Title: Phoenix Risings: Phantasmal Terrain
Rating: PG-13/R
Chapter Number: 4
Author: White Werewolf
Category: Buffy/Xander, Sam/Daniel (Maybe), Gabrielle/Joxer
Spoilers/Timeframe: All I know for sure it is after "Becoming Part 2."
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the ideas and my computer.
Summery: After Buffy leaves Sunnydale, Xander decides to go looking for her. On the other side of the universe, Ninedinna wants the book she created...the Necronomicon Ex Mortis: the Book of the Dead.
Author Notes: This part is just a prologue to the Phoenix Risings Trilogy; whichs is in turn the starting fic to a huge series. This is the second part of the trilogy. It will be mainly focused on the Buffy/Xander relationship and it will be housing many crossovers.
Special Thanks: Danii, Tenhawk, Teri, Silent Bob Foley, and X-Lander
Crossovers Planned:
Buffy: the Vampire Slayer
Hercules: the Legendary Journeys
Evil Dead
Stargate SG-1
Xena: Warrior Princess
Boy Meets World
Cameo Crossovers will suddenly appear. Take a read, and see if you can spot one.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
She sighed, "I really don't want to answer that. My life right now is in real turmoil, and it hurts to talk about it."
Gunn nodded, "I get that, Buffy. Believe me, I do. Why don't you come with us to my crib?"
She looked back at her watch and realized that it was still pretty early. "Cool. But I can't stay long. Work tomorrow."
James said with surprise, "You work?"
Buffy crunched her face, "Yeah, I work. Anything wrong with that?"
Gunn shook his head, "Not at all. Pays the bills."
A smile was made, "I definitely need the money too."
George grinned, "C'mon. Let's go."
And with that, the vampire hunters headed back to Gunn's crib.
***
"So how are things with Faith?"
Xander said, "Going good. Faith's slayer abilities are coming closer together."
He got the idea, "Which means Buffy is feeling better."
Xander slumped onto the stool and turned to Hercules, "Exactly. So, how's the show going?"
Kevin Sorbo stated, "We're planning ideas for the next season. Wait till you see it. Things don't look good for Iolaus."
He asked, "Why? What happened to him?"
The demigod shrugged, "He dies."
This time the boy sighed, "Again? He dies more times then Buffy."
Hercules chuckled, "Yeah, that seems right. Iolaus hasn't had the best luck when it comes to dying."
Xander smiled, "I just discovered something that we have in common."
"Which is?"
The teenager said, "We both bring our friends back from the dead."
He nodded, "That we do. That we do. So, what do you want to do tonight?"
Xander shrugged looked at his watch, and then said, "I got to go."
The actor showed a confused look, "Why?"
Her grinned, "Faith's birthday. She'll be 17."
Hercules smiled, "17's a great age. I remember when I was that age."
Xander grinned getting an idea, "How long ago was that?"
The demigod chuckled, "Let's just say it was a long time ago. A very long time ago."
He sighed, "Oh, ok." Getting another idea, he said, "Why don't you come? Ash'll be there of course as well as Wesley. The thing is Herc, being a slayer makes you have a short life, and I want Faith to have a good one. And if you come, it will be all the better."
Hercules smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way." Then something hit him, "but I don't have anything to give her."
Xander looked around Hercules' house. "You don't have anything to give her?"
He grinned, "I don't have anything to give her from my house. Sorry, Xander." Then he got an idea, "I can get her something from the set."
The boy said, "That could work. But we better hurry. I don't want her to worry about me if I'm late."
He said simply, "Don't worry. We'll be fine. Eric's working tonight. So, he won't be any problem."
Xander got off the stool as Hercules headed for the door. "The studio is only ten minutes away. We'll be there in no time."
"Excellent."
***
"Can we go home, Wes? It's my birthday!"
Her watcher smiled, "Not yet, Faith. Just finish up this exercise and we can go." (Ash needs the time to set up the place, after all.)
She sighed, "Alright. What do we have to do?"
Wesley turned to his closet and opened it. He pulled out two staffs. Four feet in length made of bamboo. He tossed one to her. "These weapons are staffs. They're very strong weapons and are proven to be quite beneficial against the vampires as well as other demons." He tossed one to her. "I'm going to teach you some basic steps."
Giving in, she said, "What do you want me to learn?"
He got into a position, "This is the proper way to hold the staff."
Faith copied, "Right. Like this?"
She stood in the position to the best of her ability.
He grinned, "Right. Now try to block some of my attacks."
With that said, he launched some simple attacks toward her side.
Faith maneuvered herself with ease, sidestepping the assault and blocking it with her weapon. "Piece of cake."
Wesley recoiled and swung his body to his left aiming for her other side.
She saw this, tossed the staff from her right hand to her left behind her back and blocked it as well.
He then grabbed the other side of the weapon and did a series of attacks at his slayer. Trying never to be organized, but rather to be spontaneous. Much like her uncle suggested. Yet, he still used his organizational methods. Thus never using anything to be predictable.
A few hits got past her and ended up hitting her body, elbow, arm, and neck. But she also blocked some attacks and was learning at a good speed.
She was tired of the training. All she wanted to do was party. So, with a smile, she said, "Hey, Wes?"
Without loosing his concentration, "What is it, Faith?"
With a surged of strength, she knocked his staff out of his hands, dropped hers, and pulled him by the collar. "C'mon. We're leaving."
She yanked him out of his apartment, with him yelling, "I have to lock the door!"
***
As soon as it came to a halt, the two friends exited and headed for the gate.
"Hi, Eric."
Eric Matthews smiled at the two people, "Hi, Mr. Sorbo." He then spotted his friend, "Hi, Xander. What can I do for you tonight?"
Hercules smiled, "Xander and I have an engagement later tonight, and we wanted to pick something up."
The guard grinned, "No problem, Mr. Sorbo. I'll open the gate for you."
Xander said, "Thanks, Eric."
With that said, Eric opened the gate allowing Xander and Hercules entrance.
***
Kevin flipped on the light switch as he opened the door to the storage room. With a grin, he said, "Welcome to my personal collection from the show. To make sure things don't fall into the wrong hands, I like to keep things with me."
"Cool," was his statement as he looked around the room. "What do we get for her?"
The demigod shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine. Let's look, but be careful what you find. Some of these things are the real things from ancient Greece."
He nodded slowly, "So that means some of these things are as old as you?"
"Older. So, just be careful. Alright?"
The boy smiled, "I'm always careful."
The actor glared at him, "Sure you are."
Xander showed an innocent look, "I am."
"Uh huh."
He shook his head, "I really am."
"Xander..."
The teenager sighed, "Alright, alright. I'll try to be."
The demigod grinned, "Good."
The two of them started looking through the room. Boxers were everywhere.
Xander looked at the wall and noticed a sword. He picked it up carefully, "What about this, Herc?"
Hercules looked at what his young friend was holding. His eyes widened, "Put that down, Xander."
He showed a confused look, "Why? It's just a sword. A nice sword no less." Then he unsheathed it.
The actor sighed, "That's the Sword of Veracity."
A confusing look was made, "Sword of Veracity? Never saw the episode."
He answered, "It makes you tell the truth."
Xander laughed, "Yeah, right?"
Hercules said with a chuckle, "Tell, me, Xander. Was Cordelia your first kiss?"
Without thinking, he said, "No. Willow first kissed me when we were four. Jesse's big sister was babysitting us, and Willow wanted revenge for having her kiss a frog. So, she backed me into a corner, and kissed me."
Realizing what he said, Xander immediately sheathed the sword again and hung it back up.
"You made Willow kiss a frog?"
Xander laughed nervously as he turned back around, "We were four. What was I supposed to? Jesse and I wanted to get at Willow, so we tricked her into kissing a frog. Willow retaliated after talking to Jesse's sister, and kissed me. To make sure that I didn't do it again, they made me dress up like a girl and called me Lexa. Kids can be so cruel. Which led us to date each other until I stole her Barbie."
The big guy chuckled, "That they can. Next time, you better listen to me, Xander."
He nodded, "So not a problem."
"Good. Now help me find something."
The next ten minutes were spent searching the boxes. Nothing could be found.
"We don't have that much more time, Herc."
Hercules looked at the clock and said, "We still got some time, Xander."
"Wanna make a bet?"
***
Ash put the last plate on the counter as he walked into the living room.
A smile appeared on his face when he looked at what he had done, "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Balloons hung from the ceiling give the correct atmosphere needed for the night.
A small group of people were coming tonight. All it was him, Wesley, Xander, and Kevin. And of course, Faith.
Xander called him from the car telling them that he and Kevin were on their way. Faith'll be surprised alright, he mused. She needed this.
Growing up as a slayer could never work out in the end. Ash was against it as soon as he found about her calling. He didn't want to see his niece die young. Nobody should want to see their child, niece, nephew, and so on die before them. It's just not how the world works. It's not right.
But to make sure that never happened, she was training by three people that love her. To Ash, it was family love. A love that goes without question. But to him and his niece, that love was stronger, and powerful.
To Xander, she was his best friend. Faith didn't have many friends at the moment, and Xander helped tremendously in that department. They were like brother and sister. Xander was also a person who knew about the supernatural and was able to believe anything from that area. No wonder he believed that deadites existed. With a lopsided grin he thought, (Nice kid. Finally someone other than Faith believes me.)
And Wesley? The two didn't get along. They were like oil and water. But things have slowed down. Faith's watcher proved himself to be a great asset to her-her fighting skills improved dramatically. Wesley would properly never admit it, but Ash was sure that the Wesley did love his niece.
Ash looked at the clock, they should be here soon. But where were Kevin and Xander? They should've been here by now, right?
The thing was, he didn't want Faith to come to the cabin and not see Xander and Kevin Sorbo here. That would definitely hurt her in a way that was never good.
He immediately went to his cell phone and dialed Xander, "Pick up, pick up."
A few rings occurred.
No answer.
"C'mon, c'mon, Kid. Pick up."
He started to get worried. "Where are you?" The former promised one asked himself. "This is so not what I needed."
All of a sudden, the door knocked.
With a sigh, he went to the door and opened it to see his niece and her watcher.
"Ah, crap." Ash said to himself.
***
The door to a warehouse barged open as six humans walked down the stairs and into the main room.
"Welcome to my crib." Gunn said as he put down his weaponry.
He turned around and noticed the other members of his team and his sister, "Guys, this is Buffy. Buffy, meet my crew."
Buffy's eyes widened. There were so many people in this warehouse. All human from what her senses took in. "You mean you all fight vampires?"
Rondell nodded, "Yeah, we do. From what Gunn says, we all got to die at some point in our lives, it might as well be worth a good fight."
"Yeah, we do. My brother here fights with everything he has. By the way, my name is Alonna."
Wow, Buffy thought. So many people. So many lives who go against everything the blond tried to do alone through the last few years. Alex was right, she needed to be a team player, she needed to train her friends, and this only reinforced her earlier promises.
"Where did you find this Buffy character?"
The question cut off Buffy from her thought pattern, looked at the source of the voice, "I was in the graveyard."
The same person asked, "Graveyard? You looking for a girlfriend in the graveyard?"
Gunn chuckled, "Chains, man. She's the vampire slayer."
Ray showed a confused look, "Vampire slayer?"
Buffy sighed, "Here's what I can tell you..."
***
Hercules showed a confusing look, "What are you getting at?"
Xander said, "Look at your watch, Herc. What time does it say?"
For the first time in a while, he looked at his watch, "Uh oh."
He nodded, "Yeah, uh oh. We should've been there ten minutes ago."
The demigod looked around frantically, "I still don't know what to get her."
"Any weapon that can help a slayer? Do you have anything made by Hephaestus?"
Sighing, he said, "Nothing that can be grabbed easily." Then he continued looking for an object. Then he saw something, "I found something."
Xander smiled, "What is it?"
The actor walked over to the far wall and grabbed a weapon. He showed it to Xander, "This was Xena's. And I don't think she'll mind a slayer using it."
His eyes widened, "You're giving her that? What's going to happen in the show now that that's gone?"
The actor smiled, "The actress playing Xena uses a fake one. If she used the real one, she'd hurt herself easily. With Faith's healing powers, she should easily handle it."
Xander smiled, "Cool. C'mon, let's get going."
With that, the two left the studio.
The boy took his cell phone and dialed a familiar number.
One ring later, it was picked up. Xander said into the phone, "Hi, Ash."
***
Faith asked, "What's wrong, Uncle Ash?"
What did he want to tell her? Tell her that Xander wasn't here yet, which was true. Tell her that Xander was picking up Kevin Sorbo for her to meet? No, that would definitely put a cramp on things. Especially when Xander wanted to it to a surprise.
He hoped the kid was alright, though. Ash knew that Xander was a fighter, and if he needed help, he'd find a way. It was always possible that his cell phone was turned off. Maybe he couldn't use his cell phone in a studio.
With a sigh, he thought that had to be it. Xander was alright. He had to be. Right? He just had to be. One thing Ash would love to know if Xander was alright. But how is that possible?
All of a sudden, his cell phone rang, and he picked it up. "Hi, Ash."
With another sigh, he thought, (Thank god.) "Hi. Oh, ok. We'll see you in a few minutes. I'll tell Faith you're on your way. Yeah, I'll also tell her that. Later." He then hung up his phone.
"That was Xander. He'll be here shortly. With a friend."
Faith's mind shut down. Friend? What kinda friend? He's bringing a date to my birthday party? Where the fuck does he get the right to bring a date to my party?
Ash noticed the look on her face, "Faith, I assure you it's not like that."
She showed a perplexed look, "Like what?"
He smiled, "You like him, don'tca?"
She shook her head immediately, "Of course not. I could never like him. He B's territory anyway."
"Faith..."
Wesley coughed, "May I suggest that we sit down in the living room. It's rather chilly out on the porch here."
"Right. C'mon in."
With that said, the three of them entered the cabin and sat down. After locking the door of course.
Ash and his niece sat down on the couch while Wesley was in the chair next to them.
Faith's uncle looked at her, "I see the way you two interact. You like him. Xander's the type of guy who cares about all his friends, and he's the first guy you knew who knows about you're calling and isn't scared away by it. But like you said, Faith. Xander is obviously in love with this Buffy girl. His whole reason for being in LA is too find her."
She nodded slowly, "I know. I know, Uncle Ash. I just know I can make him happy."
He nodded, "Yeah, you can make him happy for a short time, Faith. But right now, he's only got Buffy on his mind. You'll find someone eventually. Right now, just enjoy the fact that you got a friend like Xander...a friend. And having friends in this world is extremely important."
Wesley nodded, "You're uncle is right, Faith. Granted, I'm not one for the teenage drama, but you'll find someone."
***
"You two leaving?"
Hercules looked back at Xander, and then at the guard, "Yeah, we are, Eric."
The Philadelphia native leaned back in his chair and noticed the clock on the back wall. "Well, you two have fun. I get off in five minutes. I'll probably watch tv tonight. Kid Gets Acquainted with the Universe is on tonight." He then chuckled a little.
Xander showed a confused look, "What's so funny?"
"I just realized. This actor, Rory, reminds me a lot of my kid brother, Cory."
"Weird." Was the brunette's statement.
Hercules looked at the guard, "Well, you know I hear that show is actually casting a character. The character is Rory long lost older brother. If you want, I can make a call."
Eric's perked up, "Thanks, Mr. Sorbo."
He laughed a little, "Call me, Kevin, Eric." After thinking for a second, the demigod asked, "Xander and I are going to a birthday party. Why don't you come along? I think it would be a lot better than sitting at home."
Eric grinned, "Thanks, Kevin. But I wouldn't want to intrude."
Xander smiled, "It'll be alright, Eric. Faith needs to make new friends anyway. Don't worry about a gift. "
He got out of his chair, "Shouldn't I wait for Kirk? He should be here in a few minutes."
"Somebody mention me?"
The three of them turned around and spotted the new visitor.
"Um, Kirk?"
Kirk nodded, "Yeah, Eric?"
"We need to switch. I have somewhere to go tonight."
He agreed, "Sure. Clock out, and you can leave."
With that said, Eric clocked out, and walked out of the booth.
"We'll drop you off at your apartment after." Hercules said as the three headed for the car.
Eric looked at what Hercules was holding, "Doesn't that belong to the show?"
The actor smiled, "I was looking after it for a friend. I don't think she'll mind if I let somebody else use it."
He showed a confused look, "You sure?"
Herc smirked, "She won't mind. She got a better one later on."
The want-to-turn-actor smiled, "Cool."
Then the three were off.
***
"Where are they?"
Ash smiled, "They'll be here soon, Faith. I wouldn't worry about it."
She sighed, "I know. I just want to get my groove on. And I don't want to start this party until X and his friend are here."
Wesley smiled, "I'm quite sure you'll get your groove on soon enough, Faith. Tonight you turn 17." Internally he sighed, (One more year until the Cruciamentum. I certainly hope you'll survive it.) He thought bitterly to himself. (With us training you, Faith. I have high hopes that you will not fail.)
She grinned, "Yeah, the big one seven."
All of a sudden, the door was knocked.
Ash asked, "Ready?"
She nodded, "You better believe I'm fucking ready!"
The former promised one said, "Well, let me be the first one to say to you, Faith, happy birthday."
He then opened the door to reveal three men.
Hercules walked in, "Happy birthday, Faith."
Her eyes widened, "You're, you're, you're Kevin Sorbo!"
The demigod chuckled, "That's what they call me. Xander here invited me, and how can I turn down someone's 17-year-old birthday?"
She grinned, "I can't believe you did this, X?"
He grinned, "I wanted you to have a good birthday. So, I invited him and Eric."
The Slayer showed a confused look, "Eric?"
Eric nodded as he came out from behind Kevin. "Hi, Faith. My name's Eric Matthews. Happy birthday."
She stared at him. "Uh...uh...uh."
"You're name is, Faith, right?"
Faith tried to speak, but couldn't.
Ash whispered to Wesley, "Looks like Faith moved on from the kid."
Her watcher said, "It appears that way."
Xander jabbed Faith in her stomach knocking her into motion, "Hi, Faith is me. I mean, my name is Faith."
"How about we go inside?" Hercules asked.
Ash said, "Sure. C'mon in."
TBC
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Rating: PG-13/R
Chapter Number: 4
Author: White Werewolf
Category: Buffy/Xander, Sam/Daniel (Maybe), Gabrielle/Joxer
Spoilers/Timeframe: All I know for sure it is after "Becoming Part 2."
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the ideas and my computer.
Summery: After Buffy leaves Sunnydale, Xander decides to go looking for her. On the other side of the universe, Ninedinna wants the book she created...the Necronomicon Ex Mortis: the Book of the Dead.
Author Notes: This part is just a prologue to the Phoenix Risings Trilogy; whichs is in turn the starting fic to a huge series. This is the second part of the trilogy. It will be mainly focused on the Buffy/Xander relationship and it will be housing many crossovers.
Special Thanks: Danii, Tenhawk, Teri, Silent Bob Foley, and X-Lander
Crossovers Planned:
Buffy: the Vampire Slayer
Hercules: the Legendary Journeys
Evil Dead
Stargate SG-1
Xena: Warrior Princess
Boy Meets World
Cameo Crossovers will suddenly appear. Take a read, and see if you can spot one.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
She sighed, "I really don't want to answer that. My life right now is in real turmoil, and it hurts to talk about it."
Gunn nodded, "I get that, Buffy. Believe me, I do. Why don't you come with us to my crib?"
She looked back at her watch and realized that it was still pretty early. "Cool. But I can't stay long. Work tomorrow."
James said with surprise, "You work?"
Buffy crunched her face, "Yeah, I work. Anything wrong with that?"
Gunn shook his head, "Not at all. Pays the bills."
A smile was made, "I definitely need the money too."
George grinned, "C'mon. Let's go."
And with that, the vampire hunters headed back to Gunn's crib.
***
"So how are things with Faith?"
Xander said, "Going good. Faith's slayer abilities are coming closer together."
He got the idea, "Which means Buffy is feeling better."
Xander slumped onto the stool and turned to Hercules, "Exactly. So, how's the show going?"
Kevin Sorbo stated, "We're planning ideas for the next season. Wait till you see it. Things don't look good for Iolaus."
He asked, "Why? What happened to him?"
The demigod shrugged, "He dies."
This time the boy sighed, "Again? He dies more times then Buffy."
Hercules chuckled, "Yeah, that seems right. Iolaus hasn't had the best luck when it comes to dying."
Xander smiled, "I just discovered something that we have in common."
"Which is?"
The teenager said, "We both bring our friends back from the dead."
He nodded, "That we do. That we do. So, what do you want to do tonight?"
Xander shrugged looked at his watch, and then said, "I got to go."
The actor showed a confused look, "Why?"
Her grinned, "Faith's birthday. She'll be 17."
Hercules smiled, "17's a great age. I remember when I was that age."
Xander grinned getting an idea, "How long ago was that?"
The demigod chuckled, "Let's just say it was a long time ago. A very long time ago."
He sighed, "Oh, ok." Getting another idea, he said, "Why don't you come? Ash'll be there of course as well as Wesley. The thing is Herc, being a slayer makes you have a short life, and I want Faith to have a good one. And if you come, it will be all the better."
Hercules smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way." Then something hit him, "but I don't have anything to give her."
Xander looked around Hercules' house. "You don't have anything to give her?"
He grinned, "I don't have anything to give her from my house. Sorry, Xander." Then he got an idea, "I can get her something from the set."
The boy said, "That could work. But we better hurry. I don't want her to worry about me if I'm late."
He said simply, "Don't worry. We'll be fine. Eric's working tonight. So, he won't be any problem."
Xander got off the stool as Hercules headed for the door. "The studio is only ten minutes away. We'll be there in no time."
"Excellent."
***
"Can we go home, Wes? It's my birthday!"
Her watcher smiled, "Not yet, Faith. Just finish up this exercise and we can go." (Ash needs the time to set up the place, after all.)
She sighed, "Alright. What do we have to do?"
Wesley turned to his closet and opened it. He pulled out two staffs. Four feet in length made of bamboo. He tossed one to her. "These weapons are staffs. They're very strong weapons and are proven to be quite beneficial against the vampires as well as other demons." He tossed one to her. "I'm going to teach you some basic steps."
Giving in, she said, "What do you want me to learn?"
He got into a position, "This is the proper way to hold the staff."
Faith copied, "Right. Like this?"
She stood in the position to the best of her ability.
He grinned, "Right. Now try to block some of my attacks."
With that said, he launched some simple attacks toward her side.
Faith maneuvered herself with ease, sidestepping the assault and blocking it with her weapon. "Piece of cake."
Wesley recoiled and swung his body to his left aiming for her other side.
She saw this, tossed the staff from her right hand to her left behind her back and blocked it as well.
He then grabbed the other side of the weapon and did a series of attacks at his slayer. Trying never to be organized, but rather to be spontaneous. Much like her uncle suggested. Yet, he still used his organizational methods. Thus never using anything to be predictable.
A few hits got past her and ended up hitting her body, elbow, arm, and neck. But she also blocked some attacks and was learning at a good speed.
She was tired of the training. All she wanted to do was party. So, with a smile, she said, "Hey, Wes?"
Without loosing his concentration, "What is it, Faith?"
With a surged of strength, she knocked his staff out of his hands, dropped hers, and pulled him by the collar. "C'mon. We're leaving."
She yanked him out of his apartment, with him yelling, "I have to lock the door!"
***
As soon as it came to a halt, the two friends exited and headed for the gate.
"Hi, Eric."
Eric Matthews smiled at the two people, "Hi, Mr. Sorbo." He then spotted his friend, "Hi, Xander. What can I do for you tonight?"
Hercules smiled, "Xander and I have an engagement later tonight, and we wanted to pick something up."
The guard grinned, "No problem, Mr. Sorbo. I'll open the gate for you."
Xander said, "Thanks, Eric."
With that said, Eric opened the gate allowing Xander and Hercules entrance.
***
Kevin flipped on the light switch as he opened the door to the storage room. With a grin, he said, "Welcome to my personal collection from the show. To make sure things don't fall into the wrong hands, I like to keep things with me."
"Cool," was his statement as he looked around the room. "What do we get for her?"
The demigod shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine. Let's look, but be careful what you find. Some of these things are the real things from ancient Greece."
He nodded slowly, "So that means some of these things are as old as you?"
"Older. So, just be careful. Alright?"
The boy smiled, "I'm always careful."
The actor glared at him, "Sure you are."
Xander showed an innocent look, "I am."
"Uh huh."
He shook his head, "I really am."
"Xander..."
The teenager sighed, "Alright, alright. I'll try to be."
The demigod grinned, "Good."
The two of them started looking through the room. Boxers were everywhere.
Xander looked at the wall and noticed a sword. He picked it up carefully, "What about this, Herc?"
Hercules looked at what his young friend was holding. His eyes widened, "Put that down, Xander."
He showed a confused look, "Why? It's just a sword. A nice sword no less." Then he unsheathed it.
The actor sighed, "That's the Sword of Veracity."
A confusing look was made, "Sword of Veracity? Never saw the episode."
He answered, "It makes you tell the truth."
Xander laughed, "Yeah, right?"
Hercules said with a chuckle, "Tell, me, Xander. Was Cordelia your first kiss?"
Without thinking, he said, "No. Willow first kissed me when we were four. Jesse's big sister was babysitting us, and Willow wanted revenge for having her kiss a frog. So, she backed me into a corner, and kissed me."
Realizing what he said, Xander immediately sheathed the sword again and hung it back up.
"You made Willow kiss a frog?"
Xander laughed nervously as he turned back around, "We were four. What was I supposed to? Jesse and I wanted to get at Willow, so we tricked her into kissing a frog. Willow retaliated after talking to Jesse's sister, and kissed me. To make sure that I didn't do it again, they made me dress up like a girl and called me Lexa. Kids can be so cruel. Which led us to date each other until I stole her Barbie."
The big guy chuckled, "That they can. Next time, you better listen to me, Xander."
He nodded, "So not a problem."
"Good. Now help me find something."
The next ten minutes were spent searching the boxes. Nothing could be found.
"We don't have that much more time, Herc."
Hercules looked at the clock and said, "We still got some time, Xander."
"Wanna make a bet?"
***
Ash put the last plate on the counter as he walked into the living room.
A smile appeared on his face when he looked at what he had done, "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Balloons hung from the ceiling give the correct atmosphere needed for the night.
A small group of people were coming tonight. All it was him, Wesley, Xander, and Kevin. And of course, Faith.
Xander called him from the car telling them that he and Kevin were on their way. Faith'll be surprised alright, he mused. She needed this.
Growing up as a slayer could never work out in the end. Ash was against it as soon as he found about her calling. He didn't want to see his niece die young. Nobody should want to see their child, niece, nephew, and so on die before them. It's just not how the world works. It's not right.
But to make sure that never happened, she was training by three people that love her. To Ash, it was family love. A love that goes without question. But to him and his niece, that love was stronger, and powerful.
To Xander, she was his best friend. Faith didn't have many friends at the moment, and Xander helped tremendously in that department. They were like brother and sister. Xander was also a person who knew about the supernatural and was able to believe anything from that area. No wonder he believed that deadites existed. With a lopsided grin he thought, (Nice kid. Finally someone other than Faith believes me.)
And Wesley? The two didn't get along. They were like oil and water. But things have slowed down. Faith's watcher proved himself to be a great asset to her-her fighting skills improved dramatically. Wesley would properly never admit it, but Ash was sure that the Wesley did love his niece.
Ash looked at the clock, they should be here soon. But where were Kevin and Xander? They should've been here by now, right?
The thing was, he didn't want Faith to come to the cabin and not see Xander and Kevin Sorbo here. That would definitely hurt her in a way that was never good.
He immediately went to his cell phone and dialed Xander, "Pick up, pick up."
A few rings occurred.
No answer.
"C'mon, c'mon, Kid. Pick up."
He started to get worried. "Where are you?" The former promised one asked himself. "This is so not what I needed."
All of a sudden, the door knocked.
With a sigh, he went to the door and opened it to see his niece and her watcher.
"Ah, crap." Ash said to himself.
***
The door to a warehouse barged open as six humans walked down the stairs and into the main room.
"Welcome to my crib." Gunn said as he put down his weaponry.
He turned around and noticed the other members of his team and his sister, "Guys, this is Buffy. Buffy, meet my crew."
Buffy's eyes widened. There were so many people in this warehouse. All human from what her senses took in. "You mean you all fight vampires?"
Rondell nodded, "Yeah, we do. From what Gunn says, we all got to die at some point in our lives, it might as well be worth a good fight."
"Yeah, we do. My brother here fights with everything he has. By the way, my name is Alonna."
Wow, Buffy thought. So many people. So many lives who go against everything the blond tried to do alone through the last few years. Alex was right, she needed to be a team player, she needed to train her friends, and this only reinforced her earlier promises.
"Where did you find this Buffy character?"
The question cut off Buffy from her thought pattern, looked at the source of the voice, "I was in the graveyard."
The same person asked, "Graveyard? You looking for a girlfriend in the graveyard?"
Gunn chuckled, "Chains, man. She's the vampire slayer."
Ray showed a confused look, "Vampire slayer?"
Buffy sighed, "Here's what I can tell you..."
***
Hercules showed a confusing look, "What are you getting at?"
Xander said, "Look at your watch, Herc. What time does it say?"
For the first time in a while, he looked at his watch, "Uh oh."
He nodded, "Yeah, uh oh. We should've been there ten minutes ago."
The demigod looked around frantically, "I still don't know what to get her."
"Any weapon that can help a slayer? Do you have anything made by Hephaestus?"
Sighing, he said, "Nothing that can be grabbed easily." Then he continued looking for an object. Then he saw something, "I found something."
Xander smiled, "What is it?"
The actor walked over to the far wall and grabbed a weapon. He showed it to Xander, "This was Xena's. And I don't think she'll mind a slayer using it."
His eyes widened, "You're giving her that? What's going to happen in the show now that that's gone?"
The actor smiled, "The actress playing Xena uses a fake one. If she used the real one, she'd hurt herself easily. With Faith's healing powers, she should easily handle it."
Xander smiled, "Cool. C'mon, let's get going."
With that, the two left the studio.
The boy took his cell phone and dialed a familiar number.
One ring later, it was picked up. Xander said into the phone, "Hi, Ash."
***
Faith asked, "What's wrong, Uncle Ash?"
What did he want to tell her? Tell her that Xander wasn't here yet, which was true. Tell her that Xander was picking up Kevin Sorbo for her to meet? No, that would definitely put a cramp on things. Especially when Xander wanted to it to a surprise.
He hoped the kid was alright, though. Ash knew that Xander was a fighter, and if he needed help, he'd find a way. It was always possible that his cell phone was turned off. Maybe he couldn't use his cell phone in a studio.
With a sigh, he thought that had to be it. Xander was alright. He had to be. Right? He just had to be. One thing Ash would love to know if Xander was alright. But how is that possible?
All of a sudden, his cell phone rang, and he picked it up. "Hi, Ash."
With another sigh, he thought, (Thank god.) "Hi. Oh, ok. We'll see you in a few minutes. I'll tell Faith you're on your way. Yeah, I'll also tell her that. Later." He then hung up his phone.
"That was Xander. He'll be here shortly. With a friend."
Faith's mind shut down. Friend? What kinda friend? He's bringing a date to my birthday party? Where the fuck does he get the right to bring a date to my party?
Ash noticed the look on her face, "Faith, I assure you it's not like that."
She showed a perplexed look, "Like what?"
He smiled, "You like him, don'tca?"
She shook her head immediately, "Of course not. I could never like him. He B's territory anyway."
"Faith..."
Wesley coughed, "May I suggest that we sit down in the living room. It's rather chilly out on the porch here."
"Right. C'mon in."
With that said, the three of them entered the cabin and sat down. After locking the door of course.
Ash and his niece sat down on the couch while Wesley was in the chair next to them.
Faith's uncle looked at her, "I see the way you two interact. You like him. Xander's the type of guy who cares about all his friends, and he's the first guy you knew who knows about you're calling and isn't scared away by it. But like you said, Faith. Xander is obviously in love with this Buffy girl. His whole reason for being in LA is too find her."
She nodded slowly, "I know. I know, Uncle Ash. I just know I can make him happy."
He nodded, "Yeah, you can make him happy for a short time, Faith. But right now, he's only got Buffy on his mind. You'll find someone eventually. Right now, just enjoy the fact that you got a friend like Xander...a friend. And having friends in this world is extremely important."
Wesley nodded, "You're uncle is right, Faith. Granted, I'm not one for the teenage drama, but you'll find someone."
***
"You two leaving?"
Hercules looked back at Xander, and then at the guard, "Yeah, we are, Eric."
The Philadelphia native leaned back in his chair and noticed the clock on the back wall. "Well, you two have fun. I get off in five minutes. I'll probably watch tv tonight. Kid Gets Acquainted with the Universe is on tonight." He then chuckled a little.
Xander showed a confused look, "What's so funny?"
"I just realized. This actor, Rory, reminds me a lot of my kid brother, Cory."
"Weird." Was the brunette's statement.
Hercules looked at the guard, "Well, you know I hear that show is actually casting a character. The character is Rory long lost older brother. If you want, I can make a call."
Eric's perked up, "Thanks, Mr. Sorbo."
He laughed a little, "Call me, Kevin, Eric." After thinking for a second, the demigod asked, "Xander and I are going to a birthday party. Why don't you come along? I think it would be a lot better than sitting at home."
Eric grinned, "Thanks, Kevin. But I wouldn't want to intrude."
Xander smiled, "It'll be alright, Eric. Faith needs to make new friends anyway. Don't worry about a gift. "
He got out of his chair, "Shouldn't I wait for Kirk? He should be here in a few minutes."
"Somebody mention me?"
The three of them turned around and spotted the new visitor.
"Um, Kirk?"
Kirk nodded, "Yeah, Eric?"
"We need to switch. I have somewhere to go tonight."
He agreed, "Sure. Clock out, and you can leave."
With that said, Eric clocked out, and walked out of the booth.
"We'll drop you off at your apartment after." Hercules said as the three headed for the car.
Eric looked at what Hercules was holding, "Doesn't that belong to the show?"
The actor smiled, "I was looking after it for a friend. I don't think she'll mind if I let somebody else use it."
He showed a confused look, "You sure?"
Herc smirked, "She won't mind. She got a better one later on."
The want-to-turn-actor smiled, "Cool."
Then the three were off.
***
"Where are they?"
Ash smiled, "They'll be here soon, Faith. I wouldn't worry about it."
She sighed, "I know. I just want to get my groove on. And I don't want to start this party until X and his friend are here."
Wesley smiled, "I'm quite sure you'll get your groove on soon enough, Faith. Tonight you turn 17." Internally he sighed, (One more year until the Cruciamentum. I certainly hope you'll survive it.) He thought bitterly to himself. (With us training you, Faith. I have high hopes that you will not fail.)
She grinned, "Yeah, the big one seven."
All of a sudden, the door was knocked.
Ash asked, "Ready?"
She nodded, "You better believe I'm fucking ready!"
The former promised one said, "Well, let me be the first one to say to you, Faith, happy birthday."
He then opened the door to reveal three men.
Hercules walked in, "Happy birthday, Faith."
Her eyes widened, "You're, you're, you're Kevin Sorbo!"
The demigod chuckled, "That's what they call me. Xander here invited me, and how can I turn down someone's 17-year-old birthday?"
She grinned, "I can't believe you did this, X?"
He grinned, "I wanted you to have a good birthday. So, I invited him and Eric."
The Slayer showed a confused look, "Eric?"
Eric nodded as he came out from behind Kevin. "Hi, Faith. My name's Eric Matthews. Happy birthday."
She stared at him. "Uh...uh...uh."
"You're name is, Faith, right?"
Faith tried to speak, but couldn't.
Ash whispered to Wesley, "Looks like Faith moved on from the kid."
Her watcher said, "It appears that way."
Xander jabbed Faith in her stomach knocking her into motion, "Hi, Faith is me. I mean, my name is Faith."
"How about we go inside?" Hercules asked.
Ash said, "Sure. C'mon in."
TBC
-------------------------------------------------------------------