Blood Tears 5 - Visitors
Giles nodded politely at the vampiress sat opposite him. "I'll certainly investigate your curse for you. It could be quite an interesting project. If I may ask, why are you concerned with it now?"
Faith shrugged. "If it comes with an expiry date or conditions, I want to know about it. It would be really stupid to let it lapse or break any conditions through ignorance."
"Indeed it would, you'd have to be exceptionally foolish," the Watcher agreed. "If I might ask why haven't you researched it yourself in the past century?"
"I guess I haven't cared about anybody enough to give a damn before, but I won't risk the demon gaining control and hurting him."
'Him' could only be Xander. In the few weeks since the vampiress' arrival in Sunnydale, the young man had grown quieter yet more confident, shedding much of the buffoonery he had hidden behind previously. As the Watcher had suspected there was an intelligent and thoughtful young man hidden beneath the protective shell built up through years of abuse. "There was another favour you wanted?"
"Oh yes," the vampiress reached inside her leather jacket, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. "I was wondering if you could order these items for me? I'll reimburse you of-course."
Giles' eyes widened as he read the list. "Just what are you intending to do."
"Train Xander."
"What's the point? I mean he's such a klutz."
Giles saw the flicker of golden in the vampiress' eyes a split second before she launched herself out of her seat, grabbed a newly arrived Buffy around the throat and slammed her into the nearest bookcase. "That 'klutz' has fought by your side for months, risking his life for you for some unknown reason you little -."
The Slayer slammed her feet into the vampiress' midsection sending her flying across the library. Even as the two women sprang up, Giles hurried between them, backing Faith up with a crucifix and Buffy with a furious glare. "Ladies, have a little bloody respect for my library!" he roared. Turning to the vampiress, he continued his onslaught. "At your age, I'd have thought you would have learnt a little more self-control." Her face enraged, the vampiress turned and strode out of the library.
"You told her -."
"Oh do shut up Buffy! For some reason, despite all the times you've belittled him, that boy keeps on coming back for more, just as loyal as before. I'm at a loss as to why you persist in treating him so badly."
Suddenly the Slayer began sobbing. "Because if everybody believes he doesn't mean anything to me he won't be a target. But I...I love him."
"Oh Buffy." The Watcher pulled the small blonde towards him and allowed her to cry onto his chest.
* * *
"I'll be there in a second," Faith hollered as she stalked towards the door. Noting the sun still out, she stepped back from the door as she opened it, out of the sun's range. In the entrance stood a beautiful brunette wearing a stylish black dress. "Yes?" She didn't recognise the girl but could only assume she was one of Xander's school friends.
"Does Xander Harris live here?"
"Yes."
"Good," the shapely brunette stepped into the house without waiting to be invited. "Cordelia Chase. Where's his room?" The girl's tan began to pale as she took in the closed curtains and lack of mirrors. "Oh god, you're a vampire."
"Yep." Faith slammed the door shut with a kick, causing her guest to jump before continuing. "Fortunately for you an ensoulled one. So why did you want to see him?"
The brunette continued to regard her uncertainly before speaking. "He saved my life a while back, stopped a vampire called Jesse from killing me. I'd sort of like to make sure he's okay."
Faith arched an eyebrow. So this was the school bitch Xander had spoken about. Who apparently, if the amount of pheromones she was emitting was any indicator, cared for Xander a lot more than he suspected. She realised the girl was staring at her impatiently. "Go up, he's the second on the right."
The girl nodded before hurrying upstairs. Faith waited at the bottom of the stairs for a few seconds before going into the front room, smirking slightly at the snippet of conversation she overheard.
"Cordy! What are you doing here?"
"Well duh, seeing that you're alright. I wouldn't want anything to happen to my favourite verbal punch bag. You realise you're living with a vampire?"
"What gave it away - the lack of mirrors?"
"You live in a house without mirrors!! That explains your clothes!"
* * *
Faith opened the front door, her mouth dropping open at the small figure stood outside. "Bbb," she stuttered in surprise, it was just about the last person she expected to see.
The Slayer coughed nervously before speaking. "Hi Faith, can I come in?"
"Xander's not in," replied Faith. "He's at Willow's."
"I know, I asked Willow to invite him on a sleepover so we could talk."
The vampiress hesitated before forcing a smile. "You better come in."
The Slayer followed her silently into the front room. "So what is it you want to talk about?" Faith demanded once they were both seated.
"You're right about the way I treat Xand, I am horrible to him," the Slayer's face twisted in misery. "But it's only because I care about him. I don't want him to be target for anyone who comes after me. B..but Giles made me realise that it was wrong."
The vampiress hid a smile. Xander certainly had something - Willow, the girl Cordelia and Buffy all after him. And of course her.
Where did that come from? Did she really think of him like that? She thought back to all the times he'd made her laugh, all the occasions she woken from one of her screaming nightmares to see him coming through her bedroom door to check she was alright and the way he talked to her, valuing her thoughts and opinions like no other man had ever done before. Realising that the Slayer was staring at her expectantly, she forced a blank expression on her face. "So what do you want from me?"
"I realise that we'll probably never be friends, but maybe we can work together to keep Giles, Xander and the others safe."
Her mind still reeling from her earlier realisation, the vampiress nodded dazedly. "I can do that."
"Thanks," the Slayer stood.
"Where are you going?"
"Patrol."
Faith hesitated for a second, the blonde had offered an olive branch, and she should grasp it. "Want company?"
The Slayer smiled uncertainly before nodding. "Sure."
Giles nodded politely at the vampiress sat opposite him. "I'll certainly investigate your curse for you. It could be quite an interesting project. If I may ask, why are you concerned with it now?"
Faith shrugged. "If it comes with an expiry date or conditions, I want to know about it. It would be really stupid to let it lapse or break any conditions through ignorance."
"Indeed it would, you'd have to be exceptionally foolish," the Watcher agreed. "If I might ask why haven't you researched it yourself in the past century?"
"I guess I haven't cared about anybody enough to give a damn before, but I won't risk the demon gaining control and hurting him."
'Him' could only be Xander. In the few weeks since the vampiress' arrival in Sunnydale, the young man had grown quieter yet more confident, shedding much of the buffoonery he had hidden behind previously. As the Watcher had suspected there was an intelligent and thoughtful young man hidden beneath the protective shell built up through years of abuse. "There was another favour you wanted?"
"Oh yes," the vampiress reached inside her leather jacket, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. "I was wondering if you could order these items for me? I'll reimburse you of-course."
Giles' eyes widened as he read the list. "Just what are you intending to do."
"Train Xander."
"What's the point? I mean he's such a klutz."
Giles saw the flicker of golden in the vampiress' eyes a split second before she launched herself out of her seat, grabbed a newly arrived Buffy around the throat and slammed her into the nearest bookcase. "That 'klutz' has fought by your side for months, risking his life for you for some unknown reason you little -."
The Slayer slammed her feet into the vampiress' midsection sending her flying across the library. Even as the two women sprang up, Giles hurried between them, backing Faith up with a crucifix and Buffy with a furious glare. "Ladies, have a little bloody respect for my library!" he roared. Turning to the vampiress, he continued his onslaught. "At your age, I'd have thought you would have learnt a little more self-control." Her face enraged, the vampiress turned and strode out of the library.
"You told her -."
"Oh do shut up Buffy! For some reason, despite all the times you've belittled him, that boy keeps on coming back for more, just as loyal as before. I'm at a loss as to why you persist in treating him so badly."
Suddenly the Slayer began sobbing. "Because if everybody believes he doesn't mean anything to me he won't be a target. But I...I love him."
"Oh Buffy." The Watcher pulled the small blonde towards him and allowed her to cry onto his chest.
* * *
"I'll be there in a second," Faith hollered as she stalked towards the door. Noting the sun still out, she stepped back from the door as she opened it, out of the sun's range. In the entrance stood a beautiful brunette wearing a stylish black dress. "Yes?" She didn't recognise the girl but could only assume she was one of Xander's school friends.
"Does Xander Harris live here?"
"Yes."
"Good," the shapely brunette stepped into the house without waiting to be invited. "Cordelia Chase. Where's his room?" The girl's tan began to pale as she took in the closed curtains and lack of mirrors. "Oh god, you're a vampire."
"Yep." Faith slammed the door shut with a kick, causing her guest to jump before continuing. "Fortunately for you an ensoulled one. So why did you want to see him?"
The brunette continued to regard her uncertainly before speaking. "He saved my life a while back, stopped a vampire called Jesse from killing me. I'd sort of like to make sure he's okay."
Faith arched an eyebrow. So this was the school bitch Xander had spoken about. Who apparently, if the amount of pheromones she was emitting was any indicator, cared for Xander a lot more than he suspected. She realised the girl was staring at her impatiently. "Go up, he's the second on the right."
The girl nodded before hurrying upstairs. Faith waited at the bottom of the stairs for a few seconds before going into the front room, smirking slightly at the snippet of conversation she overheard.
"Cordy! What are you doing here?"
"Well duh, seeing that you're alright. I wouldn't want anything to happen to my favourite verbal punch bag. You realise you're living with a vampire?"
"What gave it away - the lack of mirrors?"
"You live in a house without mirrors!! That explains your clothes!"
* * *
Faith opened the front door, her mouth dropping open at the small figure stood outside. "Bbb," she stuttered in surprise, it was just about the last person she expected to see.
The Slayer coughed nervously before speaking. "Hi Faith, can I come in?"
"Xander's not in," replied Faith. "He's at Willow's."
"I know, I asked Willow to invite him on a sleepover so we could talk."
The vampiress hesitated before forcing a smile. "You better come in."
The Slayer followed her silently into the front room. "So what is it you want to talk about?" Faith demanded once they were both seated.
"You're right about the way I treat Xand, I am horrible to him," the Slayer's face twisted in misery. "But it's only because I care about him. I don't want him to be target for anyone who comes after me. B..but Giles made me realise that it was wrong."
The vampiress hid a smile. Xander certainly had something - Willow, the girl Cordelia and Buffy all after him. And of course her.
Where did that come from? Did she really think of him like that? She thought back to all the times he'd made her laugh, all the occasions she woken from one of her screaming nightmares to see him coming through her bedroom door to check she was alright and the way he talked to her, valuing her thoughts and opinions like no other man had ever done before. Realising that the Slayer was staring at her expectantly, she forced a blank expression on her face. "So what do you want from me?"
"I realise that we'll probably never be friends, but maybe we can work together to keep Giles, Xander and the others safe."
Her mind still reeling from her earlier realisation, the vampiress nodded dazedly. "I can do that."
"Thanks," the Slayer stood.
"Where are you going?"
"Patrol."
Faith hesitated for a second, the blonde had offered an olive branch, and she should grasp it. "Want company?"
The Slayer smiled uncertainly before nodding. "Sure."