FIC: Faith Wayne (10/?)

Faith strolled through the darkened alleyway, the rubbish dropped there whistling in the wind. Xander was in the shadows to her right, Claudia and Bella, two of the more troublesome recruits who'd been passed off to them by other Slayer Academies, to their rear. Faith stopped as the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. "Trouble Faith?" Xander whispered.

"I'm not sure-," Faith gaze snapped up when she heard somethin' dropping out of the sky just ahead of them. "What the fuck!" she gasped as she saw Batman dropping out of the night sky, his dark cape billowing around him. If nothing else, the asshole knew how to make an impact.

"Geez," Faith rallied quickly as she snarked as the Dark Knight landed on one knee just in front of her, "I'm just Bats about your entrance." Faith looked over her shoulder at the two trainees behind her and winked. "See what I did there? Bats? I'm practically Bill Hicks."

"More like Carrot-Top," Xander muttered.

Faith glared at her boy-friend. "Guess ain't gettin' any tonight!"

Xander stepped out of the shadows and looked towards Batman. "Hello sir-."

"Brown-noser," Faith muttered.

Xander shot her a look before looking back towards Gotham City's Dark Knight. "Hello sir, it's good to see you again." Faith smiled innocently as Xander spun to face her, instantly ending the kissing noises she'd been making. Xander sighed and turned back to Batman. "Is there anything we can help you with, a demon that needs Slaying?"

"Nothing like that," the super-hero shook his head, face inscrutable behind the dark cowl. "We at the JLA believe there's some evidence that something's very bad is coming. There's a possibility it might be something supernatural, so I thought you might have sources that could shine some light on what we might be facing."

"Oh sure-."

"We've got sources," Faith interrupted before Xander could continue gushing. "But you're bein' kinda vague here Bats. Wanna fill in a few spaces so we know what to look for?"

"The threat's possibly world-ending," Bruce replied. "Ask your sources to look into 'The Heavenly Schism'," the Batman informed. "Thanks for your assistance, I'll be in touch." Batman pulled out a grapple-gun, pointed it up, and fired a hook up at the roof of a near-by building and shot off into the air.

"Showy exit," Faith commented before leaping up, landing on the railing of a three-storey high near-by fire escape. After a half-second spent balancing herself, she powered through her legs, and leapt up three further flights of steps in a single bound. The wind rushed through her locks as she grabbed the edge of the roof that the Batman had flown up to and pulled herself up with an effortless flex of her arm and shoulder. Landing on the building's flat roof, she peered over and smirked down to her friends underneath. "Look no grapple hook!"

Xander groaned as he lowered himself into his chair, feet throbbing from all the miles they'd patrolled. "Ah," Faith cooed as she perched on the edge of his desk, mockery glinting in her dark eyes, "is my baby tired? Does my baby need some TLC?"

"More than you'd ever know," Xander grinned at his girl-friend. "But I have to ring Giles about what the Batman wanted."

"Bats before me," Faith rolled her eyes and pouted, more or less playfully, "why am I not surprised?"

"It's not like that," he protested. So he was a Batman fanboy, guilty, but that wasn't the point. "The Batman has alerted us to a possible Armageddon and I'd bet he's not often wrong about these things."

"'Kay," Faith leapt up. "I'll be in the bedroom, but don't take any longer than half an hour. Otherwise you're sleepin' on the couch." Faith winked at him as she retreated to the door. "See ya."

"Later," Xander picked up the phone and started dialling Giles' number.

The Englishman picked up on the eighth ring. "I trust you realise it's four in the morning?" the Council head mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

"Yeah, but I had a run-in with Bat-Man-."

"Oh really?" Giles interrupted, interest replacing drowsiness in his voice. "And is there any truth to the theories he might be a demon?"

"Um, Faith and the others didn't sense anything," he replied, a little thrown by the unexpected question. "He wanted our assistance."

"Oh really?" Giles sounded really interested now. "How flattering?"

"Yeah," Xander nodded. "It was more research really-."

"And you naturally thought of me, now who's flattered?" Giles chuckled.

"Yeah, apparently the JLA have found a book called 'The Heavenly Schism' which they think has information to do with a possible apocalypse," Xander said. "They'd appreciate it if you could find out anything you know about this book."

"They know about the Council?" queried Giles, his tone very sharp.

"Not exactly," Xander replied. "But Batman's got a reputation for being smart, he probably figured out there's an organisation behind us."

"I've got those texts Wesley smuggled out of LA, before well before that nasty business with The Circle Of Black Thorn, I'll do some work with those." Giles paused for a second. "How is Faith reacting to the revelation about her parentage?"

"She's a little shell-shocked to be honest," Xander replied. "But you know Faith."

"Indeed I do," Giles paused again. "I trust she hasn't let anything slip about our organisation or her powers to her new-found father in an effort to impress him?"

"I thought you said you knew her?" Xander's tone chilled. "I'll be in touch in a couple of days to see if you've been able to find anything out. Thanks." Before Giles had chance to reply, Xander had hung up. He sat there for a few minutes, smouldering in his anger. Years passed, but still Faith was considered on the outs, somehow unworthy, and given the mistakes that each of them had been made that hardly seemed fair.

He smiled softly. Well except by him, he blessed every day she thought him worthy to be her partner.

Lightning flashed in the sky, slicing through the thick clouds overhead the looming turrets of the grey-stoned castle. Inside the dimly lit castle sat a sharp-featured man with piercing emerald eyes flanking his hooked nose and grey hair with white streaks on each side. "So Lehane is a Meta," the man shook his head, eyes burning with fury. "My first attempt might have failed, but it doesn't matter, she can't stand in my way!"

"Whoa!" Faith sat bolt upright in bed, the man beside her barely stirring between snores. According to her Slayer Dream she had a new enemy, one she hadn't even freakin' met. "My life really, really sucks!"

"Hey."

"Hello," Bruce rose as his daughter strode up to his table and beat the waiter to her chair, pulling it out for her. She was only wearing a knee-length grey skirt and a short-sleeved white blouse, but despite the simplicity of her attire, as always her beauty blew him away. "I trust you're well."

"Geez," Faith flashed him a luminous smile, "I only saw you two days ago."

"It doesn't hurt to ask," Bruce rejoined as he sat down opposite his daughter.

"Yeah," Faith's brow furrowed as she picked up and stared at the menu before looking back up at him, a rare look of awkwardness on her face. "Um, you gonna have to help me out. Normally when me and X go out, it ain't as fancy as all this."

"How about I order for the both of us?" Bruce suggested. Faith nodded. "You're not a vegetarian or anything?"

"Hell no," Faith replied.

"That makes it simpler," Bruce looked towards the hovering waiter, "we'll start with French onion soup, then garden chicken supreme with rice, and chocolate crème brulee." Bruce looked towards his daughter. "If that's alright with you?"

"Sounds good to me," Faith shrugged. "I'll have a soda water with mine."

"I'll have the same," Bruce added.

"Of course Mr. Wayne," the waiter bobbed his head before backing off.

"So I was gonna ask you somethin'." Bruce nodded encouragingly at his daughter. "You ever met the Bat?"

"The Bat?" Bruce hid a smile at his daughter's innocently asked question. "He's rescued me from a few tight situations in the past."

"Oh yeah?" Interest gleamed in the Slayer's dark eyes. "Such as?"

"The Joker decided to crash a charity gala that we were all at-."

"Just like the one we were at the other night?" Faith snorted. "Thanks pops."

Bruce allowed himself a half smile. "Living in Gotham can be a perilous experience. Anyway, the Joker had decided to release a toxin that would render Gotham's rich and powerful insane-."

"That 'xplains a lot," Faith's eyes danced with amusement.

Bruce fixed his daughter with a mock glare. "Batman stopped him."

"Yeaaaaaah." Faith smirked back at him. "Says you."

Bruce was about to retort when the soups arrived. "Thank you." Bruce nodded at the waiter before looking towards his companion. "Xander appears a nice young man, but a little under-qualified for his position as principal of a private academy."

Defensiveness flared in his daughter's eyes, but her answer was civil enough. "Xan ain't a principal in the usual sorta way, not academic, he more runs the place, he's an administrator. He's not a qualification kinda guy, but he's got wicked people skills." Faith took a sip of her soup. "Nice." She took another sip before continuing. "Any of the pupils got problems, they can talk to Xander, he doesn't always have the answers, but he always can get 'em to open up and knows what to say to make them feel better. When it comes to getting money off contributors, no one's smoother, and he always makes the families of the kids feel good when he's explaining our place to them. And he's wicked good at running the school."

Bruce smiled slightly at his girl's spirited defence of her man. If nothing else she was loyal. "The school seemed very well run. And what about you? How did you get a job as a PT instructor?"

"What?" Faith grinned at him, suddenly relaxed again. "You sayin' I have a spare tyre?"

"I wouldn't dare," Bruce smiled back at his daughter, "but there's more to being a PT instructor than just being in shape."

"Yeah," Faith nodded. "I did some courses while in prison – first aid, nutrition, anatomy, that sorta thing."

"Was it a career that always interested you?" Bruce queried.

"I kinda wanted to be a female UFC fighter." Faith's grin widened. "'Til I realised my only option would be mud-wrestling." Bruce almost choked on his last spoonful of soup. "But yeah, I really dig bein' fit and all that. Plus I'm wicked competitive, always got energy to burn."

Bruce saw their waiter approaching with their main course out of the corner of his eye. "Gotham could always do with another gym. I've got the funds to set you up if you're interested?"

Faith half-smiled. "I ain't got my gym management qualifications, just the stuff you need to instruct."

"I could pay for you to do the classes," he offered.

Faith shook her head. "Thanks but I like my job and the people I work with."

"As you wish." Bruce nodded, mollified by the sincerity in his daughter's voice. She might be lying about her actual job, but she was truly content doing what she did. For a few minutes they silently ate, then Bruce summonsed his courage to speak. "Faith, my other ward, Dick Grayson, and friend, Barbara Gordon, are in town at the weekend, they'd be most interested in meeting you, perhaps at dinner on Saturday?"

Faith's eyes instantly took on a hunted look, almost as if she expected to be judged unworthy. Then she nodded, a shield dropping over her eyes. "Sure, Xan can come right?"

"Of course," Bruce nodded, recognising his daughter's need for support from someone she really trusted. "I expected you to bring him."

Faith smiled slightly. "Thanks."

"No problem," Bruce replied. "What are you doing for the rest of the day?"

Faith shrugged. "Do some shoppin' I guess." The Slayer's nose wrinkled up. "I was never keen on it as a kid, I never had much money, or the inclination to be honest. But now I got my own sugar-daddy," Faith winked at his choked gasp, "might as well get some stuff."

"Anything in particular?" he queried.

"Some stuff for the gym, a new widescreen TV for the common room," Faith replied.

"Nothing for yourself?" Bruce queried.

Faith reddened. "Maybe a wicked new sound system and some CDs."

"Oh, what sort of music are you into?" Bruce queried.

"Limp Bizkit, Blink 192, Linkin Park, Kid Rock," Faith stopped and looked at his moan. "What?"

Faith stared around the brightly illuminated electronic store, more than a little bemused by the staggering array of equipment. "Hi," in an instant, a leering beanpole of a shop assistant was by her side in an instant. "How can I help you?"

"How was lunch, sir?"

Bruce smiled as he strode through his mansion's front door. "It was eventful."

"And Ms. Lehane, she was in good health?"

"Fine, thank you," Bruce nodded.

"Will we be seeing her on Saturday?" Alfred queried. His friend smiled at his look. "I admit to enjoying the effect she has on you, I don't think anyone makes you smile quite as much as she does."

"Having a super-powered, fully-grown daughter takes a lot of adjusting. Especially when she's -." Bruce's brow furrowed as his cell began ringing. "I'll have to take this, Alfred."

"Of course, sir."

Alfred moved on as Bruce reached into his jacket and pulled his cell out. His brow furrowed as he read but failed to recognise the number on his cell. "Hello, Bruce Wayne?"

"I'm watching her right now, Bruce, she's the prettiest thing I ever saw."

Bruce felt a cold hand that grasped and twisted at his heart as he recognised the deep voice. His stomach hollowed reminiscent of the way he felt when he'd seen Barbara and Jason's pulverised bodies or when he'd witnessed Clark's death at the hands of Doomsday. "You touch her and I'll-."

"Touch her?" Bane let out a roaring laugh. "I'm going to break her, shatter her spine just like I did yours, tinkle it like glass. Come quickly Bruce, I want you to be the first to see my handiwork."