author: Lucinda
rating: pg/pg 13
pairing: Faith/Bill Weasley
disclaimer: I hold no legal rights to any characters from Buffy/Angel or to any characters from the Harry Potter books.
distribution: TNL, Twisting the Hellmouth, Paula, anyone else just ask.
notes: probably AU-ish for Faith, set roughly season 3 A:tS/s7 BtVS, post book 4 HP, not in England.
Faith scowled as she cleaned the blood from her ax. Bill had been attacked by something. She hadn't been a Slayer for a few years without learning to recognize claw marks when she saw them. Something with claws had attacked her boyfriend.
It wasn't fair. She finally found a nice guy, someone that wasn't just after sex, or trying to use her for some plot, or wanting her to follow some stupid destiny, but a nice guy who seemed to like her. And he'd almost been killed by something out there.
"I think the ax will behave." Angel's voice pulled Faith from her angry thoughts.
Looking at him, she gave a small sigh. "Yeah, well... Bill could have been killed by that... whatever. I finally found a nice guy, and... Maybe this is why Slayers aren't supposed to have lives. He'll just get killed by some nasty."
"Maybe. And maybe not. I think... you might be underestimating him, Faith. There was something about him..." Angel's words drifted off as he got a look of distracted memory.
"Umm, Angel, I know that some vamps have this skewed sexuality thing going, but.. stop getting all misty eyed over MY boyfriend's blood, okay?" She had only intended the words as a joke, but there was a thread of doubt.
"Faith!" His shocked tone made her smile. "That wasn't... I wasn't..." Angel sighed, closing his eyes for a moment in an effort to calm down from her teasing. "I think there's more to Bill than meets the eye. There was something a bit different about his blood. The scent of it. I just can't place it right now."
"Yeah, I know. But the look on your face was worth it." She gave a half smile. What if Angel was right? Was there something that Bill was hiding? Some secret that he hadn't shared? If he was keeping secrets from her... Her hand tightened on the ax, and then Faith realized that she had no right to get too angry if Bill had a secret. So did she. Unless that secret was a girlfriend back home, in which case she had every right to kick the crap out of him.
"Maybe you should talk to him." Angel gave a cryptic smile and left her alone with her thoughts.
Putting away the axe, Faith decided that Angel was right. Maybe she did need to have a talk with Bill. At least about LA being dangerous at night. Now, where had Angel put him? Right, room 312. With a small smile, she headed for the stairs.
She hesitated or a long moment before tapping at the door, feeling oddly nervous. Why did she feel so shaken up about having a talk with her boyfriend? "Bill? Can we talk?"
"Faith. I think... yeah, talking might be good." Bill sounded a bit muzzy, as if he might have been trying to sleep. He opened the door, his shirt removed, bare toes peeking from under his jeans, only the bandages marring the picture of healthy manhood.
She walked in, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking around the room in an effort not to look into his eyes. It had the same bland fifties decor as all the other rooms here, the only modern touches Bill's things. "Bill... I... about tonight."
"Faith? Luv, you're starting to get me a bit worried over here. Say something." Bill's voice sounded a bit pleading.
She looked up, seeing his worried eyes. "You could have been killed!" She flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly, her mind picturing some of the horrible things that could have happened.
He held her, murmuring in her ear. "Faith, sweetheart, I'm all right. It's just a bit of a mess on my arm, I'll heal up and be just fine. You can't get rid of me quite that easy."
"But... What if the next time something's after you, you aren't so lucky?" She couldn't keep the little quaver from her voice, and she hated it. It made her sound like some scared helpless damsel, afraid that her brave knight would fight the dragon and get toasted.
"Hey now!" Bill looked a bit offended. "I'll have you know that this wasn't just luck! I happen to have... well, I've been taught how to take care of myself in trouble. Especially with the family that I have, and Charlie's job."
"Charlie.. that's your next younger brother? What does he do that's so dangerous?" Faith wondered how to break the news to him that it wasn't quite that easy to prepare for vampires and demons.
"Charlie works at a wildlife preserve. Big, scary carnivorous wildlife that occasionally tries to take a bite out of the preserve staff. And I... well..." He sort of faltered, as if he wasn't quite certain he should continue.
Faith looked at him, a small smile on her lips. "Angel seems to think there's a bit more to you than I thought, and that maybe you aren't in quite so much danger from the night-life."
"Angel? so that's where..." Bill shook his head, hair falling wildly around his face. Brushing it back from his eyes, he looked at her, his expression worried. "Faith, how much do you know about this Angel guy? Where does he come from?"
"Angel? What does Angel have to do with..." Faith felt utterly baffled until she took a bit of a closer look at his face. Bill looked really worried, and a trace fearful. "You aren't a Watcher, are you? Because I've had quite enough of them to last the rest of my life."
"Watchers?" Bill blinked, looking far too confused to be faking it. "What the hell is a Watcher? And why are they poking at your life?"
"If you aren't with the Watchers, how did you know about Angel being Angelus? He's not anymore, not since the Gypsies and then Red fixed him. But why do you know?" Faith glared, wondering if this was Bill's secret. If he was a Watcher and she'd been horribly wrong.
"I have no idea who or what these watcher people are. As for Angelus, why are you staying in his hotel?" Bill looked confused and frustrated. "For that matter, how do you know that he's Angelus?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She looked away, slumping on the bed. Here it came, the part where he freaked out and didn't want anything to do with her.
"How can you know unless you tell me?" He brushed his hand over her cheek.
"Right, if I told you that there are vampires and demons, you wouldn't start looking for a quick way out? Cause, I've seen people bail before. Seems that's almost everything that's happened since I got drafted to be the Slayer." Faith looked at his shoulder, feeling bitterness well up inside.
"The Slayer? You're the Slayer?" Bill sounded surprised. "I sort of thought that was a myth... But I knew about vampires and demons. Before one tried to rip my arm off tonight... err..."
"Wait, you knew about vampires? You got rid of the one tonight? How?" She looked at him, surprised and delighted and just a little suspicious that he knew.
Bill sighed, one hand reaching out to rest over hers. "I'm a wizard, of course. I went to a school, took seven years of Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons. We spent a lot of time covering vampires. I used a combination of a spell and a transfigured pocket knife to get rid of them. I was a bit lucky, and if Mum finds out she'll be furious, but... I'm not entirely helpless, Faith."
Faith looked at him, wondering if he was serious. He seemed to be. "A wizard? Like with a magic wand and a pointy hat? Does your brother really work at a wildlife preserve?"
"I only wore the stupid had for school, and my wand's right here. Ten inch Maple with a Phoenix feather, rather nice I think." He lifted a slender stick, lovingly polished. "And Charlie does indeed work at a wildlife preserve, it's the only Dragon Sanctuary in Romania. They're a protected species, and bloody dangerous too."
Faith looked at him, feeling hopeful at last. "If dragons are so dangerous, why does your brother work with them?"
"One too many Bludgers to the head? I really don't know." Bill grinned at her. "But.. does this mean there's still an us?"
Faith leaned up, one finger tracing over his cheekbone, tugging lightly at his earring. "Definitely still an us."
end Too Risky.
rating: pg/pg 13
pairing: Faith/Bill Weasley
disclaimer: I hold no legal rights to any characters from Buffy/Angel or to any characters from the Harry Potter books.
distribution: TNL, Twisting the Hellmouth, Paula, anyone else just ask.
notes: probably AU-ish for Faith, set roughly season 3 A:tS/s7 BtVS, post book 4 HP, not in England.
Faith scowled as she cleaned the blood from her ax. Bill had been attacked by something. She hadn't been a Slayer for a few years without learning to recognize claw marks when she saw them. Something with claws had attacked her boyfriend.
It wasn't fair. She finally found a nice guy, someone that wasn't just after sex, or trying to use her for some plot, or wanting her to follow some stupid destiny, but a nice guy who seemed to like her. And he'd almost been killed by something out there.
"I think the ax will behave." Angel's voice pulled Faith from her angry thoughts.
Looking at him, she gave a small sigh. "Yeah, well... Bill could have been killed by that... whatever. I finally found a nice guy, and... Maybe this is why Slayers aren't supposed to have lives. He'll just get killed by some nasty."
"Maybe. And maybe not. I think... you might be underestimating him, Faith. There was something about him..." Angel's words drifted off as he got a look of distracted memory.
"Umm, Angel, I know that some vamps have this skewed sexuality thing going, but.. stop getting all misty eyed over MY boyfriend's blood, okay?" She had only intended the words as a joke, but there was a thread of doubt.
"Faith!" His shocked tone made her smile. "That wasn't... I wasn't..." Angel sighed, closing his eyes for a moment in an effort to calm down from her teasing. "I think there's more to Bill than meets the eye. There was something a bit different about his blood. The scent of it. I just can't place it right now."
"Yeah, I know. But the look on your face was worth it." She gave a half smile. What if Angel was right? Was there something that Bill was hiding? Some secret that he hadn't shared? If he was keeping secrets from her... Her hand tightened on the ax, and then Faith realized that she had no right to get too angry if Bill had a secret. So did she. Unless that secret was a girlfriend back home, in which case she had every right to kick the crap out of him.
"Maybe you should talk to him." Angel gave a cryptic smile and left her alone with her thoughts.
Putting away the axe, Faith decided that Angel was right. Maybe she did need to have a talk with Bill. At least about LA being dangerous at night. Now, where had Angel put him? Right, room 312. With a small smile, she headed for the stairs.
She hesitated or a long moment before tapping at the door, feeling oddly nervous. Why did she feel so shaken up about having a talk with her boyfriend? "Bill? Can we talk?"
"Faith. I think... yeah, talking might be good." Bill sounded a bit muzzy, as if he might have been trying to sleep. He opened the door, his shirt removed, bare toes peeking from under his jeans, only the bandages marring the picture of healthy manhood.
She walked in, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking around the room in an effort not to look into his eyes. It had the same bland fifties decor as all the other rooms here, the only modern touches Bill's things. "Bill... I... about tonight."
"Faith? Luv, you're starting to get me a bit worried over here. Say something." Bill's voice sounded a bit pleading.
She looked up, seeing his worried eyes. "You could have been killed!" She flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly, her mind picturing some of the horrible things that could have happened.
He held her, murmuring in her ear. "Faith, sweetheart, I'm all right. It's just a bit of a mess on my arm, I'll heal up and be just fine. You can't get rid of me quite that easy."
"But... What if the next time something's after you, you aren't so lucky?" She couldn't keep the little quaver from her voice, and she hated it. It made her sound like some scared helpless damsel, afraid that her brave knight would fight the dragon and get toasted.
"Hey now!" Bill looked a bit offended. "I'll have you know that this wasn't just luck! I happen to have... well, I've been taught how to take care of myself in trouble. Especially with the family that I have, and Charlie's job."
"Charlie.. that's your next younger brother? What does he do that's so dangerous?" Faith wondered how to break the news to him that it wasn't quite that easy to prepare for vampires and demons.
"Charlie works at a wildlife preserve. Big, scary carnivorous wildlife that occasionally tries to take a bite out of the preserve staff. And I... well..." He sort of faltered, as if he wasn't quite certain he should continue.
Faith looked at him, a small smile on her lips. "Angel seems to think there's a bit more to you than I thought, and that maybe you aren't in quite so much danger from the night-life."
"Angel? so that's where..." Bill shook his head, hair falling wildly around his face. Brushing it back from his eyes, he looked at her, his expression worried. "Faith, how much do you know about this Angel guy? Where does he come from?"
"Angel? What does Angel have to do with..." Faith felt utterly baffled until she took a bit of a closer look at his face. Bill looked really worried, and a trace fearful. "You aren't a Watcher, are you? Because I've had quite enough of them to last the rest of my life."
"Watchers?" Bill blinked, looking far too confused to be faking it. "What the hell is a Watcher? And why are they poking at your life?"
"If you aren't with the Watchers, how did you know about Angel being Angelus? He's not anymore, not since the Gypsies and then Red fixed him. But why do you know?" Faith glared, wondering if this was Bill's secret. If he was a Watcher and she'd been horribly wrong.
"I have no idea who or what these watcher people are. As for Angelus, why are you staying in his hotel?" Bill looked confused and frustrated. "For that matter, how do you know that he's Angelus?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She looked away, slumping on the bed. Here it came, the part where he freaked out and didn't want anything to do with her.
"How can you know unless you tell me?" He brushed his hand over her cheek.
"Right, if I told you that there are vampires and demons, you wouldn't start looking for a quick way out? Cause, I've seen people bail before. Seems that's almost everything that's happened since I got drafted to be the Slayer." Faith looked at his shoulder, feeling bitterness well up inside.
"The Slayer? You're the Slayer?" Bill sounded surprised. "I sort of thought that was a myth... But I knew about vampires and demons. Before one tried to rip my arm off tonight... err..."
"Wait, you knew about vampires? You got rid of the one tonight? How?" She looked at him, surprised and delighted and just a little suspicious that he knew.
Bill sighed, one hand reaching out to rest over hers. "I'm a wizard, of course. I went to a school, took seven years of Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons. We spent a lot of time covering vampires. I used a combination of a spell and a transfigured pocket knife to get rid of them. I was a bit lucky, and if Mum finds out she'll be furious, but... I'm not entirely helpless, Faith."
Faith looked at him, wondering if he was serious. He seemed to be. "A wizard? Like with a magic wand and a pointy hat? Does your brother really work at a wildlife preserve?"
"I only wore the stupid had for school, and my wand's right here. Ten inch Maple with a Phoenix feather, rather nice I think." He lifted a slender stick, lovingly polished. "And Charlie does indeed work at a wildlife preserve, it's the only Dragon Sanctuary in Romania. They're a protected species, and bloody dangerous too."
Faith looked at him, feeling hopeful at last. "If dragons are so dangerous, why does your brother work with them?"
"One too many Bludgers to the head? I really don't know." Bill grinned at her. "But.. does this mean there's still an us?"
Faith leaned up, one finger tracing over his cheekbone, tugging lightly at his earring. "Definitely still an us."
end Too Risky.