander nodded sadly and Buffy gained a look of horror, clutching tight to Xander.
"I promise that they won't hurt you this time." Xander said in a British accent, cupping his hand under Buffy's chin he pulled her head up to look into his eyes. "I promise Beth, they will have to kill me first."
"This is starting to freak me out, big time." Faith whispered to Giles.
"You and me both. They seem to be embracing the memories more. Plus they are my parents." Giles replied, shuddering hard.
"... you're Ok with this?" Xander finished, the start of his comment had been missed by the whispering pair.
Xander, still protectively holding Buffy turned to face Giles.
"Call the Council. Tell them, Darien Grey, Beth Willson and Darien's new Slayer are coming to visit." he told the older man.
At the mention of Beth Willson, Faith's head snapped up.
"Beth? Did you have a sister call Margaret?" Faith asked.
Buffy nodded, confused.
"Damb." Faith said with a smile. "You're sister was the most famous woman on my Dad's side of the family. Faith Willson at your service." With this Faith gave a mock bow.
"Are you related to everyone in the town?" Giles asked, losing his cool slightly.
"Not everyone." Xander said offhandedly. "Giles, book Buff, Faith and I on the next plane to England. Faith, go pack! Buff and I will handle the weaponry in our luggage."
"Weaponry?" Faith said.
"Yep. Except for Giles, most Watchers are deluded to the nature of things. Result of a takeover sixteen hundred years ago in the Watchers Council." Xander explained gravely.
To Be Continued..