Xander stepped back, shaking his hands in front of him, making nervous
moves. "I . . . I can explain."
Faith stared at the gun, with her eyes wide open. "What!?"
Instead of hearing a shot, all that she saw was a small stream of water dripping out of the loop. "It . . . it . . ." He laughed a little, nervously, "it is a water pistol."
Faith still stared at the pistol, not knowing what to think or say. She had been fooled and threatened by a fake gun. The embarrassment was simply to big. #There goes my hero act,#
Xander thought. "You see, Buffy and Giles were afraid that I would come to you, so they hid my real gun and . . . I, well . . . it's still a damn good duplicate, uh . . ."
A last drip, dripped painfully slow out of the loop brought her out of her temporary shock and she followed its trail towards the ground as it splashed on her razor sharp knife, precisely on the intricate design. Xander had followed the drip as well and his eyes grew wider as he saw in slow motion the moment it hit the solid surface, turning it into a thousand smaller drips. Suddenly something gripped his throat . . . it was fear . . . fear itself. He had difficult time swallowing it when he pictured himself on the ground, skinned alive.
Faith remembered the words of her boss. #"Be careful not to put somebody's eye out with that thing, until I tell you to."# The Dark Slayer looked up to him and saw his nervous goofy smile as a mask over his not well-hidden fear. Normally she would have been outraged, but not this time. *He* of all people, had stared *her* down with a fake gun. It hadn't made it less dangerous for him, she could still have beat him down. In fact it had made it all the more dangerous.
Slowly she bent down and reached for the knife as she still looked at Xander's terrified eyes. #Let's see how far he can control his nerves now . . .#
She deliberately looked away for a few seconds and picked up the knife, and then she looked back at him. Her eyes widened at bit. #No shit! This was his last chance, he didn't took it! Brave 'till the end, huh?# She frowned a little and shook her head, still in disbelief. #He took a double risk, coming into the Mayor's own place, the City Hall. First he tried to bluff his way through my defenses and then he risked his life again by giving up his ... aargh,# she balled her fist for not seeing through his act.
"The Barrel length is precisely 3,2" and its length 6,1", its height: 3,93", its weight, uh, well, the water compensated a l..." Xander tried to explain while looking at the ground as he saw how little water there had come out of it and gasped for air.
She shook her head again. #Even after I had tried to choke him, he would pull off something like this.# She looked at him, basically ignoring his jokes, funny movements and explanations as she wound up in deep thoughts and amazement. #Now he still tries, with his clown mask as defense. Back to the basics, huh?# She looked at the water on the ground. #Still, the fake gun had saved his life . . . at least until now,# she thought while she twisted her knife, unconsciously. The whole thought would have made her laugh manically, it was all so ridiculous, frenetic, if it weren't for the fact that it was all so damn serious to him. She had felt his fear, heard his heartbeat going wild . . . #It's not that he isn't afraid or doesn't value his life,# she thought, while remembering their discussion.
She played with her knife in slow and daring movements. #All this time he could hide his fear damn well, as if he was the one who played with me.# Her respect for him raised a thousand times.
"It's the gun James Bond carried and it is a .380 . . ." Xander continued.
She still had to laugh about his gullibility, but there was definitely more to him. A guy like him wouldn't be in her way, he could be an asset to her. She now understood why Buffy could allow him as a friend. Although Buffy would never realize it that she needs him . . . #Well, at least she knew Xander would come to me, but even she wouldn't have expect a stunt like this from him . . . Or would she?# she thought back to some of his adventures. #He had always walked over the thin line, but had managed never to fall.#
". . . But I guess you know that James doesn't use a .380, he being a brit and . . ."
#You and I, gonna be a team?# she questioned to herself. She then looked at him and frowned. #Still need a lot of life lessons, but hey, that can be arranged . . .# she thought while she grinned wickedly to herself, liking her lips. Then she remembered Angel's words again.
#Three times? No, even four attempts. Kindness, coldness, bravery and now with humor, hmmm, wonder what more he has . . .# She put away her knife in one of her pockets.
For a full minute she just stared at him and then suddenly tossed the 'Walter PPK' back to Xander. She raised her hands. "You win," she simply said while grinning.
*****
Epilogue
Together they walked out of the building into the nice sun which shown brightly over Sunnydale. It made Xander smile, #sometimes things do work out!# They walked side by side over the pavement 'till Xander saw a trash can and unconsciously tossed his water pistol into the can.
Faith stared at the can. "What? You're throwing it away?" she asked, amazed. Xander just shrugged. She walked to the can and picked it out quickly. She saw Xander looking surprised at her. She grinned at him. "It might have saved my life . . . I am going to keep it!"
Xander smiled and they walked further. After a short while he reached into his pocket and picked out an object. "Then I will keep this . . ." he said while he showed her his real PPK. She looked at it and her eyes grew wide . . . absolutely stunned! He grinned at her. "It might have saved mine!"
Faith stared at the gun, with her eyes wide open. "What!?"
Instead of hearing a shot, all that she saw was a small stream of water dripping out of the loop. "It . . . it . . ." He laughed a little, nervously, "it is a water pistol."
Faith still stared at the pistol, not knowing what to think or say. She had been fooled and threatened by a fake gun. The embarrassment was simply to big. #There goes my hero act,#
Xander thought. "You see, Buffy and Giles were afraid that I would come to you, so they hid my real gun and . . . I, well . . . it's still a damn good duplicate, uh . . ."
A last drip, dripped painfully slow out of the loop brought her out of her temporary shock and she followed its trail towards the ground as it splashed on her razor sharp knife, precisely on the intricate design. Xander had followed the drip as well and his eyes grew wider as he saw in slow motion the moment it hit the solid surface, turning it into a thousand smaller drips. Suddenly something gripped his throat . . . it was fear . . . fear itself. He had difficult time swallowing it when he pictured himself on the ground, skinned alive.
Faith remembered the words of her boss. #"Be careful not to put somebody's eye out with that thing, until I tell you to."# The Dark Slayer looked up to him and saw his nervous goofy smile as a mask over his not well-hidden fear. Normally she would have been outraged, but not this time. *He* of all people, had stared *her* down with a fake gun. It hadn't made it less dangerous for him, she could still have beat him down. In fact it had made it all the more dangerous.
Slowly she bent down and reached for the knife as she still looked at Xander's terrified eyes. #Let's see how far he can control his nerves now . . .#
She deliberately looked away for a few seconds and picked up the knife, and then she looked back at him. Her eyes widened at bit. #No shit! This was his last chance, he didn't took it! Brave 'till the end, huh?# She frowned a little and shook her head, still in disbelief. #He took a double risk, coming into the Mayor's own place, the City Hall. First he tried to bluff his way through my defenses and then he risked his life again by giving up his ... aargh,# she balled her fist for not seeing through his act.
"The Barrel length is precisely 3,2" and its length 6,1", its height: 3,93", its weight, uh, well, the water compensated a l..." Xander tried to explain while looking at the ground as he saw how little water there had come out of it and gasped for air.
She shook her head again. #Even after I had tried to choke him, he would pull off something like this.# She looked at him, basically ignoring his jokes, funny movements and explanations as she wound up in deep thoughts and amazement. #Now he still tries, with his clown mask as defense. Back to the basics, huh?# She looked at the water on the ground. #Still, the fake gun had saved his life . . . at least until now,# she thought while she twisted her knife, unconsciously. The whole thought would have made her laugh manically, it was all so ridiculous, frenetic, if it weren't for the fact that it was all so damn serious to him. She had felt his fear, heard his heartbeat going wild . . . #It's not that he isn't afraid or doesn't value his life,# she thought, while remembering their discussion.
She played with her knife in slow and daring movements. #All this time he could hide his fear damn well, as if he was the one who played with me.# Her respect for him raised a thousand times.
"It's the gun James Bond carried and it is a .380 . . ." Xander continued.
She still had to laugh about his gullibility, but there was definitely more to him. A guy like him wouldn't be in her way, he could be an asset to her. She now understood why Buffy could allow him as a friend. Although Buffy would never realize it that she needs him . . . #Well, at least she knew Xander would come to me, but even she wouldn't have expect a stunt like this from him . . . Or would she?# she thought back to some of his adventures. #He had always walked over the thin line, but had managed never to fall.#
". . . But I guess you know that James doesn't use a .380, he being a brit and . . ."
#You and I, gonna be a team?# she questioned to herself. She then looked at him and frowned. #Still need a lot of life lessons, but hey, that can be arranged . . .# she thought while she grinned wickedly to herself, liking her lips. Then she remembered Angel's words again.
#Three times? No, even four attempts. Kindness, coldness, bravery and now with humor, hmmm, wonder what more he has . . .# She put away her knife in one of her pockets.
For a full minute she just stared at him and then suddenly tossed the 'Walter PPK' back to Xander. She raised her hands. "You win," she simply said while grinning.
*****
Epilogue
Together they walked out of the building into the nice sun which shown brightly over Sunnydale. It made Xander smile, #sometimes things do work out!# They walked side by side over the pavement 'till Xander saw a trash can and unconsciously tossed his water pistol into the can.
Faith stared at the can. "What? You're throwing it away?" she asked, amazed. Xander just shrugged. She walked to the can and picked it out quickly. She saw Xander looking surprised at her. She grinned at him. "It might have saved my life . . . I am going to keep it!"
Xander smiled and they walked further. After a short while he reached into his pocket and picked out an object. "Then I will keep this . . ." he said while he showed her his real PPK. She looked at it and her eyes grew wide . . . absolutely stunned! He grinned at her. "It might have saved mine!"