[ ] denotes thoughts
**********
Part Nine
SHS Hallway
Xander sniffed the air trying to find any trace of vampires or people nearby. There were a few lingering scents, but nothing fresh. Just to be sure, Xander checked the rooms one by one with Cordelia and Max guarding him.
"Nothing, again," Xander groaned as they searched yet another empty room.
"Seems Giles' group is the only one finding anyone," Max noted. "I spotted a couple parents earlier coming from their direction when you were searching that last room."
"I don't care who finds them. I just want the people out of here so they don't get hurt," Xander gruffly told them as they moved to the next room to search. [No fresh scents here either,] he thought before entering the class room.
"Why are you so stressed, slick?" Max questioned as she watched the hall with Cordelia covering them both with the super soaker.
Xander quickly finished his search. As he passed them on the way to the next room, he firmly stated, "I'm not stressed."
"Come on. Just me and Queen C here, slick. What's bothering you?"
Xander turned to tell them to back off and noticed the identical expressions on their faces. Lips pressed into a firm line and an inquisitive brow raised. The face that every kid has seen on their mother when they try to get out of telling the truth.
"We know something's bothering you, Xander. We want to help," Cordelia softly spoke.
"Besides we don't need you stressing if we get into a fight," Max chimed in. "You won't be at your best if that happens."
"Fine. I'm worried about Buffy, okay?" Xander replied. "Faith too, but not as much. She knows how to handle vamps, but Buffy doesn't have anything to protect herself with." [Except whatever I felt within her and I don't know whether that is good or bad.]
Max and Cordelia looked confused for a moment.
"Buffy?" Cordelia asked.
"You hardly know her," Max noted.
"I know.. It.. ah.. It's just... There's something about her okay?" Xander finally got out. He turned and headed back down the hall, hoping they'd drop it.
[This could be a problem,] Cordelia thought as she quietly followed him.
[Great, another one,] Max sarcastically mused. [Just what I need.]
***
SHS student lounge
"One vamp? You gotta be kidding me," Faith snorted. "You should know better than to take me on alone."
Buffy moved cautiously behind Faith and looked for a way out. The Slayer and Spike only had eyes for each other.
"What can I say? I like a challenge," Spike said with a grin.
"It's only a challenge if there is a chance you could win," Faith told him as she stalked towards him.
"Confident. I like that," Spike sneered. "But then they all are at first. Then they start dying."
"Not likely," Faith retorted and attacked.
Faith launched a flurry of kicks and punches that pushed him back towards the food setup. It was just the moment Buffy was waiting for. She took off at the first blows of the fight. Buffy raced down the halls with only one thought running through her mind:
[Find Xander.]
***
SHS World History Classroom
"This one is empty as well," Giles commented as they left the room.
"Maybe the rest got out," Willow quietly suggested. "The vampires only seemed to want us."
"It is understandable," Giles stated matter-of-factly. "They would want to deal with any threat to them first and then focus on anyone else."
"Yeah, but still.. they knew just who to go for and you have to admit that it is a first. Most of the things we fight don't know who we are the first time we see them," Willow noted.
Giles paused as he realized she was right. "Yes. Most of our enemies do not bother finding out about us before our first encounter. It would behoove us to..."
"Incoming," Oz pointed out, interrupting their conversation.
Giles and Willow whirled with weapons ready to see Buffy barreling towards them. She grabbed Giles' arms as soon as she was close enough and shook him. "Where's Xander?"
"Miss Summers... what.. how..," Giles sputtered.
"Buffy are you alright?" Willow asked.
At Willow's question, Buffy turned to the red-head. "Xander. Where?"
"Down that hall," Oz said gesturing at the hallway behind them.
Buffy said nothing as she took off once more on her search. The small group watched her departing figure for a moment until Willow broke the silence.
"Umm, now what?" Willow inquired.
***
SHS Hallway
Xander, Max, and Cordelia were crouched behind a corner when he caught the scent of someone familiar approaching on the other side. Relaxing slightly, he walked around to greet them.
"Hello Deadboy. What end of the world prophecy brings you to our neck of the woods?" Xander prodded. Verbal jabs at Angel were always good at making him feel better.
"Spike. Also known as William the Bloody. He's come to kill Faith," Angel told them without bothering with pleasantries.
"So? Another day, another vamp. What's the big deal?" Xander smirked.
"Spike's killed two slayers already. He's planning on adding Faith to his list."
Xander's smirk was wiped away. "I don't think so. Angel, take Cordelia and Max and help them finish searching the rooms. Here's a couple stakes," Xander told him, handing over a couple of broken drumsticks. "I'll find Faith."
Angel looked ready to tell him he should stay, but Xander beat him to it. "I'll go, Angel. You need to be here to watch their backs," Xander stated indicating Max and Cordelia.
"Fine. But be careful," Angel stated.
"Why Deadboy.. I didn't know you cared," Xander replied with a wide grin.
"I don't. But Faith would stake me in an instant if you got killed," Angel remarked with a very slight grin.
"Well, I wouldn't want to come between you and your continued existence, now would I?"
"Of course not," Angel said with a voice that should have been dripping with sarcasm.
"Right. I'd rather do it myself," Xander told him as he turned the corner to go...
And was nearly flattened by Buffy.
"XANDER!" Buffy exclaimed happily, hugging him. It took her a moment before she remembered why she needed to find him. "Faith's in trouble. You gotta help her!"
"Where?" he pressed worriedly.
"Student lounge."
And with that, he was up off the floor and sprinting back the way Buffy came from leaving the other four behind to wait and worry.
***
Outside the SHS American History Classroom
Giles, Oz, and Willow had just finished searching the classroom when Xander blew past them.
"Was that Xander?" Giles inquired.
"Yep," came Oz's simple reply.
"Think we should be worried?" Willow asked the other two.
"Xander has proven that he can handle himself quite well. I believe that if he needed help he would have asked. Since he didn't, it would be better if we focused on our search," Giles told the two slayerettes.
Willow cast one more concerned glance at where she last saw Xander before she turned and followed Giles and Oz into the next room.
***
SHS Student Lounge
Spike was blocking most of them, but a few of Faith's shots got through, staggering him. Back and forth, the blows flew. One roundhouse punch was ducked while another connected. Each combatant was taking their shots but Faith seemed to be gaining the upper hand.
Spike's blows were slowing as the fight went on, while Faith's kept coming. She kept getting more and more through his defences. Finally, a swift snap kick to the stomach left him groaning and hunched over at the pain.
Too bad for Spike that's just the way she wanted him.
Faith crouched, readying a Haymaker punch to finish him off. She never even got a chance to give him the coup d'état. Spike's fist flashed out knocking her over the overturned food machine. As Faith tumbled over the obstacle, her head went straight for the floor, cracking hard against the concrete and leaving her dazed.
Too bad for Faith that's just the way he wanted her.
He strutted his way towards her. Reaching down, Spike grasped a handful of hair and her right arm. He quickly jerked her arm behind her as he hauled Faith up by her hair.
"Name's Spike. Just thought you should know the name of the one who killed you, Slayer," Spike arrogantly told her and went to plunge his fangs into her neck.
"Not on my watch."
Spike turned to the sound of the voice and his first thought was red. The color. It filled his vision for a moment before leaving him. The next thing he noticed was the blinding pain. Something metal had hit him.
Hard.
Spike flew back across the room and crashed into one of the few standing tables. Refreshments went this way and that from the collapsing table, leaving him on the floor in a puddle of spilled drinks and cake. He barely had a chance to open his eyes before something shot at him and coated his face.
Xander kept spraying the downed vampire until the cannister was spent. He decided to get one last shot in with it when he noticed Spike trying to clear his eyes and struggling to rise.
Spike just barely got the white mixture off of his face and looked up in time to see the end of the extinguisher slam into his face. [This is just not my bloody night,] he thought as he grasped his pounding forehead.
Xander helped Faith up and handed her a stake while he grabbed a cross stake for himself.
"Thanks," Faith whispered to him.
"That's what I'm here for," Xander said with a lop-sided grin. He noticed Spike getting back up so he thought he might as well get a few jabs in while he could. Keep him pissed so he'd make more mistakes. "Looks like someone got caught next to an exploding buffet table. Too bad about those clothes. I don't think you can save the jacket," Xander finished with a wide grin and a quiet chuckle.
Spike glared at the dark haired boy and the recovered Slayer. He growled as he realized he couldn't win against both of them. Not without any backup, at least.
"Next time Slayer," Spike stated before looking over at Xander. "And you'll die right after."
He didn't bother waiting for an answer. Spike simply ran back through the open window that he came in. The pair of teens just watched him leave, not wanting to try finishing him tonight. Xander gently grasped Faith's arm and motioned towards the empty hall.
"Shall we?"
Faith shrugged and let him lead her back to the others. For a few moments, they walked not saying a word until she decided to speak up.
"This is becoming a habit of yours, isn't it? You should have lived in medieval Europe with that 'White Knight' attitude of yours," Faith commented with a small grin and a light poke in Xander's ribs.
Xander looked panicked at that thought. "NO! I couldn't do that!" He paused and let a grin spread across his face. "They didn't have anything from Hostess back then."
Faith's laughter echoed down the halls as they passed through the empty halls.
**********
End Chapter Nine
***