**

Part 4

            Faith stalked through the wooded Restfield Cemetery.  She had left the Bronze and decided to take a walk to clear her mind and come up with something to reach the disheartened slayer.  She was making a circuit of Restfield Cemetery to see if any newbie vamps had risen tonight.  Her ears picked up a young girls scream and she raced to the area to protect whoever was screaming. She arrived to see Buffy drive off a vampire she did not recognize from behind.  She saw Buffy run into the open crypt while some dark haired kid crawled over to a redheaded girl on the ground.  Faith watched as the obviously injured boy comforted her and then tried to stand up to follow Buffy into the crypt. He ended up collapsing back to the ground.  She left the safety of the trees and approached the two teenagers. 

            " Who are you?"  Willow noticed the raven-haired vampire out of the corner of her eye and scowled at the newcomer.  She placed herself between Faith and Xander.

            " I'm a friend.  The boy looks hurt and I just want to check him over.  I know what these things are and how strong they can get."  Faith knelt beside Xander and spoke in a calming voice, "So what's your name."  She placed her hands on his chest as Willow hovered worriedly behind her.  Faith was good at first aid.  She had learned over the century she spent on the streets how to sense injuries using her heightened senses and bind simple wounds.  Life was hard for girls on the streets, and unfortunately Faith had plenty of practice at homing her skills.

            " Xander," he replied as he squirmed under her cold touch.  He stared at her face as she concentrated on assessing his injuries.  She was beautiful.  Long dark hair, black eyes like a gypsy.  She looked to be a few years older than he.  Xander was drawn to her instantly.

            Faith smiled at the boy.  He had beautiful eyes.  He also had an appalling sense of fashion.  The green shirt he was wearing should never have seen the light of day.  Still, it gave him a goofy charm.  She began to speak quietly to Xander.  " I'm just checking you for broken bones quickly.  You really should go to the doctor to get fully checked out."

Xander suddenly focused on Faith, " No hospitals.  My parents won't pay for it."  He grimaces as he starts to talk.  " I'll be fine as long as nothings broke.  I've survived worse."

            Faith furrows her brow and wonders why this kids parents wouldn't spring for a doctor.  She stares at Xander and looks into his eyes. That's why

Too many questions.

**

            Buffy entered the mausoleum.  The entire room was cast in shadows.  The only light source was the open door and the moonlight outside.  Dust filled the air as her eyes slowly adjusted to the gloom.  Although slayers possessed many abilities similar to their most hated foe the expanded senses of vampires was not one of them.  She slowly circled the room looking for the girl vampire and Jesse.  She didn't see them anywhere.  Figuring that they escaped into some sort of secret passage she moved deeper into the room in order to examine the individual alcoves. 

**

            Faith was about to say something to Xander when she heard a smash coming from side the crypt.  " Fuck, Buffy's in trouble."  Xander and Willow looked to each other as Faith raced into the crypt moving almost as fast as Buffy.  Willow looked to Xander and whispered, " What have we gotten into."

            Xander stared worriedly after the leather-clad vampire.  " I don't know Wills but I'm worried about Jesse.  You know how many people disappear around here. I hope this new girl and Buffy know what they're doing."  

**

            Faith ran into the crypt and saw Buffy fighting a huge vampire.  The vampire had a huge advantage in reach and despite his size; he was nearly as fast as she was.  Faith raced up to the vamp and with a leap kicked him with both legs.  She sent him flying into the crypt wall shaking the whole structure.  He whirled around a growl forming deep in his throat.  Faith recognized him immediately.

            " Faith," Luke growled menacingly.

            " Luke," Faith replied mockingly.

 Forgetting the slayer for a moment Luke moved toward the souled vampire.  Buffy rushed behind him and kicked him in the back of his leg forcing him down to one knee.  She followed it up with a kick to the back of the head dropping Luke to the ground.  Faith pulled a stake from the back of her pants and rushed Luke.  She aimed for his back trying to hit the heart from behind.  Luke managed to rise to his feet despite the beating the slayer was delivering. As Faith rushed to stake him he managed to catch her arm on the down stroke and whip Faith around slamming her into Buffy and sending both women to the ground.

            Faith was worried.  Luke was well known among the Aureliuns.  He was a tough implacable opponent.  His strength and pain threshold are off the charts high.  He also lacked imagination.  He wouldn't toy with either of them.  He would just rip them limb from limb and feast on the marrow of the slayers bones and dance over her dust.  She glanced over at Buffy and saw that she wasn't in a good way.  Buffy was hurt and breathing hard.  She hadn't been training and with the fight outside and now Luke, she wasn't holding up so well.  Luke had slain his share of slayers in the past and she was bound and determined to not add Buffy to that list.  She grabbed a small vial of holy water in her pocket and steeled herself for the pain. She pulled it out and rushed forward with the glass vial hidden in her hand.

            Buffy watched as Faith charged the large vampire she had identified as Luke.  She raised her fist high and smashed the glass vial into his eyes.  Luke's face began to steam and he clawed at his eyes with one hand while screaming.  He blindly swung a large ham-like fist into the side of Faith's head sending her crashing to the ground.  She lay stunned clutching a bloody hand.  Buffy finally managed to recover some strength and snatch Faiths forgotten stake on the mausoleum floor and rushed the blinded vampire.  He heard her coming and swung blindly in her direction although she easily sidestepped the wild shots.  Ducking under his swinging arms she slammed her stake into Luke's heart.  He continued to bellow for a moment before collapsing into dust.

            Coughing on the vampire dust Buffy went to go check on Faith.  She was worried about the other girl.  While she clearly could fight she also took some serious blows and not everyone was as tough as the slayer.

            Faith was already getting up off the ground. Her left hand was bloody and she shook her head trying to clear the cobwebs.  She looked up at Buffy and smiled weakly.  " We make a pretty good team B."

            " Yeah we do."  Buffy looked surprised at how well Faith was holding up. "You going to be okay."

            " Five by five."  At Buffy's strange look she clarified, "Don't worry I'll be fine."  She looked down at her hand and winched.  The shards of glass were covered in holy water and burned like hell.  Luckily Buffy couldn't see the burns through the blood from the slices coating her hand and lower arm. Together they left the crypt.

**

            When they got outside they saw Willow fussing over Xander as he leaned up against a tree.  He looked a little better although both Faith and Buffy saw that movement pained him still.  Buffy rushed over to him, a concerned look on her face.

She likes him Faith proceeded over to the two teenagers more slowly as she faked being more hurt than she was.  Wouldn't do to let the vampire cat out of the bag.  That was one thing she had no desire to explain to the slayer.

            " Xander, are you all right." 

            " Sure Buff, no problem.  Just my pride was hurt.  That and my ribs."  Xander smiled weakly at Buffy.  His eyes slid over to the slowly approaching Faith. Even hurt and bloody, Xander thought she was beautiful. " Who's your friend? "

" That's Faith.  She's some else who hunts vampires."

 Xander groaned and rolled his eyes. " You got me.  I believe you about the bloodsuckers."      

Willows large green eyes widened even further as she listened to her oldest friend and her newest friend talk about fictional monsters.  " Hold on a minute.  What's going on here?  Vampires?  I was walking to get some ice cream and the guy I was with suddenly got all Grrrr.  What's up with that?  And them Jesse was grabbed by the slut with the weird face and where is he anyway. You helped him right?"

" Where is Jesse anyway?"  Xander looked concerned for his other friend.

Buffy looked down and said, " I couldn't get to him in time.  By the time I got inside they had already gone down some kind of tunnel underneath the crypt."

" Lets go after him then."  Xander pushed himself off of the tree and began toward the crypt swaying along the way.  Faith caught him as fell.

" You ain't going no place Xander."  Faith looked into the young man's eyes. " We can't follow him.  The sewers are the home turf of the vamps.  We'd never survive."

" Faiths right.  Jesse is lost for now. Right now we need to get you to a doctor."  Buffy looked forlornly at her new friend.  Getting one of his best friends killed was hardly a way to get on his good side.  Besides, losing Jesse was totally her fault because she was out of shape and let her skills rust.  If she was going to do this slaying thing she was going to have to work hard.  She paused in her thoughts.  Slaying.  Somehow during this crisis she had resolved in her mind that she was going to get back on the slaying horse.  It felt right, somehow.  Like she was back on the path she was meant to be on. 

Xander suddenly looked scared.  " I already said no doctors.  I'll be fine."

Faith could see the fear in his eyes.  She knew why he didn't want to go to see the doctor.   She spoke up before she could think.  "He can come over to my place.  I know some first aid.  Enough to know if he really needs a doctor or can get by with just some rest.  I'll look him over and then send him on home."

Willow looked a little upset. " Who are you?  I'm not just going to let my friend go off with some stranger he just met.  You could be some"- Willow began to wave her hands around worriedly.

Buffy said, " I hate to say this cause you did just save my life but I still don't trust you.  Xander can come home with me and I'll look him over."  She tried to ignore the note of jealousy that crept into her voice.

Xander looked at the raven-haired vampire.  She looked back almost…nervously?  There was something about her that he trusted.  He could see in her eyes that she understood, understood the way Jesse did.  The way Willow and Buffy could never understand.

 " I'll go with her.  I trust her."  Faith looked over at him in surprise.  She draped his arm around her shoulder and the two battered warriors walked away from the crypt.  Xander looked back and said, " Will, Buff, I'll call when I get home so you know I got there safely."

Buffy and Willow looked at each other in surprise.  Then willow shrugged her shoulders and said, " Walk me home, Buffy?"

" Sure."

**

            Faith and Xander walked in silence back to faiths apartment.  She happened to live only a few blocks away from the cemetery in a nice apartment.  Although Faith had only a small amount of money saved up, property prices in Sunnydale were very cheap considering the high mortality rate.  She led Xander up to the second floor of her building and to her room.

            Faiths apartment was small and spartan.  She had very little need for material things.  A threadbare couch and a worn coffee table with a dog-eared copy of the bible resting on it was about the extent of her possessions.  A table and pair of chairs sat in the unused looking kitchen. Most of her furniture was taken from the lairs of vampire that she killed.  Xander looked around.  Faith's place was dark and didn't look much like a home, but it was still nicer than where Xander grew up.

            " Nice place."

            Faith snorted at the lie. " No its not, but it don't need to be.  Go sit down at the table."  She motioned to the small table in the kitchen.  She smiled, "And while you're at it, take off your shirt."

            She walked off into the bathroom, as Xander's face grew red.  She returned having wrapped her injured hand in a crude bandage and with a small jar of green jelly.  Xander still had not taken off his shirt.  " Off with it Xander.  I'm not letting you out of here without checking you out.  Don't worry, I'm not gonna take advantage of you, " she said while laughing.

            Xander reluctantly unbuttoned his Hawaiian shirt and discarded it.  Underneath Xander wore a white tee shirt and dog tags.  He paused for a moment while Faith raised her eyebrow at him.  He sighed and pulled off his tee shirt.  Faith sucked in her breath.  Xander's chest had several fresh purplish bruises.  That was expected.  What wasn't, were the yellowing bruises that covered Xander's chest and back.  That and pale thin scars from what looked like a belt buckle.  Xander stared past Faith and in a dull voice said, " Get it over with."

            Faith traced her finger along a bad particularly bad scar along his chest.  " Who did this?   Your dad?" She asked quietly. It was usually their dad.  It always was with the girls on the street.

            Xander absently rubbed the dog tags around his neck.  He snapped to attention when Faith spoke.  " No-no, my dad would never- it was my stepfather," he snapped at Faith.  " My real dad died when I was little," he continued in a softer voice,  " He was in the army and he was lost on a mission.  These are all I have left of him," He said while fingering the dog tags he wore around his neck.

            Faith didn't say anything.  Instead she stepped forward and placed her hands on his sides.  She felt his ribs, probing them for breaks.  She closed her eyes and used her keen vampire senses to try and find any internal bleeding.  She breathed a sigh of relief because she wasn't finding any serious injuries although there were plenty of old ones that she was sensing.  She grabbed the jar of green jell and told Xander, " This is an herbal infusion.  It should speed up the healing process."

            Xander smiled. "How can I turn down a beautiful stranger oiling me up?"

            With an exaggerate wink Faith scooped out a handful of the mint smelling jell and proceeded to rub it into his chest with her good hand.  The Jell was cold and filled Xander's nostrils with a pleasant mint smell.  He could feel his lungs expand to take in the fragrant air and his muscles relax under Faiths strong, cold hand.  He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of for once being the person who was being taken care of.  Faith stared at his face, as the pain, which had traced lines in his face since she had met him earlier that night, finally relaxed.

            "All done."  Faith got up and washed her good hand of the jell.  She stood in front of the sink and unwrapped the crude bandage she had made covering her injured hand.  Pieces of holy water soaked glass were still stuck in her hand.  She heard Xander come up behind her and say softly, " Let me help you with that."

            Silently she turned around and held out her bloody hand.  Xander ran hot water in the sink and produced tweezers from a Swiss army knife he pulled out of his pocket.  He stood over the sink and gently pulled out the fragments of glass and dropped them in the trash.  She watched his face as he concentrated on her hand.  He bit his lower lip as he focused on removing the tiny shards without hurting her hand any further.  Finishing with that task he dipped her hand in the warm water in the sink and sponged away the blood.  Faith felt her demon rise as the cloud of blood settled on the bottom of the sink. Luckily Xander did not notice her lips pull back or her eyes rapidly flicker from brown to gold.  Pulling her hand out of the water he scooped up some of the healing jelly and massaged it into her hands.  After that he gently rewrapped her hands in clean bandages.

            " Thank you."

            " Only repaying the favor."  He paused for a moment, standing close to Faith. He started to lean forward and then Faith pulled back.  Xander, pushing the surprised look off his face, walked over to the table and pulled on his shirt.  " I- I should go."

            Something in Faith wanted him to stay.  She was lonely, had been for longer than she cared to remember.  And she liked Xander.  He was strong, stronger than even he knew.  In her years on the street she had met other children who had been abused.   Most of them held defeat in their eyes.  That's why they were on the street. His eyes possessed steel that the others had not had.  He would stand unbowed under the cross he had to bear, and that was something Faith could respect.  And was something that she feared.  He was someone she could lose herself in and that was something she could not afford to do.  She was going to have to keep her distance from him.  He was too much temptation.  She was here for Buffy.  There was something she could do for him though.  She walked over to her coffee table and pulled out a small box.  She walked back to Xander and handed it to him.  " Vampires fear the Lord and symbols of his power.  Take this."

            Xander opened the box and saw a beautiful crucifix enameled in gold.  " I can't take this."

            " No, I want you to have it.  It's a last line of defense against vampires."  There was silence for an moment and then she cleared her throat and spoke," Let me walk you home.  Its not safe out."

            Closing the box, Xander snorted. " Tell me something I don't know."

            Faith walked over to him and kissed him gently on the cheek.  " We don't have time for that list."  She walked over to the door and opened it.  " Aren't you coming?"

            Xander touched his cheek in surprise.  " Be right there."

**