Title: Finding Faith
Author: Dennis Wellman
Email: merlin.enchanter@verizon.net
Rating: PG 13 for now
Disclaimer: Joss, Mutant Enemy, and a lot of other people own Buffy. Chris Carter and Fox control the destinies of Mulder and Scully of the X-Files. I get no money by writing this, just hope for some kind words of encouragement.
Classification: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Faith/Xander relationship
Spoilers: a few here and there.
Summary: Now that Xander has found Faith, can they begin a normal relationship?
Authors Notes: If you look for a location, every place mentioned in this story really exists. Spent a lot of time looking places up.
Feedback: Yes please!!!!!
Distribution: If you like it... please feel free to place it on your site... but please tell me where it is.
Chapter 3
Royal Street Condo #307
New Orleans, LA
4:45 PM, May 7th 2006
On their arrival at the condo where Xander had been staying, he discovered how weak Faith still was, when he had to help her up to the suite where they would be staying, and then help her to the master bedroom.
When she raised an eyebrow at that, he pointed out that he was using the other bedroom.
"Why don't you take a nap, Faith?" Xander suggested. "I'll order us something delivered for lunch and wake you in a couple of hours when it gets here."
"Okay, you talked me into it," She replied.
Once she was alone, she pulled out some sweats from her bag of stuff, pleasantly surprised to find it all freshly laundered and smelling clean and fresh. Changing slowly because of some residual pain and stiffness, she lay down on top of the covers and tried to rest. Her thoughts however, kept drifting to the man in the living room. She would have been surprised to find out that the man in question was having the same problem concentrating as she was.
Xander was busy trying to make sense of some reports that Mulder had e-mailed him, and all he could think of was the beautiful slayer in the bedroom down the hall. As if she hadn't already been in his thoughts for the last seven years.
Getting up, he walked to the balcony and looked out over the courtyard. There were several girls down at the pool and a couple of them even looked up, then waved to him. Although Xander had been with several women in the past few years, his thoughts always came back to his dark slayer.
he mused.
After much effort, he finally managed to finish reading over the information that Mulder had sent to him, and made his recommendations about sending in a team. About 6:30, he called the restaurant down the street and ordered two dinners to be delivered.
After making sure there were plenty of cold sodas and other drinks, he sat down and tried to finish writing his report on finding Faith. He managed to get about half of it done when there was a knock on the door.
He paid the delivery boy for the meal, and after adding a generous tip, took the food into the kitchen. Setting it down, he headed to Faith's room to wake her. When he got to the door, it was open slightly and although he was tempted to just go and look in; he softly knocked first, then entered the room. . Thinking that she looked so relaxed and so innocent when she was sleeping, Xander swallowed down the lump that was forming in his throat.
Carefully sitting down on the bed, Xander put his hand on her arm, feeling the softness of her skin as he gulped and shook her gently.
"Faith, time to get up, dinner is here," he said softly.
* * * * *
Faith sensed his presence as he stood in the doorway, while she lay in bed half asleep, having heard someone knock at the door. She could feel his gentle gaze as he looked at her, then his quiet footsteps as he entered the room. She felt the bed sag as he sat down next to her, then the electric sensation as he touched her arm.
When she heard him call her name, she rolled over and opened sleepy eyes and looked at him. Intense feelings filled her as she gazed up into his dark brown eyes and felt the emotion there.
she told herself.
The two shared a few more moments of gazing silently at each other, and then Xander stood and spoke.
"Dinner's ready, I'll set the table." Then he again smiled as he left the room.
Faith shook herself awake, then got up and splashed some cold water on her face. she told herself.
When Faith walked into the dining room, she found the places already set with covered dishes. Xander was
standing in the kitchen door, looking at her intensely enough to make her blush.
"What would you like to drink? Soda, wine, something else?"
"Wine?" she questioned.
"Non-alcoholic, of course; you are still on medication," he reminded her.
"Wine, then," Faith smiled as she answered him.
Faith sat at the nicely set table and Xander brought her a glass of wine. He then started to uncover the dishes at her side of the table. There was a great looking Caesar salad, hot fragrant French bread, then the main course: a huge prime rib that smelled mouth-wateringly wonderful, accompanied by a huge baked potato and sautéed mushrooms.
"Hey, I know how slayers eat," explained Xander.
The two young people dined fairly quietly, Xander spent most of the time telling Faith about how the old gang was and about some of the more interesting investigations in which he had been involved. The talk was still rather stilted though; even though the feelings were there, they were not yet comfortable with them.
Some time later, they were both laughing hard at a story Xander had told about Buffy and Scully getting slimed by a Rankor demon, having finally fallen into a state of comfortable companionship. When Xander saw Faith yawn, he suggested that she go to bed.
"No, really Xander, I'm all right, it feels good to be able to relax for a change. It's something I haven't been able to do for a while," Faith confessed.
At her words, Xander instantly felt guilty for what Faith had been going through for the last several years.
Faith, seeing the darkening of the look on Xander's face, grabbed his hands.
"Xander. Listen to me. You are not at fault here. If anyone is to blame, it's me. Me and my stupidity for thinking I could run away from my problems. If anything, thinking of you has brought me a little comfort over the years, knowing that someone had cared enough about me to try to help. It took a long time for me to realize that was what you were trying to do when you came to me that evening, and once again I tossed you out," Faith said.
"Faith," started Xander.
"No, Xander. Let me say this. I wanted you so bad to like me, to be my friend. Then we went too far and it got too intense, and I started to lose it. I knew how much you loved Buffy back then, and it hurt that I couldn't take her place in your heart, and then I took something from you that I shouldn't have. I am so sorry, Xander," Faith told him, as tears began running down her face.
Xander rushed over to her and held her as she cried, talking softly to her.
"Faith, listen to me, sweetheart." he asked himself. "What happened was a combination of everyone's fault. We didn't treat you like part of the team, even though we expected you to do at least half the slaying. We treated you like a third string backup, instead of the star that you are. Just relax, rest and know that you are an equal on the team now. There are a lot of things that will be happening in the next few weeks, and you need to be rested and strong to deal with them. But know this, I will be helping you," Xander whispered. "Now, you have medication to take, and you need to get some rest. This isn't over yet, and we need to go shopping tomorrow. You need some new clothes and some suits for work."
"Shopping?" Faith asked, her interest piqued.
"Well, yeah, tight leather pants and tank tops are not really acceptable outfits for an FBI agent," Xander told her with a smile. "Hey, it's not that I mind," he added, "It's the suits upstairs. They're 'concerned that the Bureau projects the proper image', " he mock-quoted with a grin.
"Wow. This is real, isn't it?" she asked.
"Very real," he agreed, as he handed her her pills and a glass of water.
Faith kissed Xander on the cheek and then headed to her room. Xander spent some time cleaning up and then turned in himself.
Royal Street Condo #307
New Orleans, LA
7:00 AM, May 8th 2006
Faith slowly drifted into wakefulness and when she was nearly coherent, her senses were pleasantly assaulted by the smell of fresh brewed coffee and sausages cooking. Faith crawled out of the very comfortable bed and, after pulling on sweat pants and tee shirt, made her way to the kitchen.
"Morning," called Xander as he heard the door start to open.
"Mornin'," replied Faith as she slid into a seat.
Xander set a mug of wonderful smelling coffee down in front of her, then set a cream and sugar set down in the center of the table and returned to the stove.
Fantastic smells were coming from the stove and Faith looked up at Xander as he spoke again.
"How do you want your eggs?"
"Scrambled is fine," Faith replied, feeling kind of strange, but nicely so, with the very domestic feeling that she was getting from this scene.
"Scrambled, it is," answered Xander as he turned back to the stove.
Faith sipped her coffee, enjoying the flavor of the strong beverage as Xander cooked for her. She looked up at him again and saw him smiling at her as he handed her a plate.
"Toast'll be ready in a sec,." He smiled.
Looking down at her plate, she saw four eggs, almost a dozen links of sausage and what seemed like a huge pile of hash browns. Then suddenly, there was a plate of toast there as well, with what looked like six slices of bread.
"Damn Xan, you trying to fatten me up?" Faith joked.
"Just trying to restore your health, Faith, as well as return those curves to their former glory," Xander replied with a smirk.
As he turned back to the stove, a piece of toast hit him in the back of the head. He smiled to himself as he picked it up.
Faith finished eating, then went to her room to shower and get dressed. When she was done, she returned to the living room to find it empty. Checking around, she found Xander ensconced in the office checking his e-mail.
"Hey Xan, ready to go out and shop till we drop?" Faith joked.
Smiling, he turned to her after closing down the e-mail program.
"Well, not exactly. You are still under doctor's orders to be taking it easy. We will be going to one boutique that was recommended to me by one of the local agents. You can get everything there, and then, after we have lunch, we head back here so you can rest before Scully checks you out again. Once that is over, we will be joining them at Olivier's. I hope that you like Creole food," Xander told her.
"That sounds good to me." Faith answered, leaning over to kiss Xander on the cheek.
* * * * *
The two agents left the Condo and walked down to Xander's Bureau-issued Taurus. It was only a short drive to Angelique's Boutique, where Xander pulled into the parking lot and shut off the engine. He escorted Faith inside and asked the woman at the counter for Constance.
An immaculately dressed, mature blonde woman, whose name tag identified her as Constance, quickly appeared, asking how she could assist them.
"Good morning, Constance. I am Special Agent Alexander Harris, and my companion is Agent Faith Summers," he introduced them to the saleswoman. "A co-worker of ours, Agent Melanie O'Hara, told us that you could help my friend here selecting a new wardrobe. She has been on assignment for some time now, and most of the clothing she currently has is no longer suitable for her," Xander stated concisely.
Nodding her head to indicate her understanding of the deliberately vague description of Faith's lifestyle over the past few years, Constance slowly circled Faith a few times. She was closely evaluating the girl's size, overall shape and skin tone.
"She will need four or five of your 'special' suits, as well as everything else from the inside out. Several pairs of shoes as well, to cover all the bases," Xander finished.
"I take it you have been in the hospital recently?" Constance asked.
"Yes, I have," Faith answered cautiously.
"I thought so," Constance said, indicating the bandage rash on Faith's arm and the IV marks. "Have you lost much weight?"
"Yes, about twenty pounds," Faith admitted.
"Okay, we'll have to allow for that as well," the blonde said, as she began guiding Faith towards the fitting rooms in the rear of the boutique. "Don't you worry, dear," she smiled at her reassuringly. "When we're finished here, any man who sees you will be falling over themselves, just to get your attention."
Xander spoke to Constance again after she had turned Faith over to one of her subordinates, with specific instructions regarding the styles, sizes and colors to be provided to the brunette.
" She is to have whatever she wants," Xander stated, laying a Visa Platinum card down on the table.
"You must care for her a great deal," said Constance.
"You have no idea," muttered Xander as he sat back in one of the large comfortable chairs and prepared himself for a long stay.
The rest of the morning was a blur of activity, as Faith spent the next several hours trying on clothing and accessories. Many of them she modeled for Xander, and was pleased to see that he reacted favorably to most of those. Some she kept secret, saving them for a better time, when they were more comfortable together.
Finally, when Faith was done, she had selected six suits, with both skirts and pants, a significant number of pairs of shoes and enough casual wear to handle anything that might develop. Xander arranged for everything to be delivered to their current residence as he signed the credit card slip, adding a significant tip for the staff that made his Faith happy. he thought.
Xander headed towards the condo, stopping at the Crescent City Steak House for lunch, where Faith showed that her appetite had returned.
After eating, they headed 'home' so Faith could rest.
While she slept, Xander went over more reports and wrote out his recommendations. He exchanged several e-mails with Willow, Buffy and Dawn, letting them know how things were going, and inviting them to join them in Aruba the last few days they were there.
Once done with his reports and email, Xander just sat back and relaxed, listening to some music on the stereo.
* * * * *
Mulder and Scully showed up exactly at five. Scully was nothing, if not predictable.
Xander woke Faith, then joined Mulder back in the living room and discussed some of the latest reports.
Scully examined Faith and found that everything was going just as it should. Rather than requiring a hospital rest, light exercise and plenty of food was what cured an ailing slayer. She repacked her equipment before joining the guys downstairs while Faith got dressed to go.
Unlike many of the women Xander had associated in the past, Faith could get changed in a very short time, and they were all surprised to see her ready to go after taking a quick shower and putting on a casual outfit.
When Xander saw her enter the room, he was shocked. He had always known that Faith was beautiful, but to see her in a light blue silk blouse and khaki slacks—. She had on some kind of sandal foot heels that went perfectly with the outfit. Standing quickly, Xander spoke.
"Faith, you look fantastic."
"Thanks, you look pretty good yourself," she replied.
As the two couples got ready to leave, Faith was surprised when Xander unlocked a small safe in the wall and pulled out a pistol and holster.
"We are required to be armed at all times, Faith," Scully informed the brunette. "An FBI agent is never off duty."
Faith had nothing to say about that and was quiet on the way to the restaurant. They were quickly seated, and ordered drinks. Faith was allowed to have some wine and she ordered a white zinfandel. Mulder lost the die roll and was chosen as the designated driver, so Scully ordered a cocktail, as did Xander, along with some appetizers.
Dinner was very pleasant with lots of interesting conversation. True to his word, Mulder asked about Xander's saving Faith previously, and was rewarded with the tale of Xander pinning an apocalypse demon to the wall of a crypt with his uncle's car.
Mulder also had a good story about Scully not believing Willow's magic ability and how she got a crash course of Wiccan witchcraft. Scully could laugh about it now, but at the time, she was outraged when Willow turned her into a rat, and then, after changing her back, gave her horns and wings.
After dessert, they headed back to the condo where Xander and Faith were dropped off. The time being quite late, they both decided to head to their respective beds.
Xander had been asleep for about an hour when he heard screaming coming from Faith's room. Grabbing up his handgun, he rushed into her room and found her trashing about in the throes of a nightmare.
Setting the pistol down on the nightstand, Xander reached out for Faith, calling to her softly.
"Faith, Faith. Come on, wake up now. It's only a nightmare, you're okay,." He said softly.
Her eyes slammed open and she gasped. Then she hugged Xander hard.
"Faith, slayer strength, remember," Xander coughed.
Releasing him quickly, she apologized.
Xander hugged her to him, letting her know that he was there for her. When she stopped sobbing, he pulled back.
"You okay, now?" He asked.
"Yeah, I think so. Thanks," Faith said.
Xander suddenly became conscious of the fact that he was wearing only his boxers, got up to leave.
"Stay. Please?" Faith softly asked him, still shaken by the nightmares that had awakened her.
Xander stood looking at her, not seeing a tough-as-nails slayer; but instead as a woman who was still dealing with the demons in her mind.
"Please?" She again asked.
Xander nodded, turning out the lights and returning to Faith's side. She lifted the covers and allowed Xander to slide under them, next to her. Xander lay back and pulled her to him, rubbing her back reassuringly as she laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes.
Xander relaxed as Faith snuggled up to him, and it was only moments before the two of them were sound asleep.
Author: Dennis Wellman
Email: merlin.enchanter@verizon.net
Rating: PG 13 for now
Disclaimer: Joss, Mutant Enemy, and a lot of other people own Buffy. Chris Carter and Fox control the destinies of Mulder and Scully of the X-Files. I get no money by writing this, just hope for some kind words of encouragement.
Classification: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Faith/Xander relationship
Spoilers: a few here and there.
Summary: Now that Xander has found Faith, can they begin a normal relationship?
Authors Notes: If you look for a location, every place mentioned in this story really exists. Spent a lot of time looking places up.
Feedback: Yes please!!!!!
Distribution: If you like it... please feel free to place it on your site... but please tell me where it is.
Chapter 3
Royal Street Condo #307
New Orleans, LA
4:45 PM, May 7th 2006
On their arrival at the condo where Xander had been staying, he discovered how weak Faith still was, when he had to help her up to the suite where they would be staying, and then help her to the master bedroom.
When she raised an eyebrow at that, he pointed out that he was using the other bedroom.
"Why don't you take a nap, Faith?" Xander suggested. "I'll order us something delivered for lunch and wake you in a couple of hours when it gets here."
"Okay, you talked me into it," She replied.
Once she was alone, she pulled out some sweats from her bag of stuff, pleasantly surprised to find it all freshly laundered and smelling clean and fresh. Changing slowly because of some residual pain and stiffness, she lay down on top of the covers and tried to rest. Her thoughts however, kept drifting to the man in the living room. She would have been surprised to find out that the man in question was having the same problem concentrating as she was.
Xander was busy trying to make sense of some reports that Mulder had e-mailed him, and all he could think of was the beautiful slayer in the bedroom down the hall. As if she hadn't already been in his thoughts for the last seven years.
Getting up, he walked to the balcony and looked out over the courtyard. There were several girls down at the pool and a couple of them even looked up, then waved to him. Although Xander had been with several women in the past few years, his thoughts always came back to his dark slayer.
he mused.
After much effort, he finally managed to finish reading over the information that Mulder had sent to him, and made his recommendations about sending in a team. About 6:30, he called the restaurant down the street and ordered two dinners to be delivered.
After making sure there were plenty of cold sodas and other drinks, he sat down and tried to finish writing his report on finding Faith. He managed to get about half of it done when there was a knock on the door.
He paid the delivery boy for the meal, and after adding a generous tip, took the food into the kitchen. Setting it down, he headed to Faith's room to wake her. When he got to the door, it was open slightly and although he was tempted to just go and look in; he softly knocked first, then entered the room. . Thinking that she looked so relaxed and so innocent when she was sleeping, Xander swallowed down the lump that was forming in his throat.
Carefully sitting down on the bed, Xander put his hand on her arm, feeling the softness of her skin as he gulped and shook her gently.
"Faith, time to get up, dinner is here," he said softly.
* * * * *
Faith sensed his presence as he stood in the doorway, while she lay in bed half asleep, having heard someone knock at the door. She could feel his gentle gaze as he looked at her, then his quiet footsteps as he entered the room. She felt the bed sag as he sat down next to her, then the electric sensation as he touched her arm.
When she heard him call her name, she rolled over and opened sleepy eyes and looked at him. Intense feelings filled her as she gazed up into his dark brown eyes and felt the emotion there.
she told herself.
The two shared a few more moments of gazing silently at each other, and then Xander stood and spoke.
"Dinner's ready, I'll set the table." Then he again smiled as he left the room.
Faith shook herself awake, then got up and splashed some cold water on her face. she told herself.
When Faith walked into the dining room, she found the places already set with covered dishes. Xander was
standing in the kitchen door, looking at her intensely enough to make her blush.
"What would you like to drink? Soda, wine, something else?"
"Wine?" she questioned.
"Non-alcoholic, of course; you are still on medication," he reminded her.
"Wine, then," Faith smiled as she answered him.
Faith sat at the nicely set table and Xander brought her a glass of wine. He then started to uncover the dishes at her side of the table. There was a great looking Caesar salad, hot fragrant French bread, then the main course: a huge prime rib that smelled mouth-wateringly wonderful, accompanied by a huge baked potato and sautéed mushrooms.
"Hey, I know how slayers eat," explained Xander.
The two young people dined fairly quietly, Xander spent most of the time telling Faith about how the old gang was and about some of the more interesting investigations in which he had been involved. The talk was still rather stilted though; even though the feelings were there, they were not yet comfortable with them.
Some time later, they were both laughing hard at a story Xander had told about Buffy and Scully getting slimed by a Rankor demon, having finally fallen into a state of comfortable companionship. When Xander saw Faith yawn, he suggested that she go to bed.
"No, really Xander, I'm all right, it feels good to be able to relax for a change. It's something I haven't been able to do for a while," Faith confessed.
At her words, Xander instantly felt guilty for what Faith had been going through for the last several years.
Faith, seeing the darkening of the look on Xander's face, grabbed his hands.
"Xander. Listen to me. You are not at fault here. If anyone is to blame, it's me. Me and my stupidity for thinking I could run away from my problems. If anything, thinking of you has brought me a little comfort over the years, knowing that someone had cared enough about me to try to help. It took a long time for me to realize that was what you were trying to do when you came to me that evening, and once again I tossed you out," Faith said.
"Faith," started Xander.
"No, Xander. Let me say this. I wanted you so bad to like me, to be my friend. Then we went too far and it got too intense, and I started to lose it. I knew how much you loved Buffy back then, and it hurt that I couldn't take her place in your heart, and then I took something from you that I shouldn't have. I am so sorry, Xander," Faith told him, as tears began running down her face.
Xander rushed over to her and held her as she cried, talking softly to her.
"Faith, listen to me, sweetheart." he asked himself. "What happened was a combination of everyone's fault. We didn't treat you like part of the team, even though we expected you to do at least half the slaying. We treated you like a third string backup, instead of the star that you are. Just relax, rest and know that you are an equal on the team now. There are a lot of things that will be happening in the next few weeks, and you need to be rested and strong to deal with them. But know this, I will be helping you," Xander whispered. "Now, you have medication to take, and you need to get some rest. This isn't over yet, and we need to go shopping tomorrow. You need some new clothes and some suits for work."
"Shopping?" Faith asked, her interest piqued.
"Well, yeah, tight leather pants and tank tops are not really acceptable outfits for an FBI agent," Xander told her with a smile. "Hey, it's not that I mind," he added, "It's the suits upstairs. They're 'concerned that the Bureau projects the proper image', " he mock-quoted with a grin.
"Wow. This is real, isn't it?" she asked.
"Very real," he agreed, as he handed her her pills and a glass of water.
Faith kissed Xander on the cheek and then headed to her room. Xander spent some time cleaning up and then turned in himself.
Royal Street Condo #307
New Orleans, LA
7:00 AM, May 8th 2006
Faith slowly drifted into wakefulness and when she was nearly coherent, her senses were pleasantly assaulted by the smell of fresh brewed coffee and sausages cooking. Faith crawled out of the very comfortable bed and, after pulling on sweat pants and tee shirt, made her way to the kitchen.
"Morning," called Xander as he heard the door start to open.
"Mornin'," replied Faith as she slid into a seat.
Xander set a mug of wonderful smelling coffee down in front of her, then set a cream and sugar set down in the center of the table and returned to the stove.
Fantastic smells were coming from the stove and Faith looked up at Xander as he spoke again.
"How do you want your eggs?"
"Scrambled is fine," Faith replied, feeling kind of strange, but nicely so, with the very domestic feeling that she was getting from this scene.
"Scrambled, it is," answered Xander as he turned back to the stove.
Faith sipped her coffee, enjoying the flavor of the strong beverage as Xander cooked for her. She looked up at him again and saw him smiling at her as he handed her a plate.
"Toast'll be ready in a sec,." He smiled.
Looking down at her plate, she saw four eggs, almost a dozen links of sausage and what seemed like a huge pile of hash browns. Then suddenly, there was a plate of toast there as well, with what looked like six slices of bread.
"Damn Xan, you trying to fatten me up?" Faith joked.
"Just trying to restore your health, Faith, as well as return those curves to their former glory," Xander replied with a smirk.
As he turned back to the stove, a piece of toast hit him in the back of the head. He smiled to himself as he picked it up.
Faith finished eating, then went to her room to shower and get dressed. When she was done, she returned to the living room to find it empty. Checking around, she found Xander ensconced in the office checking his e-mail.
"Hey Xan, ready to go out and shop till we drop?" Faith joked.
Smiling, he turned to her after closing down the e-mail program.
"Well, not exactly. You are still under doctor's orders to be taking it easy. We will be going to one boutique that was recommended to me by one of the local agents. You can get everything there, and then, after we have lunch, we head back here so you can rest before Scully checks you out again. Once that is over, we will be joining them at Olivier's. I hope that you like Creole food," Xander told her.
"That sounds good to me." Faith answered, leaning over to kiss Xander on the cheek.
* * * * *
The two agents left the Condo and walked down to Xander's Bureau-issued Taurus. It was only a short drive to Angelique's Boutique, where Xander pulled into the parking lot and shut off the engine. He escorted Faith inside and asked the woman at the counter for Constance.
An immaculately dressed, mature blonde woman, whose name tag identified her as Constance, quickly appeared, asking how she could assist them.
"Good morning, Constance. I am Special Agent Alexander Harris, and my companion is Agent Faith Summers," he introduced them to the saleswoman. "A co-worker of ours, Agent Melanie O'Hara, told us that you could help my friend here selecting a new wardrobe. She has been on assignment for some time now, and most of the clothing she currently has is no longer suitable for her," Xander stated concisely.
Nodding her head to indicate her understanding of the deliberately vague description of Faith's lifestyle over the past few years, Constance slowly circled Faith a few times. She was closely evaluating the girl's size, overall shape and skin tone.
"She will need four or five of your 'special' suits, as well as everything else from the inside out. Several pairs of shoes as well, to cover all the bases," Xander finished.
"I take it you have been in the hospital recently?" Constance asked.
"Yes, I have," Faith answered cautiously.
"I thought so," Constance said, indicating the bandage rash on Faith's arm and the IV marks. "Have you lost much weight?"
"Yes, about twenty pounds," Faith admitted.
"Okay, we'll have to allow for that as well," the blonde said, as she began guiding Faith towards the fitting rooms in the rear of the boutique. "Don't you worry, dear," she smiled at her reassuringly. "When we're finished here, any man who sees you will be falling over themselves, just to get your attention."
Xander spoke to Constance again after she had turned Faith over to one of her subordinates, with specific instructions regarding the styles, sizes and colors to be provided to the brunette.
" She is to have whatever she wants," Xander stated, laying a Visa Platinum card down on the table.
"You must care for her a great deal," said Constance.
"You have no idea," muttered Xander as he sat back in one of the large comfortable chairs and prepared himself for a long stay.
The rest of the morning was a blur of activity, as Faith spent the next several hours trying on clothing and accessories. Many of them she modeled for Xander, and was pleased to see that he reacted favorably to most of those. Some she kept secret, saving them for a better time, when they were more comfortable together.
Finally, when Faith was done, she had selected six suits, with both skirts and pants, a significant number of pairs of shoes and enough casual wear to handle anything that might develop. Xander arranged for everything to be delivered to their current residence as he signed the credit card slip, adding a significant tip for the staff that made his Faith happy. he thought.
Xander headed towards the condo, stopping at the Crescent City Steak House for lunch, where Faith showed that her appetite had returned.
After eating, they headed 'home' so Faith could rest.
While she slept, Xander went over more reports and wrote out his recommendations. He exchanged several e-mails with Willow, Buffy and Dawn, letting them know how things were going, and inviting them to join them in Aruba the last few days they were there.
Once done with his reports and email, Xander just sat back and relaxed, listening to some music on the stereo.
* * * * *
Mulder and Scully showed up exactly at five. Scully was nothing, if not predictable.
Xander woke Faith, then joined Mulder back in the living room and discussed some of the latest reports.
Scully examined Faith and found that everything was going just as it should. Rather than requiring a hospital rest, light exercise and plenty of food was what cured an ailing slayer. She repacked her equipment before joining the guys downstairs while Faith got dressed to go.
Unlike many of the women Xander had associated in the past, Faith could get changed in a very short time, and they were all surprised to see her ready to go after taking a quick shower and putting on a casual outfit.
When Xander saw her enter the room, he was shocked. He had always known that Faith was beautiful, but to see her in a light blue silk blouse and khaki slacks—. She had on some kind of sandal foot heels that went perfectly with the outfit. Standing quickly, Xander spoke.
"Faith, you look fantastic."
"Thanks, you look pretty good yourself," she replied.
As the two couples got ready to leave, Faith was surprised when Xander unlocked a small safe in the wall and pulled out a pistol and holster.
"We are required to be armed at all times, Faith," Scully informed the brunette. "An FBI agent is never off duty."
Faith had nothing to say about that and was quiet on the way to the restaurant. They were quickly seated, and ordered drinks. Faith was allowed to have some wine and she ordered a white zinfandel. Mulder lost the die roll and was chosen as the designated driver, so Scully ordered a cocktail, as did Xander, along with some appetizers.
Dinner was very pleasant with lots of interesting conversation. True to his word, Mulder asked about Xander's saving Faith previously, and was rewarded with the tale of Xander pinning an apocalypse demon to the wall of a crypt with his uncle's car.
Mulder also had a good story about Scully not believing Willow's magic ability and how she got a crash course of Wiccan witchcraft. Scully could laugh about it now, but at the time, she was outraged when Willow turned her into a rat, and then, after changing her back, gave her horns and wings.
After dessert, they headed back to the condo where Xander and Faith were dropped off. The time being quite late, they both decided to head to their respective beds.
Xander had been asleep for about an hour when he heard screaming coming from Faith's room. Grabbing up his handgun, he rushed into her room and found her trashing about in the throes of a nightmare.
Setting the pistol down on the nightstand, Xander reached out for Faith, calling to her softly.
"Faith, Faith. Come on, wake up now. It's only a nightmare, you're okay,." He said softly.
Her eyes slammed open and she gasped. Then she hugged Xander hard.
"Faith, slayer strength, remember," Xander coughed.
Releasing him quickly, she apologized.
Xander hugged her to him, letting her know that he was there for her. When she stopped sobbing, he pulled back.
"You okay, now?" He asked.
"Yeah, I think so. Thanks," Faith said.
Xander suddenly became conscious of the fact that he was wearing only his boxers, got up to leave.
"Stay. Please?" Faith softly asked him, still shaken by the nightmares that had awakened her.
Xander stood looking at her, not seeing a tough-as-nails slayer; but instead as a woman who was still dealing with the demons in her mind.
"Please?" She again asked.
Xander nodded, turning out the lights and returning to Faith's side. She lifted the covers and allowed Xander to slide under them, next to her. Xander lay back and pulled her to him, rubbing her back reassuringly as she laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes.
Xander relaxed as Faith snuggled up to him, and it was only moments before the two of them were sound asleep.