Blood Tears 4 - Bonding
"Wake up sleepy."
Xander's eyes fluttered open at the sultry voice. Where was he? He smiled slowly as he remembered. "Hi Faith."
"Hi, sleepy-head." The vampiress smiled and ruffled his hair. "It's nearly ten in the morning. Hadn't you better get up?"
Xander grinned up at the woman sat on the edge of his bed. "Don't you know it's in the American Constitution that teenagers don't get up on Saturday mornings?"
The vampiress chuckled throatily. "Kid, I was around when they did the first draft. Don't try and BS me. Now, out of bed."
"Sure boss," he noticed the vampiress was still smiling. "So what's made you so disgustingly chirpy?"
"Got your custody papers this morning off Giles. I own your ass, boy."
"That's great," a mischievous gleam entered his eyes. "My mum ran out on me when I was four months old so I never got the hang of breast feeding. If you're my new mum maybe," he mock leered. "I should practice on yours."
The vampiress laughed before playfully slapping his legs. "I'm not your mother. Think of me as an older sister." Still chuckling, Faith made for the door.
"Much older," Xander muttered under his breath.
"I heard that!"
* * *
Faith glanced over her mug of blood at the youth wolfing down pancakes across the kitchen table from her. He certainly enjoyed her cooking, a by- product of her early days slaving for her father. She smiled, at least that part of being a parent was easy. "So do you want to tell met about your family?" In all the time in hospital she'd never brought it up, not wanting to distress him but now.
The boy paused in his pancake massacre, putting his knife and fork down, he looked at her, his eyes full with pain. "I never really knew my mum, like I said before, she ran out on me when I was just a baby. Not that I blame her, dad's a real bastard. I just wish she'd taken me with her, guess she didn't love me enough to care." The boy looked at the floor.
Her heart filling with anger at the anguish she saw in the boy, she reached across the table and took his hands. "You can't know that Xand, maybe your dad forced her to leave. Maybe she wanted to take you but couldn't, maybe your dad wouldn't let her."
"Maybe." The boy didn't look convinced. "My dad, when I was little, never took me took the movies or a ball game or anything, just ignored me really but that was okay 'cause Willow and Jesse's parents always made sure I was included in their stuff. But when I was six, it got a lot worse. Dad lost this big job, started drinking heavily. One night I slammed the door too loudly when I came in from school. Next thing I knew, I was led on the floor, my head ringing. Since then, the slightest thing would set him off."
"Oh Xand," Faith whispered. Inside her the demon was chuckling with sadistic glee even as her soul ached. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"I told Jesse." The boy looked down at the table.
That name again. "Who's Jesse?"
If the vampiress had thought the youth looked sad before, now he looked heart-broken. "Me, Will and Jesse were the three musketeers, inseparable since first grade. Then the night Buffy arrived in town, he was turned by the Master's goon, Luke. The next night, I had to kill him to protect the school bitch, the girl I hate most in the world."
The vampiress moved over to the distraught youth and hugged him close. After a few seconds she pulled away. "So what you doing today champ?"
The boy's face brightened. "Well, this afternoon Willow and Buffy have asked me to go with them to the mall, then tonight we're patrolling."
"No you are not!" Faith exclaimed firmly. At the boy's involuntary flinch, she moderated her tone remembering that the boy was all too used to raised voices being followed by violence. "Xander, you've had a nasty concussion. You've had three fingers on your right hand and two ribs broken. Do you really think you're in any shape to patrol?" she finished gently before continuing. "Besides I saw those books Red brought with her last night. I assume they weren't Playboy annuals?"
"Playboy does annuals?" At a look from her, Xander hurried on. "No it was homework from school."
"Good," Faith nodded. "Then in that case you can do the homework on the computer after you get in from the mall and then," the vampiress paused for dramatic effect. "We'll go to the movies at ten."
"Really?" Xander's eyes lit up. "My choice?"
"Your choice," Faith agreed with a fond smile. "Faith," the boy began nervously. "Can I ask you something?"
"Ask away hon."
"Well, when you rescued me you tore through those vamps like paper. You were awesome, while all I know about fighting is," the boy smiled painfully. "Is how to take a punch and how to fall. I was kind of hoping you could teach me how to fight."
"You know I'm far stronger, faster and tougher than you could ever hope to be."
The boy nodded. "I know, but I was kind of hoping you could help me get into condition, improve my reflexes and teach me how to throw a punch, that sort of thing. If I could fight better I could help Buff more."
The vampiress considered his request for a few seconds before nodding. "I'll train you. On one condition, you get your D average up to a B."
"Fai -."
"No arguments," she cut in sternly. "Your father might not have cared about your future but I do, you've got a quick mind and you can do a lot better than you have been doing in school. I've talked to Giles and he also says you're capable of much more if you were more disciplined. And if you hope to become a better fighter you'll have to learn discipline."
The youth nodded slowly. "In that case, I better hit the books."
The vampiress smiled sadly as the boy hurried out of the room. Had any young man spoke about her the way Xander spoke about Buffy or looked at her with the adoration he saw in his eyes at just the mention of her name? No, she decided forlornly, her relationships with men had usually consisted of them banging their money down and telling her what position to assume.
* * *
"So what's it like living with a vampiress?" Willow asked between slurps of her chocolate milkshake. Beside her Buffy waited intently for Xander's answer.
"Weird, with the curtains closed at all times and blood in the fridge thing, but still way better than home, don't have to worry about Faith coming home having had a brewski too many. And she actually asked me about myself, like what music I liked and films and stuff, guess my dad still thought I still play with the Action Man helicopter he got me when I was seven." He looked downcast for a second before brightening. "Said I had to do better at school so she bought me this new computer that's top of the range and she's promised to take me to the movies tonight." "You're not patrolling with us?" Buffy asked casually, ignoring her feelings of disappointment.
Xander raised his plastered hand. "Look at me, Buff. I couldn't fight off Mr. Gordo much less a vampire, besides Faith said I can't -."
"Fine!" The Slayer slammed her fist on the table, making everybody's plates and cups jump. "If the great Faith thinks I can't protect you she must be right. Give me the money, I'll pay." After the others had wordlessly handed their money over, she stalked off to the counter, a scowl firmly in place. "Couldn't protect him, uh? Who's been doing it for the last year? Not the great Faith, me!" she muttered.
* * *
"So you enjoy that, Xand?"
"Sure did," Xander smiled at the beautiful woman stood beside him. In just the single day he'd been living with her, she'd shown more interest in him than his dad had in the last year. His stride faltered as he realised they were being surrounded by a trio of men in their late twenties.
"Well look what we got here," leered one of them, his tongue licking his fleshy lips. "A real prime piece of meat." The man looked at Xander and laughed. "Run along home, boy. Big sis is going to entertain us tonight."
Xander felt a surge of anger. "Why don't you -." He was silenced by Faith's gentle hand on his shoulder.
"I'll deal with this Xand." Her voice was soft but there was something about her tone that chilled him to the bone.
The man standing in front of the vampiress had clearly missed it however. Leering, he stepped forward. "What you need to worry about is taking care of us, babe."
To Xander, what happened next was a blur. Faith's right foot flickered sideways, catching the man to her right in the stomach, doubling him up. In the same movement, her leg arched upwards and swung round to catch the man in front of her in the jaw with bone-shattering impact. Even as the man began to topple to the ground, she pivoted round and grabbed hold of the man that had been to her left by the pants crotch and shirt collar. With seemingly effortless power, the vampiress picked the man up and threw him into the man she'd kicked in the stomach. The two men crashed to the ground, their heads cracking painfully on the pavement. "Oh boy," Xander looked from the groaning bodies to the vampiress in awe. "I suppose it's a bad time to mention the towels I left on the bathroom floor?"
The vampiress laughed musically before swatting him playfully on the back of his head. "Just don't let it happen again."
"Wake up sleepy."
Xander's eyes fluttered open at the sultry voice. Where was he? He smiled slowly as he remembered. "Hi Faith."
"Hi, sleepy-head." The vampiress smiled and ruffled his hair. "It's nearly ten in the morning. Hadn't you better get up?"
Xander grinned up at the woman sat on the edge of his bed. "Don't you know it's in the American Constitution that teenagers don't get up on Saturday mornings?"
The vampiress chuckled throatily. "Kid, I was around when they did the first draft. Don't try and BS me. Now, out of bed."
"Sure boss," he noticed the vampiress was still smiling. "So what's made you so disgustingly chirpy?"
"Got your custody papers this morning off Giles. I own your ass, boy."
"That's great," a mischievous gleam entered his eyes. "My mum ran out on me when I was four months old so I never got the hang of breast feeding. If you're my new mum maybe," he mock leered. "I should practice on yours."
The vampiress laughed before playfully slapping his legs. "I'm not your mother. Think of me as an older sister." Still chuckling, Faith made for the door.
"Much older," Xander muttered under his breath.
"I heard that!"
* * *
Faith glanced over her mug of blood at the youth wolfing down pancakes across the kitchen table from her. He certainly enjoyed her cooking, a by- product of her early days slaving for her father. She smiled, at least that part of being a parent was easy. "So do you want to tell met about your family?" In all the time in hospital she'd never brought it up, not wanting to distress him but now.
The boy paused in his pancake massacre, putting his knife and fork down, he looked at her, his eyes full with pain. "I never really knew my mum, like I said before, she ran out on me when I was just a baby. Not that I blame her, dad's a real bastard. I just wish she'd taken me with her, guess she didn't love me enough to care." The boy looked at the floor.
Her heart filling with anger at the anguish she saw in the boy, she reached across the table and took his hands. "You can't know that Xand, maybe your dad forced her to leave. Maybe she wanted to take you but couldn't, maybe your dad wouldn't let her."
"Maybe." The boy didn't look convinced. "My dad, when I was little, never took me took the movies or a ball game or anything, just ignored me really but that was okay 'cause Willow and Jesse's parents always made sure I was included in their stuff. But when I was six, it got a lot worse. Dad lost this big job, started drinking heavily. One night I slammed the door too loudly when I came in from school. Next thing I knew, I was led on the floor, my head ringing. Since then, the slightest thing would set him off."
"Oh Xand," Faith whispered. Inside her the demon was chuckling with sadistic glee even as her soul ached. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"I told Jesse." The boy looked down at the table.
That name again. "Who's Jesse?"
If the vampiress had thought the youth looked sad before, now he looked heart-broken. "Me, Will and Jesse were the three musketeers, inseparable since first grade. Then the night Buffy arrived in town, he was turned by the Master's goon, Luke. The next night, I had to kill him to protect the school bitch, the girl I hate most in the world."
The vampiress moved over to the distraught youth and hugged him close. After a few seconds she pulled away. "So what you doing today champ?"
The boy's face brightened. "Well, this afternoon Willow and Buffy have asked me to go with them to the mall, then tonight we're patrolling."
"No you are not!" Faith exclaimed firmly. At the boy's involuntary flinch, she moderated her tone remembering that the boy was all too used to raised voices being followed by violence. "Xander, you've had a nasty concussion. You've had three fingers on your right hand and two ribs broken. Do you really think you're in any shape to patrol?" she finished gently before continuing. "Besides I saw those books Red brought with her last night. I assume they weren't Playboy annuals?"
"Playboy does annuals?" At a look from her, Xander hurried on. "No it was homework from school."
"Good," Faith nodded. "Then in that case you can do the homework on the computer after you get in from the mall and then," the vampiress paused for dramatic effect. "We'll go to the movies at ten."
"Really?" Xander's eyes lit up. "My choice?"
"Your choice," Faith agreed with a fond smile. "Faith," the boy began nervously. "Can I ask you something?"
"Ask away hon."
"Well, when you rescued me you tore through those vamps like paper. You were awesome, while all I know about fighting is," the boy smiled painfully. "Is how to take a punch and how to fall. I was kind of hoping you could teach me how to fight."
"You know I'm far stronger, faster and tougher than you could ever hope to be."
The boy nodded. "I know, but I was kind of hoping you could help me get into condition, improve my reflexes and teach me how to throw a punch, that sort of thing. If I could fight better I could help Buff more."
The vampiress considered his request for a few seconds before nodding. "I'll train you. On one condition, you get your D average up to a B."
"Fai -."
"No arguments," she cut in sternly. "Your father might not have cared about your future but I do, you've got a quick mind and you can do a lot better than you have been doing in school. I've talked to Giles and he also says you're capable of much more if you were more disciplined. And if you hope to become a better fighter you'll have to learn discipline."
The youth nodded slowly. "In that case, I better hit the books."
The vampiress smiled sadly as the boy hurried out of the room. Had any young man spoke about her the way Xander spoke about Buffy or looked at her with the adoration he saw in his eyes at just the mention of her name? No, she decided forlornly, her relationships with men had usually consisted of them banging their money down and telling her what position to assume.
* * *
"So what's it like living with a vampiress?" Willow asked between slurps of her chocolate milkshake. Beside her Buffy waited intently for Xander's answer.
"Weird, with the curtains closed at all times and blood in the fridge thing, but still way better than home, don't have to worry about Faith coming home having had a brewski too many. And she actually asked me about myself, like what music I liked and films and stuff, guess my dad still thought I still play with the Action Man helicopter he got me when I was seven." He looked downcast for a second before brightening. "Said I had to do better at school so she bought me this new computer that's top of the range and she's promised to take me to the movies tonight." "You're not patrolling with us?" Buffy asked casually, ignoring her feelings of disappointment.
Xander raised his plastered hand. "Look at me, Buff. I couldn't fight off Mr. Gordo much less a vampire, besides Faith said I can't -."
"Fine!" The Slayer slammed her fist on the table, making everybody's plates and cups jump. "If the great Faith thinks I can't protect you she must be right. Give me the money, I'll pay." After the others had wordlessly handed their money over, she stalked off to the counter, a scowl firmly in place. "Couldn't protect him, uh? Who's been doing it for the last year? Not the great Faith, me!" she muttered.
* * *
"So you enjoy that, Xand?"
"Sure did," Xander smiled at the beautiful woman stood beside him. In just the single day he'd been living with her, she'd shown more interest in him than his dad had in the last year. His stride faltered as he realised they were being surrounded by a trio of men in their late twenties.
"Well look what we got here," leered one of them, his tongue licking his fleshy lips. "A real prime piece of meat." The man looked at Xander and laughed. "Run along home, boy. Big sis is going to entertain us tonight."
Xander felt a surge of anger. "Why don't you -." He was silenced by Faith's gentle hand on his shoulder.
"I'll deal with this Xand." Her voice was soft but there was something about her tone that chilled him to the bone.
The man standing in front of the vampiress had clearly missed it however. Leering, he stepped forward. "What you need to worry about is taking care of us, babe."
To Xander, what happened next was a blur. Faith's right foot flickered sideways, catching the man to her right in the stomach, doubling him up. In the same movement, her leg arched upwards and swung round to catch the man in front of her in the jaw with bone-shattering impact. Even as the man began to topple to the ground, she pivoted round and grabbed hold of the man that had been to her left by the pants crotch and shirt collar. With seemingly effortless power, the vampiress picked the man up and threw him into the man she'd kicked in the stomach. The two men crashed to the ground, their heads cracking painfully on the pavement. "Oh boy," Xander looked from the groaning bodies to the vampiress in awe. "I suppose it's a bad time to mention the towels I left on the bathroom floor?"
The vampiress laughed musically before swatting him playfully on the back of his head. "Just don't let it happen again."