Part 5: Xander
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"What do you think you're doing?"
The voice makes me flinch. Damn it! All these months haven't been enough to regain my cool when it comes to her. Looking at her, all I see is her and me in that motel room bed, she straddling me, her fingers around my throat, slowly choking the life out of me with a look of pleasure in her dark eyes.
"Pardon me for stating the obvious," I tell Faith, "but having you looking for Buffy alone doesn't exactly help me sleep well, you know?"
She looks at me and I expect a condensing smile on her face, followed by her telling me that I could never do anything to stop her if she wanted to hurt Buffy and that I'm nothing but a powerless jerk.
God knows I've told myself that often enough.
Surprisingly none of that happens. Faith just looks at me with the same scared look she's had on ever since she turned up at Giles' and I find myself wondering how much of that is acting.
"You'll slow me down," she simply says, continuing to walk across the campus grounds. I spend half a second contemplating how little brains I have being here, then I follow her.
"Seeing as you have no idea where to look," I tell her, "I don't really see how I slow you down. Unless you want to make a quick getaway once the police comes around."
She doesn't even have a sharp retort ready. Something has definitely changed in her. Before her coma a comment like that would have earned me either a scathing remark or a knife across my throat, but not this silence.
What happened to her?
"I need to find her," Faith mutters. "Something has happened to her and I have to find her."
"Why? Because she put you in the hospital after you poisoned Angel? Looking to return the favor?"
Her head snaps around to look at me and I tense in anticipation of a kick or a punch, but nothing the likes happens. I really have to have a death wish or something, hanging around her and saying stuff like that. What the hell is wrong with me? And her, for that matter?
"Leave me alone, Xander!" Faith walks off again, hands shoved down her pockets, eyes darting around to do ... what? Find Buffy? Find some opportunity to cause mayhem? I have no idea anymore. Psycho Slayer from hell or repentant former psycho Slayer from hell, I don't really know anymore.
Disregarding all inner sense and reason I continue to follow her.
"What part of 'leave me alone' don't you understand?" Faith grumbles once I've caught up with her again. She doesn't look at me, her eyes still darting around like mad searchlights. No, scratch that! Don't use the word mad here! No sense in tempting fate. Or Faith.
"I want to find Buffy as well," I state. "And if I can keep an eye on you in the process, much the better."
Faith says nothing to that and we walk in silence for a while. The campus is still a mess, firemen and rescue workers everywhere. A few fires are still burning, smoke plumes rising into the sky. The area directly around Lowell House - or what was Lowell House until last night - is abuzz with Sunnydale's finest.
Lots of students around, too. Everyone taking a long look at the large hole in the ground. Don't they have anything better to do? Like, I don't know, get a job? Don't act so high and mighty towards us poor non-college buggers? Stop it, Xander! No sense in broadcasting your issues right now. This is about Buffy. We have to find Buffy.
"Why did you do it, Faith?" It takes a moment to realize that I am the one asking that question.
"What?"
"Why did you betray us? Scratch that! I can understand your not much caring about the rest of us, but why betray Buffy? She tried to be your friend when I would have just told her not to waste her time. Why did you betray her?"
I'm waiting for another explosion, but it doesn't come. Faith looks at me for a long moment, then starts looking around again.
"I didn't mean to."
"Try again!"
"No, I ... I went to the Mayor with a glorious plan in my head. I would infiltrate his operations, learn all I could about him, learn enough to stop him. I figured if I did that it would make things good again. Wipe out that ... that mistake I made."
Killing that guy in the alley, you mean? Thankfully I've got enough brains left not to speak that one out loud.
"But then ... he ... he cared. He cared for me. He was nice to me, made me ... made me feel loved for the first time. I ... no one ever loved me before. I didn't even know what that was."
A scathing remark is on my lips, but I bite it back. Who says I have no self-control?
"And I wondered ... wondered why I should betray this man who loved me just to get back into the good graces of some people who never wanted me to begin with."
"So you started doing his dirty work because he bought you ice-cream?" Okay, no self-control here. Sue me. Just don't beat me into a bloody pulp!
She opens her mouth to say something, probably something very unpleasant or - more confusing - something meaningful, when she suddenly tenses. All movement ceases and I'm uncomfortably reminded of a big jungle cat getting ready to pounce on someone.
As long as it's not me ...
Faith moves, darting toward one of the bushes. She's almost out of sight by the time I start moving as well, a lot of voices again telling me that I'm using up my amount of fool's luck at a very rapid rate.
There is a yell up ahead, deeper inside the bushes, along with some smoking debris and a few scattered pieces of charred tree. We're pretty close to the explosion site and it seems Faith has found trouble. Why doesn't that surprise me, really? There is the unmistakable sound of one person hitting another. Hard.
I explode out into a small clearing and almost collide with Faith, who stumbles back against me. She is bleeding from the mouth and it looks like she'll sport one hell of a shiner tomorrow. Who could ...
My thoughts freeze as I see the other person in the clearing. It actually takes me a moment to recognize her. I've never seen her like this before, of course. Filthy, looking like she's been through one hell of a meat grinder, and naked. Did I mention naked? Naked Buffy? I don't whether to faint or scream for joy.
Buffy stands, no, crouches in the clearing, looking at us with wild eyes. Her hair hangs in dirty strands all over her face and I don't think she knows who we are. Her fingers are curled into claws, she is panting.
Did I mention she's naked?
"Buffy," I speak to her, slowly making a step toward her. Faith stays back a step, apparently more cautious after getting one in the face. Buffy's eyes are following me, but every now and then they're darting around madly, as if she's looking for something close by.
"Buffy, it's me! Xander!" Now this is an uncomfortable reminder of Buffy's little beer episode a few weeks back. Hope it fades just as quickly. Even now, though, I can't help checking her out ... for injuries, yeah, only for injuries. She's dirty as hell, covered in soot and mud, but apart from that she seems to be okay.
Except for that look in her eyes. She looks scared, lost, and extremely likely to strike out at anyone who gets too close to her.
How did I survive so long being this stupid?
"Buffy, everything's fine," I tell her, taking another step closer. She flinches back from me like a wounded animal.
"Calm down! I'm here to help you!"
Another step. This time she doesn't flinch. Her eyes become a little more steady and she is really looking at me.
"Xa-Xander?" I can barely hear the word and it sounds a lot more like a question than anything else.
"Yeah, Xander! That's me! Can I come closer, Buffy?"
She hesitates, wild eyes boring into me, then they dart past me and fix on Faith.
"I ... I know you," Buffy says.
I don't think this is good.
Something leaps past me in the span of an eyeblink and by the time I manage to turn around Buffy is all over Faith, raining punches down on her. Faith raises her arms to protect her face, but she isn't striking back.
"You hurt me," Buffy yells. "Hurt Angel! Hurt me!"
Even while I try to figure out what I can do about one psychotic Slayer being pummeled by a hopefully just temporarily psychotic Slayer, Faith suddenly slithers out from underneath Buffy and takes a few steps back, trying to gain some distance. Buffy is on her again in a hot second.
Buffy isn't fighting like I've seen her before. No technique, no fancy moves. She's a wild animal, lashing out in panic. Not Faith. When Buffy leaps at her Faith just steps to the side and comes round behind her, her arms going around Buffy's throat. Clenching down, catching her in a sleeper hold that would make TV Wrestling proud. Buffy would never have gotten caught this easily under normal circumstances.
Buffy is fighting like crazy, trying everything to get her hands on Faith, but the other Slayer just buries her face in Buffy's long hair to protect it and holds on. Buffy's fingernails leave long, bleeding scratches on her forearms, yet Faith doesn't let go.
It takes a long time to choke someone into unconsciousness in real life. Always works within a minute or so on TV. I'm standing there, frozen, while Faith slowly chokes Buffy to the ground, my friend's movements growing sluggish, her animal yells becoming small and helpless sounds. For a moment I wonder if I should intervene, help Buffy fight Faith, but somehow that doesn't strike me as the best of ideas right now.
Finally Faith lets go and Buffy slumps to the ground, a dirty and naked bundle of flesh. Somehow the naked thing has ceased to be of importance right now. I'm by her side in an instant, not caring about what Faith might do or anything else. I cradle the body of my friend in my arms and try to think of something to do.
"I'll guess I'll call the others?" Faith says, more a question than a statement. She is breathing hard, the short fight having tired her out after months of inactivity. I just nod, feeling tears in my eyes as I hold Buffy close. We'll fix this, you'll see. You're the Slayer, Buffy. The Slaymaster General, nothing can keep you down. We'll fix this, I promise you.
I'm so glad you're alive.
TO BE CONTINUED
#
"What do you think you're doing?"
The voice makes me flinch. Damn it! All these months haven't been enough to regain my cool when it comes to her. Looking at her, all I see is her and me in that motel room bed, she straddling me, her fingers around my throat, slowly choking the life out of me with a look of pleasure in her dark eyes.
"Pardon me for stating the obvious," I tell Faith, "but having you looking for Buffy alone doesn't exactly help me sleep well, you know?"
She looks at me and I expect a condensing smile on her face, followed by her telling me that I could never do anything to stop her if she wanted to hurt Buffy and that I'm nothing but a powerless jerk.
God knows I've told myself that often enough.
Surprisingly none of that happens. Faith just looks at me with the same scared look she's had on ever since she turned up at Giles' and I find myself wondering how much of that is acting.
"You'll slow me down," she simply says, continuing to walk across the campus grounds. I spend half a second contemplating how little brains I have being here, then I follow her.
"Seeing as you have no idea where to look," I tell her, "I don't really see how I slow you down. Unless you want to make a quick getaway once the police comes around."
She doesn't even have a sharp retort ready. Something has definitely changed in her. Before her coma a comment like that would have earned me either a scathing remark or a knife across my throat, but not this silence.
What happened to her?
"I need to find her," Faith mutters. "Something has happened to her and I have to find her."
"Why? Because she put you in the hospital after you poisoned Angel? Looking to return the favor?"
Her head snaps around to look at me and I tense in anticipation of a kick or a punch, but nothing the likes happens. I really have to have a death wish or something, hanging around her and saying stuff like that. What the hell is wrong with me? And her, for that matter?
"Leave me alone, Xander!" Faith walks off again, hands shoved down her pockets, eyes darting around to do ... what? Find Buffy? Find some opportunity to cause mayhem? I have no idea anymore. Psycho Slayer from hell or repentant former psycho Slayer from hell, I don't really know anymore.
Disregarding all inner sense and reason I continue to follow her.
"What part of 'leave me alone' don't you understand?" Faith grumbles once I've caught up with her again. She doesn't look at me, her eyes still darting around like mad searchlights. No, scratch that! Don't use the word mad here! No sense in tempting fate. Or Faith.
"I want to find Buffy as well," I state. "And if I can keep an eye on you in the process, much the better."
Faith says nothing to that and we walk in silence for a while. The campus is still a mess, firemen and rescue workers everywhere. A few fires are still burning, smoke plumes rising into the sky. The area directly around Lowell House - or what was Lowell House until last night - is abuzz with Sunnydale's finest.
Lots of students around, too. Everyone taking a long look at the large hole in the ground. Don't they have anything better to do? Like, I don't know, get a job? Don't act so high and mighty towards us poor non-college buggers? Stop it, Xander! No sense in broadcasting your issues right now. This is about Buffy. We have to find Buffy.
"Why did you do it, Faith?" It takes a moment to realize that I am the one asking that question.
"What?"
"Why did you betray us? Scratch that! I can understand your not much caring about the rest of us, but why betray Buffy? She tried to be your friend when I would have just told her not to waste her time. Why did you betray her?"
I'm waiting for another explosion, but it doesn't come. Faith looks at me for a long moment, then starts looking around again.
"I didn't mean to."
"Try again!"
"No, I ... I went to the Mayor with a glorious plan in my head. I would infiltrate his operations, learn all I could about him, learn enough to stop him. I figured if I did that it would make things good again. Wipe out that ... that mistake I made."
Killing that guy in the alley, you mean? Thankfully I've got enough brains left not to speak that one out loud.
"But then ... he ... he cared. He cared for me. He was nice to me, made me ... made me feel loved for the first time. I ... no one ever loved me before. I didn't even know what that was."
A scathing remark is on my lips, but I bite it back. Who says I have no self-control?
"And I wondered ... wondered why I should betray this man who loved me just to get back into the good graces of some people who never wanted me to begin with."
"So you started doing his dirty work because he bought you ice-cream?" Okay, no self-control here. Sue me. Just don't beat me into a bloody pulp!
She opens her mouth to say something, probably something very unpleasant or - more confusing - something meaningful, when she suddenly tenses. All movement ceases and I'm uncomfortably reminded of a big jungle cat getting ready to pounce on someone.
As long as it's not me ...
Faith moves, darting toward one of the bushes. She's almost out of sight by the time I start moving as well, a lot of voices again telling me that I'm using up my amount of fool's luck at a very rapid rate.
There is a yell up ahead, deeper inside the bushes, along with some smoking debris and a few scattered pieces of charred tree. We're pretty close to the explosion site and it seems Faith has found trouble. Why doesn't that surprise me, really? There is the unmistakable sound of one person hitting another. Hard.
I explode out into a small clearing and almost collide with Faith, who stumbles back against me. She is bleeding from the mouth and it looks like she'll sport one hell of a shiner tomorrow. Who could ...
My thoughts freeze as I see the other person in the clearing. It actually takes me a moment to recognize her. I've never seen her like this before, of course. Filthy, looking like she's been through one hell of a meat grinder, and naked. Did I mention naked? Naked Buffy? I don't whether to faint or scream for joy.
Buffy stands, no, crouches in the clearing, looking at us with wild eyes. Her hair hangs in dirty strands all over her face and I don't think she knows who we are. Her fingers are curled into claws, she is panting.
Did I mention she's naked?
"Buffy," I speak to her, slowly making a step toward her. Faith stays back a step, apparently more cautious after getting one in the face. Buffy's eyes are following me, but every now and then they're darting around madly, as if she's looking for something close by.
"Buffy, it's me! Xander!" Now this is an uncomfortable reminder of Buffy's little beer episode a few weeks back. Hope it fades just as quickly. Even now, though, I can't help checking her out ... for injuries, yeah, only for injuries. She's dirty as hell, covered in soot and mud, but apart from that she seems to be okay.
Except for that look in her eyes. She looks scared, lost, and extremely likely to strike out at anyone who gets too close to her.
How did I survive so long being this stupid?
"Buffy, everything's fine," I tell her, taking another step closer. She flinches back from me like a wounded animal.
"Calm down! I'm here to help you!"
Another step. This time she doesn't flinch. Her eyes become a little more steady and she is really looking at me.
"Xa-Xander?" I can barely hear the word and it sounds a lot more like a question than anything else.
"Yeah, Xander! That's me! Can I come closer, Buffy?"
She hesitates, wild eyes boring into me, then they dart past me and fix on Faith.
"I ... I know you," Buffy says.
I don't think this is good.
Something leaps past me in the span of an eyeblink and by the time I manage to turn around Buffy is all over Faith, raining punches down on her. Faith raises her arms to protect her face, but she isn't striking back.
"You hurt me," Buffy yells. "Hurt Angel! Hurt me!"
Even while I try to figure out what I can do about one psychotic Slayer being pummeled by a hopefully just temporarily psychotic Slayer, Faith suddenly slithers out from underneath Buffy and takes a few steps back, trying to gain some distance. Buffy is on her again in a hot second.
Buffy isn't fighting like I've seen her before. No technique, no fancy moves. She's a wild animal, lashing out in panic. Not Faith. When Buffy leaps at her Faith just steps to the side and comes round behind her, her arms going around Buffy's throat. Clenching down, catching her in a sleeper hold that would make TV Wrestling proud. Buffy would never have gotten caught this easily under normal circumstances.
Buffy is fighting like crazy, trying everything to get her hands on Faith, but the other Slayer just buries her face in Buffy's long hair to protect it and holds on. Buffy's fingernails leave long, bleeding scratches on her forearms, yet Faith doesn't let go.
It takes a long time to choke someone into unconsciousness in real life. Always works within a minute or so on TV. I'm standing there, frozen, while Faith slowly chokes Buffy to the ground, my friend's movements growing sluggish, her animal yells becoming small and helpless sounds. For a moment I wonder if I should intervene, help Buffy fight Faith, but somehow that doesn't strike me as the best of ideas right now.
Finally Faith lets go and Buffy slumps to the ground, a dirty and naked bundle of flesh. Somehow the naked thing has ceased to be of importance right now. I'm by her side in an instant, not caring about what Faith might do or anything else. I cradle the body of my friend in my arms and try to think of something to do.
"I'll guess I'll call the others?" Faith says, more a question than a statement. She is breathing hard, the short fight having tired her out after months of inactivity. I just nod, feeling tears in my eyes as I hold Buffy close. We'll fix this, you'll see. You're the Slayer, Buffy. The Slaymaster General, nothing can keep you down. We'll fix this, I promise you.
I'm so glad you're alive.
TO BE CONTINUED