***Author's note: Thanks so much to everyone who's still reading. This story is seriously a purging of my imagination and I know, from the great reviews that I'm not focusing much on Angel or the Scoobies. I'm just really enthralled by Wes' character and where he has been taken and not taken on the show. In Sunnydale, where the rest of the story takes place, I hope to develop Faith & Wes' relationship more as well as show how their soul's healing affects everyone around them. In closing, expect a lot more Faith-Wes and more hopefully entertaining interactions.***
*****
"Faith? We're pulling up to Buffy's now," Wes says as he parks his S.U.V. outside of Buffy Summers' house in Sunnydale several hours later.
"So this is it?" Gunn asks, glancing around as he steps out alongside Connor onto the street.
Faith steps outside onto the porch, a relieved look on her face. She embraces Wes as he walks up on the porch.
"You took too long," She whispers.
"I know," He replies, kissing her lips gently.
"Hey kid, wasn't expecting you," Faith smiles, poking Connor, playfully. "You either," She says to Gunn.
"I always wanted a vacation in Hell," Gunn replies.
"Hey guys, we got reinforcements!" Faith yells, leading them inside.
"Did they bring doughnuts?" Xander Harris' voice responds from the stairs.
"No, but they brought men, which we are seriously lacking in this house," Anya remarks, walking in with Willow.
"Wesley, it's good to see you," Willow smiles, hugging him. Both girls' eyes are red from crying.
"You, too. What can we do?" He asks.
"Well…Buffy's not really functioning right now…she's downstairs…Spike is out with the potentials, hunting…" Willow replies.
"Hunting makes them stop crying," Anya states.
"Buff's not talking to anyone. She's just crying," Faith says.
"Show me," Wes says, leaving the others and following the distraught witch.
"I know this is a hard time for all of you, but the First is going to take advantage of it," Wes tells Willow at the head of the stairs.
"I…it just…" Willow starts crying.
"Willow. You know he didn't kill himself. Someone had to do that to him. We have to focus. You need to rest. Believe me, not sleeping and running yourself ragged will only get people hurt," Wesley says, steadying her.
"You aren't losing it, Wes, you've got control," Willow realizes.
"I'm finding ways around it, Willow," Wes replies. "We'll talk." He starts down the stairs.
"Buffy?"
Buffy Summers is sitting on Spike's cot, rocking herself. She doesn't acknowledge his presence.
Wes sits down beside her on the rumpled bed and takes her hand.
"I can't do this…I can't…" Buffy murmurs.
"Buffy. You can do this. You will. You're the only one who can. Buffy." He says her name with such intensity that she looks at him.
"Wesley?" She says, dazed.
"Yes, Buffy. We have to avenge Giles' death, Buffy. You can't let him die in vain. You have to use your pain right now. Let it focus you," Wes says.
She nods, her eyes clearing slowly.
"This is going to be the hardest fight you have ever fought. But you're going to win," Wes says.
"How do you know?" Buffy questions.
"Because it's you. You've broken all the rules, Buffy and you've prevailed. You're the only person that can fight this," He says.
"You know something, Wes, tell me. A vision? A dream? What?" She demands.
"I'm sure Willow filled you in…" Wes begins.
"You drank magic juice. That's the simplified version," Buffy replies.
"Yes. I had some sort of encounter before I arrived here. I'm not sure of its origins, that's why I wasn't going to mention it. I guess you could call her my spirit guide, she said that nothing could beat the First. Then she told me to come. She said that you are gathering the warriors that you need to fight it. You are winning, Buffy, whether you know it or not. You are doing all that you can…"
"How could it get Giles?" Buffy asks, her voice a whisper. "I failed him."
"No. You never failed Giles. You were his daughter, Buffy. He loved you and you made him proud, you gave him a reason to keep fighting. You can't give up now. He didn't train you that way," Wesley replies, his voice fatherly.
She nods, brushing tears from her eyes. "Okay. You're right. I have to pull myself together."
"I have brought some reinforcements. Connor, Angel's son and Gunn, a colleague of ours from LA. Gunn is a good fighter, a definite asset. Connor is special…"
"The child of two vampires," Buffy nods. "I heard the short version."
"He's more powerful than Angel, more powerful than you or Faith…" Wesley says.
"Strong?"
"And skilled. He was raised in a hell-dimension fighting monsters that we have no comparison for. He will be a good addition to your army."
Buffy nods. She shakes off her grief, and stands up. "Okay. I've cried enough. Let's call a meeting," She says.
"I had been talking to Giles about some things, I'm not sure if he told you," Wes says, stopping her.
"No, I didn't know. What things?"
"I've rented a house, two houses down on Revello. Your house is crowded, it's getting worse every day. The house could be a secondary base of operations. You and the core of your support system can stay here, but if you approve, we could relocate some of the potentials to the other house. Connor, Gunn, Faith and I can organize there while you can have a little space to breathe. If it's okay with you. Split the Slayers, train them separately and then team them up so they can supplement each other's skills," Wes suggests.
"That sounds like a great idea, Wes. Giles must have thought the same if you've already rented the house," Buffy replies.
"He agreed," Wesley nods, sensing something suddenly.
"What?" Buffy sees the change in Wesley's eyes as he tenses up.
"Something's here," Wes replies, sensing the evil.
Buffy glances around, confused.
"You can't do anything here. You'll fail. You'll fail just like you always do. It's what you do best," Giles says, from behind him.
Wesley turns around to face the imposter.
"Wesley, what is it?" Buffy asks, concerned.
"You can't take my place. You're not even a real man," Giles says.
"I don't have to take your place. I have my own. You aren't welcome here," Wesley says to the First.
"You think you can stop me? You think your meager powers can defeat me?" Giles sneers, morphing into Lilah.
Wes feels the evil from the First slowly invading his senses as his eyes fill with black.
"Willow! Faith! We need you!" Buffy yells, suddenly as she realizes that Wes is losing his grip.
"I will feed off your power," Lilah hisses.
"My power will feed off you, first…" Wes whispers, rising off the floor as Willow, Faith and Connor appear on the stairs.
"Wesley, don't," Faith gasps as he begins to mutter an ancient language.
"What is he doing? I've never heard that language…" Willow says, as Buffy joins them on the stairs.
"It's a demon language," Connor says, surprising them all.
"Why…" Willow starts.
"Bastard…" Lilah hisses, appearing to all of the people gathered as she morphs into Drusilla and then finally settling into the form of Giles. "You have no idea what you are dealing with…"
Wes continues to recite the words, suspended in midair.
Giles hisses in pain before disappearing.
Wes slowly descends to the floor. Faith pushes past the others, catching him as he goes limp when his feet touch the floor. She lowers him to the carpet.
"What the hell just happened? Did he just hurt the First?" Buffy gasps.
Wes' eyes are solid black as Faith lifts his eyelids.
"He's stuck again, he's all black-eyed…" She says, leaning back in frustration.
"It may take a few minutes, Faith, for him to find his way back…it takes you over for a while," Willow says, sitting down beside Faith.
"I've heard the language that he was speaking in Quortoth. I've never heard it in this world," Connor says.
"I'm Buffy. I know your Dad," Buffy says, turning to the teenager after realizing who he is.
"You're Buffy? Nice to meet you," He says, stiffly, reaching out his hand for a handshake.
"He's learning," Faith says, smiling despite her worry.
"Wesley?" Willow calls, touching him, gently before recoiling. "He did something…he's supercharged with power…"
"What was it he said? He said that he would feed off its power…you don't think…he was draining the First's power? Oh god…" Buffy gasps. "Does he have any idea what he's dealing with?"
"He knows…" Faith says, touching his face. Willow and Buffy watch her, curiously.
"You and Wesley…you're together now?" Willow asks, quietly.
"I don't know what we are," Faith replies. "But I have…" She begins, taking his hand. She is suddenly spinning out of control into darkness. She finds herself floating in the blackness, hearing deafening screams and inhuman howls.
"WESLEY! WAKE UP!" She screams into the void. The screams quiet for a moment. "Wesley, pull yourself out of this right now! It's too soon for us to lose you! Come back!" She yells, feeling herself being pulled back into her body.
She opens her eyes and feels Buffy's hand on her arm.
"Faith?"
"I'm back…" She says, shaking Wesley, gently. He opens his blue eyes, slowly.
"Thank god, Wes, you scared the hell out of me," Faith breathes in relief.
"Sorry…I think I overestimated my strength," He says, sitting up.
"What did you do?" Willow asks. "It seemed like you actually hurt the First, Wes, nobody's been able to have any kind of effect on it before."
"It's scared. I could feel it's fear when I…" Wes begins.
"Your nose is bleeding again," Connor says.
He pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and tries to stop the flow.
"Does your nose bleed every time you do a spell, Wesley?" Willow asks.
"Usually when I overdo it. Which is usual. Once I start, I can't stop, it takes over until I can stop it," Wes replies.
"What did you do, Wesley?" Willow repeats.
"I remembered a spell…I don't know where it's from but it enabled me to use the First's power against it, draining it's evil and replacing it with…" He starts, his voice trailing.
"Replacing it with what?" Buffy asks.
"With nothing. I drained some of the pure evil and instead of replacing it with my power, I just kept draining it," Wes says, realizing what he's done.
"What happens to the power you took from it?" Connor asks.
"It's inside you. Wes, this can't be…" Faith gasps.
"WES!" Gunn's voice yells from upstairs.
Wes pulls himself to his feet and starts up the stairs, several steps behind Faith and Connor.
Gunn is holding Spike against the wall with a stake poised over his heart. A crowd of the potential slayers are gathered around, holding crossbows and swords aimed at Gunn.
"He's a vamp," Gunn says, looking to Wes for instructions.
"He's got a soul," One of the potentials protests.
Suddenly, Spike reacts, twisting until he has pinned Gunn to the floor, the stake spinning into the crowd of girls.
"You should back off, mate…" Spike snarls.
"Gunn…" Wes starts.
"Boy, I will kick your ass," Gunn replies, flipping Spike over onto his back and pulling out a knife.
"Gunn. This is Spike. He's a vampire, but he's on our side," Wesley says, pushing through the girls to the two fighting men.
"Oh…My bad," Gunn says, releasing Spike. He offers the bleached vampire his hand to help him off the floor.
"Happens all the time," Spike replies. "Nice moves."
"You, too," Gunn replies.
"Where's Dawn?" Buffy asks.
"Oh, she's with Xander. Upstairs," Anya answers, watching the action from the top of the stairs.
"I guess we should start with the introductions," Buffy says, with an appreciative look at Gunn.
Spike has walked over to Connor and is looking at him, curiously, sniffing.
"You smell familiar…Do I know you?" Spike asks.
Connor glares at him.
"Spike, this is Connor. Angel's son," Faith says, stepping between them.
"Angel's son? That's a…revelation. Who's your mother, sprout?" Spike asks, softening his expression.
"She died before I was born," Connor replies, coldly.
"There will be time for catch up later," Wes intervenes. "We have more important issues to discuss."
"What happened to you? Why are you full of…" Spike growls, sensing the power inside Wesley.
Willow pulls Wes aside. "We need to do something about you, right now. This can't wait. That power will kill you, it's too strong. We have to purge it…"
"The First will be able to reclaim it once it's free," Wes interrupts, following her into the kitchen.
Buffy gathers the potentials in the living room as Connor, Gunn, Faith and Spike join Willow and Wesley in the kitchen.
"So what's the what?" Faith questions, seeing Willow and Wes' expressions.
"Wes had an encounter with the First," Willow says as Robin, Xander and a distraught Dawn crowd into the kitchen.
Anya walks in with Buffy.
Wes turns to Robin, looking at him, curiously. "Robin Wood?"
Robin is surprised. "Yes? How do you know me?"
"We'll have to talk later. There are some very interesting prophecies about you," Wes remarks.
"Wesley. This has to be dealt with," Willow says, impatient.
"Wes hurt the First," Faith tells Gunn.
"He hurt the First? Well, good god, man, what took you so long to get here?" Spike exclaims.
"I was thinking maybe we could transfer the power to a holding container…we could change the evil into something else and then release it," Wes thinks aloud.
"Wait, guys, can somebody fill the clueless folks in on the story?" Xander interrupts, his arm around Dawn, protectively.
"Buffy, why don't you start the meeting? Willow and I will join you in a few minutes. We have to find a solution to this problem," Wes says, his nose starting to bleed again.
"Here," Dawn offers him a Kleenex.
"Thank you," He replies, calmly.
"Come on. United front. We're the Slayers. Let's go," Buffy says, pulling Faith from the kitchen.
"Anya, stay. You might have some input," Willow says, stopping the girl from following the others into the living room.
"Dawnie and I are here for moral support," Xander says. Dawn looks at the floor.
"What about some kind of orb?" Willow suggests.
"What are you trying to capture?" Anya asks.
"Wes sucked some of the First's evil from it. He turned the First's magic against it and drained the power, but he has to release it…" Willow explains.
"You need a pretty box," Anya replies.
"I don't think that's going to work, An," Xander says, shaking his head.
"No, I think she's right. A 'Pretty Box' is a box created by Ransha demons to house their powers. They like to collect mystical energies and they can't contain it all in their bodies. It should conceal the power and keep it safe until we figure out what we can do with it," Wes nods.
"I have one. It's in storage down at the Magic Shop," Anya nods.
"Go get it. Take Spike with you, so you'll stay safe. This is really important," Willow says. She hesitates a minute before impulsively embracing Dawn.
"Dawnie, I'm so sorry…" Willow says, breaking into tears.
"It's not your fault. It's the First's. I know that. I just…it's not fair that we don't have time to grieve…" Dawn sniffles.
"There will come a time, Dawn. Giles will always be remembered. He will be missed. He wouldn't want you to cry for him," Xander says, quietly.
"Hey, Wes, come in here!" Faith's voice yells.
He leaves the kitchen and joins Faith and Buffy who are standing in front of the window.
"This is Wesley," Buffy introduces. "He used to be a watcher but now…what do you do now, Wesley?" Buffy questions.
"Problem solving of the supernatural variety in LA," Wes replies.
"He has suggested something new. Along with Faith and his friends, he would like to create a second base of operations at a house two lots down. The training will continue, here and down the street with Wesley and his crew assisting the folks you already know…" Buffy begins.
Kennedy raises her hand to ask a question. Buffy nods to her.
"How do we know that they can protect us?"
"We can protect you," Faith says. "I'm the Slayer. I have the same powers that Buffy has. Connor is special, he's had more experience with demon fighting than any of us since he was raised in a hell dimension. You've all seen what Gunn can do and he's a human. Wesley can hold his own, as well. Buffy wouldn't steer you girls wrong. We're trying to make this easier on everyone. Just think, the new place has 2 bathrooms," Faith says.
The potentials start murmuring to each other.
"The living situation is going to still be sort of primal. Cots and furniture should be arriving early tomorrow morning and we'll get everything settled as to who gets to move and such," Wes starts, interrupted by his cellular phone ringing.
"I'll help you get that," Faith says, pulling him onto the porch.
"Faith…" Wes says, startled as she takes the phone from him and answers it.
"What?"
"Faith? Is Wes okay?" Angel asks.
"Sure. What's up?"
"We hadn't heard anything from him and we were worried…" Angel replies.
"He'll call you back, we're in the middle of something. Bye," Faith clips, hanging up.
"Faith, what are…" He starts, but is silenced by her lips on his. He allows himself a few minutes of peace as he pulls her into a tight embrace.
"Now, now, this isn't the place for that," Spike's voice rings out from the sidewalk. He is carrying a large black box and Anya is keeping pace with him.
"You guys are worse than the lesbians," Anya sighs.
"I see you succeeded. No trouble?" Wes questions, composing himself.
"Nah, nothing we couldn't handle. Where are we going to do this?" Spike questions, setting the box on the porch.
"Open it," Wes says.
Spike shrugs and opens the velvet-lined box.
"Do you want me to get Willow?" Anya asks.
"As soon as you see it start glowing green, you close the lid and step back. Can you do that?" Wes asks Spike.
"Sure," He replies, waiting until Anya is behind Faith.
Wes closes his eyes and when he looks at them again, they are filled with black. He mutters several words and darkness begins to swirl from his fingertips into the box.
"I didn't know it would be so pretty," Anya remarks.
The box starts to glow green as the darkness starts to trickle from him slowly. Spike slams the box closed and steps back, a horrified look on his face.
Wes murmurs some more words and the box seals itself, glowing softly.
"Wes?" Faith calls, reaching for him. He sighs deeply, and his eyes are back to normal when he turns to her.
"Good job, watcher. Damned good job," Spike says.
"I'm feeling much better now," Wes says, his voice hoarse. Faith steadies him as they go back into the house. Spike carries the box, depositing it on the coffee table in front of Xander, Dawn and Willow.
"Oh, you did it without me," Willow says, hurt. "I wanted to see."
"Wesley, can you do that again? Drain its power until it's weak enough for us to hurt it?" Xander asks.
"Actually…no. I think that it was a bad idea the first time and I'm not ready to try it again. I have the skills, but not the power," Wes says.
"I have the power, Wesley," Willow says. "I have lots of power. If you could summon…" She starts.
"Wait," Wes says, stopping her.
"Your nose is bleeding," Dawn says.
"It's here, isn't it?" Faith asks.
"Wes bleeds whenever the First comes around?" Xander question.
"You think you hurt me?" Giles says from behind Wes and Faith. They turn to face him as Buffy walks in with Spike.
"You think that you…a pathetic mortal could actually hurt me?" Giles sneers.
"He sure seemed to scare you," Buffy says.
Wes flinches suddenly, one of his eyes filling with black.
"You couldn't help me, why do you think you can help them?" The First asks, morphing into Lilah.
"Goddammit, what's going on in here?" Gunn asks, rushing in with Connor. He gasps, recognizing Lilah.
"You left me for dead," Lilah says to Wesley, blood starting to rush from her neck and abdomen, pooling on the floor. The blood turns black and starts to run toward Wesley.
"Wes, don't let her get to you," Faith says, taking his arm.
He winces again and steps back, away from the puddling darkness.
Lilah morphs into Angel. "You aren't good enough to be on my team, why do you think it's any different here?"
"What's all this about teams?" Buffy yells, trying to distract the First from Wes.
"Slayer, your time will come," Angelus says, his eyes on Wes. "I liked the taste of 'Watcher'," He smiles.
Wes gasps as both his eyes fill with black as the First Evil fills him.
"Wesley, don't!" Faith yells as he is slammed into the coffee table from the force of the First's power.
"He's weak…he doesn't care…he is nothing," The First says, morphing back to Lilah.
"You let him go, right now!" Faith orders, watching as Wes lies on the floor, writhing in pain. Willow has pulled Dawn and Xander away from him.
"Or what? You can't hurt me," Lilah leers, morphing into the man Faith murdered. She gasps, recognizing him. "You only hurt innocents…"
"Leave her alone," Connor orders, pushing past Buffy to face the First.
Faith is crying, now and some of her tears fall on Wes' bloodstained face as she kneels beside him.
Wes gasps suddenly, as if he was holding his breath. "Willow…" He whispers. Willow hears him and goes to his side.
"You…why are you here? You're like me, primal…evil…why are you fighting me? Join me, Connor," The First says, morphing into Holtz.
"Step back, boy," Gunn says, putting his hand on Connor's shoulder. "Don't mess with this," He says.
"And you…who will you save?" The First asks, morphing into his sister, Alona. "Or should I ask, who will you kill?" The First morphs into the professor Gunn killed for Fred.
Wes sits up, fighting through the pain and grasping Willow's hand. Together they begin chanting the words Wes has just whispered to her.
"You want more? You're still trying to fight me?" The First snarls, returning to Lilah's bloodied form.
Faith hears Wes in her head and stands up, leaving Wes and Willow crouching on the floor. She walks up to Lilah. "I don't think you're so tough," She says. "Yeah, you can get in our heads, but you don't know anything about us."
"Really?" Lilah asks, stepping forward until she is inches away from Faith.
"We don't give up. And we don't like people or things hurting our friends," Faith says, as Wes and Willow's chanting reaches a crescendo.
Faith pulls back her fist and slams it into Lilah's knocking the First to the floor.
"You hit it? How can you hit it?" Buffy asks, flanking Faith as they go to further damage the First.
"You have no idea…" Lilah stammers, as Buffy and Faith pull her to her feet, slamming her against the wall.
Suddenly, the First is incorporeal again, and it slips away.
"What happened?" Buffy asks as the First disappears.
"Wesley," Faith realizes, turning around and going to his side.
"He's drained. I don't know what it just did to him, but he couldn't keep it up. I gave him as much power as I could, but it wasn't enough…" Willow says. "We made it solid."
"Well, I guess you guys just met the First. Everyone okay besides Wes?" Buffy asks. Gunn nods, stricken. Connor is silent, watching Wesley and Faith.
"Faith?" Buffy calls.
"I won't be okay until he wakes up. Connor, help me carry him to the truck," Faith says.
"Where are you taking him, Faith?" Buffy asks.
"The hospital," She replies, evenly.
"The hospital?" Willow questions.
"Shit, Faith, what is it?" Gunn asks.
She sighs. She gently unbuttons his shirt to reveal his tightly bandaged chest. "Can you hear him breathing? I think she might have collapsed his lung again…"
"He didn't say…he didn't say that he was hurt, God, Faith, we would never have asked him to come…" Buffy apologizes.
"It doesn't matter to him. He…Connor, let's go," Faith says, breaking off mid-sentence.
"I'll drive," Gunn says.
Faith and Connor carry Wes to the S.U.V. and Gunn climbs in the driver seat.
"Wow, they're a serious team. They're like us in five years," Xander comments. "Defending each other, pulling each other away from the battle to protect them," He adds.
"They're a family. Just like us," Dawn says, quietly.