Starting Over 2 - Confrontations
"I'd never thought I'd see Xander turn on Buffy like that."
Angel shook his head at Cordy's comment. "You've got it wrong Cordy. Xander's doing just what he thinks is right - like always. The Master, the hospital, the zombies. The right thing - whatever the price to him."
Wesley raised a timid hand. "Excuse me. I'm not familiar with any of these incidents."
"A few months after Buffy arrived in Sunnydale, Giles and I found a prophecy that said she would die at the hands of the Master. Everybody fell into a great depression," the vampire allowed himself a wry smile at the memory. "Not Xander though, he broke into my place, forced me to guide him into the Master's lair at the point of a crucifix and revived her after the Master had drowned her. That's how the second Slayer line was started."
"So that's what happened!" The Watcher's eyes were alight with interest.
"Excuse me, as a Watcher I'd have thought you know?"
"No Angel," Wesley shook his head, a look of distaste on his scholarly face. "I've come to believe that Quentin Travers censored much of Giles' reports, omitting most mention of both yourself and the other Scoobies' contribution to Miss Summers' Slaying. That's at least part of the reason," the man flushed in embarrassment, "I treated you all so shamefully when I was in Sunnydale."
"Sounds just like the Nazi party," the two men stared in surprise at the former cheerleader. "What? I did stay awake through some lessons you know!"
"Quite," the Watcher stared uncertainly at the cheerleader for a second before turning back to him. "And the other incidents?"
"While I was Angelus, Buffy caught a flu bug and I took advantage of it to beat her pretty badly. If it hadn't been for Xander putting my head in a sack and kneeing me in the face, I'd have turned her there and then. The next night I showed up at the hospital only to find Xander waiting for Angelus. He backed him off." Angel shook his head in admiration, he might not much like the boy but he never doubted his courage or determination.
"And did he catch hell from his girlfriend about that," Cordy added dryly, "but what about the zombies I haven't heard about this?"
"I don't have the full story here, just what Willie told me one night. As far as I know, the night the rest of us battled the Sisterhood of Jhe, Xander single-handedly saved Faith from an Apocalypse demon by ramming it with a car." "A car," Wesley raised an eyebrow. "I must have missed their inclusion as a weapon in the Council Handbook."
Angel allowed himself a short laugh. "We all know how much the Council knows. After that he slept with Faith, out-witted and killed a gang of four zombies, as well as apparently disconnecting a bomb in the basement with enough power to both destroy the school and blow open the hellmouth."
"Bloody hell! Saves the life of a beautiful woman, sleeps with her, and then single-handedly saves the world. Sounds almost like James Bond."
"James Bond?" He exchanged an amused look with Cordelia. "Hardly, after all -."
"The love spell!" The two of them collapsed in laughter.
Wesley glanced at them in confusion. "Love spell? What are you talking about?"
Suddenly Cordelia doubled up in pain. "Damn these visions!" The cheerleader cursed as she straightened, her eyes filled with fear. "Buffy's here."
* * *
"Where is she?"
Angel glanced at Cordelia and Wesley hiding behind him. "You can't have her."
Scorn entered the blonde's eyes. "You're going to stop me?" she scoffed. "You're going to fight me for that slut?"
"He might not. But I will. And you'll have to kill me to get her."
The blonde's eyes widened. "Xander, what are you doing here?"
The vampire let one eye slide over to the closed door that Xander stood guarding. What he saw froze his blood. The only previous time he'd seen that look of grim purpose in Xander's eyes was when the boy had backed his soulless alter-ego down. That night he'd known the boy would kill or die without a second thought to protect those he cared about. And now he'd decided to protect Faith.
The Slayer's face paled. "I don't know what you're doing here but that whore has to pay."
Riley chipped in with what Angel guessed was a typically inane comment. "You tell him Buffy."
Xander laughed. "You know Buffy, it's true what they say about Iowa farmboys, their IQs are smaller than their boot sizes. Oh, and their ma is also their sister." Angel bit back a laugh, well that was accurate.
"Harris, I'm warning you."
"Shut it Riley," Xander raised an automatic and pointed it at the rapidly paling soldier. "I'd think twice about shooting Buffy. You, I'd consider it a pleasure and a service to mankind."
Angel decided to cut in. "I'd listen to him if I were you farmboy. Two hundred and fifty years and he's the only ordinary mortal to have gone nose to nose with me and walked away."
"Yeah." The soldier smirked. "Maybe we should make it two."
Angel laughed before covering the space separating them in a blur, slapping the soldier across the face, grabbing him round the throat and throwing him across the room, over the reception desk, through the door and into the corridor outside. "I really don't think so."
"Angel, I thought you'd promised to stop doing that! You know how much the doors cost."
"Sorry Cordy."
Buffy glared at him for a second before turning back towards Xander. "You can't protect her, she's murdered people. She hurt me, she betrayed me."
"Well sob, sob," Xander growled sarcastically. "The tearful story of princess Buffy. Sorry to tell you but contrary to popular Sunnydale belief, the world doesn't revolve around you."
"I can't believe you're defending her. She tried to kill you. Hurt Willow, tried to destroy the ."
"And so did Angelus, Angelus hurt Willow, tried to kill me - but we weren't allowed to kill him. Why? Because Princess Buffy said so. Angelus butchered over twenty people while he was in Sunnydale alone, killed the love of the nearest thing to a father you have and tortured that same man. Nearly killed you when -." Xander's words trailed off.
"Tell her." Hearing a recounting of his crimes hurt but Angel knew that Buffy had to be made to understand that Faith deserved a second chance. And more to the point, that she would have to kill Xander to get Faith. He just hoped his ex would decide that was a price not worth paying.
"Would have killed you when you were in hospital with the flu if I hadn't stopped."
The dazed Slayer looked towards him for confirmation. Angel nodded. "Without a cross or anything."
"Xander-."
The young man's tirade cut the Slayer off. "Who saved you when the Master drowned you? Who came up with the plan to slay the Judge? Who stopped Teri from killing you when Angelus turned her? Who dealt with the gang of zombies planning to blow up the school while you were busy battling the Sisterhood of Jhe? Who came up with the plan to kill the Mayor? Who led the students at graduation? I'm not the dead weight that you think I am, but if you don't need me, fine - you can go to hell. Faith does, and the only way you're getting her is through me." Angel winced as the youth knocked the safety off his gun for emphasis.
"Fine, well don't you or that bitch ever come crawling back to -."
"Sunnydale?" Xander laughed bitterly. "Nobody, least of all you, is stopping me from going anywhere I want. But why would I want to go back to Sunnydale? Back to the abusive drunk parents? Back to the dead end job? Back to the girlfriend who only uses me as a damn gigolo?"
"What!!!!"
"Cordelia, please don't yell down my ear." Angel bit back a chuckle at both the outraged look on Cornelia's face and the pained one on Wesley's.
"Back to my oh so judgemental friends who consent to keep me around as the comic relief? As for Faith," Xander glanced at Riley's crumpled body in the corridor and laughed scornfully. "Don't worry about her. Once she remembers sleeping with the village idiot, even in your body, she'll probably die of shame. After all even Deadboy's got more life in him than farmboy."
"Ouch," Angel winced at the comment. Even Xander's back-handed compliments hurt.
His ex's face had turned red. "Xander, I'm warning -."
"No Buffy, I'm warning you," Angel glanced towards the young man. All traces of humour had left Xander's tone, leaving only a killer's coldness. "You or soldier boy even look at Faith wrong and you're dead. She's under my protection now. Now pick him up and get out."
The vampire waited until the Slayer and her still unconscious boyfriend had left before turning to Xander. Seeing that the boy was still full of tension he decided to try and lighten the mood. "You didn't mention that Faith had slept with Riley." "That a problem?" Xander glared at him suspiciously.
"No, but you and Riley - Faith's got some serious bad taste."
"Hey! I dated Xander for a year."
Angel raised an eyebrow at Cordelia. "I rest my case."
A smile tugged at the young man's lips. "Didn't Faith try to seduce you?"
Angel grinned. "Ah, but I'm the exception that proves the rule."
"I'd never thought I'd see Xander turn on Buffy like that."
Angel shook his head at Cordy's comment. "You've got it wrong Cordy. Xander's doing just what he thinks is right - like always. The Master, the hospital, the zombies. The right thing - whatever the price to him."
Wesley raised a timid hand. "Excuse me. I'm not familiar with any of these incidents."
"A few months after Buffy arrived in Sunnydale, Giles and I found a prophecy that said she would die at the hands of the Master. Everybody fell into a great depression," the vampire allowed himself a wry smile at the memory. "Not Xander though, he broke into my place, forced me to guide him into the Master's lair at the point of a crucifix and revived her after the Master had drowned her. That's how the second Slayer line was started."
"So that's what happened!" The Watcher's eyes were alight with interest.
"Excuse me, as a Watcher I'd have thought you know?"
"No Angel," Wesley shook his head, a look of distaste on his scholarly face. "I've come to believe that Quentin Travers censored much of Giles' reports, omitting most mention of both yourself and the other Scoobies' contribution to Miss Summers' Slaying. That's at least part of the reason," the man flushed in embarrassment, "I treated you all so shamefully when I was in Sunnydale."
"Sounds just like the Nazi party," the two men stared in surprise at the former cheerleader. "What? I did stay awake through some lessons you know!"
"Quite," the Watcher stared uncertainly at the cheerleader for a second before turning back to him. "And the other incidents?"
"While I was Angelus, Buffy caught a flu bug and I took advantage of it to beat her pretty badly. If it hadn't been for Xander putting my head in a sack and kneeing me in the face, I'd have turned her there and then. The next night I showed up at the hospital only to find Xander waiting for Angelus. He backed him off." Angel shook his head in admiration, he might not much like the boy but he never doubted his courage or determination.
"And did he catch hell from his girlfriend about that," Cordy added dryly, "but what about the zombies I haven't heard about this?"
"I don't have the full story here, just what Willie told me one night. As far as I know, the night the rest of us battled the Sisterhood of Jhe, Xander single-handedly saved Faith from an Apocalypse demon by ramming it with a car." "A car," Wesley raised an eyebrow. "I must have missed their inclusion as a weapon in the Council Handbook."
Angel allowed himself a short laugh. "We all know how much the Council knows. After that he slept with Faith, out-witted and killed a gang of four zombies, as well as apparently disconnecting a bomb in the basement with enough power to both destroy the school and blow open the hellmouth."
"Bloody hell! Saves the life of a beautiful woman, sleeps with her, and then single-handedly saves the world. Sounds almost like James Bond."
"James Bond?" He exchanged an amused look with Cordelia. "Hardly, after all -."
"The love spell!" The two of them collapsed in laughter.
Wesley glanced at them in confusion. "Love spell? What are you talking about?"
Suddenly Cordelia doubled up in pain. "Damn these visions!" The cheerleader cursed as she straightened, her eyes filled with fear. "Buffy's here."
* * *
"Where is she?"
Angel glanced at Cordelia and Wesley hiding behind him. "You can't have her."
Scorn entered the blonde's eyes. "You're going to stop me?" she scoffed. "You're going to fight me for that slut?"
"He might not. But I will. And you'll have to kill me to get her."
The blonde's eyes widened. "Xander, what are you doing here?"
The vampire let one eye slide over to the closed door that Xander stood guarding. What he saw froze his blood. The only previous time he'd seen that look of grim purpose in Xander's eyes was when the boy had backed his soulless alter-ego down. That night he'd known the boy would kill or die without a second thought to protect those he cared about. And now he'd decided to protect Faith.
The Slayer's face paled. "I don't know what you're doing here but that whore has to pay."
Riley chipped in with what Angel guessed was a typically inane comment. "You tell him Buffy."
Xander laughed. "You know Buffy, it's true what they say about Iowa farmboys, their IQs are smaller than their boot sizes. Oh, and their ma is also their sister." Angel bit back a laugh, well that was accurate.
"Harris, I'm warning you."
"Shut it Riley," Xander raised an automatic and pointed it at the rapidly paling soldier. "I'd think twice about shooting Buffy. You, I'd consider it a pleasure and a service to mankind."
Angel decided to cut in. "I'd listen to him if I were you farmboy. Two hundred and fifty years and he's the only ordinary mortal to have gone nose to nose with me and walked away."
"Yeah." The soldier smirked. "Maybe we should make it two."
Angel laughed before covering the space separating them in a blur, slapping the soldier across the face, grabbing him round the throat and throwing him across the room, over the reception desk, through the door and into the corridor outside. "I really don't think so."
"Angel, I thought you'd promised to stop doing that! You know how much the doors cost."
"Sorry Cordy."
Buffy glared at him for a second before turning back towards Xander. "You can't protect her, she's murdered people. She hurt me, she betrayed me."
"Well sob, sob," Xander growled sarcastically. "The tearful story of princess Buffy. Sorry to tell you but contrary to popular Sunnydale belief, the world doesn't revolve around you."
"I can't believe you're defending her. She tried to kill you. Hurt Willow, tried to destroy the ."
"And so did Angelus, Angelus hurt Willow, tried to kill me - but we weren't allowed to kill him. Why? Because Princess Buffy said so. Angelus butchered over twenty people while he was in Sunnydale alone, killed the love of the nearest thing to a father you have and tortured that same man. Nearly killed you when -." Xander's words trailed off.
"Tell her." Hearing a recounting of his crimes hurt but Angel knew that Buffy had to be made to understand that Faith deserved a second chance. And more to the point, that she would have to kill Xander to get Faith. He just hoped his ex would decide that was a price not worth paying.
"Would have killed you when you were in hospital with the flu if I hadn't stopped."
The dazed Slayer looked towards him for confirmation. Angel nodded. "Without a cross or anything."
"Xander-."
The young man's tirade cut the Slayer off. "Who saved you when the Master drowned you? Who came up with the plan to slay the Judge? Who stopped Teri from killing you when Angelus turned her? Who dealt with the gang of zombies planning to blow up the school while you were busy battling the Sisterhood of Jhe? Who came up with the plan to kill the Mayor? Who led the students at graduation? I'm not the dead weight that you think I am, but if you don't need me, fine - you can go to hell. Faith does, and the only way you're getting her is through me." Angel winced as the youth knocked the safety off his gun for emphasis.
"Fine, well don't you or that bitch ever come crawling back to -."
"Sunnydale?" Xander laughed bitterly. "Nobody, least of all you, is stopping me from going anywhere I want. But why would I want to go back to Sunnydale? Back to the abusive drunk parents? Back to the dead end job? Back to the girlfriend who only uses me as a damn gigolo?"
"What!!!!"
"Cordelia, please don't yell down my ear." Angel bit back a chuckle at both the outraged look on Cornelia's face and the pained one on Wesley's.
"Back to my oh so judgemental friends who consent to keep me around as the comic relief? As for Faith," Xander glanced at Riley's crumpled body in the corridor and laughed scornfully. "Don't worry about her. Once she remembers sleeping with the village idiot, even in your body, she'll probably die of shame. After all even Deadboy's got more life in him than farmboy."
"Ouch," Angel winced at the comment. Even Xander's back-handed compliments hurt.
His ex's face had turned red. "Xander, I'm warning -."
"No Buffy, I'm warning you," Angel glanced towards the young man. All traces of humour had left Xander's tone, leaving only a killer's coldness. "You or soldier boy even look at Faith wrong and you're dead. She's under my protection now. Now pick him up and get out."
The vampire waited until the Slayer and her still unconscious boyfriend had left before turning to Xander. Seeing that the boy was still full of tension he decided to try and lighten the mood. "You didn't mention that Faith had slept with Riley." "That a problem?" Xander glared at him suspiciously.
"No, but you and Riley - Faith's got some serious bad taste."
"Hey! I dated Xander for a year."
Angel raised an eyebrow at Cordelia. "I rest my case."
A smile tugged at the young man's lips. "Didn't Faith try to seduce you?"
Angel grinned. "Ah, but I'm the exception that proves the rule."